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Eden #2
The Prince of Eden
HE WAS THE POWER AND THE FURY OF A DYNASTY. SHE WAS THE LOVE THAT COULD DESTROY HIM
Edward Eden, a noble and passionate man of the people pursued a course decreed by his bastard heritage.
Heir to the vast wealth but not the title of Lord Thomas Eden's estate, he rose to become the most splendid libertine in all London...and fell into the iron grip of a sinister addiction.
Dashing conqueror of hearts, more willing then wise, he drank freely, recklessly from the waters of passion...only to lose himself body and soul to the one woman whose intoxicating thirst he was -- and forbidden -- to quench.
Her world was forgotten, his destiny sealed, a dynasty dammed, in one silent hour of love.
Edward Eden, a noble and passionate man of the people pursued a course decreed by his bastard heritage.
Heir to the vast wealth but not the title of Lord Thomas Eden's estate, he rose to become the most splendid libertine in all London...and fell into the iron grip of a sinister addiction.
Dashing conqueror of hearts, more willing then wise, he drank freely, recklessly from the waters of passion...only to lose himself body and soul to the one woman whose intoxicating thirst he was -- and forbidden -- to quench.
Her world was forgotten, his destiny sealed, a dynasty dammed, in one silent hour of love.
627 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
42 people are currently reading
554 people want to read
About the author
Marilyn Harris
41 books81 followersHarris was born on June 4, 1931, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the daughter of John P., an oil executive, and Dora (nee Veal) Harris. Harris was educated in her home state, attending Cottey College from 1945 to 1951, then transferring to the University of Oklahoma, from which she received a bachelor of arts degree in 1953 and a master of arts degree in 1955.
Harris's first collection of short stories, King's Ex, was published by Doubleday in 1967. After that Harris proved a prolific author, publishing seventeen books, including novels, short stories, romance/ historical fiction and children's fiction in a twenty-year period from 1970 to 1989. These works, in addition to those listed above, include In the Midst of Earth (1969), The Peppersalt Land (1970), The Runaway's Diary (1971), The Conjurers (1974), Bledding Sorrow (1976), The Portent (1980), The Last Great Love (1981), Warrick (1985), Night Games (1987), and Lost and Found (1991). Harris's work has received a wide readership; in 1983, nine million of her books were in print, and her work has been translated into many languages, including French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Japanese. She has also been an author in residence at Oklahoma's Central State University.
She died January 18, 2002.
Harris's first collection of short stories, King's Ex, was published by Doubleday in 1967. After that Harris proved a prolific author, publishing seventeen books, including novels, short stories, romance/ historical fiction and children's fiction in a twenty-year period from 1970 to 1989. These works, in addition to those listed above, include In the Midst of Earth (1969), The Peppersalt Land (1970), The Runaway's Diary (1971), The Conjurers (1974), Bledding Sorrow (1976), The Portent (1980), The Last Great Love (1981), Warrick (1985), Night Games (1987), and Lost and Found (1991). Harris's work has received a wide readership; in 1983, nine million of her books were in print, and her work has been translated into many languages, including French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Japanese. She has also been an author in residence at Oklahoma's Central State University.
She died January 18, 2002.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
November 6, 2011
Edward Eden is the eldest son but unable to inherit the title since he's illegitimate, but instead his father Thomas left him everything else - the lands, the castle and all that money. Edward lives what appears to be a dissipated life in London, but to the poorer residents of London he's known as The Prince of Eden for all he's done to help them. Edward pours much of his great fortune into a Ragged School in his London home, much to the ire of younger brother James who would like nothing better than to wrest away the money he feels rightfully belongs to him. At Eden castle, Edward's mother is now a lonely widow, estranged from her children and paying a very high price for loving her husband too much and leaving them to be raised by the conniving (and incestuous!) Cranford siblings.
Upon the death of a very dear friend, a grief-stricken Edward accepts a carriage ride from a stranger, along with the offer to drown his sorrows in a bottle of opium and well...another opium eater is born.
"Laudanum," De Quincey said softly. "The only passage a man needs to get from here to Heaven. Will you be so kind as to accompany me, Mr. Eden?"
During a visit to Eden Castle, Edward falls hard for his brother's betrothed, Harriet Powels, and they spend an afternoon of passion in the glen (which brings unforeseen consequences on future generations). Harriet knows her duty, and that is a duty that breaks Edward's heart and sends him back to the opium dens.
"Five days and nights of tranquil oblivion, floating out of touch with reality on the wings of opium, had been sufficient to dull the memory of what he had found in the dungeon cell of Newgate. It had not been enough to obliterate it. He doubted if there was enough opium in all of India to accomplish that."
That is a very bare bones summary of the beginning of this book and you don't want to know more before going in, just kick back and enjoy the ride because it is a seriously bumpy one. There are unexpected twists and turns on every page with treacherous servants, thieving lawyers, opium dens, a night in Newgate prison, a secret birth, a missing infant, all heavily peppered with appearances from real historical characters and events (even the Brontës). Top that off with some of the most heartbreaking scenes I've come across in a long, long time, and you've got a perfect recipe for an unputdownable book. I warn you - do not read the last 100 or so pages on a plane, train, bus or in any other public place - you will need that box of tissue handy. I haven't cried like that since you-know-who died in Penman's The Reckoning. I am still sucker punched 24 hours later and no idea when I'll recover from it.
Fans of big old family sagas with plenty of angst and drama should feel right at home. Those readers liking their fiction on the lighter side with sugar coated heroes and heroines getting that picture perfect HEA should look elsewhere. The rest of the series,
The Eden Passion
The Women of Eden
Eden Rising
American Eden
Eden and Honor
Upon the death of a very dear friend, a grief-stricken Edward accepts a carriage ride from a stranger, along with the offer to drown his sorrows in a bottle of opium and well...another opium eater is born.
"Laudanum," De Quincey said softly. "The only passage a man needs to get from here to Heaven. Will you be so kind as to accompany me, Mr. Eden?"
During a visit to Eden Castle, Edward falls hard for his brother's betrothed, Harriet Powels, and they spend an afternoon of passion in the glen (which brings unforeseen consequences on future generations). Harriet knows her duty, and that is a duty that breaks Edward's heart and sends him back to the opium dens.
"Five days and nights of tranquil oblivion, floating out of touch with reality on the wings of opium, had been sufficient to dull the memory of what he had found in the dungeon cell of Newgate. It had not been enough to obliterate it. He doubted if there was enough opium in all of India to accomplish that."
That is a very bare bones summary of the beginning of this book and you don't want to know more before going in, just kick back and enjoy the ride because it is a seriously bumpy one. There are unexpected twists and turns on every page with treacherous servants, thieving lawyers, opium dens, a night in Newgate prison, a secret birth, a missing infant, all heavily peppered with appearances from real historical characters and events (even the Brontës). Top that off with some of the most heartbreaking scenes I've come across in a long, long time, and you've got a perfect recipe for an unputdownable book. I warn you - do not read the last 100 or so pages on a plane, train, bus or in any other public place - you will need that box of tissue handy. I haven't cried like that since you-know-who died in Penman's The Reckoning. I am still sucker punched 24 hours later and no idea when I'll recover from it.
Fans of big old family sagas with plenty of angst and drama should feel right at home. Those readers liking their fiction on the lighter side with sugar coated heroes and heroines getting that picture perfect HEA should look elsewhere. The rest of the series,
The Eden Passion
The Women of Eden
Eden Rising
American Eden
Eden and Honor
February 16, 2019
My heart has been ripped out and stomped on. This left me feeling emotionally raw. I sobbed, there have been books that caused me to shed a tear, but this one had me sobbing. This was emotionally exhausting, yet strangely cathartic. What's brilliant about creating such a gloomy book is that when something good does happen, however small it may be, it truly stands out as a bright light in the dark.
There’s a Dickensian quality to this author’s writing. Within the first several pages of this book, I thought of this when the character Elizabeth appeared. Elizabeth was a young girl pressured into prostitution after losing her fingers in a fire while at work in a manufacturing warehouse. I felt my emotions being manipulated by Harris the same way Dickens manipulated reader’s emotions. Harris, similar to Dickens, used class divisions, and the horrific living conditions of the poor as large themes in her novel.
Just as I was thinking how Harris was clearly inspired by Dickens, “Mr. Dickens” himself made an appearance in the book. William Pitch criticized him, saying “Dickens is writing sentimental slop.” I loved it! It was as if Harris was poking fun at herself, I have no doubt she was aware she was using all the tricks Dickens used to pull at the reader’s heart strings.
Harris did not only use Dickensian themes, her plot structure and characters had similar qualities. She created a cast of characters that interwove with each other in unexpected ways. The way she described characters, their mannerisms, quirks, and thoughts reminded me of Dickens. There are massive shifts in Harris’ stories, twists and turns similar to the twists found in Dickens’ tales. I got major Great Expectations and Oliver Twist vibes from this book. There’s a clear Bronte influence in This Other Eden, I noticed elements from both Wuthuring Heights and Great Expectations there.
When a lot of authors write suspense or horror, they create an impending threat that adds a sense of danger. Usually the main character is able to narrowly avoid this danger, or some event or person comes along that saves them. When Marilyn Harris reveals there’s a threat to a character, it’s not a threat it’s a promise. The threat will occur or something more horrific will occur in its place. It was worse than anything my imagination could have conjured up. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, they got worse. Harris went there and then further.
Trigger Warnings:
There’s a Dickensian quality to this author’s writing. Within the first several pages of this book, I thought of this when the character Elizabeth appeared. Elizabeth was a young girl pressured into prostitution after losing her fingers in a fire while at work in a manufacturing warehouse. I felt my emotions being manipulated by Harris the same way Dickens manipulated reader’s emotions. Harris, similar to Dickens, used class divisions, and the horrific living conditions of the poor as large themes in her novel.
Just as I was thinking how Harris was clearly inspired by Dickens, “Mr. Dickens” himself made an appearance in the book. William Pitch criticized him, saying “Dickens is writing sentimental slop.” I loved it! It was as if Harris was poking fun at herself, I have no doubt she was aware she was using all the tricks Dickens used to pull at the reader’s heart strings.
Harris did not only use Dickensian themes, her plot structure and characters had similar qualities. She created a cast of characters that interwove with each other in unexpected ways. The way she described characters, their mannerisms, quirks, and thoughts reminded me of Dickens. There are massive shifts in Harris’ stories, twists and turns similar to the twists found in Dickens’ tales. I got major Great Expectations and Oliver Twist vibes from this book. There’s a clear Bronte influence in This Other Eden, I noticed elements from both Wuthuring Heights and Great Expectations there.
When a lot of authors write suspense or horror, they create an impending threat that adds a sense of danger. Usually the main character is able to narrowly avoid this danger, or some event or person comes along that saves them. When Marilyn Harris reveals there’s a threat to a character, it’s not a threat it’s a promise. The threat will occur or something more horrific will occur in its place. It was worse than anything my imagination could have conjured up. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, they got worse. Harris went there and then further.
Trigger Warnings:
May 19, 2017
4.5 stars.
Although this was a very good book, it has several differences from THIS OTHER EDEN. The latter is a claustrophobic gothic-style romance. It has very few characters & centers around three points of interest (foremost being Eden Castle & its grounds). Despite a gut-wrenching web of plots & counterplots, there is a HEA -- though it comes with great consequence, the aspects of which are known to the reader more than the characters.
...Or so the reader assumes.
PRINCE OF EDEN has a few gothic elements, but it's primarily a Victorian-style novel of sensation. There is a nominal protagonist -- Edward Eden, the bastard infant from Book 1, who is now grown to adulthood -- but this is a book that uses the protagonist as a folcrum for the other major characters, & those characters range from Newgate to London opium slums to Eden Castle to Shropshire to Roe Head School (attention Charlotte Bronte fans, watch for her cameo :)) to bitchy innkeepers across the way. Edward's own story affects all these people in a significant fashion. But like a Collins or Dickens novel, the ways he affects them aren't made clear to the characters. Harris frequently watches from a safe distance as her creations bumble around in the bleary fog of fate.
