What do you think?
Rate this book
Die geheime Mission des Nostradamus
Im Paris des 16. Jahrhunderts blüht das Geschäft der Wahrsager und Horoskop-Ersteller, der Alchimisten und Giftmischer. Auch Katharina von Medici, die Gemahlin König Heinrichs II., hat sich der schwarzen Magie verschrieben, um ihrer erbitterten Rivalin, der Mätresse des Königs, endlich die Macht zu entreißen. Helfen soll ihr dabei eine zauberkräftige Schatulle. Durch Zufall jedoch gerät diese in die Hände der jungen Dichterin Sibille, die nicht um die unheimliche Kraft des Kästchens weiß. Bald fühlt sich Sibille verfolgt, und ein mysteriöses Ereignis jagt das nächste. Einzig der Prophet Nostradamus ahnt, wie er weiteres Unheil verhindern kann. Und er spürt, daß Sibilles Horoskop ein Geheimnis birgt, das den Fluch der Schatulle zu brechen vermag...
477 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
36 people are currently reading
989 people want to read
About the author
Judith Merkle Riley
7 books235 followersJudith Astria Merkle was born on January 14, 1942 in Brunswick, Maine and grew up in Livermore, California, U.S.A. Her great-grandfather was a Swiss emigrant, who moved to the United States in 1860. Her uncle-abue was the famous player of baseball Fred Merkle. Her father, Theodore Charles Merkle was contralador of the Project Pluto and her brother Ralph C. Merkle is technological professor in a Computer science School.
Judith Astria Merkle holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and teaches in the Department of Government at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. Married with Mr. Riley, she wrote as Judith Merkle Riley six historical and romance novels.
Judith Astria Merkle holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and teaches in the Department of Government at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. Married with Mr. Riley, she wrote as Judith Merkle Riley six historical and romance novels.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
August 2, 2018
"Când lucrurile sunt absolut lipsite de logică este cel mai bine să le găsești o logică.".
"Slujbele religioase, rugăciunile - nu se mai satură de ele. Le are în sânge. Nu se poate controla. Italiancă și nepoată a unui Papă. Nu, superstițiile nu sunt suficiente ca să suspectezi un om...".
"Slujbele religioase, rugăciunile - nu se mai satură de ele. Le are în sânge. Nu se poate controla. Italiancă și nepoată a unui Papă. Nu, superstițiile nu sunt suficiente ca să suspectezi un om...".
December 13, 2017
Pisanjem ovog romana Judith Merkle Riley upustila se u hrabar pothvat; spojila je povijest, fikciju, crnu magiju, intrige, romantiku, stvarne i izmišljene likove te sve začinila sarkastičnim komentarima, dozom (crnog) humora i ironijom. Rezultat je jedan od najzabavnijih povijesnih roman koji ćete ikada čitati!
I svaka joj čast na tom konačnom uratku jer mislim da je balansirala na vrlo tankoj niti da roman ispade neozbiljan (ili čak nakaradan) baš zbog spoja svih gore navedenih, elemenata.
Ipak, ovaj povijesno- ljubavno-fantasy roman ispao je zanimljiv i otkačen.
Priča nas vodi u Francusku u 16.st. u doba vladavine Henrika II koji je u braku s Katarinom Medici. Iako je, službeno, francuska kraljica, Katarina Medici potpuno je potisnuta u drugi plan od strane kraljeve ljubavnice, vojvotkinje od Valentinoisa, dvostruko starije i od kralja i od kraljice. U svom nastojanju da udalji kralja od (utjecaja) njegove ljubavnice, kraljica se savjetuje sa svojim astrologom te joj on otkriva postojanje „Gospodara želja“ koji ostvaruje sve želje osobe u čijem je vlasništvu. „Gospodar želja“ u stvari je glava, tisuću godina starog, Menandra vrača koja se nalazi u raskošno ukrašenoj kutiji i koju, kroz knjigu žele, više- manje, svi (negativni) likovi velikih ambicija. Ono što oni ne znaju je to da Menandar (tj. njegova glava) ispunjava želje na tako podmukao način da to najčešće dovodi do smrti osobe koja ga posjeduje.
