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Spymasters #4
The Black Hawk
Adrian Hawker rose up snarling out of the slums of London, a cunning thief and a skilled killer. He's rescued from that life by the British Service, who have uses for his particular skill set. Justine DeCabrillac, daughter of the nobility whose parents died in the chaos of the Revolution, is rescued from a decadent child brothel by a woman of the French Secret Police. Justine, too, becomes a great spy for France. Attacked on a rainy London street, Justine knows only one man can save her: Hawker, her oldest friend...her oldest enemy. London is crawling with hidden assassins, and someone is out to frame Hawker for murder. The two spies must work together to find who's out to destroy them...
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First published November 1, 2011
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About the author
Joanna Bourne
29 books913 followersJoanna lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge with her family, a medium-sized mutt and a faux Himalayan cat.
She writes Historical Romances set in England and France during the Napoleonic Wars. She's fascinated by that time and place - such passionate conviction and burning idealism ... and really sexy clothes.
She writes Historical Romances set in England and France during the Napoleonic Wars. She's fascinated by that time and place - such passionate conviction and burning idealism ... and really sexy clothes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 437 reviews
October 17, 2011
The Black Hawk is one of my most anticipated reads this year because the hero, Hawker, aka Adrian Hawkhurst, former thief, master pickpocket from the rookies of St. Giles, Head of the British Intelligence Service in 1818 Post-Napoleonic War England, has made a lasting impression based on the past three books from Joanna Bourne. The one before this, The Forbidden Rose, was a prequel set during the French Revolution, which featured Hawker as a thirteen year old grubby street boy, but one who becomes a spy for England during the French Revolution and then during the Napoleonic Wars. In The Forbidden Rose, Adrian meets his ultimate adversary. She is Justine DeCabrillac, a thirteen year old orphan girl who works for a Madame of a French brothel, but no longer as a whore. At eleven, Justine was forced into prostitution by a man her parents’ trusted (Justine’s parents were killed). Justine escaped and did what she had to do survive in order to protect her four year old sister, Severine. Justine then meets up with Adrian and his mentor, Doyle (This is all explained in The Forbidden Rose, which you must read before The Black Hawk so you can understand who Justine and Adrian are). Justine eventually becomes a French Spy who goes by the Owl.
The Black Hawk begins twenty-five years after Adrian and Justine first meet. France and England are no longer enemies, all through there’s still mistrust on both sides. Justine has come to London and opened her own shop. She’s attacked and stabbed with a poisoned knife. The only one she can trust is Hawker. She passes out in a bloody heap on Adrian’s front steps and he takes her in and cares for her. Justine may be dying and that’s where Adrian thinks back through the decades about his relationship with this daunting and incredible woman he loves.
The story goes back and forth over the years from 1794 France leading up to 1818 London. The moment Adrian meets Justine, he’s smitten. Even though they’re adversaries who eventually become enemies because of their countries, these two help each other out when they’re undercover. Sometimes they don’t see each other for months and even years. Their relationship is a difficult one because they never know if they'll be betrayed or killed. Adrian is so loyal to Justine, it will make your chest clench. Justine is a bit more standoffish because of the cards dealt to her in life. She trusts no one, but allows Adrian into her heart. It’s a very momentous occasion for both of them when Justine asks Adrian to make love to her. Justine is afraid of intimacy because of how she was raped and abused at such a young age. Adrian realizes this and gives Justine back her innocence through his loving touch. From that moment on they become lovers that spans almost three decades. The moment these two are intimate, they don’t stray from one another. They never take another lover, even when they’re separated from one another for long periods of time.
Adrian is so easy to like. He’s adorable, yet intelligent and sneaky. His devotion for Justine is relentless and unbreakable. He’s not afraid to tell Justine how he feels about her. When he and Justine are alone, he wears his heart on his sleeve. His love is enough for the both of them and he never asks her for anything in return. Justine is so stubborn and won’t give an inch because she’s constantly looking over her shoulder, waiting for someone to take her down. Adrian is the only one who can help her get past the horrors she has endured.
The Black Hawk revolves about two mature people both in the mid to late thirties. Adrian and Justine are old before their time. By the time they’re barely in their teens, they’ve seen so many disturbing acts, including those placed on innocent children. Watching these two drift away from one another and then come together again is incredibly emotional.
Joanna’s writing is atmospheric in regards to the setting. You can practically hear Justine’s French accent every time she speaks, especially when she calls Adrian ‘Awker, not Hakwer. There are a few twists and turns, and how Joanna unveils things, including the person trying to kill Justine makes for a great suspenseful thriller. Joanna’s writing is crisp and rich, full of poetically written dialogue and descriptions that has me aching for more.
When a hero like Adrian admits, “there is no one else for me. Never has been,” about his Justine, you’ll become a pile of swoonage in your seat.
I’m in total awe of Joanna Bourne. It doesn’t get any better than this. Adrian and Justine’s journey toward their HEA is one that almost brought me to tears. This is a book I want to have babies with. The Black Hawk is of the best books I read this year by one of the best authors of historical romance of this century.
The Black Hawk begins twenty-five years after Adrian and Justine first meet. France and England are no longer enemies, all through there’s still mistrust on both sides. Justine has come to London and opened her own shop. She’s attacked and stabbed with a poisoned knife. The only one she can trust is Hawker. She passes out in a bloody heap on Adrian’s front steps and he takes her in and cares for her. Justine may be dying and that’s where Adrian thinks back through the decades about his relationship with this daunting and incredible woman he loves.
The story goes back and forth over the years from 1794 France leading up to 1818 London. The moment Adrian meets Justine, he’s smitten. Even though they’re adversaries who eventually become enemies because of their countries, these two help each other out when they’re undercover. Sometimes they don’t see each other for months and even years. Their relationship is a difficult one because they never know if they'll be betrayed or killed. Adrian is so loyal to Justine, it will make your chest clench. Justine is a bit more standoffish because of the cards dealt to her in life. She trusts no one, but allows Adrian into her heart. It’s a very momentous occasion for both of them when Justine asks Adrian to make love to her. Justine is afraid of intimacy because of how she was raped and abused at such a young age. Adrian realizes this and gives Justine back her innocence through his loving touch. From that moment on they become lovers that spans almost three decades. The moment these two are intimate, they don’t stray from one another. They never take another lover, even when they’re separated from one another for long periods of time.
Adrian is so easy to like. He’s adorable, yet intelligent and sneaky. His devotion for Justine is relentless and unbreakable. He’s not afraid to tell Justine how he feels about her. When he and Justine are alone, he wears his heart on his sleeve. His love is enough for the both of them and he never asks her for anything in return. Justine is so stubborn and won’t give an inch because she’s constantly looking over her shoulder, waiting for someone to take her down. Adrian is the only one who can help her get past the horrors she has endured.
The Black Hawk revolves about two mature people both in the mid to late thirties. Adrian and Justine are old before their time. By the time they’re barely in their teens, they’ve seen so many disturbing acts, including those placed on innocent children. Watching these two drift away from one another and then come together again is incredibly emotional.
Joanna’s writing is atmospheric in regards to the setting. You can practically hear Justine’s French accent every time she speaks, especially when she calls Adrian ‘Awker, not Hakwer. There are a few twists and turns, and how Joanna unveils things, including the person trying to kill Justine makes for a great suspenseful thriller. Joanna’s writing is crisp and rich, full of poetically written dialogue and descriptions that has me aching for more.
When a hero like Adrian admits, “there is no one else for me. Never has been,” about his Justine, you’ll become a pile of swoonage in your seat.
I’m in total awe of Joanna Bourne. It doesn’t get any better than this. Adrian and Justine’s journey toward their HEA is one that almost brought me to tears. This is a book I want to have babies with. The Black Hawk is of the best books I read this year by one of the best authors of historical romance of this century.
March 9, 2018
Their story started a few years after the reign of terror…when they were just children..
Children grew up too fast. Hammered by life and injustice. By lascivious, powerful men… By greedy governments who exploited children…
Owl
Hawk
Secret lovers since teens…
… but became something more during the reign of Napoleon…
There’re a lot of thing to be appreciated here!
The writing: strangely compelling, IMHO! Here is an example:
The banyan was embroided with dragons. … One lascivious lizard curled all comfy on her left breast, tounge out, as if he were tasting he nipple trough the cloth. The black dragon on the back, had his pointy tail hung down so it was caressing the rounded arse underneath.
He (Hawk) didn’t let his mind follow that path, however much it tugged at the leash and whined.
The mutual acceptance of the feeling for each other. There’s no denial. They know that what they’re feeling is strong and special. It was really lovely to read!
The absolute trust in each other and each other’s capabilities. I really appreciated that. Both of them acknowledge that the other is fully capable of taking care of himself and his/her business. That’s so rare in a romance novel and here it was just wonderful, considering their profession and its dangers.
If you want a really great spy novel/ historical romance, this is it!
February 15, 2018
Oh. Wow.
March 6, 2018
She was with Hawker, so she was safe. In all the world, there was no flesh, no bone, no sound of breathing she would mistake for Hawker's.
I'll have to admit, my expectations were probably way too high after reading Doyle's book. I was really looking forward to Adrian's story, and I while I really liked it... it didn't blow me away like I'd hoped. With that said though, I am still enjoying the series immensely. I am really looking forward to these last two books.
August 23, 2025
“Sometimes, in between kisses, he said he loved her. She said, “Don’t.”
“I will kill you for this.” She stood in the dirt of the road, her arms crossed over her breasts like she was holding her heart inside. “I will wait until you no longer expect it, and then I will kill you. Do not sleep deeply.”
this book!! i loved these two and their decades long love affair, the flashback scenes had me kicking my feet. adrian fucking hawkhurst oml. he's going on my fav hero shelf. so sexy, so loyal, so intelligent. from the scene he brought her into the rain i was gone for him. and justine was perfect, so competent feminine and strong, exactly the type of heroine i love reading about. the writing was so good i want to go read this whole series but i know no ones topping these two
“I will kill you for this.” She stood in the dirt of the road, her arms crossed over her breasts like she was holding her heart inside. “I will wait until you no longer expect it, and then I will kill you. Do not sleep deeply.”
this book!! i loved these two and their decades long love affair, the flashback scenes had me kicking my feet. adrian fucking hawkhurst oml. he's going on my fav hero shelf. so sexy, so loyal, so intelligent. from the scene he brought her into the rain i was gone for him. and justine was perfect, so competent feminine and strong, exactly the type of heroine i love reading about. the writing was so good i want to go read this whole series but i know no ones topping these two
May 17, 2022
Beautiful writing style, but back and forth storytelling with parts of it in the past and part in the present.
