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Wild #1
Under a Wild Sky
Their love is as tumultuous as the wind-whipped sky . . . and as tender as the sun's caress.
She is Kalial, golden princess of a legendary forest. Living among the trees, her female form disguised in male garb, a jaguar at her side, she has the power to speak with wild animals . . . and halt all intruders in her forbidden land.
He is Ronin, laird of the McTavers, a battered warrior whose family has been cruelly murdered, his castle destroyed. With the enemy hard on his heels, he ventures into the dense wilderness from which no man has returned.
When forest dwellers attack Ronin, he does not hesitate to claim their boy leader as a hostage to ensure his safe passage. Little does he suspect that the small, fierce boy he calls his squire and promises to protect is actually a beautiful woman whose unbridled passion for life and love matches his own. Together, they will defy their enemies, soar to pinnacles of exquisite pleasure . . . and discover a love that will bind their souls forever.
She is Kalial, golden princess of a legendary forest. Living among the trees, her female form disguised in male garb, a jaguar at her side, she has the power to speak with wild animals . . . and halt all intruders in her forbidden land.
He is Ronin, laird of the McTavers, a battered warrior whose family has been cruelly murdered, his castle destroyed. With the enemy hard on his heels, he ventures into the dense wilderness from which no man has returned.
When forest dwellers attack Ronin, he does not hesitate to claim their boy leader as a hostage to ensure his safe passage. Little does he suspect that the small, fierce boy he calls his squire and promises to protect is actually a beautiful woman whose unbridled passion for life and love matches his own. Together, they will defy their enemies, soar to pinnacles of exquisite pleasure . . . and discover a love that will bind their souls forever.
417 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 3, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
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April 20, 2020DNF , so no rating .
Very old school romance where the heroine is humiliated by the "hero" .
Very old school romance where the heroine is humiliated by the "hero" .
November 6, 2022
Actual rating 3.5 ⭐. I wanted to like this book more but it was bam bam bam bam. Characters were here, here, here and here. It clipped along at a fast pace and I was disbelievingly a few times but overall the writing was good even if the plot felt jarring at points. I liked the characters though trigger warnings for slaughter of innocent people, murder, attempted rape of a young girl in the first chapter, assault, kidnapping, and heavy violence. I might consider moving on with the series, I'm not sure yet. 🤔 I'm hoping that the series improves by the next book or I'm just gonna call it quits. I recommend this for fans of all kinds of historical romance that aren't picky like I am lol.
June 8, 2010
This book was very difficult to rate, because there was little about this story that was average, nevertheless; three stars is the best description I can give of my overall reading experience.
Under a Wild Sky tells the story of a Scottish warrior who loses his entire family to a mercenary force searching for gold. They believe Ronin has a tapestry that will lead them to it. Ronin escapes into a forest protected by a wild people let by Princess Kalial, whose generations-long purpose is to protect the treasure.
Initially, Ronin mistakes Kalial for a boy because she binds her breasts and wears the clothes of a fighter. He takes her hostage in order to gain safe passage through the forest.
The setup was great, even if I didn't think Ronin was all that bright for believing that a woman he had pressed up against him on the back of a horse for 2 days was actually a boy. It still made for interesting tension.
This other thing this book did extremely well was eroticism. Actually, it went over the top for my tastes, but in terms of quantity, not quality. I found myself skimming through the last couple of sex scenes impatiently, but I will give this author credit for skill and creativity. No soft mattresses and sheets for these two.
I also enjoyed the subtle paranormal element -- which involved Kalial and her people being able to speak mentally with animals. Ronin would eventually learn to do this as well.
For all of the above, I might have given the book 5 stars. In fact, for the first half of the book I was so swept away with all the good things the author had set up, that I thought it would be a 5-star book.
The trouble is that I read romance more for the love story, and I was never convinced by the romantic tension between these two. It was based on a supposed cultural differences that was very shallowly described and not entirely believable. There was the made-up culture of the forest dwellers, which was underdeveloped at best (and even contradicted itself, IMO), and the real-world culture of medieval Scotland, which was also shallowly described.
Worse than that, though, was that the dynamic of the romance didn't change much over the course of the story. Once he figured out that Kalial was a woman, the forces keeping them apart were obscure and nothing really seemed to change. I can't tell you exactly when they decided they really wanted the other, because they seemed to make this decision over and over again.
So in summary: good action, setup, subtle magic, and eroticism....not so good romance, world building, or characterization.