Igrom slučaja, dragocjena kutija dospijeva u ruke našoj glavnoj junakinji, pripadnici nižeg plemstva Sibille de La Roque koja putuje u Pariz kod tetke nakon što je slučajno ustrijelila svog zaručnika koji joj je nametnut zbog (još jednog) financijskog fijaska njezina oca i koja niti ne sluti što je sve u Parizu očekuje. Sibille je karizmatičan ženski lik, inteligentna i duhovita, poprilično ispred svog vremena, jedna od onih heroina koje često susrećemo u djelima ove autorice. Sibille za sebe smatra da je „nježna pjesnička duša“ sakrivena iza, nažalost, neugledne vanjštine- previsoka je i ima prevelika stopala. Iako, nekada i te svoje nedostatke pretvara u prednosti što je često duhovito izraženo u njezinim razmišljanjima ( npr. „ Međutim, ja sam stijena od žene: uvrede me ne dotiču. Spustih pogled niza svoj nos prema njemu. Budući da sam natprosječno visoka, to je jedan od najučinkovitijih znakova prijezira kojima raspolažem.“).
Sibille je jedna od rijetkih koja ne želi „pomoć“ „Gospodara želja“, ali je s njime, neraskidivo vezana budući da on prati osobu kojoj pripada te se tako i Sibille nađe na dvoru, uvučena u spletke kraljice Katarine. Autorica je odlično prikazala atmosferu dvorskih intriga i opasnosti koji vrebaju usprkos svom sjaju i raskoši, npr. „Palače su noću poput gradova; u mračnim se hodnicima slute zločini, krv i tajna šaputanja. Možda i gore od toga, jer čovjek u palači ne očekuje strahote kao u gradskim uličicama. Palači trebaju strijelci i stražari jednako kao što gradu treba noćna straža“.
Ono što je specifično u ovoj knjizi su te (nagle) promjene tona; naime, u jednom trenu čitaš o mračnom ,srednjem vijeku; nekim okrutnim ubojstvima ili o nekoj tragičnoj sudbini, a već u sljedećoj rečenici naiđeš na nešto totalno duhovito što ti izmami osmjeh na lice. Ja sam se na nekim dijelovima baš dobro nasmijala. Autorica je sve to zaista izvrsno uklopila.
Malo je knjiga u kojima nemamo ljubavnu priču pa tako i u ovoj imamo zaljubljene mlade „patnike“ kojima nije nimalo lako budući da je to vrijeme dogovorenih brakova o kojima odlučuju glave obitelji. Upravo to muči i izabranika naše Sibille, Nicolasa, koji intenzivno traži način kako se suprotstaviti ocu da bi mogao oženiti onu koju voli, a ujedno ga brine i postojanost Sibillinih osjećaja prema njemu.. Evo jedno njegovo razmišljanje: „ Sibille je bila ondje, najveća ljubav u njegovu životu, a imat će samo trenutak da se od nje oprosti. A što, ako ona misli da ju je napustio? Što, ako ne bude htjela s njime razgovarat? U tom će slučaju samo šutke otići, uvenuti i umrijeti- bi li oca više uzrujalo da uvene i umre na putu ili kad stigne u rođakovu kuću u Genovi? Nema veze, okrutna sudbina pobrinut će se da do toga dođe u najtragičnijim mogućim okolnostima“.
Da više ne duljim, nadam se da ste kroz ove rečenice stekli dojam o kako se zabavnoj knjizi radi, a spomenuti ću još samo da se u knjizi pojavljuju mnoge povijesne ličnosti, jedna od kojih je i , već tada slavni, Nostradamus, također prikazan na poseban način kao i metode kojima se služi za svoje proricanja. Nostradamus je jedan od rijetkih koji znaju koliko je „Gospodar želja“ u stvari zao i koji pomaže Sibilli da ga se riješi kako bi se mogla na miru živjeti svoj život. Ali, nije to nimalo lagan zadatak te se situacija sve više i više komplicira.. Kako se sve skupa riješilo, otkrijte sami, a ja ću vam reći samo još to, da će vam nakon čitanja ove knjige, biti kristalno jasna ona stara izreka: „Pazi što želiš!“. Znam da meni je.. ;)
I svaka joj čast na tom konačnom uratku jer mislim da je balansirala na vrlo tankoj niti da roman ispade neozbiljan (ili čak nakaradan) baš zbog spoja svih gore navedenih, elemenata.
Ipak, ovaj povijesno- ljubavno-fantasy roman ispao je zanimljiv i otkačen.
