"The Unveiling" by Tamara Leigh

Stories set in the twelfth century are not my usual selections. I recently had the chance to review some of Tamara Leigh's contemporary books, but in researching the author became much more interested in her medieval tales instead. I found out she used to write them for the general market before switching to Christian fiction, which added a level of intrigue for this reader.

"The Unveiling" is the story of Annyn, a young woman grieving the loss of her only brother. When his body was returning from the castle where he had been training, they told Annyn that he had died with honor. But one look at his neck reveals the rope burns that signal his death had been a murder covered up. Determined to avenge him, and having always been allowed to run a little wild, Annyn assumes a male identity and infiltrates Wulfen Castle with the intent of killing the man she believes responsible for her brother's death.

A strong background plot point is the political state of England while King Stephen reigned. He was not the legitimate heir, and eventually the man who was invaded the country and began building an alliance to force Stephen to turn the kingdom over to him. (Thanks to Wikipedia for further information on this struggle.) Annyn and her family support Duke Henry, while the leaders at Wulfen are sworn to Stephen, taking the suspense up a notch as Annyn must not only guard against her body betraying her, but also her political loyalties.

Annyn gains a foothold in the castle and watches for an opportunity to kill Wulfrith. But as usual, things are not what they appear. When her plans go awry and she is unveiled as a woman, a chain of events is set in motion that will change everything for Annyn and possibly hold sway over who will become England's next king. That storyline is clearly meant to continue into the sequel of this novel.

I enjoyed this book for what it was. I thought it was better than the last book I read in which a girl masqueraded as a guy. However, I had some strong objections to the way things of a moral nature were handled. There was a lot more immorality than is ever necessary, and details given about things with the intent of shocking present-day readers. I know some authors complain about what isn't allowed in Christian writing, but here's a case where I'm complaining about what was allowed in this one. Therefore I wouldn't recommend this to younger readers and give this caution to anyone else looking to add a new title to their To Be Read list. However, if medieval lit is your thing, this is an option that will hold your attention and have you rooting for the truth to be unveiled in all areas.