The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran

The Duke of Shadows is one of the best historicals I've ever read. It is definitely in the intense and serious category rather than the light and humorous one. I was blown away by the excellent writing, the emotional impact and the nail-biting suspense. I was also very impressed by the way Duran handled the history of India that is at the core of the book.

The heroine, Emma, goes to India in 1857 to marry her finance Marcus. Her parents are killed in a shipwreck on the way and her reputation damaged during her rescue. She meets Julian, the Duke, shortly before the Indian rebellion against British rule. He helps her escape but they are eventually separated and meet again after several years in London.

The plot is complex, but not confusing. There is an amazing sense of atmosphere and the contrast between India and England is striking. Serious themes are explored, including prejudice against Julian because he is half Indian and the horrors of war. But the book is not depressing--the writing is a joy and the ending is uplifting. These two characters go through a lot and surely deserve their happy ever after.

I haven't even mentioned the fascinating secondary characters, including the villain, and the few but powerfully sensual love scenes. This is the kind of book that will make you think. I doubt I will forget these characters for a long time. If you like historicals, READ THIS BOOK.

I'll rate this book a 9.0 out of 10. I can't wait for Duran's next book, which will be out in June.

More Books Bought

Had to use up the Barnes & Noble gift cards. I'm annoyed that I couldn't find Hope's Folly at Borders or Barnes & Noble. Guess I'll have to order it from Amazon.

Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop
Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione
Love With the Perfect Scoundrel by Sophia Nash
Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh
Into the Storm by Taylor Anderson
Opening Atlantis by Harry Turtledove
The Vampire's Bride by Gena Showalter

New Books

Devil of the Highlands by Lynsay Sands
The Secret She Kept by Amy Knupp
The Darkest Touch by Jaci Burton
Riding Temptation by Jaci Burton
Be With Me by Maya Banks
Hot Nights Dark Desires (Anthology) by Eden Bradley, Sydney Croft and Stephanie Tyler

There are a few books that have just been published that I can't wait to get my hands on, including Hope's Folly by Linnea Sinclair, Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione and Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh, so I'm hoping to get to the bookstore on Saturday.

Night Huntress by Yasmine Galenorn

Night Huntress is the 5th in the Otherworld series. The series features the three D'Artigo sisters, who are half-Fae and half-human, and each of them has different abilities. I've enjoyed all the books so far and am looking forward to the next in the series, Demon Mistress, which comes out in June.

In this book the focus is on Delilah, the sister who shapeshifts into a housecat and into a panther. She's my favorite, perhaps because she seems the most vulnerable. I have to admit I don't think much of her human boyfriend Chase, though, and I would have let the demons eat him.

This book never slowed down, it went from action scene to action scene. It was exhausting just reading it, but in a fun way. I couldn't wait to see what trouble Delilah would land in next. I enjoyed catching up with her sisters Menolly and Camille as well as the many interesting secondary characters. Smoky, the dragon shapeshifter, is a favorite, as is Maggie the baby gargoyle. I know some have criticized the series because they say Galenorn has thrown in everything but the (paranormal) kitchen sink, but I think that makes the books more fun. You never know what will pop up next!

I'll rate this exciting read 8.0 out of 10 and recommend you start with the first in the series, Witchling.

Too Many Good Books?

I've been giving out some high ratings lately and I'm about to do more, so I thought I'd explain. Since I get to pick which books I review, I pick books I think I'll like. Often they are books by authors that I enjoy or books that caught my attention because they got high reviews.

I have started quite a few mediocre books, but haven't finished them. I am more likely to finish books I like quickly, although this is not always true. Sometimes I misplace the good ones (if you saw all the books in my house you'd know how easy to do this is) or sometimes I put off finishing a book because I don't want it to be over.

I really don't like reviewers who rate everything they read a 9 or 10. That's one reason I'll never rate anything a 10 (except for Jane Austen's books--I'm a total Austen fangirl.) In my system, a book rated 5 is average so it's a respectable rating. A book rated 8 or 9 is very good indeed.

Too Scandalous To Wed by Alexandra Benedict

Too Scandalous To Wed is an English historical set in 1821. I thought a sentence toward the end of the book summed it up nicely: "He wasn't perfect--neither was she--but he was her imperfect hero."

