The only thing I felt was a strong hand around my neck, another around my waist, and — before I could cry out — I smelled the thick, sweet scent of a mandrake-soaked cloth. Unforgiving hands clapped it against my face, and all went dark.

Alais, the king of France’s sister, is abducted while on her mission for the wily Eleanor of Aquitaine, the former Queen of England, to retrieve hidden letters that, in the wrong hands, could bring down the English king. In exchange, the French princess was to receive long-heldand dangerous information. Now Alais, along with help from the very intriguing leader of the Knights Templar, must unravel a tangled web of family secrets and lies.

I love historical and I love mystery within them, however this was not my favorite book. The plot was a bit convoluted to me and I did not like the writing style. Now even though I did not like the style itself the words were well written. I just think the plot needed some more rounding out so you could feel more involved with it. Personally I also think there needed to be a bit more character development to make you enjoy Alais a bit more. Not a bad book just not the best one for me.

My Gemstone Rating: