The Black Hawk (The Spymaster's Lady, #4)

Oct 16, 2011 Katie(babs) rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Black Hawk is one of my most anticipated reads this year because the hero, Hawker, aka Adrian Hawkhurst, former thief, master pickpocket from the rookies of St. Giles, Head of the British Intelligence Service in 1818 Post-Napoleonic War England, has made a lasting impression based on the past three books from Joanna Bourne. The one before this, The Forbidden Rose, was a prequel set during the French Revolution, which featured Hawker as a thirteen year old grubby street boy, but one who becom...more The Black Hawk is one of my most anticipated reads this year because the hero, Hawker, aka Adrian Hawkhurst, former thief, master pickpocket from the rookies of St. Giles, Head of the British Intelligence Service in 1818 Post-Napoleonic War England, has made a lasting impression based on the past three books from Joanna Bourne. The one before this, The Forbidden Rose, was a prequel set during the French Revolution, which featured Hawker as a thirteen year old grubby street boy, but one who becomes a spy for England during the French Revolution and then during the Napoleonic Wars. In The Forbidden Rose, Adrian meets his ultimate adversary. She is Justine DeCabrillac, a thirteen year old orphan girl who works for a Madame of a French brothel, but no longer as a whore. At eleven, Justine was forced into prostitution by a man her parents’ trusted (Justine’s parents were killed). Justine escaped and did what she had to do survive in order to protect her four year old sister, Severine. Justine then meets up with Adrian and his mentor, Doyle (This is all explained in The Forbidden Rose, which you must read before The Black Hawk so you can understand who Justine and Adrian are). Justine eventually becomes a French Spy who goes by the Owl.

The Black Hawk begins twenty-five years after Adrian and Justine first meet. France and England are no longer enemies, all through there’s still mistrust on both sides. Justine has come to London and opened her own shop. She’s attacked and stabbed with a poisoned knife. The only one she can trust is Hawker. She passes out in a bloody heap on Adrian’s front steps and he takes her in and cares for her. Justine may be dying and that’s where Adrian thinks back through the decades about his relationship with this daunting and incredible woman he loves.

The story goes back and forth over the years from 1794 France leading up to 1818 London. The moment Adrian meets Justine, he’s smitten. Even though they’re adversaries who eventually become enemies because of their countries, these two help each other out when they’re undercover. Sometimes they don’t see each other for months and even years. Their relationship is a difficult one because they never know if they'll be betrayed or killed. Adrian is so loyal to Justine, it will make your chest clench. Justine is a bit more standoffish because of the cards dealt to her in life. She trusts no one, but allows Adrian into her heart. It’s a very momentous occasion for both of them when Justine asks Adrian to make love to her. Justine is afraid of intimacy because of how she was raped and abused at such a young age. Adrian realizes this and gives Justine back her innocence through his loving touch. From that moment on they become lovers that spans almost three decades. The moment these two are intimate, they don’t stray from one another. They never take another lover, even when they’re separated from one another for long periods of time.

Adrian is so easy to like. He’s adorable, yet intelligent and sneaky. His devotion for Justine is relentless and unbreakable. He’s not afraid to tell Justine how he feels about her. When he and Justine are alone, he wears his heart on his sleeve. His love is enough for the both of them and he never asks her for anything in return. Justine is so stubborn and won’t give an inch because she’s constantly looking over her shoulder, waiting for someone to take her down. Adrian is the only one who can help her get past the horrors she has endured.

The Black Hawk revolves about two mature people both in the mid to late thirties. Adrian and Justine are old before their time. By the time they’re barely in their teens, they’ve seen so many disturbing acts, including those placed on innocent children. Watching these two drift away from one another and then come together again is incredibly emotional.

Joanna’s writing is atmospheric in regards to the setting. You can practically hear Justine’s French accent every time she speaks, especially when she calls Adrian ‘Awker, not Hakwer. There are a few twists and turns, and how Joanna unveils things, including the person trying to kill Justine makes for a great suspenseful thriller. Joanna’s writing is crisp and rich, full of poetically written dialogue and descriptions that has me aching for more.

When a hero like Adrian admits, “there is no one else for me. Never has been,” about his Justine, you’ll become a pile of swoonage in your seat.

