I love Jeff Wheeler's novels, the Kingfountain novels in particular, and this is another wonderful installment of the First Argentines series. What a great series of books for young (and old) readers. As always, there are strong young heroes and heroines, who are loyal and true as they do their best to do the right thing for their families and for their country. There are knights and villains, good and evil - and that perfect touch of magic, just to make things even more fun. And being even loosely based on real people and events makes it even more interesting to me. For some reason, this one did start a little slowly for me, but I wound up liking it even more than book 2. These books are easy reads, but tell great stories, and have such great themes. Many thanks to NetGalley and 47 North for the e-arc. A solid 4 stars! I am already looking forward to Book 4, the finale of this series.

Solid. Not exceptional, but certainly solid. Jeff Wheeler continues to surprise, from the title on - I was, I admit, hoping that this book would focus on a particular lady, not Claire. In that I was disappointed. Claire herself is better fleshed out, her journal entries lacking the weaknesses I noted in the first books. Still, in spite of the title, this is not a book about her - nor a ransom for her.

There are new elements to the magic in the Kingfountain world, new items of power whose mention (if any) I somehow glossed over in prior works (I've read them all). In the current novel, they seem more McGuffins, introduced and then removed to move the plot along without significant foreshadowing, nor much consequence upon their removal. That weakness is the cause of my three star review.

Character arcs are believable, credible, compelling - its for those that I read the books, and in them I am well pleased. I will of course continue with the series, and wait (impatiently) as Mr. Wheeler continues to weave ties between his various worlds.

This was an excellent installment to the the First Argentine Series. Ransom is such a strong lead character who is morally bound to his duty to his kingdom, his wife and family, and the beliefs that drive him. Ransom has faced many trials throughout this series but his relationship with Claire is tested in this book. We are woven into the strain on their relationship that many couples would face in the circumstances of war. The character development and the suspense of impeding conflicts had me flipping through pages as quickly as possible. My only minor critique is that I feel Ransom was being pulled to all ends of the world in this book (vs the main plot staying near or further developing all of the characters we want to hear about). I truly care about all of the characters in this series. I cry, I laugh, I sympathize.. I just connect with all of them in general.

Small revelations in this book have led me to believe there may be some character connections within the original kingfountain series? I hope this will be further developed in the next book. Regardless can’t wait to read it!!!

Lady's Ransom continues to highlight why Jeff Wheeler is one of the better writers in historic fantasy currently working - his characters grow throughout the story, he injects just enough fantasy into his worldbuilding to catch the eye, and his draws from history ground the story in realism while allowing for wonder. I've found myself emotionally invested in the growth of Ransom (and his family), and rejoice in their triumphs while feeling their loses keenly - this level of investment doesn't happen often, and shows me how much I enjoy Wheeler's work. This is definitely one of the better historical fantasy series, and I can easily see myself keeping a set by the King Arthur and Robin Hood books to read to my children as they grow up.

4.5 stars

Another excellent entry in the series. Poor Ransom barely gets to sit down to eat before he's got someone telling him there's another proverbial dinner party he needs to attend. He does get some modicum of happiness, which I'm glad for. I'm also glad James pulled his head out of his ass, but my eyes are narrowed in the direction of the next book. I cannot trust the man, though I do love a good redemption. Speaking of redemption, the ending was slightly dismaying. I really hope it isn't true. Lord, don't saddle us with *see spoiler on my goodreads review, I don't know if it will post here properly, and I don't want to ruin it for anyone* For this reason, I kind of dread the next book, and I sort of don't want to read it. This character, I do not want redeemed. The only way I will be happy is if he is killed off in some humiliating way like the little bitch deserves.

Lady's Ransom by J. Wheeler, published by 47 North, is the third installment in The First Argentines Books. I strongly recommend to read the books in order - they're all in KU. The previous books are Knight's Ransom and Warrior's Ransom.

Ransom Barton and his wife Claire arrived in Legault to reclaim Claire's birthright and to rebuild the palace to its old glory. Ransom is pretty quick tested in his loyality and a conspiracy threatens the couple. Ransom is torn. He's a character I had an insta-connection with, a good man, good husband and father, good knight and honorable kingsman.
This unputdownable pageturner is the next installment set in the Kingfountain World and I was very excited to dive back in this story, in tghis world. An unique story, a story like no other, full of drama, action and intrigue, fast paced from start till the last page.
The story continues in the next installment, Fate's Warrior. An outstanding 5 star read.

