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Victorian Hearts #2
The Shadow and the Star
In defense of her honor, innocent Leda Etoile has burned all her bridges and taken refuge in her tiny attic room in a shabby boarding house in London. But her last safe haven is invaded when she wakes to find a man hidden in the dark - a man with golden hair and the face of a fallen angel, who moves in the night like a shadow.
Will he be her savior, or her ruin? Samuel Gerard draws her inexorably into the richest circles of aristocratic England. But even as Leda falls in love with a man she can never have, she must keep his secrets. Though everything about him is shame and illusion, this shadow warrior desperately desires what only Leda can give him - absolute love, and the truth about himself.
The incredibly successful pairing of Laura Kinsale and Nicholas Boulton has been honored once again, winning a THIRD Earphones Award from AudioFile Magazine, this time for The Shadow and the Star. Sweeping listeners from the jubilee parades of Park Lane to the flower-scented breezes of Hawaii, Boulton brings this beloved Kinsale classic to memorable life.
Will he be her savior, or her ruin? Samuel Gerard draws her inexorably into the richest circles of aristocratic England. But even as Leda falls in love with a man she can never have, she must keep his secrets. Though everything about him is shame and illusion, this shadow warrior desperately desires what only Leda can give him - absolute love, and the truth about himself.
The incredibly successful pairing of Laura Kinsale and Nicholas Boulton has been honored once again, winning a THIRD Earphones Award from AudioFile Magazine, this time for The Shadow and the Star. Sweeping listeners from the jubilee parades of Park Lane to the flower-scented breezes of Hawaii, Boulton brings this beloved Kinsale classic to memorable life.
Audible Audio
First published September 15, 1991
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About the author
Laura Kinsale
29 books1,520 followersLaura Kinsale is a New York Times bestselling author and both winner and multiple nominee for the Best Book of the Year award given by the Romance Writers of America.
She become a romance writer after six years as a geologist--a career which consisted of getting out of bed in the middle of the night and driving hundreds of miles alone across west Texas to sit drilling rigs, wear a hard hat, and attempt to boss around oil-covered males considerably larger than herself. This, she decided, was pushing her luck. So she gave all that up to sit in a chair and stare into space for long periods of time, attempting to figure out What-Happens-Next. She and her husband David currently divide their time between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Texas.
She become a romance writer after six years as a geologist--a career which consisted of getting out of bed in the middle of the night and driving hundreds of miles alone across west Texas to sit drilling rigs, wear a hard hat, and attempt to boss around oil-covered males considerably larger than herself. This, she decided, was pushing her luck. So she gave all that up to sit in a chair and stare into space for long periods of time, attempting to figure out What-Happens-Next. She and her husband David currently divide their time between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 387 reviews
November 17, 2008
The Shadow and the Star is a very dark story that could have benefited from a few more lighter moments. Still, I was able to find a stark beauty in it's raw emotional intensity. I have to give kudos to Laura Kinsale for her willingness to tackle a topic as difficult and painful as the abuse and prostitution of children with great compassion. Having the hero be the one who had suffered this abuse makes the story rather unique to the genre. The actual abuse scenes are little more than brief snippets, and in my opinion, are non-graphic and handled in a genteel way. Yet, sensitive readers should know that the psychological fallout of Samuel's past abuse is incredibly intense. I was also able to appreciate the uniqueness of the ninja training and Japanese cultural references, again something that is not often found in romance. I do enjoy a book that goes beyond the normal standards of it's genre and is written with enough intelligence to make me think. That said though, there were times that the cultural references went a bit too far beyond my understanding, yet did not fully engage my interest enough to drive me to do my own research about the topic. There were some scenes and details, not just in the cultural realm, but overall, which I think could have been pared down for the sake of picking up the pace a bit.
The Shadow and the Star contained many wonderfully written elements. Ms. Kinsale has a talent for writing intoxicatingly sensual scenes that are created by a mere look or the barest of touches. There were also some beautifully romantic moments which were created from the simplest of things, such as the first gift that Samuel gave to Leda. This scene fairly made me swoon. I also thought that the initial love scene between Samuel and Leda was very well done and quite awkwardly realistic considering that both characters were virgins, which in itself is another unique story element. Ms. Kinsale also has a very nuanced writing style in which there is much left unsaid that must be read between the lines. At times this was another unique and wonderful element in the story, but admittedly this is not the easiest style to follow, and there were times that I felt like perhaps I missed something, especially at the end. Samuel had spent the better part of the book in emotional turmoil, struggling to reconcile his passions and desires as normal human responses. I never quite understood how, when, or where this finally happened. I have the sense that the answer was to be found somewhere in the symbolism of the events surrounding him, but as much as I tried to conjecture about it, the point at which Samuel was able to reconcile his feelings was never fully clear to me. Because of this, I found the ending to be pleasant and happy, but not entirely fulfilling.
A couple of things about the story frustrated me a bit though, with one being the lack of communication between the hero and heroine. There were several times throughout the story when one of them would think of something they wanted to say to the other, yet for one reason or another, the words never passed their lips. I can't help but wonder if the story might have been richer and fuller if they had simply said what they were feeling. There was also never any discussion between these two characters about Samuel's past beyond a mere admission on Leda's part that she knew. I know that they were both rather shy characters, but I still thought that it might have added depth to their relationship if they had discussed their feelings surrounding this issue or just simply had discussed their feelings in general. Leda didn't seem to have any difficulty droning on about insignificant things such as home furnishings, but when it came to the truly important things, such as saying, “I love you.” or expressing a need for intimacy, it seemed like she felt that these were improper topics of conversation. I think it might have been even nicer if Samuel had gotten to a point that he trusted Leda enough to tell her of the past abuse himself, rather than the knowledge of it having come from Tess. Another thing that bothered me just a little was the mystical, magical aura surrounding certain parts of the story. There were times that Samuel reminded me more of a Jedi than a flesh and blood man which seemed a little out of place in a historical romance and better suited to the paranormal genre. I also have to admit to being a bit unnerved at the strangeness of Leda's “dear sir” formalities with Samuel even after they were married and in the midst of passionate moments. I'm afraid I just can't imagine calling my husband by such a title.;-)
The characterizations were extremely well done exhibiting a great deal of depth. I adored Samuel as the hero. I guess I have a certain preference for brooding, tormented heroes, and Samuel definitely fit this category. Underneath his seemingly cold, distant exterior beat a kind, gentle and loving heart. I liked the way that the author used Samuel's ninja training to empower his character. I found his avenging angel persona to be very sexy and appealing, and would have liked to have seen more of these types of exploits in the story. I loved the way that he was able to shut down the child prostitution rings so neatly and quietly, with no fanfare, and never resorted to any kind of violence. I think it would be impossible not to like a character such as Samuel who possessed such intelligence and ingenuity while being drop-dead gorgeous. His character's emotional intensity was heart wrenching, but gave him so much humanity. Considering the dark nature of Samuel's character, I thought that the overall story would have been more balanced if Leda had been a bit more vibrant and passionate rather than being so reserved, proper and somewhat intense in her own right. For all of her supposed French blood, Leda didn't really act very “French”. I have found that most of the very best romances featuring tormented heroes, have a lighter heroine. In this respect, I thought that Ms. Kinsale's “yin and yang” were a bit off. That said though, Leda was still a very likable character. She was every bit the lady in spite of her non-titled status, being very graceful and composed. She had scruples that she lived by almost religiously. I also like that she was described as rather plain-looking, but best of all, she was kind, gentle, trusting and understanding toward Samuel and never pitied him for his past, only saw a strong, remarkable man. She was also able to intuit his needs and never left him even when, in his fear, he tried his best to drive her away.
Many of the secondary characters were also well written. I really enjoyed all of the flashbacks to Samuel's post-abuse childhood with the Ashlands, and his times training with the family's old butler, Dojun. I found Dojun to be a rather confusing and ambiguous character though, because most of the time, he seemed to be a loving father-figure to Samuel, offering him a way to build confidence and empower himself, but by the end of the book, it seemed that Dojun had given Samuel the training for rather selfish reasons. Again, perhaps this was simply one of those read-between-the-lines nuances that I was missing. Kai was a lovely and lively but rather complex character, who at times seemed rather childish and shallow, though not annoyingly so, and at other times seemed very responsible for her age. Readers also get a good look at where Gryphon and Tess are about two decades after their own love story took place in The Hidden Heart, and it's nice to see that they are still passionately in love.
While I have not seen any official series designation for any of Ms. Kinsale's books, The Shadow and the Star is basically a sequel to The Hidden Heart. As I mentioned, The Hidden Heart is Gryphon and Tess's story, and they play fairly significant roles in The Shadow and the Star. Samuel first appeared briefly in The Hidden Heart as a child who, at the time, was still in the throes of horrible abuse. I rarely read series or interconnected books out of order, but I made an exception in this case, as I was unable to find a copy of The Hidden Heart at my local library. The Shadow and the Star was the first time I had read a book by Ms. Kinsale, but I liked it well enough that I would definitely like to acquire a copy of The Hidden Heart, so that I can go back and fill in the beginnings of this story, and would also be open to reading other titles written by her. As it was though, I believe the two books stand well on their own, as there was enough back story given that I didn't feel lost at any point. Enjoy might be a bit of a strong word for a book that is as hauntingly intense as The Shadow and the Star, but I can say that I appreciated the story a great deal. Though we may not wish to face the reality of such evil in the world, it does exist, and I found that the story really made me think about that on a very deep level long after turning the last page. If you are looking for a book to escape reality this one is definitely not it, but if you are looking to broaden your horizons with a story that expresses a beautiful uniqueness and incredible poignancy and depth then I would highly recommend The Shadow and the Star.
The Shadow and the Star contained many wonderfully written elements. Ms. Kinsale has a talent for writing intoxicatingly sensual scenes that are created by a mere look or the barest of touches. There were also some beautifully romantic moments which were created from the simplest of things, such as the first gift that Samuel gave to Leda. This scene fairly made me swoon. I also thought that the initial love scene between Samuel and Leda was very well done and quite awkwardly realistic considering that both characters were virgins, which in itself is another unique story element. Ms. Kinsale also has a very nuanced writing style in which there is much left unsaid that must be read between the lines. At times this was another unique and wonderful element in the story, but admittedly this is not the easiest style to follow, and there were times that I felt like perhaps I missed something, especially at the end. Samuel had spent the better part of the book in emotional turmoil, struggling to reconcile his passions and desires as normal human responses. I never quite understood how, when, or where this finally happened. I have the sense that the answer was to be found somewhere in the symbolism of the events surrounding him, but as much as I tried to conjecture about it, the point at which Samuel was able to reconcile his feelings was never fully clear to me. Because of this, I found the ending to be pleasant and happy, but not entirely fulfilling.
A couple of things about the story frustrated me a bit though, with one being the lack of communication between the hero and heroine. There were several times throughout the story when one of them would think of something they wanted to say to the other, yet for one reason or another, the words never passed their lips. I can't help but wonder if the story might have been richer and fuller if they had simply said what they were feeling. There was also never any discussion between these two characters about Samuel's past beyond a mere admission on Leda's part that she knew. I know that they were both rather shy characters, but I still thought that it might have added depth to their relationship if they had discussed their feelings surrounding this issue or just simply had discussed their feelings in general. Leda didn't seem to have any difficulty droning on about insignificant things such as home furnishings, but when it came to the truly important things, such as saying, “I love you.” or expressing a need for intimacy, it seemed like she felt that these were improper topics of conversation. I think it might have been even nicer if Samuel had gotten to a point that he trusted Leda enough to tell her of the past abuse himself, rather than the knowledge of it having come from Tess. Another thing that bothered me just a little was the mystical, magical aura surrounding certain parts of the story. There were times that Samuel reminded me more of a Jedi than a flesh and blood man which seemed a little out of place in a historical romance and better suited to the paranormal genre. I also have to admit to being a bit unnerved at the strangeness of Leda's “dear sir” formalities with Samuel even after they were married and in the midst of passionate moments. I'm afraid I just can't imagine calling my husband by such a title.;-)
The characterizations were extremely well done exhibiting a great deal of depth. I adored Samuel as the hero. I guess I have a certain preference for brooding, tormented heroes, and Samuel definitely fit this category. Underneath his seemingly cold, distant exterior beat a kind, gentle and loving heart. I liked the way that the author used Samuel's ninja training to empower his character. I found his avenging angel persona to be very sexy and appealing, and would have liked to have seen more of these types of exploits in the story. I loved the way that he was able to shut down the child prostitution rings so neatly and quietly, with no fanfare, and never resorted to any kind of violence. I think it would be impossible not to like a character such as Samuel who possessed such intelligence and ingenuity while being drop-dead gorgeous. His character's emotional intensity was heart wrenching, but gave him so much humanity. Considering the dark nature of Samuel's character, I thought that the overall story would have been more balanced if Leda had been a bit more vibrant and passionate rather than being so reserved, proper and somewhat intense in her own right. For all of her supposed French blood, Leda didn't really act very “French”. I have found that most of the very best romances featuring tormented heroes, have a lighter heroine. In this respect, I thought that Ms. Kinsale's “yin and yang” were a bit off. That said though, Leda was still a very likable character. She was every bit the lady in spite of her non-titled status, being very graceful and composed. She had scruples that she lived by almost religiously. I also like that she was described as rather plain-looking, but best of all, she was kind, gentle, trusting and understanding toward Samuel and never pitied him for his past, only saw a strong, remarkable man. She was also able to intuit his needs and never left him even when, in his fear, he tried his best to drive her away.
