The Falcon and the Sparrow

Have you ever read a story so real and so intense that you lost sleep over it? You get to the end of a chapter and can't help but turn the page and keep reading? This novel will have you captivated from the beginning. It deals with a personal struggle that tugs at your heart. Loyalty, betrayal, forgiveness, love......THE BEST MOVIE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN.

I enjoyed The Falcon and the Sparrow. It is a story with historical depth, suspense, intrigue, adventure, romance, and a taste of piracy... Ms. Tyndall has a great talent in creating characters that are relatable and enjoyable. Their struggles and emotions are described so well and intimately that you feel tied to their cause, fighting their fights, and feeling their feelings. From the beginning, I was sucked right in to the story.

Dominique Dawson is embarking a new journey in her life. She is leaving Napoleonic France and entering England, where the French are obviously not very accepted or welcome. She has been hired as a governess for Admiral Chase Randal, who knew her father. She is an orphan, trying to make a life for herself and provide for her younger brother, Marcel. But there is something darker there as well. Marcel is being held hostage by Dominique's uncle, Lucien Bonaparte. She has to procure documents from the Admiral that will help the French cause and release her brother. This situation is hard enough as it is; but it becomes even more complicated when she starts to develop feelings for her charge and his father.

Overall a riveting read, a sweet romance, and a fast-paced adventure story. The only downside is that the plot is a bit predictable, but not so much so that it takes away from enjoying the story. It has a lot of the elements that made The Redemption a favorite. It has a faith-based background, but it never feels preachy or overdone. I eagerly await more from this talented author whose affinity for pirate tales (the adventure, suspense and romance) that makes each read a keeper!

The Falcon and the Sparrow is like no other book I have read in a long time. It had all the elements that I like in a story: passion, suspense, and a character with a deep faith in God. Oh, and a setting in the 1800's helps, too, as I love a good historical novel.

Ms. Tyndall's storytelling ability is amazing! I didn't need to get very far into this book before I was hooked. Her broad vocabulary shines on each and every page. I couldn't help but be transported to London, and see, hear, and smell everything as I was reading each page. She also did a masterful job with the tension between the characters. There was incredible passion between Chase and Dominique...so much so that I could practically hear Dominique's heart pounding during the kissing scenes!

Finally, I simply loved the title for this book. Even though this is a fictitious story, it proves that God cares for each and every one of us, even the littlest sparrow.

Born to an English Admiral and a beautiful Frenchwoman, Dominique Dawson discovers her heritage is more burden than blessing. As Napoleon threatens the might of the English fleet, Dominique is forced to take up the position of governess to Admiral Chase Randall's neglected son. Yet her mission is not the boy, but espionage. If she fails to uncover military secrets her beloved brother will die at the hands of his French captors.

Chase Randall is a jaded man, scarred by his past with little knowledge of how to raise a son, let alone show him the love and affection young William craves. Dominique is hardly the kind of woman he has been seeking out since his wife died and he despises her timidity. Yet something about her innocence and devout faith appeals to the man he used to be.

Dominique prays that God will reveal to her a way to save her brother and enable her to live with the wrath of Chase Randall once he discovers her betrayal.

Adventure is MaryLu Tyndall's middle name! Hot on the heels of her fabulous Legacy of the King's Pirates trilogy comes another intriguing tale of love, betrayal and dangerous escapades. The difference being in The Falcon and the Sparrow, MaryLu has her characters' feet, for the most part, planted firmly on dry land! Yes, the outcome is readily apparent but it is a small price to pay for great characterisation, a lively caper and genuine faith in action. I loved that Dominique was shy and awkward, a change from the standard feisty female of historical novels and that Chase's shortcomings were readily apparent. That he is not transformed immediately upon his association with the devout governess, gives authenticity to his journey towards redemption. This is a satisfying novel, yet I have to say I am looking forward to MaryLu's return to the High Seas in Blossoms of Faith, the first in her Charles Towne Belle series releasing in 2009.

This was a good read. The characters were interesting, and the story line kept me engaged. I liked the fact that the main character was a timid sparrow. It is nice to see a book that shows that timid, shy people can make a difference if they put their faith in God. I would recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction.

The Falcon and the Sparrow is a wonderful book. I read it in one day. This book has a bit of history, war, mystery, intrigue, love and of course deceit. The author has the ability to make the reader feel the emotion of the characters. I felt like I was a friend but could not protect the female character from harm while she is trying to save her brothers life. I could feel the pain of Chase at the loss of his wife. I could feel the love between the governess and the young boy, William. This book is filled with fast paced emotion.

I love to read stories about the past. This book was filled with information about the state of France and England in the early 1800's. I loved the bits of history that are added to the story. They seem to make the story more real.

I give this book a 5 Star and recommend it to anyone who likes to read a good book without foul language. It is filled with adventure

Firstly, I am a HUGE fan of M.L. Tyndall. After reading her series, The Legacy of the King's Pirates, I classified her as my favorite author. However, I have been a little disappointed with her books since that series. I would have rated this book as five stars but for the lack of something that I consider crucial: tact. The book opens with a dinner party consisting of several men making crude and frankly disgusting comments about Dominique which was very distasteful to me, as a Christian. Now, I am very aware that such things probably did take place in that time period, but as Christians, do we really need to dwell on it? I found throughout the book that a slight lack of tact was a reoccuring problem. Whether or not such things were discussed or acceptable back then, I still don't think that it needs to be focused on and am disappointed that M.L. Tyndall chose to detail such crudeness. Overall, the book was GOOD, just not the EXCELLENT that the King's Pirates series is.

This is the fourth book I have read written by M.L. Tyndall. I LOVED her Pirate series, and would recommend them to anyone who enjoys reading her books, they are fantastic. However, with this latest book I truly enjoyed, Chase Randal, he was so well written and formed, that I had a picture in my mind about this man. I loved his character, and really had a wonderful time following his development throught the story. As for Dominique Dawson, the second main character. I just couldn't get into her character, she just wasn't believeable, I guess I didn't connect with her character and her plight, though I wanted to.

I loved the few romance scenes between the two characters, especially the curtain scene in Chase's room. I wish there had been a bit more romance between the two characters. I truly saw and felt the love Chase had for Dominique, but from Dominique's view I just didn't see the connection or return love for Chase. All in all, it was still a good book, I guess I just didn't enjoy all the characters as much as I would have liked to.

The Falcon and the Sparrow is a delightful novel about romance, war, and intrigue in early 1800's England. While mostly set on land, there is a nautical theme, as the main character takes a job for a British admiral. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and wish it were part of a series so I could read more about these endearing characters! If you love historical fiction, romance, action and intrigue, England, or just any good book, you will love this one!!

This is the story of Dominique, a half-french half-english orphan, who has to go work as a governess for Chase, a British Navy admiral while spying on the side. The spying definitely puts a lot of intrigue into the story. From the christian point of view, I like the author's focus on when God doesn't answer a prayer the way we envisaged. She didn't quite hit the mark for me but I look forward to rereading this book and getting some nuggets I may have missed. This is not a bad book at all. I wish I could give it a 3-1/2 but Amazon doesn't have an icon for that. My main grouse for not making it a 4 is that I think the fluctuations in emotions for the characters was a little shallow and unbelievable