Under a Northern Sky

The Barbarian Realms #1

by L.L. Meyer

Under a Northern Sky is a complete standalone within the Barbarian Realms universe.

A hopeful bride . . .
Rina has suffered much in her short life. Being bartered away to a barbarian realm without her consent is just a final injustice at the hands of her cousin, the king of D'heilar. But marrying a man sight unseen - even a barbarian - may not be the end of the world, but the beginning of a new one.

A reluctant groom . . .
Luka has finally put a sword through his father's cruel heart, and by Northern law, the mantle of leadership is now his. No matter how unwelcome, he won't shirk his duty . . . even if the people of his realm deserve better, even if it means having a foreign bride forced upon him.

An ill-fated union.
Before they ever meet, disaster strikes. Rina is falsely accused of an unpardonable crime and meets her betrothed as a prisoner. Despite it all, they're still expected to marry. But with neither of them will to forgive or forget, they're enemies, not lovers.

Caught in a political tug of war beyond their control, Luka and Rina come to realize they may have been taken for fools and that not all loves begin in beauty. Some, it seems, are born of the dark.

Author's note: While Under a Northern Sky is not a dark romance, it contains dark themes that may be disturbing to some readers, including attempted sexual assault (not by the Hero). Please take care.

Genres: Historical Romance, Fantasy, Historical, Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Dark

373 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 17, 2022

About the author

Always feel free to contact me at lisalynn_meyer@outlook.com or here on GR.

Follow me on Instagram @ author_ll_meyer for updates on current and future projects!

I may be a sucker for an HEA, but I like my romance to have an edge to it! My heroes are never clear cut white knights, and my heroines are never pushovers - but they do have something in common: they're always devoted to each other.

I write new adult contemporary romance as LL Meyer, and young adult sci-fi/fantasy as Lisa Lynn Meyer.

Reviews

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

I went into this thinking it would be a Viking/Medieval romance (a subgenre of romance that I ADORE and for which there is just not enough out there, sadly). Well, it wasn't really the Viking romance I had been expecting...but you know what? It satisfied my deep-seated craving for Viking romance. And for someone who has been firstworldproblems deprived of Viking romance for a while now - that's what we call a fucking WIN, folks.

This book had so much shit I love:

-forced/arranged marriage
-medieval-esque warrior dudes with horses and swords
-lady of the manor vibes
-fight to the death punishments
-executions
-whippings

Stuff romance dreams are made of, obviously.

I can see this one getting an upgrade upon re-reading. In fact, this one will probably end up in my perma-re-read stash at some point.

Thanks to book twin Leigh for bringing this to my attention by reading/reviewing it. I enjoyed it a lot and can't wait for book two.

[Isabella. R · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Defiant At Every Turn Stars ⭐

Under The Northern Sky is a passionate, all consuming story of an unbreakable heroine and a reluctant Barbarian ruler tasked with the impossible, marriage. Love could also be on the cards, if she doesn't flay him alive first...

I could surely resist her physical charms if I didn’t find her mettle so fucking alluring. If only I could explain that to my people.

Rina may be a princess but it's never been reflected in the hand she's been dealt. Frankly, it doesn't look like her fortune is changing anytime soon. Having been betrothed to Luka supposedly to solidify the treaty between kingdoms, Rina dreams of a new happier life possibly with her husband to be. How fleeting dreams can be.

“When I say they want your blood, I mean all of it.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” I demand, though my voice has lost half of its volume. “End this right now.” My head spins, but before the blackness swallows me, I give him my truth. “I’m ready.”

A stalemate is where Luka finds himself. He may be deve but he has no choice in the matter of Rina. She is his regardless, an enemy, a murderer, an unwelcome edition to his people. Yet she's so much more than anticipated. And as he reluctantly spends time with Rina, her fearlessness and recklessness becomes his undoing. His raven pushes all his boundaries.