Many of the secondary characters were also well written. I really enjoyed all of the flashbacks to Samuel's post-abuse childhood with the Ashlands, and his times training with the family's old butler, Dojun. I found Dojun to be a rather confusing and ambiguous character though, because most of the time, he seemed to be a loving father-figure to Samuel, offering him a way to build confidence and empower himself, but by the end of the book, it seemed that Dojun had given Samuel the training for rather selfish reasons. Again, perhaps this was simply one of those read-between-the-lines nuances that I was missing. Kai was a lovely and lively but rather complex character, who at times seemed rather childish and shallow, though not annoyingly so, and at other times seemed very responsible for her age. Readers also get a good look at where Gryphon and Tess are about two decades after their own love story took place in The Hidden Heart, and it's nice to see that they are still passionately in love.
While I have not seen any official series designation for any of Ms. Kinsale's books, The Shadow and the Star is basically a sequel to The Hidden Heart. As I mentioned, The Hidden Heart is Gryphon and Tess's story, and they play fairly significant roles in The Shadow and the Star. Samuel first appeared briefly in The Hidden Heart as a child who, at the time, was still in the throes of horrible abuse. I rarely read series or interconnected books out of order, but I made an exception in this case, as I was unable to find a copy of The Hidden Heart at my local library. The Shadow and the Star was the first time I had read a book by Ms. Kinsale, but I liked it well enough that I would definitely like to acquire a copy of The Hidden Heart, so that I can go back and fill in the beginnings of this story, and would also be open to reading other titles written by her. As it was though, I believe the two books stand well on their own, as there was enough back story given that I didn't feel lost at any point. Enjoy might be a bit of a strong word for a book that is as hauntingly intense as The Shadow and the Star, but I can say that I appreciated the story a great deal. Though we may not wish to face the reality of such evil in the world, it does exist, and I found that the story really made me think about that on a very deep level long after turning the last page. If you are looking for a book to escape reality this one is definitely not it, but if you are looking to broaden your horizons with a story that expresses a beautiful uniqueness and incredible poignancy and depth then I would highly recommend The Shadow and the Star.
February 11, 2009
The Victorian romance where Samuel is a child prostitution survivor and a Hawaiian ninja. I can add nothing to this.
No, actually, I can, because I'm afraid I didn't really care for either of the major characters.
Leda comes across throughout as a little old woman. A conventional little old Victorian woman with a commonplace mind. I sympathized with her plight, yes, but I didn't see anything special about her whatsoever. Samuel apparently knows only two women his age, and the other one might as well be his sister; it's hard not to feel that once he gets out into the world a bit, he'll notice that women are different from one another and wonder why he picked this one.
Samuel is about as damaged as you would expect him to be, and it's sad, because of course he's some years too early to be able to talk to Doctor Freud about his problems, and Victorian culture forbids him to talk to anyone else -- but, rather like Dain in Lord of Scoundrels, he's so very self-involved that my reaction to him tips rather suddenly from woobification to annoyance. By the end of the book, Leda knows all about his past difficulties, but he knows nothing about hers, nor does he ever think to fill her in on what's happening in the present.
In fact, now that I come to think of it, I don't remember Samuel ever taking any interest in anything about anyone except what he needed from them. I'm sure the author didn't intend to create a monster, and since Samuel's needs are emotional rather than mercenary, it doesn't hit you right away, but I'm not actually sure he's aware that others have needs at all.
The other cultures are sensitively handled -- one thing I particularly appreciated was having pidgins clearly labeled as pidgins, rather than presented without explanation so that the speakers of them look like ignoramuses.
No, actually, I can, because I'm afraid I didn't really care for either of the major characters.
Leda comes across throughout as a little old woman. A conventional little old Victorian woman with a commonplace mind. I sympathized with her plight, yes, but I didn't see anything special about her whatsoever. Samuel apparently knows only two women his age, and the other one might as well be his sister; it's hard not to feel that once he gets out into the world a bit, he'll notice that women are different from one another and wonder why he picked this one.
Samuel is about as damaged as you would expect him to be, and it's sad, because of course he's some years too early to be able to talk to Doctor Freud about his problems, and Victorian culture forbids him to talk to anyone else -- but, rather like Dain in Lord of Scoundrels, he's so very self-involved that my reaction to him tips rather suddenly from woobification to annoyance. By the end of the book, Leda knows all about his past difficulties, but he knows nothing about hers, nor does he ever think to fill her in on what's happening in the present.
In fact, now that I come to think of it, I don't remember Samuel ever taking any interest in anything about anyone except what he needed from them. I'm sure the author didn't intend to create a monster, and since Samuel's needs are emotional rather than mercenary, it doesn't hit you right away, but I'm not actually sure he's aware that others have needs at all.
The other cultures are sensitively handled -- one thing I particularly appreciated was having pidgins clearly labeled as pidgins, rather than presented without explanation so that the speakers of them look like ignoramuses.
June 26, 2018
This is such a poignant story. I can't begin to review it and do it justice. It's a story that needed to be told and the story I needed to hear. Anyone who's read or listened to The Hidden Heart knows what tragedy occurred in that book, to an innocent child, and wasn't resolved. The Shadow and the Star is the resolution of that tragedy and is absolutely beautiful. As my friend, Bean, said - it'll rip your heart to pieces, then put it back together. (I can't find the comment to quote it, but that about sums it up.)
Anyway, once again the team of Laura Kinsale and Nicholas Boulton can't be beat. I can't recommend them highly enough and look forward to more of their brilliant storytelling. Storytelling at its finest.
Blurb
Anyway, once again the team of Laura Kinsale and Nicholas Boulton can't be beat. I can't recommend them highly enough and look forward to more of their brilliant storytelling. Storytelling at its finest.
Blurb
In defense of her honor, innocent Leda Etoile has burned all her bridges and taken refuge in her tiny attic room in a shabby boarding house in London. But her last safe haven is invaded when she wakes to find a man hidden in the dark - a man with golden hair and the face of a fallen angel, who moves in the night like a shadow.
Will he be her savior, or her ruin? Samuel Gerard draws her inexorably into the richest circles of aristocratic England. But even as Leda falls in love with a man she can never have, she must keep his secrets. Though everything about him is shame and illusion, this shadow warrior desperately desires what only Leda can give him - absolute love, and the truth about himself.
April 16, 2021
Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2021/...
Uno de mis favoritos de Laura Kinsale
Sabe muy mal terminar estas novelas, porque seguirías leyendo y leyendo, y soy consciente de que mi siguiente lectura me sabrá a muy poco
Una novela de personajes, evoluciones, contrapuntos. Personas reales con problemas que no cambian de forma repentina, porque cuando alguien está tan dañado, se aprende a vivir con ello y el amor, por mucho que queramos, no lo cura todo. Eso es, para mí, lo mejor de la novela, el realismo del personaje de Samuel: tosco a veces, serio, directo, con sus complejos y con ese físico que contrasta tanto con lo sombrío de su carácter
su relación con leda no será fácil ni tan siquiera un cuento de hadas, porque los comienzos entre dos personas tan diferentes y tan inocentes no pueden ser fáciles. otro punto muy realista
Mi única pega es que la relación con Lady Tess y Kai se cierra de forma demasiado abrupta, no hubiera costado nada que ambos personajes con tanto peso durante la primera parte de la novela, aparecieran al final aunque fuera para decir dos frases.
El animal de esta novela es el tiburón blanco ;)
Si os gusta la cultura japonesa, aquí se encuentra otro aliciente
Un trabajo estupendo el que ha hecho Laura Kinsale con el personaje de Samuel, con novelas como esta da gusto ♥
Uno de mis favoritos de Laura Kinsale
Sabe muy mal terminar estas novelas, porque seguirías leyendo y leyendo, y soy consciente de que mi siguiente lectura me sabrá a muy poco
Una novela de personajes, evoluciones, contrapuntos. Personas reales con problemas que no cambian de forma repentina, porque cuando alguien está tan dañado, se aprende a vivir con ello y el amor, por mucho que queramos, no lo cura todo. Eso es, para mí, lo mejor de la novela, el realismo del personaje de Samuel: tosco a veces, serio, directo, con sus complejos y con ese físico que contrasta tanto con lo sombrío de su carácter
su relación con leda no será fácil ni tan siquiera un cuento de hadas, porque los comienzos entre dos personas tan diferentes y tan inocentes no pueden ser fáciles. otro punto muy realista
Mi única pega es que la relación con Lady Tess y Kai se cierra de forma demasiado abrupta, no hubiera costado nada que ambos personajes con tanto peso durante la primera parte de la novela, aparecieran al final aunque fuera para decir dos frases.
El animal de esta novela es el tiburón blanco ;)
Si os gusta la cultura japonesa, aquí se encuentra otro aliciente
Un trabajo estupendo el que ha hecho Laura Kinsale con el personaje de Samuel, con novelas como esta da gusto ♥
June 12, 2009
I love this book. Samuel Gerard is three of my favorite heroes in one: virgin, warrior, and tortured. And Leda is a unique and likeable heroine. She is principled and kind, and can see past the surface to the man that Samuel is. It's a very touching book and my only complaint is I would love an epilogue about two of my favorite characters and their life together.
May 19, 2010
I love reading reviews, and there are some incredible reviews of this book, however I always seem to feel the need to voice my own opinion..so here's my two cents.
Just a quick synopsis. Samuel was horribly abused as a child. He is taken in by Lady Tess and Lord Gryphon from the book "Hidden Heart" and made a part of their family. He has major scars, literal and figurative, from his abuse and is horribly wounded as a man. Leda was also "adopted" and is very much alone in the world. She comes to live with Samuel's family after some crazy events and thus begins a relationship with Samuel as his secretary.
Here's what I loved.....
1. The relationship between Samuel and Lady Tess is simply heart-wrenching. The flashbacks of him as a child coming home to live her and Gryph are literary perfection. Her love, devotion, acceptance, loyalty, and protection of this wounded child are heart rendering. The scene where Lady Tess talks with Samuel about his duty to marry Leda had me weeping!
2. Leda is a woman I loved. She was a woman of fierce devotion, strong moral code, and properness. She is constantly reminding Samuel of proper language (he tends to swear a little), and proper behavior.
3. Samuel is incredible. Strong....he's accomplished in the martial arts (a ninja), is very attractive, wealthy, and socially accepted. Weak....Maybe not the right word, but wounded emotionally from past abuse, extremely influenced by his sensai, very unsure of himself with Leda. All of these characteristics make him very appealing.
4. The writing is superb. There are no loose ends, no wasted plot lines, everything in this book is there for a reason and is tied up in the end. I loved how Samuel had to remind Leda to "breathe" when she gets into stressful circumstances, and this fact is true throughout the book...by the end this quirk of Leda's and Samuel's gentle care for her is so touching. Also Leda's name for him "Dear Sir" is used throughout and also is extremely touching.
Here's what I didn't.....
1. There's not much. I will say that Laura Kinsale is not for everyone. Some other authors...Kleypas, McNaught, Putney, Balogh, have more universal appeal, but Kinsale's writing sets her apart. She is smart...you as the reader need to figure out things for yourself...she not just going to give it to you. Characters feelings and motives are not always explained like you wish they would be, but this is her style. This is not a quick and easy read, (as many romance novels are). She is extremely in depth with culture and practice, and interweaves several different cultures/societies into one book. This may confuse and aggravate some readers.
2. The relationship between Dojun and Samuel was a difficult one for me. I went back in forth...is is good or bad, healthy or unhealthy, did Dojun hurt or help Samuel more...questions like this I wish were more understandable and clear, but here again lies the reality of Kinsale's writing...sometimes it's okay to live in the gray instead of the black and white.
