Cavaliers Call

Author: Grant de Graf
Series: ---
Publisher: Create Space
Publication Date: April 27, 2010
How Received: For Review
Rate: 4
Summary: The year is 1366, an era which sets the stage for the Age of Discovery and the conquests of the New World. The place is Portugal.  Sparked on the coals of passion, a spirit of adventure burns, igniting a new found mood and inspiration across the nation. João de Aviz is the Infante, a prince to King Pedro I, schooled and instructed from an early age in the skills of horsemanship, combat, navigation and survival. The Infante is commissioned by the monarchy to defend a villain in the royal court of Coimbra against charges of murder. The prosecution is being led by the famed Don Antonio Esteves, courtier extraordinaire, with whom the Infante must do battle. João is forced to navigate his way through the stormy seas of the courtroom, with a creative brilliance and argument that threatens to trounce his opponent. João's love for the daughter of his most vehement opponent, the beautiful and feisty Ines Peres Esteves, is being tested, and the couple must escape from the sword of assassins.  When João and Ines Peres are forced into exile, stripped of all honor and branded with a muddied reputation, the Infante must now stage his biggest comeback and wage his toughest battle. 
My thoughts: Cavalier's Call is a very entertaining novel. Told mostly from the view point of Joao de Aviz, it follows his obligations as a prince and a warrior. His devotion to Portugal was at times both amazing and frustrating, as he is so loyal to his country that at times he forgets to be loyal to himself. His love for his rival's daughter, Ines Peres, was equally breathtaking and unbelievable. Their fight to be together is so realistic, and so sweet, that it touches the reader in many ways. Part a Knight's tale, part a love story, and part a lesson about fighting for independence, Cavalier's Call is a very good book, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, slow-paced historical read.
4/5
~Moujnir