TW: childhood sexual assault
Full review in my next vlog 5/16/22
TW: childhood sexual assault
Full review in my next vlog 5/16/22
October 20, 2011
I reviewed this novel on my www.bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.com blog
'The Black Hawk’ by Joanna Bourne is a tale that had to be told. I have a feeling that if Ms. Bourne never intended for it, she would have been literally mobbed by every fan of her earlier tales, until she ‘put it out there’.
How can I relate to you my emotions while reading this tender love story?! Reading it I felt like Julia Roberts in that scene with Richard Gere where he dolls her all up and takes her to see her first Opera. She is so taken by the performance that she almost leaps out of her seat over the balcony, with her eyes filled with tears and her heart so full of too many emotions to be put to words. She just sat there taking it all in. Absorbing it like a sponge, thinking it unreal, and afraid it would end too soon for her to absorb it ALL!
That’s me. That’s exactly how I felt reading this tale.
If you’ve never read a Joanna Bourne novel, then that’s what you’re missing. You are missing a trip to a time that was not so pleasant, to say the least, in the History of the French as well as the World, yet filled with uncertainty and excitement, but also with love.
Romance for each of us starts at a different time and age, and sometimes we don’t even know it until it’s way too late. Occasionally, and if we’re lucky, we might recognize it and call it love.
For Adrian and Justine that romance started at an age that some would say was too young, unless they knew that these two never had a chance to BE young. Their souls were forced to grow old at an early age. Many years will pass before they realize and admit to each other their love for one another and let their souls finally feel they’ve come home.
I will not summarize the plot for you, but I will tell you about a boy who grew up without a name (he named himself), isn’t even sure how old he is, survives the worst of the slums of London by his intelligence and wits (light fingers, cunning and a skill with a knife notwithstanding).
By providence, he gets recruited by and taken under the protective wing of William Doyle (The Forbidden Rose) to be trained as an English Spy for British Intelligence Service. We, the readers, are fortunate to watch this sprite become a most efficient and ruthless of spies, who ends up Knighted and becomes a Head of BIS.
Adrian and Justine meet for the first time in Doyle and Maggie’s story (The Forbidden Rose), and we follow Adrian through two other happily ever after of Annique and Gray (The Spymaster’s Lady) and Bastien and Jess (My Lord and Spymaster).
Justine DeCabrillac was eleven years old when her parents were killed and she taken with her two-year old sister by a family ‘friend’ to a brothel and forced into whoring. From that hell, she is rescued and given home by Madame, a head of the Secret Police in Paris. By the time she meets ‘Awker two years later, she’s become an employee and a spy for the Secret Police, and is now working for Adrian’s enemy.
Even though they worked for the opposite sides, their missions placed them in a close proximity of each other, and they gained respect for one another and became friends. Because of what she went through as a child, Adrian did his best to not even broach her on his feelings for her. If anything was to happen between them, he knew that it would have to be started by Justine.
And after she finally approaches him, ‘Awker knows that to make love to her, he would need to ‘cleanse’ her from the inside out, before he takes her on a journey that will eventually lead them to their destiny.
Adrian Hawkhurst ‘Hawker’ and Justine DeCabrillac ‘Owl’ have a mystery to solve, bad guys to catch, and big, life changing decisions to make, and I had a front row seat as I was invited to witness their life as it happened.
Ms. Bourne’s prose is legendary by now, but if you’re still not convinced at how good she can ‘spin a tale’ here’s just one of many, many favorite parts of mine in this tale.
The scene below is of Justine and Hawker in a room full of people at a fancy ball. They’re on a lookout for the enemy, and he is very worried about her as she’s not quite healed yet from her knife wound. He kept following her with his eyes, not seeing anyone but her.
“He couldn’t touch Owl, except with his eyes, so he let his imagination slide across her, planning where he’d kiss her later tonight. He liked kissing beauty and he’d done a certain amount of that over the years. With Owl, he’d start with beauty and go on to kissing ruthlessness and ideals in the lines at the corners of her eyes. Passion and practicality sitting around her mouth. Not a comfortable woman, his Owl. Not ordinary.”
So, my dear bookworm, if you like sweet romance, this book has it in spades. If you prefer intrigue, you won’t go wrong with this tale. It is chock full of it. Not convinced yet?! Well, let me put it this way.
Ms. Bourne has wrapped this story in drama, romance, plot, intrigue and sensuality and made it a one-stop-shop so I cried a little, laughed a little but I was never bored, even a little!
Melanie
'The Black Hawk’ by Joanna Bourne is a tale that had to be told. I have a feeling that if Ms. Bourne never intended for it, she would have been literally mobbed by every fan of her earlier tales, until she ‘put it out there’.
How can I relate to you my emotions while reading this tender love story?! Reading it I felt like Julia Roberts in that scene with Richard Gere where he dolls her all up and takes her to see her first Opera. She is so taken by the performance that she almost leaps out of her seat over the balcony, with her eyes filled with tears and her heart so full of too many emotions to be put to words. She just sat there taking it all in. Absorbing it like a sponge, thinking it unreal, and afraid it would end too soon for her to absorb it ALL!
That’s me. That’s exactly how I felt reading this tale.
If you’ve never read a Joanna Bourne novel, then that’s what you’re missing. You are missing a trip to a time that was not so pleasant, to say the least, in the History of the French as well as the World, yet filled with uncertainty and excitement, but also with love.
Romance for each of us starts at a different time and age, and sometimes we don’t even know it until it’s way too late. Occasionally, and if we’re lucky, we might recognize it and call it love.
For Adrian and Justine that romance started at an age that some would say was too young, unless they knew that these two never had a chance to BE young. Their souls were forced to grow old at an early age. Many years will pass before they realize and admit to each other their love for one another and let their souls finally feel they’ve come home.
I will not summarize the plot for you, but I will tell you about a boy who grew up without a name (he named himself), isn’t even sure how old he is, survives the worst of the slums of London by his intelligence and wits (light fingers, cunning and a skill with a knife notwithstanding).
By providence, he gets recruited by and taken under the protective wing of William Doyle (The Forbidden Rose) to be trained as an English Spy for British Intelligence Service. We, the readers, are fortunate to watch this sprite become a most efficient and ruthless of spies, who ends up Knighted and becomes a Head of BIS.
Adrian and Justine meet for the first time in Doyle and Maggie’s story (The Forbidden Rose), and we follow Adrian through two other happily ever after of Annique and Gray (The Spymaster’s Lady) and Bastien and Jess (My Lord and Spymaster).
Justine DeCabrillac was eleven years old when her parents were killed and she taken with her two-year old sister by a family ‘friend’ to a brothel and forced into whoring. From that hell, she is rescued and given home by Madame, a head of the Secret Police in Paris. By the time she meets ‘Awker two years later, she’s become an employee and a spy for the Secret Police, and is now working for Adrian’s enemy.
Even though they worked for the opposite sides, their missions placed them in a close proximity of each other, and they gained respect for one another and became friends. Because of what she went through as a child, Adrian did his best to not even broach her on his feelings for her. If anything was to happen between them, he knew that it would have to be started by Justine.
And after she finally approaches him, ‘Awker knows that to make love to her, he would need to ‘cleanse’ her from the inside out, before he takes her on a journey that will eventually lead them to their destiny.
Adrian Hawkhurst ‘Hawker’ and Justine DeCabrillac ‘Owl’ have a mystery to solve, bad guys to catch, and big, life changing decisions to make, and I had a front row seat as I was invited to witness their life as it happened.
Ms. Bourne’s prose is legendary by now, but if you’re still not convinced at how good she can ‘spin a tale’ here’s just one of many, many favorite parts of mine in this tale.
The scene below is of Justine and Hawker in a room full of people at a fancy ball. They’re on a lookout for the enemy, and he is very worried about her as she’s not quite healed yet from her knife wound. He kept following her with his eyes, not seeing anyone but her.
“He couldn’t touch Owl, except with his eyes, so he let his imagination slide across her, planning where he’d kiss her later tonight. He liked kissing beauty and he’d done a certain amount of that over the years. With Owl, he’d start with beauty and go on to kissing ruthlessness and ideals in the lines at the corners of her eyes. Passion and practicality sitting around her mouth. Not a comfortable woman, his Owl. Not ordinary.”
So, my dear bookworm, if you like sweet romance, this book has it in spades. If you prefer intrigue, you won’t go wrong with this tale. It is chock full of it. Not convinced yet?! Well, let me put it this way.
Ms. Bourne has wrapped this story in drama, romance, plot, intrigue and sensuality and made it a one-stop-shop so I cried a little, laughed a little but I was never bored, even a little!
Melanie
December 12, 2017
This is a bit along in a series (depending on if you go chronologically or by publication date). And you definitely want to read the others first. Adrian features strongly in them all and a large part of the charm of this story is seeing his culmination.
I'm afraid I'm going to be an outlier on this one because most of my friends who have read this loved it to bits. A lot of that is probably because Adrian is such a strong presence in the other books and it is very gratifying to see him get his girl in the end. And Justine is perfect for him in pretty much every way so on that level, this story is outstanding.
Unfortunately for me, other elements intruded to rain on my enjoyment. A strong component of this series has been the competence porn aspect that has the main characters being very good at spying and scheming and confounding their enemies and delighting their friends. And Adrian and Justine qualify on that score. The thing is, though, that for the main characters to truly shine, they need opposition that doesn't suck. And that was lacking in every way here. Both main foils turn out to be bumbling idiots who succeed only so far as they don't bother anybody too much. Justine's bad guy is particularly bad as he's nothing more than a pastiche of Snidely Whiplash (only without the mustache. or charm).
Dragging this further for me is how much time they waste. I don't see the devotion to Napoleon that fuels Justine's action through most of her life but her loyalty means that it isn't until he's wiped out that she can even contemplate approaching Adrian. So the whole time they're working things out in the "present" I'm grousing in my head about how they're both almost forty and practically dead. I mean, this is 1818 for heaven's sake.
Speaking of which, having Justine brewing "antiseptic" concoctions in 1818 was pretty jarring, I have to tell you. As was Adrian talking about disinfecting a wound. Since germ theory was nearly a half-century away I found that just sloppy.
So anyway, there's great banter and I really liked them both so a solid 3½ stars. But every time I consider rounding up I can't get past that they wasted half their lifetime futzing around because Napoleon was such a great guy...
A note about Steamy: There are three explicit sex scenes. I think. I admit I kind of tuned them out after the first. Frankly, I'm wondering what kind of birth control they had seeing as they spent five years as frequent-ish lovers in their youth. Bourne kind of hand-waved that away but it still niggled at me a bit, too. And yeah, I really hated that they separated after being together and in love for so long.