Just a quick synopsis. Samuel was horribly abused as a child. He is taken in by Lady Tess and Lord Gryphon from the book "Hidden Heart" and made a part of their family. He has major scars, literal and figurative, from his abuse and is horribly wounded as a man. Leda was also "adopted" and is very much alone in the world. She comes to live with Samuel's family after some crazy events and thus begins a relationship with Samuel as his secretary.
Here's what I loved.....
1. The relationship between Samuel and Lady Tess is simply heart-wrenching. The flashbacks of him as a child coming home to live her and Gryph are literary perfection. Her love, devotion, acceptance, loyalty, and protection of this wounded child are heart rendering. The scene where Lady Tess talks with Samuel about his duty to marry Leda had me weeping!
2. Leda is a woman I loved. She was a woman of fierce devotion, strong moral code, and properness. She is constantly reminding Samuel of proper language (he tends to swear a little), and proper behavior.
3. Samuel is incredible. Strong....he's accomplished in the martial arts (a ninja), is very attractive, wealthy, and socially accepted. Weak....Maybe not the right word, but wounded emotionally from past abuse, extremely influenced by his sensai, very unsure of himself with Leda. All of these characteristics make him very appealing.
4. The writing is superb. There are no loose ends, no wasted plot lines, everything in this book is there for a reason and is tied up in the end. I loved how Samuel had to remind Leda to "breathe" when she gets into stressful circumstances, and this fact is true throughout the book...by the end this quirk of Leda's and Samuel's gentle care for her is so touching. Also Leda's name for him "Dear Sir" is used throughout and also is extremely touching.
Here's what I didn't.....
1. There's not much. I will say that Laura Kinsale is not for everyone. Some other authors...Kleypas, McNaught, Putney, Balogh, have more universal appeal, but Kinsale's writing sets her apart. She is smart...you as the reader need to figure out things for yourself...she not just going to give it to you. Characters feelings and motives are not always explained like you wish they would be, but this is her style. This is not a quick and easy read, (as many romance novels are). She is extremely in depth with culture and practice, and interweaves several different cultures/societies into one book. This may confuse and aggravate some readers.
2. The relationship between Dojun and Samuel was a difficult one for me. I went back in forth...is is good or bad, healthy or unhealthy, did Dojun hurt or help Samuel more...questions like this I wish were more understandable and clear, but here again lies the reality of Kinsale's writing...sometimes it's okay to live in the gray instead of the black and white.
January 28, 2021
Laura Kinsale... E está tudo dito.
Uma das minhas autoras favoritas, os livros dela são fabulosos.
As personagens e a história são cativantes.
Lamentavelmente, o primeiro livro não foi editado em Portugal, e nele explica tudo o que aconteceu com Samuel.
Quando li a sinopse, julguei que os poderia ler individualmente, as personagens não se repetiam...
Puro equivoco, felizmente tenho aquela pancada grande para ler as séries por ordem e rapidamente me apercebi que esta história estava dependente do primeiro livro sobre a Tess e como Samuel chega onde está e porque é como é.
Uma das minhas autoras favoritas, os livros dela são fabulosos.
As personagens e a história são cativantes.
Lamentavelmente, o primeiro livro não foi editado em Portugal, e nele explica tudo o que aconteceu com Samuel.
Quando li a sinopse, julguei que os poderia ler individualmente, as personagens não se repetiam...
Puro equivoco, felizmente tenho aquela pancada grande para ler as séries por ordem e rapidamente me apercebi que esta história estava dependente do primeiro livro sobre a Tess e como Samuel chega onde está e porque é como é.
June 10, 2016
This is my second re-read of the book.
Published in 1991, it still holds its awesomeness on re-read. I'm in awe of the author who created this unforgettable romance and complex characters. Please, Ms. Kinsale, come back to writing!
Published in 1991, it still holds its awesomeness on re-read. I'm in awe of the author who created this unforgettable romance and complex characters. Please, Ms. Kinsale, come back to writing!
April 11, 2021
Relectura.
Es un libro muy original, de época y con vínculos con Japón y Hawai, la Kinsale es así, te puede gustar o no lo que escribe, pero nunca se limita a lo convencional. No es un libro perfecto, el final creo que es un poco flojo y no está a la altura del resto, pero es una historia interesante y fundamentalmente tierna. La primera vez que lo leí fue hace muchos años, recién publicado en español lo compré en la FNAC, todos estos años después todavía recordaba muchas escenas de Samuel que me provocaron mucha emoción. Y es que, Sombra y estrella es fundamentalmente Samuel, pocos protagonistas hay en la romántica que muevan tantas cosas como él, es inolvidable.
Es un libro muy original, de época y con vínculos con Japón y Hawai, la Kinsale es así, te puede gustar o no lo que escribe, pero nunca se limita a lo convencional. No es un libro perfecto, el final creo que es un poco flojo y no está a la altura del resto, pero es una historia interesante y fundamentalmente tierna. La primera vez que lo leí fue hace muchos años, recién publicado en español lo compré en la FNAC, todos estos años después todavía recordaba muchas escenas de Samuel que me provocaron mucha emoción. Y es que, Sombra y estrella es fundamentalmente Samuel, pocos protagonistas hay en la romántica que muevan tantas cosas como él, es inolvidable.
April 5, 2018
Leda Étoile es una joven que está pasando por una dura circunstancia, debe encontrar un trabajo para no verse en la calle, de pronto coincide con un misterioso caballero, el apuesto Samuel Gerard. Samuel esconde un pasado triste y sus caminos se encontrarán para dar paso a la pasión.
Primero que todo decir algo: por ahí rula una sinopsis que es un spoiler en toda regla, que espero que no os topéis con él, queda dicho.
Ahora sí os cuento lo que me ha parecido esta novela. Me ha fascinado, no tanto como “Flores en la tormenta” pero está muy cerca. Laura Kinsale vuelve a hacer magia y traernos una historia maravillosa, ambientada entre Inglaterra y Hawái, deleitándonos con maravillosas descripciones que nos trasladan a lugares exóticos y al Londres en época de jubileo de la reina Victoria.
Los personajes vuelven a ser la parte fuerte de la novela, sobre todo el masculino, para la autora éstos son los que llevan el peso de la historia, y es que Samuel Gérard es un personaje de lo más complejo. Un hombre que de niño tuvo que pasar por una terrible época y es así como se forma su complicado e inextricable carácter, Samuel es raro en el concepto bueno de la palabra porque es inesperado, porque no sabes cómo reaccionará. Samuel se refugia en la disciplina japonesa que le inculca Dojun, su maestro, y casi un padre para él, esto es algo que me fascinó y que le aporta un punto distinto, imbuirnos en algunos aspectos de la cultura japonesa me ha encantado. Sobre su relación con Leda es la mar de interesante porque todo en él es impredecible y nos choca esa fascinación por Kai. Samuel no es un hombre versado en mujeres y eso se nota mucho, sobre Leda pues al principio me pareció más espabilada para luego cambiar progresivamente y parecer una niña, es muy inocente, completamente y en lo que se refiere a hombres lo mismo.
La pareja Leda – Samuel es muy particular porque son bastante torpes en lo que a relaciones se refiere y él encima con lo que lleva pues la cosa es complicada pero a la vez es tan bonita, como se va cociendo todo, poco a poco nos vamos enamorando de ellos, con todo y con sus rarezas. Hay escenas entre los dos que son muy emocionantes y LK es capaz de expresar en pocas frases tanta pasión, es capaz de conmovernos.
El final me pareció demasiado apresurado y me quedaron cosas pendientes quizá le hubiese venido bien un epílogo.
Hay que decir que Laura Kinsale es una de las autoras que mejor escriben del género, su obra no es muy extensa pero es que es normal porque se vuelca en cada novela, es una delicia leer libros tan bien escritos y con historias tan atractivas.
Sombra y estrella es una novela que emociona con un personaje masculino del todo intrigante y que engancha.
Primero que todo decir algo: por ahí rula una sinopsis que es un spoiler en toda regla, que espero que no os topéis con él, queda dicho.
Ahora sí os cuento lo que me ha parecido esta novela. Me ha fascinado, no tanto como “Flores en la tormenta” pero está muy cerca. Laura Kinsale vuelve a hacer magia y traernos una historia maravillosa, ambientada entre Inglaterra y Hawái, deleitándonos con maravillosas descripciones que nos trasladan a lugares exóticos y al Londres en época de jubileo de la reina Victoria.
Los personajes vuelven a ser la parte fuerte de la novela, sobre todo el masculino, para la autora éstos son los que llevan el peso de la historia, y es que Samuel Gérard es un personaje de lo más complejo. Un hombre que de niño tuvo que pasar por una terrible época y es así como se forma su complicado e inextricable carácter, Samuel es raro en el concepto bueno de la palabra porque es inesperado, porque no sabes cómo reaccionará. Samuel se refugia en la disciplina japonesa que le inculca Dojun, su maestro, y casi un padre para él, esto es algo que me fascinó y que le aporta un punto distinto, imbuirnos en algunos aspectos de la cultura japonesa me ha encantado. Sobre su relación con Leda es la mar de interesante porque todo en él es impredecible y nos choca esa fascinación por Kai. Samuel no es un hombre versado en mujeres y eso se nota mucho, sobre Leda pues al principio me pareció más espabilada para luego cambiar progresivamente y parecer una niña, es muy inocente, completamente y en lo que se refiere a hombres lo mismo.
La pareja Leda – Samuel es muy particular porque son bastante torpes en lo que a relaciones se refiere y él encima con lo que lleva pues la cosa es complicada pero a la vez es tan bonita, como se va cociendo todo, poco a poco nos vamos enamorando de ellos, con todo y con sus rarezas. Hay escenas entre los dos que son muy emocionantes y LK es capaz de expresar en pocas frases tanta pasión, es capaz de conmovernos.
El final me pareció demasiado apresurado y me quedaron cosas pendientes quizá le hubiese venido bien un epílogo.
Hay que decir que Laura Kinsale es una de las autoras que mejor escriben del género, su obra no es muy extensa pero es que es normal porque se vuelca en cada novela, es una delicia leer libros tan bien escritos y con historias tan atractivas.
Sombra y estrella es una novela que emociona con un personaje masculino del todo intrigante y que engancha.
February 4, 2017
Me ha gustado mucho más que el anterior que leí de ella. En esta el personaje de la protagonista se me ha hecho moderadamente soportable, aunque ni de lejos entrañable como se me ha hecho el del protagonista. Samuel es un personaje con mucha miga y esa miga me ha faltado en Leda para que fuese perfecto. El libro va desde Londres hasta Hawai, lo que lo hace dinámico. Tiene algunas de esas escenas que no se te olvidan nunca como por ejemplo la del collar, que me ha parecido redonda. ¿Que habría quitado o qué me ha parecido mal encajado? La trama japonesa, había un exceso de términos japoneses sin traducción lo que en vez de sumergirte en la trama te hace desconectar por completo. Como soy muy fan del drama los altibajos de Samuel y Leda me han encantado, sobretodo el rollo de que Samuel tuviese ese amor platónico desde la infancia por Kai. Me gusta que esta autora sea de las que apuestan por romance a fuego lento, te hace disfrutar más de la finalización del mismo.
March 12, 2016
Update 3/11/2016: Leda, our heroine, is possibly my favorite Kinsale heroine to date. She, by far, is the one that I can relate to the most and I really loved being exclusively in her head for the first half of the novel. She's a woman living on her own in Victorian London, trying to make ends meet, but because of social mores there are tough and dangerous situations that she cannot control due to economic status and being female.
"Here she preferred not to dally at an idle pace, but picked her way among the crowds and delivery vans with vigor. It was awkward to be walking unaccompanied; she wouldn't like to be taken for a lady of questionable character. But Miss Myrtle said that quality would always speak for itself, so Leda kept her chin up and her pace elegant, ignoring, for the most part, the scarecrow figures who lounged in shadowed doorways and lingered at the coffee stalls."
Luckily, since this is a Historical Romance, there was a neat way out of her current lifestyle but, since this is a Kinsale, it always felt earned and genuine.
Enter Samuel. We don't get his point of view until mid way through the book and I absolutely adore how Kinsale structured this. The payoff is worth it, and while you don't need to have read The Hidden Heart to read this, it's slightly better if you are aware of Samuel's background and his relationship to Tess and Gryff (who are both total gems in this book). Samuel remains a mystery to Leda, and one she is keen to solve.
