Velvet Shadows

by Andre Norton

"TAMARIS, THERE ARE THINGS OF ANOTHER TIME -- ANOTHER PLACE--NOT OF THIS SAFE LITTLE WORLD!"

Tamaris Penfold was hired as a companion to Alain Sauvage's frail but lovely half-sister, Victorine. She would be a "friend" who would try to protect her from another scandalous involvement--like the one back in France.

Alain was a generous and thoughtful employer. Victorine a bright and amusing companion. But Tamaris could not help wondering about the significance of the gold and enamel snake Victorine wore around her neck. Nor could she stop thinking about the fact that someone had been going through her belongings and leaving strange objects among them.

Then one day Alain was forced to reveal the true story of Victorine's past. A past, Tamaris suspected, that would soon gain on the future and place everyone at Rancho del Sol under a shadow of constant fear..

Genres: Gothic, Romance, Ebooks, Gothic Romance, Historical, Romantic Suspense, Fantasy

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Andre Norton, born Alice Mary Norton, was a pioneering American author of science fiction and fantasy, widely regarded as the Grande Dame of those genres. She also wrote historical and contemporary fiction, publishing under the pen names Andre Alice Norton, Andrew North, and Allen Weston. She launched her career in 1934 with The Prince Commands, adopting the name “Andre” to appeal to a male readership. After working for the Cleveland Library System and the Library of Congress, she began publishing science fiction under “Andrew North” and fantasy under her own name. She became a full-time writer in 1958 and was known for her prolific output, including Star Man’s Son, 2250 A.D. and Witch World, the latter spawning a long-running series and shared universe. Norton was a founding member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America and authored Quag Keep, the first novel based on the Dungeons & Dragons game. She influenced generations of writers, including Lois McMaster Bujold and Mercedes Lackey. Among her many honors were being the first woman named Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy and SFWA Grand Master. In her later years, she established the High Hallack Library to support research in genre fiction. Her legacy continues with the Andre Norton Award for young adult science fiction and fantasy.

Reviews

[Sarah Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better-than-average, but not outstanding. The story itself was fine—I liked that the occult villainy was on-page, not just waved aside or explained away. The side characters were good—the way Mrs Beall & Amélie’s roles unfolded was interesting (though I wish Amélie had been given more page-time). The prose was okay—not spectacular, but perfectly adequate.

What held this back was the two leads. The hero Alain is 1) a boring beta, & 2) hardly in the book. When he does finally make his appearances, he’s utterly forgettable. There was absolutely nothing outstanding about the guy except that he was rich & had distant Native American blood. That’s it. Tamaris interacts with the chaperone/frenemy Augusta three times as much as the hero, ffs…if this had been a Sarah Waters novel, it would’ve been a f/f HEA because Tamaris had better chemistry with her than the hero, despite this being a m/f story. Wtf. 😶 As for Tamaris herself…I liked her in the beginning, but her continual self-deprecation began to grate, esp when she started shouldering burdens that she couldn’t have anticipated, & weren’t her fault even if she had (not to mention Alain just stands there & lets it happen because he’s “busy” with business—that’s not being a hero, dude). Such flagellation didn’t fit with the personality she described in the opening chapters. And the bit at the end, about how she was unfit for polite society after what she’d been through… 🙄 Gimme a break. Again, the girl described in the beginning would’ve been proud to be a survivor, not ashamed of her victimization.

So. It was entertaining enough, but not a next-level gothic o’ awesomeness.

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one and only non-fantasy, non-sci-fi book of Andre Norton that I've read, which makes it so special for me. Even if I've read it more than 10 years ago.
It was fabulous! I mean, it is voodoo! That was such and exciting read, where I could not put book aside for a moment. Way to vivid for my child's imagination. Which bring me to a though, that I most definitely need to re-read this book, and just see, what are the results now.

[Skeleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how dark and intense this book was.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the late 1970s, legendary science fiction writer Andre Norton briefly experimented with writing gothics. "Velvet Shadows," one of those experiments, shows that, had she concentrated on the genre, Norton would have likely carved out for herself a solid reputation for darker gothics in the manner of Florence Hurd. Tamaris Penfield, the daughter of a sea captain, has been hired to act as a chaperone/governness to the newly discovered half-sister of a wealthy French expatriate (it's a little convoluted, which is sort of beside the point). Tamaris soon learns that Victorine, the young lady in question, may have formed an unsuitable attachment with a mysterious young man from the West Indies (read: Haiti), who is indeed stalking her. Race runs uneasily through the novel, as Norton throws voodoo into the mix. While trying her best not to be exploitative, Norton can't help but employ historical period racism as written through the point of view of a young 19th century White woman, as well as offer exotic stereotyping through its portrayal of voodoo in a wild climax. Norton writes well, creating a strong, believable heroine and solidly grounding her novel in believable historical, societal, and sartorial detail. The love plot is less convincing, as the hero spends most of the novel offstage and the Other Woman similarly drops in and out of scenes. But in detailing Tamaris' trip through the nightmarish Demi-monde of the Barbary Coast of pre-Earthquake San Francisco, the novel moves right along.

[Charlotte Babb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intrigue in Post Civil War San Franciso including a meeting with Mrs. Mary Ellen Pleasant. A woman has few choices when she's caught in an arranged betrothal in a strange land with no friends, but many who want to use her.

[Evelyn Mcmanis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn't very good, but it wasn't really bad either. And also, there was no romance, whatsoever. So a little misleading in the blurb, there.

[Hafiza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of Andre Norton's books are now available as part of KU.
This is a classic Gothic "romance" with all the favorite tropes of the genre:
1. Heroine is a penniless orphan who takes a governess position.
2. Dark, brooding hero.
3. Mysterious ward
4. First person narrative

Some twists to the story:
Set in foggy SF rather than the Moors in England.
Voodoo priestess and priests!

Overall though very lack luster compared to my favorite Victoria Holts

[Gail Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting view of the voodoo religion... but not the sci-fi I am used to with her