Priča nas vodi u Francusku u 16.st. u doba vladavine Henrika II koji je u braku s Katarinom Medici. Iako je, službeno, francuska kraljica, Katarina Medici potpuno je potisnuta u drugi plan od strane kraljeve ljubavnice, vojvotkinje od Valentinoisa, dvostruko starije i od kralja i od kraljice. U svom nastojanju da udalji kralja od (utjecaja) njegove ljubavnice, kraljica se savjetuje sa svojim astrologom te joj on otkriva postojanje „Gospodara želja“ koji ostvaruje sve želje osobe u čijem je vlasništvu. „Gospodar želja“ u stvari je glava, tisuću godina starog, Menandra vrača koja se nalazi u raskošno ukrašenoj kutiji i koju, kroz knjigu žele, više- manje, svi (negativni) likovi velikih ambicija. Ono što oni ne znaju je to da Menandar (tj. njegova glava) ispunjava želje na tako podmukao način da to najčešće dovodi do smrti osobe koja ga posjeduje.
Igrom slučaja, dragocjena kutija dospijeva u ruke našoj glavnoj junakinji, pripadnici nižeg plemstva Sibille de La Roque koja putuje u Pariz kod tetke nakon što je slučajno ustrijelila svog zaručnika koji joj je nametnut zbog (još jednog) financijskog fijaska njezina oca i koja niti ne sluti što je sve u Parizu očekuje. Sibille je karizmatičan ženski lik, inteligentna i duhovita, poprilično ispred svog vremena, jedna od onih heroina koje često susrećemo u djelima ove autorice. Sibille za sebe smatra da je „nježna pjesnička duša“ sakrivena iza, nažalost, neugledne vanjštine- previsoka je i ima prevelika stopala. Iako, nekada i te svoje nedostatke pretvara u prednosti što je često duhovito izraženo u njezinim razmišljanjima ( npr. „ Međutim, ja sam stijena od žene: uvrede me ne dotiču. Spustih pogled niza svoj nos prema njemu. Budući da sam natprosječno visoka, to je jedan od najučinkovitijih znakova prijezira kojima raspolažem.“).
Sibille je jedna od rijetkih koja ne želi „pomoć“ „Gospodara želja“, ali je s njime, neraskidivo vezana budući da on prati osobu kojoj pripada te se tako i Sibille nađe na dvoru, uvučena u spletke kraljice Katarine. Autorica je odlično prikazala atmosferu dvorskih intriga i opasnosti koji vrebaju usprkos svom sjaju i raskoši, npr. „Palače su noću poput gradova; u mračnim se hodnicima slute zločini, krv i tajna šaputanja. Možda i gore od toga, jer čovjek u palači ne očekuje strahote kao u gradskim uličicama. Palači trebaju strijelci i stražari jednako kao što gradu treba noćna straža“.
Ono što je specifično u ovoj knjizi su te (nagle) promjene tona; naime, u jednom trenu čitaš o mračnom ,srednjem vijeku; nekim okrutnim ubojstvima ili o nekoj tragičnoj sudbini, a već u sljedećoj rečenici naiđeš na nešto totalno duhovito što ti izmami osmjeh na lice. Ja sam se na nekim dijelovima baš dobro nasmijala. Autorica je sve to zaista izvrsno uklopila.
Malo je knjiga u kojima nemamo ljubavnu priču pa tako i u ovoj imamo zaljubljene mlade „patnike“ kojima nije nimalo lako budući da je to vrijeme dogovorenih brakova o kojima odlučuju glave obitelji. Upravo to muči i izabranika naše Sibille, Nicolasa, koji intenzivno traži način kako se suprotstaviti ocu da bi mogao oženiti onu koju voli, a ujedno ga brine i postojanost Sibillinih osjećaja prema njemu.. Evo jedno njegovo razmišljanje: „ Sibille je bila ondje, najveća ljubav u njegovu životu, a imat će samo trenutak da se od nje oprosti. A što, ako ona misli da ju je napustio? Što, ako ne bude htjela s njime razgovarat? U tom će slučaju samo šutke otići, uvenuti i umrijeti- bi li oca više uzrujalo da uvene i umre na putu ili kad stigne u rođakovu kuću u Genovi? Nema veze, okrutna sudbina pobrinut će se da do toga dođe u najtragičnijim mogućim okolnostima“.
Da više ne duljim, nadam se da ste kroz ove rečenice stekli dojam o kako se zabavnoj knjizi radi, a spomenuti ću još samo da se u knjizi pojavljuju mnoge povijesne ličnosti, jedna od kojih je i , već tada slavni, Nostradamus, također prikazan na poseban način kao i metode kojima se služi za svoje proricanja. Nostradamus je jedan od rijetkih koji znaju koliko je „Gospodar želja“ u stvari zao i koji pomaže Sibilli da ga se riješi kako bi se mogla na miru živjeti svoj život. Ali, nije to nimalo lagan zadatak te se situacija sve više i više komplicira.. Kako se sve skupa riješilo, otkrijte sami, a ja ću vam reći samo još to, da će vam nakon čitanja ove knjige, biti kristalno jasna ona stara izreka: „Pazi što želiš!“. Znam da meni je.. ;)
May 22, 2010
The title of this book is rather unfortunate - makes it sound like a terrible bodice-ripper. The "master of all desires" referred to in the title is really a severed head, and that requires an explanation in itself. Judith Merkle Riley presents her story in 16h century France, where Catherine de'Medici has not yet advanced in evil to the point of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, and where a young noblewoman named Sibille finds herself embroiled with an occult plot. Sibille is devoted to poetry and a gallant chevalier, but she is hampered by the acquisition of Menander the Undying: a severed head confined to a box and magically gifted with the ability to grant wishes, but only in the most twisted of forms. The severed head follows Sibille around in droll fashion, commenting on her love life, her clothes, her appearance, and anything else he can get a handle on - and that is only the start of Sibille's problems. Catherine de'Medici, a young Mary Queen of Scots, and the famous historical astronomer Nostradamus all make scene-stealing appearances as minor characters. The fictional characters are no less fascinating; a pity that this is apparently Judith Merkle Riley's last novel.
January 12, 2018
Nije loše. Povijesni likovi, uključujući Nostradamusa i Katarinu Medici koji se miješaju s okultnom magijom, demonima i anđelima s ponekom dozom humora kako bi stvorili zabavan pogled na povijest. Knjiga počinje vrlo snažno, ali onda se to nekako počela razvodnjavati te se u sredini knjige ništa ne događa, glavni likovi se rijetko vide. Srećom, zadnjih 100 stranica ili tako negdje, vratila su priču natrag u prvi plan. Sve u svemu bilo je zabavno je čitati.
March 15, 2017
Ouch! Such a deep possibility and then?? Too many words for too few concepts? The conversations at the point around page 150 and beyond become circular, pretentious, and nearly a ridiculous elaborate make believe joke. Talking severed head in a box! Tragic ghostly Spanish ladies with widely cut throats that talk to you about your own sensibilities! That's the mere flimflam of frosting on the cake here.
It's entertaining to a certain point, and then exactly like a over indulgence in sugar it becomes, for me, magically sickening. And I totally agreed that there was an elevated humor but that it was in type and quantity ALSO completely overplayed to balance the plot. It did NOT flow. Continuity for the whole at times, becomes nearly mysterious.
Loved the perceptions of the various characters from history, and I could connect with Sibille- but too much was just too much to be able to stay embedded within this period and this tale for this length. The fire of Sibille's contrary nature did remain alive and that earns the 3 stars. JUST!
Nostradamus seemed awfully thick for being so prophetic. And this would have been entirely and definitely better by at least one star at half the length and silly conversations. Catherine de Medici was a stereotype of herself as was her Cosmo.
It's entertaining to a certain point, and then exactly like a over indulgence in sugar it becomes, for me, magically sickening. And I totally agreed that there was an elevated humor but that it was in type and quantity ALSO completely overplayed to balance the plot. It did NOT flow. Continuity for the whole at times, becomes nearly mysterious.
Loved the perceptions of the various characters from history, and I could connect with Sibille- but too much was just too much to be able to stay embedded within this period and this tale for this length. The fire of Sibille's contrary nature did remain alive and that earns the 3 stars. JUST!
Nostradamus seemed awfully thick for being so prophetic. And this would have been entirely and definitely better by at least one star at half the length and silly conversations. Catherine de Medici was a stereotype of herself as was her Cosmo.
September 18, 2016
I'm really a fan of her books. She writes historical fiction, and I always learn interesting things about the time and people of note within them. Like Nostradamus was born Michel de Nostradame, and it was shortened to what we use today. (Didn't keep tabs on all the comments, that's all I can think of right now!)
The author has a great way of writing appropriately for the era, and yet has an amusing tone. One of the fun pieces at the end of the book, between Nostradamus and a young man in love:
"My boy, let me impart to you the Secret of the Ages," said Nostradamus, interrupting the flow of narrative. "When I, as a young man, sought knowledge,...I decided to discover the Secret of Happiness, which is the most important of all the Secrets--"
"Ah, um?" said Nicolas. Old man, they rattle on, and you have to pretend to listen. Respect, you see, it's important.
"The first secret is to find an excellent life partner. The second, is to take up a profession of interest, and the third is to do good wherever you find the opportunity presents itself."
"Maestro--ah, um that's three secrets," observed Nicolas.
"In a larger sense, you'll find i'ts only one Secret, if you think about it, young man. Just one. That one is love."
"Love?" said Nicolas, perking up.