I'm afraid I'm going to be an outlier on this one because most of my friends who have read this loved it to bits. A lot of that is probably because Adrian is such a strong presence in the other books and it is very gratifying to see him get his girl in the end. And Justine is perfect for him in pretty much every way so on that level, this story is outstanding.
Unfortunately for me, other elements intruded to rain on my enjoyment. A strong component of this series has been the competence porn aspect that has the main characters being very good at spying and scheming and confounding their enemies and delighting their friends. And Adrian and Justine qualify on that score. The thing is, though, that for the main characters to truly shine, they need opposition that doesn't suck. And that was lacking in every way here. Both main foils turn out to be bumbling idiots who succeed only so far as they don't bother anybody too much. Justine's bad guy is particularly bad as he's nothing more than a pastiche of Snidely Whiplash (only without the mustache. or charm).
Dragging this further for me is how much time they waste. I don't see the devotion to Napoleon that fuels Justine's action through most of her life but her loyalty means that it isn't until he's wiped out that she can even contemplate approaching Adrian. So the whole time they're working things out in the "present" I'm grousing in my head about how they're both almost forty and practically dead. I mean, this is 1818 for heaven's sake.
Speaking of which, having Justine brewing "antiseptic" concoctions in 1818 was pretty jarring, I have to tell you. As was Adrian talking about disinfecting a wound. Since germ theory was nearly a half-century away I found that just sloppy.
So anyway, there's great banter and I really liked them both so a solid 3½ stars. But every time I consider rounding up I can't get past that they wasted half their lifetime futzing around because Napoleon was such a great guy...
A note about Steamy: There are three explicit sex scenes. I think. I admit I kind of tuned them out after the first. Frankly, I'm wondering what kind of birth control they had seeing as they spent five years as frequent-ish lovers in their youth. Bourne kind of hand-waved that away but it still niggled at me a bit, too. And yeah, I really hated that they separated after being together and in love for so long.
September 20, 2022
Another well-written book in this spy romance series. I enjoyed it even more on this reread, I think. This one could maybe be a standalone, but IMO it's best to read at least some of the others in the series first.
Adrian and Justine are absolutely lovely together, and I loved that Adrian is .
I've been reading the series in chronological order, and I already knew a bit about both of their pasts. There are basically two detailed and parallel stories in this book - one relating their back story, and one showing their reuniting in London, both of them now older and wiser (which I like). Both parts of their life needed to be told, so although I sometimes find books with two separate timelines to be frustrating to read, in this case it worked quite well.
There's plenty of suspense, drama and adventure in the story, including .
Bourne is a quality writer, with consistently good characterisation and historical knowledge. A series that's well worth reading.
Adrian and Justine are absolutely lovely together, and I loved that Adrian is .
I've been reading the series in chronological order, and I already knew a bit about both of their pasts. There are basically two detailed and parallel stories in this book - one relating their back story, and one showing their reuniting in London, both of them now older and wiser (which I like). Both parts of their life needed to be told, so although I sometimes find books with two separate timelines to be frustrating to read, in this case it worked quite well.
There's plenty of suspense, drama and adventure in the story, including .
Bourne is a quality writer, with consistently good characterisation and historical knowledge. A series that's well worth reading.
May 7, 2012
Sweet utter perfection.
My crystal ball tells me.....Nothing will live up to this for many many months.
My crystal ball tells me.....Nothing will live up to this for many many months.
July 3, 2012
I mean, I really like this author's writing style in everything she does. It's vaguely flowery and antiquated, so be warned I like that and it makes some people furious, so it might not be for you. It makes the book feel more "significant" than others in the genre, more Outlander light than frothy stuff. ANYWAY I enjoyed this book, but I think there was some tension lost in the plot construction. I mean, there was no tension because you pretty much knew the two were DEFINITELY gonna get together, they're together in the first chapter pretty much (except she's dying, except you know she won't die because that's the genre, right?). The flashback style of the long history of the characters was kind of beautiful and the ending was made more poignant for the long years they'd been kept apart, but the inevitability of their union lacked tension, and I didn't REALLY care about the peril story as much as the characters, which were well-drawn as usual. I dunno, still a very good read, but the first in this series is hard to top, being one of my fave Historical romance novels out there :) This author remains on my read list for sure!
November 6, 2011
You think I loved "The Forbidden Rose"?! I love this book so much that I want to start a family with this book. I want to get married and live happily ever after with this book. This book and I are meant for each other. I love this book so much it's depressing. HOW am I going to read other books?!
The story, the plot and writing - fantastic. The characterizations: spot on. Like I said in the Forbidden Rose review, these characters are SPIES. Their emotions are HIDDEN. They don't go around expressing their emotions to pretty much anybody. These characters typically don't even let other people have any clue that they're having emotions at all. Tiny signals. Not broad strokes. God. It's such an intelligent book.
We know Adrian from Forbidden Rose, Spymaster's Lady, and (the much reviled - by me) My Lord and Spymaster. We know him pretty well. We've watched Hawker grow up. We know what he cares about, and what he's good at. We met Justine in the Forbidden Rose, and had a inkling that she's the one who shot him in the Spymaster's Lady (although we don't know why). This book provides flashbacks to those stories, from Adrian and Justine's perspectives. I think that this book is a little different from the others in this series in that the other books are more about groups of people (centering on the British secret service and the French spies who love them) :) - this book really focuses on Hawker and Justine. They've been friends since they were children, they've had a very long, important, and complicated relationship, and they are currently - at the outset of the story - in their late 30s / early 40s (!!!!) (I've read quite a few romances. I've never seen hero/heroine this old. I love it).
I've read a few reviews that say that you can read this book as a standalone. I don't recommend it. I can't know what it would be like, but I think the knowledge of what's going on in the background is a very important part of this book. It's kind of a meta-book. So freaking smart.
Okay, so I'll say what I like about the trilogy.
1. The women are complete badasses. Two of them are spies, and the other, while not technically a spy, is kind of like the Scarlet Pimpernel. Would you call the Scarlet Pimpernel a spy? She's as good as... They are completely competent in what they choose to do. And they choose to do kind of important things.
2. The characters, both men and women - not one of them - are looking for, or remotely interested in - finding mates (well, maybe Hawker is, in the Black Hawk, but that's after nearly 30 YEARS of relationship with Justine). They happen to find people they find engaging to the point of not being able to ignore them. It's not that the women are disappointed in men, or they haven't found the person they're looking for - they just have other things going on. Saving France. Averting an invasion of England. Fighting the evil that is Robespierre. The men also have lots going on: Saving England. Averting war. Thwarting Napoleon. They don't need to get married. They don't even seem to need to get laid. They might be damaged or not, but they don't take out their damage on the object of their affection. The relationships they form are egalitarian and based on mutual respect.
3. Can I just say that the relationships are SO COOL. These people help each other achieve their goals. They both have goals! And the woman's goal is NOT to encourage the man to become less of a bastard!
4. The writing is fantastic.
-For example: Half of the characters are English / half are French (all of the characters speak both French and English) (and of course, the books are written in English). I might be fooling myself, but I think I can tell when the characters are speaking French and when they're speaking English, because the cadence of the language changes. They idioms that they women, particularly, use, are different. Brilliant.
-Another example: in the Forbidden Rose, right at the beginning Marguerite catches a rabbit to eat. She's starving because the village people have burned down her house (chateau) and she had to flee for her life. I think she's been eating grass and oats for a week?! Anyway, the very brief scene where she decides to set the rabbit free is so beautiful, and gives such an insight into her character. That kind of thing - surprisingly beautiful writing and characterizations - happens again and again throughout these books.
5. The characters don't tend to meet romance stereotypes:
-Beautiful Women: While Justine and Annique are objectively described as beautiful - I don't think anyone else is. Marguerite describes herself as plain, and I don't think it's a romance put-on (you know, "oh! my darn waist-length curly auburn hair! And my waist is so small compared to my hips! So embarrassing! Such a nuisance!") - furthermore, while they might be beautiful, Justine and Annique also often make themselves plain on demand. These are characters who couldn't care less what they look like - unless it's to be less noticeable.
-Handsome men: Maybe Grey is handsome? But I get the distinct impression that Doyle is this huge lumbering bear-like, frightening dude who has a face like a hatchet, but an intellect that can not be stopped. And Hawker? Whip thin, short, gaunt although muscular? I don't think Bourne cares anything about romance conventions. It makes it fun to read.
I saw a review that said that The Black Hawk is the best book of the year. I totally agree. Absolutely. No competition. I also saw a review that said that Bourne is one of the best historical romance writers of the last century. I agree with this as well. However, because her work is so transgressive, I don't know how well her books fit within the historical romance genre. What I'm saying: I think she's a historical romance writer. Given the nature of genre conventions, there's nothing else she could be. However, I don't think her books are very much "like" other books within this genre. This is the sign of a great writer, but it makes for difficult recommendations.
The story, the plot and writing - fantastic. The characterizations: spot on. Like I said in the Forbidden Rose review, these characters are SPIES. Their emotions are HIDDEN. They don't go around expressing their emotions to pretty much anybody. These characters typically don't even let other people have any clue that they're having emotions at all. Tiny signals. Not broad strokes. God. It's such an intelligent book.
We know Adrian from Forbidden Rose, Spymaster's Lady, and (the much reviled - by me) My Lord and Spymaster. We know him pretty well. We've watched Hawker grow up. We know what he cares about, and what he's good at. We met Justine in the Forbidden Rose, and had a inkling that she's the one who shot him in the Spymaster's Lady (although we don't know why). This book provides flashbacks to those stories, from Adrian and Justine's perspectives. I think that this book is a little different from the others in this series in that the other books are more about groups of people (centering on the British secret service and the French spies who love them) :) - this book really focuses on Hawker and Justine. They've been friends since they were children, they've had a very long, important, and complicated relationship, and they are currently - at the outset of the story - in their late 30s / early 40s (!!!!) (I've read quite a few romances. I've never seen hero/heroine this old. I love it).
I've read a few reviews that say that you can read this book as a standalone. I don't recommend it. I can't know what it would be like, but I think the knowledge of what's going on in the background is a very important part of this book. It's kind of a meta-book. So freaking smart.
Okay, so I'll say what I like about the trilogy.
1. The women are complete badasses. Two of them are spies, and the other, while not technically a spy, is kind of like the Scarlet Pimpernel. Would you call the Scarlet Pimpernel a spy? She's as good as... They are completely competent in what they choose to do. And they choose to do kind of important things.
