In the year 1209, Athdara de Ghent was the last hope and defense for her one and only family, her little brother against her evil uncle, who is last surviving heir to a doomed dukedom. Athdara manages to barely escape with him in tow promising to exact revenge on her uncle and restore her brother to his rightful place as the duke. Athdara hears of the fabled Blackchurch Guild, who trains both men and women to become the strongest warriors the world has ever seen. Athdara luckily gets in with some deviousness by defeating the only other woman there but rightfully earns her place. They decide to celebrate her victory and in doing meets a wonderful guy, Tay Munro. Athdara can’t stop thinking of the Tay but to her shock she finds out Tay is the Leviathan, whom she must fight. Athdara does the only thing she can think of by hitting him in the groin. When Tay learns Athdara true purpose there he must decide to not only take sides but sacrifice everything he holds dear, including his heart.
What a wonderfully told medieval romantic story that is just amazing! Of course, you can always expect these kinds of deeply entrenching, engaging stories from Ms. Kathryn Veque every single time! She just knows how to write with such heart that you can’t help getting caught up in the story either. Visually you can just see everything with no problem and crystal clear. All characters whether they be major, or minor are fully fleshed and well-drawn out. The love scenes also don’t slow down the story enhancing the strong attachment that Tay and Athdara have even though their beginning didn’t start off inauspiciously. Tay is just one amazingly stoic hero that does a pretty good job in hiding his true feelings but still the others know him entirely too well. Still, he is one intriguing guy that he gets added to my ever-growing list of book boyfriends. Athdara is even a great strong courageous heroine that isn’t a slouch either. She even is willing to put everything on the line to help fight for what is right. I do look forward to more in the series, but I will still enjoy every story that Ms. Le Veque writes no matter what it is!

This story is set in a secret guild that trains the best fighters. This is a dual perspective of Tay and Athdara: Tay who is a trainer for these elite fighters and is one of the best. However, he is especially tough on the women fighters, who he thinks should not be there and does his best to get them to quit. Tay meets his match when Athdara shows up to be trained as a warrior, whose reasons are her own, but she must not fail. So, no matter what Tay throws at her, she does not back down, and Tay starts to develop feelings that he should not have and jeopardize his place at the guild.
The writing of this story was good. I found this secret guild training the best warriors interesting as well as Athdara mission being compelling and I really wanted her to succeed in everything, plus outsmarting Tay was awesome. She was such a badass, smart, resourceful, and scrappy and I loved reading from her perspective. This story has a bit of teacher and student trope with Tay training her to be a warrior, which is a trope I like if done right.
Tay had a really big ego which was damaged after he loved a woman and she left him, so he took it out on every woman that came to the guild. He might not have thought women should not have warriors, but he went above and beyond trying to get them out. He just came off as a jerk the whole first half of the book and he was just having a pity party. After he came around, I did like him better and I did enjoy the budding relationship and proving that he is actually a good guy. This story was a fun read. Some parts were really enjoyable and others not so much.
I received this advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

Great start to a new series! Athdara was such a strong female character and how Tay was taken with her from the start and had to adjust his perceptions and expectations when he found out who she was. I'm looking forward to the next in the series and hope we'll see more of this pair in the future.

Would the Leviathan Choose Love or Duty?

In this medieval romantic adventure, we had two determined people with clear goals. They did not count on love upsetting their plans. However, could love make them stronger together? Their missions seemed at odds. She sought revenge, and as a Blackchurch trainer he could not take sides. Was it possible for them to be together, or was their love doomed? It was a heart-wrenching story, for you knew that sacrifices must be made. How would it all end? Could there be a way when the odds were against them? Their story kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed this tale and would recommend it to those who like medieval romance, where the protagonists face difficult challenges they must overcome.

