OVERVIEW
1906
After a summer of successful pirate-treasure hunting, Lady Emily Scofield and her friends must hide the unprecedented discoveries they’ve made, thanks to the betrayal of her own family. Horrified by her brother, who will stop at nothing to prove himself to their greedy father, Emily is forced to take a stand against her family–even if it means being cut off entirely.
Bram Sinclair, Earl of Telford, is fascinated with tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table–an interest he’s kept mostly hidden for the last decade. But when a diary is unearthed on the islands that could lead to a secret artifact, Bram is the only one able to piece the legends together.
As Bram and Emily seek out the whereabouts of the hidden artifact, they must dodge her family and a team of archaeologists. In a race against time, it is up to them to decide what makes a hero worthy of legend. Is it fighting valiantly to claim the treasure . . . or sacrificing everything in the name of selfless love?
MY REVIEW
Disclaimer: Although I received a copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions below are my own.
Reading the third book in a trilogy can often be a difficult prospect. On the one hand, you’re looking forward to resolving the storyline; it’s the goal you’ve been seeking since you started on page one of the first book. On the other hand, however, it means saying goodbye to characters you’ve come to know over the hundreds of pages since.
Here we are now, at the end of Secrets of the Isles trilogy by Roseanna M White. Set over the course of one summer of the Isles of Scilly off southwestern England, readers have met a strong collection of characters from locals to “incomers.” Character diversity is a strength of White’s; she never features only people from the upper or lower classes but a good mix of both. Although the focus in Worthy of Legend is primarily on Bram and Emily there’s a secondary pairing of Emily’s lady’s maid and a local lad, and a much more serious story to be told. Despite a liking for most of the characters featured in the trilogy, however, I could’ve done with a cast list. These three books were released over an 18-month span, and I read a lot of other books during that time!
The King Arthur connection wasn’t one I’d expected: had I missed any mention of it in prior books? Because of the references to 17th century piracy, I had thought the physical treasure would be connected to that somehow. Given the geographical setting it probably shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise, however, and I hadn’t known of the connection between the archipelago and the myths until reading this novel. I don’t actually know much about King Arthur and his Round Table, so I don’t know how much came either from established legends or the author’s imagination. The conclusion, involving this aspect of the plot, however, seemed fitting.
Would it be a spoiler if I told you there were happy endings involved? Probably not. After all, when it comes to fictional romances it’s usually not the ending but the journey that’s important. Suffice it to say, Emily learns what it means to love without boundary or expectation and Bram is there to guide her along.
RATING
BOOK INFORMATION
Publisher: Bethany House (a division of Baker Publishing)
Publication Date: 13 September 2022
Roseanna M White
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.
McCombs on Main 