"Yes, love. For others, for the world, for wisdom, for what you do with your life--just love, but, as you see, rather broadly interpreted--:
"That, well, that's definitely a secret," said Nicolas, trying to be agreeable. The old doctor's gone a bit dotty, he thought. Too many late nights.
"Secret indeed, though you may shout it from the housetops," went on Nostradamus. "Though I shouldn't complain. A far greater prophet than I am tried to tell the world the same thing, and nobody listened to Him either--"
The author has a great way of writing appropriately for the era, and yet has an amusing tone. One of the fun pieces at the end of the book, between Nostradamus and a young man in love:
"My boy, let me impart to you the Secret of the Ages," said Nostradamus, interrupting the flow of narrative. "When I, as a young man, sought knowledge,...I decided to discover the Secret of Happiness, which is the most important of all the Secrets--"
"Ah, um?" said Nicolas. Old man, they rattle on, and you have to pretend to listen. Respect, you see, it's important.
"The first secret is to find an excellent life partner. The second, is to take up a profession of interest, and the third is to do good wherever you find the opportunity presents itself."
"Maestro--ah, um that's three secrets," observed Nicolas.
"In a larger sense, you'll find i'ts only one Secret, if you think about it, young man. Just one. That one is love."
"Love?" said Nicolas, perking up.
"Yes, love. For others, for the world, for wisdom, for what you do with your life--just love, but, as you see, rather broadly interpreted--:
"That, well, that's definitely a secret," said Nicolas, trying to be agreeable. The old doctor's gone a bit dotty, he thought. Too many late nights.
"Secret indeed, though you may shout it from the housetops," went on Nostradamus. "Though I shouldn't complain. A far greater prophet than I am tried to tell the world the same thing, and nobody listened to Him either--"
June 2, 2014
5 stars? I'm worried if people are giving this book 5 stars. I love historical fiction. I love when characters come alive but...
This book was disjointed and did not flow. There were a lot of lose ties at the end; characters just left out there.
I will say that it was humerus! I liked the author's humor but it was buried.
This book was disjointed and did not flow. There were a lot of lose ties at the end; characters just left out there.
I will say that it was humerus! I liked the author's humor but it was buried.
January 3, 2019
The beginning felt disorganized, as there are many perspective swaps through this book, but once I had it figured out, I didn’t struggle so much. There were slow parts, and parts that made my blood boil. The villains are numerous but one-facet, and the ending offers a tidy wrap to the happily ever-after but leaves other gaps.
December 13, 2015
The story kicks off in 1556 and pretty swiftly turns into a Pratchett like farce with some historic figures mixed on in. It's all fun enough.
February 11, 2017
Whew. Finally done. This was interesting but lacked the life of her previous novels--the one that I read anyway.
January 16, 2018
4 1/2 stars
I am lazy, so I am cutting and pasting my Audible review:
Fantastic story, mediocre narration
--Would you consider the audio edition of The Master of All Desires to be better than the print version?
Not at all. In fact, I almost gave up because the narrator came across as a theater school drop-out. Too dramatic and airy and lots of heavy intakes of breath. I found her immensely trying at the beginning of the book, almost gave up. But, I managed to get past my irritation and could enjoy the story and its many fascinating twists and turns. Narration got better at around 30%. Or, I got used to it.
--What did you like best about this story?
I felt like I was moved back in time and really immersed in Renaissance France. The book stays true to actual historical events. The characters - even supporting cast - are varied and interesting personalities. One thing though: a great many of them think they, and only they, deserve good things more than others.
--How did the narrator detract from the book?
Maybe because the book is very rich, interspersing various viewpoints and extracts of letters, it is difficult to understand who is talking in the beginning. If you are reading, this is obviously not a problem. Re. narration - see above. One point in narrator's favour is that her pronunciation of French names and places is very good. The Italian accent of the queen is also well done.
--If you could rename The Master of All Desires, what would you call it?
Why would I? The title is perfect!
--Any additional comments?
I love aunt Pauline. Would really like a tante like her. Sibille is very young and earnest but she grows and matures and shows grit and stamina towards the end.
Menander is a truly evil little talking head, but extremely entertaining.
I am lazy, so I am cutting and pasting my Audible review:
Fantastic story, mediocre narration
--Would you consider the audio edition of The Master of All Desires to be better than the print version?
Not at all. In fact, I almost gave up because the narrator came across as a theater school drop-out. Too dramatic and airy and lots of heavy intakes of breath. I found her immensely trying at the beginning of the book, almost gave up. But, I managed to get past my irritation and could enjoy the story and its many fascinating twists and turns. Narration got better at around 30%. Or, I got used to it.
