I didn't really care for this story and I'll tell you why. It's typically a well-written story but I found myself unable to find any kind of empathy for either the hero or heroine.

The hero, Rowan, is a prince destined to be king over the Lanconian clan, Irial. He is, however, only half-Lanconian. He was raised headed, insolent and filled with blind loyalty, to usurp Rowan's right to the throne and help her brother become king in his stead. She constantly accuses Rowan of expecting her to follow him blindly but yet she foolishly follows her brother's lead. Everytime she is with Rowan, she challenges him, even to the point where you want nothing more than to just put the book down and wish you'd never had the misfortune of reading it in the first place.

Rowan is too good to be true. He is unbelievably idealistic, chauvinistic, and sometimes makes the most idiotic decisions that put him and his followers' lives at risk.

Predictably, Rowan and Jura end up together but by that time, you're almost relieved you're at the end of the story.

-much like Knight in Shining Armour, however, this book was plausable, i.e., it could have happened. Brave Heart comes to mind in comparison,but this book is without the gore. The Maiden brings close together 2 Royal sects of opposite cultures (the English elete & the un-cultured/uneducated/undisciplined but very proud people) with surprising results. The book allows you escape into a time warp that you could never experience otherwise and didn't want it to end.