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The Dark Queen Saga #1
The Dark Queen
From Brittany's misty shores to the decadent splendor of Paris's royal court, one woman must fulfill her destiny while facing the treacherous designs of Catherine de Medici, the dark queen.
She is Ariane, the Lady of Faire Isle, one of the Cheney sisters, renowned for their mystical skills and for keeping the isle secure and prosperous. But this is a time when women of ability are deemed sorceresses, when Renaissance France is torn by ruthless political intrigues, and all are held in thrall to the sinister ambitions of Queen Catherine de Medici. Then a wounded stranger arrives on Faire Isle, bearing a secret the Dark Queen will do everything in her power to possess. The only person Ariane can turn to is the comte de Renard, a nobleman with fiery determination and a past as mysterious as his own unusual gifts.
Riveting, vibrant, and breathtaking, The Dark Queen follows Ariane and Renard as they risk everything to prevent the fulfillment of a dreadful prophecy even if they must tempt fate and their own passions.
She is Ariane, the Lady of Faire Isle, one of the Cheney sisters, renowned for their mystical skills and for keeping the isle secure and prosperous. But this is a time when women of ability are deemed sorceresses, when Renaissance France is torn by ruthless political intrigues, and all are held in thrall to the sinister ambitions of Queen Catherine de Medici. Then a wounded stranger arrives on Faire Isle, bearing a secret the Dark Queen will do everything in her power to possess. The only person Ariane can turn to is the comte de Renard, a nobleman with fiery determination and a past as mysterious as his own unusual gifts.
Riveting, vibrant, and breathtaking, The Dark Queen follows Ariane and Renard as they risk everything to prevent the fulfillment of a dreadful prophecy even if they must tempt fate and their own passions.
544 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
201 people are currently reading
5400 people want to read
About the author
Susan Carroll
61 books376 followersBorn Susan Carol Cute in 1952, Susan Coppula obtained a Degree in English with complementary studies in History in the University of Indiana. Since 1986, Susan has published books under three different pseudonyms: Susan Carroll, Susan Coppula, and Serena Richards
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
July 23, 2010
What I expected from this book:
I fairly historical account of court life surrounding Catherine de'Medici circa 1570's with a love story thrown in for good measure.
What this book is:
A romance novel based around 1570 with a lot of imaginative additions and a lot of historical subtractions.
Now it's not the book's fault that it wasn't what I wanted it to be. It can hardly rewrite itself just because I had a misconception of what the story was about.
But I still couldn't stand it, and I think if I tried to read it again, knowing what I was getting myself into, then it would still annoy me and this is why:
This book is very PRO-feminism, which I am ALL for, believe me. Yey Women! *Waves national flag of Ladyland*
But the feminism is all on the surface so much as I could see (I couldn't bring myselt to quite finish this book!)
Our heroine is a "Daughter of the Earth" (Read: witch) because she could not possibly be bound but cultural or religious norms of the day. However, she meets our hero who is a mysterious, ruggedly handsome Comte, Renard, who attempts to force her hand in marriage.
Catherine de'Medici is also a dark sorcerer and she is the main villain of the novel.
So why does it fail to whip up a feminine frenzy in me? Well, first of all, it's so heavy handed! It's all about the women. In an age known for locking them up and having little tolerance for magic. These women roam free, are reknowned as witches and have a whole island that is pretty much culturally detached from the rest of the world.
Men are sarcastically berated from their limited worldview, the heroine is working to keep herself and her sisters free from the world, there's a big deal with the second sister moaning on about how women can't do anything without sex and how none of her skills are valuable in the world because she's a woman blah, blah, blah.
Please embrace the fine art of subtlety. Please. The Brick of Feminist Dogma has been engaged enough in the first 70 pages of this book to last a lifetime.
Second of all, do not put all this stuff in there only to rip it all away with the actions of your characters. Your heroine is a strong female character, but it's okay for the hero to kiss her twice without permission and to insist on her marrying him because... he's really sexy?
It's like you're saying that women just don't know what's best for them and so it's okay for their hero to come along and show them what's right. I mean, don't get me wrong - just about everyone comes along and tells him he's a very, very bad man. But, luckily, he just keeps pluggin' away at it because if he didn't then that pesky woman would make her own choices and miss out on his sexy manliness and we just can't go having that, now can we?
Oh and let's not forget that we've taken one of the more amazing, intelligent and determined historical women of history and reduced her to a petty villain who has only risen to power NOT because she's ambitious, clever and incredible - no she's done it through sorcery, fear and cruelty.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
To sum up, the writing is meh, the characters are meh, the historical element isn't very good. It's basically just a really light read for people who don't want to think and aren't expecting brilliance.
One more thing that really, really annoys me is that she's a witch. People find out about that and you're about as good as charcoal. You'd think you'd be a little quiet about your abilities. Well, no. Arienne is about as subtle as the author. EVERYONE knows about her. A stranger travels from miles and miles away because he's heard of her. Everyone on the island she lives on knows about her. People on the mainland know about her. Fuck it, the whole world knows about her.
Good thinking there. Real clever. You're not likely to end up a crispy critter at all.
Let me know how you go with that.
Actually, don't - because to do that, I'd have to finish reading you and the other two books in the trilogy and I'm not at all interested in doing that.
I fairly historical account of court life surrounding Catherine de'Medici circa 1570's with a love story thrown in for good measure.
What this book is:
A romance novel based around 1570 with a lot of imaginative additions and a lot of historical subtractions.
Now it's not the book's fault that it wasn't what I wanted it to be. It can hardly rewrite itself just because I had a misconception of what the story was about.
But I still couldn't stand it, and I think if I tried to read it again, knowing what I was getting myself into, then it would still annoy me and this is why:
This book is very PRO-feminism, which I am ALL for, believe me. Yey Women! *Waves national flag of Ladyland*
But the feminism is all on the surface so much as I could see (I couldn't bring myselt to quite finish this book!)
Our heroine is a "Daughter of the Earth" (Read: witch) because she could not possibly be bound but cultural or religious norms of the day. However, she meets our hero who is a mysterious, ruggedly handsome Comte, Renard, who attempts to force her hand in marriage.
Catherine de'Medici is also a dark sorcerer and she is the main villain of the novel.
So why does it fail to whip up a feminine frenzy in me? Well, first of all, it's so heavy handed! It's all about the women. In an age known for locking them up and having little tolerance for magic. These women roam free, are reknowned as witches and have a whole island that is pretty much culturally detached from the rest of the world.
Men are sarcastically berated from their limited worldview, the heroine is working to keep herself and her sisters free from the world, there's a big deal with the second sister moaning on about how women can't do anything without sex and how none of her skills are valuable in the world because she's a woman blah, blah, blah.
