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Roundheads and Cavaliers #1
The Black Madonna
Author revised and extended edition of this epic saga of love and revenge, set against the dramatic backdrop of the English Civil War.
By July 1639, unpopular taxes, religious differences and no Parliament in a decade have turned England into a simmering cauldron of discontent. Less concerned by this than by his ailing finances, King Charles seeks ways of filling his empty treasury. Enter Luciano Falcieri del Santi – master-goldsmith and money-lender; a man known to London as the Italian … and possessed of a hidden agenda.
As the cauldron slowly boils over into Civil War, the changing times are reflected in the lives of the Maxwell family. From his seat in the Commons, Richard Maxwell watches the escalating quarrel between the King and John Pym – and, in Oxfordshire, his wife cares for the estate and their five children. Their eldest son, Eden, struggles to save his marriage to Royalist-bred Celia whilst taking up his sword for the Parliament; and eldest daughter, Kate, vows to hold their home against both Cavalier and Roundhead, should the need arise.
After six months in the Queen’s household, Kate Maxwell takes most things in her stride. A spirited red-head, she deals with the financial demands of the Royalist garrison in nearby Banbury, the constant carping of her sister-in-law and the Puritanical zeal of second-cousin Nathan. The only thing she finds utterly impossible to handle, is her involuntary and growing attraction to sardonic, irresistibly magnetic and diabolically beautiful Luciano del Santi.
The paths of Richard Maxwell and the Italian cross by chance one dark night in a filthy backstreet – and a friendship is born. It is some time, however, before Richard learns the truth about this clever, icily restrained young man. On the surface, Luciano merely operates his businesses from Goldsmith’s Row on Cheapside. In reality, he has a much darker purpose. He is in England to discover the truth behind his father’s execution as a traitor and, if possible, to avenge it. This, with the country becoming a battlefield and scant information to go on, is both difficult and expensive – but it is not Luciano’s only problem. He must also accumulate sufficient capital to repay his uncle in Genoa the massive loan which has financed his venture - for failure to do so will result in ruin. Soon, he also begins to realise that – unless he is both careful and lucky – the revenge quest may cost him his life.
His own safety and that of everyone he cares about rests on success. Only success will permit him to reclaim the Black Madonna, the symbol of his heritage which has made his vendetta possible. And only success will allow him to offer his heart to the girl he loves.
From the machinations within Parliament to the last days of the King’s cause, The Black Madonna is a historically detailed and richly-woven tale of passion, intrigue and love in a time when England was lost in a dark and bloody conflict.
By July 1639, unpopular taxes, religious differences and no Parliament in a decade have turned England into a simmering cauldron of discontent. Less concerned by this than by his ailing finances, King Charles seeks ways of filling his empty treasury. Enter Luciano Falcieri del Santi – master-goldsmith and money-lender; a man known to London as the Italian … and possessed of a hidden agenda.
As the cauldron slowly boils over into Civil War, the changing times are reflected in the lives of the Maxwell family. From his seat in the Commons, Richard Maxwell watches the escalating quarrel between the King and John Pym – and, in Oxfordshire, his wife cares for the estate and their five children. Their eldest son, Eden, struggles to save his marriage to Royalist-bred Celia whilst taking up his sword for the Parliament; and eldest daughter, Kate, vows to hold their home against both Cavalier and Roundhead, should the need arise.
After six months in the Queen’s household, Kate Maxwell takes most things in her stride. A spirited red-head, she deals with the financial demands of the Royalist garrison in nearby Banbury, the constant carping of her sister-in-law and the Puritanical zeal of second-cousin Nathan. The only thing she finds utterly impossible to handle, is her involuntary and growing attraction to sardonic, irresistibly magnetic and diabolically beautiful Luciano del Santi.
The paths of Richard Maxwell and the Italian cross by chance one dark night in a filthy backstreet – and a friendship is born. It is some time, however, before Richard learns the truth about this clever, icily restrained young man. On the surface, Luciano merely operates his businesses from Goldsmith’s Row on Cheapside. In reality, he has a much darker purpose. He is in England to discover the truth behind his father’s execution as a traitor and, if possible, to avenge it. This, with the country becoming a battlefield and scant information to go on, is both difficult and expensive – but it is not Luciano’s only problem. He must also accumulate sufficient capital to repay his uncle in Genoa the massive loan which has financed his venture - for failure to do so will result in ruin. Soon, he also begins to realise that – unless he is both careful and lucky – the revenge quest may cost him his life.
His own safety and that of everyone he cares about rests on success. Only success will permit him to reclaim the Black Madonna, the symbol of his heritage which has made his vendetta possible. And only success will allow him to offer his heart to the girl he loves.
From the machinations within Parliament to the last days of the King’s cause, The Black Madonna is a historically detailed and richly-woven tale of passion, intrigue and love in a time when England was lost in a dark and bloody conflict.
438 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1992
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About the author
Stella Riley
23 books453 followers Stella Riley lives in Kent, England. She enjoys theatre, travel and playing the harpsichord.
Her award-winning 7 book Rockliffe series (recommended in The Times!) is available in audio, narrated by Alex Wyndham.
She is also the author of 6 books set in the 17th century: The Marigold Chain, A Splendid Defiance, The Black Madonna, Garland of Straw, The King's Falcon and Lords of Misrule.
All titles are available from Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and Apple.
Rockliffe Book 6 - Cadenza - is the 2019 Readers' Favourite gold medallist for Historical Romance and also the 2021 Book Excellence Awards winner in the Romance category.
Her award-winning 7 book Rockliffe series (recommended in The Times!) is available in audio, narrated by Alex Wyndham.
She is also the author of 6 books set in the 17th century: The Marigold Chain, A Splendid Defiance, The Black Madonna, Garland of Straw, The King's Falcon and Lords of Misrule.
All titles are available from Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and Apple.
Rockliffe Book 6 - Cadenza - is the 2019 Readers' Favourite gold medallist for Historical Romance and also the 2021 Book Excellence Awards winner in the Romance category.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
May 31, 2013
Originally published in 1993, this title has now been republished in ebook form by the author. My review of the hardback version was originally posted on 13 Feb 2013; and has been updated in May 2013, to reflect revisions incorporated into the new ebook edition.
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Stella Riley’s work, so anyone reading this could be forgiven for thinking that the five star rating was a foregone conclusion. And perhaps it was – I’ve always found her writing, characterisation and storytelling to be of consistently high quality, and The Black Madonna is no exception. But in fact, I’d venture to say that she’s set an even higher bar with this book because it is, without doubt, a really superb example of how to craft a compelling piece of historical fiction.
The events of The Black Madonna take place between 1639 and 1646, in the run up to and during the events of the “first” English Civil War.
In it, we follow events as seen through the eyes of the members of the Maxwell family and their friends and acquaintances; and along the way take in romance, politics, family dilemmas and a years old mystery and quest for vengeance.
Richard Maxwell and his wife, Dorothy are a happily married couple with five children (and how lovely it is to read about an older couple who are still very much in love and attracted to each other). Richard is a member of the Commons, and while he is frustrated by the King’s actions in (among other things) levying taxes to fill his coffers without the support of Parliament, he does not adopt an anti-royalist stance either. Rather, Richard is a good, honest man who wants the best for his family and his country; and who doesn’t want to take sides, but eventually finds he cannot do otherwise.
Running alongside the momentous political events of the time, we are drawn into the life of the Maxwells and all the ups and downs that family life entails. Eden, the eldest son, falls in love with a woman who is completely wrong for him; Amy the middle daughter is an inveterate flirt who is going to get herself into trouble if she’s not careful and Kate, the eldest daughter is sometimes far too forthright and clever for her own good.
Add in to all that the mysterious Italian goldsmith and usurer, Luciano Falcieri del Santi - a man with the face of an angel, a mind like a steel trap and a tongue like a razor-blade - and the stage is set for a truly gripping read.
The fate of the Maxwells becomes bound up with that of del Santi when Richard and Eden Maxwell rescue Luciano from a severe beating one night in the murky backwaters of the City of London. Thereafter, Richard and Luciano strike up an unexpected, yet very genuine friendship, which is one of the joys of the book; and which brings the latter into closer contact with Richard’s family. The youngest son, (previously Felix, but now renamed)Toby, is riveted by the goldsmiths’ art and wants to be apprenticed to del Santi, while Kate, finding herself utterly fascinated and reluctantly drawn to him, is trying desperately to resist what she thinks can only be a stupid, girlish infatuation.
Luciano, however, is not the man for her (as he tells her several times) – he has no room for emotional entanglements in his life. He is, of necessity, focused on his business and, as we later discover, on finding the person responsible for his father’s execution for treason several years earlier. He knows his quest is a dangerous one and is therefore reluctant to involve anyone else in it, although he eventually admits to himself that he needs help and therefore confides in Richard.
It is, however, impossible for Luciano to avoid the growing unrest in England and the tensions between King and Parliament erupt into Civil War.
Stella Riley handles her large cast of characters with aplomb once more and again skilfully integrates her fictional storylines and characters with actual events and historical figures.
Her research is impeccable; and although I will admit that, especially in the first few chapters, I felt a bit overloaded with background detail to the extent I felt the need to go and look up a few things! – once the setting has been established and we have been introduced to the Maxwells, the Langleys, del Santi and assorted other characters, things take off and the book became hard to put down.
The multiple plot strands are woven very skilfully together. The war progresses, initially in the King’s favour, but inescapably, the tide begins to turn; Luciano begins to close in on his quarry and becomes a target; and the Maxwells are plunged into danger and tragedy. Amid all this is the slow-burning romance between Kate and Luciano, an attraction they are both desperate to deny. Their exchanges throughout the first part of the book are ascerbic and sometimes deliberately hurtful as Kate, desperate to hide her feelings, tries to repel him; and Luciano, who isn’t the least bit fooled, tries to warn her off. But the thing is – the more the reader sees of them – apart and together – the more it becomes apparent that these two are a matched pair; intelligent, quick-witted, passionate and – in their own ways – unique.
Luciano’s reluctance to become involved with Kate is as much due to the fact that he has to focus all his attention on his business in order to repay a massive loan from his uncle as it is about his fears for her safety. In the original version, there are hints that he feels more for Kate than he lets on, but for the most part, he plays his cards very close to his chest. In the ebook version, the author has made a number of small changes and added some new scenes which give the reader more of an insight into how Luciano is thinking and feeling that I think are a truly valuable addition to the romance and to the story as a whole.
On a side note, I particularly enjoyed seeing glimpses of some of the characters featured in Ms Riley’s earlier novel A Splendid Defiance - the thirteen year-old Abigail Radford near the beginning, and later, members of the Banbury garrison and Captain Justin Ambrose.
As the Maxwells story continues, the war escalates and the King’s fortunes begin to worsen; and things come to a head for Luciano and Kate at the ill-fated siege of Basing House. The Black Madonna has it all - adventure, romance, heartbreak (I don’t mind admitting that there were a couple of real “lump-in-throat” moments), tenderness and humour. It’s a real page-turner and I honestly didn’t guess the identity of the bad guy until fairly close to the end.
I’ll finish by saying that I’ve waited over twenty-years to get my hands on a copy of this book, and it was every bit as good as I’d hoped.
Brava!
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Stella Riley’s work, so anyone reading this could be forgiven for thinking that the five star rating was a foregone conclusion. And perhaps it was – I’ve always found her writing, characterisation and storytelling to be of consistently high quality, and The Black Madonna is no exception. But in fact, I’d venture to say that she’s set an even higher bar with this book because it is, without doubt, a really superb example of how to craft a compelling piece of historical fiction.
The events of The Black Madonna take place between 1639 and 1646, in the run up to and during the events of the “first” English Civil War.
In it, we follow events as seen through the eyes of the members of the Maxwell family and their friends and acquaintances; and along the way take in romance, politics, family dilemmas and a years old mystery and quest for vengeance.
Richard Maxwell and his wife, Dorothy are a happily married couple with five children (and how lovely it is to read about an older couple who are still very much in love and attracted to each other). Richard is a member of the Commons, and while he is frustrated by the King’s actions in (among other things) levying taxes to fill his coffers without the support of Parliament, he does not adopt an anti-royalist stance either. Rather, Richard is a good, honest man who wants the best for his family and his country; and who doesn’t want to take sides, but eventually finds he cannot do otherwise.
Running alongside the momentous political events of the time, we are drawn into the life of the Maxwells and all the ups and downs that family life entails. Eden, the eldest son, falls in love with a woman who is completely wrong for him; Amy the middle daughter is an inveterate flirt who is going to get herself into trouble if she’s not careful and Kate, the eldest daughter is sometimes far too forthright and clever for her own good.