I’m in total awe of Joanna Bourne. It doesn’t get any better than this. Adrian and Justine’s journey toward their HEA is one that almost brought me to tears. This is a book I want to have babies with. The Black Hawk is of the best books I read this year by one of the best authors of historical romance of this century.(less)

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May 07, 2012 Wicked Incognito Now rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-special, one-of-my-favorite-authors, hero-to-die-for

Sweet utter perfection.

My crystal ball tells me.....Nothing will live up to this for many many months.

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Nov 07, 2011 LuvGirl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, i-love-the-way-this-author-writes, spy-stuff-abound, 3-half-stars, historical, owned-keeper, favorite-hero, best-first-love-scene, kindle-buys-from-amazon

3.5 stars.Very enjoyable book! I couldn't wait to read Hawk's story after getting to know him in The Spymaster's Lady. This book came very close to living up to the expectation, but didn't quite reach my 4-5 stars quota. It wasn't as good as The Spymaster's Lady IMO, but it was entertaining nonetheless. Espionage storyline isn't my favorite theme (and there were lots of it) and I kind of felt like Hawk was a little more in love with Justine than she was with him. When your woman threathens to ki...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Elena rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance, adult

3.5 stars. I have a hard time articulating my thoughts on this one, because it's not really romance novel shaped. Most of the relationship drama occurs in flashback, and the bits in the present of the novel are what would normally be a crisis and denouement. However, there's a mystery in the present that has a whole arc, with roots in some of the flashback bits but mostly taking place in the present. If that makes any sense whatsoever. So this book didn't read like the typical romance novel, whi...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance

This is less the stereotypical romance plot than a spy novel with a strong romantic element. It's a fairly common subgenre at the moment (I blame The Scarlet Pimpernel), but Bourne's series is one of the better executed.

The main plot involves a plot against Justine's life that just may be an attack on Hawker, too. But the majority of the novel is actually flashbacks to various missions they have run together, and how their affair began and reached its current stage.

One of the big problems in ma...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story is set during the French Revolution and the time of Napoleon Bonaparte and afterwards. Justine is a spy working for France against the British. Hawker is a British spy working in France. On rare occasions, they worked together. Usually though, they were on opposite sides of the fight. Still, over the years, they managed to fall in love - although it's a distant kind of love.
As the story begins, Napoleon is in exile. Justine has 'retired' is is a shopkeeper in England. Hawker is now Adr...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the first romance novel I've given a 5. Everything else aside, I feel comfortable rating it that on pure enjoyment. If you want to read it, do yourself a favor and read the rest of the series first. No, they aren't quite as good as this one, but they're worth it. All else fails, think of them like foreplay - by the time your finished reading them you'll basically be begging for this one to play out. I recommend The Forbidden Rose first, or at least reading that one before you start the B...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Scarlett rated it 2 of 5 stars

While I enjoyed this book, especially the author's fantastic prose and writing style, it didn't resonate with me. I thought that there were great elements in place for a spy story, with a bit of romance on the side, James Bond style. However, this book is advertised as a romance and I feel that the romance often took second place to the setting. I feel that the author spent so much time shaping her characters, the scene and creating a back story, that the plot of the novel itself lost flavour. M...more

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May 12, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: rita-finalists, romance

Joanna Bourne is hands down one of my absolute favorite authors. This is a wonderful, exciting, smart read-- I love how strong her female characters are and how both main characters save eachother throughout. Spy novels are often silly, poorly researched, and waver between 007 and Ocean's 11, but Bourne writes solid books with strong attention to detail and history, without making it feel like a civics lesson or a deviation from the story.

While I enjoy some of Bourne's other works more than thi...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the fourth book in the series, and it's the first I had to wait for. The other three I read without much wait time in between. And it's made me wish I'd kept the other three, to read them all through again as a quartet because there was so much I just couldn't remember. (I'll probably get them again from the library anyways.) I don't know that it would matter for any of the other books, but Hawker has been such an important thread through them all that it was disappointing to know I was...more

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Apr 13, 2012 RomReader rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

30yo shopkeeper & former French spy gets stabbed. English spy Hero (who’s also her former lover) helps her rehabilitate & find the culprit. Memories of when they met, became lovers later, & events that caused their various separations are remembered. They gradually piece together clues that lead them to the persons involved in her stabbing.

