Midnight Warrior

The popular and prolific author of Beloved Scoundrel combines romance, adventure, fantasy and the Norman invasion into a largely enjoyable whole. Raised to an independent womanhood by her mother, the healer Brynn of Falkhaar is now enslaved to the devious Saxon, Richard of Redfern. Hoping to better his position, Richard offers her services to one of the victorious Normans at Hastings. Under the watchful eye of Gage Dumont, an extremely tall, extremely wealthy and, yes, extremely handsome Norman warrior who is also the bastard son of the king of Norway, Brynn manages the miraculous cure of his great friend, the Saracen Malik--thereby winning Malik's devotion and the warm attentions of Gage as well. Alternately rebuffing and acquiescing to his advances, Brynn uses Gage's passions to protect those she loves from Richard's continued evil-doing and to wrangle a one-way ticket to Gwynthal, the island setting of idyllic childhood memories and the location of an immense hidden treasure that is her birthright. Although Brynn and Gage are appealing enough, they are far less real and engaging than Malik, the entirely too charming, warmhearted heathen, and Adwen, Richard's quondam submissive wife determined to never again be any man's fool. Brynn is the weakness: sanctimonious about her role as healer, she is also the anchor for a rather far-fetched fantasy element. (Aug.)