"He met her nonplussed look, and smiled suddenly, a quiet smile, absurdly charming. "And no," he said, "I'm not mad, you know."
In truth, I spent most of the book feeling so heartbroken for Samuel, and then in turn Leda, because their story is quite sad at times, but always rather touching. They both have a lot to learn, but are naive without it coming off as overly precious or saccharine.
"A potent silence stretched between them, a bright mystery, full of uneasy fancies."
These are well put together, responsible people who are trying to do their best but in some ways just haven't dealt with certain deficiencies. They both are figuring out what it means to be a whole person, both for themselves and if they wish to be with someone else. (There is one line of Leda's that really exemplifies this, when she is asked how she'd like to be courted and she responds "I would wish… to be stood up for.") Because of this, I found myself rooting for them to grow with each other instead of necessarily being overly invested in them as a romantic couple, though that was a bonus.
That said, there are many, MANY moments of delightful and clever exchanges between the two which elevate the book and make it one of my favorite Kinsales.
"He scowled more deeply and rubbed one eyebrow. "Miss Etoile," he said abruptly. "You are a woman." Leda bridled up a little. She put her hands together in her lap, trying to think of how Miss Myrtle would have responded to such a barefaced statement, unsure of whether to preen or to be alarmed.
"You have experience of the world," he went on, before she could say anything. "You will… know things … understand things—that aren't self-evident to a man. To someone like me."
With a peculiar mixture of relief, disappointment, and pleasure in the idea that she appeared to him to be sophisticated and self-possessed, she said, "Well, yes, perhaps that is true." Miss Myrtle had always said so. She hadn't ascribed to this modem notion of equality between the sexes. Women were patently superior."
3/8/2016: None of my many, MANY highlights were saved in my Kindle app apparently, so I'm a bit put out at the moment. This book had so many lovely moments that had me clutching my chest or smiling ear to ear - I just wish I could share them with you!
Better review to come.
"Here she preferred not to dally at an idle pace, but picked her way among the crowds and delivery vans with vigor. It was awkward to be walking unaccompanied; she wouldn't like to be taken for a lady of questionable character. But Miss Myrtle said that quality would always speak for itself, so Leda kept her chin up and her pace elegant, ignoring, for the most part, the scarecrow figures who lounged in shadowed doorways and lingered at the coffee stalls."
Luckily, since this is a Historical Romance, there was a neat way out of her current lifestyle but, since this is a Kinsale, it always felt earned and genuine.
Enter Samuel. We don't get his point of view until mid way through the book and I absolutely adore how Kinsale structured this. The payoff is worth it, and while you don't need to have read The Hidden Heart to read this, it's slightly better if you are aware of Samuel's background and his relationship to Tess and Gryff (who are both total gems in this book). Samuel remains a mystery to Leda, and one she is keen to solve.
"He met her nonplussed look, and smiled suddenly, a quiet smile, absurdly charming. "And no," he said, "I'm not mad, you know."
In truth, I spent most of the book feeling so heartbroken for Samuel, and then in turn Leda, because their story is quite sad at times, but always rather touching. They both have a lot to learn, but are naive without it coming off as overly precious or saccharine.
"A potent silence stretched between them, a bright mystery, full of uneasy fancies."
These are well put together, responsible people who are trying to do their best but in some ways just haven't dealt with certain deficiencies. They both are figuring out what it means to be a whole person, both for themselves and if they wish to be with someone else. (There is one line of Leda's that really exemplifies this, when she is asked how she'd like to be courted and she responds "I would wish… to be stood up for.") Because of this, I found myself rooting for them to grow with each other instead of necessarily being overly invested in them as a romantic couple, though that was a bonus.
That said, there are many, MANY moments of delightful and clever exchanges between the two which elevate the book and make it one of my favorite Kinsales.
"He scowled more deeply and rubbed one eyebrow. "Miss Etoile," he said abruptly. "You are a woman." Leda bridled up a little. She put her hands together in her lap, trying to think of how Miss Myrtle would have responded to such a barefaced statement, unsure of whether to preen or to be alarmed.
"You have experience of the world," he went on, before she could say anything. "You will… know things … understand things—that aren't self-evident to a man. To someone like me."
With a peculiar mixture of relief, disappointment, and pleasure in the idea that she appeared to him to be sophisticated and self-possessed, she said, "Well, yes, perhaps that is true." Miss Myrtle had always said so. She hadn't ascribed to this modem notion of equality between the sexes. Women were patently superior."
3/8/2016: None of my many, MANY highlights were saved in my Kindle app apparently, so I'm a bit put out at the moment. This book had so many lovely moments that had me clutching my chest or smiling ear to ear - I just wish I could share them with you!
Better review to come.
April 5, 2010
So, I was scared to read this because even I, who read these books like it's my job, balk at the idea of a romance novel about a ninja in Victorian England.
I liked it though, really liked it, because it has excessive use of the word "sir" in endearing and romantical moments, and because the heroine is a bit of a priss, but not annoyingly so.
My problem is that Kinsale has left some key literary devices to my imagination, and I've got a very cynical one, imagination that is, so I don't appreciate that one bit...
I wanted a more profuse "until this moment I never knew myself" scene, where I felt the hero, who, despite being a ninja in Victorian England (um, come on, how awesome is that?), is decidedly tortured because of events in his past (they always are aren't they?) came to terms with his inner turmoil and really was free to love the priss heroine...
I mean seriously, it's not just the demons of his past...he also spent most of the book attracted to the heroine, but like, in denial about it, thinking he loved someone else...where was the scene with the obligatory "I realized that my feelings for so and so were strictly platonic, and that I didn't know what love was until you, and so forth" scene?
Kinsale assumes that there are some smart people reading her books, intelligistas who will gladly fill in these scenes (or add to the paltry moments she's written into the book) for themselves. But then there's me! Me, who can never be sure of the happy ending unless it's explicit because I'm always sure something bad's going to happen, no matter how much I struggle to convince myself otherwise.
Sigh, it's only a book I suppose...a good book.
I liked it though, really liked it, because it has excessive use of the word "sir" in endearing and romantical moments, and because the heroine is a bit of a priss, but not annoyingly so.
My problem is that Kinsale has left some key literary devices to my imagination, and I've got a very cynical one, imagination that is, so I don't appreciate that one bit...
I wanted a more profuse "until this moment I never knew myself" scene, where I felt the hero, who, despite being a ninja in Victorian England (um, come on, how awesome is that?), is decidedly tortured because of events in his past (they always are aren't they?) came to terms with his inner turmoil and really was free to love the priss heroine...
I mean seriously, it's not just the demons of his past...he also spent most of the book attracted to the heroine, but like, in denial about it, thinking he loved someone else...where was the scene with the obligatory "I realized that my feelings for so and so were strictly platonic, and that I didn't know what love was until you, and so forth" scene?
Kinsale assumes that there are some smart people reading her books, intelligistas who will gladly fill in these scenes (or add to the paltry moments she's written into the book) for themselves. But then there's me! Me, who can never be sure of the happy ending unless it's explicit because I'm always sure something bad's going to happen, no matter how much I struggle to convince myself otherwise.
Sigh, it's only a book I suppose...a good book.
November 12, 2019
Me gustó mucho este libro, de hecho mucho más que el anterior.
Samuel ha sido todo y más, un ser roto desde su infancia, que no conoce de relaciones, más que el dolor que le han infligido, y del cual le ha tocado sobrellevar. Sin embargo, es noble dentro de su rudeza y torpeza.
La autora combina muy bien, personajes y tramas. Lástima que el final sea tan abrupto, y no contar con un epílogo.
Samuel ha sido todo y más, un ser roto desde su infancia, que no conoce de relaciones, más que el dolor que le han infligido, y del cual le ha tocado sobrellevar. Sin embargo, es noble dentro de su rudeza y torpeza.
La autora combina muy bien, personajes y tramas. Lástima que el final sea tan abrupto, y no contar con un epílogo.
March 21, 2016
Laura Kinsale is a goddess. Do I really need to write more of a review than that? ;) She can take the craziest sounding premise -- in this case the love story of a former child prostitute/white Hawaiian ninja and a prim and proper Victorian Englishwoman -- and spin something deep and rich and emotionally truthful out of it. Complex characters, beautiful prose, heart-wrenching emotion, exotic locations, a bit of adventure...classic Kinsale, in other words.
This novel is a follow-up to The Hidden Heart, and the hero and heroine of that story play an important part in The Shadow and the Star. The hero of this second book is Samuel Gerard, the child prostitute "Sammy" who we saw a few times in The Hidden Heart. Tess and Gryf, now Lord and Lady Ashland, find Sammy and take him into their home in Hawaii, raising him as a foster son alongside their own two children. The flashback chapters to Samuel's childhood, especially his worshipful relationship with his beloved mother-figure Tess, are beautiful and heartbreaking. Samuel is a sweet boy and becomes a good, honorable man -- one with some very special skills taught to him by the Ashlands' Japanese butler -- but he still struggles with the memories of his pre-Hawaiian childhood. He demonizes himself as he grows up and starts having sexual feelings. For him it's all tied up with the horrors he experienced as a young boy.
The heroine, Leda Etoile, is probably my favorite of the Kinsale heroines I've encountered so far, at least in terms of sheer likability. There's something sweet and dear about her, with her struggles to maintain her dignity and morals in the midst of encroaching poverty. She was an orphan raised by a genteel spinster, and while she can be a bit of a Victorian Miss Priss as a result (she can't bring herself to use the word "leg" when describing a table, for instance), it was never off-putting to me. The way she meets and gets to know Samuel is very unusual, and I love the way their friendship unfolds. (His first gift to her made me cry!)
Of course eventually friendship becomes something more complicated, when Leda falls hopelessly in love with Samuel, who is determined to marry the Ashlands' daughter Katherine (Kai), and Samuel starts feeling things for Leda that he never has for Kai. He had envisioned a chaste marriage with Kai, whom he idolizes for her purity and innocence, and when he has lustful, mixed-up feelings for Leda, he doesn't know how to handle them. The scene in which Leda and Samuel have sex for the first time is as ringing an endorsement for providing young people with sex ed as I can think of. Those two poor clueless people! Their actions lead to a forced marriage, which actually turns into something beautiful and loving, and then goes awry, and then comes back together again...
In the midst of all this, there's a plot line about a stolen Japanese sword and Samuel's involvement in that, and it's interesting, but the plot is really in service to the character development, not the other way around, and that's just the way I like it.
If I have one complaint about the book, it's that the resolution of Leda and Samuel's marital issues, and in particular of Samuel's deep-seated conflict over his sexual desires, feels a little rushed at the end. Normally I don't care for epilogues, but this is one book where I was really hoping to flip to the page after the last chapter and find one! I just needed a little bit more. Still, overall this is a gorgeous, moving book. Highly recommended.
This novel is a follow-up to The Hidden Heart, and the hero and heroine of that story play an important part in The Shadow and the Star. The hero of this second book is Samuel Gerard, the child prostitute "Sammy" who we saw a few times in The Hidden Heart. Tess and Gryf, now Lord and Lady Ashland, find Sammy and take him into their home in Hawaii, raising him as a foster son alongside their own two children. The flashback chapters to Samuel's childhood, especially his worshipful relationship with his beloved mother-figure Tess, are beautiful and heartbreaking. Samuel is a sweet boy and becomes a good, honorable man -- one with some very special skills taught to him by the Ashlands' Japanese butler -- but he still struggles with the memories of his pre-Hawaiian childhood. He demonizes himself as he grows up and starts having sexual feelings. For him it's all tied up with the horrors he experienced as a young boy.
The heroine, Leda Etoile, is probably my favorite of the Kinsale heroines I've encountered so far, at least in terms of sheer likability. There's something sweet and dear about her, with her struggles to maintain her dignity and morals in the midst of encroaching poverty. She was an orphan raised by a genteel spinster, and while she can be a bit of a Victorian Miss Priss as a result (she can't bring herself to use the word "leg" when describing a table, for instance), it was never off-putting to me. The way she meets and gets to know Samuel is very unusual, and I love the way their friendship unfolds. (His first gift to her made me cry!)
Of course eventually friendship becomes something more complicated, when Leda falls hopelessly in love with Samuel, who is determined to marry the Ashlands' daughter Katherine (Kai), and Samuel starts feeling things for Leda that he never has for Kai. He had envisioned a chaste marriage with Kai, whom he idolizes for her purity and innocence, and when he has lustful, mixed-up feelings for Leda, he doesn't know how to handle them. The scene in which Leda and Samuel have sex for the first time is as ringing an endorsement for providing young people with sex ed as I can think of. Those two poor clueless people! Their actions lead to a forced marriage, which actually turns into something beautiful and loving, and then goes awry, and then comes back together again...