I was frankly bored with this book. I actually read the whole thing &, boy, did it feel long! It was basically a historical portrayal of the t...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, historical-romance

Joanna Bourne, unfortunately, seems to be one of those well-loved romance novelists who, for whatever reason, leaves me cold. Since "The Black Hawk" won best Romance at AAR, I figured I'd give her another shot (having read the first in this series and not being taken enough to keep up with it). While I enjoyed "The Black Hawk," and would give it a four star rating based on technical writing skill, the romance failed to capture me which meant I could not in good conscience give it a higher rating...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Madame X rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Adrian is one of those delicious heroes you can’t get enough of and, as is so rare in romance novels featuring a truly memorable hero, Justine is worthy of him.

They share an epic romance that spans decades, a love forged in war but defeated by peace. Their sentimental moments are believable and heart-wrenching. Their cold, pragmatic separations are also believable and heart-wrenching.

Basically, Joanna Bourne is reliably excellent author. She writes beautifully. She creates complex characters a...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Randy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have been a big fan of Joanne Bourne since the superb Spymaster's Lady. But I had a bit of a struggle to give the fourth book in this series five stars. In the end, I decided that my low-level disappointment in the book should not detract from the fact that it's a fine piece of work, as always, from Ms. Bourne. The love story is beautifully done, and Justine is a first rate heroine, if not quite up to the incredibly high standard set with Annique and Jess.

Two things caused me to find this book...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Amanda Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Redonk Nutshell: The story of two rival spies and how they went from enemies, to friends to lovers

The long awaited book in Joanna Bourne's Spymaster series has finally arrived! I rejoiced at getting my hands on Adrian Hawker's story. I've read three of four of Bourne's series, and I've been somewhat enamored of Adrian from the start. I was really, really excited to read this and get more quality time with Adrian.

The book starts out with Justine DeCabrillan, a former French spy, being attacked wh...more Redonk Nutshell: The story of two rival spies and how they went from enemies, to friends to lovers

The long awaited book in Joanna Bourne's Spymaster series has finally arrived! I rejoiced at getting my hands on Adrian Hawker's story. I've read three of four of Bourne's series, and I've been somewhat enamored of Adrian from the start. I was really, really excited to read this and get more quality time with Adrian.

The book starts out with Justine DeCabrillan, a former French spy, being attacked while on her way to seek out Adrian. Justine and Adrian have a long, complicated history. They met in France as young teens, working together despite them being employed by rivaling countries. When they grow older their relationship turns romantic, and in turn more complicated. They go their separate ways, although reluctantly, when their jobs force them to work against each other. When Justine shows up at Meeks Street, the headquarters for British Intelligence, Adrian is furious that someone is trying to get to him through her. Thus begins the work of solving the mystery of who has it out for him.

Ms. Bourne doesn't disappoint with The Black Hawk. You can always count on a richly detailed and lush historical story that's packed with intrigue and adventure. She reads more like literary fiction rather than "romance," if you know what I mean. Her books are chocked full of information. There's not a trace of fluff to be found. Her characters are tough yet flawed, brutal yet witty. There are several moments of exchange between Justine and Adrian that had me smiling - their dialogue is completely "them." It's lovely.

That said, I actually had a hard time drudging through the back story. I know, I know! I should be smacked. I'm attributing my lack of attention span to the fact that I was so anxious to get to know Adrian as he was today that the flashbacks into his younger days proved to be challenging for me. It's not that they weren't interesting - they were - it just wasn't quite what I was expecting.

I think that when the day comes when I go back and re-read The Black Hawk I'll find I appreciate it much more. It really is a lovely book, and I was pleased with the development between Justine and Adrian.

The Black Hawk by Joanna Bourne, 336 pgs, 11/1/11

Rating: B-

Romance: 3/5 Raunch: 3/5(less)

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Nov 06, 2011 Megan Winget rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, romance-favorites

You think I loved "The Forbidden Rose"?! I love this book so much that I want to start a family with this book. I want to get married and live happily ever after with this book. This book and I are meant for each other. I love this book so much it's depressing. HOW am I going to read other books?!

