I loved EVERYTHING about this book. She was perfectly feisty and intent to live her own life. He is trying not to let his past get the best of him. The relationship between the two was fantastic!. I loved every moment and want to read the rest of the books.

When I discovered Lord of the Mountains I was blown away by Ms. Jarema;'s voice. Rorik was one of my favorite characters in the series and I waited with bated breath for his story. Perhaps I built this up so high that Rorik's story was bound to fall short of my expectations.Rorik travels the coasts of England, Ireland and Europe with his fleet trading and warring as necessary. When a raid off the coast of England leaves his personal vessel destroyed he returns to seek vengeance but instead nets himself as a prisoner none other than the Earl's daughter herself.
As it turns out Elfwynn is a bastard acknowledged by her father but living with her mother in the near by village weaving and embroidering to make her living.  Her sojourn in the forest near her home gets her captured the Vikings and then to add insult to injury her father refuses to pay her ransom.  Abandoned she seeks help from the nearby Danish town where the church pays the
Elfwynn's skill at weaving and embroidery quickly make her friends amongst the women of the village even as she and Rorik both fight their attraction to each other. As it turns out Rorik is in the process of consolidating his power and cementing alliances but Elfwynn's attempts to escape him lead her brave Rorik's wrath. It is so much fun to see the women banding together and disrupting Rorik's well run household in support of Elfwynn. Rorik is so clueless about what is going on and how much his people love Elfwynn and would be happy to have him take her to wife even as he resists in his attempt to find a Norwegian woman who would be acceptable to them.
Their story plays out amongst sea battles and domestic doings  with the author painting a very authentic picture of life during those times.

He stood with the other men, glittering with the gold jewelry he’d had her polish, and wearing the fine clothing she’d cleaned and laid out for him. He’d washed with the water she’d drawn and would sit down to a meal she’d serve him.

Yet here she was, watching him. And she would fall under his spell a little more, like so many other women had.

She’d thought to hate him, and perhaps she did. Her mother had once said she hated Edward for being so handsome, and desirable, and unattainable. Yet, she’d also said she loved him. The two weren’t so different when love went unanswered. Perhaps she was more like her mother than she realized.

Her mother might have pined her life away, but she wouldn’t. She’d keep fighting and weaving until she was free of Rorik forever. They said the Norns, as well as the Valkyries, wove men’s fates in their magical looms. Her loom wasn’t magical and she was no Valkyrie, so let them tangle the destinies of men in the threads of the wyrd.

She would weave her own fate.

Elfwynn is the bastard daughter of a Northumbrian Lord. Her father has shown her in every way he can that he loves her – even acknowledging her birth which will give her a third of his estate should he die. His wife is a complete bitch and hates Elfwynn because she wants her two kids to inherit everything and wants Elfwynn to get nothing.

Elfwynn’s father, Edward, is almost attacked by Rorik but tried to talk with him and make a deal/payment rather than be raided. In the midst of their talks one of Rorik’s ships is set on fire. As repayment for burning his ship Rorik seeks to get payment by kidnapping one of Edward’s daughters. Rorik takes Elfwynn but when a ransom demand is sent, the reply comes back that she’s a bastard and not worth Edward paying for her. Elfwynn is devastated at the betrayal and Rorik is a bit shocked. He has no choice but to take her with him when his crew returns home. Elfwynn tells Rorik that the Northumbrian churches pay for hostages and that he should take her to a town where that could happen. He plans to, but he needs to get home first to deal with things there.

Elfwynn is treated as a guest in Vargfjell, Rorik’s home. The people are nicer to her there than they are at home and as much as she wants to go home she actually likes it there. She is surprised that all of the stories that she heard of the Norse were almost all wrong.

Rorik is both frustrated by and attracted to Elfwynn and her smart mouth. He finds peace in her presence but knows that he can’t keep her forever. He is not a man to settle down anyway so that thought should be ridiculous, right? Of course, as they spend more time in each other’s company they start to have stronger feelings for each other and fall in love. Elfwynn still wants to go home, however, and Rorik’s not sure how to take that. With their people fighting each other and their different religious beliefs could they ever be together?