2. The characters, both men and women - not one of them - are looking for, or remotely interested in - finding mates (well, maybe Hawker is, in the Black Hawk, but that's after nearly 30 YEARS of relationship with Justine). They happen to find people they find engaging to the point of not being able to ignore them. It's not that the women are disappointed in men, or they haven't found the person they're looking for - they just have other things going on. Saving France. Averting an invasion of England. Fighting the evil that is Robespierre. The men also have lots going on: Saving England. Averting war. Thwarting Napoleon. They don't need to get married. They don't even seem to need to get laid. They might be damaged or not, but they don't take out their damage on the object of their affection. The relationships they form are egalitarian and based on mutual respect.
3. Can I just say that the relationships are SO COOL. These people help each other achieve their goals. They both have goals! And the woman's goal is NOT to encourage the man to become less of a bastard!
4. The writing is fantastic.
-For example: Half of the characters are English / half are French (all of the characters speak both French and English) (and of course, the books are written in English). I might be fooling myself, but I think I can tell when the characters are speaking French and when they're speaking English, because the cadence of the language changes. They idioms that they women, particularly, use, are different. Brilliant.
-Another example: in the Forbidden Rose, right at the beginning Marguerite catches a rabbit to eat. She's starving because the village people have burned down her house (chateau) and she had to flee for her life. I think she's been eating grass and oats for a week?! Anyway, the very brief scene where she decides to set the rabbit free is so beautiful, and gives such an insight into her character. That kind of thing - surprisingly beautiful writing and characterizations - happens again and again throughout these books.
5. The characters don't tend to meet romance stereotypes:
-Beautiful Women: While Justine and Annique are objectively described as beautiful - I don't think anyone else is. Marguerite describes herself as plain, and I don't think it's a romance put-on (you know, "oh! my darn waist-length curly auburn hair! And my waist is so small compared to my hips! So embarrassing! Such a nuisance!") - furthermore, while they might be beautiful, Justine and Annique also often make themselves plain on demand. These are characters who couldn't care less what they look like - unless it's to be less noticeable.
-Handsome men: Maybe Grey is handsome? But I get the distinct impression that Doyle is this huge lumbering bear-like, frightening dude who has a face like a hatchet, but an intellect that can not be stopped. And Hawker? Whip thin, short, gaunt although muscular? I don't think Bourne cares anything about romance conventions. It makes it fun to read.
I saw a review that said that The Black Hawk is the best book of the year. I totally agree. Absolutely. No competition. I also saw a review that said that Bourne is one of the best historical romance writers of the last century. I agree with this as well. However, because her work is so transgressive, I don't know how well her books fit within the historical romance genre. What I'm saying: I think she's a historical romance writer. Given the nature of genre conventions, there's nothing else she could be. However, I don't think her books are very much "like" other books within this genre. This is the sign of a great writer, but it makes for difficult recommendations.
March 23, 2021
Reread 2021
I reread this and a few other Spymaster novels earlier this month, in the lead up to my read of Beauty Like the Night, the only book in the series I hadn't yet picked up.
I'm not going to go back and leave new reviews for The Spymaster's Lady and The Forbidden Rose. Let's just say I felt roughly the same way I did about them the first time around. I think I'd give The Spymaster's Lady four stars now, but I don't feel strongly enough about that to change my initial five star review. It's still a great book and a fantastic debut novel.
But I had to come back and say something about this book. It remains one of my favorite historical romances. Top 3 along with The Shadow and the Star and Not Quite a Husband.
I'll begin by saying it contains the best sex scene I've ever read. Justine, the heroine, was sexually abused as a child/a child prostitute, and the way Bourne writes her first time with Adrian, the hero, is masterful. Justine's co-mingled fear, desire, and bravery are depicted so well. It manages to be harrowing and intimate all at once. And incredibly sexy, too.
It's difficult to recommend this as a standalone, because I really do think the four books that precede it chronologically in the Spymasters-verse are needed to fully appreciate it. However, as an individual book, it stands apart from the rest of the series. It's clear Jo Bourne puts a lot of thought, care, and research into all of her stories, but this one has so much flippin' heart and her prose has never been better.
Justine and Adrian are two of the most complex characters I've encountered in romance. They feel fully realized. They love one another, but it's not an 'us against the world' sort of love. It doesn't always overcome their politics and the harsh realities of their jobs and lives. They hurt and betray one another, sometimes almost unto death.
I swear, when Adrian apprehends Justine fifty miles away from delivering a final message to the French army at St. Dizier, and throws her shoes in a marsh so she can't walk, you feel and understand why she has become so jaded and disillusioned. Her pain, the destruction of the last fragment of her idealism, is palpable. When she hears, soon after, that France has surrendered, you feel like curling up on the floor of a barnyard and crying with her. She doesn't have her country or the man she loves. She gave up her sister to be fostered by Adrian's mentor in a different country. She is alone.
Adrian goes on to be knighted by the queen. He becomes the head of British Intelligence and his investments make him rich as Croesus. Just the sort of 'quality' he always aspired to be. While Justine is a disillusioned, disgraced former French spy. She's a respectable, successful shopkeeper, but in country that's not her own. They go years living in the same city, not even angry at one another anymore, just too proud and fearful to confront each other. Their loneliness and weariness pervaded this novel, from the time they first meet at the age of twelve until they finally get together at the age of thirty-seven.
My question after reading The Spymaster's Lady for the first time was how could Adrian/Hawker be so sanguine about a woman he cares about putting a bullet in him? This book shows you just how much that poor idiot was laughing through immense pain. And not of the physical kind. Adrian and Justine are vicious and deadly and not 'love is patient, love is kind' sorts of people. They cut their teeth on each other in all manner of ways, at every age and stage of their lives, and love each other because of those rough edges they know so well.
5 stars every time (The publisher did Jo Bourne fucking dirty with this cover.)
Original Review - 2016
I decided to let myself sit on this one for a couple of days before I wrote a review. Sometimes I get swept up in a book and wind up realizing a few hours after the fact that it really wasn’t all that amazing. And for all my excitement after reading this one there were still so many niggling issues:
1.) Despite the book starting with the heroine being stabbed by a poisoned knife, the first eight chapters or so were pretty dull.
2.) On this same note, save for the lovely final scene, the final eight chapters were also pretty boring, and the climax had a Scooby Doo “we would've gotten away with it if it weren't for those meddling kids” vibe to it that was kind of cheesy.
3.) It felt like a cop out to me to have the story within the story end when the hero and heroine were 21. It was almost like the author ran out of space but could have easily written flashbacks to Justine and Adrian at other ages if the publisher had given her 200 more pages and another year in which to write them.
But you know what book also has a somewhat slow beginning, a weak ending, and some cheesy elements in the final chapters? The Shadow and the Star. And I have reread that book to death and would never dream of giving it less than 5 stars, because I love it. And when I think of The Black Hawk I get that same sort of feeling: a feeling that this is my kind of book. There are so many things about it I love.
So even if you had some rough spots, book…
(This Love Actually guy is such a fucking creepy character, though, let’s be real.)
Random Thoughts, some behind spoiler cuts:
#1
I don’t think a book has made me this emotional since I read Dragonfly in Amber back when I was too young to rent a car. The hero and heroine have lost so much time and it was very moving to see them discuss the last 15 years of their lives and share how isolated and lonely they are, even if they never say this to each other explicitly.
I reread this and a few other Spymaster novels earlier this month, in the lead up to my read of Beauty Like the Night, the only book in the series I hadn't yet picked up.
I'm not going to go back and leave new reviews for The Spymaster's Lady and The Forbidden Rose. Let's just say I felt roughly the same way I did about them the first time around. I think I'd give The Spymaster's Lady four stars now, but I don't feel strongly enough about that to change my initial five star review. It's still a great book and a fantastic debut novel.
But I had to come back and say something about this book. It remains one of my favorite historical romances. Top 3 along with The Shadow and the Star and Not Quite a Husband.
I'll begin by saying it contains the best sex scene I've ever read. Justine, the heroine, was sexually abused as a child/a child prostitute, and the way Bourne writes her first time with Adrian, the hero, is masterful. Justine's co-mingled fear, desire, and bravery are depicted so well. It manages to be harrowing and intimate all at once. And incredibly sexy, too.
It's difficult to recommend this as a standalone, because I really do think the four books that precede it chronologically in the Spymasters-verse are needed to fully appreciate it. However, as an individual book, it stands apart from the rest of the series. It's clear Jo Bourne puts a lot of thought, care, and research into all of her stories, but this one has so much flippin' heart and her prose has never been better.
Justine and Adrian are two of the most complex characters I've encountered in romance. They feel fully realized. They love one another, but it's not an 'us against the world' sort of love. It doesn't always overcome their politics and the harsh realities of their jobs and lives. They hurt and betray one another, sometimes almost unto death.
I swear, when Adrian apprehends Justine fifty miles away from delivering a final message to the French army at St. Dizier, and throws her shoes in a marsh so she can't walk, you feel and understand why she has become so jaded and disillusioned. Her pain, the destruction of the last fragment of her idealism, is palpable. When she hears, soon after, that France has surrendered, you feel like curling up on the floor of a barnyard and crying with her. She doesn't have her country or the man she loves. She gave up her sister to be fostered by Adrian's mentor in a different country. She is alone.
Adrian goes on to be knighted by the queen. He becomes the head of British Intelligence and his investments make him rich as Croesus. Just the sort of 'quality' he always aspired to be. While Justine is a disillusioned, disgraced former French spy. She's a respectable, successful shopkeeper, but in country that's not her own. They go years living in the same city, not even angry at one another anymore, just too proud and fearful to confront each other. Their loneliness and weariness pervaded this novel, from the time they first meet at the age of twelve until they finally get together at the age of thirty-seven.
My question after reading The Spymaster's Lady for the first time was how could Adrian/Hawker be so sanguine about a woman he cares about putting a bullet in him? This book shows you just how much that poor idiot was laughing through immense pain. And not of the physical kind. Adrian and Justine are vicious and deadly and not 'love is patient, love is kind' sorts of people. They cut their teeth on each other in all manner of ways, at every age and stage of their lives, and love each other because of those rough edges they know so well.
5 stars every time (The publisher did Jo Bourne fucking dirty with this cover.)
Original Review - 2016
I decided to let myself sit on this one for a couple of days before I wrote a review. Sometimes I get swept up in a book and wind up realizing a few hours after the fact that it really wasn’t all that amazing. And for all my excitement after reading this one there were still so many niggling issues:
1.) Despite the book starting with the heroine being stabbed by a poisoned knife, the first eight chapters or so were pretty dull.
2.) On this same note, save for the lovely final scene, the final eight chapters were also pretty boring, and the climax had a Scooby Doo “we would've gotten away with it if it weren't for those meddling kids” vibe to it that was kind of cheesy.