The story, the plot and writing - fantastic. The characterizations: spot on. Like I said in the Forbidden Rose review, these characters are SPIES. Their emotions are HIDDEN. They don't go around expres...more You think I loved "The Forbidden Rose"?! I love this book so much that I want to start a family with this book. I want to get married and live happily ever after with this book. This book and I are meant for each other. I love this book so much it's depressing. HOW am I going to read other books?!

The story, the plot and writing - fantastic. The characterizations: spot on. Like I said in the Forbidden Rose review, these characters are SPIES. Their emotions are HIDDEN. They don't go around expressing their emotions to pretty much anybody. These characters typically don't even let other people have any clue that they're having emotions at all. Tiny signals. Not broad strokes. God. It's such an intelligent book.

We know Adrian from Forbidden Rose, Spymaster's Lady, and (the much reviled - by me) My Lord and Spymaster. We know him pretty well. We've watched Hawker grow up. We know what he cares about, and what he's good at. We met Justine in the Forbidden Rose, and had a inkling that she's the one who shot him in the Spymaster's Lady (although we don't know why). This book provides flashbacks to those stories, from Adrian and Justine's perspectives. I think that this book is a little different from the others in this series in that the other books are more about groups of people (centering on the British secret service and the French spies who love them) :) - this book really focuses on Hawker and Justine. They've been friends since they were children, they've had a very long, important, and complicated relationship, and they are currently - at the outset of the story - in their late 30s / early 40s (!!!!) (I've read quite a few romances. I've never seen hero/heroine this old. I love it).

I've read a few reviews that say that you can read this book as a standalone. I don't recommend it. I can't know what it would be like, but I think the knowledge of what's going on in the background is a very important part of this book. It's kind of a meta-book. So freaking smart.

Okay, so I'll say what I like about the trilogy.

1. The women are complete badasses. Two of them are spies, and the other, while not technically a spy, is kind of like the Scarlet Pimpernel. Would you call the Scarlet Pimpernel a spy? She's as good as... They are completely competent in what they choose to do. And they choose to do kind of important things.
2. The characters, both men and women - not one of them - are looking for, or remotely interested in - finding mates (well, maybe Hawker is, in the Black Hawk, but that's after nearly 30 YEARS of relationship with Justine). They happen to find people they find engaging to the point of not being able to ignore them. It's not that the women are disappointed in men, or they haven't found the person they're looking for - they just have other things going on. Saving France. Averting an invasion of England. Fighting the evil that is Robespierre. The men also have lots going on: Saving England. Averting war. Thwarting Napoleon. They don't need to get married. They don't even seem to need to get laid. They might be damaged or not, but they don't take out their damage on the object of their affection. The relationships they form are egalitarian and based on mutual respect.
3. Can I just say that the relationships are SO COOL. These people help each other achieve their goals. They both have goals! And the woman's goal is NOT to encourage the man to become less of a bastard!
4. The writing is fantastic.
-For example: Half of the characters are English / half are French (all of the characters speak both French and English) (and of course, the books are written in English). I might be fooling myself, but I think I can tell when the characters are speaking French and when they're speaking English, because the cadence of the language changes. They idioms that they women, particularly, use, are different. Brilliant.
-Another example: in the Forbidden Rose, right at the beginning Marguerite catches a rabbit to eat. She's starving because the village people have burned down her house (chateau) and she had to flee for her life. I think she's been eating grass and oats for a week?! Anyway, the very brief scene where she decides to set the rabbit free is so beautiful, and gives such an insight into her character. That kind of thing - surprisingly beautiful writing and characterizations - happens again and again throughout these books.
5. The characters don't tend to meet romance stereotypes:
-Beautiful Women: While Justine and Annique are objectively described as beautiful - I don't think anyone else is. Marguerite describes herself as plain, and I don't think it's a romance put-on (you know, "oh! my darn waist-length curly auburn hair! And my waist is so small compared to my hips! So embarrassing! Such a nuisance!") - furthermore, while they might be beautiful, Justine and Annique also often make themselves plain on demand. These are characters who couldn't care less what they look like - unless it's to be less noticeable.
-Handsome men: Maybe Grey is handsome? But I get the distinct impression that Doyle is this huge lumbering bear-like, frightening dude who has a face like a hatchet, but an intellect that can not be stopped. And Hawker? Whip thin, short, gaunt although muscular? I don't think Bourne cares anything about romance conventions. It makes it fun to read.