When I read books one and two in the Viking Lords series I didn’t care for Rorik all that much. He seemed like an ok guy but when they talked of his raiding and his many women he seemed like a bit of a bastard. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book and I can say I was pleasantly surprised.

Rorik is a guy who isn’t a king or a jarl but acts the part. He doesn’t want a title – he just takes care of his people with his wealth. He thinks he doesn’t want the responsibility because his father abused his power before he died. He has temper issues and knows that he could never have just one woman as he might pass on his temper as well as his father’s craziness. Elfwynn helps him see that his father was just a bastard and Rorik’s anger at it all was situational – not genetic. This helps Rorik deal with his issues and makes him see his future in a whole new light. I loved that Elfwynn could be the one that shined the light on his past. He needed that and because it was her it brought the two closer together.

Elfwynn was a great character. I loved her strength and perseverance with both her mother/father issues and her dealings with Rorik. She wasn’t about to be bossed around by him and I loved that she stood up to him time and time again. She was tough while still being soft and feminine and it was a great combination.

The series so far has been great and I’m happy to say that I really liked Rorik by the end of this book – shocker! Lol If you like books about Vikings this is a great series to read.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This will post as a guest review on Book Binge.
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Rorik of Verafjeir is a norseman and very high ranking. He wants recompense for his ship that was burned. Elfwynn, the daughter of Lord Edward, ends up being his ransom. He takes her to his home
but treats her very well.
In this story there are battles, several actually, a gathering of many ships and you meet his allies and family. The land around his home sounds wonderful, the smell of the sea and the way it looks in the moonlight, the grandeur of the ships all go into making this an astounding tale. The people are generous and kind, and are willing to help her. I loved the fact that she helped them and gave of herself to the people of the North. The author did an amazing job writing, it is an easy read and keeps you mesmerized thru out the book. I could not put it down. I found it funny and sad but the love that developed was inspiring.
I received a copy from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed.

Lord of the Seas provides historical insight into the life and wars of the Vikings while weaving in love between Elfwynn, a Christian and bastard daughter of an earl, and Rorik, jarl to his people. Rorik had intended to ransom Elfwynn for the loss of his ship and death of two of his men, but took her with him when her father would not pay the ransom. Early in the book you learn Elfwynn’s kidnapping was planned by her father’s wife in order to get rid of her. There is a lot of manipulation and jealousy on the part of her father’s wife.

Elfwynn believes her father has forsaken her as her world crumbles around her. She is worried about her mother and the effect her loss will have upon her own mother. One of the underlying themes of Lord of the Seas is Elfwynn will not allow to happen to herself what happened between her mother and father. She does not want to be with a man who will not be faithful. As a Viking, Rorik is open about his women.

Rorik is a proud man and wants revenge for Elfwynn’s father’s burning of his ship. He is going to get it any way he can through her. Yet, he truly has a good heart and treats women well, from his point of view. Rorik makes sure she stays a maiden to keep her value high in order to gain his revenge. He has a group of women from whom he chooses when he is at his home for the night. As a Christian, this bothers Elfwynn a lot. Ms. Jerema handles this part of Viking history with taste.

Elfwynn begins to gain the respect of the villagers during her captivity. Rorik may have told her she was a ‘guest,’ but she was not allowed to leave and even prevented from escaping when she tried. I loved the little private war that went on between Elfwynn and Rorik. It seemed to show an interesting aspect of each of their personalities through their approach to each other.

Without her having any way of know it, Elfwynn’s father and brother are heart broken at her loss and truly do not give up hope of her return. They know something is not right about her being gone, but are not sure what happened to her.

This is a really good addition to the Viking series. Ms. Jerema brings back her previous characters and introduces new ones. This is not really what I would call lighthearted reading, but neither is it too serious, it is just enjoyable.