Add in to all that the mysterious Italian goldsmith and usurer, Luciano Falcieri del Santi - a man with the face of an angel, a mind like a steel trap and a tongue like a razor-blade - and the stage is set for a truly gripping read.
The fate of the Maxwells becomes bound up with that of del Santi when Richard and Eden Maxwell rescue Luciano from a severe beating one night in the murky backwaters of the City of London. Thereafter, Richard and Luciano strike up an unexpected, yet very genuine friendship, which is one of the joys of the book; and which brings the latter into closer contact with Richard’s family. The youngest son, (previously Felix, but now renamed)Toby, is riveted by the goldsmiths’ art and wants to be apprenticed to del Santi, while Kate, finding herself utterly fascinated and reluctantly drawn to him, is trying desperately to resist what she thinks can only be a stupid, girlish infatuation.
Luciano, however, is not the man for her (as he tells her several times) – he has no room for emotional entanglements in his life. He is, of necessity, focused on his business and, as we later discover, on finding the person responsible for his father’s execution for treason several years earlier. He knows his quest is a dangerous one and is therefore reluctant to involve anyone else in it, although he eventually admits to himself that he needs help and therefore confides in Richard.
It is, however, impossible for Luciano to avoid the growing unrest in England and the tensions between King and Parliament erupt into Civil War.
Stella Riley handles her large cast of characters with aplomb once more and again skilfully integrates her fictional storylines and characters with actual events and historical figures.
Her research is impeccable; and although I will admit that, especially in the first few chapters, I felt a bit overloaded with background detail to the extent I felt the need to go and look up a few things! – once the setting has been established and we have been introduced to the Maxwells, the Langleys, del Santi and assorted other characters, things take off and the book became hard to put down.
The multiple plot strands are woven very skilfully together. The war progresses, initially in the King’s favour, but inescapably, the tide begins to turn; Luciano begins to close in on his quarry and becomes a target; and the Maxwells are plunged into danger and tragedy. Amid all this is the slow-burning romance between Kate and Luciano, an attraction they are both desperate to deny. Their exchanges throughout the first part of the book are ascerbic and sometimes deliberately hurtful as Kate, desperate to hide her feelings, tries to repel him; and Luciano, who isn’t the least bit fooled, tries to warn her off. But the thing is – the more the reader sees of them – apart and together – the more it becomes apparent that these two are a matched pair; intelligent, quick-witted, passionate and – in their own ways – unique.
Luciano’s reluctance to become involved with Kate is as much due to the fact that he has to focus all his attention on his business in order to repay a massive loan from his uncle as it is about his fears for her safety. In the original version, there are hints that he feels more for Kate than he lets on, but for the most part, he plays his cards very close to his chest. In the ebook version, the author has made a number of small changes and added some new scenes which give the reader more of an insight into how Luciano is thinking and feeling that I think are a truly valuable addition to the romance and to the story as a whole.
On a side note, I particularly enjoyed seeing glimpses of some of the characters featured in Ms Riley’s earlier novel A Splendid Defiance - the thirteen year-old Abigail Radford near the beginning, and later, members of the Banbury garrison and Captain Justin Ambrose.
As the Maxwells story continues, the war escalates and the King’s fortunes begin to worsen; and things come to a head for Luciano and Kate at the ill-fated siege of Basing House. The Black Madonna has it all - adventure, romance, heartbreak (I don’t mind admitting that there were a couple of real “lump-in-throat” moments), tenderness and humour. It’s a real page-turner and I honestly didn’t guess the identity of the bad guy until fairly close to the end.
I’ll finish by saying that I’ve waited over twenty-years to get my hands on a copy of this book, and it was every bit as good as I’d hoped.
Brava!
November 4, 2019
WOW! I don't know this historical period very well, but it seemed sooo complicated! Almost like today's politics! ;-)
I like the way SR writes and her ability to describe and incorporate the arid historical facts in an interesting, comprehensive and somewaht funny way!
But being I an lazy reader, I freely admit that i skipped parts where the politics were heavily discussed... (shame on me, I know...)
I loved the complexity of the story and all the characters too. They became for me like real persons with real feelings and reactions! It's really amazing when the author can do that!
The story is cleverly complicated and there are several sub-plots besides the story of Kate and Luciano. And even their relationship develops well into the book. Thank God, it's NOT love at first sight! LOL
The only thing that make me cringe is the inexact use of Italian language, but, being everything else, so good, I'll gladly ignore!
Lovely, lovely, lovely!
I like the way SR writes and her ability to describe and incorporate the arid historical facts in an interesting, comprehensive and somewaht funny way!
But being I an lazy reader, I freely admit that i skipped parts where the politics were heavily discussed... (shame on me, I know...)
I loved the complexity of the story and all the characters too. They became for me like real persons with real feelings and reactions! It's really amazing when the author can do that!
The story is cleverly complicated and there are several sub-plots besides the story of Kate and Luciano. And even their relationship develops well into the book. Thank God, it's NOT love at first sight! LOL
The only thing that make me cringe is the inexact use of Italian language, but, being everything else, so good, I'll gladly ignore!
Lovely, lovely, lovely!
May 17, 2018
'You believe it’s the King’s right to command Parliament; I don’t. You’ll fight to preserve His Majesty’s prerogative; I won’t. And we could argue till kingdom come without it making a blind bit of difference.’
‘You want His Majesty turned into a puppet?’
‘No. I want Parliament turned into something more than a cipher,’ came the swift reply. And then, ‘A balance has to be struck. The King stands for stability and tradition – and no one wants to see him safely back on his throne more than I do. But Parliament represents the people and must be allowed to act in their interests without fear of being dissolved on a royal whim.’
‘’Tis to preserve His Majesty that we against him fight,’ sang Francis.
For quotes and comments as I read - Buddy Read The Black Madonna
Historical Fiction with a romance element, if you enjoy Donna Thorland's books, you want to put this on your list.
This follows the Maxwell family (Roundheads), the daughter Kate is highlighted, the Langley family (Cavaliers), small glimpses of the Cliffords, Luciano del Santi, and the English Civil War. There is a lot of history in here, you get a good look at the players, circumstances, and events that lead to the war and then how it affects the family and friendships. Luciano and Kate are the romantic element but they do spend more time apart than together. Luciano is on a revenge/justice mission to find out who orchestrated his father's death. This worked to keep Luciano away from Kate and some added angst, but for me, it felt unnecessary and clogged up the story, we have a whole Civil War lead up and beginning to deal with.
The author does an amazing job with her characters, their relationships, and development of story with historical persons and events weaved in. The last thirty percent was tension filled with a focus on the Basing House siege and Luciano finally meeting his enemy. I was totally sucked into these characters and their stories, there is a wide cast with even secondary characters stealing your attention. Since Luciano really doesn't have a side in the war, besides the mentioned Basing House and some Powick Bridge, direct contact with battles, blood, and death isn't focused on. The feel of the war is through Kate's father Richard (you'll fall in love with him and his wife Dorothy and their relationship) and the political dealings he navigates in the parliament, the emotional dividing it causes for our characters, and nightly news feeling updates.
The beginning was a little difficult to navigate as a lot is thrown at you, the middle you grow to love the characters, and the ending was a crescendo of the building tension. Kate and Luciano have biting banter and oodles of chemistry when they manage to get together but like I said, the whole little Civil War thing and Luciano's search for justice, keep them apart more than not. Definitely sticking with the series as there are many characters I need to know what happens to.
‘You want His Majesty turned into a puppet?’
‘No. I want Parliament turned into something more than a cipher,’ came the swift reply. And then, ‘A balance has to be struck. The King stands for stability and tradition – and no one wants to see him safely back on his throne more than I do. But Parliament represents the people and must be allowed to act in their interests without fear of being dissolved on a royal whim.’
‘’Tis to preserve His Majesty that we against him fight,’ sang Francis.
For quotes and comments as I read - Buddy Read The Black Madonna
Historical Fiction with a romance element, if you enjoy Donna Thorland's books, you want to put this on your list.
This follows the Maxwell family (Roundheads), the daughter Kate is highlighted, the Langley family (Cavaliers), small glimpses of the Cliffords, Luciano del Santi, and the English Civil War. There is a lot of history in here, you get a good look at the players, circumstances, and events that lead to the war and then how it affects the family and friendships. Luciano and Kate are the romantic element but they do spend more time apart than together. Luciano is on a revenge/justice mission to find out who orchestrated his father's death. This worked to keep Luciano away from Kate and some added angst, but for me, it felt unnecessary and clogged up the story, we have a whole Civil War lead up and beginning to deal with.
The author does an amazing job with her characters, their relationships, and development of story with historical persons and events weaved in. The last thirty percent was tension filled with a focus on the Basing House siege and Luciano finally meeting his enemy. I was totally sucked into these characters and their stories, there is a wide cast with even secondary characters stealing your attention. Since Luciano really doesn't have a side in the war, besides the mentioned Basing House and some Powick Bridge, direct contact with battles, blood, and death isn't focused on. The feel of the war is through Kate's father Richard (you'll fall in love with him and his wife Dorothy and their relationship) and the political dealings he navigates in the parliament, the emotional dividing it causes for our characters, and nightly news feeling updates.
The beginning was a little difficult to navigate as a lot is thrown at you, the middle you grow to love the characters, and the ending was a crescendo of the building tension. Kate and Luciano have biting banter and oodles of chemistry when they manage to get together but like I said, the whole little Civil War thing and Luciano's search for justice, keep them apart more than not. Definitely sticking with the series as there are many characters I need to know what happens to.
January 22, 2010
Orphaned when his father is convicted and hanged for treason against Charles I, Luciano Falcieri Del Santi and his sister Gianetta leave England and return to their uncle's household in Genoa. Gianetta is raised as a pampered daughter while Luciano is apprenticed to learn the gold trade. When older, Luciano is still bent on vengeance against those who lead to his father's death and he returns to London as a master goldsmith and money lender. His path eventually crosses with that of Richard Maxwell of Thorne Ash, his wife Dorothy and their brood of children - including the not-quite-mature Kate.
As Civil War between King and Parliament begins Luciano and Kate find them in the midst of war, treachery, and conspiracies everywhere. Can Luciano keep Kate safe from those desperate to destroy him before he can uncover the truth? Luciano's search for the truth culminates in a final showdown with his prey in a nail biting finish as Cromwell besieges Basing House. Will Luciano and Kate make it out alive? Or will his search for the truth destroy them all? Hate to say it, but I am not telling.
Luciano was one of the best flawed hero I've come across in quite a while (I think I'm in love), his knife wielding Turk bodyguard Selim was a hoot and as for Kate - she was a perfect foil - intelligent, independent but without being so OTT with it that she's grating on your nerves as well. No TSTL heroine here. I loved the Maxwell family and their brood of children, and my heart just broke for eldest son Eden and what the witch of a Royalist wife put him through. It was also fun catching a glimpse of Justin Ambrose from A Splendid Defiance, the second in Riley's Civil War trilogy.
Riley's books are quite rare and virtually impossible to find without paying an arm and a leg but don't give up hope. Scour your used book stores and keep watch on the online sellers - especially over at the UK. Don't bother for an ILL, I already tried it and not one to be had in the US and I only lucked out by a very generous friend offering me the loan of her copy - a very big thank you. As best as I can ascertain the series order is,
The Black Madonna
A Splendid Defiance
Garland of Straw
As Civil War between King and Parliament begins Luciano and Kate find them in the midst of war, treachery, and conspiracies everywhere. Can Luciano keep Kate safe from those desperate to destroy him before he can uncover the truth? Luciano's search for the truth culminates in a final showdown with his prey in a nail biting finish as Cromwell besieges Basing House. Will Luciano and Kate make it out alive? Or will his search for the truth destroy them all? Hate to say it, but I am not telling.
Luciano was one of the best flawed hero I've come across in quite a while (I think I'm in love), his knife wielding Turk bodyguard Selim was a hoot and as for Kate - she was a perfect foil - intelligent, independent but without being so OTT with it that she's grating on your nerves as well. No TSTL heroine here. I loved the Maxwell family and their brood of children, and my heart just broke for eldest son Eden and what the witch of a Royalist wife put him through. It was also fun catching a glimpse of Justin Ambrose from A Splendid Defiance, the second in Riley's Civil War trilogy.