The book is completely focused on the relationship between Henry (nickname for Henrietta) and Sebastian. There is a villain, but he plays a very minor role until the end of the book. Both of the main characters are entirely self-centered and stubborn as well. It would have been nice if one of them showed some sort of consciousness of the world around them, even if it was only that they were kind to animals or gave alms to the poor. Although I started out disliking both of them, as the book went on I found them more endearing. Perfect people are so boring, after all. They really did deserve each other so the ending was very satisfying.

I couldn't wait to see what happened next and finished this book in record time. There were a couple of things that made me wonder (would Henry really use the word "bugger?" Would she never have heard of the Hellfire Club?) but overall I thought the book was well written. It's a light and entertaining read.

I'd rate it 7.0 out of 10 and look for more books by Benedict.

Immortal Danger by Cynthia Eden

Vexing the Viscount by Emily Bryan

Vexing the Viscount has one of the best first chapters I've ever read. It has it all--humor, mystery, sexual tension, a fascinating look at history and original characters. I knew after the first few pages that I was going to love this book and I was right.

This book is hard to classify because it fits in neither the light and funny historical romance category or the dark and emotional category but manages to be both. It has wonderful humor and is a fast paced read that never slows down, but it also deals with some serious themes and tugs at the emotions. There are some twists and turns that I did not expect, and the action-packed ending has a big surprise.

I adored the heroine, Daisy, who is so natural and easy to sympathize with. She's smart and brave, yet vulnerable. The sexy Lucian, Viscount Rutland, is not your typical aristocrat. Besides being more intelligent and responsible, he is impoverished and desperate for funds. Instead of the usual plot device of having the hero try to marry an heiress, the author goes in a much more interesting direction. Lucian is convinced that he has found clues to a Roman treasure and he tries to find it to change his fortune.

There is so much going on in this book that it's amazing the author could fit it all in. Yet nothing seems rushed, it all fits perfectly and adds to the story. This is a book with depth and soul, yet it also had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. I applaud Emily Bryan for creating a wonderful historical romance and can't wait to read her next work.

I'll rate this book a 9.0 out of 10.

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn

Julia Quinn is a master of the light British historical. Her books are always fun, fast paced and yet full of emotion as well. They are perfect reading when you just want to forget about the modern world and get lost in the romantic escapades of an earlier time.

Secret Diaries features the likable and intelligent Miranda ("no great beauty") who falls in love with Turner when she is only ten years old and he is kind to her. It's easy to sympathize with her, especially because the diary device lets us see exactly what she's thinking. The diary entries could have easily become annoying or gotten in the way of the story, but Quinn uses them sparingly and to good effect.

While Miranda is growing up, the hero, Viscount Turner, has been deeply wounded by an unhappy marriage that ended in the death of his wife while she was riding to meet her lover. It is fascinating to watch him slowly overcome his bitterness during the book. Of course the road to happiness is not without potholes, and at a couple points I just wanted to shake him and tell him to stop being an idiot.

I'd rate this book 7.5 out of 10 and recommend it to anyone who wants an entertaining English historical.

Dream Warrior by Sherrilyn Kenyon

I am a big fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon and have read all of her DarkHunter (and connected) books except for The Dark-Hunter Companion. I enjoy her work, but I'm not blind to her faults. Her DarkHunter series is getting very long and the cast of characters is overwhelming. I had a hard time keeping track of all the different demons, gods, Dream-Hunters, Dark-Hunters, etc. and I've read all the books. I don't see how someone who just picked Dream Warrior up (perhaps because of the great cover) could make sense of it.

Inside the bigger story of the fight between these supernatural beings is a romance. Cratus, known now as Jericho, has been tortured by Zeus for centuries because he refused to kill a baby. That baby is Delphine, a Dream-Hunter, who goes to Jericho 6,000 years later to beg for his help in saving the gods who are being defeated by the evil Noir and Azura.

Jericho is one of Kenyon's tortured heroes, a type she does well. Unfortunately she has done so many of them now that they are starting to blend together. Delphine is fine as a heroine, especially when she is both standing up to and standing up for Jericho, but she isn't one of the most memorable women Kenyon has written. The love story is enjoyable, though, and I found the ending very satisfying.

I'll rate this a 7.0 out of 10, and if I wasn't hooked on this series I might rate it a little lower. If you haven't read any of Kenyon's work, don't start with this one. Start with Fantasy Lover or Night Pleasures and you, too, can become hooked.