“This is mine,” I tell her as I gently pinch a luscious, dark nipple , making her shudder. “And so are these scars. They say a lot, little raven. How much of a survivor you are, how strongminded, how brave. They’re mine and I can’t wait to feel them under my tongue.”

These two gave me whiplash. Although they were perfect for one another from their very first barbed exchange, there were plenty of manipulations and betrayals to sort through. The initial treatment of Rina was gut wrenching but watching Luka getting his balls busted was epic. It's about time we got a heroine who gave zero fucks about patriarchy and a hero who gained much satisfaction from it!

ARC provided by author in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5* This is a barbarian love story between two opposites. It's an arranged marriage, enemies-to-lovers, found family, steamy steam, kind of story. I really liked this author's refreshing take on this genre.

✔️An unconventional princess with a strong backbone
✔️A barbarian leader with a gruff exterior and a kind heart
✔️Excellent secondary characters
✔️World building on point – no info dumps
✔️Smokin hot steam
✔️Duo pov

As far as barbarian stories go, this one was lighter on the gore and violence and strong on character emotion and communication. Granted Luka IS a barbarian, so it does take him awhile to catch onto the communication part of the relationship. 😆

I loved Luka and Rina's fiery passion! I especially enjoyed how her strength makes his leadership stronger. There is a vibrancy to these characters you don't often find in books of this genre.

Please check TW as there some subjects that might be difficult for some. Attempted rape, beheadings, whippings, stabbings, and the off-page death of an infant.

ARC generously provided by author for honest review.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot imagine my life without him. Even when he orders me about like I'm one of his warriors, I love him. Even when he fails to communicate the most basic of information, I know he loves me.

5 stars!!

Ever since Lisa first started hinting at her new barbarian romance, I was immediately excited and impatient for what I knew would be an angsty and nonstop read, and I was not disappointed in the least. Once we are introduced to the primitive and cutthroat world of Rina and Luka, I found myself completely immersed in their hard-fought journey as they work to overcome the expectations set by those surrounding them, while navigating their impending union. Their journey is addictive and at times ruthless but so worth the read as we follow along and hope that they're able to conquer their pasts hurts and find solace in each other.

I may not have someone who will greet me with a loving kiss... but I do have a grumpy someone who almost beat a man to death in my name.

When the story first begins, we meet princess Rina, who's on her way to meet her betrothed in order to form an alliance between the North and South. Rina has never met her soon-to-be husband, but she is grateful for the chance to get away from her cousin and her past life. All of her dreams for a new life are obliterated when she is accused of murdering one of her guards and is brought to her new husband as an untrustworthy prisoner. I absolutely loved Rina as a heroine because her strength never wanes, even after every fucked-up thing she's been through. Her life has never been easy as she goes from one abusive life to another filled with isolation, but she is not intimidated by Luka's brusque manner as she finally demands the respect her new title deserves.

"You will give me everything. I will have your smiles and your conversation and your full attention. And I will have your body. Do you understand? All of it is mine."

And holy mother, what can I say about Luka?! He is the ultimate heavy-handed, j/p alphahole hero that I couldn't help but love at first insult, while wanting to smack some sense into him at the same time. He alternated between being so naïve and oblivious at times to being so ruthless to eventually being so sweet to his little raven, and I just loved each of his personas, especially his domineering one🥵 The secondary characters definitely held their own in this novel as well. Lisa is so great at creating realistic bonds and interactions between each of her characters that work to further pull you into the story, and I never tired of following any of them around. Overall, this was another absolute knockout for me, and I cannot wait for Koda's story from the Wolf realm next!♡

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, arranged marriage, captive heroine, barbarian romance, dominant j/p hero, strong heroine, "touch her and die" vibes, found family

Trigger warning: attempted rape, sexual assault, physical violence, murder/beheading

*ARC provided by the author, and I voluntarily reviewed it*

[Serial Romance Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It has so many tropes I love including arranged marriage. The world-building was phenomenal. Opposites attract! Loved the MC’s and secondary characters. They were well-developed. The poor h, Rina, suffers a lot in this book, which my angst-loving heart loves. This is certainly an author to watch. This would’ve been a 5 star read for me had the ending being more satisfying. It sort of fell flat for me. Rina deserved some more grovel and grand gestures for all she put up with from Luka! The epilogue was good, but it also made me a little sad. I may upgrade my rating after a reread.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 'little raven' stars

This book is the first in a new series. It's set in some kind of alternative early middle ages, I'd say. The worldbuilding is very good and interesting. I really liked the little details, such as how reading and writing were prohibited among the people but our heroine braverly went against the law to teach others.

I especially liked the huge cast of characters. There were so many of them that intrigued me (Bron and Ion 😍) and I hope we'll gonna see lots of them in the next book(s). I was looking forward to the next book to be about Gray but Kova also seems like an amazing character, so crossed fingers that his story will be as well.

I haven't really connected with the main couple. Rina was a strong female character, who literally threw chains out of the window to prove her point, lol, but she got on my nerves too much. Luka was hot, I admit, but he was a huge jerk most of the time. I would take Eldon or/and Gray over him no questions asked!! 💘💘

However, Rina and Luka's sex scenes were scorching hot 🔥🔥🔥 especially their cave hot springs(?) sessions 🤤🥵🫠

He leans closer with every word until we are nose to nose. “Right now, I’ll have your cunt. Every inch of it.”
Instead of keeping my mouth shut like I know I should, I provoke him further. “And what if I have demands of my own? Maybe I want you making me come as you beg for my forgiveness.”

I'm very curious where will the next story take us to 😊

The ARC of the book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much, Lisa!!

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 81%. RTC.

Some more thoughts: I liked how the hero was uncaring but I felt unimpressed by his intelligence. He was similar to bodice ripper heroes in the 1970s where he believed the worst in the heroine even though anyone with a brain would find her side of the story plausible. I had to stop this because I didn't feel the chemistry. The only thing it had going was the hate dynamic, as I was interested to see what it would take for things to turn around. I literally cannot remember anything about this book.

[❀ Jess ( Semi hiatus ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were a lot of things about this book that reminded me of A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane. Especially the FMC.

Rina ♥︎
THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A STRONG h 👏🏻

. . . .

This story started off really rough. I HATED Luka (H) at first. Thankfully he was able to worm himself into my heart too but it took a while to get there!

. . . .

I loved this, I loved all the characters - they were written so well! I’m going to agree with RLbook about some of the dialogue being too modern to fit into the story but I overlooked it because I was enjoying everything too much.

If I had to complain about anything it would be that I wish that Luka had married Rina earlier on, I didn’t really like that he was keeping her at arms length without wanting to risk pregnancy not being sure if he’d keep her. From his POV we can tell he is smitten and the way things progressed definitely made sense to his character, I just felt bad for Rina 🥺

I love when strong broody MMCs get all soft for their family so I wish we had a scene with his POV while Rina gave birth to their first child and him holding the babe.

Honestly, I’m so greedy for HEA that I wish authors would just write duets, give me all the drama and pain in the first book and make the second book purely their HEA. All the domestic scenes of the couple settling into their new life after the big conflict is over. 😭 or at least give me a HEA novella. 😭😭

ANYWAYS. REGARDLESS OF MY FEW NIGGLES. I loved this. It’s going on my favorites shelf. 🥰

My ratings always reflect my enjoyment of the story. ❀

Not me casually reaching out to the author to see if there are any plans for a novella for some of these side characters 👀

Edit:Bummed that we won’t be getting novellas for these side couples but fangirling over the fact that this sweet author has taken time out of her day to reply to my e-mail. ♥︎

[Allyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great story, so good! This is my first "barbarian" story and it was written so well. Luka is a strong strong man with strong beliefs and Rina is a woman with so much hope even thought she had been through so much. Rina gave Luka the strength to be gentle and Luke gave Rina the strength to be strong. The way the story was told and the twist and turns kept me turning page after page. Thank you LL for allowing me to read this story , I loved the journey.

[Izzie d · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a new author to me.

It was okay. I really liked it at the beginning but I'm not sure why I couldn't connect.

The Hero and heroine are 24 or 25 and she is 21, so they are young but not adolescents and they have endured so much that I felt a bit that you can't have it both ways, be mature enough to endure this situation or make this huge decision but not be mature enough for other things.

Trigger warning is given by the author -While I wouldn’t classify Under a Northern Sky as a dark romance, it does contain dark themes that may be triggering to some readers, including attempted sexual assault. Please have care.

It was an interesting premise, lots of potential but I mostly found it frustrating.

The heroine is written as quite a strong character, she had endure such a lot.

She is being escorted to her arranged marriage in his land by her intended's men and one of them tries to rape her.
She fights back and kills him. She is then in shock and she was beaten and the men believe a lie that she lured him there.
She arrives to her intended shackled to the cart and is escorted to the dungeon.
She is half dead when the Hero eventually seeks her out.
She is half staved, had no water and is frozen, oh and she has been stabbed by the attempted rapist's mother.
He finds her in this condition several times though he moves her to a better location.
There is animosity between their people but honestly when would he wake up to her situation.
Then when he does, he still forgets to see to her needs at times.
At one time she's in this state for 3 days while he is basically sulking.

Although it isn't a full fantasy book, there is world building but I felt it needed a bit more imagination creating, for example the language.
I personally don't like it the characters use expressions or sayings that are from our world or time. They are from different cultures and areas but the only language differences seem to be their titles for King and Queen and because she can read she uses bigger words that he doesn't understand.
I think I'm just used to a bit more.

The scenario that although he is a good man but is unaware of the conduct of his fellow men is a good one but I didn’t like the way it was executed.
Some things took forever to be sorted others seemed resolved too quickly, for me anyway.

Only intimate scenes are the Hero and heroine.
After she arrives a serving girl offers herself with a smile and a comment, the heroine is not present, he has previously taken her up on her offer.
Neither are virgins.
Dual POV.
There are some ruthless scenes, not concerning the attempted sexual assault but violence.
HEA.
Epilogue.

Secondary characters that could have future books.

[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I'm so glad I read this barbarian fantasy. I've been in such an abysmal reading mood this week and real life stress really wore me down. Under a Northern Sky just swept me away. Was it hard to read at times? Yes, there are some struggles in this one (definitely check trigger warnings), but I wouldn't say this is a dark book and the pay-off with sticking through the harder parts was excellent I think. Rina (h) is a princess but she's also a prisoner and she's been sent to the barbarian lands in an arranged marriage to Luka (H), who leads one of the realms. While Rina is hopeful about the arrangement, Luka is not. On the way to his realm though, Rina is attacked and events unfold in a way that she arrives to Luka as a prisoner. From there, we get some amazing character development throughout the story for both Rina and Luka as they have to navigate what happens next and if their marriage will proceed. The story is written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama, neither are virgins, and no bc.

I loved Rina's spirit! She may be lost at times, but there are way more times when she's sarcastic, stands up for herself, pursues what's right. She's also intelligent, giving, and kind. Her life has been hard and her introduction to the Mountain Lion Realm is a harsh one. Luka is a conflicted leader who earned the role by defeating his father after the father ordered a heinous act. Luka isn't at ease in his leadership and it shows constantly in his internal thoughts and his doubts about what to do. Rina challenges him and ultimately ends up being a centering point for him.

Their interactions are negative at first but then Luka starts realizing who Rina truly is and seeing her spirit. She starts understanding that he’s not cruel. They slowly develop a relationship and deeper feelings, although miscommunications and misunderstandings continue (which was frustrating). Luka also has some j/p moments and one of them was hilarious over why/who. This is also a steamy romance with plenty of scenes.