Riley's books are quite rare and virtually impossible to find without paying an arm and a leg but don't give up hope. Scour your used book stores and keep watch on the online sellers - especially over at the UK. Don't bother for an ILL, I already tried it and not one to be had in the US and I only lucked out by a very generous friend offering me the loan of her copy - a very big thank you. As best as I can ascertain the series order is,
The Black Madonna
A Splendid Defiance
Garland of Straw
August 2, 2019
The Black Madonna is a sweeping, epic tale of love, betrayal, loyalty, intrigue, and a family’s determination to support each other throughout the bloody ravages of a civil war, into which their country has been plunged.
I loved every minute of this truly sumptuous and scintillating saga of triumph over adversity – firstly in the written word, and now in more than twenty-two glorious hours of audio, performed by the highly talented actor, Alex Wyndham.
As is usual with this author, her characters are quite unique. Luciano Falcieri del Santi is an Italian master-goldsmith and usurer (money lender); he has imperfectly matched shoulders and a burning ambition to find out, not only the truth, but also to punish the men who, when he was only a boy of twelve, had perjured themselves in order to have his innocent father executed for treason in England.
He has worked hard to succeed at his craft and also has a natural flair for finance, which has enabled him to persuade his uncle to loan him a large amount of money. Luciano offers The Black Madonna as surety – a simple but serenely beautiful figurine, much treasured by Luciano’s family. It is all he has to bargain with, but such is the reverence with which the figurine is held that his uncle agrees.
Luciano’s occupation as a much despised money lender, his slight, but nevertheless fairly obvious, physical deformity, and his single minded and determined quest for revenge and justice would not immediately conjure up a romantic figure. But, somehow, in her usual inimitable way, Stella Riley has created just that – an enigmatic, brilliant and quite dazzlingly beautiful young man whom Kate Maxwell, much to her own initial disgust, is secretly in thrall to from their first meeting. She is fascinated to realise that he is the epitome of a painting of Lucifer, the fallen Angel, on the ceiling of her family’s chapel. Luciano dominates the story from the first page and eventually earns the friendship and trust of Richard Maxwell, an honourable and well-respected member of Charles the first’s doomed parliament, and the father of Kate and Eden, the two eldest Maxwell siblings, who figure predominately in this story.
It’s unnecessary to go into the politics and tragedies of the English Civil Wars in great depth in the review, because this talented historian and writer has done the hard work for us to enjoy. In fact, I am in awe of the daunting task she set herself when she began researching and writing this series more than twenty five years ago… without the benefit of the internet. Suffice to say that not only The Black Madonna but every book in this series, plus its companion A Splendid Defiance and The Marigold Chain, set in the Restoration period, are all masterpieces in their own right. Many of Stella Riley’s fictitious characters throughout the series make repeat appearances – some with stories of their own – such as Gabriel Brandon, Venetia Clifford, Eden Maxwell, Francis Langley and Justin Ambrose. So well-drawn and developed are these characters that they are almost indistinguishable from the nonfictional, historical military and political characters with whom they interact. Under the author’s clever hand, these nonfictional personalities are no longer just figures on canvases in art galleries or names in dusty archived records. Seen through the eyes of the author, they are living, breathing men who had difficult decisions to make and worries to contend with.
One thing Ms. Riley does particularly well is to show both sides of the argument in a fair and unbiased way. There was one particular conversation between two friends that jumped out at me. It clearly and succinctly explained how and why families and friends found themselves on opposing sides, and highlighted the sheer futility and difficulties faced by such families and friends in this situation. Eden Maxwell and Francis Langley have been friends since boyhood and discuss their differing beliefs on Parliament versus King. Neither allows their opinions to affect their long standing friendship but simply agree to differ. Obviously, once the first war begins in earnest, they do not actively pursue their friendship, although throughout the series, they occasionally meet up and continue to be friends. The two are also inextricably linked by Eden’s marriage to Francis’s sister, Celia, which in itself has its own problems, because she, like her brother, is a royalist. The tension in the Maxwell household, as the war gathers momentum, is tangible and has long reaching consequences for all of them.
The waters are further muddied by the differing religions of political leaders, officers and soldiers fighting on both sides. Complicated and difficult it may be to understand, but the author again explains the different reasons and factions in a way that can be understood by the layman. All in all, a mix of differing religious beliefs and fears only added to the almost impossible task of uniting a country and increased the problems of an already hopeless war which tore families and communities asunder.
Luciano relentlessly pursues his quarry, finding and dealing with each culprit in turn, until only one is left. At the same time, he is fighting a losing battle against his obvious love for Kate (aka Caterina) Maxwell, until eventually he can no longer deny his feelings, even though he fears his love may place her in danger. The story hurtles towards its emotional and heart-rending culmination, an ending the author has plucked, in part, from the historic archives – the final falling of the long besieged Cavalier stronghold, Basing House – merciless, bloody and horrific- she cleverly intertwines it with the last piece of Luciano’s puzzle. In fact, the final 25% of the book, as all the threads come together, is truly nail-biting stuff. Stella Riley ratchets up the tension and emotion, drawing graphic pictures of the horrors of war to the point where one can almost smell the gunpowder and witness the horror and terror of the participants. At its centre is Luciano, his formidable Turkish man servant, Selim, his beloved Caterina, and the last man who must face Luciano’s reckoning. Here I must add that, as much as I loved reading it, the narration by master-of-his-craft, Alex Wyndham, adds another dimension to an already fabulous book which, were it a play, would certainly earn a standing ovation.
Surely The Black Madonna must be an actor’s dream to perform – for perform it Mr. Wyndham does, with quite outstanding success. I can only imagine the challenges he faced with such a huge cast of characters of both sexes. Knowing this story well, having read it at least three times, I had pre-conceived ideas on how I thought the characters would sound, and I wasn’t disappointed. Luciano’s voice is ‘like warm silk’, to quote the author, and it’s at its silkiest best when he talks to his Caterina. Luciano has a multifaceted nature, one side of which – his inherent aloneness – I felt very keenly and Mr. Wyndham portrays this facet of his character with sensitivity. Okay, Luciano deliberately cultivates it in order to stay safe, and of course as a money lender was reviled by the very people who were in debt to him, and he had learnt to trust very few people. Nevertheless, at times, I felt sad for him. He shrouds himself in an aloofness and, on occasions, adopts a quiet, deadly insolence, which is reserved for those people he holds in contempt. Alex Wyndham captures the many facets of Luciano’s character to perfection; the subtle nuances of his moods – silky smooth, deadly dangerous and insolence.
There are far too many individuals to mention separately, but a few characters really stand out for me in Alex Wyndham’s portrayal of them.
Richard Maxwell – a quiet likeable man with oodles of integrity
Eden Maxwell – a no-nonsense career soldier who begins by being quietly happy with his lot but, as a result of betrayal, becomes embittered and morose, which shows in his voice
Celia Maxwell, Eden’s wife – a querulous and waspish woman who is easy to dislike
Francis Langley – the languid, long-haired, elegantly attired, devil-may-care, Cavalier officer, who would rather read poetry than go to war
Gianetta, Luciano’s little sister – highly strung, excitable and volatile
Finally the Irish Catholic patriot, Liam Aherne – quiet and stern but with a delightful, lilting Irish accent
These are only a handful of the diverse cast Alex Wyndham juggles with.
Each time I hear this performer, I wonder anew how on earth he’ll do it, but I’m never disappointed with his performance. A consummate and professional actor with a voice like ‘warm silk’, to quote the author again in her description of Luciano, but which also fits Alex Wyndham to a tee.
The Black Madonna is another triumph for Stella Riley and her narrator, Alex Wyndham. A magnificent blend of historical fiction and historical romance, with the emphasis on the thoroughly and accurately researched history. The plotting is first rate – intriguing and plausible, and the romance is slow developing – deep and abiding.
MY VERDICT: A heart-warming and romantic saga of family, love and war. Simply not to be missed! We can only hold our breath and hope that Ms. Riley is able to have the rest of the series recorded.
I loved every minute of this truly sumptuous and scintillating saga of triumph over adversity – firstly in the written word, and now in more than twenty-two glorious hours of audio, performed by the highly talented actor, Alex Wyndham.
As is usual with this author, her characters are quite unique. Luciano Falcieri del Santi is an Italian master-goldsmith and usurer (money lender); he has imperfectly matched shoulders and a burning ambition to find out, not only the truth, but also to punish the men who, when he was only a boy of twelve, had perjured themselves in order to have his innocent father executed for treason in England.
He has worked hard to succeed at his craft and also has a natural flair for finance, which has enabled him to persuade his uncle to loan him a large amount of money. Luciano offers The Black Madonna as surety – a simple but serenely beautiful figurine, much treasured by Luciano’s family. It is all he has to bargain with, but such is the reverence with which the figurine is held that his uncle agrees.
Luciano’s occupation as a much despised money lender, his slight, but nevertheless fairly obvious, physical deformity, and his single minded and determined quest for revenge and justice would not immediately conjure up a romantic figure. But, somehow, in her usual inimitable way, Stella Riley has created just that – an enigmatic, brilliant and quite dazzlingly beautiful young man whom Kate Maxwell, much to her own initial disgust, is secretly in thrall to from their first meeting. She is fascinated to realise that he is the epitome of a painting of Lucifer, the fallen Angel, on the ceiling of her family’s chapel. Luciano dominates the story from the first page and eventually earns the friendship and trust of Richard Maxwell, an honourable and well-respected member of Charles the first’s doomed parliament, and the father of Kate and Eden, the two eldest Maxwell siblings, who figure predominately in this story.
It’s unnecessary to go into the politics and tragedies of the English Civil Wars in great depth in the review, because this talented historian and writer has done the hard work for us to enjoy. In fact, I am in awe of the daunting task she set herself when she began researching and writing this series more than twenty five years ago… without the benefit of the internet. Suffice to say that not only The Black Madonna but every book in this series, plus its companion A Splendid Defiance and The Marigold Chain, set in the Restoration period, are all masterpieces in their own right. Many of Stella Riley’s fictitious characters throughout the series make repeat appearances – some with stories of their own – such as Gabriel Brandon, Venetia Clifford, Eden Maxwell, Francis Langley and Justin Ambrose. So well-drawn and developed are these characters that they are almost indistinguishable from the nonfictional, historical military and political characters with whom they interact. Under the author’s clever hand, these nonfictional personalities are no longer just figures on canvases in art galleries or names in dusty archived records. Seen through the eyes of the author, they are living, breathing men who had difficult decisions to make and worries to contend with.
One thing Ms. Riley does particularly well is to show both sides of the argument in a fair and unbiased way. There was one particular conversation between two friends that jumped out at me. It clearly and succinctly explained how and why families and friends found themselves on opposing sides, and highlighted the sheer futility and difficulties faced by such families and friends in this situation. Eden Maxwell and Francis Langley have been friends since boyhood and discuss their differing beliefs on Parliament versus King. Neither allows their opinions to affect their long standing friendship but simply agree to differ. Obviously, once the first war begins in earnest, they do not actively pursue their friendship, although throughout the series, they occasionally meet up and continue to be friends. The two are also inextricably linked by Eden’s marriage to Francis’s sister, Celia, which in itself has its own problems, because she, like her brother, is a royalist. The tension in the Maxwell household, as the war gathers momentum, is tangible and has long reaching consequences for all of them.
The waters are further muddied by the differing religions of political leaders, officers and soldiers fighting on both sides. Complicated and difficult it may be to understand, but the author again explains the different reasons and factions in a way that can be understood by the layman. All in all, a mix of differing religious beliefs and fears only added to the almost impossible task of uniting a country and increased the problems of an already hopeless war which tore families and communities asunder.
Luciano relentlessly pursues his quarry, finding and dealing with each culprit in turn, until only one is left. At the same time, he is fighting a losing battle against his obvious love for Kate (aka Caterina) Maxwell, until eventually he can no longer deny his feelings, even though he fears his love may place her in danger. The story hurtles towards its emotional and heart-rending culmination, an ending the author has plucked, in part, from the historic archives – the final falling of the long besieged Cavalier stronghold, Basing House – merciless, bloody and horrific- she cleverly intertwines it with the last piece of Luciano’s puzzle. In fact, the final 25% of the book, as all the threads come together, is truly nail-biting stuff. Stella Riley ratchets up the tension and emotion, drawing graphic pictures of the horrors of war to the point where one can almost smell the gunpowder and witness the horror and terror of the participants. At its centre is Luciano, his formidable Turkish man servant, Selim, his beloved Caterina, and the last man who must face Luciano’s reckoning. Here I must add that, as much as I loved reading it, the narration by master-of-his-craft, Alex Wyndham, adds another dimension to an already fabulous book which, were it a play, would certainly earn a standing ovation.