The quickest way to describe this book is "flip-side to HEA." The reader knows Marianne's happiness in THIS OTHER EDEN must come with a price...and that price is THE PRINCE OF EDEN. Our hero is a lovable scamp. He's tender-hearted for the scum of the streets & generous with his friends, yet he has no concept of his blessed position in life. He's a bastard with little social standing, yet he holds the purse-strings & property of his long-standing family -- a footnote of Thomas Eden's guilt that allows him to do whatever he wants, even if what he wants has unintended consequences. (Very like his father, is Edward Eden.) He loves his mother. He tries to be kind to his brother. He encourages his sister to marry their childhood friend. He rescues hookers from Newgate. He funds Ragged Schools for orphans.
But if Edward has a major flaw (besides that pesky opium addiction :P), it's too big a heart. He gives & gives until it causes a rift with his son, a haughty young lad who can't understand his father's passive approach to money. Such vehement charity also frightens his weak-willed brother James, who inherits nothing but the title "Lord Eden." James, for his part, is a supremely unlikable character...but it's not all his fault. Anyone in his position would resent such dependence. He has the will to be a Lordly-Lord-o-Doom, but not the spine; even his most token rebellions (e.g., attacking a servant girl) are pushed aside by the aging Marianne, a heroine who has grown tragically soft in her years of pampering as Lady Eden. Here, then, is another price of the HEA in Book 1 -- Marianne's fiery independence has been slowly eaten away by passive acceptance. The most she can do is be certain James marries a woman of wealth & respectibility, & that unfortunate young lady is Harriet Powels. Harriet is an unusual heroine in that she's sympathetic but not entirely likable. How much of this book's tragedy could have been prevented if she'd swallowed her pride & run away with Edward like they originally schemed? The book offers no answers.
There are several other memorable characters floating around this sprawling plot: the incestuous Cranford siblings, Marianne's elderly sister Jane, Edward's bipolar sister Jennifer, the poncy solicitor Sir Claudius, the rescued harlot Elizabeth, the gentle giant Daniel Spade (another flipside from THIS OTHER EDEN, in that his father was Thomas Eden's enforcer & the man who whipped Marianne's back to shreds), the loyal coachman John Murrey...and of course John Murrey Eden, the blooded fruit of Edward's bastardy. It's with sad finality that the book closes around John Murrey Eden instead of his father Edward...but a fitting prologue to the next three books, or so I'm told. ;)
As with all of Harris' earlier work, the writing is superb. I did think this one dragged a little in the London sections...but I'm wondering if that's because I was expecting a THIS OTHER EDEN clone of claustrophobic gothicness. Don't expect that here. Instead look for a tribute to elegant sensation novels -- with cameos from Bronte & Dickens, no less -- and a tangle of family drama. There are no easy answers to the problems posed in this book, nor should there be. Easy answers make for boring stories. ;)
Recommended for those who enjoy epic historical doorstoppers & (sometimes) overwrought drama. This book contains incest, violence, & much tragedy that is just barely offset by (very) brief snatches of mellow happiness -- no HEA here. If any of these caveats offend your tender sensibilities, either bring your big-girl panties or avoid it altogether.
Although this was a very good book, it has several differences from THIS OTHER EDEN. The latter is a claustrophobic gothic-style romance. It has very few characters & centers around three points of interest (foremost being Eden Castle & its grounds). Despite a gut-wrenching web of plots & counterplots, there is a HEA -- though it comes with great consequence, the aspects of which are known to the reader more than the characters.
...Or so the reader assumes.
PRINCE OF EDEN has a few gothic elements, but it's primarily a Victorian-style novel of sensation. There is a nominal protagonist -- Edward Eden, the bastard infant from Book 1, who is now grown to adulthood -- but this is a book that uses the protagonist as a folcrum for the other major characters, & those characters range from Newgate to London opium slums to Eden Castle to Shropshire to Roe Head School (attention Charlotte Bronte fans, watch for her cameo :)) to bitchy innkeepers across the way. Edward's own story affects all these people in a significant fashion. But like a Collins or Dickens novel, the ways he affects them aren't made clear to the characters. Harris frequently watches from a safe distance as her creations bumble around in the bleary fog of fate.
The quickest way to describe this book is "flip-side to HEA." The reader knows Marianne's happiness in THIS OTHER EDEN must come with a price...and that price is THE PRINCE OF EDEN. Our hero is a lovable scamp. He's tender-hearted for the scum of the streets & generous with his friends, yet he has no concept of his blessed position in life. He's a bastard with little social standing, yet he holds the purse-strings & property of his long-standing family -- a footnote of Thomas Eden's guilt that allows him to do whatever he wants, even if what he wants has unintended consequences. (Very like his father, is Edward Eden.) He loves his mother. He tries to be kind to his brother. He encourages his sister to marry their childhood friend. He rescues hookers from Newgate. He funds Ragged Schools for orphans.
But if Edward has a major flaw (besides that pesky opium addiction :P), it's too big a heart. He gives & gives until it causes a rift with his son, a haughty young lad who can't understand his father's passive approach to money. Such vehement charity also frightens his weak-willed brother James, who inherits nothing but the title "Lord Eden." James, for his part, is a supremely unlikable character...but it's not all his fault. Anyone in his position would resent such dependence. He has the will to be a Lordly-Lord-o-Doom, but not the spine; even his most token rebellions (e.g., attacking a servant girl) are pushed aside by the aging Marianne, a heroine who has grown tragically soft in her years of pampering as Lady Eden. Here, then, is another price of the HEA in Book 1 -- Marianne's fiery independence has been slowly eaten away by passive acceptance. The most she can do is be certain James marries a woman of wealth & respectibility, & that unfortunate young lady is Harriet Powels. Harriet is an unusual heroine in that she's sympathetic but not entirely likable. How much of this book's tragedy could have been prevented if she'd swallowed her pride & run away with Edward like they originally schemed? The book offers no answers.