--What did you like best about this story?
I felt like I was moved back in time and really immersed in Renaissance France. The book stays true to actual historical events. The characters - even supporting cast - are varied and interesting personalities. One thing though: a great many of them think they, and only they, deserve good things more than others.
--How did the narrator detract from the book?
Maybe because the book is very rich, interspersing various viewpoints and extracts of letters, it is difficult to understand who is talking in the beginning. If you are reading, this is obviously not a problem. Re. narration - see above. One point in narrator's favour is that her pronunciation of French names and places is very good. The Italian accent of the queen is also well done.
--If you could rename The Master of All Desires, what would you call it?
Why would I? The title is perfect!
--Any additional comments?
I love aunt Pauline. Would really like a tante like her. Sibille is very young and earnest but she grows and matures and shows grit and stamina towards the end.
Menander is a truly evil little talking head, but extremely entertaining.
January 30, 2019
"Ljudskome rodu ne treba crna magija da uništi svijet. Učinit će to bez ičije pomoći..."
July 24, 2022
This historical book deserves 5+. This is the kind of a book I like.
January 24, 2021
Zanimljiva i zabavna. Bas sam uživala!
November 15, 2018
I was recently in the mood for something to take me away from stress, and this book delivered.
It has a slower pace than most I've read recently, and while it was a tad frustrating in the beginning, I did find that it helped to soothe my mind and relieve my stress. It was almost zen-like to read because it helped me slow down and relax.
I enjoy historical fiction, and have read several books that feature Catherine de Medici. This was an interesting take on her character. I loved the introduction of Nostradamus! It was so intriguing to have him in the story. It made me want to read more historical fiction that includes him.
Overall, the story was fun, and while it ventured away from traditional historical fiction with the inclusion of magic and the Undying Head of Menander the Magus, it was still a great read. Perfect for when you need to slow down and escape into a story.
It has a slower pace than most I've read recently, and while it was a tad frustrating in the beginning, I did find that it helped to soothe my mind and relieve my stress. It was almost zen-like to read because it helped me slow down and relax.
I enjoy historical fiction, and have read several books that feature Catherine de Medici. This was an interesting take on her character. I loved the introduction of Nostradamus! It was so intriguing to have him in the story. It made me want to read more historical fiction that includes him.
Overall, the story was fun, and while it ventured away from traditional historical fiction with the inclusion of magic and the Undying Head of Menander the Magus, it was still a great read. Perfect for when you need to slow down and escape into a story.
January 17, 2011
A very strange historical novel, using Nostradamas as the vehicle to tie Mary, queen of Scots, the French Court and many of the predictions made by Nostradamas. Giving the reason why he was able to have this gift, or curse, and the beginning of the killing of protestants in France. Having read London, I began to understand the enormous influx of French protestants to England during Queen Elizabeth the First's reign. Extremely interesting way of writing. I would like to read Judith Riley's other books.
October 20, 2016
I think this is my favorite book by Ms. Riley thus far. It deals with the occult in the way that The Oracle Glass does, but felt much more like The Serpent Garden due to the court intrigue. As always I loved the sly subtle witty humor that ran throughout the book. And I love the way she paints the late Medieval world. The way she takes the history and weaves her story through it.
January 7, 2012
Un roman intéressant et très agréable à lire.
December 10, 2010
A really great book shows us how everything is great and worth to die for
April 17, 2022
A diferencia del "Oráculo de Cristal" (que considero una de las mejores ficciones históricas que he leído), "El don de los deseos" me ha resultado bastante tedioso a la hora de leerlo.
Para empezar, el título: no es nada afortunado, pese a que la acción gira sobre una cabeza momificada (la de Menandro de Alejandría) que tiene el supuesto don de conceder deseos a su poseedor. La acción gira más sobre una poetisa de la baja nobleza venida a menos (Shybille) que no llega a empatizar con el lector, alternándose la narración en tercera persona con la voz en primera persona. También se hace alusión sobre la historia de Catalina de Médicis y su afición por los augures, a quienes parece confiar el infausto destino de unos hijos que han sido marcados por la muerte desde la cuna (hubiera agradecido más énfasis en esta historia).
También parece que Nostradamus va a tener más protagonismo, pero no es así. Aparece muy de vez en cuando mostrando unas dotes que, para mi punto de vista, se quedan cortas para lo que supuestamente fue el profeta.
Resumiría el libro con una frase: Gran historia, mala narración. Eso ha sido, quizás, el motivo por lo que lo he ido dejando y retomando. Porque no me transmitía lo mismo que la historia de "El Oráculo de Cristal", mejor hilada y narrada.
