THE GRAIL KING

Author: Joy Nash ISBN: 0505526832 8/2006 HISTORICAL Publisher: DORCHESTER
Time Period: AD 130 (Celtic)

The Sacred Isle... All who dwelt in Avalon possessed the powers of the Old Ones. But only some were keepers of the Light. One among them had dared to call upon the Deep Magic, conjuring up a dark storm that boded ill for the people of Britannia... Owein... The vision came upon him suddenly: a delicate Roman beauty materializing out of the swirling whiteness of the snow. Her appearance near his ruined Celtic village made no sense, but when the trance left him, she remained, demanding that he use his Sight to help her find a stolen grail. The last thing he intended was to use his gifts for the good of his enemy, yet something told him this innocent lass had the power to touch him, to bring warmth where there had been only coldness and to heal his wounded heart.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

THE GRAIL KING by Joy Nash is a must read! All I can say is that it is a fantastic book that's filled with Celtic and Roman history, a quest for a stolen grail, Druid magic and lore, and of course is a timeless romance! THE GRAIL KING is an intense story that captivated me from the first page. I highly recommend reading it as soon as it is released.

Move over Jamie Frasier—there's another red haired hero about to take your place. Orwein has lived the last years of his life as a recluse, with only his visions to remind him of the horrific past that he is still plagued with. With the loss of his wife and unborn child, Orwein has much of the Darkness in him, and it is going to take a woman that yields extraordinary Light and magic to free him.

When Orwein encounters the woman of his most recent vision, Clara, almost frozen to death in the snow, he takes her to his dwelling to heal her. As soon as Clara has recovered, she tells Orwein that she was sent to him from someone he knows to help her find a magical grail that was stolen from her family. Clara is not without her own secrets, and she has a dark one she cannot tell Orwein.

As Orwein reluctantly agrees to help her, he and Clara form a tight bond that is not only physical, but also mental. As their quest for the grail ensues, their feelings for one another fires up. Unbeknownst to either of them, there is a dark force that wants the grail and Orwein and it will stop at nothing to get them.

THE GRAIL KING pulls no punches. The story is set in motion right from the beginning and doesn't stop until you read the very last page. I would urge you to try to read it in one sitting, if possible. Ms. Nash is a talented storyteller and THE GRAIL KING is one of those books that you need to pay close attention to while reading. If you fall in love with the story as much as I have, Joy Nash has three free stories about Orwein before he meets Clara that is a must read on her website. THE GRAIL KING is also the first book in Joy Nash's Druids of Avalon series.

I highly recommend reading THE GRAIL KING—it's a definite Top Pick for me!

Julie Kornhausl