There are several other memorable characters floating around this sprawling plot: the incestuous Cranford siblings, Marianne's elderly sister Jane, Edward's bipolar sister Jennifer, the poncy solicitor Sir Claudius, the rescued harlot Elizabeth, the gentle giant Daniel Spade (another flipside from THIS OTHER EDEN, in that his father was Thomas Eden's enforcer & the man who whipped Marianne's back to shreds), the loyal coachman John Murrey...and of course John Murrey Eden, the blooded fruit of Edward's bastardy. It's with sad finality that the book closes around John Murrey Eden instead of his father Edward...but a fitting prologue to the next three books, or so I'm told. ;)
As with all of Harris' earlier work, the writing is superb. I did think this one dragged a little in the London sections...but I'm wondering if that's because I was expecting a THIS OTHER EDEN clone of claustrophobic gothicness. Don't expect that here. Instead look for a tribute to elegant sensation novels -- with cameos from Bronte & Dickens, no less -- and a tangle of family drama. There are no easy answers to the problems posed in this book, nor should there be. Easy answers make for boring stories. ;)
Recommended for those who enjoy epic historical doorstoppers & (sometimes) overwrought drama. This book contains incest, violence, & much tragedy that is just barely offset by (very) brief snatches of mellow happiness -- no HEA here. If any of these caveats offend your tender sensibilities, either bring your big-girl panties or avoid it altogether.
January 10, 2015
Wow. Just wow. I'm exhilarated and exhausted, emotionally wrung-out but enthralled. Edward. A magnificently tormented soul with a heart as big as his demons, tainted by his birth, his dysfunctional family and his scheming servants, with twists, turns, treachery and tragedy around every corner. What a man. What a mess. And what a set-up for book #3. I've never used this word before, but it's the only one that fits: bravo!
October 31, 2018
Do not read unless you want your soul stolen.
You have been warned.
You have been warned.
February 11, 2013
This is my first Bodice Ripper or Romance series. I never thought sequels would hold firm, or be worthy of reading for the follow-up, and could merely stand-alone if necessary. This is the sort of series that, thus far, I recommend to be read after the other. Each living/dying character is compelling and relevant to the sequel, they weren't filler roles, that propped up the story or put a former book's name in, to tie them together, in order to boost sales or encourage the reader. I'm really incapable of writing a review from a safe, spectator's seat, as it were - I seem to emotionally involved into books, whether it's negatively or to praise it. I relish books. I have a mental exhaust pipe, and after a deliciously wicked book, or sweetly twisted one, my brain exhales in utter gratitude. This is why the majority of my reviews will be written with spoiler flags flashing like marquees. I fail to curb my emotional output whilst reading/review, and I don't have to. I wish all books were thus, so memorable. :)
July 31, 2012
My copy just arrived after a big research work in order to find an affordable price.
This is the second book of the Eden series.
In the first book, This Other Eden, we are introduced to the first members of the Eden family, namely Lord Thomas Eden and Marianne Locke.
In this second volume of this saga, their son, Edward Eden, starts this saga as The Prince of Eden.
As the formal heir of Eden's fortune, even being a "bastard", he uses his money in order to create a school for poor and abandoned children in his London home with the help of his loyal friend Daniel.
During a visit to the Eden Castle he falls in love with Harriet Powels, his brother's fiancé and then….
I won't spoil the whole story, on the contrary, there is too much to be followed with the plot itself and by this marvelous style of writing of Marilyn Harris.
The sequel of this book is The Eden Passion.
This is the second book of the Eden series.
In the first book, This Other Eden, we are introduced to the first members of the Eden family, namely Lord Thomas Eden and Marianne Locke.
In this second volume of this saga, their son, Edward Eden, starts this saga as The Prince of Eden.
As the formal heir of Eden's fortune, even being a "bastard", he uses his money in order to create a school for poor and abandoned children in his London home with the help of his loyal friend Daniel.
During a visit to the Eden Castle he falls in love with Harriet Powels, his brother's fiancé and then….
I won't spoil the whole story, on the contrary, there is too much to be followed with the plot itself and by this marvelous style of writing of Marilyn Harris.
The sequel of this book is The Eden Passion.
May 21, 2017
4 1/2 stars. I just finished this book and feel emotionally wrung out. This book which had a dark and gothic feel to it, was even more so than the first book in the series imo. The first 150 pages were slightly slow and takes you into the lives of each of the three Eden children along with their mother and life at Eden castle, dwelling mostly on the main character of the book, Edward the oldest son and bastard. After that, the story picked up and kept me reading.
Things I liked about this story:
How Harris made Edward's character so real, so flawed, so tortured and human.
How it incorporated history into the story and gave you a real feel of what London was like during those times.
How great all of the supporting characters in this book were so good. Whether it was in friendship or in plotting someone's downfall, they helped make the story richer.
How by the end of this book you realize you've become emotionally attached to Edward and the man that he is and can't help but feel sorry for him.
Things I liked about this story:
How Harris made Edward's character so real, so flawed, so tortured and human.
How it incorporated history into the story and gave you a real feel of what London was like during those times.
How great all of the supporting characters in this book were so good. Whether it was in friendship or in plotting someone's downfall, they helped make the story richer.
How by the end of this book you realize you've become emotionally attached to Edward and the man that he is and can't help but feel sorry for him.
March 9, 2021
Wow, I finished this book in a day! My 80th book of the year! I'm impressed with myself because it was 627 pages long. I started it at 3 am and now it's 1:50 am technically the next day. If you're looking for a light, romantic, historical read, LOOK ELSEWHERE. This is nowhere near light, fluffy, joyous, or romantic--there are about 5 pages at the most of romance.
It's also a sad book. Multiple people died and I had tears in my eye.
It's not necessary to read Book 1 beforehand, but you really should. I think I liked Book 1 better, too. This book follows Lord Thomas Eden's and Marianne's children. The book picks up 9 years after Thomas died (I did the math & I think he lived till 82 so damn). Marianne is 67 and a grieving widow. I felt really bad for her because she seemed a little helpless running the affairs of the estate and her children and no one, aka Sophia Cranford, would let her run the place. In hindsight, now I find it funny how I was afraid that they were going to run out of funds at the beginning when Sophia tells Marianne how they'll go into debt providing a luncheon for the betrothal, which I found ridiculous. Actually, multiple times during the book I was worried that they were going to run out of money.
