Devil's Dominion: A Medieval Romance (Battle Lords of de Velt Book 3)

This is a very good book regarding understanding forgiveness, n love. Yes, I do believe people can change.Great author!

Out of Ms. Kathryn Le Veque’s novels this one is very dark and gritty with a lot of death, anguish, tones of revenge, vengeance and a truly twisted almost evil hero Bretton. I had a really tough time liking him and wondering if the guy even had a heart. The poor guy was filled with so much vengeance and revenge that I was beginning to wonder is this really a romance? How is this story a romance when there is so much death, hatred, revenge and vengeance? The story seemed to discuss that more than a connection between Bretton and Allaston than an actual romance. Bretton just didn’t make me fall for him at first as a truly swoon-worthy, chivalrous hero; the cruel manner, behavior towards especially Allaston I mean come on he almost rapes her and the total disregard of others even his long-lost family I mean how were they supposed to know that he was actually alive? I would have believed the same thing?The story starts out brutally with Jax de Velt destroying everything in Bretton’s world killing and destroying his village and castle when Bretton the hero is just five years old. Twenty-five years later Bretton is all grown-up an evil man on a path to destroy everything including Alberbury Priory where Allaston Jax de Velt’s beautiful daughter is a novice nun. Bretton takes her to lure Jax de Velt to him to hit Jax where it hurts him the most his heart his daughter Allaston, so revenge and vengeance on Jax is what Bretton has planned. Can Allaston stop him before it’s too late? Can Bretton find it in his heart to forgive and forget what happened to him so long ago? Does Bretton even have a heart to fall in love? Will Bretton call Jax who has lived peacefully for the last twenty-five years will this bring forth the former dark lord? The story let me tell you kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen. Plus, there is small traces of hope and redemption intermingled sprinkled throughout which is hard to believe in the story even though it took a while to find it but it is there.I just really struggled with this story and it’s rating between a three and a four star just left me at odds. My mind was just so confused at times between characters that were related to each other, plot points and twists in the story made it hard to analyze everything about this book maybe because of its gloomy, tragic overtones. What did it for me? What made me go with the rating of four stars? Well okay the story is very good probably pretty more true to life than I was anticipating. I hate to admit it but I had to look at the time period this happens in this is war not between nations but a internal war on a poor man who was just a frightened terrorized five year old boy and part of his make-up. Bretton did have a certain dark gothic appeal to him though bringing to mind some parts of Vlad the Impaler, Caligula or even Genghis Khan despite how psychologically sick those people are others still followed, loved, worshipped and feared them too. I guess a small part of me was thinking he was going to drink the blood of these poor people or something. Allaston was just amazing as a heroine at her heart is love and forgiveness which I just admired about her and was possibly her strongest trait despite her father’s past cruelty. Her father Ajax de Velt is also very similar to Bretton before she was born his destruction of villages, castles, families and people were eerily similar to Bretton. Well everything that Bretton did followed the same pattern as Jax de Velt. In true Le Veque fashion Ms. Le Veque brought back some much loved characters from her previous books from Christopher de Lohr from rise of the defender also a source of good; playing a mediator and later surprising ally of Jax which I didn’t have a hard time seeing in the great Christopher de Lohr. To Rod de Titouan who was in spectre of the sword. Jax de Velt from the dark lord and lastly to Keller de Poyer who shows up later in the book and from the recent book netherworld. I did laugh at one of the things he said and Rod’s eternal optimism. He was my favorite out of the book. I seriously just loved him and wanted things to turn out well for him to find a beautiful heroine too. Ms. Le Veque knows how to turn an otherwise dark calamitous novel into a romance with her masterful story-telling. Despite the somber dreadful tones of this book I would recommend it but warn my friends that if they want a happy-go lucky fairy tale type of medieval romance to read this isn’t it and to read something else. Ms. Veque is not that type of author nor does she write stuff like this but she is still wonderful in describing medieval historic anguishing events and fantastic characters whether they be major or minor it’s really worth it and I am still a fan of hers despite how I feel after reading her books. I will get more of her works.

