Melissa Mayhue – Warrior’s Redemption

The first book in the Warrior series, published December 27, 2011.



MALCOLM MACDOWYLT sees himself a failed warrior, haunted by the death of the woman he married to become laird of Clan MacGahan. Neither his Viking heritage nor his claim to descend from Norse gods can restore his confidence in his ability to protect his people. His sister is held captive, her life in jeopardy, and his Magically powerful half brother wants him dead. The last thing he needs is more responsibility, but that's exactly what he gets when his Faerie mother-in-law arrives seeking justice for her daughter in the form of an enticing woman from seven hundred years in the future.

DANIELLE DEARMON has waited fifteen years to discover the life she is supposed to live. She just never dreamed she'd end up in the thirteenth century with a handsome Scot bent on saving everyone but himself. With the lives of those most dear to him hanging in the balance, Malcolm sets out to battle a powerful evil magic, only to learn that the redemption he seeks exists in the arms of the woman he loves.


On the eve of Samhain, Dani is finally going to do something with her life. For fifteen years she has been setting milk outside for the faeries, and never has she even seen one of them. She just doesn’t feel like she belongs in this life, so she is going to ask the Queen of the Faeries to show her her purpose in life, her destination, a place where she can belong. Something. And so she is whisked back in time to Scotland in the 1200s.
Malcolm is still feeling guilty of letting his wife (of convenience) and the man she loves leave him, certain they are death by now. And when his mother in law comes for a visit, he has no idea how to deal with her, especially as she is rumoured to be Faery. Which she is. And Elesyria really doesn’t like being called an Elf by his brother Patrick, the Norse name for her family. Malcolm is preparing to go to war with his eldest half-brother, who is keeping his sister a prisoner. Christiana has the gift of sight when she uses her rune stones, and Torquil wants to use that for his own purpose. He is descended from the Norse gods, and gifted with a lot of the old magics, and he wants them to rule again. He also likes to hurt and torture people for fun. After their father’s death a few weeks ago, Torquil became Laird, and he demands a very large tribute and fealty from Malcolm, who has no intention to do so.
For any chance to go to war, Malcolm needs allies, and the only ally he can rely on, will demand that he weds his daughter. So a relationship between Malcolm and Dani is doomed from the start. Still, Dani doesn’t give up, on the advice and help of Elesyria, who wants to see them both happy.
Thanks to a loose remark by Dani, Malcolm sets of alone to free his sister, and perhaps fight his brother, and is taken prisoner. I think you can imagine the rest of the story.



This is the first book in a spin off series of her usual series Daughter’s of the Glen. It involves more Viking Mythology, or Northman. And I had high expectations of it, but frankly, I am disappointed in this book. The other series is filled with great characters, and magic, and battle and danger. I just could not care for the main characters, the story was totally not grabbing me and the suspense was minimal. Things were horrible, but solutions too easy, and not enough fight between Malcolm and Dani. Dani was really unbelievable in dealing with her being magicked to the past, and how she acted there. And I never go the vibe of strong Scottish Laird with Malcolm. It all was too loose. Dani is not a strong heroine as I like them, just stubborn. And they fell in love with each other because they are both beautiful, and for no other reason. O yes, they are Soul Mates, and according to the Faery, you will find your true love, your Soulmate, only once in a thousand lives. There was just no getting to know the other person at all.
Dani is brought up by her aunt, why? And what happened when that aunt died? Why did she end up being a cook slash waitress in a trucker’s café? There is almost no mention of Malcolm and what he is doing, except prepare a bit for a war with his half-brother. Not even a mention of how hot he is in his kilt! No training, no dealings with other warriors except his brother Patrick.
And of course, Elesyria, the Faery woman who is Malcolm’s ex-mother-in-law. Elesyria knows her daughter is living safely and happy in the future, but Malcolm still acts like he is responsible for her death. She is also a two-dimensional figure.

Which does not mean the second book cannot be better. There were of course parts I did like, like the sister Malcolm wants to rescue, and cannot, and the evil half brother with the strong Norse magic he fights. I really like Daughters of the Glen series, and I do hope this series will get better. There sure is enough potential for that.

5 stars.