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Feb 03, 2008

Kelly rated it:

Since it had been so long since the publication of "Now Face to Face," the sequel to "Through a Glass Darkly," I was operating under the dim reminiscences of books I read twenty years ago, which were favorable enough that I picked this one up with alacrity. Once I picked it up, I was trapped in it.

Here the main character is the architect of everything that happens in the other two books (to an extent): the woman who becomes the duchess of Tamworth, whose granddau More...

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Dec 17, 2009

Susan rated it:

This was a treat for me... it's a well crafted historical novel set in the reign of Charles II of England. And that has to be one of my favorite periods in English history. This is the prequel to Through a Glass Darkly Koen's earlier novel and the main character in this novel is the grandmother in the earlier novel. I reread Through a Glass Darkly after reading this novel and doing so definitely lent a new flavor to it. Dark Angels is set mostly in the court of Charles II, which is a court fu More...

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Apr 20, 2007

Joy rated it:

Another Cracker Barrel pick. I'm reading another Koen book now - Through a Glass Darkly - that a friend recommended. They're both cute page turners with the occasional hearty sex scene.

So there you are, calmly driving through, let's say, Ohio looking at the cows, and the silos, the giant Jesus crosses scattered throughout the picturesque countryside and then - bam! - he takes her (who turns out to be him) from behind, pleasuring 'her' as he does so, and just as she's about to rea More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

May 17, 2011

Hannah rated it:

Dark Angels by Karleen Koen
"She had stepped atop a huge coil of rope for this view, and a sailor, eyeing her statins and the single strand of fat pearls at her neck, had warned her to be careful, but she'd sent him off with a withering comment to mind his own business. She wasn't one to suffer fools--or even those who weren't fools--telling her what to do."
And with these lines we are introduced to Alice Verney (and with these lines I immediately loved her).Alice is a court More...

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Sep 16, 2010

Gaile rated it:

The central character is Alice Verney. Alice is a manipulator. At the beginning of the book, she has lost her finance to a girl he got pregnant. Maid Of Honor to King Charles's sister, she returns to England when the princess dies and becomes Maid Of Honor to the queen Of England. Her she strongly disapproves of her friend's choices of finances. She decides on the aged Duke Of Balmoral for herself.
In the meantime, the Duke is managing a large spy network.
All around Alice, everyone fall More...

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Sep 14, 2009

Julie rated it:

Alice Verney, a maid of honor to Princess Henriette of France returns to England after her mistress's mysterious and horrible death, with the ambition to marry the elderly Duke of Balmoral. This ambition holds firm in spite of her attraction to Richard Saylor, an enterprising soldier who, while he appreciates Alice's wit and political savvy, is competing with the king himself for the affections of Renee DeKaroulle, a French beauty who cannot quite make up her mind whose affections she truly desi More...

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Apr 19, 2011

Carole rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Nov 24, 2010

Erica rated it:

This is the most enthralling piece of historical fiction I have ever read. I have often thought of myself as born into the wrong century. But would I have been able to survive the political scheming and romantic drama experienced by Alice Verney, a lady in waiting, during England’s Restoration period? Rich with period detail and a flow of events so captivating that you will find yourself thoroughly caught up in the drama and mysteries surrounding the scandalous court of Charles II. Alice’s pursu More...

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Aug 13, 2010

Nicole rated it:

The first four-fifths of this book were great, and I felt that they really embedded me in the time. They gave a full, rounded sense of the social mores and machinations of the courts of the era.

Unfortunately, Koen essentially winds up what could be a tense thriller and then just lets all the pieces fall, rather than giving a thrilling climax. All of our main characters have things done to them rather than taking action, which is pretty dull. Also, there's one fairly important charact More...

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May 13, 2009

Rhlibrary added it

This is the most enthralling piece of historical fiction I have ever read. I have often thought of myself as born into the wrong century. But would I have been able to survive the political scheming and romantic drama experienced by Alice Verney, a lady in waiting, during England’s Restoration period? Rich with period detail and a flow of events so captivating that you will find yourself thoroughly caught up in the drama and mysteries surrounding the scandalous court of Charles II. Alice’s pursu More...