In the midst of all this, there's a plot line about a stolen Japanese sword and Samuel's involvement in that, and it's interesting, but the plot is really in service to the character development, not the other way around, and that's just the way I like it.
If I have one complaint about the book, it's that the resolution of Leda and Samuel's marital issues, and in particular of Samuel's deep-seated conflict over his sexual desires, feels a little rushed at the end. Normally I don't care for epilogues, but this is one book where I was really hoping to flip to the page after the last chapter and find one! I just needed a little bit more. Still, overall this is a gorgeous, moving book. Highly recommended.
August 3, 2016
I am a little bit hesitant towards the author due to one of her book I read.
Although, aforementioned book is one of the best known and loved one, I had issues about romance part about it. Therefore, I was not sure if I liked it.
However, I liked the book immensely, unfortunately, I can’t say that I loved it. Again, the romance factor made me feel this way.
I think, I can’t express enough how much I liked both plot and narrative. I have a tendency and curiosity about Japanese culture, it might be the reason.
I like how author described and let us know hero step by step. I could empathic with him, even I respected him very much.
I could completely understand his need feeling safe and why he preferred to be married with Kai. Though, there were not enough for me to understand his attitude towards Leda.
Leda characterized full of innocence, her situation made her more vulnerable and sympathetic. I wanted her happiness very much. Maybe because of this reason, I expected a good groveling and demonstration of affection by Samuel.
Author put some solid signs for us to witness Samuel’s covered feelings for her. Yet, I would like to read Leda also was persuaded about it
Although, Samuel declared his love to her, he didn’t show any of it. Maybe a scene with a elegant necklace like one, he bought for Kai, would helped to relieve me.
In my opinion, she was still unaware of how deep his love for her.
To sum it up, about Kai, author should have written a closure, at least for the sake of readers like me.
About other aspects, Donjun, the mysterious sword, mythic topics about Japanese educations were intriguing and added a layer to story.
I liked and excited when I noticed that Samuel secretly went in Leda’s room. Their first meeting at the tailor shop and his behavior as if he knew her for a while.
I think, there are many things opportune to more development and of course, consequently the book would be longer.
I gave 4 stars because I liked the whole story, but I was expecting more about romance so I cut that last star for it.
Although, aforementioned book is one of the best known and loved one, I had issues about romance part about it. Therefore, I was not sure if I liked it.
However, I liked the book immensely, unfortunately, I can’t say that I loved it. Again, the romance factor made me feel this way.
I think, I can’t express enough how much I liked both plot and narrative. I have a tendency and curiosity about Japanese culture, it might be the reason.
I like how author described and let us know hero step by step. I could empathic with him, even I respected him very much.
I could completely understand his need feeling safe and why he preferred to be married with Kai. Though, there were not enough for me to understand his attitude towards Leda.
Leda characterized full of innocence, her situation made her more vulnerable and sympathetic. I wanted her happiness very much. Maybe because of this reason, I expected a good groveling and demonstration of affection by Samuel.
Author put some solid signs for us to witness Samuel’s covered feelings for her. Yet, I would like to read Leda also was persuaded about it
Although, Samuel declared his love to her, he didn’t show any of it. Maybe a scene with a elegant necklace like one, he bought for Kai, would helped to relieve me.
In my opinion, she was still unaware of how deep his love for her.
To sum it up, about Kai, author should have written a closure, at least for the sake of readers like me.
About other aspects, Donjun, the mysterious sword, mythic topics about Japanese educations were intriguing and added a layer to story.
I liked and excited when I noticed that Samuel secretly went in Leda’s room. Their first meeting at the tailor shop and his behavior as if he knew her for a while.
I think, there are many things opportune to more development and of course, consequently the book would be longer.
I gave 4 stars because I liked the whole story, but I was expecting more about romance so I cut that last star for it.
March 21, 2021
Leda came across as so prissy and crotchety that I just couldn't relate. My grandmother-in-law who is 94 acts younger and happier than Leda did! By the way, I was curious about the meaning of the name Leda and according to several online sites it's a name of Greek origin meaning "happy". LOL, oh the irony.
Anyway, I felt Samuel settled for Leda. He obsessed over another woman, Kai, for the majority of the narrative. And the author never convinced me that he loved Leda with the same passion and commitment. If one can call lust "love", then maybe.
Another issue I had was how much the ninja and sword intrigue overshadowed (pun intended) the already meager romance. The subplot had potential to be interesting, but I didn't find it all that exciting either.
Just a mediocre book on all fronts.
Anyway, I felt Samuel settled for Leda. He obsessed over another woman, Kai, for the majority of the narrative. And the author never convinced me that he loved Leda with the same passion and commitment. If one can call lust "love", then maybe.
Another issue I had was how much the ninja and sword intrigue overshadowed (pun intended) the already meager romance. The subplot had potential to be interesting, but I didn't find it all that exciting either.
Just a mediocre book on all fronts.
September 2, 2009
Not really sure why this is some sort of classic. The ninja bits are as ridiculous as they sound. The ninja intrigue at the end vastly overshadowed the romance and bored the shit out of me, leaving me skimming through the final 50 pages or so. It wasn't a bad book, but I could easily put it down to play Bejeweled for a bit without feeling any sort of urgency to get back to it. I never became invested in the romance or the intrigue.
December 7, 2020
Reread 11/29/2020 If I ever call another Kinsale novel my favorite, someone please slap me. This is my favorite.
This was my first full reread of this book in about two years, though I revisit parts of it all the time. It really is my very favorite historical romance novel and one of my favorite books ever, and reading it in full reminded me of this.
I notice something new in Kinsale's books each time I pick them up again. Looking back at my original review, I think I missed a lot of the nuance of Leda's character on my first read.
Samuel, the hero, is such a mess that I never paid that much attention to how wonderful some of his lines are--sarcastic and dry to the bone. The way he and Leda interact is so charged and gentle and amusing.
I love the hero and heroine of this book. My little sister used to live near Pali Lookout, a few miles from where Samuel and Leda have their new house at the end of the story, if my geography is correct. Such a lush, peaceful part of the world, with intermittent rains and a breeze that whistles and is sweet, like crisp, watery fruit. Though they're fictional characters, it makes me happy to imagine Samuel and Leda growing old in such a place.
It's the delicious angst that makes me love this novel, but so much of the story occurs at Christmas that it is season-appropriate reading as well. It is romantic, heartbreaking, and Kinsale's prose is remarkable. Still 5 stars. Duh.
Revising on 1/27/2016. I pretty much became obsessed with this book after I read it, after I found myself still thinking about it for days after having written the review below. I'd initially said it was a 4.5 star read. I've reread parts of this book so many times in the last month that there's no way I could give this anything less than a full 5 stars. My objective self knows it's not nearly as perfect as a book like Flowers from the Storm, but I love it just as much: white ninja, Tiffany necklace, lucky turtle and all.
Original review: I buddy read this with Melissa and fell hopelessly behind her. She's already written a much better review than I could here. I agree with nearly everything she said, save for the bit about Leda being her favorite Kinsale heroine. Leda's certainly not my least favorite, but she is not my favorite either.
The heroine lost me a bit toward the end; she grew bland when so much of her story became about walking on egg shells around Samuel, the hero. There was a lot of trying to intuit his tastes and interpret his silence. In all fairness, Samuel harbored a lot of the same insecurities as her and spent a lot of time over-analyzing and agonizing about the exact same things she did. But Samuel dealt with his insecurities and frustration by pushing Leda away and Leda dealt with these same things by trying harder to please. I actually think this is a natural reaction for most women, and she certainly didn't overhaul her personality for him or anything (no perming her hair and dressing in a leather jumpsuit for the high school carnival situation). All the same, something was tonally off about the ending for me. I can't put my finger on it. In my head Leda would forever be like a little duck, paddling furiously beneath the surface, trying not to upset or displease Samuel. That isn't a reflection of her relationship with Samuel, in my opinion. It was just how her personality, which was very refined and opposed to any sort of disharmony, manifested itself in her marriage. She was loathe to displease or incommode anyone, not just Samuel, from the start, and I think many women can relate to that.
Leda was anything but weak; she knew what she wanted and aimed to achieve the peace, solace, and intimacy she and Samuel both wished so badly for. I feel like I wouldn't be even the slightest bit turned off by this if so much of the final chapter hadn't I'm also probably overthinking this.
As for Samuel, what can I say? No one writes heroes like Laura Kinsale does. I was so happy when, halfway through the book, we finally got a present-day POV chapter for Samuel. He was such a mystery for so much of the story. Samuel was so outwardly calm; it was almost jarring to read about his self-loathing and torment once we finally got to see things from his perspective.
I highly recommend reading The Hidden Heart, this novel's prequel, before you begin The Shadow and the Star. While it's not necessary to have read it before starting this story, it definitely made my read of this novel a much richer experience. Lady Tess, the heroine of The Hidden Heart, is a gem in this novel. I tend not to like it when characters from an author's backlist play a prominent role in a new story. It's oftentimes just fanservice, or even worse self-indulgence on the author's part--an excuse to trot out a couple that already got its HEA so that they can wax poetic about how wonderful married life is, and so that readers may ooh and ahh over how fecund this couple has proven to be. Obviously Kinsale is above this sort of thing. Lady Tess and Lord Gryph, from Kinsale's debut novel, are key players in this book but in a way that serves the story. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that they are more or less the hero's parents, and I think any child would be lucky to have parents like them.
Overall, this was a terrific, original story. I'd say that the book as a whole would be a 4 for me, but real talk...Chapters 25-28 of this novel were fucking amazing. They made this book a favorite for me all by themselves. It was perhaps the best writing of Kinsale's I've read yet and definitely amongst the best writing I've ever read in general. Kinsale knows how to wring real emotion from me, and her writing in the chapters I mentioned is subtle, beautiful, in some ways romantic and in every way sad. We get to see Samuel and Leda, and even Lady Tess, completely vulnerable. If anyone ever asks me what exactly I mean when I say I love angst in my books, I will point them to these chapters in The Shadow and the Star.
This was my first full reread of this book in about two years, though I revisit parts of it all the time. It really is my very favorite historical romance novel and one of my favorite books ever, and reading it in full reminded me of this.
I notice something new in Kinsale's books each time I pick them up again. Looking back at my original review, I think I missed a lot of the nuance of Leda's character on my first read.
Samuel, the hero, is such a mess that I never paid that much attention to how wonderful some of his lines are--sarcastic and dry to the bone. The way he and Leda interact is so charged and gentle and amusing.
I love the hero and heroine of this book. My little sister used to live near Pali Lookout, a few miles from where Samuel and Leda have their new house at the end of the story, if my geography is correct. Such a lush, peaceful part of the world, with intermittent rains and a breeze that whistles and is sweet, like crisp, watery fruit. Though they're fictional characters, it makes me happy to imagine Samuel and Leda growing old in such a place.
It's the delicious angst that makes me love this novel, but so much of the story occurs at Christmas that it is season-appropriate reading as well. It is romantic, heartbreaking, and Kinsale's prose is remarkable. Still 5 stars. Duh.
Revising on 1/27/2016. I pretty much became obsessed with this book after I read it, after I found myself still thinking about it for days after having written the review below. I'd initially said it was a 4.5 star read. I've reread parts of this book so many times in the last month that there's no way I could give this anything less than a full 5 stars. My objective self knows it's not nearly as perfect as a book like Flowers from the Storm, but I love it just as much: white ninja, Tiffany necklace, lucky turtle and all.
Original review: I buddy read this with Melissa and fell hopelessly behind her. She's already written a much better review than I could here. I agree with nearly everything she said, save for the bit about Leda being her favorite Kinsale heroine. Leda's certainly not my least favorite, but she is not my favorite either.
The heroine lost me a bit toward the end; she grew bland when so much of her story became about walking on egg shells around Samuel, the hero. There was a lot of trying to intuit his tastes and interpret his silence. In all fairness, Samuel harbored a lot of the same insecurities as her and spent a lot of time over-analyzing and agonizing about the exact same things she did. But Samuel dealt with his insecurities and frustration by pushing Leda away and Leda dealt with these same things by trying harder to please. I actually think this is a natural reaction for most women, and she certainly didn't overhaul her personality for him or anything (no perming her hair and dressing in a leather jumpsuit for the high school carnival situation). All the same, something was tonally off about the ending for me. I can't put my finger on it. In my head Leda would forever be like a little duck, paddling furiously beneath the surface, trying not to upset or displease Samuel. That isn't a reflection of her relationship with Samuel, in my opinion. It was just how her personality, which was very refined and opposed to any sort of disharmony, manifested itself in her marriage. She was loathe to displease or incommode anyone, not just Samuel, from the start, and I think many women can relate to that.
