Adam de Guirande owes his lord, Roger Mortimer, much more than loyalty. He owes Lord Roger for his life and all his worldly goods, he owes him for his beautiful wife - even if Kit is not quite the woman Lord Roger thinks she is. So when Lord Roger rises in rebellion against the king, Adam has no choice but to ride with him - no matter what the ultimate cost may be.England in 1321 is a confusing place. Edward II has been forced by his barons to exile his favourite, Hugh Despenser. The barons, led by the powerful Thomas of Lancaster, Roger Mortimer and Humphrey de Bohun, have reasons to believe they have finally tamed the king. But Edward is not about to take things lying down, and fate is a fickle mistress, favouring first one, then the other.Adam fears his lord has over-reached, but at present Adam has other matters to concern him, first and foremost his new wife, Katherine de Monmouth. His bride comes surrounded by rumours concerning her and Lord Roger, and he hates it when his brother snickers and whispers of used goods.Kit de Courcy has the misfortune of being a perfect double of Katherine de Monmouth - which is why she finds herself coerced into wedding a man under a false name.
What will Adam do when he finds out he has been duped? Domestic matters become irrelevant when the king sets out to punish his rebellious barons. The Welsh Marches explode into war, and soon Lord Roger and his men are fighting for their very lives. When hope splutters and dies, when death seems inevitable, it falls to Kit to save her man - if she can. 'In the Shadow of the Storm' is the first in Anna Belfrage's new series, The King's Greatest Enemy, the story of a man torn apart by his loyalties to his lord, his king, and his wife.
As much as I loved the Graham saga, I started this book a bit cautiously. I’m not a huge fan of Mortimer but I have a soft spot for Edward II, and little bit for Despenser, and I knew they wouldn’t be showed here in a good light. But I trusted Belfrage to make it enjoyable nevertheless and I was right.
I liked both Kit and Adam and loved seeing how their relationship grew. With that kind of start to the marriage it could have gone terribly wrong. She was brave, not afraid to say what she wanted and ready to fight for what she wanted.
I didn’t really warm up to Mortimer and while I understand you’re loyal to a man who’s practically your foster father, I didn’t understand why he was so blindingly loyal. I’m curious to see how he feels about future events, especially since he’s so fond of Lady Joan…
I couldn’t help but feel that Despenser was little too evil here but yeah… I did mention about my soft spot for him so…
The book started bit slow but after events started picking up there wasn’t a dull moment. All in all I really liked this and I’m waiting for the next book.