Under a Wild Sky tells the story of a Scottish warrior who loses his entire family to a mercenary force searching for gold. They believe Ronin has a tapestry that will lead them to it. Ronin escapes into a forest protected by a wild people let by Princess Kalial, whose generations-long purpose is to protect the treasure.
Initially, Ronin mistakes Kalial for a boy because she binds her breasts and wears the clothes of a fighter. He takes her hostage in order to gain safe passage through the forest.
The setup was great, even if I didn't think Ronin was all that bright for believing that a woman he had pressed up against him on the back of a horse for 2 days was actually a boy. It still made for interesting tension.
This other thing this book did extremely well was eroticism. Actually, it went over the top for my tastes, but in terms of quantity, not quality. I found myself skimming through the last couple of sex scenes impatiently, but I will give this author credit for skill and creativity. No soft mattresses and sheets for these two.
I also enjoyed the subtle paranormal element -- which involved Kalial and her people being able to speak mentally with animals. Ronin would eventually learn to do this as well.
For all of the above, I might have given the book 5 stars. In fact, for the first half of the book I was so swept away with all the good things the author had set up, that I thought it would be a 5-star book.
The trouble is that I read romance more for the love story, and I was never convinced by the romantic tension between these two. It was based on a supposed cultural differences that was very shallowly described and not entirely believable. There was the made-up culture of the forest dwellers, which was underdeveloped at best (and even contradicted itself, IMO), and the real-world culture of medieval Scotland, which was also shallowly described.
Worse than that, though, was that the dynamic of the romance didn't change much over the course of the story. Once he figured out that Kalial was a woman, the forces keeping them apart were obscure and nothing really seemed to change. I can't tell you exactly when they decided they really wanted the other, because they seemed to make this decision over and over again.
So in summary: good action, setup, subtle magic, and eroticism....not so good romance, world building, or characterization.
November 30, 2009
I enjoyed the story line in this book...the McCat and owl, the forest folk, the princess of the forest people, the tapestry leading to treasures, talking to the animals...the fantasy story line with the romance...But then there was the "skip over 5 pages of intimate relationship between the two main characters' to get on with the story and what was going to happen next, only to be confronted by another 4 or so pages I had to skip through of them touching each other and being together, to once again get on with the story. The two main characters also acted very childish, squabbling and caring on, not listening to one another, assuming the worst and stomping away in a temper tantrum.
September 25, 2024
1 star cause I can't give less! I'm so sorry but what the fuck was that? Gave it a chance, was super confused and just found things to be very disturbing. I'm not a reader that shys away from dark plots but this just was so ick for many parts (non-con and attempted rape and etc) The characters are so annoying and immature in every way, I couldn't take this seriously.
I got all 6 at a used library sale and will be rehoming all without reading the series further.
I got all 6 at a used library sale and will be rehoming all without reading the series further.
May 11, 2024
Story had good premise, but there were some continuation problems. For instance, traumatic injuries were conveniently forgotten in the very next scene or recovered from in less than 24 hours, without explanation of healing. Story did have my attention, I just wish it didn’t have those major plot issues.
September 14, 2017
I enjoyed the story, I thought it was pretty cool how Kalial had the ability to communicate with animals, I loved the Mcat and the owl. I did feel that it took Ronin way too long to figure out that Kalial was a girl.
February 11, 2022
Enjoyed it highly. The book is so romantic, action pact, and full of fantasies.
July 30, 2023
It’s missing the 2nd book on here the name of that one is “In a Wild Wood”.
P.S. I loved this series 💚
P.S. I loved this series 💚
May 2, 2017
I feel sorry for giving this only two stars. I really wish I could have given it more. I'm even more sorry because "Under a Wild Sky" started out as a five-star-book.
I enjoyed it immensely for the first half. I loved the idea of the forest people, the McCat, and the heroine Kalial. She was strong, smart, and brave. I simply liked her a lot.
But from the moment on the hero Ronin finally discovered his squire was not a boy it went downhill. Ronin acted like a complete ass.
I also disliked how the plot developed. In part two (of three) it almost came to a standstill. There wasn't much story there aside from Ronin and Kalial's ongoing conflict due to miscommunication and intrigues.
The third part was just outright strange.
So, after all this, I had to give it three stars. Hopefully the second part will be a lot better.
I enjoyed it immensely for the first half. I loved the idea of the forest people, the McCat, and the heroine Kalial. She was strong, smart, and brave. I simply liked her a lot.
But from the moment on the hero Ronin finally discovered his squire was not a boy it went downhill. Ronin acted like a complete ass.
I also disliked how the plot developed. In part two (of three) it almost came to a standstill. There wasn't much story there aside from Ronin and Kalial's ongoing conflict due to miscommunication and intrigues.
The third part was just outright strange.
So, after all this, I had to give it three stars. Hopefully the second part will be a lot better.
October 15, 2015
I did in fact quite enjoy the majority of this book. There was a lot of everything I love in this book. It was in a historical setting. There was magic involved. The was a pretty good love story. There was a bit of a mystery. Lastly, the heroine was not a damsel in distress in the usual form.
Kalial (I love that name by the way) is a young woman who is princess of a people who dwells in the forest of Lock Nidean. Her entire life was for her to protect the forest, her people, and a very old secret of them both. She is very strong and talented when it comes to throwing daggers and shooting bows. She can also communicate with animals around her. Because of her position within the tribe and magical abilities, she was raised slightly apart from the other children. This definitely left her lacking in social skills.
Ronin just lost his entire family and the castle he called home to an evil man named Lothian. Lothian is trying to find the "Scottish Gold" that he believed Ronin's family knows about. Ronin escapes Lothian into the forest, but he is relentlessly pursued by Lothian's men. Ronin is very young in mmind as well as body and just overfilled with a longing for vengeance for his fallen family.
Kalial and Ronin meet in the forest, and Ronin believes Kalial to be a young boy. I agree with many other reviewers that it takes a bit too long for Ronin to figure out the truth about Kalial's identity. However, so much happens to this pair, that I really fell into this love story. They grew to love each other, not just lust after the physical appearances. They also learned from each other and became better versions of themselves because of it. I would just sometimes get frustrated in the lack of communication between the two main characters. This happens so often with romances though, I am getting used to it.
I only had a few problems with the book. First, the point of view changed very frequently without any distinction that it was happening. I would have to go back and restart paragraphs because I would get confused. There were A LOT of intimate scenes. And those intimate scenes were very vivid. Those scenes would also get me frustrated in how they were described. Parts would be super cheesy in describing things similar to nature or similar, and then words would come in more blunt like "ass". I would transition from laughter to slightly grossed out. However, when I skip those scenes, I love the rest of the book.
This was a great random find for me at my local library. I was just walking down the romance aisle, and found the 4th in this series. It sounded like my kind of read. I am excited to continue the series.
Kalial (I love that name by the way) is a young woman who is princess of a people who dwells in the forest of Lock Nidean. Her entire life was for her to protect the forest, her people, and a very old secret of them both. She is very strong and talented when it comes to throwing daggers and shooting bows. She can also communicate with animals around her. Because of her position within the tribe and magical abilities, she was raised slightly apart from the other children. This definitely left her lacking in social skills.
Ronin just lost his entire family and the castle he called home to an evil man named Lothian. Lothian is trying to find the "Scottish Gold" that he believed Ronin's family knows about. Ronin escapes Lothian into the forest, but he is relentlessly pursued by Lothian's men. Ronin is very young in mmind as well as body and just overfilled with a longing for vengeance for his fallen family.
Kalial and Ronin meet in the forest, and Ronin believes Kalial to be a young boy. I agree with many other reviewers that it takes a bit too long for Ronin to figure out the truth about Kalial's identity. However, so much happens to this pair, that I really fell into this love story. They grew to love each other, not just lust after the physical appearances. They also learned from each other and became better versions of themselves because of it. I would just sometimes get frustrated in the lack of communication between the two main characters. This happens so often with romances though, I am getting used to it.
I only had a few problems with the book. First, the point of view changed very frequently without any distinction that it was happening. I would have to go back and restart paragraphs because I would get confused. There were A LOT of intimate scenes. And those intimate scenes were very vivid. Those scenes would also get me frustrated in how they were described. Parts would be super cheesy in describing things similar to nature or similar, and then words would come in more blunt like "ass". I would transition from laughter to slightly grossed out. However, when I skip those scenes, I love the rest of the book.
This was a great random find for me at my local library. I was just walking down the romance aisle, and found the 4th in this series. It sounded like my kind of read. I am excited to continue the series.
January 31, 2016
This is the first book I have read by Sasha Lord and it did not disappoint. I am a fan of a story that is "us against the world" and this book is a good example of that. I'm looking forward to book 2 in the series.
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October 18, 2010Good.
June 30, 2012
Oh My Gosh it only took FOREVER for him to realize 'he' was a she... I mean really? It want a BAD book, I liked it... It was just annoying.
January 14, 2013
Great book, thanks to my coworker for lending the book to me. Author was great at pulling you into the story. Wish there was more the the series.
August 27, 2017
A fantasy historical romance that takes place in Scotland. I liked the introduction of the McCat.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews