Blurb:
Raj, a spirited and rebellious young woman, runs away from what she considers an oppressive home life. On the streets of 10th century Antioch, she catches a glimpse of Bjornolf, a mysterious Northman with secrets of his own. Determined to get to the bottom of this inexplicable affinity she has for him, she disguises herself as a boy and stows away on the caravan he is guiding to Denmark. As magic and riddles come to light one by one along the way, Raj must decide if the dangers to both Bjornolf and herself are worth the risks involved in revealing her true nature to him.
Elle's Review:
Blood
Bonds: The Caravan is a seamless marriage between adventure and romance. The
story follows Raj and Bjornolf as they travel with a group towards Denmark.
Looking to start fresh, Raj joins the caravan, moonlighting as an adolescent
boy after Bjornolf mistakes her for one. Like Raj, Bjornolf is haunted by his
past for reasons so personal only one other person knows.
The
road to Denmark is absolutely picturesque. Rosanne Licata writes such vivid
descriptions of her characters and settings, it’s hard not to be instantly
immersed in the adventure. Preceding the story is a map of the route taken and a
glossary of terms for the reader to reference throughout the story. The
inclusion of these two items made me somewhat nervous to begin the story. I was
concerned I would have trouble following the storyline because I wasn’t
familiar with the words outlined in the glossary. My concern was no more than a
distant afterthought when I suddenly found myself halfway through the book. I found
the novel to be so well polished, I didn’t need to refer back to either article
for clarification. This book was an easy yet captivating read; I didn’t want to
put it down.
To
break up the constant travelling, the author weaves a budding friendship
between Raj and Bjornolf in to the plot. The lighthearted and sometimes comedic
moments between the pair provide further character development and insight in to
their muddy pasts. As the story progresses, these moments begin to take on
romantic undertones. Raj and Bjornolf’s romance is blended with the adventure
so perfectly; no one part overpowers the other. They are truly two equal parts
coming together as a whole.
Overall,
I was pleasantly surprised by this story. The author did a flawless job of
incorporating different elements in to a powerful storyline. Despite being the
first book in a series, I feel as if this book could double as a stand-alone
novel. The end was satisfying enough to not need
a second part in Raj and Bjornolf’s story. However, their story was so
compelling, it makes the reader want
the journey to continue.
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