A blend of fact and fantasy, history and the present, The Knightmare is the story of how one man had to go back in time to resolve his future.
France, 1209: A Knight Templar riding through an eerie forest is suddenly attacked by an assassin as a man and woman watch from a distant hillside. When his death seems certain, the woman takes up a sword...
Present, Formula 1 race, Magny Cours: Observed by the very same couple, Conor Westfield, a career-obsessed Scottish driver, is in a horrible racing accident. Miraculously, he survives what seemed to be certain death.
As he is recovering from his injuries Conor’s childhood nightmare recurs, a strange jumble of terrifying images that feel more like memories than dreams. Can it be mere coincidence that the very next morning he is informed a mysterious woman with whom he had very brief affair has died and left him as her heir? But this was no ordinary woman and no ordinary affair. Dogged by a niggling feeling of déjà vu, Conor travels to Amsterdam to identify the body. At her home he finds an illuminated book that transports him back in time, to a woman he left behind and a life lived in the shadow of a tragedy that cries out across 800 years for resolution.
Excerpt
The arrow flew straight and sure, so that the youth died in the midst of conversation, between the breathless words “This place is…” and “wondrous.” One minute he was riding at the Templar’s side chatting amiably, for the squire had been a cheerful and accomplished chatterer, ruddy of face and buoyant of heart, with a sweet shy blush in the presence of ladies and a love of good sport; the next a heap of flesh for the soil to reclaim as its own.
“Christophe,” said the exasperated Templar, as the boy teetered on his pony, “it will more wondrous if you stop wittering on like a demented jaybird and sit astride a—”
The Templar reached out to steady the squire’s swaying body, then saw the shaft lodged in his back. “No.” In this bleak syllable his sorrow was fully revealed, the all-encompassing regret. He let the boy slip to the ground as the snap of breaking branches and rumble of a horse’s hooves heralded the approach of the assassin. Despite the urgent call to battle, he paused long enough to say: “Farewell, young Jaybird.” Then, lest he won not the day, he leant forward and kissed the neck of his mare, who was also dear to him.
In a swift well-practiced move the Templar spun his horse round and drew his sword—charge!
Professional Reviews
The Knightmare
5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting Tale July 14, 2013
By Mason Canyon
Format:Kindle Edition
Tales featuring knights and mysteries are always intriguing and draw me in. Author Deborah Valentine weaves a fascinating story blending knights, time travel, and reincarnation in such a manner it seems plausible.
The story begins in France in 1209 when a Knight Templar is attacked by an assassin. A couple watch from a distant hill. Just as it seems certain the Knight will die, the woman takes up a sword.
From there the story transitions to present day where Scottish Formula 1 driver Conor Westfield is injured in a racing accident. As he's recovering from his near fatal injuries, terrifying nightmares from his childhood return.
To add to Conor's confusion, he's informed that a mysterious woman he had a brief affair with has died and named him as her heir. Reluctantly Conor goes to Amsterdam to sort out the situation. Once there, he discovers an illuminated book that holds the key to all his questions.
The author has created an enchanting tale of past and present blending rich details and history along the way. Valentine's eye for detail places the reader among the people of London, Amsterdam and medieval France. She weaves a journey of time travel that is magical and realistic.
The writing is done in a steady pace and the story flows smoothly. The characters are well-developed and likable. The story holds your attention and has you believing in the unbelievable.
THE KNIGTMARE is a bewitching read that is hard to resist from the opening page. Valentine transports readers to another time and place and back again capturing their imagination along the way.
FTC Full Disclosure - A digital copy of this book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
The Knightmare
5.0 out of 5 stars The Knightmare, June 9, 2013
By Sheri A. Wilkinson (Princeton, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Knightmare (Kindle Edition)
The story starts in France 1209, a Templar Knight is attacked, but there are two people watching. He is saved by the mysterious couple.
Enter the present, young Conor, recovering from injuries, witness by this same couple from 1209 France. He is suffering from horrid nightmares that feel so real, almost as if they are memories. When he finds that a woman, Mercedes, whom he had a brief affair has died and left him her possessions he is quite confused and intrigued.
He travels to Amsterdam to retrieve his newly acquired possessions and finds a magical book that transports him back in time. Soon the adventure begins, as he learns about the mysterious Mercedes and himself. Was his accident just that, or something more?
Wonderfully blending the past and present, we are at times transported eight-hundred years ago and face Angels and Magic. And then we are brought back to the present.
A fantastic tale of sacrifice, betrayal and love. I look forward to more work by Deborah Valentine.
The Knightmare
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully crafted, great story, May 1, 2013
By Rebecca M. Riordan (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Knightmare (Kindle Edition)
This is the most beautifully crafted novel I've read in a very long time. If you love the work of Joanne Harris and Barbara Hodgson, you're going to love this. Lots of authors play around with telling their story out of sequence. Some of them even succeed. I can't think of many that can use that technique to enrich the story, to make us love the characters all the more.
There have only one criticism: I wish it were available in hard cover, or at least paperback, because I'd love to share it.
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