Odalisque by Fiona Mcintosh

Odalisque by Fiona McIntosh
Book 1 in the Percheron saga.

The land has a new Zar, 15 year old Boaz take the throne after his father dies, and by his side is his mother who will do anything for the power this brings her. In a cut-throat court he must reign, and see who is wants him harm and who is his friend.

The warrior, the Spur Lazar, the old kings jester Pez, and a beautiful odalisque Ana, purchased in the foothills will porve to be the only true friends the young king has, and can trust in the beginning of his reign.

And the world will also herald the coming of the gods themselves to do battle again against each other.


What am i to say?! I borrowed this book from a friend, and she loved it. But I couldn't begin to imagine how boring and icky it would be. I speeded through it just to finish it.

Boaz was an idiot, he could have done what he wanted cos in the end he was the ruler, but no let innocents get executed and his old friend castrated.

Lazar, ok, dunno about 35 or so falling madly with some fresh 15 year old. And she should learn to hold her tongue.

I didn't hate anyone, but I didn't like anyone either. I guess you were supposed to like Lazar and Ana, but...no. Nothing in them made me like them, or anyone for that matter.

I am not saying this was bad fantasy, it was exotic, and my friend loved it. That just shows that her and I have different taste in fantasy. I like mine more epic, high fantasy, and this one at times could have been some harem in Turkey, if it wasn't for a tiny bit of magic.

Not the fantasy for me, but she did write well so it's up to each to decide.

The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran

Now why should books I have read before suffer cos they were read before this blog were started so here I go, most will not have a long review, maybe just one sentence but this one was written before.

(read May 2008)

In a debut romance as passionate and sweeping as the British Empire, Meredith Duran paints a powerful picture of an aristocrat torn between two worlds, an heiress who dares to risk everything...and the love born in fire and darkness that nearly destroys them.
(copied from the back of the book cos I like it :)

The books starts with a shipwreck 1857 and the only survivor is Emmaline Martin. She comes to Delhi to meet her fiancé Marcus, who would rather have seen her die than arriving in the way she did. She feels betrayed by him and at that time she meets Julian Sinclair, an English Duke. At this time the sepoys (Hindu soldiers in the army) revolts and the city becomes a death-trap. She can only do one thing and that is to flee.

The book is made up by 2 parts, the one in India and the one in London. I liked the first part better. That one had everything, war, turmoil, danger and romance. It felt refreshing in a strange way. The author wasn't exactly afraid to put her heroine in harms way. A likable heroine by the way. She could talk back and sure she could be a little naive, but that was understandable. Julian was a good hero but sometimes lacking (well only a little bit) cos I would have liked something more about his hindu heritage. As for more Marcus, well he was an idiot. Very well-made and he got what he deserved.

It's a good lovestruck that has a bit of everything in it so that many can like it. Danger, romance and loss. I wish I could have read it without stopping so much to write on my thesis. But it also works if you makes some stops. Cos then it's there waiting for you and one wants to know what happens.

India is enchanting and their love makes one forget about the danger around them. A good book in every way.

Author's site where you find a excerpt from the book. http://meredithduran.com/