Kinley MacGregor, Return of the Warrior

Kinley MacGregor, Return of the Warrior - In the Kingdom of Taagaria, Queen Adara worries that the neighboring monarchy Elgedera, ruled by the Regent Selwyn, will force her to acknowledge that his nephew, her spouse Prince Christian, is dead and she must marry his son Basilli. Desperate she needs her spouse and demands he either come home to rule over both lands, make her pregnant or allow her to divorce him and marry someone else. Adara's cousin Thera agrees to pretend to be her temporarily.

A few months later, a naked Adara meets Christian in England hoping to claim him as hers. Although tempted, he rejects her, but is shocked when she proves they were married as children. She pleads with him that she needs him to secure her country's borders from his uncle and cousin and that his uncle killed Christian's parents and left him for dead in the monastery.

After a few attempts on their lives, Christian concludes he must take Adara home and become king, but not stay or begat a child into this dangerous ugly world. She has the Europe crossing to persuade him that love beautifies the world.

The second Brotherhood historical novel (see A DARK CHAMPION) is an engaging, medieval romance starring a strong lead couple and ably supported by a solid secondary cast, especially the mysterious Phantom and the Fool. Although the villains fail to live up to their reputation and it is doubtful that so many foreign soldiers could wander England without an alarm being raised, the storyline grips the reader as danger accompanies the crossing. Fans will take immense delight with RETURN OF THE WARRIOR and want Phantom's tale soonest.

Avon, May 2005, $6.99, 384 pp.

ISBN: 0060565438

Harriet Klausner