The Lion and the Crow

This is a MM that takes place in the 14th Century. When I first read the synopsis, I thought it might be similar to [b:The Scottish Boy 50169793 The Scottish Boy Alex de Campi https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567558096l/50169793.SX50_SY75.jpg 73235203] but the only similarity is the era and setting. This is a more traditional MM historical romance with a dash of violence. It's a 14th century road trip story where the two fall in love over their travels. The book is very well paced and thought out, with a satisfying conclusion. It has a HEA and the epilogue is just the conclusion of their life so I don't think it detracts from that. I'll just say that they don't die side by side as old men in bed, but the ending in the epilogue feels a lot more historically accurate for this time period and their lifestyle.

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This was EXCELLENT. The level of writing is highly reminiscent of Captive Prince, but the relationship itself is nothing like Laurent and Damen. That isn't a bad thing – this is an entirely different sort of story – courtly love turned on its head. The Lion and the Crow is quite short, but uses every one of its 153 pages to its fullest capability. It doesn't FEEL short, when you're in the thick of the story.

I really loved Christian and William together. They are two different types of man, and they managed to fit together quite nicely. Christian is a ‘pretty' man, thin, muscular, with feminine features. He's a beast with a bow and arrow. William is large, strong, and powerful – an excellent sword fighter. Together, they end up on a journey to rescue William's sister from a terrible, cruel husband.

My one complaint is that I much preferred the first-written epilogue to the one that is now attached at the end of the story. The ‘current' epilogue ends everything on a very sad note, while the original epilogue had a little shining piece of hope in it. That's the only reason I docked this a star.