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Sep 16, 2011

Sarah rated it:

Set in the Restoration court of Charles II, Dark Angels tells the tale of young Alice Verney, a headstrong woman determined to be a duchess. Already betrayed by her first fiance, Alice plots her revenge in a court teaming with poison, passion, and politics. She encounters the handsome young Richard Saylor, a soldier with promise, and while a mutual attraction slowly forms between the two, Alice remains dedicated to becoming a duchess. While I always enjoy historical fiction set during the Res More...

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Oct 06, 2010

Kelly A. rated it:

This was one of those books that I bought on a whim. I was actually going to buy Through a Glass Darkly: A Novel[Image] when I noticed that a prequel had recently been written, this book. I wasn't sure if I should read the books in the order the author published them, or in chronological order. I went with the latter; I'm not really sure it made a difference.

The book is set in the mid/late 1600s, alternating between France and England as the main character, Alice Verney, travels to b More...

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Feb 05, 2009

Bookmarks Magazine added it

Karleen Koen has been largely absent from the literary scene for 20 years, and critics who enjoyed Through a Glass Darkly herald her return. Reviewers agree that Koen's deep knowledge of world politics and daily life during the Restoration contributes to the strength of her writing, which appears undiminished by her time off. Her handling of romance is delicate, with passion confined to a few kisses and clearly peripheral to the plot. The real focus is scandalous intrigue, much of it based on hi

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Oct 31, 2010

Sherry rated it:

Huh. That's it, it's over?

I was impressed by the author's ability to make me cheer for a thoroughly unlikable protagonist. Selfish, manipulative, unforgiving, arrogant Alice was a rich character. Most of the other characters were believable, as well - their flaws, their inconsistencies were presented with clarity and gave them great depth. Richard, however, needed more development - his powerful feelings at the end of the novel came out of (almost) nowhere.

I enjoyed More...

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Sep 18, 2009

Heather rated it:

Dark Angels by Karleen Koen

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

Dark Angels is a prequel to Through a Glass Darkly, and accordingly I read this first (but that was an accident. At the time I didn’t know there were other books by her). Set in the court of the licentious Charles II an amazing romance springs forth (what could be a better place to set a historical romance?). Alice Verney is the female protagonist – and an amazing heroine as well! She is a courtier to Queen C More...

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Sep 22, 2010

Stephanie rated it:

the reign of King Charles II and his wife, his lovers, and their courtiers, on 17th century England and France. Hopefully very based in history, it was a fascinating intrigue that kept me interested until near the end. Sometimes it would be interesting to see the behind-the-scenes machinations at work and be reminded how the role of women was so limited. I actually found the Queen to be the most interesting. She certainly was the only character that had some sense of self-awareness and realiz More...

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Nov 30, 2011

Lee rated it:

I read this as an advance reader copy even though I have reservations about historical fictions that take place in time periods with excessive frills on clothing. It wasn't horrible - it was an interesting behind-the-scenes peek into the court of Charles II; however, I really want more politics than pomp, and this book delivers more on the pomp. I have no doubt this is would be an excellent book for readers that enjoy escapist period fiction: it is reasonably well written and the author ably bri More...

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Aug 16, 2011

Vicky rated it:

At the moment I am reading the latest book by Karleen Koen. I became a fan after reading the "Dark Angel" years ago. It was the first book of a very interesting historical trilogy. We are at the court of Charles II, it is time of Restoration and the court is brimming with intrigues and deception. Actually this book was a prequel to the "Through a glass darkly". The last book of the trilogy was "Now face to face". All of them followed the story of the same aristocra More...

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May 19, 2009

Rowena rated it:

Dark Angels plunges the reader into the swirling intrigues of Charles II's court. Alice Verney is a lady's maid to the Queen. Being so close to royalty affords Alice the opportunity to discover all the various secrets and plots that speckle this brash English court. Alice herself is not without her own schemes as she coquettes and intrigues her way to the top.

I appreciate KK's books for her vivid and striking descriptions of court life. Nothing is left out, from the depictions of Que More...

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May 11, 2010

Peg rated it:

Being an historical novel afficionado, when a neighbor loaned me this book I became very involved in the characters and the history. Then I discovered that the book was a prequel to "Through a Glass Darkly", which resembles a slightly historical romance novel (although I did find the information on John Law and his establishment of the first central bank of France in 1716 of interest). "Dark Angels" was written 20 years after the original story, and the author definitely impr More...