4.5/5.0

Another fine installment in one of the most lush, creative and addicting fantasy series today! Ransom is quickly becoming my all-time favorite hero. He embodies all that is honorable, loyal and good while still portraying a flawed and sometimes conflicted man. In this story, we get a very up-close and personal look at the hardships, heartaches and challenges loved ones face when duty to one's king must come foremost while duty to one's heart can't be denied. Although set in a fantasy world with magic, the strong historical undertones that Ms. Wheeler so deftly imbues into the story allows readers to really feel the pain and insecurities of separations that so many in history endured that could drag on for months and even years at the command of a king. In this, the story is poignant as well as action-filled.

It did feel a bit heavy on the telling rather than showing side at times, leaving the rich depth one usually experiences a bit absent. But that is a small glitch compared to the immense satisfaction the overall story gifts. So much so that waiting for the final book will be torture indeed!

I was given a free copy of Lady’s Ransom by Jeff Wheeler (author), 47North (publisher) and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Lady’s Ransom is the third in the First Argetines series and will be published on September 7, 2021. Knight’s Ransom is the first in the series and was published on January 26, 2021, Warrior’s Ransom, the second in the series, was published May 18, 2021, and Fate’s Ransom, the fourth and final book in the seriers, will be published on January 4, 2021.

I did not read Knight’s Ransom, but I did read Warrior’s Ransom.

This review will not contain any spoilers.

I would characterize Lady’s Ransom as high fantasy featuring knights, kings, court intrigue, family drama, and magic against a backdrop of war and possibly a coup. I characterized Warrior’s Ransom very similarly, not surprising since they are part of the of the same series.

The setting of the story in what appears to be medieval European kingdoms at war with noble families choosing sides.

The magic system is limited to the main character and a couple of the antagonists, and it seems the ability to use magic is innate.

Lady’s Ransom has one main character (same as in Warrior’s Ransom) who is knight and is virtuous, kind, loyal, honest, reliable, and nearly infallible. The added layer to the character of the main character is his wife is a featured a bit more in this story than in Warrior’s Ransom. Mr. Wheeler sprinkles this story with a dash of family drama and hints at something a bit more sinister that impacts their household. The main character is three-dimensional and very engaging. Mr. Wheeler does a commendable job in fleshing out several of the side characters that interact with the main character. Each of these characters exhibit a different attribute or trait that the main character possesses but still and unique. More importantly, each of these side characters has his or her own character arc and add something to overall story.

As I did with Warrior’s Ransom, I thought the antagonists are flat and one-dimensional in Lady’s Ransom. I would have preferred if Mr. Wheeler wrote some of this story from their perspectives to get a better idea as to their motivations and reasons for doing what they are doing.

The pacing of the story is at a steady clip from start to finish without any dead spots.

In this story, I thought there was more telling than showing. It came in sharp relief when the main character’s wife is featured in letters in the beginning of each chapter as Mr. Wheeler featured these letters in Warrior’s Ransom. I think if this character’s arc was featured in scenes, instead of letters, the story would have additional layers and would have had more of an emotional impact. I found I was really intrigued by what was happening with the main character’s wife while he was away dealing with the king’s business. I really would have preferred if Mr. Wheeler expanded and embellished this minor plot point because it and would have featured more of the main character’s wife who I really found to be very interesting and engaging. (Reader’s Note: If Mr. Wheeler decided to write a novel featuring or a series featuring the wife as the main character, I would read it.)

As I felt as I read Warrior’s Ransom, Mr. Wheeler presents several interesting plot and character bits that I would have wanted to be fleshed out and expanded to make this story more complex and emotionally satisfying. I think Mr. Wheeler could have reduced the main character’s story arc a bit and used the page space to focus on the court intrigue and what happened with the main character’s wife while the main character was away doing the king’s business.

The quibbles I had with Warrior’s Ransom are present in Lady’s Ransom. Even with the quibbles, I still would be interested in reading the next novel in the series because the main character is engaging and interesting.

I would recommend Lady’s Ransom to readers who like fantasy stories featuring knights, warring within royal families, some political intrigue, and told in a straight-forward manner.

I rate Lady’s Ransom 3.5 stars.

I would like to thank Jeff Wheeler, 47North, and Netgalley for the free ARC.

