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Eden #7
Eden and Honor
It is the end of an age, and, for the Eden family, it is a time of reunions - both joyous and painful. For Frederick, it is to celebrate his new bride; for Geoffrey, to heal the scars of war.
But for young, exotically beautiful Charlotte Eden, the most turbulent reunion will take place at the glorious Midsummer's Eve festivities. There, she prays, her secret scheme will succeed, a bitter family rift will be mended - and her daring dream of love for an outcast nobleman will come true. And with the dawn of a new century -- as the thunder of a new war rumbles in the distance - Charlotte and the Eden family face challenges of passion and honor that may spell their dynasty's final glory....
But for young, exotically beautiful Charlotte Eden, the most turbulent reunion will take place at the glorious Midsummer's Eve festivities. There, she prays, her secret scheme will succeed, a bitter family rift will be mended - and her daring dream of love for an outcast nobleman will come true. And with the dawn of a new century -- as the thunder of a new war rumbles in the distance - Charlotte and the Eden family face challenges of passion and honor that may spell their dynasty's final glory....
595 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
150 people want to read
About the author
Marilyn Harris
45 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 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 20, 2021
Terrible. Just wretched.
The first 3 books of this saga are awesome. I can’t recommend This Other Eden, Prince of Eden, & The Eden Passion highly enough. But then it goes downhill. Book 4 has its merits, though it also begins a slide that Book 5 & Book 6 couldn’t shake. And this one…good lord. I don’t know if Harris hired a ghostwriter, lost her writerly mojo, was reluctantly cajoled into milking the cash cow, or simply grew sick of the Eden family & no longer tried. In the end, it doesn’t matter.
This book sucks. Forget critiquing the plot—it doesn’t have one. It can’t even boast quality dialogue or a decent supporting cast.
So. What DOES it have? (Spoilers.)
—Babies being born! Lots & lots of babies. I think everyone with tits & under 45 had babies. I swear, every fifty fucking pages someone dropped another Eden spawn & I just DID NOT CARE.
—Time passing in chunks! Days, months, years go by, all so Harris can force-feed the Edens into WW1. Everything felt both lazy & bloated—quite a feat, really.
—Talking heads to expand the family tree! I legit lost track of who was who & how they related. BONUS! Sometimes the guys showed up with wives, all of whom began having babies as soon as they hit the page. Eventually I gave up trying, because who cares?
—Retconned characters! So John didn’t actually learn any lessons from Susan’s mewling prattle in Book 5, because he’s no longer nursing the sick or caring about forgiveness or thinking about anything but himself. Also, anyone who stands up to him is exiled. Over & over. Sound familiar? That’s because Harris already used this plot to death in previous books.
—More retcon! Hey, look…Aslam is no longer gay. Nevermind he’s been into peens since Book 4. Suddenly he’s panting for Richard’s daughter, because…who knows.
—Constantly recapping previous books! Because how else would new readers know that wondrous tale of Eve singing Jenny Crack Corn?! And are you aware that Marianne Locke was a fisherman’s daughter? Or that John went to India & rescued a woman without a tongue? *headdesk*
—Parades of depressing episodic moments! I guess this was to demonstrate how life sucks & then you die, but I might have cared more if I actually knew who anyone was. BONUS! No retribution for those who act like dicks. The townspeople murder at least 2 people & get away with it, because…I dunno.
—Pages of bland, boring dialogue! Frequently whilst waiting for babies to be born.
—Repetitious plot incidents! Both within the book & within the series. I guess Harris didn’t have any new ideas after thousands of pages re: John’s tantrums…?
—Geoffrey! He’s somebody’s son & he’s back from the Boer War with only one foot. He then locks himself in a side wing & won’t see anyone for years (again, sound familiar?). Eventually he emerges & sets people against each other because they aren’t miserable enough on their own. I’d have wished him dead, except by that point I didn’t care.
So. In total, I found 4 decent bits: Aslam calling out John from the locked gate, Alex saving the dog, Susan chopping up the war games board (the ONE time I’ve actually liked her), & Yorrick Harp’s finale. These were the only scenes that gave me any feels—the rest just put me to sleep.
Overall verdict? Books 4-7 are a disappointing end to the Eden saga. As I said, the initial trilogy is awesome—but it also stands on its own, & I wish I hadn’t bothered with the rest. If you like the way Book 3 ends, I strongly advise not continuing with the others. Learn from my mistake, gentle reader! Feel free to close the drama with Eden Passion’s upbeat ending, because any & all positivity therein is stomped to a bloody pulp beneath depression, insanity, & lack of resolution throughout the remaining installments.
The first 3 books of this saga are awesome. I can’t recommend This Other Eden, Prince of Eden, & The Eden Passion highly enough. But then it goes downhill. Book 4 has its merits, though it also begins a slide that Book 5 & Book 6 couldn’t shake. And this one…good lord. I don’t know if Harris hired a ghostwriter, lost her writerly mojo, was reluctantly cajoled into milking the cash cow, or simply grew sick of the Eden family & no longer tried. In the end, it doesn’t matter.
This book sucks. Forget critiquing the plot—it doesn’t have one. It can’t even boast quality dialogue or a decent supporting cast.
So. What DOES it have? (Spoilers.)
—Babies being born! Lots & lots of babies. I think everyone with tits & under 45 had babies. I swear, every fifty fucking pages someone dropped another Eden spawn & I just DID NOT CARE.
—Time passing in chunks! Days, months, years go by, all so Harris can force-feed the Edens into WW1. Everything felt both lazy & bloated—quite a feat, really.
—Talking heads to expand the family tree! I legit lost track of who was who & how they related. BONUS! Sometimes the guys showed up with wives, all of whom began having babies as soon as they hit the page. Eventually I gave up trying, because who cares?
—Retconned characters! So John didn’t actually learn any lessons from Susan’s mewling prattle in Book 5, because he’s no longer nursing the sick or caring about forgiveness or thinking about anything but himself. Also, anyone who stands up to him is exiled. Over & over. Sound familiar? That’s because Harris already used this plot to death in previous books.
—More retcon! Hey, look…Aslam is no longer gay. Nevermind he’s been into peens since Book 4. Suddenly he’s panting for Richard’s daughter, because…who knows.
—Constantly recapping previous books! Because how else would new readers know that wondrous tale of Eve singing Jenny Crack Corn?! And are you aware that Marianne Locke was a fisherman’s daughter? Or that John went to India & rescued a woman without a tongue? *headdesk*
—Parades of depressing episodic moments! I guess this was to demonstrate how life sucks & then you die, but I might have cared more if I actually knew who anyone was. BONUS! No retribution for those who act like dicks. The townspeople murder at least 2 people & get away with it, because…I dunno.
—Pages of bland, boring dialogue! Frequently whilst waiting for babies to be born.
—Repetitious plot incidents! Both within the book & within the series. I guess Harris didn’t have any new ideas after thousands of pages re: John’s tantrums…?
—Geoffrey! He’s somebody’s son & he’s back from the Boer War with only one foot. He then locks himself in a side wing & won’t see anyone for years (again, sound familiar?). Eventually he emerges & sets people against each other because they aren’t miserable enough on their own. I’d have wished him dead, except by that point I didn’t care.
So. In total, I found 4 decent bits: Aslam calling out John from the locked gate, Alex saving the dog, Susan chopping up the war games board (the ONE time I’ve actually liked her), & Yorrick Harp’s finale. These were the only scenes that gave me any feels—the rest just put me to sleep.
Overall verdict? Books 4-7 are a disappointing end to the Eden saga. As I said, the initial trilogy is awesome—but it also stands on its own, & I wish I hadn’t bothered with the rest. If you like the way Book 3 ends, I strongly advise not continuing with the others. Learn from my mistake, gentle reader! Feel free to close the drama with Eden Passion’s upbeat ending, because any & all positivity therein is stomped to a bloody pulp beneath depression, insanity, & lack of resolution throughout the remaining installments.
November 24, 2011
Eden and Honor begins in 1896 and Eden Castle is filled to the brim with returning family members and new arrivals. Eve is in childbirth, Richard's son Geoffrey returns from the Boer War crippled and bitter, and John Murrey Eden's son Frederick returns from ministering in India with a very pregnant wife. The novel continues as a new generation of Edens grow up through Queen Victoria's Jubilee celebration, the welcoming in of a new century and on through the The Great War - but not everyone at Eden is willing to adhere to duty and honor and fight in a war they feel is morally wrong.
"There will be no more wars after this one, will there, Susan?"
"No, I'm certain of it," Susan said with her quiet wisdom. "This will be the last. The very last. Men will not be so stupid again."
Righto, they've learned their lesson. Not.
I have sat here for an hour or more trying to find something to say to describe the plot, and have come to the conclusion that there isn't one - more just a series of vignettes about the family with plenty of loose threads left behind unanswered. The first 130+ pages are devoted to the birth of two babies by two different Eden mothers. Then there's a whole bunch of filler wasted on a big bash at Eden castle, just so's we can bring Aslam back into the story and get him involved with a new Eden character. Then there's a whole bunch of nothing as John ages and dotes on his grandsons and drives fast with his fancy motor car (no, I am not kidding). Then the saber rattling begins as England prepares for war and personal battle lines are drawn that splits the family in two.
*Yawn*
Add all that boring nothingness to a book riddled with more plot holes than Swiss cheese and you've got a fairly dull read, and I admit to skimming a great deal. Eden Rising (book five) leaves the reader with some very big unanswered questions. How did John and Aslam (John's foster-son) come to part ways? If John has been spending the last few years happily married and living at Eden Castle, just who is running his financial empire? Richard's only son and heir to the title locks himself away in the east wing and no one is concerned about the lack of a son to carry on? And what kind of answers do I get to my burning questions?
Nada, zip, nothing. What you do get are some serious continuity errors. The author tells us that Aslam is now the wealthiest man in England, but not how he separated from the Eden *fold*. In Eden Rising Aslam was sexually involved with a member of the Eden family (an affair that would have caused quite the scandal if it had ever been publically revealed), yet in this book they are little more than casual acquaintances. Editor, wherefore art thou?
Definitely read books one through five in the series, but I'd recommend giving the last two a pass. They aren't worth the time or the money wasted on them. Library only if you must.
"There will be no more wars after this one, will there, Susan?"
"No, I'm certain of it," Susan said with her quiet wisdom. "This will be the last. The very last. Men will not be so stupid again."
Righto, they've learned their lesson. Not.
I have sat here for an hour or more trying to find something to say to describe the plot, and have come to the conclusion that there isn't one - more just a series of vignettes about the family with plenty of loose threads left behind unanswered. The first 130+ pages are devoted to the birth of two babies by two different Eden mothers. Then there's a whole bunch of filler wasted on a big bash at Eden castle, just so's we can bring Aslam back into the story and get him involved with a new Eden character. Then there's a whole bunch of nothing as John ages and dotes on his grandsons and drives fast with his fancy motor car (no, I am not kidding). Then the saber rattling begins as England prepares for war and personal battle lines are drawn that splits the family in two.
*Yawn*
Add all that boring nothingness to a book riddled with more plot holes than Swiss cheese and you've got a fairly dull read, and I admit to skimming a great deal. Eden Rising (book five) leaves the reader with some very big unanswered questions. How did John and Aslam (John's foster-son) come to part ways? If John has been spending the last few years happily married and living at Eden Castle, just who is running his financial empire? Richard's only son and heir to the title locks himself away in the east wing and no one is concerned about the lack of a son to carry on? And what kind of answers do I get to my burning questions?
Nada, zip, nothing. What you do get are some serious continuity errors. The author tells us that Aslam is now the wealthiest man in England, but not how he separated from the Eden *fold*. In Eden Rising Aslam was sexually involved with a member of the Eden family (an affair that would have caused quite the scandal if it had ever been publically revealed), yet in this book they are little more than casual acquaintances. Editor, wherefore art thou?
Definitely read books one through five in the series, but I'd recommend giving the last two a pass. They aren't worth the time or the money wasted on them. Library only if you must.
October 19, 2022
I was so excited to read this last book in the series after reading American Eden, but, unfortunately, was sadly disappointed! Harris killed off my favorite characters early in this novel and then proceeded with a rambling, disjointed mess. I do not recommend this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2017
Flattered
Quite a disappointment!!
Quite a disappointment!!
December 21, 2017
G 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.
March 6, 2010
very interesting story of England leading up to the ww1
February 3, 2014
Disappointing end to a series I had really enjoyed.
May 3, 2016
INCREDIBLE SERIES !!! I never wanted this one to end ! Maybe there will be one more !
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews