A Knight to Remember

by Anne Barwell

"The last of your line will be in the embrace of a dragon."

Aric, Crown Prince of Astria, has been brought up to believe that all dragons are evil. But when he speaks with one, he finds himself questioning those beliefs. The dragon tells him to find a sword in Sherwin Forest to save not only his kingdom but also his sister, Georgia, who must otherwise wed the prince of a neighboring kingdom.

At the start of his quest, Aric dons a disguise and meets Denys, an archer and herbalist who lives alone at the edge of the forest. Denys agrees to guide Aric into the forest, but then Georgia appears, revealing Aric’s true identity.

However, Aric learns he is not the only one keeping secrets. Denys has a few of his own that could change both of their lives forever.

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Dragons, Romance, Magic, Paranormal, Shapeshifters

204 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2013

About the author

Anne Barwell lives in Wellington, New Zealand. She shares her home with two cats who are convinced that the house is run to suit them; this is an ongoing "discussion," and to date it appears as though the cats may be winning.

In 2008 she completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor of Teaching. She has worked as a music teacher, a primary school teacher, and now works in a library. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction Club and plays violin for Hutt Valley Orchestra.

She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such thing as "too many." These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of "spare time" is really just a myth.

Reviews

[Elizabetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

Dragons! Magic swords, mages, enchantment spells, action, and adventure. All packed into this little fantasy. The author takes us on a journey through enchanted forests on a quest to unite two kingdoms.

While the world-building in “A Knight to Remember” is good, it does occur to me that the story seems familiar… We have the main character, Prince Aric, who is on a quest for a magic sword held in Sherwin forest. It is prophesied that this sword will allow whoever finds it to unite the kingdoms of the land in peace. On his journey, Aric, posing as a King’s knight, meets Denys, a mysterious, young man of many skills. A handsome man who seems to have some magic mojo himself — he may or may not be a mage— and is willing and able to take Aric through the enchanted forest to retrieve the sword held there in a stone statue. Hmmm…This story skirts around the 20th century Arthur/Merlin legends but adds some twists. Here, Aric has a plucky twin sister, Georgia, who decides she must join him on his quest. And Aric’s quest is instigated by a visit from a black Dragon who tells him of the sword and his destiny to claim it.

“This wasn’t some feral animal, or a mindless beast. (Aric) could see its intelligence reflected in its dark, slitted eyes.

‘The only way to fight magic is with magic… You must seek the Sword of Sherwin… (and) save your kingdom…’ The dragon opened its wings. Aric gasped. They were the length of several men, black cobwebs of fine leather and scale… The dragon took to the air, gliding, hovering above him, its movement graceful, majestic. Something about it called to him, touched him.”

All in all, the adventure is enjoyable, there are skirmishes with some pursuing bad guys, and clashes with evil magical creatures. But there is nothing really astounding here, and I do have an issue with the main character. Aric comes off as a bit of a ditz. He’s on this dangerous, important quest but time and again, he has a habit of daydreaming or getting lost in thought at the most critical moments. He isn’t the strong, focused leader that I’d want in such a story, and so I found him a bit frustrating. In fact, Georgia is much more centered, clear-headed, and capable when confronting danger. I kept wondering at her constant presence... she certainly acts as a damper on Aric and Denys’ budding attraction— yet, here they are, traipsing the forest with a sister in tow. But, Georgia is handy with a bow (she recalls some of Tanith Lee or Tamora Pierce’s heroines), and she does, at one point, conveniently disappear when some personal time is needed. Denys, the mysterious forest man, is also more interesting… he’s an expert archer, and his bow has an intriguing engraving on it which matches the tattoo on his lower stomach — the meaning of which becomes evident in a nice twist to the story. When Aric finally gets a chance to touch that tattoo, sparks fly and the guys go into a kind of sexual heat.

The author has an easy-to-read writing style and a plot which, except for one sex scene, could fit in the YA fantasy genre. (In fact, if I were a teen and this were my first fantasy/shifter story, then I’d probably love it more.) While there was nothing really new here for me and I didn’t find Aric and Denys’ connection especially compelling, “A Knight to Remember” was a pleasant read. If you love dragons, magic, and some adventure in a fantasy read that is light on sex, then give this book a try. Apparently there will be a sequel which will pick up a year after the end of this one. ---> For this review and lots of other cool stuff please visit: The Blog of Sid Love

[Melyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5.0
A Knight to Remember by Anne Barwell is a fantasy adventure, with knights, dragons, magic , warring kingdoms and subterfuge. The story begins with Prince Aric making his way back to the castle from visiting his Aunt Hannah. His aunt had been banished from the castle after her sister, the queen, dies. Aric and his twin sister Georgia are forbidden to speak to her, which it appears they both disregard. We soon learn that not all Aric has been taught to believe is the truth when he meets a dragon on his way back to the castle.
To read the full review please go to:
http://liveyourlifebuythebook.wordpre...