I saw a review that said that The Black Hawk is the best book of the year. I totally agree. Absolutely. No competition. I also saw a review that said that Bourne is one of the best historical romance writers of the last century. I agree with this as well. However, because her work is so transgressive, I don't know how well her books fit within the historical romance genre. What I'm saying: I think she's a historical romance writer. Given the nature of genre conventions, there's nothing else she could be. However, I don't think her books are very much "like" other books within this genre. This is the sign of a great writer, but it makes for difficult recommendations. (less)

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Nov 02, 2011 Dls rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a truly wonderful book. As soon as I finished it I went back to the beginning and started it all over again. The characters have taken up residence in my brain and I think will be there for a long time to come.

Readers have been demanding Adrian's book ever since we met him in Bourne's first book, Spymaster's Lady, and this truly is his book. A lot of it is written from his point of view, for one thing. But more importantly, Bourne manages to have us watch Adrian grow up from 12 to 19 to...more

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Apr 24, 2013 danse rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the book. To me, it was a spy novel with romantic elements. The fact that Justine and Hawker were older characters helped to minimize the amount of irrational behavior that occurred.

I liked the flashbacks. I thought they were effective in showing how Justine and Hawker's relationship evolved over the years. I was somewhat confused by why the big event was so big - considering all she had to was explain it was an accident.

I liked the author's style. It was memorable. She made t...more

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May 21, 2012 Stacy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

A really fun read with strong, distinctive characters and a plot that actually hangs together. Spies! Historical turmoil! True lovers parted by politics! Lovely prose and witty dialog! What else can you ask for?

Hawker, aka Adrian Hawkhurst, the no-nonsense, reformed-criminal, swoon-worthy hero here, has always been the most compelling recurring character of this series. You'll enjoy The Black Hawk much more if you've read The Forbidden Rose and The Spymaster's Lady, in which Hawker is an importa...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Aly (Mircea) Basarab rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, favorites

A book worth reading. I have wanted to read Adrian's story from the first time I met him in the 1st book, The Spymaster's Lady. He is a fascinating character, one you can't predict what he'll do next.

Quotes I love:
“Join us. Cummings is about to reveal why he’s graced me with his presence today. I’m . . . what’s the word I want?”
“Intrigued.”
“Exactly. I knew you would have the mot juste in your pocket. I am intrigued.”

He drank again. “Last time you gave me brandy was outside Zurich.”
“When you came...more

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Jan 24, 2012 Alison rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, all-time-favorites, fiction, history, romance, thriller-myster-and-suspense

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I LOVED this book. Every bit of it, I adored.

The characters were fantastic. I was a bit worried, as this is book 4 (I think) of a series that I hadn't read any of the other books in and yet I wasn't lost. In fact, I'm going back to read the other three books because what I read was so satisfying.

The author's prose is really wonderful, the dialogue just stunning. It felt very real, like what two people would actually say to each other if they were in this situation.

I found the initial sex scene t...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Moni rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, 2012

Maybe if I had had Wikipedia open on my laptop while I read The Black Hawk, I would have enjoyed it a bit more. That's the kind of historical romance it was - far more historical than romance. Oh, it was plenty steamy, don't get me wrong, and I loved Adrian and Justine, both as individual characters and as a couple. The particular issue I have stems from the fact that it is just simply hard to wade through at times. You'd think after the amount of books I've read taking place in this particular...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Jerelyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: spys-oh-my, historical-fiction

The Black Hawk: by Joanna Bourne
Anyone who knows me knows I love spy novels, and mysteries, Joanna Bourne writes a good spy novel and she really knows her time period. This one in particular was well done.

What happens when two young spies, and when I mean young I mean early teens, on opposite sides of the conflict come together for a time to work together, knowing that they will soon be enemies once again. We have met these two in previous novels and so it was only time until their story would...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Deniz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Adrian's both mysterious and alluring. It's exciting to watch him and Justine at odds, through no fault of their own; they're both sharp and quick-witted, intense and dedicated, yet find themselves on opposite sides of The Game of spying.

