Curse of the Healer by Award-Winning Author @AshleyYork1066 #bookreview #historicalromance #bookish
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  • N. N. Light
    • Apr 3, 2018
    • 4 min read

Curse of the Healer by Award-Winning Author @AshleyYork1066 #bookreview #historicalromance #bookish


Title: Curse of the Healer

Author: Ashley York

Genre: Historical Romance

Book Blurb:

After the death of Brian Boru in 1014, a legend arose of a healer so great she could raise a man from the dead, with a power so strong it could make any warrior the next high king of Éire…and to steal it away from her, he need only possess her.

Fated to be a healer…

Aednat has spent her entire life training to be the great healer, knowing she must remain alone. When she meets Diarmuid, the intense attraction she feels toward him shakes her resolve to believe in such a legend. If she gives in to the passion he ignites in her, can she settle for being less?

Destined to be his…

Diarmuid of Clonascra is renowned for his bravery in battle. Only one thing daunts him: the prospect of taking a wife. The safest course would be to keep his distance from Aednat, the bold, headstrong healer who’s far too tempting for his peace of mind. But his overking orders him to protect her from a group of craven warriors intent on kidnapping her to steal her power.

What starts as duty for Diarmuid quickly transforms into something more. Aednat’s power might be at risk, but so is his closed-off heart.

My Review:

Get ready to be swept away to 11th century Ireland in Curse of the Healer, book one of a brand-new series from Award-Winning author Ashley York. There’s a legend which speaks of a great healer, someone’s whose power is so great, she could raise a man from the dead. To possess her power and become the next high king of Éire, all a man needs to do is steal her virginity.

Aednat has spent her whole life training to be a healer, possibly the great healer, but all she’s learned is put to the test when she meets Diarmuid. If the legend is correct and she’s the great healer, her powers will disappear once she marries. No matter how tempting it is to fall into Diarmuid’s arms, she won’t give up her healing abilities. But when an evil warrior comes to take her away (to steal her powers), she has no choice but to marry Diarmuid and flee the home she’s known since she was a child.

Diarmuid’s a fierce warrior and the last thing he expected is to be married to a healer, one with a sharp tongue and an independent spirit. But his overlord begged him to protect her and Diarmuid agreed. She sets his body on fire but could he let her into his heart? It takes a kidnapping and a near-death experience for Diarmuid to realize what his heart knew all along… love comes along in unusual packages and you must cherish it.

I’m a big fan of York’s Norman Conquest series and was so excited when I heard she was starting a new series. Curse of the Healer plunges the reader into 1095 Ireland and you experience everything the characters experience. You can smell the horses, wilderness, muck and mire along with passionate embraces. York intersperses language of the time period as well as a glossary. This was incredibly helpful in reading and envisioning various scenes. I got so engrossed in the language and setting that my husband said I had acquired a slight Celtic accent.

The characters, though, are what drive this historical romance. I loved how Aednat had a deformity that caused her to be shunned as a child but that didn’t stop her from being happy. She was rescued and adopted into Diarmuid’s overlord’s family. Sure, she had a low opinion of her beauty but that’s only natural. Diarmuid, meanwhile, doesn’t seem to notice her club foot and his care for her endeared me to him throughout the book. Both characters go through immense growth and it’s only when they work together, do they heal each other.

If you love historical romance, you have to pick up this book. You’ll be swept away by the landscape, the history and the romance. A must read!

Favorite Character/Quote: Diarmuid. I loved his tenderness towards Aednat, even when she was sparring with him. His love for her moved me and how he loved her for who she was and not just because he was duty-bound to protect her. He’s a strong warrior with a sharp mind and while he thinks he knows what kind of wife he wants, what he needs is Aednat. Tough, strong, tender… a true leader.

My Rating: 5 stars

Buy it now:

Author Biography:

Aside from two years spent in the wilds of the Colorado mountains, Ashley York is a proud life-long New Englander and a hardcore romantic. She has an MA in History which brings with it, through many years of research, a love for primary documents and the smell of musty old libraries. With her author’s imagination, she likes to write about people who could have lived alongside those well-known giants from the past.

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @ashleyyork1066

Reviewed by: Mrs. N

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