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Aug 26, 2009

Deanna rated it:

I really enjoyed this book set in seventeenth century England. It was similar style to Katherine by Seton which I also recommend. It wasn't as dark as Phillipa Gregory's writing (Other Boyeln Girl) as well. I loved how realistic the main character was with her pride and other defects but her redeeming virtues and strong character had you empathize with her. Well worth the time and money since I got it on a clearance rack at Borders. FYI, it was an adult book that I had to breifly pass over a More...

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Apr 29, 2011

Marissa rated it:

This is a fictional story taking place in Restoration England. However, some of the novel is set in Louis XIV's France. Most of the main characters in this novel are completely fictional, with no real historical basis but the rest are all real historical figures. This is my favorite kind of historical fiction because there is no pressure for the author to stick to a certain perception of a real historical character. Many novelists who use Elizabeth I, for example, as their main character, are cr More...

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Apr 09, 2011

Matthew rated it:

After reading "Through A Glass Darkly" and "Now Face to Face" "Dark Angels", I felt, did not live up to it's predecessors nor did it feel like a true attempt at a prequel.

One would think that, given the huge time gap between her last novel and this, Koen would have improved as a writer and given us a story that was every bit as wonderful as the first two if not better. Sadly, this was not the case.

For starters, the romance between Richard an More...

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Jan 22, 2011

Ana T. rated it:

This was my first read by Karleen Koen. A book set in Charles II's court sound interesting and full of intrigue and I decided to pick. I also have a biography of his Queen in my TBR pile and thought this could be an interesting first introduction to the period.

The main character is a young lady, Alice de Verney, a former lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine who followed Princess Henrietta to France on her wedding to Monsieur, the brother of the French King Louis XIV. More...

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Jan 31, 2009

Sandie rated it:

Welcome to the court of Charles II, hotbed of corruption, both political and moral. Enter Alice Verney, who aspires to a command a position of power within the court and seeks to attain her goal by marrying the aging Duke of Balmoral. Longstanding friendships are threatened by Alice's quest as well as her unequivocal need to control not only her own life but also the lives of those around her.

Alice is an unconventional heroine in the respect that she has always had money and been ac More...

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Feb 23, 2008

JW rated it:

The story of a young woman's scheming during the Restoration, I almost gave up on this one. I didn't really care about the heroine, I didn't like really any of the supporting characters and I just couldn't get into this book, which can only go into the category of "women's books". Which is just an adjective, not a judgment (c'mon, the protagonist is a women trying to get a rich husband and there's a lot of dress descriptions).

But I needed something to read at the gym and e More...

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Feb 12, 2008

planetkimi rated it:

I've never said this about a book before, but Dark Angels is too shallow. "OMG, somebody's stockings were green! How exciting!" *rolls eyes* The attitudes of the characters in this book make the French Revolution seem like an almost reasonable response to the narcissistic, drama-mongering courts of France and England.

I couldn't relate to the characters or their motivations, and I don't care who marries whom. I especially don't like Alice, the protagonist. I think she is More...

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Oct 11, 2007

Michelle rated it:

i got this cause i enjoyed the author's other novel, "through a glass darkly" and this was a prequel of sorts to that. this book ALMOST had it. ALMOST! but then it went and pulled one of my pet peeves, which is a tacky ending. I started to get worried when a new plotline seemed to be starting and I could tell there were only about 10 pages left in the book :( it seems like a case of editor-itis, because there were all these wonderful plotlines that seemed to be going places but most of More...

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Mar 14, 2009

Lisa rated it:

I picked this up at a library sale. I kind of have a like/hate thing going on with this book. Sometimes I was disgusted at how shallow it was and did not really like the main character at all. But then sometimes it would be interesting to see the behind-the-scenes machinations at work and be reminded how the role of women was so freaking limited. I actually found the Queen to be the most interesting. She certainly was the only character that had some sense of self-awareness and realization.

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May 29, 2011

Annika rated it:

Not in the class of the best historical fiction writers like Margaret George and Sharon Kay Penman, but I enjoyed it a lot more than I originally expected to. The main romance could use some more development, as the depth of feeling comes a bit out of nowhere, and there are a few loose ends that weren't tied up, but overall it was an interesting look at the court and time of King Charles II, and Koen did a good job of making me care about a flawed main character.

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