Bed of Rose and Thorns

Bed of Rose and Thorns by Lee Hunt is a fantasy tale that will mesmerize readers. Sir Ezra is a broken man. Exiled for eleven years for killing the Prince of Erl and the Queen's husband and enemies who would have killed the Queen, he has lived in abject loneliness, longing to at least have a glimpse of the dark Queen whom he has loved deeply and secretly. While his love has remained a secret, he also hides a powerful secret beneath his battered armor — he has a unique gift: he is an Elysian Bell, a gift that makes him vibrate or ring depending on the intensity of his emotions. Given the chance to return from banishment after eleven years, Sir Ezra looks forward to seeing the Queen again, but what awaits him is a world in turmoil — his only friend doesn't want to see him and will rather have him dead than share the land with him and the Queen is nowhere to be found. As he navigates a world filled with danger and betrayal, he is less aware that his greatest power is about to be unleashed.

First off, Lee Hunt’s gift for writing compelling characters is stunning. In Ezra, readers discover a likable and complex character; he is a multilayered protagonist whose courage and loyalty are balanced by a vulnerability that combines his love for the Queen with his burden of keeping his exceptional gift a secret. Secondly, the author’s gift for storytelling shines through this extraordinary tale that is brimming with intrigue, adventure, and unusual romance. Hugely imaginative and set in a world that enchants readers, Bed of Rose and Thorns is a novel that is profoundly moving and one in which the author explores an emotionally rich protagonist struggling to find a balance between his love of a woman and his incredible strength. It has good doses of action and the conflict is deftly crafted to move the story in unexpected directions.  This novel is an absorbing adventure that makes for compelling reading, and the uniquely drawn characters and the action-packed, twisty narrative make it hard to put down.