What a ridiculous book. This is the second Catherine Coulter book I've picked up and it is the only one of her books I actually managed to finish (just barely).I honestly don't know how is it possible that this woman is a considered to be a successful romance author. Her writing style gives me a whiplash. One minute the characters are talking or thinking about one thing, and then all of a sudden, without any warning or subtlety, they change the topic of their conversation/thoughts. The author doesn't ease into it, she just jumps in, and that happens a lot, and it's utterly, completely and definitive annoying.The hero and the heroine are one dimensional through 2/3 of the book, and through 1/3 of the book they are just ridiculous. There's little depth in these characters. The first time Magnus spoke to Zarabeth he sounded like a robot, I imagined him doing a robot impression:He walked to her, determination in every step, sparing not a word to any of the others, and said, even as she was lowering her pail into the well, “My name is Magnus Haraldsson. I am a farmer merchant and I and my family live near Kaupang in Norway. I am not a poor man, nor am I cruel or vicious, and I wish to wed with you.”and...She shook her head, wanting to laugh at what she’d thought he had said. “Nay, surely I mistook your words. Forgive me, but I thought you said that . . . But no. What did you say to me, sir?”Magnus said again, still patient, for he was enchanted with the laughter and sweetness of her voice, “I said I want to wed with you. My name is Magnus Haraldsson. Your name is difficult for me, but I will say it now and come to say it with ease soon enough—Zarabeth.and...She tilted her head to the side, still smiling. He was brazen, this Viking. She peered down the well. “My bucket is lost. What am I to do?”Magnus looked down at her, fascinated by how that smile of hers lit and warmed her green eyes. “I’ll get your bucket for you. My name is Magnus—”“I know,” Zarabeth said. “Magnus Haraldsson, and you are a farmer and a trader and you are not cruel or vicious and you want to wed with me.”He frowned. She was forward, this woman with her foreign name and her laughing smile. She was mocking him, pretending to seriousness, and he didn’t like it. “Aye,” he said, his voice cool now. “I want to wed with you. Now I’ll retrieve your pail for you.”See what I'm saying? This could have been a funny, sweet, and charming introduction, but to me it just sounded robotic. Julie Garwood could make something like this look funny and charming, but Catherine Coulter had no such luck. As for Zarabeth....well she's indecisive, a bit naive, and definitely has her TSTL moments. I didn't find her annoying, but I just didn't get her. I couldn't feel for her or her plight.She fears and hates her stepfather, she thinks he's disgusting, he forced her to refuse Magnus, and threatened her sister's life in order to make her agree to marry him (his stepdaughter!?), and there's a strong possibility that he killed her mother, but after a while, without any real reason (at least I didn't see any) she thinks of him as a nice guy?:I will say the truth, sire. I did not kill Olav. I tended him faithfully during his illness. He was kind to me. You were there at our wedding and you saw that he was pleased.He was kind to you?!Honestly I don't get it.I don't know if I should give this book a 2 stars or a 1 star rating.Why, oh why doesn't goodreads web site have a 10 stars rating? If I'm being honest, it did held my interest long enough for me to finish it, so it should be 1 and 1/2 stars.
Bu yorum aynı zamanda Romancekolikte yayınlanmıştır.Kitabı çok severek okudum. Bol entrikalı, sizi meraktan çatlatacak kitaplardan biri. Bir kere oğlumuz Viking! Hikaye yanılmıyorsam 900lerde geçiyor. Konusu ise Magnus tüccarlık yapmak için York limanına demir atmıştır ve şehirde dolaştığında güzeller güzeli Zarabeth'i görüp kapılır. Kadın onun olacaktır. Bu konuda hiç şüphesi yoktur. Ertesi gün kızı tekrar gördüğünde yanına gider ver adının Magnus Harraldson olduğunu ailesinin Norveç yakınlarında yaşadığını, çulsuz ve zalim bir adam olmadığını ve onunla evlenmek istediğini dank diye kıza söyler. Kız tabi şaşırmıştır. Adamı geçiştirmeye çalışır. Adam kıza üvey babasıyla görüşeceğini bildirmesini söyler ama kız bunu yapamaz. Üvey babasından korkuyordur. Çünkü yanına ne zaman bir erkek yaklaşsa adam ürkütücü bir hale bürünüyordur. Annesi yıllar önce ufak kardeşiyle beraber sevgilisine kaçtığında üvey babası onu öldürmüş, ufak kardeşinide sürekli ağladığından başına vurarak susturmuştur. Ama ufak kardeş sağır kalmıştır. Zarabeth sırf kardeşinin rahatı için adamın bu zorbalıklarına göz yumuyordur. Ertesi gün bu tuhaf viking gene karşısına çıkmış, onunla evleneceğini söylemiş, hatta onu öpmüştür! Herkesin ortasında! Ardından da üvey babasının dükkanına yollanmıştır. Magnus adamla konuşur ama adam hep bir bahane bularak kızı vermeye yanaşmıyordur. Magnus istediğine ulaşacağına emin birininn güveniyle adamın kızıma bi sorayım isteğine göz yummuştur. Zarabeth o akşam üvey babasının tiradlarıyla bu evlilik sevdasından vazgeçirilmiştir. Adam kendi oğluyla muhabete dalınca o da dışarı çıkmış ve limana gitmiştir. Adamı görmek istiyordur. Geminin