Everything I want to say about this book gives away spoilers for what happens between Adrian and Justine. If I say the scene in the storm was sweet and exciting, you won't know what I mean unless I tell you just what they got up to under the rain - and why. If I...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Felicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

I mean, I really like this author's writing style in everything she does. It's vaguely flowery and antiquated, so be warned I like that and it makes some people furious, so it might not be for you. It makes the book feel more "significant" than others in the genre, more Outlander light than frothy stuff. ANYWAY I enjoyed this book, but I think there was some tension lost in the plot construction. I mean, there was no tension because you pretty much knew the two were DEFINITELY gonna get together...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Roxanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'll preface this by acknowledging that Joanna Bourne is obviously a well-loved author, and I don't want to necessarily detract from that. I don't think that the book itself was objectively bad; it just wasn't for me. I rarely don't finish a book, but this was a rare DNF. While both Justine and Hawker were dark and dangerous and full of angsty pasts, I had trouble discerning any personality in either of them beyond that. I couldn't get absorbed in the mystery because the constant flashbacks kept...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Ibrium rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 3-star, historical-romance, read-in-2012, nook

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was a qualified 3-star read for me. The format was not at all what I was expecting, and I found that extremely disappointing at first. I very much wanted to stay in the here and now with these characters; I found the current mystery far more interesting, and was disappointed every time we got tossed back in time in a flashback. While I understand that Justine & Hawker's story is one deeply rooted in the past, and that we needed to see that to appreciate what was happening in their prese...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Eggletina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you’ve read the previous three books in Bourne’s Spymaster series, you’ve already met Adrian Hawkhurst (Hawker), spy extraordinaire for the English Intelligence Service. And probably like me, you’ve been intrigued by his past, charmed by his sardonic wit, and anxiously awaiting his own story.

The narrative is written in Bourne’s typical whimsical style. Not everything about Bourne’s style works for me. Though a bit over-the-top, the first book still managed to feel refreshingly light and frot...more If you’ve read the previous three books in Bourne’s Spymaster series, you’ve already met Adrian Hawkhurst (Hawker), spy extraordinaire for the English Intelligence Service. And probably like me, you’ve been intrigued by his past, charmed by his sardonic wit, and anxiously awaiting his own story.

The narrative is written in Bourne’s typical whimsical style. Not everything about Bourne’s style works for me. Though a bit over-the-top, the first book still managed to feel refreshingly light and frothy with an exciting plot and intriguing world of spies and criminals. However, by the second book, and despite tantalizing me with more hints and secrets about her spy world, that same style felt overdone to the point of undermining her characterization (I didn’t care for the relationship in that book, either). By the third, I think Bourne managed to achieve a better balance between style and plot to create a more even story. I’d rate this one on par with Bourne’s first and third in terms of balancing plot, characterization and narrative style. Like the other books, we also get more pieces of an ever expanding puzzle. This is a fairly standard trick of Bourne’s with regard to her Spymaster world. I like to think of each book as filling in a section of a picture, but there is still more of the puzzle to complete. I can’t say for sure without re-reading all of the books, but I strongly suspect that Bourne has had to resort to some retroactive continuity as she expands on her Spymaster world and tinkers with her timeline.

Adrian by his own self-admission confesses, “My morality is complicated.” So is his on again/off again love affair with a rival, French spy, Justine. Both met in the previous book, The Forbidden Rose, when they were around age 12. There, we learned that Justine’s parents were killed during the Reign of Terror, leaving her with a much younger sister to care for. Eventually, she finds herself working for a Madame connected with the French Secret Police. Much like Adrian, Justine is a survivor who had to grow up far too quickly. They size one another up, trade survival secrets and readily accept that they can be rivals one minute, and cautious friends the next. Though often separated and working on opposite sides, their friendship evolved into a love affair that they’ve managed to hide without being pitted directly against one another by their employers. Both realize their sneaking around can’t last forever, and events soon intervene which force them into a confrontation that severs their relationship.