3.) It felt like a cop out to me to have the story within the story end when the hero and heroine were 21. It was almost like the author ran out of space but could have easily written flashbacks to Justine and Adrian at other ages if the publisher had given her 200 more pages and another year in which to write them.
But you know what book also has a somewhat slow beginning, a weak ending, and some cheesy elements in the final chapters? The Shadow and the Star. And I have reread that book to death and would never dream of giving it less than 5 stars, because I love it. And when I think of The Black Hawk I get that same sort of feeling: a feeling that this is my kind of book. There are so many things about it I love.
So even if you had some rough spots, book…
(This Love Actually guy is such a fucking creepy character, though, let’s be real.)
Random Thoughts, some behind spoiler cuts:
#1
I don’t think a book has made me this emotional since I read Dragonfly in Amber back when I was too young to rent a car. The hero and heroine have lost so much time and it was very moving to see them discuss the last 15 years of their lives and share how isolated and lonely they are, even if they never say this to each other explicitly.
November 5, 2011
Joanna Bourne is an author who elevates historical romance to another level. She’s a master at fusing historic events with action, intrigue, danger, and romance. In The Black Hawk, Ms. Bourne’s produces a gripping love story between French spy Justine “ Owl” DeCabrillac and English spy Adrian “Hawker” Hawkhurst.
Justine and Hawker - Their Background
Justine DeCabrillic is the daughter of French aristos who died during the French Revolution. At the age of eleven, she was forced to prostitute in a child brothel. At thirteen, Justine a.ka. “Owl” works for the French Secret Police after being rescued by a member known as “Madame.” Her loyalty is to her country, its people, and especially, Séverine, the younger sister she gave up for adoption.
Adrian Hawkhurst was born in a London slum. His mother, once of the servant class, was forced into prostitution when she became pregnant. She was beaten to death by a customer and Hawker learns to survive in the rookeries of St. Giles. By the age of ten, he’s an assassin and thief for the King of Thieves. The British Service save him from this life so he may use his talents as a spy for his country.
Their Story
The story begins in the year 1818. The Napoleonic Wars are over and Justine is now a London shopkeeper. She is on her way to British Secret Headquarters when she is stabbed with a poisoned knife. She stumbles her way to Hawker, who is now Head of the British Service Intelligence. Justine has become aware of events which threaten her former lover. Now, she appears to be the newest victim related to the mysterious conspiracy. Hawker will have to discover the truth of whether someone is out for him or Justine, or, perhaps, both of them.
The romance unfolds in series of flashback spanning twenty-four years. Hawker and Justine first meet in Paris when the when Reign of Terror ends. It’s 1794, and Justine is thirteen. Both are fledgling spies for their countries. They are mature, cunning, and deadly. They read into each other’s personality, work together for mutual purpose, and start a friendship. Over the years, the two spies cross paths and become lovers.
The romance between them is complicated by their occupation. They fear for the other’s safety, never knowing if each meeting is the last. Their love is demonstrated in action and words.
The issues each has with their background is addressed. At first, Hawker is aware of the different classes they were born into. He does not obsess about it and strives to be a most skilled British agent. Justine is emotionally scarred from the time she was trained as a child prostitute. The privileged child of aristocrat parents died the night she was raped then trained as a whore. She does not identify with the people of her class and observes them with a detached alien manner.
Their age is never an issue throughout the romance. Each is old before their time. No longer innocent, they view the world in a cynical and practical way; yet, neither is cold-hearted or cruel. They develop friendships, loyalties, and maintain ties to those who are or feel like family. Justine and Adrian are just, loyal, and patriotic. Their love for one another is achingly sweet.
These star-crossed spies are made for each other. Justine tries to be practical about the relationship but Hawker won’t have it. Certain events make their outcome seem impossible, until they have a second chance. Before that can happen, they need to find weed out a murderer/conspirator.
Final Thoughts
Joanna Bourne is one smart sexy cool writer. Her descriptive storytelling projects like an action-thriller movie. I kept hearing the theme music to Mission Impossible. The subplots are riveting. The secondary characters are compelling and interesting. And the setting… Despite the plot’s historic setting, Ms. Bourne had me on the edge of my seat. (I know Napoleon isn’t assassinated but.. STILL!) Her characters are vivid and well-rounded. The intrigue is expertly executed. The writing is divine. Now, I can’t wait for Pax’s story, who the author stated in a blog will have his own story. Yay!
Final Grade: A … Five Star Solid
”It has always been you.”
Justine and Hawker - Their Background
Justine DeCabrillic is the daughter of French aristos who died during the French Revolution. At the age of eleven, she was forced to prostitute in a child brothel. At thirteen, Justine a.ka. “Owl” works for the French Secret Police after being rescued by a member known as “Madame.” Her loyalty is to her country, its people, and especially, Séverine, the younger sister she gave up for adoption.
Adrian Hawkhurst was born in a London slum. His mother, once of the servant class, was forced into prostitution when she became pregnant. She was beaten to death by a customer and Hawker learns to survive in the rookeries of St. Giles. By the age of ten, he’s an assassin and thief for the King of Thieves. The British Service save him from this life so he may use his talents as a spy for his country.
Their Story
The story begins in the year 1818. The Napoleonic Wars are over and Justine is now a London shopkeeper. She is on her way to British Secret Headquarters when she is stabbed with a poisoned knife. She stumbles her way to Hawker, who is now Head of the British Service Intelligence. Justine has become aware of events which threaten her former lover. Now, she appears to be the newest victim related to the mysterious conspiracy. Hawker will have to discover the truth of whether someone is out for him or Justine, or, perhaps, both of them.
The romance unfolds in series of flashback spanning twenty-four years. Hawker and Justine first meet in Paris when the when Reign of Terror ends. It’s 1794, and Justine is thirteen. Both are fledgling spies for their countries. They are mature, cunning, and deadly. They read into each other’s personality, work together for mutual purpose, and start a friendship. Over the years, the two spies cross paths and become lovers.
The romance between them is complicated by their occupation. They fear for the other’s safety, never knowing if each meeting is the last. Their love is demonstrated in action and words.
Justine was naked under the covers, pale and vulnerable. Bricks, hot from the oven, wrapped in flannel, were tucked up and down the bed, keeping the chill out. He’d laid her down inside that barricade. When he pulled the blanket up over her, she didn’t move.
She’d have a new scar when she healed . That made five. He knew the story of every one. He’d kissed them all.
p. 7
The issues each has with their background is addressed. At first, Hawker is aware of the different classes they were born into. He does not obsess about it and strives to be a most skilled British agent. Justine is emotionally scarred from the time she was trained as a child prostitute. The privileged child of aristocrat parents died the night she was raped then trained as a whore. She does not identify with the people of her class and observes them with a detached alien manner.
Under the canopy of linden trees in the great courtyard, women chattered like exotic monkeys. They pushed their chairs close together and leaned against each other and passed something back and forth to coo over it. Something small that glinted in the sun. She could not see exactly what it was – a jewel, a gilt box, a painted miniature, a bottle of perfume. One could buy anything in the shops of the arcade of the Palais Royale.
They were some years older than she was, entirely lighthearted and pleased with themselves. They made her feel centuries old.
p. 167-168
Their age is never an issue throughout the romance. Each is old before their time. No longer innocent, they view the world in a cynical and practical way; yet, neither is cold-hearted or cruel. They develop friendships, loyalties, and maintain ties to those who are or feel like family. Justine and Adrian are just, loyal, and patriotic. Their love for one another is achingly sweet.
He has done so much for me.
She gave back to him, as she knew how to do. Rose to reach for him. Took his hair strongly with her fingers and pulled his mouth to hers. Licked, teased, played with his mouth. Used all her knowledge upon him. Gloried that she knew so much.
Below, she clenched herself around him, where he was within her. Squeezed him tightly. She knew the muscles to use. Had practiced and practiced. She contracted against the hardness inside her. This, she could give him. This, she knew how to do.
p.123
These star-crossed spies are made for each other. Justine tries to be practical about the relationship but Hawker won’t have it. Certain events make their outcome seem impossible, until they have a second chance. Before that can happen, they need to find weed out a murderer/conspirator.
Final Thoughts
Joanna Bourne is one smart sexy cool writer. Her descriptive storytelling projects like an action-thriller movie. I kept hearing the theme music to Mission Impossible. The subplots are riveting. The secondary characters are compelling and interesting. And the setting… Despite the plot’s historic setting, Ms. Bourne had me on the edge of my seat. (I know Napoleon isn’t assassinated but.. STILL!) Her characters are vivid and well-rounded. The intrigue is expertly executed. The writing is divine. Now, I can’t wait for Pax’s story, who the author stated in a blog will have his own story. Yay!
Final Grade: A … Five Star Solid
September 6, 2016
I've given this an A for narration and A+ for content at All About Romance.
In All About Romance’s review of The Black Hawk in November 2011, Jean Wan wrote,
That still holds true. This is a truly exceptional story that has been enhanced by an equally exceptional performance from Kirsten Potter in this new audiobook version.
England’s war with Napoleon has been over for three years, and former French spy Justine de Cabrillac has settled in London where she makes her living as a shopkeeper. But old habits die hard, and when Justine comes into possession of valuable information concerning a plot against the British Intelligence service, she knows there is only one man she can turn to: her former friend, former lover, and former enemy Adrian Hawker, now Sir Adrian Hawkhurst and Head of British Intelligence. On her way to headquarters, Justine is attacked and seriously wounded, reaching her destination by sheer force of will alone. As Justine fights for her life, Adrian and his team of agents sets about investigating the whys and wherefores of the attempt on her life – and discover a plot that goes far further than any of them have anticipated. Someone is out to discredit Adrian and see him tried for murder, and that someone will go to any lengths to achieve these aims.
The stage is set for an engrossing story of revenge and espionage, and I really can’t say much more about the plot without spoilers; all I’ll say is that it’s satisfyingly complex, detailed and expertly rendered. Anyone who has read or listened to any of the other books in this series will know that Joanna Bourne is a superb storyteller whose knowledge of the period seeps through in every sentence. She never loses sight of the fact that her characters are just as important as the twists and turns of the plot.