Leda was anything but weak; she knew what she wanted and aimed to achieve the peace, solace, and intimacy she and Samuel both wished so badly for. I feel like I wouldn't be even the slightest bit turned off by this if so much of the final chapter hadn't I'm also probably overthinking this.
As for Samuel, what can I say? No one writes heroes like Laura Kinsale does. I was so happy when, halfway through the book, we finally got a present-day POV chapter for Samuel. He was such a mystery for so much of the story. Samuel was so outwardly calm; it was almost jarring to read about his self-loathing and torment once we finally got to see things from his perspective.
I highly recommend reading The Hidden Heart, this novel's prequel, before you begin The Shadow and the Star. While it's not necessary to have read it before starting this story, it definitely made my read of this novel a much richer experience. Lady Tess, the heroine of The Hidden Heart, is a gem in this novel. I tend not to like it when characters from an author's backlist play a prominent role in a new story. It's oftentimes just fanservice, or even worse self-indulgence on the author's part--an excuse to trot out a couple that already got its HEA so that they can wax poetic about how wonderful married life is, and so that readers may ooh and ahh over how fecund this couple has proven to be. Obviously Kinsale is above this sort of thing. Lady Tess and Lord Gryph, from Kinsale's debut novel, are key players in this book but in a way that serves the story. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that they are more or less the hero's parents, and I think any child would be lucky to have parents like them.
Overall, this was a terrific, original story. I'd say that the book as a whole would be a 4 for me, but real talk...Chapters 25-28 of this novel were fucking amazing. They made this book a favorite for me all by themselves. It was perhaps the best writing of Kinsale's I've read yet and definitely amongst the best writing I've ever read in general. Kinsale knows how to wring real emotion from me, and her writing in the chapters I mentioned is subtle, beautiful, in some ways romantic and in every way sad. We get to see Samuel and Leda, and even Lady Tess, completely vulnerable. If anyone ever asks me what exactly I mean when I say I love angst in my books, I will point them to these chapters in The Shadow and the Star.
Read
January 19, 2022Spoilers ahead!
Sometimes I will be going about my day and then suddenly think "what was that historical romance about a white ninja who fights a shark in Hawaii" or "wait, didn't I once read a book where the main pair fuck on a horse???" and after some furious googling, all roads will inevitably lead to Laura Kinsale.
A few days ago I was seized with one of these violent flashbacks to Days of Romance Reading Past, hence this reread and review. (I doubt I will be revisiting the book where they fuck on a horse.)
All the way through reading, I tried to think of an appropriate star-rating, and I came to the conclusion that this book is simply unrateable. I mean, c'mon.
The hero is a semi-supernatural white ninja with an orientalist (as in, the Edward Said postcolonial work) Japanese mentor figure, as well as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse (which left him with significant and understandable hangups around sex and intimacy, hence that rare and elusive romance trope, the virgin hero). Throughout the course of the book, he bests a shark AND a jaguar. In the climactic fight scene at the end of the novel, he summons a shark (or the personification of a shark goddess?? the book is unclear on that) who then swallows a demonic blade.
...This is Samuel Gerard's world and we are just living in it.
As is often the case with 80s and 90s historical romances, the sexual politics/levels of heroine's sexual education and agency are... not great. I had forgotten these old tropes, and when they hit you full on in the face it's kind of icky, ngl. Even moreso bcs up until the actual PinV, the pining was so delicious it was almost overwhelming. There is a scene in which Samuel (at this point still determined to be chaste and marry his childhood best friend/practically sister Kai so they can have a sexless and safe union - I'm telling ya this dude is so messed up it's i c o n i c) asks Leda to try on a necklace he bought for Kai, and upon putting it on her, he caresses her neck and face while she looks at him in the mirror. When I tell you I was beet red!!!!! Kinsale can write UST so, so well.
Another thing I really appreciated was the fact that for more than half of the book, the present-time chapters from Leda's POV were presented alongside flashback chapters about Samuel's past. Even though there are some veryyy orientalist things going on there, the way Kinsale establishes Samuel's character and his relationships to the Ashlands, Dojun, and his own sexuality are I think very successful structurally and narratively.
All in all, this was a wild ride. It was really interesting reading this again with my current sensibilities and education, and seeing that despite my better judgement there is still something addictive about an angsty and bonkers Old School historical.
I'll probably be reading and rereading some more of Kinsale bcs I am a glutton for punishment and she is very good at her job.
Sometimes I will be going about my day and then suddenly think "what was that historical romance about a white ninja who fights a shark in Hawaii" or "wait, didn't I once read a book where the main pair fuck on a horse???" and after some furious googling, all roads will inevitably lead to Laura Kinsale.
A few days ago I was seized with one of these violent flashbacks to Days of Romance Reading Past, hence this reread and review. (I doubt I will be revisiting the book where they fuck on a horse.)
All the way through reading, I tried to think of an appropriate star-rating, and I came to the conclusion that this book is simply unrateable. I mean, c'mon.
The hero is a semi-supernatural white ninja with an orientalist (as in, the Edward Said postcolonial work) Japanese mentor figure, as well as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse (which left him with significant and understandable hangups around sex and intimacy, hence that rare and elusive romance trope, the virgin hero). Throughout the course of the book, he bests a shark AND a jaguar. In the climactic fight scene at the end of the novel, he summons a shark (or the personification of a shark goddess?? the book is unclear on that) who then swallows a demonic blade.
...This is Samuel Gerard's world and we are just living in it.
As is often the case with 80s and 90s historical romances, the sexual politics/levels of heroine's sexual education and agency are... not great. I had forgotten these old tropes, and when they hit you full on in the face it's kind of icky, ngl. Even moreso bcs up until the actual PinV, the pining was so delicious it was almost overwhelming. There is a scene in which Samuel (at this point still determined to be chaste and marry his childhood best friend/practically sister Kai so they can have a sexless and safe union - I'm telling ya this dude is so messed up it's i c o n i c) asks Leda to try on a necklace he bought for Kai, and upon putting it on her, he caresses her neck and face while she looks at him in the mirror. When I tell you I was beet red!!!!! Kinsale can write UST so, so well.
Another thing I really appreciated was the fact that for more than half of the book, the present-time chapters from Leda's POV were presented alongside flashback chapters about Samuel's past. Even though there are some veryyy orientalist things going on there, the way Kinsale establishes Samuel's character and his relationships to the Ashlands, Dojun, and his own sexuality are I think very successful structurally and narratively.
All in all, this was a wild ride. It was really interesting reading this again with my current sensibilities and education, and seeing that despite my better judgement there is still something addictive about an angsty and bonkers Old School historical.
I'll probably be reading and rereading some more of Kinsale bcs I am a glutton for punishment and she is very good at her job.
March 29, 2021
4.5. Loved this book. An unusual story and so easy to get drawn in. Samuel was a wonderful character, and Leda was so stiff in comparison but she grew on me and was such a great fit for him. Lots of twists and turns here. Worth the read.
February 12, 2012
When Lisa Kleypas rates a book as a Desert Island Keeper, attention must be paid.
Our hero, Samuel Gerard, is a survivor of childhood abuse who has been rescued and reared by the wealthy Ashland family in Hawaii, then a kingdom. The family's Japanese butler, Dojun, helps this damaged boy by teaching him the techniques and philosophy of Eastern martial arts. Samuel becomes a skilled warrior, unbeknownst to the family, and works in the family shipping business. He loves his foster sister, Kai, from afar, but his training has taught him that his sexual side is dangerous and must be suppressed by self-discipline. (Note: Samuel is not a ninja; the word never appears in the book.)
In 1887 the entire family comes to London to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, and Samuel has a series of chance encounters with Leda Etoile. He is immediately attracted to this genteel but impoverished seamstress, who works for one of the leading modistes. After she unfairly is dismissed from her job, Samuel hires her as his secretary. She begins living with, and treated as a member of, the Ashland family. Samuel and Leda fight their attraction to one another, but eventually Samuel seduces Leda. They are exposed the next morning, and the Ashlands persuade a reluctant Samuel to marry Leda, destroying his hopes of marrying his true love, Kai.
The action shifts back to Hawaii as Samuel and Leda journey there to set up their home. Eventually, Leda helps Samuel overcome the legacy of his abuse and become devoted, happy husband.
What I Liked
Samuel is a delicious hero: strikingly beautiful, fabulously wealthy, horribly tortured, but ultimately passionate. Leda is strong and proud and dedicated to helping her husband succeed in his personal and professional struggles.
There is lots of interesting detail about life in Hawaii, as well as London, during the 1880s, along with fascinating secondary characters. The Ashlands are not your typical Victorian family, which leads to often humorous scenes.
The love scenes are amazingly touching and erotic, particularly given that the two lovers are both virgins. Kinsale does not yield to the temptation, so often seen in other books, of making the couple suddenly adept at love-making on the first few tries.
What I Didn't Like
There isn't much to dislike, but the last few chapters involving a bizarre power struggle between Samuel and his rival are too long and rather silly.
Conclusion
I can do no better than to quote Lisa Kleypas:
Our hero, Samuel Gerard, is a survivor of childhood abuse who has been rescued and reared by the wealthy Ashland family in Hawaii, then a kingdom. The family's Japanese butler, Dojun, helps this damaged boy by teaching him the techniques and philosophy of Eastern martial arts. Samuel becomes a skilled warrior, unbeknownst to the family, and works in the family shipping business. He loves his foster sister, Kai, from afar, but his training has taught him that his sexual side is dangerous and must be suppressed by self-discipline. (Note: Samuel is not a ninja; the word never appears in the book.)
In 1887 the entire family comes to London to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, and Samuel has a series of chance encounters with Leda Etoile. He is immediately attracted to this genteel but impoverished seamstress, who works for one of the leading modistes. After she unfairly is dismissed from her job, Samuel hires her as his secretary. She begins living with, and treated as a member of, the Ashland family. Samuel and Leda fight their attraction to one another, but eventually Samuel seduces Leda. They are exposed the next morning, and the Ashlands persuade a reluctant Samuel to marry Leda, destroying his hopes of marrying his true love, Kai.
The action shifts back to Hawaii as Samuel and Leda journey there to set up their home. Eventually, Leda helps Samuel overcome the legacy of his abuse and become devoted, happy husband.
What I Liked
Samuel is a delicious hero: strikingly beautiful, fabulously wealthy, horribly tortured, but ultimately passionate. Leda is strong and proud and dedicated to helping her husband succeed in his personal and professional struggles.
There is lots of interesting detail about life in Hawaii, as well as London, during the 1880s, along with fascinating secondary characters. The Ashlands are not your typical Victorian family, which leads to often humorous scenes.
The love scenes are amazingly touching and erotic, particularly given that the two lovers are both virgins. Kinsale does not yield to the temptation, so often seen in other books, of making the couple suddenly adept at love-making on the first few tries.
What I Didn't Like
There isn't much to dislike, but the last few chapters involving a bizarre power struggle between Samuel and his rival are too long and rather silly.
Conclusion
I can do no better than to quote Lisa Kleypas:
I reread this book occasionally to remind myself of a few things . . . that a romance writer needs to push the boundaries of a story beyond what is comfortable, and to give the hero a necessary streak of vulnerability that will emphasize his strength. Exotic locations, colorful characters, expert writing, a tender love story . . . The Shadow and the Star has it all.
August 26, 2010
I cannot deny that this book was well written. LK knows how to tell a story and write interesting characters. I wasn't blown away by this book however. It had it's moments of greatness that made me smile and tear up, but it failed to keep me clued to the pages. I found myself being anxious for it to come to it's conclusion towards the ending when the sword storyline took precedence over the romance. I was also hoping for Samuel to reassure the reader that he wasn't in love with Lady Caroline anymore, but it never happened the way I wanted it to. I know he declared his love for the heroine but he was so obsessed with Lady Caroline when he was forced to marry the heroine that I found it hard to believe that he would just stop wanting to be with her. I didn't give up reading it though, so it was interesting enough to read, but just wasn't as spectacular as I was expecting it to be. I definitely understand the appeal of this book to others though.
March 2, 2016
~3.70~
HRBC BOTM February 16-29, 2016 theme--Late Victorian
This was a good reading experience of a very different sort of HR!
I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!