This story portrays a very dark time in History when war was rampant and very little to no mercy was ever shown...there were no rules in warfare. I appreciate this Author not mincing words or sugarcoating history, as dark as it was. I liked how Ms. Le Veque superbly combined a few true historical facts with her fictious portrayal. Her aggressive approach made this story true to life - - a story about hardened, seasoned, emotionally dead mercenaries. Bretton de Llion is such a man, void of human emotion and determined to successfully conquer parts of England and Wales. He's emulating the most powerful mercenary Warlord in Englands' history...Ajax de Velt. Bretton de Llion has a vendetta to appease. He is a mercenary challenging Lucifer... Ajax de Velt... The Dark Lord himself. A Warlord still feared by all of England after 25 years...a Warlord who once existed..who is now a peaceful man who is being forced to rise again and defend his family...because Bretton de Llion has kidnapped The Dark Lord's eldest daughter.Bretton de Llion is a massive, fierce giant of a man well over 6' tall...a man of enormous proportions with his shocking blue eyes and black hair cropped short. He has tremendously monstrous shoulders and arms. With fists the size of a mans head... he is built for the raw, brutalities of warfare. His mere rough presence is fearsome and powerful. He's an immense, brutal menace and he's following the path of Jax de Velt, The Dark Lord...imitating his every move of 25 years ago. He's heartless, cold and evil...driven by revenge for the brutal deaths of his family when he was a very small child. Murder's he's never forgotten...and now, 25 years later, he's become a deadly mercenary with a massive army with one goal in mind - - to destroy the Dark Lord...the warlord who murdered his family. Bretton isolates himself with the pain of his loss and loneliness. He feeds on war. He's a complex, intelligent and skilled warlord. A killer driven by a horror from his childhood. A horror that both feeds and destroys his soulShe has a stubborn flame of strength that burns brightly within the depths of her soul. She is gracious, well-spoken and highly intelligent....and she has chosen to give her life to God..to become a nun. With her long black hair that falls to her knees, her alabaster skin and bright pale green eyes...19 year old Lady Allaston Eugenia Coleby de Velt is a beautiful young woman of spectacular proportions. She is fiercely loyal, educated and very brave. Allaston is a powerfully strong, determined woman in all her kindness and wisdom. She's a novice nun who is now a kidnapped prisoner of Bretton de Llion. And she uses her wisdom to gain control over her captors. Let the deadly games begin...I loved this story with it's deep tacit message of love, hate and healing. I loved the overwhelming strength of Bretton and the war machine that he is... and the intelligence (and vision) of Lady Allaston to see more in this brutal Warlord. I absolutely loved her strength and determination. Brettons' vengeance is a result of a horrific injustice in his young life....one that has brought continual sadness and loneliness...a nightmare perpetuated against him by Allstons' father....Jax de Velt. This is a story of a severely abused and damaged man who is shown compassion, understanding and kindness for the very first time in his life.....and he's dumbfounded with how to respond to such kindness he's never known. It confuses him. In spite of his evil deeds, one person manages to break through to him and give him a glimpse of what he'd been missing. Alaston becomes his way to salvation...his healing balm. She becomes his first and only glimpse of heaven.I absolutely loved this dramatic plot of war, intrigue and suspense. Ms. Le Veque painstakingly draws the readers into this brutal plot and leads them, inch by wonderful slow inch, through each step and phase of the progression of their love for each other...as well as through the acts of War. It was like coming home to a family reunion...reading more about Jax de Velt, Sir Christopher de Lohr, Sir Keller de Poyer & their children/grandchildren, etc. FABulous!! Ms. Le Veque never rushes and because of her talented capabilities..because of her expert writing, the reader has no choice but to feel connected as one with the main characters...there is no other alternative than to fall into the brutal emotional turmoil facing Bretton and Allaston. The journey is hard as the attrocities of war is not easy to read about.

love the book

Good read but I found the repetitive nature of some of the storyline annoying so started skipping lines, not a good sign. Set in Medieval times with lots of blood and gore. He is out for revenge and she is the daughter he has captured to lure her father to his fate. In my opinion not as good as the first book.

I initially read this as part of the Le Veque book called "Medieval Masters of Darkness". To really appreciate this story, you really need to read "The Dark Lord" first. These are interesting and engaging stories to read with "anti heroes", men we are not supposed to like because they truly do some terrible things. Of course, as the story progress' especially in this one, one could argue that our anti hero is a victim himself and therefore should be excused for his behaviour. Although we like the heroines in these stories, it is hard to appreciate the HEA on offer; can one ever reconcile with the horrors committed by Bretton? This is the problem faced by each reader and is why Ms Le Veque is a great writer; she takes us out of our comfort zones.

Wow this is one book that really is quite cruel. It’s a very dark novel but true to Kathryn’s writing ability it’s very well written. It’s about a lost soul that finally finds his true place, and along with it love and peace.

Enjoyed it immensly