Please embrace the fine art of subtlety. Please. The Brick of Feminist Dogma has been engaged enough in the first 70 pages of this book to last a lifetime.
Second of all, do not put all this stuff in there only to rip it all away with the actions of your characters. Your heroine is a strong female character, but it's okay for the hero to kiss her twice without permission and to insist on her marrying him because... he's really sexy?
It's like you're saying that women just don't know what's best for them and so it's okay for their hero to come along and show them what's right. I mean, don't get me wrong - just about everyone comes along and tells him he's a very, very bad man. But, luckily, he just keeps pluggin' away at it because if he didn't then that pesky woman would make her own choices and miss out on his sexy manliness and we just can't go having that, now can we?
Oh and let's not forget that we've taken one of the more amazing, intelligent and determined historical women of history and reduced her to a petty villain who has only risen to power NOT because she's ambitious, clever and incredible - no she's done it through sorcery, fear and cruelty.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
To sum up, the writing is meh, the characters are meh, the historical element isn't very good. It's basically just a really light read for people who don't want to think and aren't expecting brilliance.
One more thing that really, really annoys me is that she's a witch. People find out about that and you're about as good as charcoal. You'd think you'd be a little quiet about your abilities. Well, no. Arienne is about as subtle as the author. EVERYONE knows about her. A stranger travels from miles and miles away because he's heard of her. Everyone on the island she lives on knows about her. People on the mainland know about her. Fuck it, the whole world knows about her.
Good thinking there. Real clever. You're not likely to end up a crispy critter at all.
Let me know how you go with that.
Actually, don't - because to do that, I'd have to finish reading you and the other two books in the trilogy and I'm not at all interested in doing that.
August 2, 2007
Books like this are the reason I'm glad I use the library and don't pay for books unless I know for a fact that they are wonderful. This one begins well enough, and reviews raved about how great it was, an awesome historical fiction, etc. I began to get suspicious when there were mentions of flashing eyes and a woman that didn't want to marry a mysterious stranger. "Huh, this sounds like a slutty romance novel. But no, other people said it was better than that..." And then I got to the part where "No man had ever been so bold" and she "longed for him to cup her breasts" and I realized I had been fooled. Philippa Gregory can pull off historical fiction with a BIT of well-written sex, not a crappy romance with a bit of historical fiction. Why can't anyone else?
August 7, 2016
Cheesy as hell, annoying martyr-type characters, a plot that should have been condensed into half the pages, & endless rah-rah-yay-women!! undertones that were as subtle as a sledgehammer through a wedding cake. In short: YAWN.
August 18, 2024
5/5 ⭐
“…parece haber una fuerza irresistible que nos atrae.”
En inglés se titula “The Dark Queen” (deberían haber dejado el título original) y lo releí para poder leer el segundo que se llama “La Cortesana”; ha sido mucho más placentero que la primera vez. Publicado por Urano en el 2007, es el primer libro de la Serie “La Reina Oscura” y va de guantes envenenados, con protagonista a Catalina de Medicis como la Reina Negra, con una protagonista que es una Hija de la Tierra, una buscadora de sabiduría y conocimiento, una detractora de la superstición y la oscuridad, una curandera y cuidadora; funciones inculcadas hasta los huesos y que para Ariane, nuestra protagonista, dar la espalda a quien pide ayuda supondría no cumplir con lo que le habían enseñado.
Ariane Cheney vive en la isla Faire, una pequeña isla habitada por mujeres, muchas de ellas “hechiceras” y si ella es “la señora de la Isla Faire” sus hermanas, Gabrielle, es la princesa de la familia, y, Miri, sin duda es la niña hada, una pequeña salvaje, algo fantasiosa y bastante frágil.
Ariane ocupa el lugar de su madre, es curandera, sanadora, pero no es una campesina, tiene la piel fina y su rostro refleja una solemne dignidad que para muchos podría ser una sacerdotisa druida, para otros una bruja. Y ésta novela se sitúa en época de Cazadores de brujas, a lo que nuestra protagonista tendrá que hacer frente. Ella ha decidido quedarse soltera y cuidar de la gente de la isla-fortaleza, pero apenas tiene fuerzas para continuar con el legado de su madre y mantenerlos a salvo, ya que ella está arruinada desde que su padre las abandonó. Ariane solo quiere dedicarse a sus hierbas y cuidar de sus dos hermanas pero el destino le tiene preparado otros planes a la hija de la mítica Evangeline Cheney.
Susan Carroll al comienzo del libro, dice que Catalina de Médicis, alias La Reina Negra, de la cual se dice que tenía el poder de leer los ojos, de obligar a decir la verdad a las personas y de haber envenenado a la Reina de Navarra, se basa en una mezcla alquímica de mito y realidad. Durante el reinado de Catalina de Médicis abundaban los rumores de que utilizaba la magia negra. Muchos creían que era bruja y que conocía el arte del envenenamiento, aunque no hay pruebas que respalden este hecho. Se sabe que contrató a un grupo de hermosas mujeres para seducir a sus enemigos de la corte y a las que denominó el Escuadrón Volante. Sin duda, era una experta en las artes de la intriga política.
De modo que “El destino de Ariane” combina hechos reales con ficción, recurre a la leyenda, adornada con el poder de la imaginación, y crea está historia de la Reina Negra. No es un retrato exacto del complejo personaje de Catalina de Médicis o de los acontecimientos que condujeron a la funesta noche del mes de agosto de 1572, conocida como la matanza de San Bartolomé, que fue el asesinato en masa de hugonotes (cristianos protestantes franceses de doctrina calvinista). Desconocía éste hecho histórico y la autora le dedica un capítulo a narrarnos el infierno desatado en las calles de París.
Son tres libros, cada uno contando la historia de una de las tres hermanas Cheney, que son "brujas blancas". En éste primero ya vamos conociendo cosas que se desarrollarán en profundidad en el segundo libro y sospecho que en el tercero también.
Las hermanas Cheney son protagonistas fuertes, valientes, cada una en su estilo, y que no están solas: cuentan con héroes muy guapos e imperfectos. En esta historia tenemos a un atractivo pretendiente, el Conde Renard, un hombre que oculta algo, pero ella no consigue descubrir qué es; Nadie sabe nada de él, solo que ha heredado inesperadamente el título y posesiones de tierras, que es hijo bastardo de un conde, otros dicen que es hijo legítimo pero que cometió una horrible acción en su juventud y tuvo que marcharse lejos durante muchos años. Ahora, está de regreso y es el Señor de las Tierras y está acostumbrado a salirse con la suya y tiene una obsesión: Ariane Cheney. Desde su primer encuentro, él se ha propuesto casarse con ella porque alguien muy sabio le susurró una profecía que Renard debe cumplir a toda costa.
