In Honor Bound (The Chastelayne Trilogy Book 1)

Sarah said: Okay so it took me a while to think this book through enough to rate it and review it. This is In Honor Bound (The Chastelayne Trilogy, #1).
Table of contents

The civil war in The Kingdom of Lynaleigh that results from this act also mirrors the aftermath of this event in English history. One of the major issues that I have with many Historical novels is that the authors fails to appreciate the past on its own terms, and instead they impose anachronistic modern standards, values, attitudes, beliefs, concepts and often morality onto past eras, in which the all of these were actually very different from out own. Deanna Dodson is one on the rare authors that largely does not do this, and in doing so displays an understanding and appreciation for alongside simple knowledge of the past.

It is easy to cram a novel with specialist terms and historical details, but it is not so easy to write a story in which the characters are truly of the time in which the story is set. Deanna does this marvelously, right down to the speech and language of the characters.

In many Historical novels the characters speech is far too modern to be plausible, or is littered with out-of-place modern terms and phrases. It is not so here. Of course the author has none gone too and had her characters speaking Middle English, or a langauge so archaic as to be incomprehensible.

In Honor Bound The Chastelayne Trilogy Book 1 – leondumoulin.nl

On the other hand it is historically plausible, includes actual period terms and phrases, and just sounds right. The characters act within the constraints and expectations of their period and age, and the author tackles contentious subjects such as arranged marriage and gender roles largely without being contemptuously dismissive or judgemental of such practices and ideas. Rosalynde the heroine is intelligent, spunky and knows own mind and is no shrinking violet or damsel in distress, but neither did the author feel the need to make her an over militant stroppy smarty pants with a chip on her shoulder who has to prove she is just as good as the men by donning armour or using a sword like an expert soldier.

Instead Rosalynde displays her strength in her own way, and within the social expectations and behaviour of noble woman in this period. Honour, duty and perceptions of public shame and reputation were acutely importing in the Medieval aristocratic society in which the characters live, and are cleverly worked into the novel as central features of the plot. The only historical problems I spotted were some references to characters eating potatoes, which were not introduced to Britain until a century or so after the period when this story is set, and mention of cannons, and other such pierces of ammunition which were accurate and effective, when 15th century ammunition was notorious for being inaccurate, unreliable and often ineffective, even dangerous.

The honesty of Tom, younger brother of the Hero King Philip is particularly endearing, as he is never afraid to speak the truth and even rebuke his brother even doing so might be unwelcome or cause offence. Only one passage was problematic in terms of religious content, this was one short scene in which Prince Philip knelt down in front of a statue of Jesus to pray, which could be objectionable to most Protestant Christians.

Other than this, there were no real issues. The author stopped short of actually describing anything in graphic detail, and certainly does not go as far as other authors in this regard. Jan 30, Loraine Alcorn rated it it was amazing. I have read this whole wonderful trilogy. I really loved every book, the whole era and atmosphere are just what Im looking for in a medieval story. This first book In Honor Bound The Chastelayne Trilogy has the ability to really make you feel that you are experiencing era.

Rosalynde young woman has been promised to prince Phillip. Rosalynde has lead a sheltered Faithful Christian life. She has great faith and hopes to be a good bride to her husband. Long ago she had meet him when he was a boy I have read this whole wonderful trilogy. Long ago she had meet him when he was a boy and its that boy she remembers fondly. Filled with joy she marries Phillip, only to find he has turned bitter and harsh, because of a passed love that his father the king had destroyed. Phillip was in love with a serving girl and because of her Low birth the king had charges brought agents her.

Phillip Tells Rosalynde that he will never love her and he has no real desire to be with her, his heart belongs to another. That's about all of the story I want to give away. This is a fantastic Christian fiction story of a woman's faith and strength in conquering seemingly insurmountable obstacle's with the help of the lord. Rosalynde must face many challenges and develop her faith and grow in wisdom. She must endure the unendurable and face her husbands many moods before her dreams can be realized. This Trilogy is not only inspirational but wonderfully entertaining and interesting.

You really get an idea of what it was like to live in medieval times, in tragedy and triumph and how the faith of one woman can change the direction of an entire kingdom. I recommend this book highly not only for the Christian reader but for anyone who likes medieval romance Jul 29, Heather rated it liked it Shelves: So this was a good read, clean as far as content. The main characters are married and there is plenty of talk about their physical attraction and you know that they have sex, but everything is completely closed door. The Christian elements in it are pretty heavy at times, but not in a way that felt too preachy or irritating.

Honestly, the only thing preventing me from rating this higher is that too many key scenes happened "off stage". For example, the author would take a vital conversation and just say something like, "They talked into the night and shared their feelings with each other. I want to HEAR the actual conversation. If that wouldn't have been an issue throughout the book, it probably would have been at least a 4 star book.

I won't be buying it, but I'll check out the next two in the series from the library. Jun 04, Monica rated it really liked it Shelves: This one was as almost as good as By Love Redeemed which I read 1st, though it is second in series -- didn't know it was a series but author could have condensed Philip's agonizing. A thoughtful depiction of what pure love is.

