The first novel in the Sons of Sigurd series opens with a bang and leaves you on the edge of your seat. Stolen by the Viking tells the tale of Alarr as he seeks vengeance for his murdered father (who never gave him enough attention) and his bride (poor innocent Gilla). In his quest, he meets his enemy's foster daughter Breanne, a fiery woman who is bent on thwarting him at every turn while also being irrevocably drawn to him. Ensue steaminess.

The characters of Breanne and Alarr are complex and intriguing. Alarr's pain is palpable throughout the novel, and you really sympathize with him. Meanwhile, Breanne is determined to live life by her own rules despite feeling alone and abandoned by her foster family. The supporting cast was also intriguing, even if there were some inconsistencies in their natures. Breanne consistently bemoans no one is looking for her and when she does make it back to her home, folks avoid her like the plague, and yet, we're told she was dearly missed.

The plot, even with some holes, was exciting. There's always something just around the bend to keep the reader engaged, which is good, because the writing isn't spectacular. There's a lot of mulling over why the characters can't be together, and the reasons never change. It slows the narrative down and makes it feel repetitive.

Overall, it's an enjoyable and action-packed story full of heart if you just sit back and relax as an Irish Queen takes the throne with her Viking warrior husband at her side and don't think too hard. ( )

An emotional quest for revenge

Breanne gets thrown into a plot of revenge by being stolen and sold at a slave market. Her new master wants to use her to get revenge against her foster father.

Breanne is a strong character who didn't deserve to be used for revenge but she handled things like a champ. I like when authors make women who are smart enough to assess a bad situation and make decisions on common sense rather than blindly running off to a worse situation.

Alarr was a little too focused on revenge for my taste, especially since he hadn't even liked his father or loved his bride.

Let's talk about why I gave this a mediocre three stars instead of four. It hit two hardcore pet peeves of mine, too much introspection and gross sex scenes. I don't mind introspection but paragraphs filled of inter turmoil becomes boring and then when it is repeated, it's like, "Okay already! I get it!"
I love a good sex scene but it's unrealistic and barf inducing when they just hop up and dress without some kind of cleanup. Ewww! I get that they were in the 9th century and cleanliness was not a thing but gross is gross.

This usually isn't a problem but did anyone else think the cover was nice with the old dude who looks like Ned Stark?

I really did like the story though and will be continuing the series and reading other works by this author.

( )

Good start to the new series. It opens with a joyous occasion that turns to tragedy. Alarr is about to marry the lovely Gilla, an arranged marriage, but one he looks forward to. But before the wedding can take place, uninvited guests attack. His bride and his father are killed, and Alarr is viciously attacked. Two years later, Alarr has regained some of his fighting ability but feels he will never be the warrior he once was. He is determined to take his revenge on King Feann and plans to use the man's foster daughter to get close to him.

Breanne was abducted from her home and sold to a slave trader. For two weeks, she waited for her foster father to rescue her, and has about given up hope. She thought he loved her as if she were his own, but maybe she was wrong. Breanne won't give up without a fight, though, and hatches a desperate plan to escape. She might have succeeded, too, if a Norseman hadn't caught her.

I enjoyed the first encounter between Alarr and Breanne. Though he stopped her escape, he bought her from the slaver. She was afraid of his intentions but refused to show her fear. Alarr admired her spirit, and because he was raised to treat women well, he showed her some kindness. He meant her no harm, as he was only going to use her as a tool to get close to her foster father. Neither expected to feel sparks of attraction.

Breanne believes that Alarr is her savior, no knowing that he was responsible for her abduction. She is more and more drawn to him as they travel toward her home. She feels cared for instead of ignored. Alarr is attracted to Breanne also, but thinks that he is no longer good enough for any woman. Breanne is horrified when she finds out Alarr's true intentions and wants to convince him not to kill Feann. Her methods are not unusual, and it isn't long before they form a deeper connection. I ached for Alarr, whose desire for vengeance is wrapped up in his self-perceived loss of manhood. Even his growing feelings for Breanne can come to nothing because of it.

There are other players in the game that neither is immediately aware of. Breanne has a rejected suitor who won't give up making her his. Breanne's mother, who she believed to be dead, was exiled to another holding. A visit between Breanne and her mother shows her to be another person who wants to use Breanne for her own purposes. Breanne is torn over the right thing to do.

I hurt for both Breanne and Alarr. Their feelings for each other were strong, but neither believed anything could come of it. Breanne doesn't know what Alarr's intentions are, and staying with him without a commitment is just asking for heartache. She also doesn't want to leave her homeland. Alarr wants Breanne for his own, but besides his lack of belief in himself, he doesn't think he will survive his fight with Feann. There is a heartbreaking scene between the two as they push each other away.

The confrontation between Feann and Alarr is exciting to watch as Alarr pits his diminished skills against the fit, but older Feann. The ending of the fight was not what I expected, and made unlikely allies of the two men. Breanne's return to her mother placed her in unexpected danger. She was furious at the betrayal and horrified by the fate that awaited her. I loved that she wasn't going to give up without a fight, and laughed out loud at the way she used her head. The confrontation between Oisin and Alarr was a nail-biter, and I enjoyed seeing how Alarr fought smart as well as hard. The ending was terrific. I especially liked Alarr's support of Breanne and belief in her abilities. Their big moment at the end was sweet and romantic, as they bring out the best in each other.

I liked Alarr's younger half-brother, Rurik, who went along with Alarr on this trip. It's easy to see that there is both love and respect between the two men. Rurik is also very protective of Alarr, which causes a little tension between the two men at one point in the book. Rurik had his reasons for accompanying Alarm on his trip, which we learn a bit of. I'm looking forward to his book and learning more about what he discovered. ( )