The main plot is that one side of the Eden family, the younger Eden son, Lord James, is trying to pry the vast Eden fortune out of the hands of the elder son, the bastard Edward Eden, who is the Prince of Eden the book is named after. The Eden solicitor, James, and the servants the Cranfords (who, I believe, unbeknownst to the others, are incestuous siblings) dislike how Edward is providing funds from the vast Eden fortune to help educate the poor kids, and the solicitor and Cranfords want the Eden money for themselves.
I thought it was really unfortunate how Edward was a bastard (first off, Marianne and Thomas thought they were married but apparently they weren't at the time?) because had he not been, he could have been the one to have married Harriet and then they could have had John and lived HEA, and there would be no talk of James getting the fortune. To be honest, I thought James should feel privileged to even have the title because Edward should have not only had the wealth and the estates but the title as befitting the eldest son. Unfortunately for Edward, he was a bastard, so he didn't get the title.
So for most of the book, there is a talk of a lawsuit. There isn't too much in the way of the plot, but I was never bored, so I didn't mind.
I was so upset that Edward started an addiction to opium at the beginning of the book. I was so mad at De Quincey (an irrelevant character otherwise) for suggesting Edward try it once!! But drugs a lot of times aren't a one-time deal; no, you get addicted to them. I hated when Charlotte Bronte's brother introduced Edward again(!) to opium right after Edward had pledged abstinence, and it pissed me off when other characters like the radical guy (I am forgetting his name...) said they knew some people who did it occasionally & could give Edward access to opium again---like they wanted Edward to renew his addiction! Thank god, his addiction does not last the whole book. I don't think I could have stomached that.
When Edward is banished from London for the attempted murder of a warden after finding Charlotte Longford, the woman he committed adultery with dead in jail, he comes back to Eden. Harriet, James to-be bride, has just arrived. For some reason, Edward & Harriet share an insta-love and are together and have sex for 5 days.
It's also a sad book. Multiple people died and I had tears in my eye.
It's not necessary to read Book 1 beforehand, but you really should. I think I liked Book 1 better, too. This book follows Lord Thomas Eden's and Marianne's children. The book picks up 9 years after Thomas died (I did the math & I think he lived till 82 so damn). Marianne is 67 and a grieving widow. I felt really bad for her because she seemed a little helpless running the affairs of the estate and her children and no one, aka Sophia Cranford, would let her run the place. In hindsight, now I find it funny how I was afraid that they were going to run out of funds at the beginning when Sophia tells Marianne how they'll go into debt providing a luncheon for the betrothal, which I found ridiculous. Actually, multiple times during the book I was worried that they were going to run out of money.
The main plot is that one side of the Eden family, the younger Eden son, Lord James, is trying to pry the vast Eden fortune out of the hands of the elder son, the bastard Edward Eden, who is the Prince of Eden the book is named after. The Eden solicitor, James, and the servants the Cranfords (who, I believe, unbeknownst to the others, are incestuous siblings) dislike how Edward is providing funds from the vast Eden fortune to help educate the poor kids, and the solicitor and Cranfords want the Eden money for themselves.
I thought it was really unfortunate how Edward was a bastard (first off, Marianne and Thomas thought they were married but apparently they weren't at the time?) because had he not been, he could have been the one to have married Harriet and then they could have had John and lived HEA, and there would be no talk of James getting the fortune. To be honest, I thought James should feel privileged to even have the title because Edward should have not only had the wealth and the estates but the title as befitting the eldest son. Unfortunately for Edward, he was a bastard, so he didn't get the title.
So for most of the book, there is a talk of a lawsuit. There isn't too much in the way of the plot, but I was never bored, so I didn't mind.
I was so upset that Edward started an addiction to opium at the beginning of the book. I was so mad at De Quincey (an irrelevant character otherwise) for suggesting Edward try it once!! But drugs a lot of times aren't a one-time deal; no, you get addicted to them. I hated when Charlotte Bronte's brother introduced Edward again(!) to opium right after Edward had pledged abstinence, and it pissed me off when other characters like the radical guy (I am forgetting his name...) said they knew some people who did it occasionally & could give Edward access to opium again---like they wanted Edward to renew his addiction! Thank god, his addiction does not last the whole book. I don't think I could have stomached that.
When Edward is banished from London for the attempted murder of a warden after finding Charlotte Longford, the woman he committed adultery with dead in jail, he comes back to Eden. Harriet, James to-be bride, has just arrived. For some reason, Edward & Harriet share an insta-love and are together and have sex for 5 days.
November 2, 2011
A dark, deliciously Gothicky historical novel here, full of memorable characters and sinister secrets. Lots of family drama and quite a few surprises kept me on my toes, and wanting more when the book ended. One big surprise was the reintroduction of Jane Locke into the series, and finding her very sympathetic this time around. As to Edward and James, the two brothers in this story, I could have smacked them both at times. Plenty of set up for the next book in the series, and lots of little historical details. Lessee, some might feel squicky over some of the plot elements -- incest, opium, prostitution, illegitimacy -- nothing is taboo here! But the writing is great, come on in! Four stars overall and a happy recommendation.
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Marily...
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Marily...
December 2, 2024
Prince of Eden by Marilyn Harris (1979) … dark, grim, twisted and unbelievably sad. And, such a great read too. The story takes place about 40 years after the previous book ended and it includes Marianne the heroine from that book who’s 67 years old, a widow. It’s centered on her first son, Edward … born just before his parent’s marriage, a bastard… he inherited the money and the estate, not the title which went to his younger brother James.
Edward lives a life dedicated to others, spends lavish amounts of the Eden money setting up schools for the poor including one in his London townhouse. He’s also known for his degenerate lifestyle. He’s known as the Prince of Eden by the poor of London. For Edward…
“…what never varied, was the feeling inside, the lostness, the abandonment, the slow even roll, the designation. Bastard.”
Then there’s Harriet, a 25 year old spinster, intelligent but a bit weird, who’s to marry his brother.., Edward is besotted by her and she falls for him. Other characters… I could be reading a Dickens novel... some are morally grey or evil, cruel others are kind and caring. The story is filled with incest, rape, cruelty, death, opium addiction, unspeakable horrors of every description, and all overwhelm the story. Shades of Game of Thrones. However, there are a few bright and beautiful moments of love, goodness, caring for humanity that tug at your heart strings.