Lots of important side characters make appearances, some in support of the main characters and others as antagonists. I enjoyed several of them and how they grow as well as helping the main characters’ growth. I was left curious about some aspects of the world but there were still many details, I just wanted a bit more. The author also wrote some of the dialogue with a bit of a modern feel, which sometimes felt like it didn't fit the scene, which may improve with more books in the series since this is her first fantasy I think.

The plot and pacing were fantastic. The main conflict and the climax had me ignoring my family. Best of all, there’s an extended epilogue that gave me all the feelings with their HEA. I will definitely be reading more in this series and checking out this author’s contemporary books.

Trigger warnings: attempted rape, culture of women not always being safe/respected, graphic violence, death of side characters, mention of death of child, heroine is mistreated as a prisoner

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Under a Northern Sky is book 1 in The Barbarian Realms series. Rina has not had an easy life, so when her cousin gives her to the Barbarians, she prays that it may be a new start. Unfortunately, her arrival is not welcomed. Luka was not nice to Rina in the beginning and a misunderstanding had him almost cruel to her. Although their beginning wasn't the easiest, I love how they grew as a couple. Overall, this was an enjoyable read from a new to me author.

[💜VGreedyReader🖤 · Rating 5 out of 5]

★5 luminous stars★

August has been a great month for me reading wise I took a break from my ARCs marathon and tackled my tbr pile, who despite my valiant efforts keeps growing! The cheeky hellion 😅. This was another new to me author and one I’ll definitely plan to read more of.

Set in a magical Northern atmosphere Ms Meyer brings to life a tale of Barbarians that will make you fall in love with this world.

The story is told in dual POV and it tells the adventure of Luka and Rina who come from two different Realms, at war since a long a time ago, their union should bring some peace between the two communities. However, nothing is ever so easy, this forced marriage hides secrets, plot schemings and betrayals. Our two heroes will have to face many great challenges before they can finally find happiness, most of all they need to get to know each other and learn to strengthen their differences.

~𝑺𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒋𝒐𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰'𝒎 𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒃𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈~

If it’s true that behind a good man there is a great woman then Ms Meyer has done a stellar job in bringing Rina to life. She is strong, regal and a true warrior at heart, she has endured so much without breaking, she’s the perfect match for this sourly, albeit hot hot hot, Adeve. The fast paced narrative, carefully structured plot and masterfully built story brought me into an alternative reality I can’t wait to read more of. Chef’s kiss Lisa.

[❤️Emma Book Lover ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed this historical barbarian fantasy. I'm amazed it's got so few reviews of that is not more hyped up. It's pretty good if this is a genre you like.

Rina is a princess but only in name.. sent to be married with barbarian Luka for alliances.
She is treated very harsh in the first part of the book, although the hero does not abuse her he does keep her cold and basically naked in a windowless room. So if a world were men are in charge and women pretty much have to obey offends you than you 'll find this hard to swallow. Although Rina is good at speaking her mind and doesn't give a flying fu*k about men thinking they are in charge she got easily carried away by her lust sometimes.
Luka learnd to compromise and to communicate better and I loved seeing him get pu😻😻y whipped .
This two together are hot.sparks were flying and I love me a dirty talker.

World building is done pretty good but I assume it's going to get more developed as the series goes on. The plot was engaging but nothing i haven't seen before.
Lots of secondary characters catched my attention. Kinda wished Koda will end up.with Yvette but slim chances. Also Gray 😏

Anyways, good read and going to read the next too.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ended up losing this so much. This couple starts off real rough. There is danger, mistrust, and neglect. But they just get under each other's skin in so many ways until they both realize they are meant to be.

Barbarians, warring peoples and special animal friends... steamy night. Hurt/comfort scenes, spunky heroine who can't be beaten and a grumpy hero who needs love in his life.. it was so good.

I can't wait for more in this series. Though this was a complete standalone and has an HEA.