Una pena, porque prometía.
Para empezar, el título: no es nada afortunado, pese a que la acción gira sobre una cabeza momificada (la de Menandro de Alejandría) que tiene el supuesto don de conceder deseos a su poseedor. La acción gira más sobre una poetisa de la baja nobleza venida a menos (Shybille) que no llega a empatizar con el lector, alternándose la narración en tercera persona con la voz en primera persona. También se hace alusión sobre la historia de Catalina de Médicis y su afición por los augures, a quienes parece confiar el infausto destino de unos hijos que han sido marcados por la muerte desde la cuna (hubiera agradecido más énfasis en esta historia).
También parece que Nostradamus va a tener más protagonismo, pero no es así. Aparece muy de vez en cuando mostrando unas dotes que, para mi punto de vista, se quedan cortas para lo que supuestamente fue el profeta.
Resumiría el libro con una frase: Gran historia, mala narración. Eso ha sido, quizás, el motivo por lo que lo he ido dejando y retomando. Porque no me transmitía lo mismo que la historia de "El Oráculo de Cristal", mejor hilada y narrada.
Una pena, porque prometía.
August 21, 2023
Singular trama con intervención de figuras históricas reales como Nostradamus y los reyes del trono francés Valois, los últimos de una dinastía. Bien ambientada la naturalidad con la que la brujería campaba a sus anchas en la corte entre enemigos o amigos de la reina Catalina de Médicis. Curiosa la alusión todopoderosa al Imperio a secas, el enemigo del destino de Francia, sin decir que es el español, aunque como era el único debemos darlo por entendido.
La trama pierde tirón porque ataca demasiados frentes: la guerra por un lado, la lucha por controlar el poder, la batalla personal de la propia reina, el desasosiego de Nostradamus en su quehacer de adivino, la otra historia con la cabeza mágica.
La de la reina y la de Nostradamus me han parecido las mejor desarrolladas. Hay ciertos agujeros en las otras, tiempos que no casan y muchas repeticiones para presentar a los personajes cada vez que aparecen de nuevo. A veces, he tenido que releer para saber si era un nuevo personaje o simplemente se le mostraba con atributos distintos. Mi interés por el don de todos los deseos decayó hacia la mitad del libro. En conjunto es una historia agradable de leer aunque para un aficionado a la historia le parezca que faltan detalles.
La trama pierde tirón porque ataca demasiados frentes: la guerra por un lado, la lucha por controlar el poder, la batalla personal de la propia reina, el desasosiego de Nostradamus en su quehacer de adivino, la otra historia con la cabeza mágica.
La de la reina y la de Nostradamus me han parecido las mejor desarrolladas. Hay ciertos agujeros en las otras, tiempos que no casan y muchas repeticiones para presentar a los personajes cada vez que aparecen de nuevo. A veces, he tenido que releer para saber si era un nuevo personaje o simplemente se le mostraba con atributos distintos. Mi interés por el don de todos los deseos decayó hacia la mitad del libro. En conjunto es una historia agradable de leer aunque para un aficionado a la historia le parezca que faltan detalles.
August 18, 2025
I'm surprised to discover that this is Riley's second-last book. Somehow I always thought it was her first. Maybe it's because it feels a bit more disjointed than her other books. I've read it twice, and both times I thought that there were just way too many plot threads to keep track of, and a lot were concluded almost like an afterthought.
The main character, Sibylle, is more naïve and passive than Riley's other heroines, but she's still fun to read, since she's a character who, like Susanna, has very strong ideas about how she should be based on her own romantic ideals. Nostradamus and her godmother are the sane characters who steer her safely through greedy suitors, vicious royals, poison plots and a very evil ancient demonic head that Sibylle by accident becomes the master of.
The romance is extremely funny and a bit sweet, although neither Sibylle nor her love interest have quite the same spunk as Margaret of Ashbury and Gilbert have. There are so many crazy schemes and side plots that I lost count, but I still had a wonderful time.
This may be Riley's funniest book where the wackiness is taken to the highest level. It's not high literature, but it's very enjoyable.
The main character, Sibylle, is more naïve and passive than Riley's other heroines, but she's still fun to read, since she's a character who, like Susanna, has very strong ideas about how she should be based on her own romantic ideals. Nostradamus and her godmother are the sane characters who steer her safely through greedy suitors, vicious royals, poison plots and a very evil ancient demonic head that Sibylle by accident becomes the master of.
