The Nightingale's Song

In this Tristan-and-Isoldish medieval romance, the Dragon, right-hand man of Henry IV, is coming for the wealthy Clare, Countess of Trent and reluctant bride-to-be of the king's hedonistic nephew Geoffrey, who is in need of a rich wife. But the grizzled Dragon, a 38-year-old warrior, falls madly in love with the beautiful and forthright Clare (aka the Nightingale, creator of romantic tales), when she rescues him from brigands during a snowstorm. Power (Gifts) doesn't stint her fans of the sensuality they've come to expect, and, at the same time, manages to maintain a high degree of sexual tension. The flowery prose suits the 1403 English setting and Power does an admirable job of sorting out the period's political intrigues. (June)