More, more, more!!!
So many stories waiting to be told in this series.
A young woman with her mind on revenge enters the world of the Blackchurch Training Grounds. Fighting for each level, she wants to be strong enough to take back her home from her murdering uncle for her younger brother. The bond that grows between her and her trainer, the Leviathan, can't be good. It can only lead to heartache. What sacrifices will be taken? When assassins show up, precautionary measures may not be enough.
Prepare yourself for the unexpected.
Violent descriptions and some sexual content.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Kathryn has briefly mentioned the Blackchurch Guild in some of her books. This is our first real glimpse of this elite, extremely tough warrior and knight training program.
Athdara is a warrior from the Flanders area with revenge, and a desire to take back Breda Castle for her younger brother. Athdara's uncle killed her father and older brother when he took over Athdara's home.
Tay Munro is The Leviathan! The meanest, toughest trainer at Blackchurch who is the first trainer to see the hopeful trainees after they finish the testing phase Dregs. The trainers at Blackchurch has a strong Brotherhood and easily supported each other. Looking forward to reading more about the Blackchurch Guild.

Obsessed! Completely obsessed!! I cannot wait for more in this series to come out! It was fast paced and I sucked it up as fast as I could read!
I just reviewed The Leviathan by Kathryn Le Veque. #TheLeviathan #NetGalley
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❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

Great read, one that took me a little while to get into because it’s a whole new world to learn about.
But I really enjoyed it.
The characters were brilliant and I loved the relationships between them.
I appreciate the way she turned up the dial on the violence, it made it more realistic to me.

Very much dying to read the next one.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

I've read a lot of books by this author, but this was an excellent book with many facets to it. A strong and determined woman to train as a warrior to gain back what was stolen from her and her little brother who survived a massacre by her uncle. Of course she meets Tay by accident not knowing he's one of her trainors. There was plenty of danger, suspense and a love for all times. HEA.

This was an amazing book. Tay is such an amazing fighter and the best trainer around. He was looking to enjoying kicking another woman out of their training. He had no idea what a stubborn and caring person the woman would be. Athdara is determined on seeking revenge for her family and to do so she needs to be trained by the best. What she didn’t expect was finding the mammoth man feared by many with a heart of gold. These two characters draw you in and you can’t help but feel everything they go through. I was given an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Devon 1212

A fast paced, exciting, intriguing and fierce story, only as this author can weave!!

She had been left with most of her family dead and was after revenge.
He was a warrior, training others to be as fierce as he... which was very, ah, fierce.

When she showed up to train at the Blackchurch Guild, he knew she would not last long.. but she did.
He could not help admire her for her tenacity and determination, that slowly turned into something else.

A wonderful story brought out all the emotions!

Athdara de Ghent was the last barrier to her enemies advance. She wanted to fight, but also knew that she needed to save her younger brother. She had a plan: Blackchurch. Tay Munro was an elite trainer at Blackchurch. He had the reputation as a hard taskmaster and hating women in the ranks.
A chance encounter in the local Tavern has Tay and Athdara believing in love at first sight. But a second sighting in his class of “dregs” makes their pairing more of a no than a yes. As Tay listens to Athdara’s story, he not only changes his thoughts of her learning to fight, but actively assists her in her goal. But, choices must be made and the one that Athdara must make will also be the most difficult.
This book is a must read for those that love a fast paced book with a strong heroine and a somewhat broody hero!

The Leviathan by Kathryn Le Veque is the beginning of a new series and an auspicious one. It takes place a the training ground of the Blackchurch Guild, a private enterprise run by the de Bottreaux family, as it had been for several generations. There were firm rules, one being total neutrality. The Guild could “sell” warriors to a cause/side, but never take part in it other than that. Tay Monro was from Scotland of mixed Greek/descent. He was a trainer at Black Church, a position he had worked to earn for many years and of which he was exceedingly proud. He was unattached to any woman, a fact of which he was also exceedingly proud. He had made a mistake several years before and now it made it is business to rid the guild of any woman who made it as far as his level. Athdara de Ghent was the daughter of the late Duke of Toxandria. He and her older brother had been killed by her uncle. She and her younger brother had escaped but she intended to go back and retrieve what was theirs. That was why she would start training at Blackchurch tomorrow. She had passed the testing phase (known as dregs) and was ready to train. She and the woman she had beaten, Marina, had entered the Black Cock for a meal and a bed. There she met a man; she normally wasn’t impressed by the men she met out and about, but this man was different. She agreed to meet him again in three days and made her way to her bed, to prepare for the morrow.

