Elizabeth’s Reviews > Splendor > Status Update

This contains SPOILERS!

Am I relieved to have finished this! Everything and the kitchen sink thrown in in the last 50 pages.
Apparently, it was very easy to travel between this septic island (Britain) and Russia during the Napoleon's invasion. The Weltanschauung of HR preserved: uber-trashy bitch gets it in the nastiest possible way, heroine gets everything the cosmos has to offer.

'He held up his hand."Whoa. Of course Niki is fine" '. Russian princeling's utterance, circa 1812. Whoa!
Moreover, why should Carolyn (who's on a grand tour of Russia during the Napoleonic invasion) be worried about 'Niki'? He's only heading an army against Napi at Smolensk, no big deal. He'll be back for a frantic quickie (and 5 pages of hilarious justification of said f*ck, since 'Niki' is married)in no time.

Pontificating does not an intelligent, well read heroine make. This 18 year old preaches social reform, politics, historical analysis, children's education and so on. I really expect her to teach Beethoven how to write a score next. Also, is she on the brink of penury, or does she wear mother's sapphires and sip wine with papa? And somebody do something about the modes of address, they are all over the place.

The anarchronisms are starting to get on my nerves. Carolyn would love to go to the opera with Lord Anthony Davidson. Of course she would, is not like she lives in a world where women (especially unmaried 18 year olds) could never go out with a man unchaperoned, and without the unspoken promise of a betrothal hanging in the air. What? You mean one could not 'date'? Yes, that is exactly what I mean.

Marie-Elena, you veritable escapee from Susan Johnson's gallery of feral bitches!!! Nikolai is sending her royal uber-trash to Tver (place near Moscow, where the anchestral dacha is). Has he forgot Napoleon is heading that way? Or was this the only way to render a wife into ex-wife, divorce being nearly impossible? In any case, we can still amuse ourselves by playing 'whose child is it anyway'.

Oh, it's getting scrumptiously trashy! Carolyn, dressed as 'Charles', and the Prince (who immediately saw through her disguise) are visiting a brothel. The Prince is having tremendous fun baiting her, and so have I. 'Charles' is about to watch the Prince hump the night away. Please, let it be...

SlendoUr

Nice pace so far. The hero is well sketched out. I don't know about the heroine (who is, btw, less irritating than some)but I'm already seduced. Full marks to BJ for a hero who's lustful without being a 'jaded hedonist'. A man whose duties and commitments are very, very believable.