I’ve really enjoyed this series so I was excited to return to this world and catch up with Ransom. I would warn you I was very bored and seriously worried about finishing this book at first. Generally one of the things I like best about this author is his pacing which always keeps the story moving forward and easily keeps me rapt. I’ve found he’s always improving as a writer. Unfortunately I was very put off by his writing of Ransom and his wife as overly eager and overly affectionate newlyweds. The writing felt very juvenile and off. It made me want one of them locked back up in a tower so I could actually care about them again! I kept putting the book down and had no interest in reading it which is a huge change as I normally I can’t book the books by this author down. I’m glad I didn’t give up though as once you get passed that awful honeymoon part the story picks up and doesn’t slow down. If you have enjoyed this series than its worth getting through the early chapters. There are more glimpses of things that were explained in a lot more detail in his other books so if you want more answers and understanding you should check out his earlier series. Ransom is a great character and I’ve enjoyed all of his trials and burdens as he fulfills his duties. I will be sorry to see his story find to an end with the next book in the series but I am very eager to read it! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.5 stars

As I have said many times, I am a HUGE fan of Jeff Wheeler and especially of all of the books that are in the Kingfountain World. This is the 3rd book in this series - which is in itself is set in the VERY distant past. We are finally being able to see how we got to the future time of Owen Kiskadden that began the tales of this world. This series has been extremely compelling. I fell in love with Ransom almost immediately as it becomes apparent that Ransom is a man of honor, even if maintaining his honor is not always in his best interest.

First of all, I want to say that I enjoyed this book. While saying that, I also want to say that this book had moments of it that made me uneasy. Why? Well, that is the question, isn't it? Part of the reasons, I think, are focused around Claire's situation and what is occurring between the two in their new marriage. For those who are caught up to this point, Mr. Wheeler has not given Ransom an easy path in life. In fact, this poor honorable man has had disaster after disaster affect his life. Yet in all of that, he has maintained his loyalty - even when his reputation has suffered. And to be honest, it hurts my heart that he is such a pawn in all of this. But - this is a perfect example of the excellence of Mr. Wheeler's writing. He has created such an amazing and compelling character that the reader can fall in love with, root for and cry with. That, in my opinion, is the mark of an excellent author.

Back to the uneasiness. For some reason, I did not read this straight through. That is very unusual for me. I actually read this in spurts over the course of several days. I'm not sure why - other than the fact that I had a feeling that things might possibly get bad for Ransom and maybe I just was hesitant to make it real. I honestly am not sure. Without going into spoilers, it makes things difficult, but I was afraid that there wasn't going to be a pathway that Ransom could take that wouldn't ensnare him. What an excellent story . This was proven to me over and over as I finished this book.

This book is a bit of a segway from one situation to another. And a transition as well. Even with all of the pressure on Ransom from all sides, he was true to his beliefs and somehow made it through the minefield. (this is not a spoiler as the summary kind of eludes to this). There is so much happening in this book. The kingdom is balanced on the edge of a knife. There is subterfuge within subterfuge, betrayal within betrayal and all is never what it seems. Amazing...right?

The ending of this book is basically a cliffhanger. It is going to change EVERYTHING. I guess that means that I will now be one of the many, many readers waiting not very patiently to find out how Ransom is going to deal with the clusterf**k that is going to follow the ending of this book.

I've been following Wheeler's work for a long time now, and I am deeply, deeply attached to his Kingfountain universe. I've enjoyed Ransom as a character over the past three books, and have found that the character arcs of both Ransom and the lesser players are believable without being predictable. Wheeler excels at writing characters that are easy to get attached to. I had a few quibbles with this book, to keep it spoiler free, I will vaguely say that one relationship made me a little uncomfortable and leave it at that. I do think that these stories sometimes rely a little too heavily on the "black widow" trope when constructing a villainess. I'm sure Ransom is a very handsome chap, but there are an unreasonable amount of ladies trying to seduce him in this book. Those minor dislikes aside, this book was very engaging. I didn't want to put it down and read most of it in a single trance-like sitting. Lady's Ransom is good, and I want the next entry in the series right now.

Very very very entertaining chapter in this series. Lots of excitement from start to finish. I love the story building but mainly am just very entertained. The story has lots of moments on the edge of your seat. I’m really interested how things are going to end. I can’t wait for final book to come out!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jeff Wheeler, and 47North for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

Another good book in this series. What I love about these books is how the characters are tested time and time again and the growth that they show (or don't show in some cases).

I love seeing Ransom and Claire's relationship develop, and the ups and downs that they have as the toll of Ransom's roles and oaths take him away from Claire time and time again play on her.

Lots going on in this book, as always, and I'm very interested to see the conclusion in the next, to see how this will finally play out.