You can see where this is going. Not without plenty of roadblocks, I’m afraid. She landed in the Leviathan’s group first. The goal was endurance. Simply putting up with it. Of course, there were rules. If you were carried off you were done. As was his habit, he chose a woman to demonstrate on. Get rid of her easily. Only then did he recognize her. She won the first round using a rule they hadn’t mentioned. Then it was her turn to take him down. She did. This was a terrific story with wonderful characters; characters only Le Veque could write. Tay was huge, and stubborn, and frightened most people, but he was loyal and made friends easily. Athdara was stubborn, too, and had a purpose: revenge. The Earl couldn’t take sides but there were other ways to help. So, he did. The plot was pretty simple with a lot of road blocks and details in the middle. They were in love. Could they be together? Sometimes simple is best. This was a wonderful book, a little different than most of Le Veque’s but close enough to keep her fans satisfied.

I was invited the read a free e-ARC of The Leviathan by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #KathrynLeVeque #TheLeviathan

The start of a new series, filled with suspense, drama, and some brutality, I was totally immersed in this exciting novel. Fleeing her home with her young brother after the heinous betrayal by her uncle, when he attacked Breda Castle, the seat of the Duchy of Toxandria, killing both her father and older brother, Athdara de Ghent hides her brother in a safe place and seeks out St. Denis de Bottreaux, her father's friend and allay, with a request to train at the Blackchurch Training Grounds. The training is brutal by any standards and only the fittest survive, that is if they can make it past The Leviathan. Tay, named The Leviathan, is horrified to discover that he has a female trainee, and given that he wants as little to do with women as possible, he does everything in his power to weed them out at the first opportunity. He quickly discovers that driven by revenge towards her uncle, Athdara is another breed altogether and despite her femininity and beauty, she is nevertheless determined to push through and achieve her objective. Danger follows Athdara to Exmoor Forest, and Tay cannot turn a blind eye or remain neutral toward the woman who has not only captures his heart but has also proven her worth as a trainee. Despite the dramatic ending to this book, it does close on a good note with a promise of revenge and justice being carried out. I received a copy of this exciting and well-written novel as a gift from Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Athdara is on the run with her little brother after her uncle invaded her father's duchy, and murdered the rest of her family.
Our heroine is an incredibly brave and determined young woman, prepared to do anything to get revenge.
Tay is known at Blackchurch as The Leviathan. As the trainer of the newest recruits, he's the toughest.
Our hero has very strong views about where a woman belongs, and it's not on his recruit field.
This is the start of a fabulous new series based around the Blackchurch Guild. A place that turns out the fiercest and most sought-after knights in the world. The characters we meet here are not your average knights in shining armour but warriors who are the absolute best at "no holes barred" combat.
As usual when you pick up a book by this author you should make sure you have nothing else that needs to be done because you will not be able to put the book down. So get yourself a drink and a box of tissues and settle down for a wonderful journey into the past. Don't expect hearts and flowers from this great historical romance.
I loved every page and can't wait for the next one in the series.

The Leviathan by Kathryn LeVeque is the first book in The Blackchurch Guild. Tay, Leviathan is an excellent teacher at Blackchurch Guild. Blackchurch Guild is a training program that creates elite warriors called Shadow knights, under the training of some of the best knights in the world. None are more fierce or formidable than Leviathan. Athdara de Ghent is on the run from her Uncle after he murdered her father and brother and took over their duchy in Toxandria. She comes to Blackchurch to seek help from her father's friends St. Denis, the owner of the guild, however Blackchurch never takes sides in any conflict, but St. Denis offers to train her for free so she has some form of defence aginst those who wish to harm her.

This was suspenseful and intriguing and everything I loved! This was a great, engaging read and had so much depth I just had to continue reading. Read in 3 days, soo worth it.