El problema es que Ariane no quiere casarse con nadie pero Justice Deauville, como se llama Renard, la convencerá por medio de un anillo que tendrá que ponerse y que es igual al que él lleva. Si ella se coloca el anillo en su dedo, estarán unidos de un modo que desafiará el tiempo y el espacio. Ariane podrá invocarlo a su lado con un simple pensamiento. Cuando lo haya llamado tres veces, se tendrá que casar con él. Ariane no cree en este tipo de magia, pero accede a llevarlo.
Es una novela que tiene mucha magia, la ambientación de la época combinada con ella es excelente, sumado a que tiene mucha historia: personajes de la realeza, como es la ya mencionada Reina Negra, los Cazadores de brujas, el conflicto en Francia que desde hace años generan malestar, por una terrible guerra civil entre católicos y protestantes.
En cuanto a la historia de amor, es también mágica, sin caer en la exageración de escenas de cama. Sí, se dan, pero la descripción es respetuosa. Ambos personajes son apasionados, pero el amor entre ellos no es en un instante sino que va poco a poco desarrollándose. Ariane no confía en el Conde al principio porque ella está acostumbrada a leer los ojos, ya que es uno de sus poderes, pero con el Conde no es posible y se siente frustrada. Así y todo, ninguno bajará los brazos y poco a poco se irán enamorando.
RECOMENDADISIMA. Es una novela de fantasía y romance que vale la pena leer.
“…parece haber una fuerza irresistible que nos atrae.”
En inglés se titula “The Dark Queen” (deberían haber dejado el título original) y lo releí para poder leer el segundo que se llama “La Cortesana”; ha sido mucho más placentero que la primera vez. Publicado por Urano en el 2007, es el primer libro de la Serie “La Reina Oscura” y va de guantes envenenados, con protagonista a Catalina de Medicis como la Reina Negra, con una protagonista que es una Hija de la Tierra, una buscadora de sabiduría y conocimiento, una detractora de la superstición y la oscuridad, una curandera y cuidadora; funciones inculcadas hasta los huesos y que para Ariane, nuestra protagonista, dar la espalda a quien pide ayuda supondría no cumplir con lo que le habían enseñado.
Ariane Cheney vive en la isla Faire, una pequeña isla habitada por mujeres, muchas de ellas “hechiceras” y si ella es “la señora de la Isla Faire” sus hermanas, Gabrielle, es la princesa de la familia, y, Miri, sin duda es la niña hada, una pequeña salvaje, algo fantasiosa y bastante frágil.
Ariane ocupa el lugar de su madre, es curandera, sanadora, pero no es una campesina, tiene la piel fina y su rostro refleja una solemne dignidad que para muchos podría ser una sacerdotisa druida, para otros una bruja. Y ésta novela se sitúa en época de Cazadores de brujas, a lo que nuestra protagonista tendrá que hacer frente. Ella ha decidido quedarse soltera y cuidar de la gente de la isla-fortaleza, pero apenas tiene fuerzas para continuar con el legado de su madre y mantenerlos a salvo, ya que ella está arruinada desde que su padre las abandonó. Ariane solo quiere dedicarse a sus hierbas y cuidar de sus dos hermanas pero el destino le tiene preparado otros planes a la hija de la mítica Evangeline Cheney.
Susan Carroll al comienzo del libro, dice que Catalina de Médicis, alias La Reina Negra, de la cual se dice que tenía el poder de leer los ojos, de obligar a decir la verdad a las personas y de haber envenenado a la Reina de Navarra, se basa en una mezcla alquímica de mito y realidad. Durante el reinado de Catalina de Médicis abundaban los rumores de que utilizaba la magia negra. Muchos creían que era bruja y que conocía el arte del envenenamiento, aunque no hay pruebas que respalden este hecho. Se sabe que contrató a un grupo de hermosas mujeres para seducir a sus enemigos de la corte y a las que denominó el Escuadrón Volante. Sin duda, era una experta en las artes de la intriga política.
De modo que “El destino de Ariane” combina hechos reales con ficción, recurre a la leyenda, adornada con el poder de la imaginación, y crea está historia de la Reina Negra. No es un retrato exacto del complejo personaje de Catalina de Médicis o de los acontecimientos que condujeron a la funesta noche del mes de agosto de 1572, conocida como la matanza de San Bartolomé, que fue el asesinato en masa de hugonotes (cristianos protestantes franceses de doctrina calvinista). Desconocía éste hecho histórico y la autora le dedica un capítulo a narrarnos el infierno desatado en las calles de París.
Son tres libros, cada uno contando la historia de una de las tres hermanas Cheney, que son "brujas blancas". En éste primero ya vamos conociendo cosas que se desarrollarán en profundidad en el segundo libro y sospecho que en el tercero también.
Las hermanas Cheney son protagonistas fuertes, valientes, cada una en su estilo, y que no están solas: cuentan con héroes muy guapos e imperfectos. En esta historia tenemos a un atractivo pretendiente, el Conde Renard, un hombre que oculta algo, pero ella no consigue descubrir qué es; Nadie sabe nada de él, solo que ha heredado inesperadamente el título y posesiones de tierras, que es hijo bastardo de un conde, otros dicen que es hijo legítimo pero que cometió una horrible acción en su juventud y tuvo que marcharse lejos durante muchos años. Ahora, está de regreso y es el Señor de las Tierras y está acostumbrado a salirse con la suya y tiene una obsesión: Ariane Cheney. Desde su primer encuentro, él se ha propuesto casarse con ella porque alguien muy sabio le susurró una profecía que Renard debe cumplir a toda costa.
El problema es que Ariane no quiere casarse con nadie pero Justice Deauville, como se llama Renard, la convencerá por medio de un anillo que tendrá que ponerse y que es igual al que él lleva. Si ella se coloca el anillo en su dedo, estarán unidos de un modo que desafiará el tiempo y el espacio. Ariane podrá invocarlo a su lado con un simple pensamiento. Cuando lo haya llamado tres veces, se tendrá que casar con él. Ariane no cree en este tipo de magia, pero accede a llevarlo.
Es una novela que tiene mucha magia, la ambientación de la época combinada con ella es excelente, sumado a que tiene mucha historia: personajes de la realeza, como es la ya mencionada Reina Negra, los Cazadores de brujas, el conflicto en Francia que desde hace años generan malestar, por una terrible guerra civil entre católicos y protestantes.
En cuanto a la historia de amor, es también mágica, sin caer en la exageración de escenas de cama. Sí, se dan, pero la descripción es respetuosa. Ambos personajes son apasionados, pero el amor entre ellos no es en un instante sino que va poco a poco desarrollándose. Ariane no confía en el Conde al principio porque ella está acostumbrada a leer los ojos, ya que es uno de sus poderes, pero con el Conde no es posible y se siente frustrada. Así y todo, ninguno bajará los brazos y poco a poco se irán enamorando.
