King Redtooth is out for revenge.

As king of the Danes, Grai Thorsson wants only to protect his people’s way of life. Tapia finds herself the slave of the pagan king and unwillingly cares for him when he is wounded. It seems a better decision than to try to escape and find herself at the mercy of a boat load of bloodthirsty vikings. So she spends 3 days alone with the big man with no one but Murka coming to see how he is.

Tapia is beginning to have feeling for this handsome, sturdy man. Her duties to Grai include tending his wound and helping him to bathe. Even as she denies any feelings for him, Tapia sneaks looks at his body to Grai’s amusement and pleasure. But he wants more than just her body, he wants Tapia’s affection. He will have her only when she admits to it.

Grusella wants Grai as her husband. Grai has no feelings of affection for her and wants Grusella to wed Hwinder, an old and trusted servant. Grai is oblivious to the fact that Tapia’s entrance into the household causes tension between the women. Grai is also oblivious to his son Murka’s attempts to make his father notice that he is a man and that he has worth.  All because King Redtooth is out for revenge.

The only way he sees to protecting his people’s way of life is to kill Charlemagne. But what is he willing to sacrifice to get what he wants? 

I liked The Pagan King mostly. The story was very good and the characters were the strongest part of it. I really liked that Grai didn’t immediately jump Tapia and make her his bed slave. He saw the potential for something more right from the start and was smart enough to go for what he wanted. Tapia is a woman who has to deal with a man who can’t see what is going on right in front of him, even when he’s not preoccupied with other matters. I’ve known a few men in my life exactly like that and Grai is an excellent example of those men. The hero was heroic and the heroine was strong. The secondary characters were an asset to the story. I think I heard Murka, Kaedon and Ankava asking for stories of their own. Even though I thought the climax was a bit weak, I would recommend Ms. Garza’s story to anyone who enjoys historical romance. I can’t wait to see if Murka becomes the man he can be with his father’s influence.