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Joust In Time

Joust In Time

by Debbie Fritter
Romance - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Kindle Edition
Reviewed on 03/27/2009
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

This story begins in 15th century England. Queen Isabel demanded the Black Knight’s pledge of love. He could promise her loyalty and promise to protect the lands, but not offer her love. The cruel queen placed the Sir Reynold in a no-win situation. If he lost the joust, he would be forced to leave the kingdom where he grew up. If he won, his friend Sir Thomas would be stripped of knighthood, and Sir Reynold would be forced to serve the queen in whatever capacity she so desired, including her bed. His heart already belonged to Catherine; he had no option but to lose. Sir Reynold falls into unconsciousness at the end of the joust. He was in the arms of his beloved.

The story picks up in the 21st century United States. Courtney was at a Renaissance Fair. She played the part of the queen’s dressmaker. This was the last year for the story of the Black Knight. At the end of the joust, he would ride off never to be seen again. The story was one of her favorites, and she was sorry to see it end. Something went wrong. The Black Knight went limp. Courtney rushed to his side and assisted in removing his armor. When he opened his eyes, he called her Catherine.

Time cannot conquer love. Debbie Fritter offers readers a “timeless” love story. I have always enjoyed stories concerning Knights and Ladies in Waiting. This one has a sweet plot however, unbelievable. Who says romance has to be believable to be enjoyable? Fans of romance will like Joust In Time.

M. Nix

Lady Courtney -- well, her title is Lady during the Bristol Renaissance Faire -- has finally found a way to not only live her passion for the fairy tale of the Black Knight but also to sell her fine, handmade costumes. She creates the costumes year round, but is only able to sell them during the faire. Something seems to be a bit off this year at the faire, though. For starters, the herb shopkeeper seems to have an aura of meanness around her. She makes Lady Courtney very uneasy. Then there is the fact that the Black Knight seems to be a different man. More than just different, he is the epitome of the "real" Sir Reynold, and he's traffic-stopping gorgeous.

Sir Reynold knows something is very wrong. After participating in a no-win situation in Heartease, he is suddenly in a new time. Here, some of the people are similar to the loved ones he left behind, but all appear to be a little different. Although, the evil Queen Issy appears to be the same person. Will he be able to keep his best friend Thomas and the love of his life, Lady Courtney, safe this time? If he can figure out how to do it, then Queen Issy will finally be gone, taking her black magic with her.

I enjoyed Joust in Time, though I did struggle a bit. I can't put my finger on why I had issues with it, but it seemed a little jerky in the flow. Then again, others might not find the same. In this case, you have a knight coming forward in time who is here not only to meet the love of his life, but to possibly keep an evil from happening for many generations. The language was a little bit of a stumble for me, but I didn't realize there was a glossary of terms at the back of the book, as I was reading on a handheld device. If the glossary had been at the front, it might have made it less "jerky" for me to read. That being said, I did enjoy the story. I loved how the thought of true love can transcend time, and good will win out over evil. I found Sir Reynold's reactions to some of the modern things funny, but he did find ways to make it all work out. I will definitely give Ms. Fritter's books a go in the future. If you like this type of story, pick Joust in Time up, but scan the glossary at the end first.