The search for Justine’s would-be-murderer finds her and Adrian working together once more to unravel a knot of truths that goes back more than two decades – and interweaving through that plotline is a love story that spans the same period, a story that has been briefly glimpsed in the other books in the series (Adrian and Justine met as teenagers in The Forbidden Rose). The Black Hawk is unlike the other books in the series, which all tell their stories in a straightforward, linear way. Here, we jump backwards and forwards to different points in Adrian’s and Justine’s pasts, seeing their very first joint operation as teens and then finally discovering why, when we met Adrian as a gangly twenty-something in The Spymaster’s Lady, he was suffering from a near-fatal bullet wound inflicted by Justine.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each of the books in this series in both print and audio formats, but I think this is my favourite of them all. Adrian has been a strong presence in the other stories, and he makes for an absolutely wonderful hero: highly intelligent, authoritative, ruthless – and sexy as hell. As has been apparent from the moment they met, Justine is his perfect match in every way. She’s just as intelligent and ruthless, and over the years they have come to know each other as nobody else ever has or will. They’re a couple that is truly meant-to-be, despite all the obstacles they have had to overcome, or perhaps because of them. The romance between them is full of insight, tenderness and sensuality and I love the way it unfolds in flashback.
Kirsten Potter delivers another absolutely wonderful performance in this audiobook. Her narration is well-paced and expressive, and all the characters are easily identifiable and appropriately voiced. The standout performance is that of the Black Hawk himself. She portrays him as a teenager, a young man, and as Sir Adrian, a mature man in his late thirties who has lost none of his childhood insouciance or tendency to circumvent authority when it suits him. Her interpretation of Justine, too, is spot on. Ms. Potter has a wonderful way with Ms. Bourne’s French heroines, not just in her expert use of accent, but in the way she conveys their courage and pragmatism. There are times I can actually hear the Gallic shrug in her voice! While the story is quite dark at times, it’s not without humour, most of it coming from the deadpan utterances of the protagonists, rendered brilliantly by Ms. Potter. The characters we have met in previous books are portrayed consistently, and other than the odd mispronunciation and antipodean twang in Ms Potter’s English accent, there is absolutely nothing about her narration that doesn’t work.
The Black Hawk is a wonderful audio experience from beginning to end and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
In All About Romance’s review of The Black Hawk in November 2011, Jean Wan wrote,
“Once in a while, during every reader's literary life, you encounter a book that reminds you why you are a reader. It renews your faith, if faith was lost; it rekindles your interest, if interest waned; and every word, every page, is a wonder. Adrian and Justine's story is not only such a book and it confirms Joanna Bourne is one of the best authors currently writing.”
That still holds true. This is a truly exceptional story that has been enhanced by an equally exceptional performance from Kirsten Potter in this new audiobook version.
England’s war with Napoleon has been over for three years, and former French spy Justine de Cabrillac has settled in London where she makes her living as a shopkeeper. But old habits die hard, and when Justine comes into possession of valuable information concerning a plot against the British Intelligence service, she knows there is only one man she can turn to: her former friend, former lover, and former enemy Adrian Hawker, now Sir Adrian Hawkhurst and Head of British Intelligence. On her way to headquarters, Justine is attacked and seriously wounded, reaching her destination by sheer force of will alone. As Justine fights for her life, Adrian and his team of agents sets about investigating the whys and wherefores of the attempt on her life – and discover a plot that goes far further than any of them have anticipated. Someone is out to discredit Adrian and see him tried for murder, and that someone will go to any lengths to achieve these aims.
The stage is set for an engrossing story of revenge and espionage, and I really can’t say much more about the plot without spoilers; all I’ll say is that it’s satisfyingly complex, detailed and expertly rendered. Anyone who has read or listened to any of the other books in this series will know that Joanna Bourne is a superb storyteller whose knowledge of the period seeps through in every sentence. She never loses sight of the fact that her characters are just as important as the twists and turns of the plot.
The search for Justine’s would-be-murderer finds her and Adrian working together once more to unravel a knot of truths that goes back more than two decades – and interweaving through that plotline is a love story that spans the same period, a story that has been briefly glimpsed in the other books in the series (Adrian and Justine met as teenagers in The Forbidden Rose). The Black Hawk is unlike the other books in the series, which all tell their stories in a straightforward, linear way. Here, we jump backwards and forwards to different points in Adrian’s and Justine’s pasts, seeing their very first joint operation as teens and then finally discovering why, when we met Adrian as a gangly twenty-something in The Spymaster’s Lady, he was suffering from a near-fatal bullet wound inflicted by Justine.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each of the books in this series in both print and audio formats, but I think this is my favourite of them all. Adrian has been a strong presence in the other stories, and he makes for an absolutely wonderful hero: highly intelligent, authoritative, ruthless – and sexy as hell. As has been apparent from the moment they met, Justine is his perfect match in every way. She’s just as intelligent and ruthless, and over the years they have come to know each other as nobody else ever has or will. They’re a couple that is truly meant-to-be, despite all the obstacles they have had to overcome, or perhaps because of them. The romance between them is full of insight, tenderness and sensuality and I love the way it unfolds in flashback.
Kirsten Potter delivers another absolutely wonderful performance in this audiobook. Her narration is well-paced and expressive, and all the characters are easily identifiable and appropriately voiced. The standout performance is that of the Black Hawk himself. She portrays him as a teenager, a young man, and as Sir Adrian, a mature man in his late thirties who has lost none of his childhood insouciance or tendency to circumvent authority when it suits him. Her interpretation of Justine, too, is spot on. Ms. Potter has a wonderful way with Ms. Bourne’s French heroines, not just in her expert use of accent, but in the way she conveys their courage and pragmatism. There are times I can actually hear the Gallic shrug in her voice! While the story is quite dark at times, it’s not without humour, most of it coming from the deadpan utterances of the protagonists, rendered brilliantly by Ms. Potter. The characters we have met in previous books are portrayed consistently, and other than the odd mispronunciation and antipodean twang in Ms Potter’s English accent, there is absolutely nothing about her narration that doesn’t work.
The Black Hawk is a wonderful audio experience from beginning to end and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
August 6, 2017
August 2017: My review below still stands, this book is fantastic. Hawker and Justine, so great. I loved the way we got to see them at 12 and then 16 and then 21 and now at 37. So much of who they are have changed but at the same time, the core people they were have not. So that was delightful. Also what was delightful was
Also I had forgotten in my 5 years since I've read this series . So when that happened I literally gasped. And then eagerly read his scenes with Adrian. And am now eagerly awaiting his book to come in from the library. Even though I've read his book before. This is what a good author does to you.
April 2012: You know when you read a series of books and there is a character that you grow to love over the span of the novels but he doesn't have his own book until the end and you are worried because what if you hate his book? What if it's awful? WELL, THIS BOOK WAS NOT LIKE THAT. AT ALL. It was fantastic and amazing and I love Adrian and Justine and their relationship over the years and god, these kids. THESE KIDS. MY HEARTTTTTT.
"I liked you as a pretty young girl." He let men and women brush past on either side of him and only looked at her. "I like the woman you became better than the girl you were. I like the story you've written on your face."
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Also I had forgotten in my 5 years since I've read this series . So when that happened I literally gasped. And then eagerly read his scenes with Adrian. And am now eagerly awaiting his book to come in from the library. Even though I've read his book before. This is what a good author does to you.
April 2012: You know when you read a series of books and there is a character that you grow to love over the span of the novels but he doesn't have his own book until the end and you are worried because what if you hate his book? What if it's awful? WELL, THIS BOOK WAS NOT LIKE THAT. AT ALL. It was fantastic and amazing and I love Adrian and Justine and their relationship over the years and god, these kids. THESE KIDS. MY HEARTTTTTT.
"I liked you as a pretty young girl." He let men and women brush past on either side of him and only looked at her. "I like the woman you became better than the girl you were. I like the story you've written on your face."
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
May 4, 2020
May 2020: I had no problems rereading anything set in this world, which (for me, at least) is notable for this time. This world is so meticulously, impressively constructed, and The Black Hawk and Rogue Spy back to back are just - stellar.
September 2015: Reread this this morning, and it is even more fabulous than I remembered. And I think it's because there are real stakes: no manufactured drama, but two very smart people on different sides. They both do a lot of growing, and they both stay absolutely recognizable, and there's something very wish-fulfillmenty and charming about them carrying a torch for each other through everything. It's a foregone conclusion, and the structure only adds to that - but what romance isn't?
September 2015: Reread this this morning, and it is even more fabulous than I remembered. And I think it's because there are real stakes: no manufactured drama, but two very smart people on different sides. They both do a lot of growing, and they both stay absolutely recognizable, and there's something very wish-fulfillmenty and charming about them carrying a torch for each other through everything. It's a foregone conclusion, and the structure only adds to that - but what romance isn't?
April 13, 2018
Enjoyed it but didn’t love it. On to the next in the series.
February 12, 2018
This is even better than Bourne'sTHE FORBIDDEN ROSE. It's wonderfully romantic, with palpable love between the hero and heroine, yet exciting as a spy adventure at the same time.
The hero, Adrian Hawker, former boy thief and pickpocket in the slums of St. Giles, years ago was recruited as a spy for England, and now, in 1818, is head of the British Intelligence Services. The heroine is Justine de Cabrillac, daughter of French aristocrats turned spy for France. They have a long history together since their early teens in Paris, sometimes working together, sometimes working against each other.
Ordinarily I'm not fond of spy stories in historical romances. They're usually not done well, are a bit far-fetched or silly, and are just there to fill up the extra pages that the romance and sexual encounters don't use. But in a Joanna Bourne novel, the intrigue and spying is integral to the whole romance and storyline, is well written and it's pretty obvious that she knows her France of the late 1700s and early 1800s.
I found the writing to be excellent, the intrigue element, taking place in 1818 London with flashbacks to earlier incidents in Paris, to be very interesting, and the love story element was just the way I like my romances to read. It's a great book.
The hero, Adrian Hawker, former boy thief and pickpocket in the slums of St. Giles, years ago was recruited as a spy for England, and now, in 1818, is head of the British Intelligence Services. The heroine is Justine de Cabrillac, daughter of French aristocrats turned spy for France. They have a long history together since their early teens in Paris, sometimes working together, sometimes working against each other.
Ordinarily I'm not fond of spy stories in historical romances. They're usually not done well, are a bit far-fetched or silly, and are just there to fill up the extra pages that the romance and sexual encounters don't use. But in a Joanna Bourne novel, the intrigue and spying is integral to the whole romance and storyline, is well written and it's pretty obvious that she knows her France of the late 1700s and early 1800s.
I found the writing to be excellent, the intrigue element, taking place in 1818 London with flashbacks to earlier incidents in Paris, to be very interesting, and the love story element was just the way I like my romances to read. It's a great book.
August 24, 2011
I just finished reading an ARC of this book and I have that happy, afterglow feeling you get when you finish a rich and satisfying story. It's Joanna Bourne's best book yet. Adrian Hawker is just an absolutely fascinating character, one of the best in romance, and he's matched with Justine who is totally his equal in complexity.