Surely The Black Madonna must be an actor’s dream to perform – for perform it Mr. Wyndham does, with quite outstanding success. I can only imagine the challenges he faced with such a huge cast of characters of both sexes. Knowing this story well, having read it at least three times, I had pre-conceived ideas on how I thought the characters would sound, and I wasn’t disappointed. Luciano’s voice is ‘like warm silk’, to quote the author, and it’s at its silkiest best when he talks to his Caterina. Luciano has a multifaceted nature, one side of which – his inherent aloneness – I felt very keenly and Mr. Wyndham portrays this facet of his character with sensitivity. Okay, Luciano deliberately cultivates it in order to stay safe, and of course as a money lender was reviled by the very people who were in debt to him, and he had learnt to trust very few people. Nevertheless, at times, I felt sad for him. He shrouds himself in an aloofness and, on occasions, adopts a quiet, deadly insolence, which is reserved for those people he holds in contempt. Alex Wyndham captures the many facets of Luciano’s character to perfection; the subtle nuances of his moods – silky smooth, deadly dangerous and insolence.
There are far too many individuals to mention separately, but a few characters really stand out for me in Alex Wyndham’s portrayal of them.
Richard Maxwell – a quiet likeable man with oodles of integrity
Eden Maxwell – a no-nonsense career soldier who begins by being quietly happy with his lot but, as a result of betrayal, becomes embittered and morose, which shows in his voice
Celia Maxwell, Eden’s wife – a querulous and waspish woman who is easy to dislike
Francis Langley – the languid, long-haired, elegantly attired, devil-may-care, Cavalier officer, who would rather read poetry than go to war
Gianetta, Luciano’s little sister – highly strung, excitable and volatile
Finally the Irish Catholic patriot, Liam Aherne – quiet and stern but with a delightful, lilting Irish accent
These are only a handful of the diverse cast Alex Wyndham juggles with.
Each time I hear this performer, I wonder anew how on earth he’ll do it, but I’m never disappointed with his performance. A consummate and professional actor with a voice like ‘warm silk’, to quote the author again in her description of Luciano, but which also fits Alex Wyndham to a tee.
The Black Madonna is another triumph for Stella Riley and her narrator, Alex Wyndham. A magnificent blend of historical fiction and historical romance, with the emphasis on the thoroughly and accurately researched history. The plotting is first rate – intriguing and plausible, and the romance is slow developing – deep and abiding.
MY VERDICT: A heart-warming and romantic saga of family, love and war. Simply not to be missed! We can only hold our breath and hope that Ms. Riley is able to have the rest of the series recorded.
December 15, 2015
This story opens with an aging and filthily rich Genoese businessman wearily assessing the petition a young man he's cause to both admire and faintly resent has brought to him. Money-lending wouldn't be an unusual petition, he's been hearing these petitions all his life, but this one isn't usual.
The young man wants a jaw-droppingly large loan to hunt down the man who sent his father to the scaffold on trumped-up charges eight years prior in England. To be granted the desired loan he offers pawning the sole object the old man, who happens to be his paternal uncle, would ever wish: a very old figure carved wholly from obsidian called the Black Madonna, which's been in the Falcieri family for centuries and is passed only from elder son to elder son. With the necessary gold obtained, the young man goes back to England with the single-minded purpose to use it to find out who the real culprit is, learn the true motives behind, and then mete out his own brand of justice, as the lawful route was out of the question given the circumstances.
Such revenge plots tend to progress exactly towards the end the reader hopes for; after all, the quest for justice for an unfairly murdered father by the now grown-up child is old as dirt, and popular for a good reason (... in the hands of a good writer, I'd add). Luciano Falcieri del Santi is able to find his man, learn what he needed to, and deliver a memorable speech of damnation. So what makes this ages-old Inigo Montoya-like plot stand out and command one's attention for the span of a fairly long book?
In short, the overarching plot of which this book is just Act I and the fairly large (yet manageable) cast of characters, each of them with their distinct personalities and political leanings. The period this is set in, the English Civil War, was in reality three conflicts fought one after the other in succession with hardly time enough in-between for each faction to catch their breath until next round; and the long timespan has played in favour of Riley's plot, as she was astute in not limiting her story to just a defined number of years or just a couple of characters propped up by secondaries. Instead, although this is Luciano's book and his story is the central plotline, it's by no means isolated but cast into a larger canvas in which the story of the Maxwell family is just as important.
Which brings me to a point I particularly liked and I'm sure other readers, chiefly those who've had issues with the all-too-common preeminence of the Royalist faction in Civil War novels over any other faction, will like as well: Riley doesn't restrict herself to just one side. To the contrary, she depicts both sides of this war. Both Cavaliers and Roundheads are represented by sympathetic and very human characters. On the Parliamentarian side, we have the seven members of the Maxwell family: the males are actively involved in politics and war, with the father as a House of Commons member, and the eldest son an officer of the Roundhead army, and of the females, all of them not lacking in opinionated opinions of their own either, the one that stands out most and whom I liked a fair deal is the eldest daughter, Kate, a resourceful and book-loving girl that'll catch Luciano's eye and aid him in his quest albeit more through meddling, guesswork and happy accidents than anything else, as well as command the defence of her home during a brief siege with hilarious occurrences.
And on the Royalist side, we have the Langley and Clifford families with their host of acquaintances and friends, that will play a pivotal role all throughout this series just as their neighbours the Maxwells. In this book, the most prominent for now are the former. The parents are the typical dissolute nobles, and very deep in debt, and their daughter Celia is a rather flighty and selfish beauty that torments Eden Maxwell, but their son Francis is a likable and conscientious young man that'll land in the opposite side to his childhood friend Eden as he joins the Cavaliers.
With such an epic saga type of scope and storytelling, well-constructed characters, a warm love story, gut-punches and surprises, and a satisfying ending, there wasn't anything I didn't like. On the contrary, I'd say that it did what good historical fiction is supposed to do: pique your curiosity about a period. Me, my knowledge of 17th century English wars registers at several points below zero in the Knowledge-o-Meter, and as I am loath to be in the dark about something that appeals to me, I had to get my eager hands on a non-fiction book that'd explain to me what was going on during that time, the battles, the politics, as well as having to look up for drawings and illustrations of Cavalier and Roundhead uniforms and weaponry, because I was having trouble visualising how they were supposed to look like, what with me only being aware of the everyday and court dress and lovelocks through portraiture mostly. So, I emerged from reading this a mite more knowledgeable. This effect is what I love most about historical fiction, and why it is and will always be my favourite genre.
Although it's only the beginning, it was enough for me to see that this is shaping up to be one of my favourite series. Why not? It has everything I most like to read about: realistic war with all the blood and spilt guts, politicking from all sides till diziness, villains you want to put a bullet through yourself, characters to sigh over and root for and slap and throttle. Oh, and there's a certain delicious someone whose appearance was the most delightful surprise.
The young man wants a jaw-droppingly large loan to hunt down the man who sent his father to the scaffold on trumped-up charges eight years prior in England. To be granted the desired loan he offers pawning the sole object the old man, who happens to be his paternal uncle, would ever wish: a very old figure carved wholly from obsidian called the Black Madonna, which's been in the Falcieri family for centuries and is passed only from elder son to elder son. With the necessary gold obtained, the young man goes back to England with the single-minded purpose to use it to find out who the real culprit is, learn the true motives behind, and then mete out his own brand of justice, as the lawful route was out of the question given the circumstances.
Such revenge plots tend to progress exactly towards the end the reader hopes for; after all, the quest for justice for an unfairly murdered father by the now grown-up child is old as dirt, and popular for a good reason (... in the hands of a good writer, I'd add). Luciano Falcieri del Santi is able to find his man, learn what he needed to, and deliver a memorable speech of damnation. So what makes this ages-old Inigo Montoya-like plot stand out and command one's attention for the span of a fairly long book?
In short, the overarching plot of which this book is just Act I and the fairly large (yet manageable) cast of characters, each of them with their distinct personalities and political leanings. The period this is set in, the English Civil War, was in reality three conflicts fought one after the other in succession with hardly time enough in-between for each faction to catch their breath until next round; and the long timespan has played in favour of Riley's plot, as she was astute in not limiting her story to just a defined number of years or just a couple of characters propped up by secondaries. Instead, although this is Luciano's book and his story is the central plotline, it's by no means isolated but cast into a larger canvas in which the story of the Maxwell family is just as important.
Which brings me to a point I particularly liked and I'm sure other readers, chiefly those who've had issues with the all-too-common preeminence of the Royalist faction in Civil War novels over any other faction, will like as well: Riley doesn't restrict herself to just one side. To the contrary, she depicts both sides of this war. Both Cavaliers and Roundheads are represented by sympathetic and very human characters. On the Parliamentarian side, we have the seven members of the Maxwell family: the males are actively involved in politics and war, with the father as a House of Commons member, and the eldest son an officer of the Roundhead army, and of the females, all of them not lacking in opinionated opinions of their own either, the one that stands out most and whom I liked a fair deal is the eldest daughter, Kate, a resourceful and book-loving girl that'll catch Luciano's eye and aid him in his quest albeit more through meddling, guesswork and happy accidents than anything else, as well as command the defence of her home during a brief siege with hilarious occurrences.
And on the Royalist side, we have the Langley and Clifford families with their host of acquaintances and friends, that will play a pivotal role all throughout this series just as their neighbours the Maxwells. In this book, the most prominent for now are the former. The parents are the typical dissolute nobles, and very deep in debt, and their daughter Celia is a rather flighty and selfish beauty that torments Eden Maxwell, but their son Francis is a likable and conscientious young man that'll land in the opposite side to his childhood friend Eden as he joins the Cavaliers.
With such an epic saga type of scope and storytelling, well-constructed characters, a warm love story, gut-punches and surprises, and a satisfying ending, there wasn't anything I didn't like. On the contrary, I'd say that it did what good historical fiction is supposed to do: pique your curiosity about a period. Me, my knowledge of 17th century English wars registers at several points below zero in the Knowledge-o-Meter, and as I am loath to be in the dark about something that appeals to me, I had to get my eager hands on a non-fiction book that'd explain to me what was going on during that time, the battles, the politics, as well as having to look up for drawings and illustrations of Cavalier and Roundhead uniforms and weaponry, because I was having trouble visualising how they were supposed to look like, what with me only being aware of the everyday and court dress and lovelocks through portraiture mostly. So, I emerged from reading this a mite more knowledgeable. This effect is what I love most about historical fiction, and why it is and will always be my favourite genre.
Although it's only the beginning, it was enough for me to see that this is shaping up to be one of my favourite series. Why not? It has everything I most like to read about: realistic war with all the blood and spilt guts, politicking from all sides till diziness, villains you want to put a bullet through yourself, characters to sigh over and root for and slap and throttle. Oh, and there's a certain delicious someone whose appearance was the most delightful surprise.
September 11, 2019
5 STARS
I just cannot seem to get enough of Stella Riley and her tales of love, war, betrayal and intrigue. This one takes us back to 1639, and the English civil war. The conflict of the Roundheads and the Cavaliers, or more specifically, the Royalists and the Parliamentarians. But history is not what the story is about. The story of is about a family, the Maxwell's of Thorne Ashe and a quest, to uncover the truth of a decade's old vendetta against a Genoese money lender who was wrongly accused of a crime in order to protect a mysterious purpose.
And caught in the middle of this tumultuous battle, Kate Maxwell finds herself irresistibly drawn to the elusive and wickedly handsome Italian money lender and usurer, Luciano del Santi. As her feelings grow stronger towards him, so does the danger to herself and everyone she loves.
Such a clever and intriguing plot. And the history so effortlessly entwined in the story. I enjoyed every minute. Looking forward to more books from the series. I've become a big fan of SR. I'll read anything she writes.
I just cannot seem to get enough of Stella Riley and her tales of love, war, betrayal and intrigue. This one takes us back to 1639, and the English civil war. The conflict of the Roundheads and the Cavaliers, or more specifically, the Royalists and the Parliamentarians. But history is not what the story is about. The story of is about a family, the Maxwell's of Thorne Ashe and a quest, to uncover the truth of a decade's old vendetta against a Genoese money lender who was wrongly accused of a crime in order to protect a mysterious purpose.