HRBC BOTM February 16-29, 2016 theme--Late Victorian
This was a good reading experience of a very different sort of HR!
I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!
June 3, 2018
Kể từ hồi đọc Thạch thảo trong cơn bão, lâu lắm rồi mới thấy Nhã Nam xuất bản tiếp một cuốn tiểu thuyết lãng mạn dã sử nữa của tác giả Laura Kinsale. Bà tác giả này viết truyện hay khỏi nói rồi, lúc đọc “Thạch thảo trong cơn bão” mình đã rất thích, và giờ tới “Bóng tối và Ánh sao” cũng không phải là ngoại lệ.
Vẫn với văn phong trong trẻo, giản dị, thuần khiết mà tràn đầy tình cảm cùng sự miêu tả sâu sắc, tinh tế những cảm nhận, suy nghĩ trong tâm tư của nhân vật, Laura Kinsale một lần nữa đã viết nên một câu chuyện tình gây thổn thức đối với một đứa ghiền historical romance như mình. Tờ báo San Diego Union-Tribune đã bình luận về “Bóng tối và Ánh sao” như sau:
Và quả thật như vậy, bởi bằng cách xây dựng hình tượng nhân vật nam chính trong tác phẩm này, Laura Kinsale đã vượt ra khỏi cái lối mòn hình tượng nam chính thường thấy trong rất nhiều tác phẩm lãng mạn dã sử để mang đến cho câu chuyện của mình một Samuel Gerard rất mực con người, với nhiều uẩn ức, đớn đau và bóng tối bắt nguồn từ quá khứ kinh hoàng khi còn bé.
Chàng trai ấy sở hữu vẻ ngoài của một thiên thần, với khuôn mặt và hình thể đẹp như tạc, mái tóc vàng và đôi mắt xám hút hồn, lớp vỏ bọc mạnh mẽ, cùng tiền tài và quyền lực. Nhưng trái ngược với hình ảnh thiên thần Gabriel tỏa sáng bên ngoài, Samuel Gerard lại mang trong mình phần tăm tối của bóng đêm. Anh đã từng là một cậu bé bơ vơ, không gia đình, không gốc gác, cả cái tên Samuel Gerard cũng là một cái tên tự cậu chọn lấy từ cuốn gia phả những dòng họ người Normandy. Anh đã từng là một cậu bé đã từng bị bán vào nhà chứa những đứa bé trai bị bắt làm điếm cho những ông già ấu dâm, đã từng bị cưỡng bức và lạm dụng tình dục.
Cậu bé ấy may mắn được gia đình Hầu tước Ashland giải thoát khỏi chốn địa ngục đó và mang về nuôi. Lớn lên tại quần đảo Hawaii, bên cạnh tiểu thư Catherine “Kai” - con gái Hầu tước, và ông thầy Dojun người Nhật Bản, Samuel dành cả thời niên thiếu để trui rèn bản thân trở thành một bậc thầy võ thuật cừ khôi, một đấu sĩ sắt đá với trái tim là thanh đao, cố gắng chống lại cám dỗ của ham muốn và tình yêu với đàn bà - thứ được người thầy Dojun xem là điểm yếu của cậu. Vì cái quá khứ kinh hoàng luôn ám ảnh, cái quá khứ Samuel luôn xem là nhơ nhớp ấy, anh lớn lên với suy nghĩ mình luôn là đại diện cho bóng tối, là một con người không thể được yêu thương. Anh nhìn ra ở tiểu thư Catherine cái phần ánh sáng, thánh thiện mà anh không bao giờ có được, và quyết tâm sẽ kết hôn với Catherine để dùng cái ánh sáng ấy giúp mình chống đỡ lại phần tối tăm của con người mình.
Anh tôn thờ ý tưởng có Catherine làm vợ, tôn thờ cái cảm giác như lẽ đương nhiên chuyện anh và cô sẽ trở thành vợ chồng - một mối quan hệ trong sáng, không nhục dục, không gây đau đớn và tổn thương. Nó trái ngược hoàn toàn với những gì anh cảm nhận được khi gặp Leda Étoile - cô gái thường dân mang nửa dòng máu Pháp, tao nhã, duyên dáng, được giáo dục trong môi trường quý tộc, nhưng cũng giống như Samuel, không thuộc về bất cứ nơi đâu. Càng gặp Leda, Samuel càng bị nàng ám ảnh: mùi hương của nàng, hình ảnh cái hông nàng, dáng hình tràn đầy nữ tính của nàng.
Có lẽ tình yêu đã nảy nở giữa một quý ông sống với cái phần tăm tối của mình và ánh sao (“étoile” trong tiếng Pháp có nghĩa là “ngôi sao”) rồi đây sẽ soi rọi cuộc đời anh ngay từ cái khoảnh khắc anh nhặt giùm nàng cây kéo trong tiệm vải. Nhưng vì những gì Samuel cảm thấy với Leda, đối với anh lại là điểm yếu của anh, là cái cám dỗ anh luôn hãi sợ sẽ kéo mình xuống vực thẳm, nên Samuel cùng lúc vừa muốn Leda, lại vừa muốn đẩy nàng ra xa khỏi tâm trí. Và anh đã làm khá nhiều chuyện sai lầm, đã nói khá nhiều lời gây tổn thương, đã hành xử khá nhiều lần lạnh nhạt với Leda, khi anh vẫn chông chênh trên con đường nhận thức và học hỏi được rằng, anh xứng đáng được yêu thương, và anh có thể được yêu thương, bởi người một người phụ nữ bình thường nhưng quý giá hơn tất thảy: Leda.
Leda không phải là mẫu mực của một nữ anh hùng trong dòng tiểu thuyết lãng mạn dã sử với khí chất mạnh mẽ, khác biệt, hơn người. Nhưng ở nàng có những phẩm chất cùng sự can đảm tiềm tàng, phù hợp với chuẩn mực phụ nữ thời Victoria: chung thủy, kiên trung, sẵn sàng đấu tranh, bằng tình yêu và lòng tận tâm của mình dành cho nam chính, để cứu lấy mối quan hệ giữa anh và nàng, và để cả hai có được hạnh phúc thật sự. Mình đọc và thấy thương cho Samuel, những đoạn khi anh chàng, vẫn là một cậu bé của quá khứ lẩn khuất bên trong dáng hình người đàn ông trưởng thành, không biết phải đối mặt hay xử trí như thế nào trước sự cuốn hút về thể xác và tâm hồn mà anh cảm nhận được với Leda. Và mình cũng thương cho Leda, cho người con gái luôn phải đối mặt với những cơn bốc đồng, những lời nói nhát gừng, những cử chỉ gây đau đớn mà Samuel thể hiện; nỗi buồn, niềm tủi thân mà nàng phải nếm trải vì sự giằng xé của Samuel.
Leda nói đúng, nếu nàng không yêu Samuel nhiều đến thế, không tận tụy vì chàng đến thế, thì có lẽ, nàng đã bỏ chàng ra đi từ lâu lắm rồi… Và chính nhờ những mâu thuẫn, giằng xé, hiểu lầm đó, mà cái kết có hậu lại càng thêm ngọt ngào và ngập tràn hạnh phúc. Bravo, Laura Kinsale!!! :))))
Vẫn với văn phong trong trẻo, giản dị, thuần khiết mà tràn đầy tình cảm cùng sự miêu tả sâu sắc, tinh tế những cảm nhận, suy nghĩ trong tâm tư của nhân vật, Laura Kinsale một lần nữa đã viết nên một câu chuyện tình gây thổn thức đối với một đứa ghiền historical romance như mình. Tờ báo San Diego Union-Tribune đã bình luận về “Bóng tối và Ánh sao” như sau:
“Laura Kinsale đã phá vỡ tất cả những quy tắc của lối viết thuần túy trong văn chương lãng mạn để tỏa sáng.”
Và quả thật như vậy, bởi bằng cách xây dựng hình tượng nhân vật nam chính trong tác phẩm này, Laura Kinsale đã vượt ra khỏi cái lối mòn hình tượng nam chính thường thấy trong rất nhiều tác phẩm lãng mạn dã sử để mang đến cho câu chuyện của mình một Samuel Gerard rất mực con người, với nhiều uẩn ức, đớn đau và bóng tối bắt nguồn từ quá khứ kinh hoàng khi còn bé.
Chàng trai ấy sở hữu vẻ ngoài của một thiên thần, với khuôn mặt và hình thể đẹp như tạc, mái tóc vàng và đôi mắt xám hút hồn, lớp vỏ bọc mạnh mẽ, cùng tiền tài và quyền lực. Nhưng trái ngược với hình ảnh thiên thần Gabriel tỏa sáng bên ngoài, Samuel Gerard lại mang trong mình phần tăm tối của bóng đêm. Anh đã từng là một cậu bé bơ vơ, không gia đình, không gốc gác, cả cái tên Samuel Gerard cũng là một cái tên tự cậu chọn lấy từ cuốn gia phả những dòng họ người Normandy. Anh đã từng là một cậu bé đã từng bị bán vào nhà chứa những đứa bé trai bị bắt làm điếm cho những ông già ấu dâm, đã từng bị cưỡng bức và lạm dụng tình dục.
Cậu bé ấy may mắn được gia đình Hầu tước Ashland giải thoát khỏi chốn địa ngục đó và mang về nuôi. Lớn lên tại quần đảo Hawaii, bên cạnh tiểu thư Catherine “Kai” - con gái Hầu tước, và ông thầy Dojun người Nhật Bản, Samuel dành cả thời niên thiếu để trui rèn bản thân trở thành một bậc thầy võ thuật cừ khôi, một đấu sĩ sắt đá với trái tim là thanh đao, cố gắng chống lại cám dỗ của ham muốn và tình yêu với đàn bà - thứ được người thầy Dojun xem là điểm yếu của cậu. Vì cái quá khứ kinh hoàng luôn ám ảnh, cái quá khứ Samuel luôn xem là nhơ nhớp ấy, anh lớn lên với suy nghĩ mình luôn là đại diện cho bóng tối, là một con người không thể được yêu thương. Anh nhìn ra ở tiểu thư Catherine cái phần ánh sáng, thánh thiện mà anh không bao giờ có được, và quyết tâm sẽ kết hôn với Catherine để dùng cái ánh sáng ấy giúp mình chống đỡ lại phần tối tăm của con người mình.
Anh tôn thờ ý tưởng có Catherine làm vợ, tôn thờ cái cảm giác như lẽ đương nhiên chuyện anh và cô sẽ trở thành vợ chồng - một mối quan hệ trong sáng, không nhục dục, không gây đau đớn và tổn thương. Nó trái ngược hoàn toàn với những gì anh cảm nhận được khi gặp Leda Étoile - cô gái thường dân mang nửa dòng máu Pháp, tao nhã, duyên dáng, được giáo dục trong môi trường quý tộc, nhưng cũng giống như Samuel, không thuộc về bất cứ nơi đâu. Càng gặp Leda, Samuel càng bị nàng ám ảnh: mùi hương của nàng, hình ảnh cái hông nàng, dáng hình tràn đầy nữ tính của nàng.
Có lẽ tình yêu đã nảy nở giữa một quý ông sống với cái phần tăm tối của mình và ánh sao (“étoile” trong tiếng Pháp có nghĩa là “ngôi sao”) rồi đây sẽ soi rọi cuộc đời anh ngay từ cái khoảnh khắc anh nhặt giùm nàng cây kéo trong tiệm vải. Nhưng vì những gì Samuel cảm thấy với Leda, đối với anh lại là điểm yếu của anh, là cái cám dỗ anh luôn hãi sợ sẽ kéo mình xuống vực thẳm, nên Samuel cùng lúc vừa muốn Leda, lại vừa muốn đẩy nàng ra xa khỏi tâm trí. Và anh đã làm khá nhiều chuyện sai lầm, đã nói khá nhiều lời gây tổn thương, đã hành xử khá nhiều lần lạnh nhạt với Leda, khi anh vẫn chông chênh trên con đường nhận thức và học hỏi được rằng, anh xứng đáng được yêu thương, và anh có thể được yêu thương, bởi người một người phụ nữ bình thường nhưng quý giá hơn tất thảy: Leda.
Leda không phải là mẫu mực của một nữ anh hùng trong dòng tiểu thuyết lãng mạn dã sử với khí chất mạnh mẽ, khác biệt, hơn người. Nhưng ở nàng có những phẩm chất cùng sự can đảm tiềm tàng, phù hợp với chuẩn mực phụ nữ thời Victoria: chung thủy, kiên trung, sẵn sàng đấu tranh, bằng tình yêu và lòng tận tâm của mình dành cho nam chính, để cứu lấy mối quan hệ giữa anh và nàng, và để cả hai có được hạnh phúc thật sự. Mình đọc và thấy thương cho Samuel, những đoạn khi anh chàng, vẫn là một cậu bé của quá khứ lẩn khuất bên trong dáng hình người đàn ông trưởng thành, không biết phải đối mặt hay xử trí như thế nào trước sự cuốn hút về thể xác và tâm hồn mà anh cảm nhận được với Leda. Và mình cũng thương cho Leda, cho người con gái luôn phải đối mặt với những cơn bốc đồng, những lời nói nhát gừng, những cử chỉ gây đau đớn mà Samuel thể hiện; nỗi buồn, niềm tủi thân mà nàng phải nếm trải vì sự giằng xé của Samuel.
Leda nói đúng, nếu nàng không yêu Samuel nhiều đến thế, không tận tụy vì chàng đến thế, thì có lẽ, nàng đã bỏ chàng ra đi từ lâu lắm rồi… Và chính nhờ những mâu thuẫn, giằng xé, hiểu lầm đó, mà cái kết có hậu lại càng thêm ngọt ngào và ngập tràn hạnh phúc. Bravo, Laura Kinsale!!! :))))
June 22, 2016
Me estaba encantando esta historia. Un romance muy pausado, unos protagonistas cautivadores y un escenario de lo más original y novedoso.
Mr. Gerard es guapísimo y con un físico que roza la perfección. Es callado y distante pero también es observador y educado. Y tiene un pasado más que oscuro.
Leda es atractiva y tímida y acérrima defensora del decoro y la formalidad y además está a un paso de convertirse en una “sin techo”… así que cuando el apuesto Mr. Gerard le ofrece una solución, ella la acepta aunque le cueste en el alma…
Los personajes secundarios son encantadores y cariñosos y se nota el amor incondicional que le tienen a su familia y el que le toman a la protagonista.
Y el trasfondo de la historia es muy original, nunca había leído un romance histórico situado en las Islas Hawái, con personajes japoneses y mucha influencia de esta cultura en el pasado del protagonista.
Todo esto ha sido encantador, entretenido y muy original. La historia está muy bien escrita y no le puedo poner ni una sola falta. Lo único que no me ha gustado es el romance. Y esto sólo es mi opinión personal y no muy compartida, ya que en general, esta historia le ha encantado a todas mis amigas de GR que la han leído… es una pena que no la haya podido apreciar, porque la historia en sí es interesante…
Lo que para mí ha fallado, como ya he dicho antes, ha sido el romance, en cuanto los protagonistas intiman empiezo a descolgarme de la historia. Me parece que cambian demasiado, se radicalizan en extremo y al final, pierdo un poco el respeto por ellos.
En fin, que esta historia no ha funcionado para mí. No he conectado con la segunda mitad del libro, me ha parecido un poco pesado y ha llegado a aburrirme… Una pena…
I was enjoying this story. A very leisurely romance, some captivating characters and a scenario very original.
Mr. Gerard is handsome to a fault and with a physique that is close to perfection. He is silent and aloof but is also observant and polite. And to say that he has a dark past is an understatement.
Leda is pretty and shy and an ardent upholder of decorum and formality and is one step away from becoming destitute... so when the handsome Mr. Gerard offers her a solution, she accepts it even if she found it hard...
The secondary characters are charming and affectionate and they show the unconditional love they have for their family and towards the heroine.
And the story´s background is so original, I had never read a historical romance set in the Hawaiian Islands, with Japanese characters and so much influence of this culture in the hero´s past.
All this has been lovely, entertaining and very original. The story is very well written and I have not found anything wrong about it except for the romance. And this is only my opinion, subjective and in the minority, since in general, this story has enchanted all my GR friends who have read it... it is a pity that I haven´t been able to appreciate it, because the story itself is interesting...
What has failed for me, as I have said before, has been the romance, as the MC´s become intimate I began to feel detached from the story. It seems to me that they change a lot, they become a bit extreme, and at the end, I couldn´t care for them.
Anyway, this story has not worked for me. I have not connected with the second half of the book; I have found it a bit tiresome and it has come to bore me... A pity...
Mr. Gerard es guapísimo y con un físico que roza la perfección. Es callado y distante pero también es observador y educado. Y tiene un pasado más que oscuro.
Leda es atractiva y tímida y acérrima defensora del decoro y la formalidad y además está a un paso de convertirse en una “sin techo”… así que cuando el apuesto Mr. Gerard le ofrece una solución, ella la acepta aunque le cueste en el alma…
Los personajes secundarios son encantadores y cariñosos y se nota el amor incondicional que le tienen a su familia y el que le toman a la protagonista.
Y el trasfondo de la historia es muy original, nunca había leído un romance histórico situado en las Islas Hawái, con personajes japoneses y mucha influencia de esta cultura en el pasado del protagonista.
Todo esto ha sido encantador, entretenido y muy original. La historia está muy bien escrita y no le puedo poner ni una sola falta. Lo único que no me ha gustado es el romance. Y esto sólo es mi opinión personal y no muy compartida, ya que en general, esta historia le ha encantado a todas mis amigas de GR que la han leído… es una pena que no la haya podido apreciar, porque la historia en sí es interesante…
Lo que para mí ha fallado, como ya he dicho antes, ha sido el romance, en cuanto los protagonistas intiman empiezo a descolgarme de la historia. Me parece que cambian demasiado, se radicalizan en extremo y al final, pierdo un poco el respeto por ellos.
En fin, que esta historia no ha funcionado para mí. No he conectado con la segunda mitad del libro, me ha parecido un poco pesado y ha llegado a aburrirme… Una pena…
I was enjoying this story. A very leisurely romance, some captivating characters and a scenario very original.
Mr. Gerard is handsome to a fault and with a physique that is close to perfection. He is silent and aloof but is also observant and polite. And to say that he has a dark past is an understatement.
Leda is pretty and shy and an ardent upholder of decorum and formality and is one step away from becoming destitute... so when the handsome Mr. Gerard offers her a solution, she accepts it even if she found it hard...
The secondary characters are charming and affectionate and they show the unconditional love they have for their family and towards the heroine.
And the story´s background is so original, I had never read a historical romance set in the Hawaiian Islands, with Japanese characters and so much influence of this culture in the hero´s past.
All this has been lovely, entertaining and very original. The story is very well written and I have not found anything wrong about it except for the romance. And this is only my opinion, subjective and in the minority, since in general, this story has enchanted all my GR friends who have read it... it is a pity that I haven´t been able to appreciate it, because the story itself is interesting...
What has failed for me, as I have said before, has been the romance, as the MC´s become intimate I began to feel detached from the story. It seems to me that they change a lot, they become a bit extreme, and at the end, I couldn´t care for them.
Anyway, this story has not worked for me. I have not connected with the second half of the book; I have found it a bit tiresome and it has come to bore me... A pity...
Read
December 18, 2024Maybe you are reading the synopsis and thinking, "How did Kinsale pull off the ninja stuff?" Well she didn't really, it's just as strange and Orientalist as it sounds.
I'm having a similar reaction to this book as I had with Seize the Fire, which is an achingly beautiful and ambitious book with glaring flaws. I read a review of The Hidden Heart that talks about how quickly Kinsale gets tired of writing ballroom scenes, and I think this is to her great credit as a historical romance writer, but she does sometimes dig herself into a hole with the world-building.
I'm in love with the heroine, Leda, she's the type of prim-and-proper and naive character that is a dime a dozen in historical romance, but Kinsale makes her feel like a person, not an archetype. Kinsale says Leda is her favorite heroine, not the outrageously clever Melanthe from For My Lady's Heart or the hoyden Tess from The Hidden Heart who are showier characters, and I can really feel that affection in baked into the writing.
I tend to start Kinsale books in audiobooks (fantastic!) then get impatient and switch to ebook. I did that here as well, I couldn't rest until I knew how this would end. Leda, I love you.
I'm having a similar reaction to this book as I had with Seize the Fire, which is an achingly beautiful and ambitious book with glaring flaws. I read a review of The Hidden Heart that talks about how quickly Kinsale gets tired of writing ballroom scenes, and I think this is to her great credit as a historical romance writer, but she does sometimes dig herself into a hole with the world-building.
I'm in love with the heroine, Leda, she's the type of prim-and-proper and naive character that is a dime a dozen in historical romance, but Kinsale makes her feel like a person, not an archetype. Kinsale says Leda is her favorite heroine, not the outrageously clever Melanthe from For My Lady's Heart or the hoyden Tess from The Hidden Heart who are showier characters, and I can really feel that affection in baked into the writing.
I tend to start Kinsale books in audiobooks (fantastic!) then get impatient and switch to ebook. I did that here as well, I couldn't rest until I knew how this would end. Leda, I love you.
May 10, 2025
La historia de amor me ha parecido bonita; Samuel muy suyo... con una gran mochila y pocas ganas de hablar de ello... y Leda me ha parecido un buen personaje que acaba difuminandose en la segunda mitad del libro...
mucho del envoltorio me ha sobrado....
mucho del envoltorio me ha sobrado....
December 8, 2013
Narrated by Nicholas Boulton
Content: A+ Narration: A-
It’s finally here. I’ve been talking about The Shadow and the Star since I first discovered Laura Kinsale’s plans to release her books in audio format. In case you haven’t heard (which is doubtful if you hang around AudioGals), this is my favorite Kinsale book, so much so, that it also ranks as one of my all-time favorite historical romances.
Through Nicholas Boulton’s performances of Kinsale’s titles, my appreciation for her writing has increased. Where before, I may have been a bit resistant to her difficult lead characters (especially heroines) in print, with Boulton relating each tale so superbly, I’ve learned to rest, even as the tension builds to almost uncomfortable heights or the personal suffering of a lead character makes me want to shy away. In doing so, I’ve learned to trust the author to consistently deliver a riveting story that, while I may be a little worn out from the anticipation or worry, I’ll be tremendously pleased with in the end.
Compared to the intensity found in Flowers from the Storm or For My Lady’s Heart, The Shadow and the Star is soothing. It’s simply an exceptional romance story without the extreme angst or emotional lows.
Read the rest of the review at AudioGals. http://www.audiogals.net/2013/12/the-...
Content: A+ Narration: A-
It’s finally here. I’ve been talking about The Shadow and the Star since I first discovered Laura Kinsale’s plans to release her books in audio format. In case you haven’t heard (which is doubtful if you hang around AudioGals), this is my favorite Kinsale book, so much so, that it also ranks as one of my all-time favorite historical romances.
Through Nicholas Boulton’s performances of Kinsale’s titles, my appreciation for her writing has increased. Where before, I may have been a bit resistant to her difficult lead characters (especially heroines) in print, with Boulton relating each tale so superbly, I’ve learned to rest, even as the tension builds to almost uncomfortable heights or the personal suffering of a lead character makes me want to shy away. In doing so, I’ve learned to trust the author to consistently deliver a riveting story that, while I may be a little worn out from the anticipation or worry, I’ll be tremendously pleased with in the end.
Compared to the intensity found in Flowers from the Storm or For My Lady’s Heart, The Shadow and the Star is soothing. It’s simply an exceptional romance story without the extreme angst or emotional lows.
Read the rest of the review at AudioGals. http://www.audiogals.net/2013/12/the-...
June 28, 2016
This book was amazing! Exactly the quality of story telling I've come to expect from a Laura Kinsale book. She never disappoints.
The ending could've been a bit "more" but other than that, I LOVED IT.
Leda, the heroine is great, brave and a true woman of honor in every sense of the word while Samuel is the kind of self-tortured, quiet, mysterious hero that you can't help but want to give him a giant hug and still jump him at the same time, all the while helping him get rid of his inner demons. He's all I would expect from a remarkable hero, a man that makes you feel so many different things, that tortures your senses and confuses your mind.
Now I'm stuck with a huge book hungover and a dwindling list of books by Laura Kinsale to read.
Onto the next!
The ending could've been a bit "more" but other than that, I LOVED IT.
Leda, the heroine is great, brave and a true woman of honor in every sense of the word while Samuel is the kind of self-tortured, quiet, mysterious hero that you can't help but want to give him a giant hug and still jump him at the same time, all the while helping him get rid of his inner demons. He's all I would expect from a remarkable hero, a man that makes you feel so many different things, that tortures your senses and confuses your mind.
Now I'm stuck with a huge book hungover and a dwindling list of books by Laura Kinsale to read.
Onto the next!
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