It’s very hard to characterize this book as there isn’t a typical HEA as in other HR books, and the romance is a thread that is unique… it’s there but unlike any other. When I finally finished the book… it’s really long.. I felt emotionally drained, and so very sad but realized I’d read a masterpiece about a deeply flawed man who lived his life as best he could, dedicating it to others, and who truly loved one woman who made a few wrong choices in her life. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(I read the KU ebook which has a fair amount of typos.)
Edward lives a life dedicated to others, spends lavish amounts of the Eden money setting up schools for the poor including one in his London townhouse. He’s also known for his degenerate lifestyle. He’s known as the Prince of Eden by the poor of London. For Edward…
“…what never varied, was the feeling inside, the lostness, the abandonment, the slow even roll, the designation. Bastard.”
Then there’s Harriet, a 25 year old spinster, intelligent but a bit weird, who’s to marry his brother.., Edward is besotted by her and she falls for him. Other characters… I could be reading a Dickens novel... some are morally grey or evil, cruel others are kind and caring. The story is filled with incest, rape, cruelty, death, opium addiction, unspeakable horrors of every description, and all overwhelm the story. Shades of Game of Thrones. However, there are a few bright and beautiful moments of love, goodness, caring for humanity that tug at your heart strings.
It’s very hard to characterize this book as there isn’t a typical HEA as in other HR books, and the romance is a thread that is unique… it’s there but unlike any other. When I finally finished the book… it’s really long.. I felt emotionally drained, and so very sad but realized I’d read a masterpiece about a deeply flawed man who lived his life as best he could, dedicating it to others, and who truly loved one woman who made a few wrong choices in her life. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(I read the KU ebook which has a fair amount of typos.)
January 27, 2012
If you're looking for a little light reading, this is not for you. If you're looking for a romance, this is not for you (there is a five-page hookup that ends in predictable misery; that's it).
If you are looking for a a heavy, depressing orgy of self-centered angst in all its varied manifestations, maybe you'll like this. It's, well-written, historically insightful, but unrelenting in its gloom. The only reason I may read on to the next book is that I kind of want to see Harriet take it in the teeth. Problem is, I don't really trust Harris to deliver a satisfying story after reading this--and the first book in the series This Other Eden was among my favorites.
This sequel gets two stars because Harris wrote well and the book is historically authentic. But she never did get me to actually empathize with any of the wretched characters. Instead I wanted to strangle most of them because there were obvious ways out of their afflictions and they chose instead to wallow.
Maybe it's me--other ratings were much nicer. But if I weren't so compulsive, I wouldn't have finished this. If I want to be depressed, I do not need a book to help me get there.
Now here's my dilemma: I bought the whole series on the strength of the first book. Should I read on hoping that the next one will be as good as the first, or assume that the story just goes downhill from here and ship the rest of them off to Goodwill unread?
ETA, just reread the blurb on the front cover: "He was a prince among men and a god among lovers." HUH? I could get the prince among men bit, but as a lover... Exactly what happened in the book that would justify that?
If you are looking for a a heavy, depressing orgy of self-centered angst in all its varied manifestations, maybe you'll like this. It's, well-written, historically insightful, but unrelenting in its gloom. The only reason I may read on to the next book is that I kind of want to see Harriet take it in the teeth. Problem is, I don't really trust Harris to deliver a satisfying story after reading this--and the first book in the series This Other Eden was among my favorites.
This sequel gets two stars because Harris wrote well and the book is historically authentic. But she never did get me to actually empathize with any of the wretched characters. Instead I wanted to strangle most of them because there were obvious ways out of their afflictions and they chose instead to wallow.
Maybe it's me--other ratings were much nicer. But if I weren't so compulsive, I wouldn't have finished this. If I want to be depressed, I do not need a book to help me get there.
Now here's my dilemma: I bought the whole series on the strength of the first book. Should I read on hoping that the next one will be as good as the first, or assume that the story just goes downhill from here and ship the rest of them off to Goodwill unread?
ETA, just reread the blurb on the front cover: "He was a prince among men and a god among lovers." HUH? I could get the prince among men bit, but as a lover... Exactly what happened in the book that would justify that?
October 10, 2022
From the chrysalis of The American Dream — that insidious lie of upward social mobility — emerges a new kind of despair. What happens to optimism when you can’t see the green grass from underneath a boot?
With this in mind, I’ve convinced myself that Marilyn Harris: novelist, and daughter of an Oklahoma oil executive, made it her mission to rouse any mawkish dreamer with the force of a dynasty.
You can find the rest in my newsletter here.
With this in mind, I’ve convinced myself that Marilyn Harris: novelist, and daughter of an Oklahoma oil executive, made it her mission to rouse any mawkish dreamer with the force of a dynasty.
You can find the rest in my newsletter here.
March 26, 2021
Well my thoughts on this second volume are mixed but personally I loved more the first volume, This Other Eden.
The story follows 30 years after the ending of the first volume: Thomas is dead, Marianne tries to cope with Thomas's death and the split of her family. What I observed was that this author likes to destroy all of her characters , in the end neither character is happy , it kinda reminds me of Hajime Isayama the author of the overhyped manga: Attack on Titan, Vol. 1.
With that said do not expect happy endings but tragedies.
The story follows 30 years after the ending of the first volume: Thomas is dead, Marianne tries to cope with Thomas's death and the split of her family. What I observed was that this author likes to destroy all of her characters , in the end neither character is happy , it kinda reminds me of Hajime Isayama the author of the overhyped manga: Attack on Titan, Vol. 1.
With that said do not expect happy endings but tragedies.
dnf
February 22, 2024DNF @10% - I was hoping this might be good since I liked the first book - but it’s boring on top of being depressing. I can’t really imagine this hero ripping any bodices. 🤷🏼♀️ I went review diving and all the glowing reviews talk about stuff that I don’t like (hero’s opium addiction, lack of any real romance, and no HEA) or care about (family drama and excessive Victorian historical politics). 🥴 Once I met the heroine and didn’t like her, I knew this one wasn’t for me.