And caught in the middle of this tumultuous battle, Kate Maxwell finds herself irresistibly drawn to the elusive and wickedly handsome Italian money lender and usurer, Luciano del Santi. As her feelings grow stronger towards him, so does the danger to herself and everyone she loves.
Such a clever and intriguing plot. And the history so effortlessly entwined in the story. I enjoyed every minute. Looking forward to more books from the series. I've become a big fan of SR. I'll read anything she writes.
May 18, 2018
As I wait for new Stella Riley releases, I go back to reading some of her older novels. This one, in particular, from 1992, the first in her Roundheads and Cavaliers series, is perhaps my personal favorite.
This begins in the 1640s, when Charles I and Parliament aren't getting on so well, there are problems with regard to religion (Catholic v Protestant), Ireland and Scotland, taxes...well, you name it as an issue and there are two or more vociferous sides to the problem. Riley manages to get her readers informed about the unrest without being boring. (Sometimes confusing, what with all the references to historical persons and places, so I had to get out my trusty British History For Dummies at the beginning to get myself better oriented.)
The historical time of this civil unrest serves as an excellent backdrop for the personal stories of Riley's fictitious characters, in particular heroine Kate Maxwell, her parents, siblings and friends, and hero Luciano del Santi, goldsmith and moneylender transplanted to England from Genoa and those around him in his life, such as a spoiled sister and Selim, his exotic bodyguard.
Oh, what a story. There's the civil war, a mystery, and the personal romances of the Maxwell siblings. A standout romance is that of brother Eden and his wife Celia, who is not only spoiled and self-centered but a Royalist on top of that, a big problem since the Maxwell household tended towards favoring the Parliamentarians (with some reservations).
And of course there's the difficult romance of Kate and Luciano, somewhat star-crossed by the disparity in their social situations but also by the fact that Luciano is obsessed with avenging his father's unjust death years ago and can't be sidetracked by any feelings of love. This particular plot line, his trying to solve the mystery of who masterminded his father's downfall, is particularly interesting.
And the romance is satisfying. I love both the H and h. The H is quite flawed but with an inner nobility, and the h is both intelligent and mature for her age. There are lots of great characters in this in addition to the H and h. This book is well worth the read for history buffs who like a little romance and mystery thrown into a historical timeline.
This begins in the 1640s, when Charles I and Parliament aren't getting on so well, there are problems with regard to religion (Catholic v Protestant), Ireland and Scotland, taxes...well, you name it as an issue and there are two or more vociferous sides to the problem. Riley manages to get her readers informed about the unrest without being boring. (Sometimes confusing, what with all the references to historical persons and places, so I had to get out my trusty British History For Dummies at the beginning to get myself better oriented.)
The historical time of this civil unrest serves as an excellent backdrop for the personal stories of Riley's fictitious characters, in particular heroine Kate Maxwell, her parents, siblings and friends, and hero Luciano del Santi, goldsmith and moneylender transplanted to England from Genoa and those around him in his life, such as a spoiled sister and Selim, his exotic bodyguard.
Oh, what a story. There's the civil war, a mystery, and the personal romances of the Maxwell siblings. A standout romance is that of brother Eden and his wife Celia, who is not only spoiled and self-centered but a Royalist on top of that, a big problem since the Maxwell household tended towards favoring the Parliamentarians (with some reservations).
And of course there's the difficult romance of Kate and Luciano, somewhat star-crossed by the disparity in their social situations but also by the fact that Luciano is obsessed with avenging his father's unjust death years ago and can't be sidetracked by any feelings of love. This particular plot line, his trying to solve the mystery of who masterminded his father's downfall, is particularly interesting.
And the romance is satisfying. I love both the H and h. The H is quite flawed but with an inner nobility, and the h is both intelligent and mature for her age. There are lots of great characters in this in addition to the H and h. This book is well worth the read for history buffs who like a little romance and mystery thrown into a historical timeline.
May 20, 2018
Without a buddy read (with my dears Whiskey/Kyra and Joanna...) I might have DNFed. I'm so glad I didn't. I also don't really have the energy to write about this-it was a hugely intricate (more-historical-fiction than-romance) novel with so many threads (the first 20-30% was hard to keep straight, and POVs switched often), but after the styling and set-up was there, there was wonderful interactions, family dynamics etc.
And Kate. And Luc, and Luc and Kate. Who get all the stars. After Richard and Dorothy anyway. The middle 40% was mostly about the historical, family and dramatic intrigue, and the final bit was so exciting and paced so nimbly it was near impossible to put down. If you like your romance with a heavy historical bend, not to mention another interesting subplot or six, rich/ nuanced characters and a perfectly matched couple...this is well worth a read.
I have a bunch of highlights, but I'm feeling drained...like I said before I started babbling.
And Kate. And Luc, and Luc and Kate. Who get all the stars. After Richard and Dorothy anyway. The middle 40% was mostly about the historical, family and dramatic intrigue, and the final bit was so exciting and paced so nimbly it was near impossible to put down. If you like your romance with a heavy historical bend, not to mention another interesting subplot or six, rich/ nuanced characters and a perfectly matched couple...this is well worth a read.
I have a bunch of highlights, but I'm feeling drained...like I said before I started babbling.
January 10, 2023
The turbulent years of the English Civil Wars, a time of tragic conflicts and divided loyalties, provides the dramatic backdrop for Stella Riley’s highly acclaimed
Roundheads and Cavaliers
series. Set in the period leading up to and during the First English Civil War (1639 to 1642), The Black Madonna, the first book in the series, is a masterful blend of history, politics, suspense, intrigue, revenge, and romance.
Ms. Riley’s characters are never one dimensional - to me they always feel like real people I have come to know and care about. I was immediately drawn into the lives of the Maxwell family - Richard, his wife, Dorothy, and their children, Eden, Kate, Amy and twins Tobias (Toby) and Tabitha. - and seeing everything through their eyes gave an immediacy to the story.
I love Richard and Dorothy - they must surely win an award for being one of the most loving and devoted couples to grace the pages of a book. Richard, a Member of Parliament, is an honest and moderate man who wants what’s best for his country but has no desire to take sides in the dispute between Parliament and the King. The safety of his family comes first, but as the country moves closer to civil war, there is no way to avoid taking sides.
Despite his parents’ efforts to dissuade him, Eden makes an ill-fated marriage to a Royalist. Kate is single-minded and often too outspoken, while coquettish Amy risks scandal, and Toby gets involved in some illicit goings on.
Richard sums it up perfectly...
’You know, Dorothy and I used to congratulate ourselves on having reared sensible children. Now look at them. Eden’s married to a selfish shrew; Amy had to be hustled to the altar before she could ruin herself; and I suspect that Toby is up to no good with son-in-law Geoffrey. All I need now is for Tabitha to run off with a troupe of mummers or decide to take the veil and we’ll have a full set.’
I admire Ms. Riley’s ability to create unique and complex heroes like the enigmatic Luciano del Santi. He doesn’t immediately wear the cloak of a romantic hero, but Ms. Riley imbues him with a charisma that makes him irresistible.
Now a wealthy master goldsmith and moneylender, Luciano came to England from Genoa 4 years ago to set up his own business, with a substantial loan from his uncle, Vittorio Falcieri. Luciano offered The Black Madonna, a simple obsidian figure, as surety for the loan. It has little monetary value, but has been revered by the Falcieri family for generations. If he does not pay the requisite interest on time each year and repay the capital after ten years, he stands to lose everything. Luciano is also on a mission to discover the identity of and seek revenge on the man who arranged for his father to be wrongly accused of treason for which he was executed. He is drawn into the lives of the Maxwell family when Richard and Eden rescue him from a viscous attack. I like how an unlikely but genuine friendship develops between Richard and Luciano. While others might despise him as a moneylender, Richard sees Luciano’s true worth.
The romance between Kate and Luciano is slow building, because they both try to deny the attraction, which leads to some rather cutting banter.
‘He must be a brave man.’
‘Who?’ she snapped. And immediately regretted asking.
‘This suitor of yours. Or doesn’t he know that you dip your tongue in vinegar every morning?’
‘No. Why should I boast? Some people dip theirs in hemlock.’
Kate tries to convince herself that what she feels for Luciano is no more than a passing fancy, while Luciano tries to push Kate away believing his desire to avenge his father could endanger her life. Ms. Riley does an excellent job of building the sexual tension, and when they finally admit their feelings for each other, it leads to a love scene that is both tender and sensual without being explicit.
Ms. Riley’s extensive research and knowledge of the time period is evident in her skilful and seamless blending of history and fiction into an engrossing story; sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish between the real characters and fictional ones. Luciano’s search for the man who arranged his father’s death provides some heart-stopping and heart-breaking moments, culminating in a nail biting climax during the final, bloody siege of Basing House, when Luciano confronts the man he’s seeking.
As always, there’s a fascinating and well drawn cast of secondary characters including -
Francis Langley - an elegant Royalist and Eden’s childhood friend
Celia Langley/Maxwell - Francis’s sister and Eden’s self-absorbed wife
Gianetta - Luciano’s bejewelled sister
Selim - his knife-wielding, Turk bodyguard
I enjoyed the brief appearance by Captain Justin Ambrose and a young Abigail Radford, who are the hero and heroine of A Splendid Defiance, set in 1644.
MY VERDICT: An engrossing story with fascinating characters and a meticulously researched historical setting. Highly recommended.
Ms. Riley’s characters are never one dimensional - to me they always feel like real people I have come to know and care about. I was immediately drawn into the lives of the Maxwell family - Richard, his wife, Dorothy, and their children, Eden, Kate, Amy and twins Tobias (Toby) and Tabitha. - and seeing everything through their eyes gave an immediacy to the story.
I love Richard and Dorothy - they must surely win an award for being one of the most loving and devoted couples to grace the pages of a book. Richard, a Member of Parliament, is an honest and moderate man who wants what’s best for his country but has no desire to take sides in the dispute between Parliament and the King. The safety of his family comes first, but as the country moves closer to civil war, there is no way to avoid taking sides.
Despite his parents’ efforts to dissuade him, Eden makes an ill-fated marriage to a Royalist. Kate is single-minded and often too outspoken, while coquettish Amy risks scandal, and Toby gets involved in some illicit goings on.
Richard sums it up perfectly...
’You know, Dorothy and I used to congratulate ourselves on having reared sensible children. Now look at them. Eden’s married to a selfish shrew; Amy had to be hustled to the altar before she could ruin herself; and I suspect that Toby is up to no good with son-in-law Geoffrey. All I need now is for Tabitha to run off with a troupe of mummers or decide to take the veil and we’ll have a full set.’
I admire Ms. Riley’s ability to create unique and complex heroes like the enigmatic Luciano del Santi. He doesn’t immediately wear the cloak of a romantic hero, but Ms. Riley imbues him with a charisma that makes him irresistible.
Now a wealthy master goldsmith and moneylender, Luciano came to England from Genoa 4 years ago to set up his own business, with a substantial loan from his uncle, Vittorio Falcieri. Luciano offered The Black Madonna, a simple obsidian figure, as surety for the loan. It has little monetary value, but has been revered by the Falcieri family for generations. If he does not pay the requisite interest on time each year and repay the capital after ten years, he stands to lose everything. Luciano is also on a mission to discover the identity of and seek revenge on the man who arranged for his father to be wrongly accused of treason for which he was executed. He is drawn into the lives of the Maxwell family when Richard and Eden rescue him from a viscous attack. I like how an unlikely but genuine friendship develops between Richard and Luciano. While others might despise him as a moneylender, Richard sees Luciano’s true worth.
The romance between Kate and Luciano is slow building, because they both try to deny the attraction, which leads to some rather cutting banter.
‘He must be a brave man.’
‘Who?’ she snapped. And immediately regretted asking.
‘This suitor of yours. Or doesn’t he know that you dip your tongue in vinegar every morning?’
‘No. Why should I boast? Some people dip theirs in hemlock.’
Kate tries to convince herself that what she feels for Luciano is no more than a passing fancy, while Luciano tries to push Kate away believing his desire to avenge his father could endanger her life. Ms. Riley does an excellent job of building the sexual tension, and when they finally admit their feelings for each other, it leads to a love scene that is both tender and sensual without being explicit.
Ms. Riley’s extensive research and knowledge of the time period is evident in her skilful and seamless blending of history and fiction into an engrossing story; sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish between the real characters and fictional ones. Luciano’s search for the man who arranged his father’s death provides some heart-stopping and heart-breaking moments, culminating in a nail biting climax during the final, bloody siege of Basing House, when Luciano confronts the man he’s seeking.