March 13, 2012
http://youtu.be/JDxzBjDKYv0 - (I had to attach this link, I was thinking about this song almost the entire time I read this book, "For Your Eyes Only")
To say I Love This Book would be an understatement. There are no words to say how much I enjoyed this book - Adrian's story - finally!!! This is the last in the series, and I loved the first one (The Spymaster's Lady) but this one takes the cake - oh, my goodness, it is so delicious...
Adrian aka The Black Hawk has been my favorite character all along. I wasn't sure about Justine - she has many, many demons in her past - but I liked her character in The Forbidden Rose, especially her relationship with her younger sister. This story slightly overlaps TFB but is essentially the same time period: the end of the Revolution, Robespierre has been put to death, and it's a time of great change in France. Things are still French v English and there is little if any security. The time period goes from present to past to present throughout and was not difficult to follow (It spans about 25 years and I think they are both 37 at the end).
When Adrian and Justine initially meet they are both about 13 years old, working as spies for their country, both orphans, and both as tough as nails. Justine is working for the Secret Police and has knowledge of a terrible situation involving children that will be sold into slavery/prostitution. Justine approaches Adrian to help get these children - called Caches - freed. While Adrian has no direct interest in this, he cannot help but involve himself. This rescue mission has integral link to story. They do not become romantically involved at this point, but see each other from time to time over the years.
Justine realized that Adrian is the only man she can and will ever trust - she decides she wants a relationship with him. Honestly, knowing all she went through, it seemed unlikely that it would be possible for her to be intimate again with a man. But with her holding all the cards, she sets out to conquer her fears. Wow, Adrian is the man! Even though they are both still very young at this point - maybe 16? - Adrian is just what she needed.
'Awker. AHHH!!! Loved it when she called him that. He calls her Owl. Ms. Bourne does an amazing job making the reader feel like we're in France with the scenery and the accents. It felt very authentic.
These two make such a good couple, but with the war and being enemy spies, things take many years to resolve. Adrian loved her with such an intensity - and Justine loved him, but was more paralyzed with her fears and insecurities - that at times, I hurt for him. And her too because that must stink to know your soul mate but not be able to have him at your side.
So much goes on in this book that I didn't highlight - all I can say is - READ IT!!! It's not pure romance, though - in fact, it's probably more a murder mystery/historical fiction with a strong romance element. Loved this one so much. And now what? Is Ms. Bourne going to put out another story soon? Please, I hope so:)
To say I Love This Book would be an understatement. There are no words to say how much I enjoyed this book - Adrian's story - finally!!! This is the last in the series, and I loved the first one (The Spymaster's Lady) but this one takes the cake - oh, my goodness, it is so delicious...
Adrian aka The Black Hawk has been my favorite character all along. I wasn't sure about Justine - she has many, many demons in her past - but I liked her character in The Forbidden Rose, especially her relationship with her younger sister. This story slightly overlaps TFB but is essentially the same time period: the end of the Revolution, Robespierre has been put to death, and it's a time of great change in France. Things are still French v English and there is little if any security. The time period goes from present to past to present throughout and was not difficult to follow (It spans about 25 years and I think they are both 37 at the end).
When Adrian and Justine initially meet they are both about 13 years old, working as spies for their country, both orphans, and both as tough as nails. Justine is working for the Secret Police and has knowledge of a terrible situation involving children that will be sold into slavery/prostitution. Justine approaches Adrian to help get these children - called Caches - freed. While Adrian has no direct interest in this, he cannot help but involve himself. This rescue mission has integral link to story. They do not become romantically involved at this point, but see each other from time to time over the years.
Justine realized that Adrian is the only man she can and will ever trust - she decides she wants a relationship with him. Honestly, knowing all she went through, it seemed unlikely that it would be possible for her to be intimate again with a man. But with her holding all the cards, she sets out to conquer her fears. Wow, Adrian is the man! Even though they are both still very young at this point - maybe 16? - Adrian is just what she needed.
'Awker. AHHH!!! Loved it when she called him that. He calls her Owl. Ms. Bourne does an amazing job making the reader feel like we're in France with the scenery and the accents. It felt very authentic.
These two make such a good couple, but with the war and being enemy spies, things take many years to resolve. Adrian loved her with such an intensity - and Justine loved him, but was more paralyzed with her fears and insecurities - that at times, I hurt for him. And her too because that must stink to know your soul mate but not be able to have him at your side.
So much goes on in this book that I didn't highlight - all I can say is - READ IT!!! It's not pure romance, though - in fact, it's probably more a murder mystery/historical fiction with a strong romance element. Loved this one so much. And now what? Is Ms. Bourne going to put out another story soon? Please, I hope so:)
February 24, 2012
Finally, Hawker! Great Installment in Spymaster Series!
The latest installment in Bourne’s Spymaster series is a good one. Finally we have Adrian’s (Hawker) story. We met Sir Adrian Hawkhurst in prior episodes, always a charmer, always a man who loved women. We also caught a glimpse of the French girl, Justine DeCabrillac. Both are spies and once they were lovers. She was in the French Secret Service and Adrian, now head of British Intelligence, worked for England. After being separated for over 15 years, Adrian is happy to have her back in his bed but he didn’t count on her arriving there half dead with a wound caused by one of his own black knives. But that is where she ends up when an assassin tries to kill her—an attempt to frame him for murder.
Bourne does a great job of showing us how the characters of Justine and Hawk were forged in the fire of difficult circumstances early in life and then shaped by deep rents in history. We knew Hawker’s woman would have to be unusual, right? Well, she is! The action is complex and there are many players. You have to be awake to hold all that is happening in your head. Some of our favorites, Doyle and Pax, return for special appearances.
Though they first met in the French Revolution when they were still children really, Hawker and Justine grew up to be talented and smart agents with a lot to offer their countries. The story is told through a series of flashbacks as their paths keep crossing. (You have to be willing to jump around to get the full picture.) My only negative is the time they were separated—years. I didn’t like it when, after 5 years of being lovers, Justine suddenly ends their relationship because she finds he means too much to her. Then they aren’t together again until their late 30s when we finally catch up with them in 1818, which was a bit sad, really. So many lost years. Unusual for a romance. (Was he celibate all those years? No, I didn’t think so either…) Still, it’s a well-written, interesting tale, and includes the kind of historic detail (France and England from 1794-1818) we have come to love in Bourne’s work.
The series so far—all recommended:
MY LORD AND SPYMASTER (London 1811) - 2008
THE SPYMASTER’S LADY (France and England 1802) - 2010
THE FORBIDDEN ROSE (France 1794) - 2010
THE BLACK HAWK (Paris, beginning in 1794 (seen in flashbacks) and London 1818) – 2011
I recommend reading The Forbidden Rose first as it’s something of a prequel to the others. And, of course, this latest one jumps around quite a bit (1818 to 1794 to 1797 to 1818 to 1802 to 1818).
The latest installment in Bourne’s Spymaster series is a good one. Finally we have Adrian’s (Hawker) story. We met Sir Adrian Hawkhurst in prior episodes, always a charmer, always a man who loved women. We also caught a glimpse of the French girl, Justine DeCabrillac. Both are spies and once they were lovers. She was in the French Secret Service and Adrian, now head of British Intelligence, worked for England. After being separated for over 15 years, Adrian is happy to have her back in his bed but he didn’t count on her arriving there half dead with a wound caused by one of his own black knives. But that is where she ends up when an assassin tries to kill her—an attempt to frame him for murder.
Bourne does a great job of showing us how the characters of Justine and Hawk were forged in the fire of difficult circumstances early in life and then shaped by deep rents in history. We knew Hawker’s woman would have to be unusual, right? Well, she is! The action is complex and there are many players. You have to be awake to hold all that is happening in your head. Some of our favorites, Doyle and Pax, return for special appearances.
Though they first met in the French Revolution when they were still children really, Hawker and Justine grew up to be talented and smart agents with a lot to offer their countries. The story is told through a series of flashbacks as their paths keep crossing. (You have to be willing to jump around to get the full picture.) My only negative is the time they were separated—years. I didn’t like it when, after 5 years of being lovers, Justine suddenly ends their relationship because she finds he means too much to her. Then they aren’t together again until their late 30s when we finally catch up with them in 1818, which was a bit sad, really. So many lost years. Unusual for a romance. (Was he celibate all those years? No, I didn’t think so either…) Still, it’s a well-written, interesting tale, and includes the kind of historic detail (France and England from 1794-1818) we have come to love in Bourne’s work.
The series so far—all recommended:
MY LORD AND SPYMASTER (London 1811) - 2008
THE SPYMASTER’S LADY (France and England 1802) - 2010
THE FORBIDDEN ROSE (France 1794) - 2010
THE BLACK HAWK (Paris, beginning in 1794 (seen in flashbacks) and London 1818) – 2011
I recommend reading The Forbidden Rose first as it’s something of a prequel to the others. And, of course, this latest one jumps around quite a bit (1818 to 1794 to 1797 to 1818 to 1802 to 1818).
January 16, 2012
3.5 stars. I have a hard time articulating my thoughts on this one, because it's not really romance novel shaped. Most of the relationship drama occurs in flashback, and the bits in the present of the novel are what would normally be a crisis and denouement. However, there's a mystery in the present that has a whole arc, with roots in some of the flashback bits but mostly taking place in the present. If that makes any sense whatsoever. So this book didn't read like the typical romance novel, which throws off my ability to make a judgement.
I love Hawker. He was my favorite character in Bourne's previous novels, so I was thrilled to read his story. I liked Justine too. However, for someone who, we are repeatedly told, is an awesome, kickass, independent spy lady, she defers to Hawker way too much. Anytime they're together, he's the one being clever and figuring things out and calling the shots on their course of action, and that was not cool with me. But...it was Hawker, and I still love him.
I also, I must confess, hate extended flashbacks. I didn't particularly enjoy Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, largely for that reason. I would probably have loved this book if it had been told in proper chronological order. The resulting novel would have been even less romance novel shaped than this one, since the flashbacks date back to when Justine and Hawker were in their early teens, but there was plenty of spy drama and derring do, which I love.
Overall, I hoped for better than this for Hawker's story, but Joanna Bourne is still one of my favorite romance authors--no one can match her for exciting plot in the realm of historical romance.
I love Hawker. He was my favorite character in Bourne's previous novels, so I was thrilled to read his story. I liked Justine too. However, for someone who, we are repeatedly told, is an awesome, kickass, independent spy lady, she defers to Hawker way too much. Anytime they're together, he's the one being clever and figuring things out and calling the shots on their course of action, and that was not cool with me. But...it was Hawker, and I still love him.
I also, I must confess, hate extended flashbacks. I didn't particularly enjoy Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, largely for that reason. I would probably have loved this book if it had been told in proper chronological order. The resulting novel would have been even less romance novel shaped than this one, since the flashbacks date back to when Justine and Hawker were in their early teens, but there was plenty of spy drama and derring do, which I love.