Nov 21, Michelle rated it it was amazing Shelves: I have never read a Medieval story that I've enjoyed as much as this one. Maybe because the passion in this novel is so real and so impressive that it left me breathless more than once! Heck, I was in love with Philip! In Honor Bound was such a great story, in fact, that I read the book in just three days and if I hadn't had to work I would've finished it sooner. There is so much depth to In Honor Bound.

The characters are incredibly well done. The conflict was so good that it literally h I have never read a Medieval story that I've enjoyed as much as this one. The conflict was so good that it literally had me turning the pages. The love story was so intense. The marriage, the bedroom tension, the romance, wow! I felt no watering down of passion, no lukewarmness of faith or storyline.

This was a powerful novel that invoked so much emotion in me, I just loved every minute of it. And that unconditional love Rosalynde had for Philip was truly admirable and Christ-like. I felt so badly for Philip in the beginning of this book. I was so swept up into this novel that the pain in my heart for this man couldn't seem more real. His grief was so well done as was the coldness of heart in order to cope with the pain. Nothing in this story felt contrived at all. These characters were so real to me.

I experienced the same pain of betrayal as Philip. Plus, the male POV was so expertly done! I didn't think Philip would ever get past the excruciating emotional damage, but through the story and one conflict at a time, you could see God's hand on Philip's life. But his pride almost cost him everything. The scene where he finally gives everything to the Lord took my breath away. It was that awesome and realistic. Oh, and the blood and guts were pretty powerful to the storyline, too. There's no pussyfooting around the issues and sanitizing of the brutality in that era done here.

The author used all of the senses and the description was so well done I truly felt like I was pulled into the story itself. I used to read a lot of these types of books but they were often too descriptive in the sex department. However, this story is so beautifully written and emotionally deep that I have yet to read a more romantic tale that includes the husbandly duties to his wife. Fabulous, passionate, intense fiction. That's what In Honor Bound was for me.

In fact, I enjoyed the fantasy world so much that I plan to read the next two books in the series as well. Apr 11, Beverly Frisby rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: A prince who would be king, haunted by tragedies that cause him to harden his heart against God. When King Robert is captured, Prince Philip must rally the army to free his father, the king, and protect the people from an evil usurper. Lady Rosalynde fell in love with Philip when she first met him, placing him on a pede A prince who would be king, haunted by tragedies that cause him to harden his heart against God.

Lady Rosalynde fell in love with Philip when she first met him, placing him on a pedestal and vowing she will marry no other. When King Robert forces Prince Philip to marry Rosalynde to ensure her father's support, she is surprised at the changes she see in Philip. Gone is the easy, smiling, care-free man she knew from their first meeting. Instead she discovers Philip is now an icy-hearted man who tells her on their wedding night that he will never love her.

As Philip's anger against God grows, Rosalynde turns to her faith in God to help her understand and cope with Philip's coldness and quick change in temperament. DeAnna Julie Dodson's first book in a trilogy, "In Honor Bound" is full of fascinating characters, devotion, treachery, and God's enduring love. DeAnna's descriptions paint vivid pictures for the reader with tender love scenes and exciting battles. I highly recommend "In Honor Bound" to everyone. You can find more information about author DeAnna Julie Dodson by visiting her website, www. Mar 02, LadyCalico rated it liked it.

This was a great adventure story ruined by a mediocre romance. Although there were things about this book that I admired and appreciated, I just didn't enjoy it. The first half was really good, the story about the the royal family relationships and politics was original and intriguing, and the battles were exciting.

However, the romance fell flat and was just a long "meh" interupted by an "eww" whenever poor Philip gave into his lust and got mushy with the hideous Rosalynde. I found the "heroine This was a great adventure story ruined by a mediocre romance. I found the "heroine" using that word very loosely totally blah and unlikable and merely making her conniving, manipulative, and opportunistic did not make her a well-rounded nor appealing character.

The flawed hero was a much better drawn and sympathetic character but the poor tortured soul certainly deserved better than that ninny, even when he turned into a lust-addled fool. If only some kind editor had totally deleted the drippy Rosalynde and every mention of thepoorly-conceived romance, then this would have been a much shorter, faster, and exciting read. The best thing about this book is that I finally finished it and can now move on. Dec 04, Marilize rated it it was amazing. Just looking at the cover art, I probably wouldn't have given it a second look, but thank goodness I read the blurb - that at least piqued my interest enough to read it.

The plot is intricate. There is much that happens, that in hindsight makes a lot of sense, but blindsided me as it happened.


  • Books similar to In Honor Bound (The Chastelayne Trilogy, #1)!
  • Ghost Country (Travis Chase Series Book 2).
  • The Brides Guide to Musicians: Live Wedding Music Made Easy and Affordable!
  • Darkest Mercy.
  • In Honor Bound by DeAnna Julie Dodson.
  • When Gods Bleed.