[LiveYourLife BuyTheBook · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

A Knight to Remember by Anne Barwell is a fantasy adventure, with knights, dragons, magic , warring kingdoms and subterfuge. The story begins with Prince Aric making his way back to the castle from visiting his Aunt Hannah. His aunt had been banished from the castle after her sister, the queen, dies. Aric and his twin sister Georgia are forbidden to speak to her, which it appears they both disregard. We soon learn that not all Aric has been taught to believe is the truth when he meets a dragon on his way back to the castle. The dragon is nothing like he has been led to believe, it is intelligent and appears to know Aric’s aunt and mother. The dragon tells Aric there is a way to save his kingdom and his sister from an arranged marriage if he retrieves the sword of Sherwin, from Sherwin’s forest.

So begins the adventure. Aric is travelling in disguise as a knight’s apprentice. No one has seen the royal family in years so Aric is able to move about unrecognized. As Aric travels to find the sword, he happens upon Denys. Denys lives alone in the forest outside of the village of Woodleigh. He is shunned by most of the villagers as he is thought to practice magic which is banned in Astria. Denys is a knowledgeable herbalist and archer. There are things about him that would lead the people to view him as a mage but he does not believe it himself.

Denys agrees after a time to guide Aric through Sherwin forest. Denys is one of the only to have survived a trip into and out of the forest. There is an immediate attraction between Denys and Aric although they do not completely trust each other. As they get to know one another Aric wants to be honest with Denys about who he is but is waiting for the right time. He wants Denys to like him for himself, not because he is the prince. This does not go as planned. Georgia shows up unexpectedly and reveals Arics identity to Denys.

The story centers on a prophecy stating that the “The last of your line will be in the embrace of a dragon.” It is stated that once the rulers of Astria and the Dragons were in alliance. When a misunderstanding occurs, this prophecy is revealed and the interpretation leads to Astria viewing the dragons as their enemy and hunting them to almost extinction.

The dragon lore was interesting and something I would enjoy reading more about. The romance between Denys and Aric felt a bit sudden but it was explained as the story developed. The political turmoil is not resolved and the story lends itself to a sequel but I would not consider it a cliffhanger. Overall I found the book enjoyable and the romance sweet.

Deb's review can also be found at Live Your Life, Buy The Book

[Hey Hey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wait! It just ends?? I wanna know how it all works out!!
There is so much unfinished. So much that just needs an ending.

I want to see the wedding. I want to see Aric go home and face his father. I want to see the dragons and Astria become allies. I want to know what happens with Logan. What happens with Georgia?? How is Denys coping with his new abilities. Where are they? With the dragons until Georgia Rules Nadine their father dies??
*sigh* there is just soo much more that needs to be finished.

[Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Hearts

Review written for MM Good Book Reviews

This book is a stand alone and might be part of a series in the future

Aric might be the Crown Prince of Astria but he is firmly under the thumb of his father as is his twin sister Georgia. After a forbidden visit to his aunts Aric meets a dragon and he begins to realise that not everything he was taught was true, the dragon tells him to find a magical sword which will save his kingdom and his sister. Heading off on his quest in a disguise he meets Denys who begrudgingly offers to act as his guide to Sherwin Forest, as they progress Aric discovers he isn’t the only one with a secret.

This is a brilliant fantasy story that I hope we will see much more of in the future. Aric is butting heads with his father the older he gets, now twenty-four he feels that his father is losing his grip and putting the kingdom in danger by ignoring the information Aric discovered. When a dragon tells Aric of a way to protect his kingdom he sets out on a quest. Denys is a loner who lives at the edge of a forest when he comes across a traveller who has a magical cloak, he offers to escort the man to his destination if no one else will and finds himself returning to Sherwin Forest. The two men become close on their journey but their tentative relationship is nearly destroyed when Georgia turns up and blurts out the truth about Aric. Continuing on the journey their joy at finding love is cut short when Aric loses his memory, they still have a quest to fulfil and they discover enemy’s from within the kingdom.