This book fast forwards to the year 1818, when they are now well into their 30s. The war is over, Adrian is Head of the English Intelligence Service, and Justine now lives in London. Neither is ready to put aside over twenty years of painful history to approach the other until Justine uncovers a plot that could destroy them both and arrives on Adrian’s doorstep perilously injured. Much of this story concentrates on the unfolding of their relationship, told mainly in flashbacks, while the present thread revolves around solving the mystery of just who is trying to frame Adrian for a series of killings (including the attempt on Justine’s life).

I enjoyed their story, but given how long these lovers had to wait to be reunited, I did find myself wishing that their story had been given a more epic treatment. Because there was so much past to reconcile between the two, the final resolution to their HEA felt rushed in comparison.

It should be noted that this series isn’t linear which has contributed to the overall puzzle surrounding many of the characters in Bourne’s spy network. For that reason, I recommend the books be read in the order they were written. The books in published order are:
The Spymaster’s Lady (1802)
My Lord and Spymaster (roughly ten years later)
The Forbidden Rose (1794)
The Black Hawk (1818)

Bourne’s next book will be about English agent, Pax (presumably taking us back to a time prior to 1818).

(less)

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Nov 29, 2011 Malin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, my-books

This book can be read as a stand-alone, but will read much better if you've read some of Joanna Bourne's previous novels in the Spymaster series, especially last year's The Forbidden Rose, where several of the novel's characters are introduced, and you get valuable backstory about this novel's main characters.

Sir Adrian Hawkhurst, head of the British Intelligence Service, opens the door his headquarters to find Justine DeCabrillac, former French spy, (who happens to be one of his childhood frie...more This book can be read as a stand-alone, but will read much better if you've read some of Joanna Bourne's previous novels in the Spymaster series, especially last year's The Forbidden Rose, where several of the novel's characters are introduced, and you get valuable backstory about this novel's main characters.

Sir Adrian Hawkhurst, head of the British Intelligence Service, opens the door his headquarters to find Justine DeCabrillac, former French spy, (who happens to be one of his childhood friends, his former lover and one of his fiercest enemies all wrapped up in one), bleeding to death on his doorstep. The dagger that stabbed her is one of his, and to make matters worse, she has been poisoned. Adrian is not about to let the woman he has loved for most of his life die, and as well as keeping her alive, he needs to find out who tried to kill her, why she ended up on his doorstep, and who is trying to frame him for her murder.

Much of the book is told in flashback, going back to the final days of the French Revolution, when Justine and Adrian, then a former London street rat known as Hawker, were children. They met when they were 13, Justine an agent for the French Secret Police, Hawker a fledgling spy for British Intelligence. While their friendship blossoms, they both know they are on opposite sides of a war, and can never truly become close. Justine gives her little sister to Doyle, Hawker's mentor, to raise, as she is eager that the girl escape the harsh and unforgiving life she herself has been forced into. Because of this, she runs into Hawker from time to time, when visiting her sister in secret, or on missions for France. The two become lovers, trusting each other despite their opposing loyalties.

The framework story takes place in 1818, after Napoleon is defeated, and imprisoned. France and England are no longer at war, and Justine has retired from her life of international intrigue. She's opened a shop in London, and for three years, Adrian has known where she is, but they have never approached each other. Now, finally seeing a chance to win her, once and for all, he needs to figure out why someone is intent on destroying them both, and convince Justine to stay with him for the rest of their lives.

I've read all of the books Joanna Bourne has in print, and this, her fourth in the Spymaster series, is by far my favourite. It helps that Adrian, as a supporting character in the other books, has more or less stolen every scene he is in. Yet with such high expectations, there was every chance that this book would turn out to be a huge disappointment. I'm so glad it actually surpassed my expectations. Justine and Hawker's romance is epic and all the more satisfying because they are separated for so long, and have to work so hard to reconcile their differences and find their happy ending. (less)

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Nov 05, 2011 Mandi Schreiner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, favorite-2011