Enjoyable read, Rorik in the beginning was typical Viking alpha male, but as the book progressed his character began to gain unexpected dimensions and I ended up really liking the character. Elfwynn ( didn't like the name) was a sweetheart, bit hotheaded at times but it just made you love her all the more.

My apologies, I hadn't realized this was part of a series.

Once again Sabrina Jarema combines history and romance into an amazing read! She creates both characters and worlds with depth and historical details!

Wonderfully written voyage into Viking history! At first upon seeing the glossary I figured I would have difficulty understanding the language but surprisingly found it easy as it flowed naturally as the story unfolds. But this was no simple read. The story was complex in its many facets of intrigue, devious manipulations, and the mysteries of love.

He's unnaturally attached to a boat.

Ew. Not only is Rowena's mother evil, but she's cheating on her husband with a repugnant weasel.

If people you trust are acting fishy all of a sudden, don't go with them!

I'm learning a lot.

If everyone in Scotland had a sgian dubh, she can certainly carry a knife.

What an interesting custom! Kaia could probably beat these two up with one hand behind her back, but she is honoring her brother as Jarl.

What did they use for soap?

He went to Church and had a complete personality change, apparently.

Why is he kissing up to a slave trader?

Men are crazy.

It seems like a lot of trouble to go to just to make sure your crush sticks around.

Chapter 11, also known as The Women Get Their Revenge.

She's pulling pranks, he's wooing her with gifts.

Well played, Rorik. Orri doesn't know what hit him.

Can she read and write? Maybe a letter can be sent to her mother.

That's the Viking version of "pot calling the kettle black".

Only Ellisif would recognize a pair of ravens.

It sounds like his father had PTSD.

Cockblocked by her brother. The jarl is not all-powerful, now is he.

Truth will out. Always, Mildburg.

It's so cool learning about their customs.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel was a great read and I could not put this book down!! I enjoyed the plot and the characters. It brings together the believers of the Norse Gods and Christians. Each had different beliefs and had their own petty fights due to those conflicts. This novel also contains romance, action, adventure, trust, and betrayal, and so much more!!
Elfwynn is a bastard born child of a lord, who loves her mother but cannot marry her. She has 2 half-siblings from her father's wife, who hates her and her mother with a passion. However, she cares for people and her brother Wulf adores her despite his mother's hatred.
Rorik of Vargjfell is a master at pillaging and a ladies man. However, he has a troubled past that has shaped him into the man he is and has control over his rages. When the Earl of Redbank burns down and kills 2 of his men, Rorik demands retribution from the earl. He decides he will kidnap one of the earls daughters as ransom.
Elfwynn is captured by Rorik and her father will not pay her ransom. Rorik has other reason for keeping Elfwynn with him. Elfwynn is hurt by her father's rejection of her. However, nothing is as it seems.
Elfwynn is surprised at how well she is treated at Vargjfell, nothing about the stories she has been told. She still plans to return home. She meets many people and they accept her, unlike her own village. Rorik promises to get the ransom from the church and then she will be free. Elfwynn does not give into Rorik, who has never had to work for a woman, but she intrigues him. Elfwynn does want to become on his women. Rorik cares about what happens to her and she causes him to think about his current life style, but he cares more about his reputation as a leader to his warriors and people and his ships. As they spend more time together, feeling between them grow, but Rorik is afraid to let anyone close due to his past. Elfwynn wants to return to her mother and tries to escape but Rorik cannot let her go and does not understand why. He becomes jealous about how other men see Elfwynn. They agree that Elfwynn will weave a sail for his ship as payment. Rorik has an ulterior motive for keeping her, hoping she will want to stay. Feelings become relevant between them, but both are afraid to let their hearts become engaged with the other. Still, nothing is as it seems and truths are revealed when Wulf finds Elfwynn. Will she return home or stay with Rorik? Can Rorik let the woman he loves go? Read this novel and find out!!