RECOMENDADISIMA. Es una novela de fantasía y romance que vale la pena leer.
March 20, 2015
Ugh. If I wasn't the daughter of a librarian, I would have stopped after 50 pages. Nothing that I love more than historical fiction but when you turn it into a tawdry romance between completely average characters, no thanks. Won't be reading the rest of this series like I did with vampire academy last year, I learned my lesson!
June 7, 2019
I sped through this novel, barely able to put it down, but by the end, I was a little sick of it. I was hoping it would be more historical. Or at least somewhat believable. Instead, it is a fantasy tale of witches and magic rings and potions. The romantic side was enjoyable, and the characters were very likable.
March 6, 2014
Es el primer libro de Susan Carroll que leo así que no tengo experiencia con esta autora. Es un romance histórico con algunos personajes que existieron en la realidad pero con un entorno ficticio. A parte de todo esto uno de los grandes protagonistas es la magia. Eso es bastante original!
Ariane es la Señora de la Isla de Faire, una isla llena de mujeres sabias, Hijas de la Tierra, que tienen el don de la magia. Me gusta Ariane es un personaje fuerte y con un montón de responsabilidades pero tenía esos momentos de "damisela en peligro" pura y exclusivamente para que apareciera Renard a rescatarla pero que a su vez contrarrestaba toda la fortaleza que su carácter tenía.
Justice Renard es un Conde que hereda el título de su abuelo, pero él nunca estuvo en la realeza, se crió en el campo con su abuela que dicho sea de paso también es una Hija de la Tierra pero una que se animó a usar la magia negra y pagó las consecuencias por ello. Pero sí le enseñó varias de sus habilidades a Renard lo que atrae a Ariane y a la vez la asusta.
La verdad que es una lectura entretenida aunque con algunas situaciones algo predecibles. Es el primer libro de una saga así que quedan muchas preguntas pendientes como qué la pasó al padre de las Cheney, que va a pasar con las hermanas de Ariane; Gabrielle y Miri (cada una de ellas tiene un libro). Simon Aristide fue uno de mis personajes favoritos así que quiero saber que le depara el destino. Y por supuesto como siguió la vida de Ariane y Renard.
Ariane es la Señora de la Isla de Faire, una isla llena de mujeres sabias, Hijas de la Tierra, que tienen el don de la magia. Me gusta Ariane es un personaje fuerte y con un montón de responsabilidades pero tenía esos momentos de "damisela en peligro" pura y exclusivamente para que apareciera Renard a rescatarla pero que a su vez contrarrestaba toda la fortaleza que su carácter tenía.
Justice Renard es un Conde que hereda el título de su abuelo, pero él nunca estuvo en la realeza, se crió en el campo con su abuela que dicho sea de paso también es una Hija de la Tierra pero una que se animó a usar la magia negra y pagó las consecuencias por ello. Pero sí le enseñó varias de sus habilidades a Renard lo que atrae a Ariane y a la vez la asusta.
La verdad que es una lectura entretenida aunque con algunas situaciones algo predecibles. Es el primer libro de una saga así que quedan muchas preguntas pendientes como qué la pasó al padre de las Cheney, que va a pasar con las hermanas de Ariane; Gabrielle y Miri (cada una de ellas tiene un libro). Simon Aristide fue uno de mis personajes favoritos así que quiero saber que le depara el destino. Y por supuesto como siguió la vida de Ariane y Renard.
October 25, 2014
I found this on the historical fiction shelf at the book store, but don't let the marketing department fool you: The Dark Queen is fantasy romance, through and through.
This is the best kind of romance though, where the characters rise above the stereotypes to deliver a truly engaging story. Ariane is my kind of heroine: thoughtful, intelligent, courageous yet prudent. She's the archetypal Big Sister in the way she tries to shoulder the burdens of all the world, but that only makes her more sympathetic. Her sisters Gabrielle and Miri are each charming in their own way, and her would-be suitor Renard is delightful as the Oaf with a good heart and a dark past. The story is laced with magic, and the history of the Daughters of the Earth provides a compelling backdrop.
Given the title, I'd really hoped to see more of Ariane's nemesis, Catherine de Medici. Unfortunately, Catherine is only given a handful of scenes and never quite evolves past the image of cardboard villainess, despite Carroll's attempts to give her some depth. I will almost certainly pick up the sequel to find out about Gabrielle's coming adventures in the court of Catherine. Recommended for everyone who likes historical romantic fantasy with a touch of magic.
This is the best kind of romance though, where the characters rise above the stereotypes to deliver a truly engaging story. Ariane is my kind of heroine: thoughtful, intelligent, courageous yet prudent. She's the archetypal Big Sister in the way she tries to shoulder the burdens of all the world, but that only makes her more sympathetic. Her sisters Gabrielle and Miri are each charming in their own way, and her would-be suitor Renard is delightful as the Oaf with a good heart and a dark past. The story is laced with magic, and the history of the Daughters of the Earth provides a compelling backdrop.
Given the title, I'd really hoped to see more of Ariane's nemesis, Catherine de Medici. Unfortunately, Catherine is only given a handful of scenes and never quite evolves past the image of cardboard villainess, despite Carroll's attempts to give her some depth. I will almost certainly pick up the sequel to find out about Gabrielle's coming adventures in the court of Catherine. Recommended for everyone who likes historical romantic fantasy with a touch of magic.
June 7, 2013
This book is quite fun to read pitting white magic against black magic. Catherine De Medici is cast as the Dark Queen who practices black magic. Ariane Cheny lives on Faire Island where she has been taught by her departed mother never to use black magic. She has three sisters, villagers and a mountain of debts to take care of.
The Comte De Renard wishes to marry but Ariane doesn't quite trust him. Why he wishes to marry her, the Lady Of Faire Isle with no dowry is beyond her. It makes no sense.
In Paris, plans go ahead for the wedding of Henry Of Navarre and Princess Margot Of France. St. Bartholomew's Eve is approaching. Then a man is found shot on Faire Isle with a pair of poisoned gloves. This brings Ariane to the attention of The Dark queen and the witch hunters. It also brings Renard to the rescue and he has secrets of his own that he doesn't wish yet to share with Ariane.
There is romance, fantasy, magic, adventure, a goodly measure of human emotion in this novel. I have never tried Susan Caroll before but now I plan to read more of her titles.
The woman magic passed from mother to daughter in England rang a bell with me. What is this? Wicca? The Old Religion? Celtic, Druid or maybe Ms Carroll just mixed up a brew of fantasy for her readers????