Blackchurch Guild is a training program that creates elite warriors called Shadow knights, under the training of some of the best knights in the world. None are more fierce or formidable than the Leviathan. Athdara de Ghent is on the run from her Uncle after he murdered her father and brother and took over their duchy in Toxandria. She comes to Blackchurch to seek help from her father's friends St. Denis, the owner of the guild. Blackchurch never takes sides in any conflict but St. Denis offers to train her for free so that she can lead and fight with an army. After surviving the dregs training and becoming a recruit, Athdara celebrates at a tavern with a friend and meets Tay Munroe, fierce-looking yet sweet and protective, who she connects with and makes plans to see again. But when she meets the Leviathan on the training field, a man known to fail any woman from training, she's shocked to learn that it's Tay. As they train together, Tay is impressed by her courage and intellect and wants to support her in her cause, but to do that he'll have to give up Blackchurch.
This is the first book I've read by Kathryn Le Veque and I really enjoyed it. This is the first book in her new series so it introduced a lot of characters. Athdara is such a strong female character and I loved how hard she fought for her little brother. Tay was the typical tough warrior, gruff and opinionated about a woman's place, but so sweet and protective and open to change for the right woman. I'm looking forward to reading about the other warriors in the guild.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ok so many twists and turns and the spice, as per Kathryn's normal, was SPOT ONNN! This was suspenseful and intriguing and everything I loved! This was a great, engaging read and had so much depth I just had to continue reading! Absolutely thrilled with this book! Great job Kathryn!!!

The Leviathan by Kathryn LeVeque is the first book in The Blackchurch Guild. Tay, Leviathan is an excellent teacher at Blackchurch Guild. Hes been heart hurt by a woman before and he makes sure the women that come to the Guild, drop out. Athdara escaped with her baby brother after her father's brother attacks their home and her father and oldest brother are killed in the ensuing battle. Athdara has bounty hunters after her, sent by her uncle to kill the Heir, her toddler brother. Hes promised the bounty hunter, Kane, he can have her. Athdara hides her baby brother and approaches her father's friend, that owns and runs Blackchurch Guild and explains what has happened. She asks if he will let her enter and train so she can get her brothers inheritance back.

I enjoyed this new and first book in the Blackchurch Guilds, Leviathan. I love the suspense, excitement, love and brotherhood in this excellent first book of the new series!

I received this free book through Netgalley and have given my honest opinion.

The Blackchurch Guild is everything chivalrous!

As much as I love my modern conveniences, Ms. Le Veque sure can make me wish I lived back in the 1200s. Her men are always brave, honorable, and fierce, and her heroines are some of the strongest women I've ever read in fiction. Here, we're introduced to the Blackchurch Guild, a training program for the most elite warrior, the Shadow Knight.

After her nearly all of her family is killed and her ancestral lands lost, Athdara flees to England to find an old friend of her father's and ask for help. This friend now runs the Blackchurch Guild, and as a favor to his old friend he allows her to try out for admission to their full five-year program, which is a grueling process that only the strongest will survive. Her skill and intellect more than make up for her lack of brute strength, and she finds herself in the group of recruits who are facing the first and most fearsome of the nine trainers - the Leviathan, Tay Munro.

Tay has his own reasons for making sure none of the female applicants pass through his class, but he finds he's at a distinct disadvantage with the lovely Athdara. Not only does she have the protection of his boss, but she also has a story that creeps into his long-dormant heart and forces him to take up her cause as his own.

I absolutely loved the slow pace of their romance, the gradual development of the threats and obstacles they face, and the surety of their love once they are brave enough to recognize it. There is tragedy along the way, and the "third-act breakup" certainly didn't go according to plan, which only serves to prove the creativity and originality of this author's storylines. The only thing guaranteed is a soul-satisfying HEA, which was beautifully accomplished here.

I know I say it with every one of her books that I read, but Ms. Le Veque truly is a master of medieval romance. Each book is better than the last, with no end in sight. I wholeheartedly recommend this as well as every single one of her books. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.