As always, there’s a fascinating and well drawn cast of secondary characters including -
Francis Langley - an elegant Royalist and Eden’s childhood friend
Celia Langley/Maxwell - Francis’s sister and Eden’s self-absorbed wife
Gianetta - Luciano’s bejewelled sister
Selim - his knife-wielding, Turk bodyguard
I enjoyed the brief appearance by Captain Justin Ambrose and a young Abigail Radford, who are the hero and heroine of A Splendid Defiance, set in 1644.
MY VERDICT: An engrossing story with fascinating characters and a meticulously researched historical setting. Highly recommended.
May 21, 2018
4.5 Stars- rounding up for the richness of detail and because the romance was one that I was rooting for and invested in.
This was a buddy read with WhiskeyintheJar/Kyraryker and Sam (AMNReader) in the Romance Book Buddy Reading group: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I am glad that I didn’t try to read this one before finishing school. It took some brain power to keep details straight and patience to let the story unfold. It was an epic sort of historical fiction with a romance that took place over many years. I found it to be a worthwhile read, and while the subject matter was serious, there were nice moments of levity to balance.
This was a buddy read with WhiskeyintheJar/Kyraryker and Sam (AMNReader) in the Romance Book Buddy Reading group: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I am glad that I didn’t try to read this one before finishing school. It took some brain power to keep details straight and patience to let the story unfold. It was an epic sort of historical fiction with a romance that took place over many years. I found it to be a worthwhile read, and while the subject matter was serious, there were nice moments of levity to balance.
October 3, 2019
Oh my gosh I just loved this one! Stella Riley is a fabulous author. Her stories are always captivating and she presents the reader with wonderful characters.
This was an audiobook and while it was rather long, I enjoyed listening to every minute of it. And let’s be honest ladies it is never a hardship to listen to Alex Wyndam. ❤
How I adored Kate and her strength and determination. And Luciano Del Santi was perfectly flawed and simply dreamy. LOVED THESE TWO! The Maxwell family was amazing too. At the head of the family you have Richard and Dorothy and what a couple they were. I am intrigued by Eden and wonder if he will get his own story. I must check out the other books.
I highly recommend this one!!
This was an audiobook and while it was rather long, I enjoyed listening to every minute of it. And let’s be honest ladies it is never a hardship to listen to Alex Wyndam. ❤
How I adored Kate and her strength and determination. And Luciano Del Santi was perfectly flawed and simply dreamy. LOVED THESE TWO! The Maxwell family was amazing too. At the head of the family you have Richard and Dorothy and what a couple they were. I am intrigued by Eden and wonder if he will get his own story. I must check out the other books.
I highly recommend this one!!
February 4, 2017
Some have called this book epic or have described it as sweeping, but the word that unfortunately comes to my mind is "long". While I appreciate how Stella Riley is able to write about this historical period is an engaging way, this book dragged on and on. And while all the different interweaving relationships made for a complex and interesting story, I only really found myself caring about Richard and Dorothy, the parents of the h. Theirs was such a wonderfully beautiful marriage and the brief glimpses Ms. Riley gave us of their union made me so happy.
Unfortunately, what didn't make me happy was the MCs. To be fair, I'm not one of those readers who loves it when the MCs are being all cryptic with one another. Saying one thing while meaning something else entirely? Not for me. The enigmatic, brooding H? No thanks. Just say what you mean and stop giving me a headache! So, it didn't come as a surprise when I didn't like the H. At all. I understand that he was a complex and dark character, but that doesn't really mean I have to like him. I also know that visiting brothels was a seemingly normal occurrence back then, but I don't have to like that either.
Then there's the h, who nailed it on the head perfectly. I can't remember where in the book it was when she stated that she was attracted to the h, but wished that she wasn't. She basically calls herself a loser for pining away for him and I agreed. I liked that she was smart, spoke her mind, and wasn't some simpering miss. Other than that, however, her attraction to the H made me annoyed with her. I mean, I would have understood if he were nice to her, but he wasn't. He said and did some pretty mean things to her, but she just couldn't stop thinking about him and loving him. Ugh ugh ugh.
The slow burn romance wasn't very convincing either. I suppose my main issue is that I didn't particularly like the MCs. The H was too tortured, the h was too nosy and smitten, and I was bored with them. Unfortunately, the angst in this story didn't work for me. The one love interest that I was rooting for for the h and I was a little bummed out. Overall, a worthy read if you like long historical romances with a morally ambiguous H you may or may not like and an h who just can't help how she feels about him.
Unfortunately, what didn't make me happy was the MCs. To be fair, I'm not one of those readers who loves it when the MCs are being all cryptic with one another. Saying one thing while meaning something else entirely? Not for me. The enigmatic, brooding H? No thanks. Just say what you mean and stop giving me a headache! So, it didn't come as a surprise when I didn't like the H. At all. I understand that he was a complex and dark character, but that doesn't really mean I have to like him. I also know that visiting brothels was a seemingly normal occurrence back then, but I don't have to like that either.
Then there's the h, who nailed it on the head perfectly. I can't remember where in the book it was when she stated that she was attracted to the h, but wished that she wasn't. She basically calls herself a loser for pining away for him and I agreed. I liked that she was smart, spoke her mind, and wasn't some simpering miss. Other than that, however, her attraction to the H made me annoyed with her. I mean, I would have understood if he were nice to her, but he wasn't. He said and did some pretty mean things to her, but she just couldn't stop thinking about him and loving him. Ugh ugh ugh.
The slow burn romance wasn't very convincing either. I suppose my main issue is that I didn't particularly like the MCs. The H was too tortured, the h was too nosy and smitten, and I was bored with them. Unfortunately, the angst in this story didn't work for me. The one love interest that I was rooting for for the h and I was a little bummed out. Overall, a worthy read if you like long historical romances with a morally ambiguous H you may or may not like and an h who just can't help how she feels about him.
July 3, 2019
Audiobook review
Wonderful narration of a great story!
I could listen to Alex Wyndham all day. His voice is seductive, his performance remarkable, and he brings the listening experience to a whole new level. Whenever he partners with the talented Stella Riley, the result is breathtaking.
In Black Madonna, Alex outdid himself as the complex Luciano de Santi (and as the strong Kate Maxwell) literally taking the reader into a journey through 1639 England.
The eminent civil war, the religious tension, and the different backgrounds of the MC's are the ingredients of this amazing story.
This is the first book of the Rounds and Cavaliers Series and there is more of Luciano and Kate to enjoy in the next books (as side characters). I am crossing my fingers hoping they will also be released in audio soon.
What I like the most about Black Madonna and the other books in the series is how historical facts and figures are intertwined in the story.
Kindle Edition Review
Stella Riley never disappoints!
Luciano Falcieri de Santi and Kate Maxwell are such a wonderful couple. Their strength in times of adversity is so remarkable and they never take the easy way out. What I love the most about this book is that it is not only a romance, it is a journey through time and a peek into history.
Great read!
Wonderful narration of a great story!
I could listen to Alex Wyndham all day. His voice is seductive, his performance remarkable, and he brings the listening experience to a whole new level. Whenever he partners with the talented Stella Riley, the result is breathtaking.
In Black Madonna, Alex outdid himself as the complex Luciano de Santi (and as the strong Kate Maxwell) literally taking the reader into a journey through 1639 England.
The eminent civil war, the religious tension, and the different backgrounds of the MC's are the ingredients of this amazing story.
This is the first book of the Rounds and Cavaliers Series and there is more of Luciano and Kate to enjoy in the next books (as side characters). I am crossing my fingers hoping they will also be released in audio soon.
What I like the most about Black Madonna and the other books in the series is how historical facts and figures are intertwined in the story.
Kindle Edition Review
Stella Riley never disappoints!
Luciano Falcieri de Santi and Kate Maxwell are such a wonderful couple. Their strength in times of adversity is so remarkable and they never take the easy way out. What I love the most about this book is that it is not only a romance, it is a journey through time and a peek into history.
Great read!
August 21, 2019
I loved this story!! Luciano and Kate were perfect and all the characters were very well written. Of course, as is the case with Ms. Riley’s books, Alex Wyndham brought the story to life in audiobook format. I hope that he will continue to narrate the remaining three books in the series.
July 1, 2020
The first installment of her four-volume Roundheads and Cavaliers series, set during the English Civil War, Stella Riley's The Black Madonna unfolds the story of Luciano del Santi, a Genoese goldsmith and money-lender intent on finding the Englishmen who betrayed his father to his death, and Kate Maxwell, the independent-minded daughter of a large and happy English family, whose father and brother espouse the Parliamentary side of the conflict. Opening in 1639 and closing in 1646, the book chronicles the fortunes of the Maxwell family: Parliament member and paterfamilias Richard, a moderate in an age of growing extremism; loving wife and wise mother Dorothy; eldest son Eden, a trained soldier and a Roundhead who marries a Royalist; daughter Kate, prone to many enthusiasms, and inexplicably drawn to Luciano; the rather shallow and promiscuous Amy, who has to be married off at a young age; and twins Tobias, who becomes Luciano's apprentice, and Tabitha, who befriends Luciano's sister. The narrative alternates between the Maxwell's story-line, and that of Luciano and his Turkish servant Selim, as they pursue the shadowy figure who orchestrated the murder of Luciano's father many years before. Eventually these two story-lines become one, and the Maxwells are drawn into Luciano's dangerous quest...
Originally published in 1992 and then revised and republished in 2013, The Black Madonna is the second novel from Stella Riley that I have read, following upon her A Splendid Defiance , that is set during the English Civil War. That earlier book chronicled the love story between a Cavalier soldier and a young Puritan woman, and although it is apparently not considered part of the Roundheads and Cavaliers series, it is connected to it. Both Justin Ambrose and Abigail Radford appear in the story here, the former on multiple occasions, the latter just once, in a memorable scene in which the appalling Celia slaps her across the face. As someone who greatly enjoyed Justin and Abigail's story, it was good to encounter them again, however briefly, and I particularly appreciated the scene in which Kate offers some aid to a clearly struggling Captain Ambrose, only to be informed that she is not the first Puritan maiden to do so! Leaving that aside, I found the story here immensely engaging, and appreciated the wealth of well-drawn characters. The historical events were fascinating - I really need to track down a good history of this period! - and the narrative emotionally involving. I found the death of distressing, the ill-fated relationship between Eden and Celia horrifying - the latter's heartless behavior was infuriating to witness - and the growing rapport between Kate and Luciano quite satisfying. I don't know that I found the romance between Kate and Luciano quite as compelling as that between Justin and Abigail, but it was still immensely engaging. This is one I'd highly recommend, to anyone who enjoys good historical fiction with a romantic element to it. I look forward to reading the next entry in the series, Garland of Straw .
Originally published in 1992 and then revised and republished in 2013, The Black Madonna is the second novel from Stella Riley that I have read, following upon her A Splendid Defiance , that is set during the English Civil War. That earlier book chronicled the love story between a Cavalier soldier and a young Puritan woman, and although it is apparently not considered part of the Roundheads and Cavaliers series, it is connected to it. Both Justin Ambrose and Abigail Radford appear in the story here, the former on multiple occasions, the latter just once, in a memorable scene in which the appalling Celia slaps her across the face. As someone who greatly enjoyed Justin and Abigail's story, it was good to encounter them again, however briefly, and I particularly appreciated the scene in which Kate offers some aid to a clearly struggling Captain Ambrose, only to be informed that she is not the first Puritan maiden to do so! Leaving that aside, I found the story here immensely engaging, and appreciated the wealth of well-drawn characters. The historical events were fascinating - I really need to track down a good history of this period! - and the narrative emotionally involving. I found the death of distressing, the ill-fated relationship between Eden and Celia horrifying - the latter's heartless behavior was infuriating to witness - and the growing rapport between Kate and Luciano quite satisfying. I don't know that I found the romance between Kate and Luciano quite as compelling as that between Justin and Abigail, but it was still immensely engaging. This is one I'd highly recommend, to anyone who enjoys good historical fiction with a romantic element to it. I look forward to reading the next entry in the series, Garland of Straw .
October 28, 2023
4.5 stars.....There is no doubt I love Stella Riley and this story did not disappoint. Although the story is interweaved into the English Civil Wars, it is still primarily a historical romance. Riley introduces us to the wonderful Maxwell family and I enjoyed getting to know them all, especially parents Richard and Dorothy, son Eden and of course, the heroine of this story, Kate. It seems Kate was drawn to Luciano from their first meeting but their love story was fraught with trials and tribulations brought on my the war and also Luciano's quest for revenge for his father's death. I really feel like I should re-read this story at some point and keep pen and paper by my side to jot down names and places that I sometimes had a hard time keeping straight. But I don't fault Riley for this...only my USA roots and general lack of understanding of the English Civil Wars. I'm learning though and being a history lover, I find it very interesting.