NEXT!
NEXT!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2025
i’ve tried to write a review for this for over 10 minutes now and I can’t. it’s not because this book left me brain dead but rather it dialed up all and any emotions I have towards storytelling and I have no way of efficiently writing it all down. this was just masterfully done. there are some things i would’ve changed as a modern consumer of stories but fuck has this book changed me as a reader and for the better. (a chels_ebooks rec will never disappoint me it seems!) 4.5/5
December 9, 2021
While not a “bodice ripper” like the first one, this sequel continues on the first books tone of absolute misery and despair, with a greater dose of every melodramatic gothic plot point you could think of.
Some of these include but are not limited to (kind of spoilers? I won’t say names:)
- a brief, torrid love affair that SHOCKINGLY ends very very badly
- Death by pillow smothering!
- Secret child
- said secret child literally being CARVED into with a knife by evil adult hours after birth (literally one the worst thing I’ve ever read in a book)
- INCEST
- Loveless marriage
- Evil servants
- Madwoman in a castle
- sad woman in a castle
I could go on. It’s just A LOT. and all of this misery and pain because Thomas Eden just couldn’t keep it in his pants.
On that note, Edward, the eldest son is nothing like his dad in the sense that he one doesn’t treat women as disposable objects and two actually tries to use his immense wealth and privileges to help others. He is however like his dad in the sense that he lacks a real purpose at the start of the book, and is very angsty.
I really enjoyed the historical tie ins in this book- charlotte Brontë is mentioned in it several times, as well as Charles dickens and other major players in early Victorian England. I will say if you are going to keep reading this series because you enjoyed the gothic bodice ripper elements of the first one, these books take a WILD turn and I wouldn’t classify them as romance.
As much as I’m making fun of it, I do love this series. I love the history, the flawed characters, the incredibly dramatic plot points, these books are more gothic, DARK, historical epics than anything. I enjoy the complex relationships the characters have with each other and their world, and how the respond and react in kind. How Jane and Marianne’s relationship progresses is high point for me to read, especially after the first book.
But seriously, while good, these books are a lot. It’s a lot of bad things happening to very flawed but likable characters. And then not so bad things happening to very unlikeable characters. No good deed goes unpunished. So if that’s not your thing then I would not continue. However if you hate yourself like I do, brave on! I’m going to read a Tessa dare book and cry.
Some of these include but are not limited to (kind of spoilers? I won’t say names:)
- a brief, torrid love affair that SHOCKINGLY ends very very badly
- Death by pillow smothering!
- Secret child
- said secret child literally being CARVED into with a knife by evil adult hours after birth (literally one the worst thing I’ve ever read in a book)
- INCEST
- Loveless marriage
- Evil servants
- Madwoman in a castle
- sad woman in a castle
I could go on. It’s just A LOT. and all of this misery and pain because Thomas Eden just couldn’t keep it in his pants.
On that note, Edward, the eldest son is nothing like his dad in the sense that he one doesn’t treat women as disposable objects and two actually tries to use his immense wealth and privileges to help others. He is however like his dad in the sense that he lacks a real purpose at the start of the book, and is very angsty.
I really enjoyed the historical tie ins in this book- charlotte Brontë is mentioned in it several times, as well as Charles dickens and other major players in early Victorian England. I will say if you are going to keep reading this series because you enjoyed the gothic bodice ripper elements of the first one, these books take a WILD turn and I wouldn’t classify them as romance.
As much as I’m making fun of it, I do love this series. I love the history, the flawed characters, the incredibly dramatic plot points, these books are more gothic, DARK, historical epics than anything. I enjoy the complex relationships the characters have with each other and their world, and how the respond and react in kind. How Jane and Marianne’s relationship progresses is high point for me to read, especially after the first book.
But seriously, while good, these books are a lot. It’s a lot of bad things happening to very flawed but likable characters. And then not so bad things happening to very unlikeable characters. No good deed goes unpunished. So if that’s not your thing then I would not continue. However if you hate yourself like I do, brave on! I’m going to read a Tessa dare book and cry.
November 2, 2017
Read in 2014. WOW! What a beautiful, yet sad and strange book? Why haven't I read this book before and why didn't I discover Marilyn Harris in the past??? This is my 1st read in the Eden series, & I have yet to find 'This Other Eden' which I have been searching all over for but to no avail. As I'm reading I realised the 1st book must have been very rich in descriptions & plots & the storyline itself. Reading the sequel first is usually confusing with any series, but somehow I was able to comprehend fully and put the pieces of the puzzle rather quickly. I think Marilyn has a unique skill in making her readers achieve this. I was definitely hooked from the first page! I absolutely know this book has acquired a special place in my heart and will always remain there!
November 29, 2011
Wow! A fantastic sequel that had me weeping at the end.
February 13, 2013
I was not prepared for that!!!
August 13, 2018
First things first this is a Family Saga with multiple books, This is book #2 review. (I didn’t vibe with Book #1’s darker romance storyline and I ditched it promptly.)
Therefore, I do not think you need to read Book #1 in order to read this Book #2. This isn’t a romance novel at all, it just follows lives of the next generation of Edens.
This Family saga told during the Victorian era had had the drama & scandalous vibe of 80’s Young & the Restless except this a better written and emotionally sucks you in. The 2nd book’s addictive & wide range of plot lines had me doing a full-court press 1/2 way through finishing barely before the sun came up.
I hit every emotion reading as all GREAT books should get you close to that.
I’m relieved that 3rd installment is on Kindle Unlimited, I had to jump through a few hoops to get this 2nd one. The copyright is 1978. (super throwback, library stamps and all! Ha! )
Therefore, I do not think you need to read Book #1 in order to read this Book #2. This isn’t a romance novel at all, it just follows lives of the next generation of Edens.
This Family saga told during the Victorian era had had the drama & scandalous vibe of 80’s Young & the Restless except this a better written and emotionally sucks you in. The 2nd book’s addictive & wide range of plot lines had me doing a full-court press 1/2 way through finishing barely before the sun came up.
I hit every emotion reading as all GREAT books should get you close to that.