5 stars
3 on the spice scale

CW: SA, abuse, violence, and death.

[Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I was excited about this book because the blurb made me feel like we would get some Horde King vibes which is always welcome. There is a bare bones similarity in the barbarians societal structure: kings of different clans that all answer to one king, but that’s where the similarities end. The authors original spin to “barbarians” is that they have light features and the more scholarly southerners have dark features…cool. My issues with this book are numerous, but ultimately I thought the writing was bad and the world building was really weak and just didn’t have much effort put into it. The one good thing about it was that it kept my attention and I read it fairly quickly so for that I give a couple stars.

I found Luka to be dumb and cowardly. He put together the worst group to go retrieve his new bride. Noe, Luka’s second in command who should be his most trusted and talented warrior, was also very dumb and annoying. He treated Rina horribly the entire journey for no reason and any idiot with half a brain cell would be able to see that the twins were acting predatorily towards her and that she was scared of them not trying to seduce them. Why any man who’s known the twins their whole lives would think they were the innocent party when it’s widely know they’re shitheads doesn’t make any sense. Her killing one of them even if she did seduce them should be embarrassing as fuck because how could a little slip of a woman kill one of their best trained warriors? A lot of this book made no sense. Luka not being aware of who was allowed down to her cell, what rations Rina was given, who was guarding her door, if she even had a door, who was allowed up to her room, not giving her adequate clothing, heating or bedding and being surprised when she nearly dies multiple times? Like he just had no control over his people or what went down in his own stronghold and it was embarrassing and weak. I was so unimpressed with him. And Rina? She was so attention starved that she just endlessly threw herself at the hot dumb king, desperate for any scrap of love or affection and that was also embarrassing af lol. They were both constantly flip flopping about if they were going to marry or not when I thought that shit was set in stone so that was also confusing. And then at the very end the shit with the king of kings made absolutely no sense. I could say a million more things about this book, but ultimately I didn’t enjoy it even though it kept me turning pages 🤷🏼‍♀️ sometimes you just need to see how things end and I’m very thankful this book is over 🙏

[Mimiorphee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The woman is infuriating. Absolutely infuriating."

L.l. Meyer's Under The Northern Sky immersed me into a fascinating barbarians' world that I didn't want to leave.
I absolutely loved the dangerous and violent atmosphere, the omnipresent cold trying to extinguish the sparks of Luka and Rina's tension. Cold and hot it gets, the snow and the hot springs mimicking Lika's mood.

"I’ll learn how to love my new husband no matter the cost."

As the relationship of the young Barbarian and the beautiful princess evolves, I was enthralled by the laws and culture of this people. And more than anything, I loved the way Rina's resilience and genuineness started resonating through the Mountain Lion realm.

“Do you know what is unwise, little raven?”
“How you think it’s okay to provoke me.”

The author's prose touched me, clever and positive when blood ran, and deceit ran even deeper.
This is hands down one of my favorite L.l. Meyer books.

[L.L. Meyer]

Under a Northern Sky is NOW AVAILABLE!!
Universal link: https://books2read.com/NorthernSky

Here's what to expect from Luka and Rina:

✔ a barbarian romance
✔ an arranged marriage
✔ enemies to lovers
✔ dark-ish
✔ captor/captive
✔ found family
✔ ALL the heat 🔥

Get it now or read with KU!!
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4K78TV3
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B4K78TV3
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0B4K78TV3
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0B4K78TV3

[Shruti (Hiatus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

There's so much I could yell about when it comes to this book. I might just do that one of these days. There is SO MUCH that's wrong with the H. Absolutely disappointing.
RTC.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am such a huge fan of this author’s work so when I saw that she was writing a novel featuring a barbarian I was super excited!!

I’m so lucky to receive and ARC for this book but believe me I would be singing the praises of this book regardless.

From the opening sequence it had me hooked! I won’t give away the plot but a marriage of (reluctant) convenience brings these two together and boy do they butt heads at first.