2nd reading- October 2023 Audio version with Alex Wyndham
5 stars
My 4.5 rating from 2016 elevated to solid 5* with the help of the talented Alex Wyndham. I now own all this series in Audible as well as many other of Stella Riley's wonderful books.
2nd reading- October 2023 Audio version with Alex Wyndham
5 stars
My 4.5 rating from 2016 elevated to solid 5* with the help of the talented Alex Wyndham. I now own all this series in Audible as well as many other of Stella Riley's wonderful books.
July 11, 2019
One of the BEST books I have ever read!!!
Although I had high expectations to begin with, because I have never read a Stella Riley book that didn’t deserve 5 stars, The Black Madonna managed to surpass even those high expectations.
I have waited for 3 years to read the series because I was fairly certain that Alex Wyndham might one day narrate it, so when Audible released the audio, I decided to finally start the series. Alex Wyndham is the best narrator I have ever heard—and he was stellar! His voice is gorgeous, romantic, suave, and smooth.
The writing is brilliant. The dialogue is intelligent, with a lot of humor. The plot is fascinating and I never once got bored or hoped she would hurry up and get to the point. There were no foolish misunderstandings or miscommunications. All of characters were believable and fully sketched.
As an American, I wasn’t that familiar with the English Civil War, and while I learned a lot, it wasn’t dry or boring. There was the perfect blend of history, mystery and romance. I can’t express how much I loved it!
Since I am now so invested in these fascinating characters, and what will happen to them, I will continue reading the remainder of the books in the series, and just have to listen to the audiobooks when each one is released.
I can’t recommend this book and the author enough!
Although I had high expectations to begin with, because I have never read a Stella Riley book that didn’t deserve 5 stars, The Black Madonna managed to surpass even those high expectations.
I have waited for 3 years to read the series because I was fairly certain that Alex Wyndham might one day narrate it, so when Audible released the audio, I decided to finally start the series. Alex Wyndham is the best narrator I have ever heard—and he was stellar! His voice is gorgeous, romantic, suave, and smooth.
The writing is brilliant. The dialogue is intelligent, with a lot of humor. The plot is fascinating and I never once got bored or hoped she would hurry up and get to the point. There were no foolish misunderstandings or miscommunications. All of characters were believable and fully sketched.
As an American, I wasn’t that familiar with the English Civil War, and while I learned a lot, it wasn’t dry or boring. There was the perfect blend of history, mystery and romance. I can’t express how much I loved it!
Since I am now so invested in these fascinating characters, and what will happen to them, I will continue reading the remainder of the books in the series, and just have to listen to the audiobooks when each one is released.
I can’t recommend this book and the author enough!
February 13, 2021
Always a treat to read a new Stella Riley book (or, I should say, to listen to Alex Wyndham narrating it.) She’s a consummate storyteller. Her writing is richly detailed, her characterisation superb. I used to be stingy with five star ratings, but since discovering Ms Riley’s works I’ve been trotting them out with predictable regularity.
This story is set around the same English Civil War events as A Splendid Defiance, and indeed weaves Justin Ambrose peripherally into the story. If I had a criticism of this book it would be that the parade of names, places, troop dispositions, battles etc can feel overdone at times. But to be fair, this is the world her characters inhabit. The extreme politics of the time are exactly what they would discuss around the dinner table, and elsewhere, much as we are preoccupied with the events of our time.
And so Ms Riley again conveys the sense of unreality as war closes in, as friends and family find loyalties divided. We see all the messiness, confusion and brutality of war, and she gives Luciano a very human, instinctive reaction to this latter, compared with the steely focus and control he brings to almost every other aspect of his life.
As circumstances cause Luciano and Kate’s paths to cross more often, Luciano has good reasons for trying to resist any attachment forming between them. That he manages to do this for as long as he does becomes a bit frustrating, but Ms Riley has structured the story around Luciano’s quest to not only bring to justice the men who testified falsely in the plot which killed his father many years earlier, but to find the man behind it. Until he achieves this, he can’t risk sharing his life with anyone. The sad proof of this is in two deaths, one of which . It brought a tear to my eye as well.
As always, a wide cast of memorable characters. A warm, loving relationship is portrayed between Richard and Dorothy, the Maxwell parents, contrasting with the tragic downward spiral of . And the relationship which (eventually) develops between Kate and Luciano is lovely, with some intense, emotionally charged scenes. For example, tell me if this isn’t beautiful:
And though, for Luciano, urgency overcame artistry, it could not dim what lay behind it: love, and delicacy, and tenderness, all gleaming like so many golden coins in the torrent and lighting the darkness, long after the candle had guttered and gone out.
In quite a different context, as powerful scenes go Ms Riley for the first time I can recall uses a swear word. And it’s used in exactly the right place, showing as it does a man pushed to the edges of control.
Add to all this a carefully structured plot which gathers momentum and barrels towards an exciting conclusion, and this one is another wonderful, wholly absorbing read/listen.
This story is set around the same English Civil War events as A Splendid Defiance, and indeed weaves Justin Ambrose peripherally into the story. If I had a criticism of this book it would be that the parade of names, places, troop dispositions, battles etc can feel overdone at times. But to be fair, this is the world her characters inhabit. The extreme politics of the time are exactly what they would discuss around the dinner table, and elsewhere, much as we are preoccupied with the events of our time.
And so Ms Riley again conveys the sense of unreality as war closes in, as friends and family find loyalties divided. We see all the messiness, confusion and brutality of war, and she gives Luciano a very human, instinctive reaction to this latter, compared with the steely focus and control he brings to almost every other aspect of his life.
As circumstances cause Luciano and Kate’s paths to cross more often, Luciano has good reasons for trying to resist any attachment forming between them. That he manages to do this for as long as he does becomes a bit frustrating, but Ms Riley has structured the story around Luciano’s quest to not only bring to justice the men who testified falsely in the plot which killed his father many years earlier, but to find the man behind it. Until he achieves this, he can’t risk sharing his life with anyone. The sad proof of this is in two deaths, one of which . It brought a tear to my eye as well.
As always, a wide cast of memorable characters. A warm, loving relationship is portrayed between Richard and Dorothy, the Maxwell parents, contrasting with the tragic downward spiral of . And the relationship which (eventually) develops between Kate and Luciano is lovely, with some intense, emotionally charged scenes. For example, tell me if this isn’t beautiful:
And though, for Luciano, urgency overcame artistry, it could not dim what lay behind it: love, and delicacy, and tenderness, all gleaming like so many golden coins in the torrent and lighting the darkness, long after the candle had guttered and gone out.
In quite a different context, as powerful scenes go Ms Riley for the first time I can recall uses a swear word. And it’s used in exactly the right place, showing as it does a man pushed to the edges of control.
Add to all this a carefully structured plot which gathers momentum and barrels towards an exciting conclusion, and this one is another wonderful, wholly absorbing read/listen.
March 2, 2021
Dorothy and Richard-a couple that love each other and their children. Parents of Kate, Eden, Amy, and the twins.
Kate and Lucino-instant love, but slow burn and I mean slow burn.
Celia and Eden-shows that when only one person is in love with a shallow, vain-but beautiful looking person-heartbreak is sure to follow.
For me this story had too much politics and I thought it would never end. However, even though I do not plan on reading this again it was a well written story about politics, revenge, and love. So I guess at the end of the day it was worth slugging through the politics to see what happened to the main characters. This story is all about revenge and politics-- imagine my surprise that even with all that politics that I liked it.
Kate and Lucino-instant love, but slow burn and I mean slow burn.
Celia and Eden-shows that when only one person is in love with a shallow, vain-but beautiful looking person-heartbreak is sure to follow.
For me this story had too much politics and I thought it would never end. However, even though I do not plan on reading this again it was a well written story about politics, revenge, and love. So I guess at the end of the day it was worth slugging through the politics to see what happened to the main characters. This story is all about revenge and politics-- imagine my surprise that even with all that politics that I liked it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2011
Francis? Dorothy-Dolly? Kate? Coincidence? I don't think so.
I read it from somewhere that Marigold Chain, Stella Riley's first novel, was a tribute to the exquisite Lymond's Chronicle by Dorothy Dunnett. I guess she's not quite finished with the tribute just yet, and Black Madonna is an encore of some sort. While I didn't feel much comparison when reading Marigold Chain, I did, however, compare the story and characters throughout while reading Black Madonna. All I can say is that I applaud the attempt, such an ambitious one that is, however it isn't just pale in comparison to the imitated masterpiece, it's so lifeless and tedious I fell asleep a couple times while going through it. And the villain? Convenient much?
For this Dorothy Dunnett's fan, Black Madonna is a disappointing read, though competent enough in writing to fill the time until I can reread the Lymond's tale all over again.
I read it from somewhere that Marigold Chain, Stella Riley's first novel, was a tribute to the exquisite Lymond's Chronicle by Dorothy Dunnett. I guess she's not quite finished with the tribute just yet, and Black Madonna is an encore of some sort. While I didn't feel much comparison when reading Marigold Chain, I did, however, compare the story and characters throughout while reading Black Madonna. All I can say is that I applaud the attempt, such an ambitious one that is, however it isn't just pale in comparison to the imitated masterpiece, it's so lifeless and tedious I fell asleep a couple times while going through it. And the villain? Convenient much?
For this Dorothy Dunnett's fan, Black Madonna is a disappointing read, though competent enough in writing to fill the time until I can reread the Lymond's tale all over again.
July 2, 2017
3,5 stars. The purely historical parts are for those who are already familiar with the history of the period. I had to search a lot of times in wikipedia about certain names that I guess are very famous. In the end I got tired and I skipped the passages that were just history. I liked the romance. I will read the next book in the series Garland of Straw
November 3, 2022
But the unpleasant truth was that, with this new ruthlessness in the air, the old life was gone forever and any victory now could not be anything other than Pyrrhic.
Civil war is one of the worst. The war is always evil, but between neighbors is disastrous beyond anything.
Stella Riley has to know 'everything' about the English Civil War. Her novels can be used as textbooks. In this one, I was often lost in those all political changes. In another case/book, it would have lowered my rating (too many historical/political details), but in this case, it gave me a very important understanding of how complicated was the beginning of the English Civil War, how many times it could have been prevented, stopped, even reverted, fixed.
There were also other aspects of life in the middle of the XVII century in England. Most of them were harsh, some awful, but people still tried to have as much happiness, as they were able (sadly, sometimes none).
Besides the historical background, we had fictional characters that were splendid examples of those times, brave, captivating, loyal, wanting to love and be loved, and yet being afraid of it. The amazing thing was that the characters (sometimes friends) were on the opposing parties of the conflict. It, even more, emphasized that the conflict could and should have been eased/solved. And one couldn't said: 'they had right, and the others not'.
There was also an intrigue, a mystery, that had some surprising twists (at least to me).
And of course, a romance. I love it when love evolves. When you see why people care for each other, why they chose each other. In other words, I like to feel that the couple had a real chance to be happy together ("after closing the book"). Kate and Luciano were ones of such lovers. [By the way, it was hard not to feel in love with Luciano ;-) ]
Stella Riley has her own way of narrating, which didn't allow me to feel how long is the book. I just wanted to read it, but not necessarily to finish it immediately (that means a lot and doesn't happen often).
March 8, 2021
Story A+
Narration A
Stella Riley's first book in the Roundheads and Cavaliers series is a sweeping 20 hour saga (on audio) centered on the Maxwell family just before and during the English Civil War. The scope is wide and the details are amazing, weaving historical facts with the lives of the fictional characters as they are caught up in a war that pits family and friends against each other.
There are wonderful review here on Goodreads that tell the synopsis of the story https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...,
so I won't go into a lot of detail here. I want instead to try and convey the drama and beauty of this book. I picked it up already loving Stella Riley's writing, and having already read one of her books set in this same time period, A Splendid Defiance, so I knew how skillfully she weaves her fictional characters into the history and how incredibly alive and gripping she can make a story. Even so, the length of this book had me wondering if I'd enjoy it quite as much. I can only say I listened to this 20+hour audiobook in about 48 hours. Once I started, I couldn't stop. I was immediately invested in every character, laughed with them, got frustrated at them, and cried over their sorrows.