I’m relieved that 3rd installment is on Kindle Unlimited, I had to jump through a few hoops to get this 2nd one. The copyright is 1978. (super throwback, library stamps and all! Ha! )
December 21, 2017
The entire series (7) is a great look at way things were in these period pieces starting in 1890 and ending with WWW I. Takes place mostly in England and a little in India and America.
December 17, 2019
Imagine coming to a hairdresser named, Marilyn Harris, and asking her to shave your head. You know from her first book that she can be brutal and takes a crazy long time to tell a story, but you don't mind because the craziness can be fun. Then to your horror, she ties you to a chair and instead of shaving the pesky hair she starts to pluck it out, one single hair at a time. You beg her to take a razor, scissors, knife, shard of glass, anything... not listening to your pleas, Marilyn goes on, pluck, pluck, pluck... million more times.
And thence lies her genius. Not only does she make her characters suffer as they kneel on the shards of their sanity, she puts the reader through similar ordeal. You can skim through 90% of this book and still your knees will bleed. I was in pain and exhausted when I finally skimmed through the last page.
There were three good scenes that I read sentence by sentence and they involved Hariette and Edward. They were most developed characters, but still not good enough for me to want to stay with the series and undergo another torture.
And thence lies her genius. Not only does she make her characters suffer as they kneel on the shards of their sanity, she puts the reader through similar ordeal. You can skim through 90% of this book and still your knees will bleed. I was in pain and exhausted when I finally skimmed through the last page.
There were three good scenes that I read sentence by sentence and they involved Hariette and Edward. They were most developed characters, but still not good enough for me to want to stay with the series and undergo another torture.
March 1, 2021
SPOILER SUMMARY BELOW
This is the second book in a series of seven, published in 1978. I read it last year, in 2009.
In the second book, ‘The Prince of Eden’, it begins about 36 years AFTER the first book ended. Edward is about 42. He ends up getting addicted to laudanum in the novel.
In the beginning of the book, Edward meets a girl at Newgate prison named Elizabeth. He’d go there to bring the inmates treats and stuff. Elizabeth is a teenager, I think, and helps Edward and his friend run a school for poor kids. Edward and Elizabeth are never together romantically. Edward's younger bother James is not a "bastard" like Edward so James is to inherit the title and lands and all that. Harriet is to marry James and she and Edward begin an affair. She gets pregnant by Edward and no one but her parents and a nurse know. She’s kept prisoner in her home until after the baby is born. It’s born and given away.
Coincidentally, Edward and Elizabeth are at an inn and they see the baby, they don’t know it’s actually Edward’s and Harriet’s, being branded with the word "bastard" by some man so they kidnap it and Edward raises him. The child is named John. About 15 years later, when John is 15, Edward dies in an accident with a piece of equipment and John goes to Eden to live with his father’s relatives. Neither he nor Harriet know that he's her son. That’s how that book ends.
This series is pure fiction, not romance. This book was boring. But I know with book three this series will take a disturbing turn. I rate it 3 stars/C.
Here is the reading order for the series:
•This Other Eden
•The Prince of Eden
•The Eden Passion
•The Women of Eden
•Eden Rising
•American Eden
•Eden and Honor
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2016
I liked the first book of the series. About this I had serious doubts especially by reading several reviews. It is true that it is not a romance and it is not kind to the heroes. No HEA. I am not continuing with the series
July 20, 2008
the prince of eden by marilyn harris (1978)
January 25, 2015
Took me longer to get through this one compared to book #1, but ready to read the next sequel.
September 28, 2024
This took a bit to get into, but when it picked up, I enjoyed it! So many characters die, and apart from the lawyer (what a pompous jerk), they were all so tragic. Daniel's death had the most impact on me and felt so real. Poor Jennifer! That innkeeper and nurse should have had something worse than that coming to them after how evil they were. Also, what was up with Harriet's parents? The dad killing the horse..no wonder she treated Edward like that with how cold they were.
I lowered my rating to 4 stars only because I felt like certain elements could have been played out more or given more closure. For example, the Cranfords' incestous relationship was mentioned almost a side note but then didn't appear again. It had me wondering what led them to be the way they were. Despite those questions, the ending left me intrigued to see if some of that is explained in the next book in the series.
I lowered my rating to 4 stars only because I felt like certain elements could have been played out more or given more closure. For example, the Cranfords' incestous relationship was mentioned almost a side note but then didn't appear again. It had me wondering what led them to be the way they were. Despite those questions, the ending left me intrigued to see if some of that is explained in the next book in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2023
DNF- 3.5
Ok so I started it but could not go any longer - this is not a romance novel- unlike the first book - this book is tragedy after tragedy and I am not trying to have a meltdown - unsure if I will ever finish this as I really don’t feel like it will get any jollier-
Why I don’t consider this book a Romance
- There is incest in this book (not descriptive) between two siblings of age -
- There is rape (horrific) in which the victim is attacked by a multitude of men in a prisión and then dies- no justice for victim-
- Edward the bastard son of our lovely heroine Marianne and hero (Thomas) is an addict-
- He gets his brothers fiancé pregnant - his son is given up - he finds him but he doesn’t know that’s his son-
Our poor Edward will not have a HEA - I just can’t keep reading
Ok so I started it but could not go any longer - this is not a romance novel- unlike the first book - this book is tragedy after tragedy and I am not trying to have a meltdown - unsure if I will ever finish this as I really don’t feel like it will get any jollier-
Why I don’t consider this book a Romance
- There is incest in this book (not descriptive) between two siblings of age -
- There is rape (horrific) in which the victim is attacked by a multitude of men in a prisión and then dies- no justice for victim-
- Edward the bastard son of our lovely heroine Marianne and hero (Thomas) is an addict-
- He gets his brothers fiancé pregnant - his son is given up - he finds him but he doesn’t know that’s his son-
Our poor Edward will not have a HEA - I just can’t keep reading
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2024
The historical cameos in this book are wild! Dickens, Bronte sisters, Romantic poets; if they were alive during the period they were in the book!
Also an enjoyable historical melodrama that charges full tilt through acres of plot!
Also an enjoyable historical melodrama that charges full tilt through acres of plot!
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