Official Review: Amulet's Rapture by Linnea Tanner

LV2R · Post by **LV2R** » 11 Nov 2019, 07:18

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Amulet's Rapture" by Linnea Tanner.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Amulet’s Rapture: Book 3 in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings Series by Linnea Tanner is a historical romance fiction story that continues and centers on the romance of Marcellus Antonius, a Roman soldier, and Catrin, a Cantiaci Druid warrior. After the two had married, Marcellus’ memory of his time in Britannia was lost, and he went back to Rome with his father, Lucius. Catrin was captured and taken to Gaul by Decimus Flavius who made her be his servant. He had her trained in the skills of a gladiator and hoped she would get a clear message for him from Apollo concerning Britannia. Thus, book three begins with the enslaved and tortured life of Catrin.

When Marcellus returns to Rome, he tries to pick up where he left off of his affair with Eliana. Afterward, he tries to end the affair, but Eliana’s husband finds out. Marcellus is sent to Gaul to train and serve in the Roman legion as a sort of punishment. While Marcellus is in Gaul, he meets Decimus’ servant boy, Vibius, who has his Apollo amulet. Will Marcellus find out who Vibius is? Will Catrin still love Marcellus? How will the two be together again? Catrin is the key to breaking Rhan’s curse on her father’s kingdom. Will she rise up like a mighty raven and be the warrior she has been trained to be? These questions will drive the reader to keep reading to the end.

I best liked that Catrin was the central character. She was able to endure a lot of physical and emotional suffering. She trained with men and kept up well with the rigorous training that Priscus put the soldiers through. She used her abilities to shapeshift into a raven at important times. She was fearless. I least liked the humiliating acts that were done to her physically. Though she was protected from being raped, she was abused by Decimus and Priscus.

I liked that there was a summary of previous books at the beginning of the book. This helped readers to remember (or to know) about what had happened in the first two books. Though this could be a stand-alone book, it would be better to read the first two books in the series before reading this third book. Many of the characters were from the previous two books. There was a helpful list of characters in the back of the book for reference.

The story’s settings were in Britannia, Rome, and Gaul, though most of the story centered in Gaul. The main characters were Catrin, Marcellus, Arius, and Decimus along with many secondary characters from the previous books. Some of the new characters were Rufus, a slave trader; Priscus, a previous gladiator, who trained soldiers; Verus, a gladiator trainer; and Negasi, captured and sold as a gladiator. Out of all the new characters, I liked Negasi the best because he was once a guard to a powerful Ethiopian king, called the Black Sphinx, and became Catrin’s friend during her time as a gladiatrix (female gladiator). My least favorite character was Marrock, Catrin’s half-brother, because of the despicable and evil acts he did.

I rate Amulet’s Rapture by Linnea Tanner 4 out of 4 stars. The book was written and edited well, as I found only three errors. Descriptions of the environments and people were done well. The story was easy to follow. There were some sexual scenes and profanity that may not be appropriate for young teens and children to read this book. If you are a fan of the first two books in the series, you will want to read this book. People who like romances with some historical times of the Romans and Celtics would like this book the best. People who do not like reading about Roman gods and Druids would like this book the least, as it has several mentions of appealing to the gods.

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Amulet's Rapture
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Cristina Chifane · Post by **Cristina Chifane** » 12 Nov 2019, 05:29

Great news! I've read and reviewed the first two books in the series, so I'm already familiar with Catrin and Marcellus's forbidden love story. I'm sure Linnea Tanner did a wonderful job again. I can't wait to read about the protagonists' adventures in Rome and Gaul. Thanks for your review!

Laura Ungureanu · Post by **Laura Ungureanu** » 12 Nov 2019, 09:57

It's nice that the summary of the previous books is included. I like that a female warrior is the centre of this book. Thank you for the detailed review!

Meg98 · Post by **Meg98** » 12 Nov 2019, 10:07

I like the premise of this one. I’m tempted to read the whole series! Thanks for this great review.

kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 19 Nov 2019, 19:26

Thanks for this excellent review of book three in the series. I have read the first two books and look forward to getting this one to keep following the saga of Marcellus and Catrin. Linnea Tanner is an amazing writer and enriches the story with her knowledge and research. Thanks for the heads up on this book!

Maríe Wamakima · Post by **Maríe Wamakima** » 21 Nov 2019, 09:41

Whoa! The plot just got thick! As always the author Linnea Tanner has done a great job. I can't wait to read more of her books. I also quite enjoyed your review. You highlighted the main characters in the novel as well as their roles.

gali · Post by **gali** » 27 Nov 2019, 06:06

The third book in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings Series continuing the adventures of Catrin, the warrior Druid princess, and Marcellus sounds like a good addition to the series. It is good that the author recapped previous books and that the story was easy to follow. That the book as well-edited is another plus. Thank you for the review!

anitamills293 · Post by **anitamills293** » 27 Nov 2019, 06:17

It sounds great also for people that didn't read the previous book. It's also interesting me the plot. maybe I'll read this series.

Ivana Komel · Post by **Ivana Komel** » 27 Nov 2019, 06:55

It is very good that the book main character is female and that the first two works were summarized in the beginning. Congratulations for a very informative review.

Stephanie Elizabeth · Post by **Stephanie Elizabeth** » 27 Nov 2019, 07:06

A story of forbidden love that takes place in historical times. It sounds like Catrin must endure a lot of adversity and a life that involves being a tortured servant sounds awful. While I am not really a fan of historical fiction, it does sound like an exciting love story. Thanks for the wonderful review!

missfrombliss · Post by **missfrombliss** » 27 Nov 2019, 07:13

I like a good action romance book. And that is set in Roman times is a big plus. Thanks for the review!

Nizar Ali Shah · Post by **Nizar Ali Shah** » 27 Nov 2019, 07:19

This is an interesting historical fantasy novel on war, love, faith, trust and the Roman politics.Mostly readers are familiar with Catrin and Marcellus' s forbidden love story.

María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda · 27 Nov 2019, 07:28

I love in this whole series how strong and well-developed the female characters are. Even the evil ones are not presented in a two-dimensional or stereotypical way.
It's very considerate of the author to include a summary and make the reading easier.
I'm already invested in this story, so I'll be reading this book for sure.
Great review, thanks!

Scerakor · Post by **Scerakor** » 27 Nov 2019, 07:41

For those that are fans of historical fiction romances in the times of the Romans and Celtics, you may be interested in this one. This is especially so if you enjoyed the first two in the series!

OllyM · Post by **OllyM** » 27 Nov 2019, 07:47

It seems to be a very interesting novel. Romance fiction coupled with historical knowledge and sentiment will be a great read for me and others who enjoy such.