I did really enjoy this story and liked the way that it was developed, the flow of the story was pretty smooth and was very easy to read. The characters were great and we get a really good feel for both Aric and Denys, at times Aric would let his mind wander and Denys would seem a bit standoffish but they were characters you could connect to. There was some pretty good background to the story which we discovered more of as we progressed through the story, and secrets were uncovered which added nicely to the story. The story is quite interesting and at times you can understand why things are the way they are in the kingdom, but you can also see where the over-reaction has taken place and the ill effects it has wrought.

There were many things to enjoy with this book but there was also things that annoyed, like why Georgia joined Aric on his quest, I couldn’t see the point other than she was a brilliant archer, she didn’t really add much to the story other than stopping Aric and Denys from getting intimate at times. She does come in handy later in the book though. The ending had me gritting my teeth in frustration because nothing has been resolved, the very reason why Aric went on the quest still lingers and because of the circumstances you don’t see how it ever really will be either, and this is where we fall on our knee’s and pray that Anne Barwell will continue with this as a series.

I will recommend this to those who love fantasy, dragons, magic, a quest, betrayal, finding love and a happy for now ending.

[Avery Knaub · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't think I can do justice in describing how utterly repulsive this book is. I still laugh at myself for not buying this as a joke. The only saving grace from that fateful mistake was that it was (rightfully so) at a discount book store, so at least I saved some money.

This is a book offensive to most everyone: fantasy book fans, the gays, and creative writers alike. The descriptions are boring. The world-building is nothing more than an uneducated person's vague idea of what medieval Europe was plus the typical fantasy aspects of dragons and magic. The characters and their thoughts and actions are nonsensical. Furthermore, nothing motivates me to care about them. If anything, as the book progresses, my annoyance of them increases.

Alas, I do not wish to dedicate more than a few minutes time to thinking over this sorry excuse for literature. Therefore, I will finish with this: Barwell, work on getting better writing skills and use them to write about something different as the object of your fantasy other than gay men with internalized homophobia.

[Cole Riann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review posted at The Armchair Reader.

I was immediately drawn to this book for two reasons. First, I've wanted to read an Anne Barwell book forever. I've bought all of her's as they've come out. They've all seemed rather interesting to me but for some reason I've never had time to actually read them. So I was really excited that she had written another book, which secondly, seemed rather Merlin-esque. You've got a crown prince, a king that has banished magic and is a pretty crappy father, and the fable of dragons which are supposed to be extinct, but really aren't. How could I refuse, right? It's like Merlin, but with gay guys!

And my reading went much like I thought it would, at least for the first half of the book, roughly. We meet Aric, the crown prince living under his father's thumb and doing just about everything he can to make his own way and hold true to his own beliefs under such a stifling reign. His father has banished magic and Aric and his twin sister have grown up with quite a biased education about their history and the history of magic and magical beings in Astria. His beliefs are challenged when he once again sneaks out to visit his aunt, his dead mother's sister -- a forbidden act by his father -- and is instead greeted in a forest glade by an ancient dragon. He's baffled to see it at all (believing them to be extinct) and even more confused when the dragon doesn't show the signs of aggression he was taught. Instead, the dragon speaks to him, the most surprising thing of all, and tells him that to save his kingdom and his sister, he must set out on a quest to seek the sword hidden in Sherwin Forest.

The Sherwin Forest is legend, a dark place said to once be the home of magic and dragons themselves, a place where no living person returns. But Aric must believe that what the dragon said was true. Their kingdom is in danger from their allies and a marriage treaty that would see his twin sister Georgia married off to the son of the neighboring King. Aric doesn't trust them, however. It isn't, as his father thinks, because he won't let go of his sister, but because of a treacherous conversation he overheard, in which Georgia will become a pawn for their so-called allies to take over Astria. Georgia would just become a pawn and her happiness means more to Aric than anything else, even the kingdom he'll one day rule.

My experience reading this book was good and disappointing at the same time. The first half of the book had me enthralled. I love a good sword and sorcery story and the first half of this book started well and continued strongly. Soon after Aric sets off to find his way to retrieve the sword from the fabled forest, he meets a handsome man in the woods that seems to have a special magical affinity, no matter how much he denies it. The man, Denys, is keeping his own secrets, but seems to believe what he says, which only makes him more mysterious. He reluctantly decides to help Aric, of whom he also knows very little. But Denys knows what happens to those who venture into the forest and how strange it is -- how it can mess with your mind and how changed you are if you can make it back out. His strong and confusing connection to Aric make him want to help.

For me, this story really changed while they were in the forest. While I don't begrudge an author a choice in their own book simply because it's a plot device that I'm really not fond of (amnesia), that was the turning point for me in this book because after that the story seemed to collapse in on itself. Before that point, about midway through the book, there seemed to be a clear drive in the plot with their trek through the forest and getting to know each other. Afterwards, the story seemed to explode in different directions and it all became a little confusing for me. I felt like maybe the story wasn't sure where it wanted to go. And yes, while it did eventually come back around, it felt like it was leaving out quite a bit of the story. I mean, it didn't feel finished, which brings me to another issue. I wondered if this was the beginning of a sequel. If it is, then I really wish that Dreamspinner would promote it as such. That has happened before with some their books, where they're the first part of a series but it isn't written about anywhere. And maybe that decision comes later -- it's possible -- but that changes my perspective on how I read the book and it definitely means that I consider the book in a different light. If it isn't a first book in a series, then this story felt greatly unfinished. I didn't particularly feel like the romance was finished but the main plot seems like an early part of a much longer story.

I pretty much knew the direction that the story was going to go -- the main "surprise" if you will -- from reading the blurb and at the very least from the minute that Aric meets Denys just after he speaks to the dragon. It's not a very big leap to assume that is the case. And I was right. I suppose what disappointed me was the confusion in the way it got there. It seemed a bit messy. I have avoided, so far, reading other reviews for this book, but I would be interested now in taking a look or talking to anyone else who read this to see what they think. It's possible, of course, that I just didn't "get" this one and that it wasn't for me. Maybe it's the author's style, as this is the first book of her's that I've read. But part of me thinks not, since I felt such a change between the first half and the second half.

No matter my ultimately feelings, however, I still liked the book okay. I just wanted to like it a lot more.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, good story. Loved the dragons!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

How could it end like that?! It was great until the end where nothing was resolved. There needed to be another book.

[Anne Barwell]

Sent to beta readers and onto book 2.

This will be republished in 2024 as Fire Guard.

[Chris Jeffreys · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is a fast moving fantasy novel. One of the main characters, Aric, is the prince of his kingdom. Due to a prophesy from many years before he was born, the rulers in Aric's kingdom have pledged to eliminate all dragons and magical beings. Things are generally peaceful in Aric's kingdom until his father, the King, agrees to an arranged marriage with his daughter and the prince of an adjoining kingdom.

Aric overhears members of the royal court of the adjoining kingdom state that the marriage is to be a farce, and meant as a means to infiltrate Aric's kingdom. Thus, as with every mid-evil type story, Aric must go on a quest to find the enchanted Sword of Sherwin that is said to bring unity and peace between kingdoms.

On page 49 of this book, we find out what the real issue in Aric's quest is all about. That quest is integrally tied to the second main character, Denys, a man who has some magical powers and can commune with nature. (I still do not understand the spelling of "Dennis" in this book, it looks like a typo for "denies".).

Denys joins Aric on his quest, and they fall instantly in love with each other. On their quest to Sherwin forrest (yes, all through the book, I was reading this as Sherwood Forrest from Robin Hood fame), intense emotions are generated in their relationship causing Denys to transform into a heretofore unknown dragon. He finally returns to is human form and comes back to Aric.

While Denys is off flying about, Aric is terribly upset and goes off looking for his love. During his search, he stumbles upon a statue of a dragon with the Sword of Sherwin beneath it. But, the price of taking the sword is to completely lose every memory of your life. (In this case, Aric loses the memories that he has of his prior life and the love that he has found with Denys. But, he still instinctively knows that there is a connection between himself and Denys, even though he may not be able to remember the details.).

Of course, the memories return as the book continues, and Aric and Denys accept each other completely.

It looks like there are real possibilities here for a sequel since the ending of this story is tied up far too quickly, and there is a complete back story of these characters that needs to be told.

This review, of course, just scratches the surface of this engaging novel. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about chivalrous knights and their tales. I give it 4.5 stars.

[Trish Gillham · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a reviewer, my job is to tell you if I think a book is worthy of your hard earned money. A Knight to Remember is a good story with not so great execution. It’s an age old tale of uniting enemies with love, a Romeo and Juliet with dragons. However, if I had to hear one more time about how Aric and his father didn’t see eye to eye on things, I might have squeezed the dragon to shoot fire at the young prince. The author spent a lot of time in the book overexplaining. I’m a relatively intelligent reader, and I didn’t need to be spoon-fed. Also, the book was frontloaded with exposition and backstory. It might have started better in the aunt’s cottage, rather than just remembering their conversations. Also, they didn’t actually start their quest until about halfway through—I know because I kept watch on the percent indicator wondering when they were going to get moving.