yanına gelmiş ve onu seslenmiştir. Kısa süre sonra adam ortaya çıkmış ve bir süre orada konuşmuşlardır.Kız çok uzun süre uzak kaldığından üvey baba arama partisi toplatıp bunların yanına gider. Kızı zorla adamın yanından alıp eve götürür. Kız eve gidince kardeşinin orda olmadığını gördüğünde delirecek gibi olmuştur. Adama kardeşinin yerini sorduğunda üvey babası eğer onunla evlenirse kardeşini geri alacağını söyler. Kız hayır olamaz desede eli kolu bağlıdır. Üvey babasının zoruyla ertesi gün Magnus'a onunla oynadığını, evlenmek istemediğini söyler. Adam ilk başta inanmasada sonra bir sürü hakaret ederek oradan uzaklaşmıştır. Kız o anda planını yapar. Akşam üvey babasının yemeğine uyku ilacı katıp üvey babasının oğlunun evine gider ve kardeşini oradan zorda olsa alır ve hemen Magnus'un gemisinin olduğu yere gider ama geride ne Magnus ne de gemi kalmıştır. Ertesi gün kızı orada, öylece otururken bulur üvey babası. Bir süre sonra evlenirler. Adam düğün günü rahatsızlanır. Öyle ki iştahtan kesilmiş bir diri bir kemik kalmıştır. 2 ay sonrada vefat eder. Kız dul kalmıştır tam bunu idrak etmeye çalışırken hakkında kocasını zehirlediği konusunda suçlama yapılır. Mahkemeye çıkartıldığında Kral onu suçlu bulur. Mahkeme odasında birden Magnus'un belirmesiyle, artık bu adamın kölesi olduğu kararı Kral tarafından verilir. Hikaye böyle devam eder :) İnanın hikayenin yarısı bile değildir bu anlattığım kısım. Severek okuduğum bir hikaye ve seri. Başarılı bir yapıt.
What do You think about Season Of The Sun (2002)?
A well-told Viking tale set in the Danelaw (Danish ruled territory of England) and Norway in the late 9th century. Like others of Coulter’s, she doesn’t hold back when it comes to the violence of the times nor the cruelty inflicted on a worthy heroine by a bold alpha male who has his information wrong. I love that about her writing, but some who are looking for a softer story might not. If you can get past that (and I did), the story will hold your attention and I highly recommend it. Coulter’s portrayal of loss and grief were, in my opinion, nothing short of brilliant. It tells the story of Magnus Haraldsson, a jarl from Norway and a merchant, who on a trip to York, spots the woman he wants for his wife, beautiful Irish Zarabeth (I pictured a young Maureen O’Hara). He introduces himself to her, basically telling her she will wed him. He’s direct about his accomplishments and knows when he kisses her she finds him attractive. Innocent Zarabeth will have the Viking if he’ll take her young deaf half sister, Lotti, which he will. But her evil stepfather, Olav the Vain, who wants her as his own wife, forces her to reject the Viking threatening to kill Lotti who he loathes. Zarabeth rejects the Viking and he sails away, bitter at her action. Olav weds her, but never beds her due to his poisoning by his son’s greedy wife. Zarabeth is framed for Olaf’s murder and at her trial, Magnus arrives to persuade the court to make Zarabeth his slave instead of killing her. Thus it is that Zarabeth sails for Norway with Magnus, but as his slave, not his wife. Talk about the perils of Pauline! This heroine had her troubles in spades. Both she and the hero at times seemed a bit dense. Initially, she failed to trust Magnus to help her and he believed the lie she did not want him. But each has courage that is compelling. The whole time I was reading her misadventures, I kept thinking that this is one hero who is going to have to grovel big time in the end. And I was not disappointed. Neither will you be. Both Zarabeth and Magnus will suffer before they find happiness. I thought Coulter did a superb job in this well-researched tale of the Norsemen. It’s exciting, fast-paced, detailed and well written. For Viking romance lovers, it is not one to be missed.Coulter’s Viking Series:SEASON OF THE SUN LORD OF HAWKFELL ISLAND LORD OF RAVEN’S PEAK LORD OF FALCON RIDGE
—Regan Walker
– Season of the Sun is the first Viking romance I ever read and I immediately fell in love with the genre. Coulter is talented author who pays attention to historical detail without losing sight of character development and the romance plot line. Magnus is as bold and brash as one would imagine a Viking male would be while Zarabeth comes off a little too naive at times though this doesn’t detract from her charm. This novel is a great read for those who enjoy the grittier romances. ~ Cerise, www.ireadromance.comBy today’s standards, Season of the Sun is pretty violent and contains forced sexual situations that reflect the brutality of the Viking Years.
—Ana
Not great. Zarabeth's stepfather forces her to marry him and to snub the Viking who has been courting her and whom she loves, Magnus. When her stepfather dies shortly afterwards, she's framed for murdering him and Magnus basically buys her for his slave, taking her back to his home where he sort of courts her anew while his sister makes her life miserable.Does Zarabeth even ever explain to Magnus that she was forced to snub him by her stepfather? I read this book a bit impatiently so maybe I missed the scene, but I don't even think that that was ever resolved. Anyway, the whole story just felt mechanical and flat. It didn't *move* me at all.
—Rhapsody
