A Sorceress of His Own by Dianne Duvall

Series: The Gifted Ones*

Release Date: June 2, 2015

Format: Kindle

Rating: 5/5 stars

*Each novel in the series are Standalone

If you love historical romances, you’ll love A Sorceress of His Own! I admit the plot wasn’t what I was expecting. But the way Duvall creates such a vivid historical world, and such fleshed-out characters, held my complete attention.

I know a significant complaint from most historical romance readers is that modern-day English is used. However, Duvall takes care to straddle the line. The phrases used by the characters are historical. Still, Duvall also ensures this doesn’t detract from the readability because, as anyone who’s read Wuthering Heights knows, written accents can be a doozy.

A Sorceress of His Own is a romance. While there is a suspenseful plot to drive the story forward, Duvall focuses most of her attention on the budding romance between her two main characters: Alyssa and Lord Dillon. Alyssa has been in the employ of Lord Dillon as his Wise Woman – or Sorceress as his People call her. (What impressed me about Alyssa was how she took up the mantle of Wise Woman at 16 from her grandmother. She was advising Lord Dillon in political and battle strategy at 16!) Alyssa hides her face under a dark cowl and maintains a guise that she’s an old woman (impersonating her grandmother) to:

1. Protect herself from the superstitions the People have about her healing gifts (that they’re a gift from the Devil); and
2. It was a condition of her Grandmother’s, as she feared what would happen if the Lord were to know Alyssa – who’s in love with him – was a young girl of marriageable age (her fear being that Alyssa would give up her life to save the man she loves).

Despite her family’s precautions, the future they feared comes to pass – Dillon is mortally wounded, and the only way to save him is for Alyssa to trade her life for his. In the process, Dillon learns of his Wise Woman’s deceit: that the woman who possesses everything he wanted in a wife except for youth is actually 23!

Dillon is a complex character in that he’s a strict ruler who cares deeply for his people but is removed from them due to his fearsome reputation on the battlefield (he becomes a berserker in a bloodlust/rage). His formidable reputation results in very few close friends (some knights and his younger brother, Robert) and with no women (that are his type) willing to marry him. His deepest secret is that he yearns for the emotional closeness he imagines marriage would inspire – he desperately wants that softness in his life (note that this is a historical romance). Discovering the Wise Woman, who has been his closest advisor for the past seven years, is a young woman is a shock but yields a disconcerting dichotomy of betrayal and hope. Now that he knows the truth, both he and Alyssa have to overcome their preconceived notions and insecurities to stay together.

The main point of tension in A Sorceress of His Own is that Alyssa is a servant and is therefore not in the proper class to marry a lord. Having been Dillon’s advisor for the past seven years, Alyssa knows that, politically speaking, he must have a Lady for a wife. Which is heart-wrenching even if it is the reality. However, Dillon is unwilling to let Alyssa go; he’s convinced they’re perfect for each other. This back and forth concerning their future lasted until almost the end of the novel. It got a bit tedious since I wanted Alyssa to fight for her relationship!

Alyssa’s character is an interesting contradiction. Her persona (or should I say characterization) and mannerisms define her as a lovely, kind, beautiful young woman – almost a Mary Sue. However, her position as Wise Woman and how she is treated by the People has rendered her quite pessimistic (or maybe realistic?) about her reality – primarily her non-future with Dillon. She’s quite clever politically and understands battle strategy, having accompanied Dillon into battle before. So, while she’s stereotypically soft and sweet, there’s subtle steel to her character, making her all the more captivating to read.

A favourite component of A Sorceress of His Own was the camaraderie between the main characters and Dillon’s younger brother, Robert. I also really appreciated how Duvall both “told” and “showed” how Alyssa was ridiculed by the People – and how no one except Dillon was exempt from blame. Even Robert had much to apologize for after realizing the error of his ways.

I love A Sorceress of His Own – I’ve read it multiple times, and I feel it’s a classic go-to when I’m in the mood for a historical romance.

Buy A Sorceress of His Own

*These buttons contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclaimer here.