Finally we get Hawker’s book and it has been a long time in the making. Adrian Hawker, former thief, now mastermind spy, having trained under William Doyle. At the start of The Black Hawk, we see Adrian in his mid-30’s, and Head of the British Intelligence Service. And as goes his life, he gets drama on his doorstep. His former lover, (always his love) Justine, shows up stabbed and bleeding. Justine is a french spy, and although meeting when they were very young and cementing their union, they h...more Finally we get Hawker’s book and it has been a long time in the making. Adrian Hawker, former thief, now mastermind spy, having trained under William Doyle. At the start of The Black Hawk, we see Adrian in his mid-30’s, and Head of the British Intelligence Service. And as goes his life, he gets drama on his doorstep. His former lover, (always his love) Justine, shows up stabbed and bleeding. Justine is a french spy, and although meeting when they were very young and cementing their union, they have found themselves as enemy spies, serving on opposite sides of the war. When they first meet, Justine is already in the Police Secrete, possibly hoping to one day recruit Hawker. But his mentor, Doyle has other plans, shaping Hawker into the brilliant spy he is today. Dragging her into his house and spy headquarters, the staff furiously works to save her. Realizing the knife has been poisoned, and that it is one of Hawker’s knives, he knows this isn’t some random stabbing. As a matter of fact, several Frenchmen in London have been dying by Hawker’s famous knives, yet he is not the one doing the stabbing. He is being set up and Justine is in the middle of it. He hasn’t seen Justine for many years – why, you ask? Well, that is something you will have to find out.

As I just mentioned, The Black Hawk starts with Adrian as the Head of the British Intelligence Service, but it quickly flashes back to when Adrian and Justine are about 13 years old. I have to admit that at first I was disappointed. For fans of this series, we spent the entire previous book, The Forbidden Rose with a teenaged Hawker. So I was done with him at that age. But, the story there is integral to the overall story arc, and looking back, I’m glad we saw him at that age with Justine. We learn of their involvement with Caches – French children brainwashed at a very young age to become spies. They are brutally treated, stripped of everything they know, groomed to be sent to England to one day integrate as spies into higher circles. I’m not going to go into too much here, but these children play an integral role in this story. It is here we also learn of Justine’s devastating past, that she had to work as a prostitute. Her time spent in that brothel crippled her and she has not let that pain go.

We don’t stay there that long, and we soon move to when Hawker and Justine are in their 20’s. Although each a spy for opposing countries, they find themselves always drawn back to the other. No matter if years have gone by or only days. They become lovers, yet always torn apart by duty. They are honorable spies – killing, and bleeding for their countries, but the precious time they have together, however sparse through the years, is so dear to them. And Hawker, ever the steadfast man, helps Justine see that she is so much more than a whore.

He knew what she was. Knew what she had done. There was no condemnation in him. He had done terrible things, himself.
He kissed her eyelids, closing her in the darkness with him. He was there with her. In the heat and solidity of his body.
In his breath on her face. In kisses on the corners of her eyes, that did not hurry. He went deep into her mouth. When men kissed her that way, she must –
“Stay with me, Owl.” His finger closed tight around her face. “Me. Not the damned ghosts.”
He tangled his fingers into her hair and held her while his mouth took hers. This time, he was not careful and gentle.
So while they have these passionate moments together, they are far and few between. Justine fears throughout that she lets her emotions best her, when it comes to Adrian (instead of keeping her head in the game), but Adrian is just as bad. He may play total nonchalance, and be the expert at fitting in in any situation, but he can’t quit her either. And at the end of it all, there is much hurt on both sides. How can these two spies that have given everything for their countries, find happiness? It’s a long, long road, and Joanna Bourne makes them work oh so very hard for it, but it is a beautiful tale. Her style of writing is so unique. Besides the great descriptive detail of the time period, as the reader you actually feel like you could be a spy right along with Hawker and Justine. She aslo slyly includes these witty remarks, that just burst a smile onto your face as you catch them.

There is also a supporting story with Hawker’s fellow spy, Pax that became so engrossing, I caught myself gasping at a few twists and turns with his plot and I believe his book is next.

What else can I say? Joanna Bourne is a favorite author of mine. I find her books exquisite and so very romantic. Her characters and storylines are complex yet warm and witty. Although this can be read as a stand alone, Hawker plays a pretty big role in the previous book, The Forbidden Rose. I also really enjoyed, The Spy Master’s Lady. I don’t think you can go wrong with this author.

Rating: A(less)

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The Black Hawk (Spymaster #4)

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