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The Devil's Garden
by
Jane Kindred (Goodreads Author)
In The Devil's Garden, appearances can be deceiving...
Ume Sky enjoys her place of honor as temple courtesan for the reigning Meer of In'La--until an assignation with a client ends in violence. Her elite status stripped away, Ume is forced to return to a life on the streets as Cillian Rede, the boy she used to be.
Cillian finds temporary harbor with dockhand Cree Sylva, wher
...moreKindle Edition
Published
(first published June 27th 2011)
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Mar 13, 2013
Amber J.
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of fantasy and magic realism (age 18+)
"Boy."
The word stopped him in his tracks as he stepped into the passageway. No one had called him that since he was twelve. "I need your name, to send word." Nesre's eyes held flat disinterest, dismissing any evidence of Ume Sky’s existence.
"It’s Cillian. Cillian Rede."
Every good thing that everyone has already said about this book is absolutely true.
I only have one main complaint (which I also think someone has already stated): This should have been a full-length novel. Even though there were...more
I expected The Devil’s Garden to be a pleasant diversion, a minor work of gender bending romance, framed by a slight adventure. The concept of a young street urchin disguised as a famous temple courtesan sounded intriguing, but I came into the book resigned to the erotic elements being primary in the past.
What a delightful surprise to find that I underestimated on all counts!
This is a book that was as exciting as it was romantic, and as thoughtful as it was erotic. Just as there are delightfully...more
What a delightful surprise to find that I underestimated on all counts!
This is a book that was as exciting as it was romantic, and as thoughtful as it was erotic. Just as there are delightfully...more
Jul 03, 2011
AmyBeth Inverness
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
nelson-repp-d,
romance-erotic
I have been looking forward to reading The Devil’s Garden for months now, and Jane in no way disappoints her readers. What the blurb describes of Ume’s transition and struggle is only the beginning of a complex and complete story, even though it is only 25,000 words.
Jane Kindred creates a unique world that is at once both vaguely familiar and sensually exotic. The relationships will inspire anyone who appreciates how love develops in the human heart regardless of the gender roles we play. In a c...more
Jane Kindred creates a unique world that is at once both vaguely familiar and sensually exotic. The relationships will inspire anyone who appreciates how love develops in the human heart regardless of the gender roles we play. In a c...more
Reviewed at: Over A Cuppa Tea
Review date:12 June 2011
Review link: http://cleffairy.com/?p=5498
‘The Devil’s Garden’ by Jane Kindred is a strange story. Well, at least, it is strange to me in the beginning. It was rather difficult to grasps and imagine the world of the characters, but I got used to it after awhile and everything was absolutely captivating from then on.
This book ought to be praised for the creativity and imagination, and I devoured this book within an hour. Highly engaging, seducti...more
Review date:12 June 2011
Review link: http://cleffairy.com/?p=5498
‘The Devil’s Garden’ by Jane Kindred is a strange story. Well, at least, it is strange to me in the beginning. It was rather difficult to grasps and imagine the world of the characters, but I got used to it after awhile and everything was absolutely captivating from then on.
This book ought to be praised for the creativity and imagination, and I devoured this book within an hour. Highly engaging, seducti...more
The Devil's Garden presents an extremely well drawn, richly detailed world. Ms. Kindred presents a unique skill to readers - an ability to create a beautiful, sensory setting in the few pages alotted to a novella. The political aspects of the plot at times felt a little familar but worked well with in the story as a whole. The characters were well drawn and their internal struggles added a layer to the book I had not expected when I began reading. At times I did struggle to follow the many chara...more
A book’s cover is its calling card and this cover is gorgeous. A lot of times I’ll read a book and go back and look at the cover and realize how the cover didn’t quite capture the story, or how there are bits of the cover which don’t quite fit with the tale inside. But in this case, I couldn’t imagine a more perfect showcase for The Devil’s Garden. Right away there is the flavor of another land, with the promise of luxurious settings, and beautiful women. And you won’t be disappointed. But, as t...more
So many things to list that were wonderful about this book. Beautiful prose, fascinating world, compelling characters, heartbreaking dilemma.
BUT, my complaint is that this novella is a novel that wasn't made to live up to its promise and allowed to be a novella instead. (Notice I said "made" not "allowed" 'cause I know it ain't rainbows and wishes that come up with those other 50k words.)
I have absolutely no problem with novellas simply for being novellas. In fact, I love that the e-pub age has...more
BUT, my complaint is that this novella is a novel that wasn't made to live up to its promise and allowed to be a novella instead. (Notice I said "made" not "allowed" 'cause I know it ain't rainbows and wishes that come up with those other 50k words.)
I have absolutely no problem with novellas simply for being novellas. In fact, I love that the e-pub age has...more
I was interested in reading this book because the main character is transgender. As a boy Cillian only dreams of being Ume Sky, a courtesan. He is 17 and for years has served as a court appointed courtesan. Treated with fairness and sacred desire by those who come to see him. That is until one day he is accused of murder and has to flee the courts. On the streets he meets a dockhand, Cree. Cillian learns that this is no ordinary dockhand. Cree has plans to over throw the governing body, along wi...more
This was a very engaging read. Characters and setting are sensually drawn-- in every sense of that word. I'm amazed at the tautness of the narrative because so much is brilliantly conveyed in a relatively short text. Devil's Garden represents the very best of imaginative storytelling and I can't wait to read more by this author.
Jun 14, 2011
stormhawk
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommended to stormhawk by:
netgalley.com
Shelves:
kindle,
pre-publication-galley
Political intrigue, courtesans, feminism, cross-dressing, soft porn, never really come together into a cohesive whole in this short novel.
Read as pre-publication galley.
Read as pre-publication galley.
A haunting, complex story of identity and love.
Sep 27, 2011
Helena
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Erotica and Fantasy fans
Recommended to Helena by:
The Author
This book hooked me early on, and I couldn't put it down. I wished it was longer. Hooray for gender-bendyness!
May 22, 2013
Heather Trahan
marked it as to-read
May 17, 2013
Vincent M
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Feb 27, 2013
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Feb 17, 2013
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Feb 08, 2013
harlequin {Stephanie}
marked it as maybe-reads
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Sep 26, 2012
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Jane Kindred is the author of The House of Arkhangel’sk trilogy and The Devil’s Garden. Born in Billings, Montana, she spent her formative years ruining her eyes reading romance novels in the Tucson sun and watching Star Trek marathons in the dark. She now writes to the sound of San Francisco foghorns while two cats slowly but surely edge her off the side of the bed.
You can find Jane on her Twitte...more
More about Jane Kindred...
You can find Jane on her Twitte...more
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