The Comte De Renard wishes to marry but Ariane doesn't quite trust him. Why he wishes to marry her, the Lady Of Faire Isle with no dowry is beyond her. It makes no sense.
In Paris, plans go ahead for the wedding of Henry Of Navarre and Princess Margot Of France. St. Bartholomew's Eve is approaching. Then a man is found shot on Faire Isle with a pair of poisoned gloves. This brings Ariane to the attention of The Dark queen and the witch hunters. It also brings Renard to the rescue and he has secrets of his own that he doesn't wish yet to share with Ariane.
There is romance, fantasy, magic, adventure, a goodly measure of human emotion in this novel. I have never tried Susan Caroll before but now I plan to read more of her titles.
The woman magic passed from mother to daughter in England rang a bell with me. What is this? Wicca? The Old Religion? Celtic, Druid or maybe Ms Carroll just mixed up a brew of fantasy for her readers????
May 27, 2017
This book is more of a romance novel than a historical fiction. While there's nothing inherently wrong with that, the relationship in it was so ridiculously unhealthy that I couldn't stand it. Renard claims Ariane as "his" multiple times, the first instance when they don't even know each other and it is clearly against her wishes. He also kisses her a few times even after she has said no or has made it obvious that she doesn't want him to kiss her. But it's all okay because she had feelings for him deep down. Yeah, no thanks. Also, the writing wasn't great (lots of tell, no show) and all the characters really got on my nerves. I skimmed the rest of the book after around page 250; it felt like it couldn't end soon enough.
May 27, 2018
Readers in recent years have complained that the rich, interesting historicals of the past are vanishing. As a reader, I certainly have found myself buying fewer books overall as the meaty historicals I loved started to be replaced by and large with homogenized wallpaper comedies. Fortunately, there are still some good and interesting historicals out there if you look hard enough, and The Dark Queen is one of those great long sagas so many of us have been missing.
This is a partial review. You can find my complete DIK review at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
This is a partial review. You can find my complete DIK review at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
August 19, 2007
Fun book, but definitely way more of a romantic fluff than I was expecting. If you're looking for something more like a political intrigue (which is what I was hoping for), this definitely isn't the book. If, however, you enjoy historical fiction with a fantastical twist, in this case witches, you'll probably enjoy this. There are times when it definitely reads like a cheap romance, but luckily the plot is interesting enough that it doesn't rely on sex scenes to keep it going. The characters are all interesting enough, as well, so that alone will make me want to read the other two books in the trilogy.
I recommend it as a light, fluffy read, but certainly not something to read as historically accurate or literary. And definitely not for people unable to accept a bit of fantasy mixed into their historical fiction, because, according to this book, magic is real.
I recommend it as a light, fluffy read, but certainly not something to read as historically accurate or literary. And definitely not for people unable to accept a bit of fantasy mixed into their historical fiction, because, according to this book, magic is real.
September 29, 2013
This book took me a long time to get into, as it clearly was much more of romance than an historical, and the romance wasn't very interesting. Carroll does a very nice job at making the Dark Queen herself an interesting and complex character. However, the hero did not start out very likeable (or particularly unlikeable either). And the heroine is rather simple in her personality--very serious and overwhelmed with her responsibilities. Each of her younger sisters get their own thread in the story, and it is clear that they have their one big drama that will resurface in their books later in the series. However, I don't expect I'll be reading them.
September 5, 2009
A fun read that's got a little bit of everything I like: romance, history, magic and mystery. I'm also a sucker for a beautiful book cover, and this entire series is full of GORGEOUS book covers.
It's about a PG-13 on romance, not nearly as dark as many reviewed it, but an adult Pagan fairytale of sorts, that's lightly steeped in history. The women in the series are all amazing - even the FICTIONAL version of The Dark Queen, Catherine De Medici herself is fascinating - and I did care about them all deeply enough to read the entire series.
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June 11, 2013A great series, mixing history, homeopathy, & magic.
January 3, 2015
Meine Meinung:
Ariane, die Tochter der ehemaligen Herrin von Faire Isle ist mit der Situation überfordert. Sie ärgert sich über ihren Vater, der sich vor Jahren aus dem Staub gemacht hat, dass ihre verstorbene Mutter sie so hilflos mit ihren 2 jüngeren Geschwistern allein gelassen hat. Die ganze Last der Insel lastet auf ihren Schultern.
Neben ihren Tätigkeiten als Herrin der Insel, Erzieherin ihrer Geschwister muss sie sich gegen einen anhänglichen Verehrer zur Wehr setzen, der nicht davor zurück schreckt sie mit Gewalt zur Ehe zu zwingen. Um den Comte zu besänftigen lässt sich Ariane auf den Deal ein, seinen Zauberring anzunehmen. Durch diesen Zauberring kann sie jederzeit nach ihm rufen, wenn sie Hilfe benötigt. Allerdings unter einer Bedinung, wenn sie den Ring 3 mal benutzt hat muss sie ihn heiraten.
Als sie durch eine enge Freundin aus dem nahen Kloster einen verletzten Fremden zur Pflege bekommt bleibt ihr bald nichts anderes mehr übrig, als sich über ihren Vorsatz, den Ring nicht zu verwenden, hinweg setzten muss, wenn sie ihre kleine Schwester sowie die Frauen der Insel retten will.
Da ich sowieso eine Histo-Tante bin, und alles verschlinge was irgendwie historisch ist, und vorallem auch etwas in den realen Bereich eingreift, freue ich mich schon die Folgebänder zu erhalten, gerne auch auf Englisch. Der Schreibstil ist flüssig, man leidet mit Ariane förmlich mit.
Ein sehr gutes Buch, mit viel historischem Hintergrundwissen (Wusstet ihr, dass Katharina als schwarze Hexe bezeichnet wurde). Ebenfalls in diesem Buch, die Bartholomäusnacht. Sowie eine Liebesgeschichte, die sich als wechselhaft abzeichnet.
Ariane, die Tochter der ehemaligen Herrin von Faire Isle ist mit der Situation überfordert. Sie ärgert sich über ihren Vater, der sich vor Jahren aus dem Staub gemacht hat, dass ihre verstorbene Mutter sie so hilflos mit ihren 2 jüngeren Geschwistern allein gelassen hat. Die ganze Last der Insel lastet auf ihren Schultern.
Neben ihren Tätigkeiten als Herrin der Insel, Erzieherin ihrer Geschwister muss sie sich gegen einen anhänglichen Verehrer zur Wehr setzen, der nicht davor zurück schreckt sie mit Gewalt zur Ehe zu zwingen. Um den Comte zu besänftigen lässt sich Ariane auf den Deal ein, seinen Zauberring anzunehmen. Durch diesen Zauberring kann sie jederzeit nach ihm rufen, wenn sie Hilfe benötigt. Allerdings unter einer Bedinung, wenn sie den Ring 3 mal benutzt hat muss sie ihn heiraten.
