Taken By The Viking by Michelle Styles

Rich and absorbing Viking romance
4 stars

When Vikings landed at Lindisfarne, one wrong move turned a peaceful trading mission into a deadly raid that saw the place ransacked and pillaged. Annis of Birdoswald knew she had to flee but she was no match for the fearsome Haakon Haroldson.

Taking Annis back to his lands, she must choose between life as a lowly slave or give in to the dark and dangerous passion she feels with Haakon. But there are plots and intrigues that may stand in the way of this couple finding happiness with each other.


This is the first of three novels all connected by the raid at Lindisfarne coming before Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wifeand The Viking's Captive Princess. While they share similar characters and back story, each are entirely stand alone.

Annis is a strong woman who knows her own mind but her insecurities and worry make her much more than a stereotype. Haakon is the strong Viking Jaarl who tries desperately to keep control of his headstrong captive and his own heart. The pair had chemistry and although the sex scenes weren’t scorching, they were still nicely sexy. If I could have changed one thing, I would have liked to have Haakon show just a little more emotion when it came to his feelings for Annis – even if that was in private. Despite that, the ending was lovely and had me sighing!

The story was very rich in detail and it was obvious that the author not only did a lot of research into the time period but also put her heart into ensuring historical accuracy. At the end of the book she explains some of the points of note and lists the books she found useful which is an interesting touch and good if you are interested in learning more about the history of the Vikings.

Overall, this was an enjoyable story to pass the time and one that I would recommend if you enjoy a Viking romantic adventure. 4 stars.