I liked Denys as a character and found myself caring about him when he figured out who he was. The royal twins, however, I wasn’t all that enamored with. Aric seemed rather hapless while Georgia came off as aloof. It was almost like a college road trip for them rather than a quest to save their kingdom from the overhead conversation of invaders. They set off after a sword they don’t know how to use and hope an idea just comes to them later.

SPOILER ALERT: The sword falls into their lap, almost literally. For such a bold and daring quest, it took pretty much nothing to find the object of it.

A romance novel is supposed to have an emotionally fulfilled ending. They fell in love, yes. They committed to each other, yes. They’re going to live happily ever after, yes. But – the actual conflict in the book was never resolved. What happened with the throne? What happened with the king? Aric speculated, he threw out a half-formed plan, but you have no idea how the actual story ended.

If you’re a big believer and lover of fairy tales, yes—I’d probably recommend this book for the entertainment value. If you’re not a big fantasy fan, this book may not be for you.



Professionally reviewed at:
http://www.prismbookalliance.com/2016...

[Fehu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aric is the crown prince of a country, where magic is forbidden and the dragons were mostly killed by his family. There is a prophecy, the last male of his line and that would be Aric, would be embraced by the dragon. His great-grandfather thought that was threat enough to start a war with their dragon allies, now Aric isn't sure if that was the right decision, after meeting a dragon on his way home from visiting his aunt. The dragon seemed nice enough and wanted to help him and it's not like he has a lot of people, who would help him, even against his father’s wishes.

His sister has been promised in a marriage to a king who wants to overrun their kingdom with the help of wizards and of course no one believes Aric beside his sister. Their father is dead set on the marriage as a union of two kingdoms, he doesn’t that there is a plot and traitors in his own court who would like to see his son and him dead. After another fight Aric flees the castle in the hope to find a weapon against magic, like the dragon promised. Little does he know that he will awaken a dragon and find his own soul mate in the process.

Denys lived in the woods of a small village, not far from a magical forest that is said to be the home to the last dragons. When he meets a traveling stranger, he is lonely enough to offer help, since the villager think him to be a witch and usually avoid him. Aric intrigues him and so he offers his help as a guide to the dragons’ lands, to find the sword of legends that is said to be able to withstand magic.

A Knight to Remember is a nice fantasy adventure story, but it is a beginning of a story and I though the relationship between Aric and Denys could have happen more gradually. They are a bit quick to profess their love for each other. Otherwise it's an engaging story, with likable characters and room for development. The story flows nicely, but is somewhat fast paced and I hope some of the details to history will be revealed in the next book. I'd love to find out more about the dragons or the upcoming conflict and the kings reaction to his son's mate.

[M'rella · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am DNF-ing this book.

The prose is wordy. I am 40% in, but MC's haven't even made it to their destination yet. Lingering where they shouldn't, too busy talking their heads off. So busy, in fact, that all kinds of people and creatures sneak up on these "great warriors" all the time.

Honestly, I won't be surprised if a herd of mad rhinoceroses, stampeding through the woods, manages to sneak up on them. Argh! Drives me nuts!

With all the talking, though, their conversations are lacking logic and common sense. Their actions lack logic and common sense, too. This whole book lacks logic and common sense. Why am I still reading it? @.@

I think I'd be better off going through my London pics, than killing my time and brain cells on this disaster. DNF it is. 1 star for what I've read so far.

[Xander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this. I liked that it was more fantasy novel than erotica, which is hard to find lately. My biggest complaint is that it feels more like the first book in a series than a stand alone novel. Just when things get going and we find out what's really going on, it's over. It feels like it sets up for the next book, but it's been a few years and there's been no sequel. Too bad. I would have liked to have read the next one.

[OrchidWai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not attractive
Very flawed plotting
But nice creation
The part in the dragon and the sword was ok. I wouldn't give it 3 stars because I support BL and pretty much this story didn't give me feels it supposed to.
And I will have to settle with 3 stars.
Very be strong. With more careful and detailed plotting this kind of creation should be a good-read.

[The Blog of Sid Love]

3.5 Stars

Please read review at The Blog of Sid Love

[Adrianamae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barely 3 stars, see Cole Riann's review:
http://coleriann.com/2013/07/11/a-kni...