BED OF ROSE AND THORNS

In Hunt’s fantasy adventure, a queen with a secret sends away her most loyal warrior only for him to return years later.

Eleven years ago, Sir Ezra, a knight, entered the Queen’s chambers after hearing her scream in terror. His protective instinct apparently caused him to unleash a secret power—one accompanied by “a sound like ringing thunder.” The Prince of Erle, who’s the Queen’s husband, and his knights were all killed during the incident, and the Queen, whose name is Rose, sent Ezra into exile. Now, in Province, he serves Lady Kristen while struggling to keep his obsession with the Queen in check. Rachel, Lady Kristen’s 17-year-old daughter, is infatuated with Ezra; when she takes her flirtation to the next level, it again activates his hidden power. Ezra, it turns out, is an Elysian Bell—a legendary figure who can broadcast his emotions outward, which affects others in unexpected ways. Lady Kristen decides to send Ezra back to the capital as her seneschal, or steward, so that he might see Rose and receive closure. There, the knight is greeted by a female knight named Sir Marigold, an old friend, but he also finds evidence of the Queen’s rocky rule. However, a bigger surprise awaits him. Hunt combines fairy-tale romance with appealingly ribald scenes in this unique medieval adventure. When Rachel dyes her hair blond, for instance, Ezra’s “bell-like tolling” sounds, which causes the young woman to literally rip her bodice, swept away with passion. The knight’s gift eventually summons other women to his bedchambers, including shopkeeper Danielle Stonehouse, and there are lively descriptions of carnal pleasure. Balancing these moments are threats to Ezra’s life and dream sequences with ethereal passages: “He dived down...to see how deep the clean, crystalline structure went and was amazed at the endless, vertiginous expanse of ice below him.” Moments of wisdom come from Sir Marigold, who tells the girls she’s training, “Don’t try to mimic your enemies and compete against their advantage. We must find our own advantages.” Rose’s revelation to Ezra provides fuel for a sequel.

An engaging medieval fantasy that’s also, at times, a refreshingly candid tale of desire.