Marked from the latest battle, Aldaith wants to recover by a stream. But instead of finding solitude, he stumbles on the fearless shield maiden Nyssa. The fierce beauty invites Aldaith into the water to engage in a very different kind of battle -- one for which his training leaves him unprepared.
Sarah Dahl lives at the edge of the rural German Eifel and writes historical fiction (novels and short stories) primarily set in the Viking age. She loves to challenge overused concepts of the time and its peoples in her writing, breaking them down to just that: men and women facing the immediacy of life and death, love and lust in a world of crackling fires and rough landscapes. She also works as an editor, translates, and coaches new writers in German and English. She is interested in everyday life in bygone centuries and the human stories that may have occurred behind the hard, historical facts. Her author page is: sarah-dahl.com
This is a great short story. Aldaith has gone to the stream after a bloody but victorious battle, Nyssa is already there, in battle she was a formidable fighter, now she is teasing and playful, strong and vigorous, he is unable to resist. Sensual, sexy, characters, in a setting and time that feels real. This may be short but every page takes you deeper into the time, and the place, the feel of the water, the Adrenalin rush of the battle, the post battle fatigue and the need to affirm life in a basic way but not without emotional connection. I really liked this and would recommend to anyone, not just those who like romance, or historical fiction but to everyone who reads even if it isn't something that would normally be your genre. I recieved an ARC of this and have chosen to review it, as I do everything I read wherever it comes from. All my reviews are my honestly held views.
A bite sized chunk of sexiness from the Viking era. This is a short Novella from the Tales of Freya series and can be read in about half an hour. The action takes place after a great battle and Aldaith (the erotic hero) and Nyssa (the heroine) find themselves alone together at a lake bathing their wounds. The tension of post battle soon turns to something more and the pair can no longer keep their hands off each other as they find release from the demons of battle together in a scene of erotic hotness and mud on the banks of the lake. Do not read if easily offended but if hot sexy Vikings are your thing this is the book / series for you.
This is the first time I have read a Viking type love sexy carnal love tale. Not sure how to describe it. Even though it was not my usual read, I smiled the whole way through and enjoyed it! I will definitely read more! Definitely worth a read before a big date or romantic dinner! Four stars only because it was short and I wanted to know a bit more...
This is currently a freebie via Amazon and I was more than happy to give a 3 stars or 6/10.
This is the first in a series of short stories, that can be read as standalone reads. However, Aldaith and Nyssa are to return in another short story.
Due to this being a short story, we don't always get enough character development. The attraction between the battle scarred Aldaith and Nyssa soon developed into a sexual one and the two soon become one.
The erotic part is neither too graphic or gratuitous and helps to move the story on. I look forward to reading more in due course.