The romance is extremely funny and a bit sweet, although neither Sibylle nor her love interest have quite the same spunk as Margaret of Ashbury and Gilbert have. There are so many crazy schemes and side plots that I lost count, but I still had a wonderful time.
This may be Riley's funniest book where the wackiness is taken to the highest level. It's not high literature, but it's very enjoyable.
February 28, 2020
4.5 stars.. What I most enjoyed about the book was the development of a few key characters. The auntie, Nostradamus and two magical characters all held intriguing, clever and at times laugh out loud funny sardonic personalities and backstories. I love anything written and set in different periods of time that requires a certain amount of imagination, often times writers dive into old world France and forget to mention the less comfortable things such as the smells and filth around, and this writer did a nice job of being realistic within those sorts of imaginings invoking the senses. The book starts out being a bit of a struggle to figure out that each little section is written from a different character’s perspective. The more you flow into it the easier that gets. It seems to pick up momentum in my opinion to a satisfying ending of just enough plot twists to feel rewarded. It was a delight of a fast read finished within two days.
December 18, 2018
I´ve only read two of Riley´s books: Oracle glass and this one and Oracle glass is so much better than this one, though there are a lot of similarities between the two.
I love history especially accompanied with a bit of romance and occult things and I admit this book has all that and I enjoyed reading it. There is just one thing I didn´t understand: how could Nicolas fall in love with Sybille after seeing her just one time? That was ridiculous and unrealistic, even magical things seemed more real in the book because they were based on something logical and understandable, unlike his sudden love for a girl he saw just one time. But nevertheless the book is extremely funny, witty and interesting and Riley smartly handled situations in the book.
I love history especially accompanied with a bit of romance and occult things and I admit this book has all that and I enjoyed reading it. There is just one thing I didn´t understand: how could Nicolas fall in love with Sybille after seeing her just one time? That was ridiculous and unrealistic, even magical things seemed more real in the book because they were based on something logical and understandable, unlike his sudden love for a girl he saw just one time. But nevertheless the book is extremely funny, witty and interesting and Riley smartly handled situations in the book.
August 11, 2025
Excelente novela histórica que muestra el uso de las artes adivinatorias y astrológicas; asi como embrujos y encantamientos en el Reino de Francia en el siglo XVI, bajo el reinado de Enrique II y Catalina de Medicis, con la participación del famoso astrólogo Nostradamus. Basada en documentos históricos. Muy buena lectura, con una trama que atrapa desde el comienzo hasta el final. La más importante lección la expresa Nostradamus junto a Anael, el espíritu de la historia que le ayuda en sus visiones y profesias: " la humanidad no necesita la brujería para estropear el mundo. Puede hacerlo por sí sola"
August 22, 2019
I had high hopes for this book as historical fiction and magic are right up my street, but I was overall disappointed. A lot of the satire feel flat for me and I never connected with our main protagonist: Sibille. This meant I spent most of the book just “plowing through” to get to the end, but I did enjoy the historical backdrop of sixteenth century France, as well as the personna placed upon Nostradamus.
June 17, 2020
Such an odd book but so engaging. It’s funny and weird and outrageous. There’s a love story at the center of it all but there’s also a talking head of an undead creature, Nostradamus, Catherine de Medici and wild romps. I don’t think a category exists to explain this novel. Historical. Occult. Humor. Adventure. All of that and more. Takes awhile to capture the rhythm of the prose and then it’s off to the races. A lot of fun.
January 17, 2025
DNF. Im not generally a fan of historical fantasy— there are exceptions but I find it very difficult to suspend my disbelief. I found most of the characters very flat, even to the point of caricature. The points of view also jump around a lot, making it difficult to track the actual progress of the plot lines for each character.
This is a fascinating period in French history but this book fails to do it justice.
This is a fascinating period in French history but this book fails to do it justice.
July 11, 2017
My favorite characters in this book were Nostradamus, Menander, and Aneal.
All three were so clever and witty. I actually laughed out loud reading the banter between Nostradamus and Aneal. I found myself rooting for Menander, the rotting mummified head just because he was so funny! Never spared an insult!
Just goes to show....be careful what you wish for!!
All three were so clever and witty. I actually laughed out loud reading the banter between Nostradamus and Aneal. I found myself rooting for Menander, the rotting mummified head just because he was so funny! Never spared an insult!
Just goes to show....be careful what you wish for!!
February 13, 2018
I read this book at least 10 or 20 years ago. I thought it was the one by Ms. Riley that I have but hadn't read and took it when we went on vacation. I quickly realized that I'd previously read it, but didn't remember exactly what happened so I read it again. It's a great mixture of magic, history and humor and I enjoyed it as much as I had the first time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews