Review – Taken by the Viking

Title: Taken by the Viking
Author: Michelle Styles
Publication Date: May 2008
Genre: Historical
Rating: B
Sensuality: Warm

True to the title’s word, Annis of Birdoswald is taken by the Viking Haakon Haroldson. He was trading furs and amber with a Scotsman and was told he would be paid in gold at St. Cuthbert’s Abby. The monks refuse to give Haakon his gold and a battle ensues. One thing leads to another and Annis finds herself Haakon’s captive. He takes her back to his homeland in the hopes that he will be able to ransom her.

I generally enjoy captive stories and this one was no exception. Annis was a very strong woman. At one point in the story there is a misunderstanding between Annis and Haakon. I was worried that this would be a long drawn out affair. Fortunately this only happened once. Wonder of wonders, Haakon even apologizes to Annis. Haakon is a good hero with an honorable disposition. What surprised me too was Annis’s strength. These were situations where a normal woman might have given into fits of tears or despair; not Annis. When the going got tough, she sucked it up and got tougher.

The thing that holds me back from giving this story a higher grade, is not that this book was bad, it just didn’t really stand out from the crowd. It was just a tad bland around the edges, without that extra oomph to make this story really sparkle. I like a book that really stirs my emotions and makes me feel strongly about the characters. While I liked the characters, shortly after reading the book, they were easily forgotten.

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