The characters are 3-dimensional and have very real feelings. Normally books about arranged marriages make it sound too easy. This one shows that unconditional love is hard work. There is a lot of religious mention in this book, but it is all authentic - in midieval times religion, especially Catholicism, was very much central to everyone's lives, but the REAL relationships with God were rare.

Kindle Cloud Reader Read instantly in your browser. Customers who viewed this item also viewed. Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1. Sponsored products related to this item What's this? The perfect daughter is dead The Jilted Billionaire Groom: Romance meets spine-tingling suspense in this fast-paced clean romance that's surprisingly tender and touching.

Frozen Footprints Christian Suspense Thriller. An isolated winter cabin. Where is her hero when she needs one most? Love's Journey in Sugarcreek: Love Rekindled Book 3.


  1. Stress: Neural, Endocrine and Molecular Studies.
  2. Get A Copy.
  3. Kindle Feature Spotlight.
  4. In Honor Bound The Chastelayne Trilogy Book 1!

    5. Love of a Wild Rose: A wagon accident with only two survivors. A beautiful and frightened Lakota woman and a tiny baby. And she's only gonna let one man help her Product details File Size: March 4, Sold by: Related Video Shorts 0 Upload your video. Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. Read reviews that mention honor bound well written book in this series looking forward sexual sequences graphic sexual next book tom christ elizabeth romance sequel christian god historical medieval dodson third truly.

    There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series. This one was not quite as good. The heroine, Elizabeth, got on my nerves so bad!

    She was whiney, petulant and just plain obnoxious through more than half the book. Tom put up with it and never once lost his temper with her. I don't know about the middle ages, but what man would be so longsuffering with a woman acting that way? He was all goodness to her, but still she was selfish and complaining.

    I find it hard to believe a man could be so kind, but Tom did indeed love God and tried to live his best as a servant of Christ. I continued reading because it was a good book and held my interest and I'm glad I did, for it picked up and things changed. One scene near the end had me in tears. I'm off to read the third. I wish this author would write more medievals because it's my favorite time period.

    Product details

    THese characters have kind of wormed their way into my heart. One person found this helpful 2 people found this helpful. While this was an interesting book, i don't think I could call it enjoyable I won't lie, I suffered through it. While i understand it was intended, I don't think I could have become any more exasperated with the main female lead honestly, it feels wrong to call her heroine if I had been trying to.

    Given who her husband is, how he treats her, I think it's downright ridiculous the lengths she'll go to to purposely, expressively get angry at him. It would have made more sense if he'd said something like, "Let's see whose side God is really on, Phillip! The rightful heir's or the son of a usurper! Despite Stephen's villainy, he is the son of the true king.

    Duke Robert stole the throne, and Phillip shouldn't have it at all. To her credit, the author does address this and works it out in a fair manner. I just don't like how she makes Stephen so thoroughly bad to ensure the reader supports Phillip.

    Paperback Editions

    I saw the deus ex machina ending coming from a mile off. While the turn of events might be easily explained from a human perspective and thus not entirely unbelievable, I'm not sure how I feel about writing God as a character in a story. And then the damsel in distress moment at the end. I'm sorry, but that just makes an otherwise good character look careless and stupid.

    This isn't a Disney movie. Phillip is a warrior. He's already killed any number of people on the battlefield. Give him the dignity of killing his rival outright. Those were pretty much my only objections. I liked the story.

    Books like In Honor Bound (The Chastelayne Trilogy, #1)

    I could see myself getting caught up in it again if I ever accidentally opened the book and started reading, and I wouldn't mind reading the sequels. This is the first time I've read anything from this author. I like the fact that I got to know more about the male character in this book. Most romance books I read really focus on the woman's inner dialogue instead of the man's.

    I didn't understand how the woman could have such loving devotion to a man that she treated her like garbage for most of the book. However, I genuinely enjoyed the plot and the characters. This must be a Christian romance author because the "religiousness" was very strong at the end of the book. Also, the love scenes were brief and not detailed, which I like because I don't read romance stories for the sex scenes.

    I read them for the plot and characters. I'm really thinking about reading the second book in this series. Tom was my favorite character in the book and book 2 is about him: See all 79 reviews. Most recent customer reviews. Published 7 months ago. Published 8 months ago. Published 1 year ago. Published on March 6, Published on December 19, Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway. Set up a giveaway. Customers who bought this item also bought. Daughters of the Mayflower - book 3.

    What other items do customers buy after viewing this item? Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us. Would you like to report poor quality or formatting in this book? Click here Would you like to report this content as inappropriate? Click here Do you believe that this item violates a copyright? There's a problem loading this menu right now. Get fast, free shipping with Amazon Prime. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations. View or edit your browsing history.

    Get to Know Us. English Choose a language for shopping. Not Enabled Screen Reader: Enabled Amazon Best Sellers Rank: Would you like to report this content as inappropriate? Do you believe that this item violates a copyright? Amazon Music Stream millions of songs. Amazon Drive Cloud storage from Amazon. Alexa Actionable Analytics for the Web. AmazonGlobal Ship Orders Internationally. Amazon Inspire Digital Educational Resources. Amazon Rapids Fun stories for kids on the go.