I also learned about a time of English history I didn't know a lot about, and was once again struck by how cruel man can be to his fellow man. Riley doesn't take sides here, but shows the complicated situation and the futility of war to solve the differences. Into that she spins a tale of family and loss, of mystery and revenge, and love that endures.
The central fictional character of A Splendid Defiance, Justin Ambrose, shows up in this books, as well as the characters who will feature in the next book in this series, the Brandon family.
I highly recommend all of Stella Riley's books, and especially on audio, as Alex Wyndham does an amazing job as narrator. He handles all the characters, the accents and the emotions almost perfectly.
Narration A
Stella Riley's first book in the Roundheads and Cavaliers series is a sweeping 20 hour saga (on audio) centered on the Maxwell family just before and during the English Civil War. The scope is wide and the details are amazing, weaving historical facts with the lives of the fictional characters as they are caught up in a war that pits family and friends against each other.
There are wonderful review here on Goodreads that tell the synopsis of the story https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...,
so I won't go into a lot of detail here. I want instead to try and convey the drama and beauty of this book. I picked it up already loving Stella Riley's writing, and having already read one of her books set in this same time period, A Splendid Defiance, so I knew how skillfully she weaves her fictional characters into the history and how incredibly alive and gripping she can make a story. Even so, the length of this book had me wondering if I'd enjoy it quite as much. I can only say I listened to this 20+hour audiobook in about 48 hours. Once I started, I couldn't stop. I was immediately invested in every character, laughed with them, got frustrated at them, and cried over their sorrows.
I also learned about a time of English history I didn't know a lot about, and was once again struck by how cruel man can be to his fellow man. Riley doesn't take sides here, but shows the complicated situation and the futility of war to solve the differences. Into that she spins a tale of family and loss, of mystery and revenge, and love that endures.
The central fictional character of A Splendid Defiance, Justin Ambrose, shows up in this books, as well as the characters who will feature in the next book in this series, the Brandon family.
I highly recommend all of Stella Riley's books, and especially on audio, as Alex Wyndham does an amazing job as narrator. He handles all the characters, the accents and the emotions almost perfectly.
March 8, 2018
Story took place in England, 1636, going forward.
The beginning came across as somewhat confusing
due to too many characters introduced (some his-
torical) too quickly. Keeping straight who was
politically aligned w/ whom also became a challenge.
The reader could have used a break from so many
war skirmishes. At times, the story felt too long.
This author knew how to create nuanced characters.
Luciano & Kate (the H & h) danced around each other
figuratively and didn't want to "own" their feelings.
I especially liked that Luc was not all bad or all good,
his personality landed somewhere in the middle. He
so wanted to restore his late father's reputation, and
cleverly put the pcs together. However his single-
mindedness kept his beloved at arm's length. Kate's
parents and twin siblings added balance and
perspective. Luc's bodyguard Selim added a bit of
mystery. Overall, a very good read.
The beginning came across as somewhat confusing
due to too many characters introduced (some his-
torical) too quickly. Keeping straight who was
politically aligned w/ whom also became a challenge.
The reader could have used a break from so many
war skirmishes. At times, the story felt too long.
This author knew how to create nuanced characters.
Luciano & Kate (the H & h) danced around each other
figuratively and didn't want to "own" their feelings.
I especially liked that Luc was not all bad or all good,
his personality landed somewhere in the middle. He
so wanted to restore his late father's reputation, and
cleverly put the pcs together. However his single-
mindedness kept his beloved at arm's length. Kate's
parents and twin siblings added balance and
perspective. Luc's bodyguard Selim added a bit of
mystery. Overall, a very good read.
April 27, 2023
will i ever get a book that matches the feelings the black madonna incites in me i dont think so
REREAD 3:
im back again hello
REREAD 2:
i need therapy
REREAD:
me reading this book at every minor inconvenience
.
.
.
REVIEW :
genuinely dont know how to express all the emotions this book brought me but i havent stopped tearing up since i finished it. This book is so intricately and carefully written, i know that the author had as much fun writing this book like i had when reading it. The amount of love she have poured in creating the characters you can feel it everytime. I am so grateful that I read this book, all 700 pages of this book was worth it till the very end. This book will stay in my mind and my heart for a very very long time.
REREAD 3:
im back again hello
REREAD 2:
i need therapy
REREAD:
me reading this book at every minor inconvenience
.
.
.
REVIEW :
genuinely dont know how to express all the emotions this book brought me but i havent stopped tearing up since i finished it. This book is so intricately and carefully written, i know that the author had as much fun writing this book like i had when reading it. The amount of love she have poured in creating the characters you can feel it everytime. I am so grateful that I read this book, all 700 pages of this book was worth it till the very end. This book will stay in my mind and my heart for a very very long time.
October 14, 2021
As far as historical fiction goes, ‘The Black Madonna’ is the closest thing I can imagine to utter perfection: the historical context has been thoroughly researched, the fictional characters are well-rounded and their story is woven seamlessly into real historical events, Riley has a unique a compelling narrative voice.
So why am I ‘only’ giving it 4 stars?
The first reason is that unfortunately I wasn’t sold on the romance until I reached the 90% mark. The hero, Luciano, played with the heroine’s feelings until the very end, deliberately giving her mixed signals regarding his feelings for her, allegedly in order to shield her from certain dangers (ironically, their eventual marriage put her in a much more dangerous situation).
As entertaining as their push-and-pull dynamic was, Luciano’s behaviour mostly felt like gratuitous manipulation and his treatment of the heroine’s obvious infatuation for him bordered on cruel.
For a good chunk of the book, I legitimately rooted for the honourable OM who clearly loved the heroine and who, with refreshing straightforwardness, asked to marry her.
On top of that, Luciano barely shows an ounce of human emotion until the last quarter of the story and almost nothing about his real intentions is revealed to the reader. Not to mention the fact that he allegedly raped the heroine’s brother’s mother-in-law (this connection sounds more complex than it actually is) at the beginning of the book: in short, I had a very hard time warming up to his character.
Secondly, this book was obviously meant as a general introduction to an entire set of characters and families that will feature as protagonists/recurring characters in the series. While I found the development of familial and interpersonal dynamics quite engrossing, I sometimes felt disoriented while trying to follow each character’s storyline, especially since the story spans four years and characters were often separated for long periods of time.
Because most of the book featured many different subplots, the scope of the narrative sometimes felt too broad to the sacrifice of the main storyline and love story. To no one’s surprise however, Riley sticks the landing and effortlessly brings this personal and political odyssey to a satisfying conclusion, at least as far as the main storyline goes. And I do love a good Ring composition.
Like many other reviewers, I also recommend reading this series chronologically starting from this book (or even better, from ‘A Splendid Defiance’ which, although a stand-alone book, is set in the same universe) in order to better appreciate each character’s journey.
So why am I ‘only’ giving it 4 stars?
The first reason is that unfortunately I wasn’t sold on the romance until I reached the 90% mark. The hero, Luciano, played with the heroine’s feelings until the very end, deliberately giving her mixed signals regarding his feelings for her, allegedly in order to shield her from certain dangers (ironically, their eventual marriage put her in a much more dangerous situation).
As entertaining as their push-and-pull dynamic was, Luciano’s behaviour mostly felt like gratuitous manipulation and his treatment of the heroine’s obvious infatuation for him bordered on cruel.
For a good chunk of the book, I legitimately rooted for the honourable OM who clearly loved the heroine and who, with refreshing straightforwardness, asked to marry her.
On top of that, Luciano barely shows an ounce of human emotion until the last quarter of the story and almost nothing about his real intentions is revealed to the reader. Not to mention the fact that he allegedly raped the heroine’s brother’s mother-in-law (this connection sounds more complex than it actually is) at the beginning of the book: in short, I had a very hard time warming up to his character.
Secondly, this book was obviously meant as a general introduction to an entire set of characters and families that will feature as protagonists/recurring characters in the series. While I found the development of familial and interpersonal dynamics quite engrossing, I sometimes felt disoriented while trying to follow each character’s storyline, especially since the story spans four years and characters were often separated for long periods of time.
Because most of the book featured many different subplots, the scope of the narrative sometimes felt too broad to the sacrifice of the main storyline and love story. To no one’s surprise however, Riley sticks the landing and effortlessly brings this personal and political odyssey to a satisfying conclusion, at least as far as the main storyline goes. And I do love a good Ring composition.
Like many other reviewers, I also recommend reading this series chronologically starting from this book (or even better, from ‘A Splendid Defiance’ which, although a stand-alone book, is set in the same universe) in order to better appreciate each character’s journey.
July 7, 2019
This for me, has become an epic saga in its meaningful impact and deep emotions. It began in Genoa, Alessandro Falcieri was a remarkable craftsman and goldsmith who eloped to England with his bride bringing with them the Falcieri family 'treasure and touchstone' ~ the Black Madonna. After a lapse of 15 years and for the last 2 of those years, Alessandro Falcieri was tried and executed (on the basis of the testimonies of 4 men) for treason, his family stripped of their possessions and his wife dead before the 3 remaining Falcieris could even leave England for Genoa. 12~year~old orphan Luciano and his sister Gianetta went to their Uncle Vittorio and Luciano began his apprenticeship and the honing of his craft under his uncle's strict tutelage as the poor relation while Gianetta became the daughter of the house and raised in luxury. At 20 and already a master and extraordinary craftsman, Luciano stood before his uncle demanding a huge loan with the Black Madonna as collateral much to his uncle's surprise and reluctant admiration. The terms were agreed upon with the proviso that Luciano will deliver the yearly installments himself for a period of 10 years. Luciano had his money and on his way to realizing his plans and his Revenge.
England 1639, red~haired and late bloomer at 16. Kate Maxwell met the cobalt blue eyes of the young usurer and craftsman, Luciano Del Santi (his other name) and a strong yet reluctant bond was formed between them across a lawn filled with people during a party to celebrate the host's viscountcy at Far Flamstead the pretentious home of the Maxwell's neighbors, the Langleys. Luciano Del Santi has established himself as the Royal money~lender as well as the usurer for the peerage and the merchants. Amid the brewing and seething cauldron of civil unrest and the actual civil war, Luciano searched for his father's murderers aided by Richard Maxwell. There are other fascinating sub~plots and endearing characters plus villains as well as betrayals, murders, battles, romances and other relationships... etc. that will make for a good and maybe spectacular epic TV mini~series, if handled correctly.
England 1639, red~haired and late bloomer at 16. Kate Maxwell met the cobalt blue eyes of the young usurer and craftsman, Luciano Del Santi (his other name) and a strong yet reluctant bond was formed between them across a lawn filled with people during a party to celebrate the host's viscountcy at Far Flamstead the pretentious home of the Maxwell's neighbors, the Langleys. Luciano Del Santi has established himself as the Royal money~lender as well as the usurer for the peerage and the merchants. Amid the brewing and seething cauldron of civil unrest and the actual civil war, Luciano searched for his father's murderers aided by Richard Maxwell. There are other fascinating sub~plots and endearing characters plus villains as well as betrayals, murders, battles, romances and other relationships... etc. that will make for a good and maybe spectacular epic TV mini~series, if handled correctly.
September 26, 2020
If you are a fan of well researched, detailed and complex historical fiction and you have never read or listened to a Stella Riley book, please stop what you are doing and run to get your hands on this one. It is a glorious piece of work which completely captivated me. Her writing ability is so unique and in this book she has crafted a vast array of the most multidimensional characters. The book spans several years and is beautifully paced. You are given the time to watch plots unfold, relationships evolve and feel a connection to their stories and the political chaos of the time. Riley brings to life the intrigues and turmoil of the English Civil War in a way I have never experienced with any other author.
I waited to read this series in hope that there would be an audio version and I am so pleased I did. The Audible version was a commitment at 22 hrs and 10 mins listening time; however, Alex Wyndham's narration is so masterful I wish it could have kept going. It is like falling in love all over again, so I am off to have another listen to A Splendid Defiance just to revisit Justin Ambrose and Abby Radford's story. Oh and of course more of Alex Wyndham's voice is a bonus!
I waited to read this series in hope that there would be an audio version and I am so pleased I did. The Audible version was a commitment at 22 hrs and 10 mins listening time; however, Alex Wyndham's narration is so masterful I wish it could have kept going. It is like falling in love all over again, so I am off to have another listen to A Splendid Defiance just to revisit Justin Ambrose and Abby Radford's story. Oh and of course more of Alex Wyndham's voice is a bonus!
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