Rina is the strong “eff the patriarchy” we need! Especially back in a time period where women were actually treated as second class citizens. Worse, actually.

Luka was a good leader but with Rina by his side he turned into a GREAT leader. She pushed and challenged not only him but their archaic laws.

@author_ll_meyer world building was excellent and I’m so thrilled that she has plans to continue with more books in this universe. I mean, as soon as I read about Koda I immediately thought, “oooh, would like to know more about him!”

Highly recommend this read! One of my top 2022 reads, I would say ❤️

*ARC Read/Review*

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[DemetraP · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the hero was weak and a complainer and a whiner.

He never listens to her. She is accused of killing one of his men (after that guy tried to rape her). He refuses to listen to her explanations of why she defended herself because his other men claim she lured that guy into the woods to have sex.

So she is in prison and then attacked by the dead warrior's mom. She almost dies.

The hero meanwhile is irritated that as the youngest and weakest "Dere" warlord, his King required him to wed her as part of a peace treaty. He doesn't want to marry her but doesn't know how he can get out of it.

The women in the settlement know not to go outside at night because the warriors will rape them. Hero has no problem with this, because even though he thinks rape is bad, making too many changes to the rules will get him "challenged" to a battle to the death so he's not willing to make an issue out of rape.

Hero can't read. He has a letter and he asks heroine to read it and ooo it is a evil plan by heroine's King's advisor. She says it might be a deliberate trap instead of a letter mistakenly sent to the hero.

She offers to teach hero to read.

Are you bored yet? Because this is where I gave up on the book. Did not finish. I gave the book 2 stars because I actually liked the heroine who always did her best in a bad situation.

[Khadija · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 61%

I won't even apologize, I can't with this book. The abuse is on another level.
Not the most mature writing, I don't believe in the characters and the instalust for her literal abuser pissed me the heck off.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a different twist on a barbarian romance! Rina and Luka were explosive and I loved watching them soften towards each other 🥹

ARC received in exchange for an honest review

[Mandy Reads Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books I knew I wanted to read but once I read it I didn’t realize how badly I actually needed it in my life. And who knew I would crave the barbarian genre like I am right now? I inhaled the ever loving heck out of this book and all things Luka and Rina. It was brilliantly written and kept my attention from page one.

One thing I love about historical romances or fantasy romances, (I am not sure how you would classify this book) is the fact that time was much simpler then. Maybe not in the raw sense of how they lived, but definitely in thinking and love. Nothing to muddle what was in front of them like the modern world seems to do.

What Luka and Rina have and what they shared was so very beautiful and utterly powerful. I loved seeing Rina go beyond her element, finding and showing her true self. Those moments had me nearly out of my seat cheering her on. But the best part was seeing Luka and Rina come together. Their romance may have started out on the wrong foot, but soon the slow burn kicked in. And in the end, their love was a powerful, wonderful thing. I didn’t want their story to end. I could have lived happily in their world for the rest of my life.

I cannot wait for more of this series. UNDER NORTHERN SKIES is definitely reread material!! And for me, those are rare. 5 Stars!!

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author states inspiration came from the movie Gladiator, and I can see it in the tone and world building, but then she shattered that imagery and completely made her own thing in Under a Northern Sky. And it’s gold.
Luka’s obsession with Rina is *chef’s kiss* magnificent as he doesn’t understand the feelings, but as a warrior accepts the confusion while going full tilt with it.
There are sharp edges to the romance between Luka and Rina. Both are navigating unknowns, but do so with backbones of steel and perseverance leading their way. They fight to get where they are - yet even when butting heads they’re still side by side - which makes the push-pull and possessiveness even more delicious and satisfying.
I loved this world. There’s so much more to explore, but I pray this isn’t the last we see of Luka and Rina.

[Seis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written and easy to dive into story. I loved the heroine especially! I do enjoy a good Barbarian story, and I could not put this one down... I read it in one go!

[Yames Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

5🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭

EVERYTHING about this book is AMAZING.
The cover is beautiful, the blurb is intriguing and different, but the writing… WOW. This is a new-to-me author and I must express, I am in the fandom to stay.

I loved the universe created here, Luka and Rina are a different, strong couple and the way they care about each other and they change the rules while doing so.

The way they challenge each other, the society rules they defy and the incredible love story they create. Everything was captivating.

I need the next book NOW 🫶🏼

[Seline · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars 


When I first read the synopsis for this book, I immediately wanted to read it!

A barbarian romance book featuring enemies turned lovers was something I knew I would love. This book started out being so interesting, and from that point I couldn't put it down. I thought Luka and Rina were amazing characters, and I loved them as a couple.

To be honest, I was surprised to learn that Luka was not your typical hero, but rather a kind but SEXYY man. I was really happy with Rina too, as she wasn't what I was expecting either, and I adored her. However, I would have loved this book so much more if we could have had more tension and a slow burn between the two characters. I felt like their relationship was rushed at times. Nevertheless, I adored this couple, and I'm really looking forward to reading more from this series.



ARC provided by the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a barbarian romance with all the violence that includes. It was pretty good but I wanted to scream at the hero for quite a while. The only thing that made it bearable is a spunky heroine. Thankfully doesn’t end on a cliffhanger although there’s more to this story. But the 2nd book isn’t available.

[Noelani · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Sometimes I round up with my stars but this time I think I have to round down. This one was kind of rough for me to get through. Amarinata something or other D’Heilar (you figure out the pronunciation because I gave up, just call her Rina) is a deposed princess and sold off to a neighboring Barbarian tribe to broker a peace deal between the two kingdoms. On her travels she is accused of murder and arrives a prisoner, an enemy who killed one of their mighty warriors. Hijinx ensue.

What worked for me: 1). There were a couple of standout characters that were actually the best developed characters, namely Gray, Yvette & Rionnon (I keep calling him Rihanna), and the Wolf deve. 2). I think I liked the idea of a novel in this setting. It was medieval, but felt really early on in, like in the first 500 years or so? Or maybe even right before then, since they weren’t nomadic or conquering?

What didn’t work for me: 1). The lack of consistency in the Rina. Sassy, fragile, strong, weak, pragmatic, fanciful she was all over the place wherever the plot wanted her to be. 2). Along with the lack of consistency came a complete disregard for the repeated trauma Rina went through and the effect it had on her. The trauma was there only for a plot device. That was probably my biggest pet peeve and is a pet peeve of mine in general. The beginning shows her trauma, but then *poof* it magically disappears! And then something else happens to her and *poof* it disappears with the love of a good man. I just wish the focus was on her character development more than the development of the deve’s magical manhood (I love alliteration, don’t you?). 3). The maturity of the writing. It felt like a NA book instead of an adult book (minus the heat scenes). The characters often didn’t act like mature adults would act. 4). The time period. Yes, I liked the idea of a barbarian time period. But it was just so full of modern dialogue and sensibilities that I kept getting pulled out of the setting. It almost felt like I was reading about a group LARPing about the barbarians and what would happen if a modern day abused deposed princess was time traveled to the beginning of the Middle Ages. 5). The giggles. I have pretty strong opinions on adult women giggling. That term is so toddlerish it’s hard for me when an adult queen ( or a’deve) keeps giggling. 6). The youngest Cyrun brother (who is 21), beats up Rina while she’s chained to a prison cell, plots to kill her, but gets a pass b/c “he’s young and poisoned by his mother”. Even for Gray I don’t see the point in saving him as the storyline clearly points to his demise. But no such luck.

I could go on, but I fear I’m not in the greatest mood this morning and am turning petty. 🤐 Suffice it to say I think this book was not for me, but if you want a higher heat level and a different time period this may be worth a try.