Als sie durch eine enge Freundin aus dem nahen Kloster einen verletzten Fremden zur Pflege bekommt bleibt ihr bald nichts anderes mehr übrig, als sich über ihren Vorsatz, den Ring nicht zu verwenden, hinweg setzten muss, wenn sie ihre kleine Schwester sowie die Frauen der Insel retten will.
Da ich sowieso eine Histo-Tante bin, und alles verschlinge was irgendwie historisch ist, und vorallem auch etwas in den realen Bereich eingreift, freue ich mich schon die Folgebänder zu erhalten, gerne auch auf Englisch. Der Schreibstil ist flüssig, man leidet mit Ariane förmlich mit.
Ein sehr gutes Buch, mit viel historischem Hintergrundwissen (Wusstet ihr, dass Katharina als schwarze Hexe bezeichnet wurde). Ebenfalls in diesem Buch, die Bartholomäusnacht. Sowie eine Liebesgeschichte, die sich als wechselhaft abzeichnet.
June 25, 2012
Title: The Dark Queen
Author: Susan Carroll
Source: library
Rating: ★★★★★
Review Summary: I wasn’t sure I liked this book at first – as a historical romance, with more sex and a more serious plot than the “chick flick” style romances I occasionally I read, it was a little outside my comfort zone. But I ended up loving it and the other four books in the series enough that I would definitely read more books like them, partly for the great plot and partly because I’m a sucker for a happy ending
During the late 16th century in Renaissance France, Ariane Cheney, a daughter of the earth and lady of the faire isle, is duty bound to prevent the misuse of power by other daughters of the earth. Although the true witches are those she defends against, she also faces the superstitious minds of the time, some of whom would brand her a witch as well. When a stranger arrives seeking Ariane’s help against the dark queen, Catherine di Medici, even the strong Ariane needs some help. She has no one to ask but the Comte de Renard, although she hesitates to do so because of both their mutual attraction and her uncertainty his intentions are as straightforward as he would have her believe.
Read more here...
Author: Susan Carroll
Source: library
Rating: ★★★★★
Review Summary: I wasn’t sure I liked this book at first – as a historical romance, with more sex and a more serious plot than the “chick flick” style romances I occasionally I read, it was a little outside my comfort zone. But I ended up loving it and the other four books in the series enough that I would definitely read more books like them, partly for the great plot and partly because I’m a sucker for a happy ending
During the late 16th century in Renaissance France, Ariane Cheney, a daughter of the earth and lady of the faire isle, is duty bound to prevent the misuse of power by other daughters of the earth. Although the true witches are those she defends against, she also faces the superstitious minds of the time, some of whom would brand her a witch as well. When a stranger arrives seeking Ariane’s help against the dark queen, Catherine di Medici, even the strong Ariane needs some help. She has no one to ask but the Comte de Renard, although she hesitates to do so because of both their mutual attraction and her uncertainty his intentions are as straightforward as he would have her believe.
Read more here...
April 9, 2008
This is the first in a series, surrounding the Cheney sisters of Faire Isle. The sisters are Ariane, Gabrielle and Miri, all daughters of the earth. Daughters of the earth are like good witches, white witches. Although they can delve into the dark side, the black magic, as does The Dark Queen of the title - Catherine de Medici, who was called a witch during her time, and was rumored to be a first class poisoner. The mother of the sisters, Evangaline, was a good friend of Catherine's, until they had a falling out. Evangaline was called the Lady of Faire Isle and was designated the leader of the daughters of the earth, and was well respected and loved in her community. Now that she is dead, her eldest daughter Ariane has taken on the mantle of the Lady of Faire Isle - not that she thinks that she is up to it! Ariane is being doggedly wooed by Renard, a Count from the neighbouring lands, who has his own murky background. Witch-hunters, magical talismans, and mystery are woven into the story, which encompasses the massacre of the Protestants on St Bartholemew's Eve.[return]I generally read straight historical fiction and am not much into fantasy elements, but I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I will definately be reading the rest of the series.
February 3, 2015
A Rainha das Trevas é o primeiro livro dos seis que constituem a Saga da Rainha Negra, de Susan Carrol, editados pelo Círculo de Leitores. Subscrevi esta colecção um pouco "às escuras", sem ter lido nada desta autora anteriormente, mas a sinopse continha os ingredientes certos para que, no mínimo, o primeiro livro me agradasse: história e fantástico q.b.
Não me enganei: o livro é bom. É um romance que se lê de um só fôlego, com um bom enredo ainda que não muito intrincado, como por vezes sucede na literatura fantástica. Poucas descrições, ou antes, descrições não maçadoras, muito discurso directo e um ritmo que nos prende à história, sem nos desencorajar de chegar ao fim das quase 500 páginas que o livro tem.
Apenas um senão: a classificação de romance histórico com uma pitada de magia fica um pouco a dever ao grande peso que a história de amor entre os dois protagonistas assume no enredo. Talvez gostasse de encontrar um pouco mais do quotidiano da vida do século XVI ao invés de tanta atenção ao casal romântico Ariane e Renard. Mas afinal, como diz a autora na sua nota introdutória, o seu "(...) domínio é o da fantasia, do romance e da aventura no país de há muito e na terra do talvez tenha acontecido que..."
Não me enganei: o livro é bom. É um romance que se lê de um só fôlego, com um bom enredo ainda que não muito intrincado, como por vezes sucede na literatura fantástica. Poucas descrições, ou antes, descrições não maçadoras, muito discurso directo e um ritmo que nos prende à história, sem nos desencorajar de chegar ao fim das quase 500 páginas que o livro tem.
Apenas um senão: a classificação de romance histórico com uma pitada de magia fica um pouco a dever ao grande peso que a história de amor entre os dois protagonistas assume no enredo. Talvez gostasse de encontrar um pouco mais do quotidiano da vida do século XVI ao invés de tanta atenção ao casal romântico Ariane e Renard. Mas afinal, como diz a autora na sua nota introdutória, o seu "(...) domínio é o da fantasia, do romance e da aventura no país de há muito e na terra do talvez tenha acontecido que..."
July 23, 2008
Ariane is the Lady of the Faire Isle. She is a woman of the earth, a wise woman, a healer. Two men will change her life. And Catherine di Medici will try and destroy her.
The first man, The Comte Renard, arrogantly declares he will marry her, to the point where he has a wedding and she does not come. His past is dark and he makes a bargain with Ariane that changes her life.
The other is a man maed Remy who comes to her with poisoned gloves to try and have her prove that The Queen killed a woman. The determination of Catherine to get those gloves and stop Remy imperils Ariane, her sisters and many of the women of the island.
The book is full of politics, witch finders, romance, some magic, and fear. And kept me turning the pages. I look forward to the next in the series, featuring her sister Gabrielle
The first man, The Comte Renard, arrogantly declares he will marry her, to the point where he has a wedding and she does not come. His past is dark and he makes a bargain with Ariane that changes her life.
The other is a man maed Remy who comes to her with poisoned gloves to try and have her prove that The Queen killed a woman. The determination of Catherine to get those gloves and stop Remy imperils Ariane, her sisters and many of the women of the island.
The book is full of politics, witch finders, romance, some magic, and fear. And kept me turning the pages. I look forward to the next in the series, featuring her sister Gabrielle
March 24, 2010
While this is a charming and easy-reading tale, it's pretty much pure fantasy planted atop a few bits of 16th-Century French history. And that would be fantasy in both the romantic and "magick" senses. (Something Carroll admits readily in the preface.)
Catherine d'Medici is the Dark Queen of the title but not the focus of the story, more the deux ex machina. Catherine's one of those all-purpose historic queens (Elizabeth I and Eleanor of Aquitaine also come to mind) who can be villain or saint, depending on an author's need.
I didn't spot any glaring or specific anachronisms though virtually all the main characters have a notably "modern" feel.
There are two more books in this series (one each for the main character's younger sisters, I think). I won't avoid reading them, but I won't go on a quest for them, either.
Catherine d'Medici is the Dark Queen of the title but not the focus of the story, more the deux ex machina. Catherine's one of those all-purpose historic queens (Elizabeth I and Eleanor of Aquitaine also come to mind) who can be villain or saint, depending on an author's need.
I didn't spot any glaring or specific anachronisms though virtually all the main characters have a notably "modern" feel.
There are two more books in this series (one each for the main character's younger sisters, I think). I won't avoid reading them, but I won't go on a quest for them, either.
January 6, 2016
Uma história fantástica escrita de uma forma deliciosa. As personagens são apaixonantes e tornam o livro surpreendentemente cativante. Quando comprei esta obra estava longe de imaginar que iria deparar-me com um livro tão bom, tanto em termos de escrita como de conteúdo.
Como não sou muito dada a essas coisas, quando li sobre a parte da magia e bruxaria na sinopse, fiquei um pouco de pé atrás, mas inda bem que arrisquei, pois a história desenrola-se toda de forma tão natural que esses pormenores acabam até por ser interessantes e divertidos.
Tanto as personagens principais como secundárias são fantásticas, pelo que o facto de esta obra estar inserida numa série é excelente, assim poderei continuar a acompanhar esta família de três irmãs muito pouco comum.
Como não sou muito dada a essas coisas, quando li sobre a parte da magia e bruxaria na sinopse, fiquei um pouco de pé atrás, mas inda bem que arrisquei, pois a história desenrola-se toda de forma tão natural que esses pormenores acabam até por ser interessantes e divertidos.
Tanto as personagens principais como secundárias são fantásticas, pelo que o facto de esta obra estar inserida numa série é excelente, assim poderei continuar a acompanhar esta família de três irmãs muito pouco comum.
March 24, 2008
I picked this book up at my local Borders because I enjoy historical fiction (light on the history and heavy on the fiction.) This one was not exactly what I expected but it was still really enjoyable. I think if I owned a bookstore, I would place it in the romance section. It really was a historical romance. I found it to be a really fun read and now I'm on to the second book in the trilogy: The Courtesan.
July 4, 2016
I expected this book to be very pro-women and pro-feminism. However, when in the first few chapters your main female protagonist is forcibly kissed by her suitor (whom she claims she doesn't want pursuing her) and she's gasping and whatever, then that reads more like a bodice-ripper than pro-women. Because clearly, she just doesn't know how amazing men are and has to be shown how much she wants love. Dislike. I couldn't continue.
May 8, 2009
Heavy on fiction, light on history. Vaguely interesting plot, but there was absolutely NO reason to drag it on for 500+ pages. I will probably not be reading the rest of the series.
3 stars instead of 2 simply because I kept picking it up and read it in 2 1/2 days. But it was ultimately a pretty unsatisfying read.
3 stars instead of 2 simply because I kept picking it up and read it in 2 1/2 days. But it was ultimately a pretty unsatisfying read.
August 6, 2009
So...I really enjoyed this book! However, (here is my disclaimer) readers beware...there is some...er "romantic scenes" that should be skipped over, but over all I really enjoyed the way the author wrote and I thoroughly enjoyed the plot which definitely leads up to the second book in the series.
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May 14, 2020Technically a DNF for quarantine attention span reasons but I’ll come back to it when I’m in the mood. Everyone mad in the reviews about being “tricked” into reading a “slutty” and “tawdry” historical fantasy romance can suck on a lemon
February 7, 2022
Die dunkle Königin von Susan Carroll ist der Auftakt einer sechsteiligen Reihe über die weisen Frauen von Faire Isle.
Dieses schöne Buch ist eine Mischung aus Fantasy, Liebesroman und historischem Roman. Da der Titel und der Klappentext eher auf einen Historischen Roman schließen, wundern mich die vielen schlechten Bewertungen hier nicht, dennoch finde ich, sollte man offen sein und sich erst mal auf die Geschichte einlassen.
Trotz alledem kann ich sagen, dass mir der 1. Band der Saga wirklich sehr gut gefallen hat, die Frauen auf Faire Isle sind sehr unabhängig und ihrer Zeit eindeutig voraus (die Geschichte spielt ca. 1572).
Zur Story:
Justice Deauville Comte de Renard (im Buch häufig einfach nur Renard genannt) will unbedingt die Herrin von Faire Isle (Ariane Cheney) heiraten, diese möchte allerdings auf keinen Fall heiraten, da sie von ihren Eltern weiß, wie tragisch so eine Liebe enden kann.
Nachdem er sie am Anfang des Buches zu einer Hochzeit zwingen will (dies misslingt gründlich), überredet er Ariane zu einem Pakt.
Er schenkt ihr einen verzauberten Ring mit dem Ariane Renard jederzeit herbeirufen kann, sobald sie ihn dreimal genutzt hat, muss sie einwilligen ihn zu heiraten. Sollte Ariane den Ring allerdings nie benutzen, wird sie auch nie wieder von ihm hören. Ariane sagt natürlich zu, da sie nicht plant den Ring zu benutzten.
Ariane lebt seit dem Tod ihrer Mutter zusammen mit ihren Schwestern Gabrielle und Miribelle eher zurückgezogen auf Faire Isle. Ihr Vater ist schon seit Jahren verschwunden. Ariane hat immer Angst, dass sie den Erwartungen ihrer Mitmenschen nicht gerecht wird und immer mit ihrer Mutter verglichen wird. Sie ist eine sehr gute Heilerin und wird daher öfter gerufen um Kranken und Verletzten zu helfen.
Der "Bösewicht" in diesem Band ist Katharina de' Medici, sie ist die böse Hexe, die sich bis ganz nach oben in die Regierung "gekämpft" hat und von dort mit ihrer schwarzen Magie die Regierung (insbesondere ihren Sohn den König) so lenkt wie es ihr passt.
Ein richtiges Ekel ist der Hexenjäger. Leider gab es zu dieser Zeit viele solcher religiösen Fanatiker, die (hauptsächlich) Frauen so lange gequält und misshandelt haben, bis diese irgendwann eine vermeintliche "Hexe" beschuldigt haben.
Dieser 1. Band legt eindeutig den Fokus auf Ariane, man erfährt aber auch vieles aus der Vergangenheit der beiden anderen Schwestern. Das große Finale dreht sich dann um die Bartholomäusnacht (auch Pariser Bluthochzeit genannt), bei der natürlich auch wieder Katharina ihre Finger im Spiel hatte.
Ich bin schon gespannt auf Band 2, da ich dort unbedingt die Schwestern näher kennen lernen möchte.
Dieses schöne Buch ist eine Mischung aus Fantasy, Liebesroman und historischem Roman. Da der Titel und der Klappentext eher auf einen Historischen Roman schließen, wundern mich die vielen schlechten Bewertungen hier nicht, dennoch finde ich, sollte man offen sein und sich erst mal auf die Geschichte einlassen.
Trotz alledem kann ich sagen, dass mir der 1. Band der Saga wirklich sehr gut gefallen hat, die Frauen auf Faire Isle sind sehr unabhängig und ihrer Zeit eindeutig voraus (die Geschichte spielt ca. 1572).
Zur Story:
Justice Deauville Comte de Renard (im Buch häufig einfach nur Renard genannt) will unbedingt die Herrin von Faire Isle (Ariane Cheney) heiraten, diese möchte allerdings auf keinen Fall heiraten, da sie von ihren Eltern weiß, wie tragisch so eine Liebe enden kann.
Nachdem er sie am Anfang des Buches zu einer Hochzeit zwingen will (dies misslingt gründlich), überredet er Ariane zu einem Pakt.
Er schenkt ihr einen verzauberten Ring mit dem Ariane Renard jederzeit herbeirufen kann, sobald sie ihn dreimal genutzt hat, muss sie einwilligen ihn zu heiraten. Sollte Ariane den Ring allerdings nie benutzen, wird sie auch nie wieder von ihm hören. Ariane sagt natürlich zu, da sie nicht plant den Ring zu benutzten.
Ariane lebt seit dem Tod ihrer Mutter zusammen mit ihren Schwestern Gabrielle und Miribelle eher zurückgezogen auf Faire Isle. Ihr Vater ist schon seit Jahren verschwunden. Ariane hat immer Angst, dass sie den Erwartungen ihrer Mitmenschen nicht gerecht wird und immer mit ihrer Mutter verglichen wird. Sie ist eine sehr gute Heilerin und wird daher öfter gerufen um Kranken und Verletzten zu helfen.
Der "Bösewicht" in diesem Band ist Katharina de' Medici, sie ist die böse Hexe, die sich bis ganz nach oben in die Regierung "gekämpft" hat und von dort mit ihrer schwarzen Magie die Regierung (insbesondere ihren Sohn den König) so lenkt wie es ihr passt.
Ein richtiges Ekel ist der Hexenjäger. Leider gab es zu dieser Zeit viele solcher religiösen Fanatiker, die (hauptsächlich) Frauen so lange gequält und misshandelt haben, bis diese irgendwann eine vermeintliche "Hexe" beschuldigt haben.
Dieser 1. Band legt eindeutig den Fokus auf Ariane, man erfährt aber auch vieles aus der Vergangenheit der beiden anderen Schwestern. Das große Finale dreht sich dann um die Bartholomäusnacht (auch Pariser Bluthochzeit genannt), bei der natürlich auch wieder Katharina ihre Finger im Spiel hatte.
Ich bin schon gespannt auf Band 2, da ich dort unbedingt die Schwestern näher kennen lernen möchte.
January 31, 2019
Nice, long historical romance with a bit of magic. I enjoyed the author’s writing style, though her imagination is what impressed me. The dialog (inner and outer) occasionally wanders into anachronistic. But that’s a small niggle in a great romance with enough non-romance plot to satisfy me (and I’m fussy about that). The cast is fairly large, the premise somewhat complex, and the story took several dark turns (which I did not enjoy as they were vivid and heartbreaking) compared to most romances--where this book ought to be shelved. From some of the reviews I’ve read, the publisher must have tried to put this one into historical fiction (the cover appears that way too). Anyway, as to the characters, Renard is an excellent hero, larger than life, sexy, powerful, insistent, but with remarkable gentleness and humor. Ariane is a believable heroine in her circumstances: vulnerable, fallible, confused. She gains strength as she is tested throughout the book. The personalities of her two sisters, Gabriella and Miriam, come through just as clearly, as do other key characters, including the Dark Queen. I expect to read more about everyone in the following books of the series. If you enjoyed Josie Litton’s Viking Trilogy, this one might work for you too.
August 26, 2018
I have very mixed reactions to this book. On the positive side, I did basically like and could mostly relate to the main character, Ariane. She's grieving, has two sisters depending on her, and she deeply feels her responsibilities. I even, for the most part, liked the hero and the setting (I do enjoy historical settings with a bit of fantasy mixed in, at least a lot of the time).
That said, even when I could understand the reasons some of the characters did things they did, and most of the time I could understand, I would get so annoyed at their stupidity, naivete, and/or lack of insight that I wanted to shake some sense into them. I'd get sufficiently irritated that it would take me out of the story.
I did finish the book, although I was tempted not to, because I liked the characters enough to want to know what happened. I don't know if I will read any of the other books in the series or not. I might try the second one, at least, because I did like Gabrielle as a character. But I think I'll give myself a break from this series and read a few other things first.
That said, even when I could understand the reasons some of the characters did things they did, and most of the time I could understand, I would get so annoyed at their stupidity, naivete, and/or lack of insight that I wanted to shake some sense into them. I'd get sufficiently irritated that it would take me out of the story.
I did finish the book, although I was tempted not to, because I liked the characters enough to want to know what happened. I don't know if I will read any of the other books in the series or not. I might try the second one, at least, because I did like Gabrielle as a character. But I think I'll give myself a break from this series and read a few other things first.
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