Overall, I hoped for better than this for Hawker's story, but Joanna Bourne is still one of my favorite romance authors--no one can match her for exciting plot in the realm of historical romance.
Read
March 2, 2022DNF 25%- I really was looking forward to this book. Hawker is my favorite character in the series. But Justine is a survivor of rape and sexual abuse. She was in a brothel as a child and her abuse is very graphically described often. I was listening to the audio and maybe that's worse since the words are pouring into my ears and I can't skim over them. I feel like this book needs a giant TW. I am not easily triggered and this was a hard pass for me.
December 4, 2021
Allá por el año 2015, cuando
publiqué crítica de esta novela en mi blog, dije que «no se me ocurre nada, pero nada de nada, más… explosivo e inmenso, que ilumine toda la cúpula celeste, que la historia de Adrian y Justine. Inmejorable. Perfecto en su género».
Hay autoras que publican cientos de libros, unos mejores, otros peores. Otras se centran en unos pocos. Eso ha hecho Joanna Bourne. Quitando aquella novelita gótica de los ochenta, su producción se resume en esta serie de los Spymasters, libros increíblemente buenos todos y cada uno de ellos. Y la cumbre es, para mi, este, el de Adrian, personaje que roba las escenas a los demás en los otros libros. Es EL héroe de los Spymaster. Un tipo que, según definió la propia Joanna Bourne, «Es letal y sarcástico y quizá demasiado inclinado a clavarle cuchillos a la gente. Naturalmente, es el material del que están hechos los héroes románticos».
Por resumir un poco de qué va la historia de esta novela, os cuento. Acabada la Guerra, la espía Justine resulta incómoda en la vieja-nueva Francia. Paradójicamente, ha encontrado refugio en Inglaterra. Cuando la apuñalan en plena calle, consigue llegar, más muerta que viva, al cuartel general de los espías británicos. Cuyo jefe no es otro que Sir Adrian Hawkhurst.
En varios flashbacks rememoran los encuentros pasados de Justine y Adrian. Veinticuatro años de relación que no siempre te presentan de forma cronológica. Tienes que estar atenta para reconstruir en tu cabeza su historia romántica. Sí, es slow reading, tienes que prestar atención a cada palabra. Hay intriga política, también descubrir quién está detrás del apuñalamiento, pero por supuesto tiene momentos muy sensuales, diálogos inteligentes entre dos personajes sobresalientes, muchas veces resignados ante los contratiempos de esta perra vida. Ay, Adrian.
publiqué crítica de esta novela en mi blog, dije que «no se me ocurre nada, pero nada de nada, más… explosivo e inmenso, que ilumine toda la cúpula celeste, que la historia de Adrian y Justine. Inmejorable. Perfecto en su género».
Hay autoras que publican cientos de libros, unos mejores, otros peores. Otras se centran en unos pocos. Eso ha hecho Joanna Bourne. Quitando aquella novelita gótica de los ochenta, su producción se resume en esta serie de los Spymasters, libros increíblemente buenos todos y cada uno de ellos. Y la cumbre es, para mi, este, el de Adrian, personaje que roba las escenas a los demás en los otros libros. Es EL héroe de los Spymaster. Un tipo que, según definió la propia Joanna Bourne, «Es letal y sarcástico y quizá demasiado inclinado a clavarle cuchillos a la gente. Naturalmente, es el material del que están hechos los héroes románticos».
Por resumir un poco de qué va la historia de esta novela, os cuento. Acabada la Guerra, la espía Justine resulta incómoda en la vieja-nueva Francia. Paradójicamente, ha encontrado refugio en Inglaterra. Cuando la apuñalan en plena calle, consigue llegar, más muerta que viva, al cuartel general de los espías británicos. Cuyo jefe no es otro que Sir Adrian Hawkhurst.
En varios flashbacks rememoran los encuentros pasados de Justine y Adrian. Veinticuatro años de relación que no siempre te presentan de forma cronológica. Tienes que estar atenta para reconstruir en tu cabeza su historia romántica. Sí, es slow reading, tienes que prestar atención a cada palabra. Hay intriga política, también descubrir quién está detrás del apuñalamiento, pero por supuesto tiene momentos muy sensuales, diálogos inteligentes entre dos personajes sobresalientes, muchas veces resignados ante los contratiempos de esta perra vida. Ay, Adrian.
December 15, 2025
Give me a man who doesn’t care that we’re enemies and always has my back any day, anytime, anywhere. Even after I shoot him 😻
November 5, 2011
Finally we get Hawker’s book and it has been a long time in the making. Adrian Hawker, former thief, now mastermind spy, having trained under William Doyle. At the start of The Black Hawk, we see Adrian in his mid-30’s, and Head of the British Intelligence Service. And as goes his life, he gets drama on his doorstep. His former lover, (always his love) Justine, shows up stabbed and bleeding. Justine is a french spy, and although meeting when they were very young and cementing their union, they have found themselves as enemy spies, serving on opposite sides of the war. When they first meet, Justine is already in the Police Secrete, possibly hoping to one day recruit Hawker. But his mentor, Doyle has other plans, shaping Hawker into the brilliant spy he is today. Dragging her into his house and spy headquarters, the staff furiously works to save her. Realizing the knife has been poisoned, and that it is one of Hawker’s knives, he knows this isn’t some random stabbing. As a matter of fact, several Frenchmen in London have been dying by Hawker’s famous knives, yet he is not the one doing the stabbing. He is being set up and Justine is in the middle of it. He hasn’t seen Justine for many years – why, you ask? Well, that is something you will have to find out.
As I just mentioned, The Black Hawk starts with Adrian as the Head of the British Intelligence Service, but it quickly flashes back to when Adrian and Justine are about 13 years old. I have to admit that at first I was disappointed. For fans of this series, we spent the entire previous book, The Forbidden Rose with a teenaged Hawker. So I was done with him at that age. But, the story there is integral to the overall story arc, and looking back, I’m glad we saw him at that age with Justine. We learn of their involvement with Caches – French children brainwashed at a very young age to become spies. They are brutally treated, stripped of everything they know, groomed to be sent to England to one day integrate as spies into higher circles. I’m not going to go into too much here, but these children play an integral role in this story. It is here we also learn of Justine’s devastating past, that she had to work as a prostitute. Her time spent in that brothel crippled her and she has not let that pain go.
We don’t stay there that long, and we soon move to when Hawker and Justine are in their 20’s. Although each a spy for opposing countries, they find themselves always drawn back to the other. No matter if years have gone by or only days. They become lovers, yet always torn apart by duty. They are honorable spies – killing, and bleeding for their countries, but the precious time they have together, however sparse through the years, is so dear to them. And Hawker, ever the steadfast man, helps Justine see that she is so much more than a whore.
He knew what she was. Knew what she had done. There was no condemnation in him. He had done terrible things, himself.
He kissed her eyelids, closing her in the darkness with him. He was there with her. In the heat and solidity of his body.
In his breath on her face. In kisses on the corners of her eyes, that did not hurry. He went deep into her mouth. When men kissed her that way, she must –
“Stay with me, Owl.” His finger closed tight around her face. “Me. Not the damned ghosts.”
He tangled his fingers into her hair and held her while his mouth took hers. This time, he was not careful and gentle.
So while they have these passionate moments together, they are far and few between. Justine fears throughout that she lets her emotions best her, when it comes to Adrian (instead of keeping her head in the game), but Adrian is just as bad. He may play total nonchalance, and be the expert at fitting in in any situation, but he can’t quit her either. And at the end of it all, there is much hurt on both sides. How can these two spies that have given everything for their countries, find happiness? It’s a long, long road, and Joanna Bourne makes them work oh so very hard for it, but it is a beautiful tale. Her style of writing is so unique. Besides the great descriptive detail of the time period, as the reader you actually feel like you could be a spy right along with Hawker and Justine. She aslo slyly includes these witty remarks, that just burst a smile onto your face as you catch them.
There is also a supporting story with Hawker’s fellow spy, Pax that became so engrossing, I caught myself gasping at a few twists and turns with his plot and I believe his book is next.
What else can I say? Joanna Bourne is a favorite author of mine. I find her books exquisite and so very romantic. Her characters and storylines are complex yet warm and witty. Although this can be read as a stand alone, Hawker plays a pretty big role in the previous book, The Forbidden Rose. I also really enjoyed, The Spy Master’s Lady. I don’t think you can go wrong with this author.
Rating: A
As I just mentioned, The Black Hawk starts with Adrian as the Head of the British Intelligence Service, but it quickly flashes back to when Adrian and Justine are about 13 years old. I have to admit that at first I was disappointed. For fans of this series, we spent the entire previous book, The Forbidden Rose with a teenaged Hawker. So I was done with him at that age. But, the story there is integral to the overall story arc, and looking back, I’m glad we saw him at that age with Justine. We learn of their involvement with Caches – French children brainwashed at a very young age to become spies. They are brutally treated, stripped of everything they know, groomed to be sent to England to one day integrate as spies into higher circles. I’m not going to go into too much here, but these children play an integral role in this story. It is here we also learn of Justine’s devastating past, that she had to work as a prostitute. Her time spent in that brothel crippled her and she has not let that pain go.
We don’t stay there that long, and we soon move to when Hawker and Justine are in their 20’s. Although each a spy for opposing countries, they find themselves always drawn back to the other. No matter if years have gone by or only days. They become lovers, yet always torn apart by duty. They are honorable spies – killing, and bleeding for their countries, but the precious time they have together, however sparse through the years, is so dear to them. And Hawker, ever the steadfast man, helps Justine see that she is so much more than a whore.
He knew what she was. Knew what she had done. There was no condemnation in him. He had done terrible things, himself.
He kissed her eyelids, closing her in the darkness with him. He was there with her. In the heat and solidity of his body.
In his breath on her face. In kisses on the corners of her eyes, that did not hurry. He went deep into her mouth. When men kissed her that way, she must –
“Stay with me, Owl.” His finger closed tight around her face. “Me. Not the damned ghosts.”
He tangled his fingers into her hair and held her while his mouth took hers. This time, he was not careful and gentle.
So while they have these passionate moments together, they are far and few between. Justine fears throughout that she lets her emotions best her, when it comes to Adrian (instead of keeping her head in the game), but Adrian is just as bad. He may play total nonchalance, and be the expert at fitting in in any situation, but he can’t quit her either. And at the end of it all, there is much hurt on both sides. How can these two spies that have given everything for their countries, find happiness? It’s a long, long road, and Joanna Bourne makes them work oh so very hard for it, but it is a beautiful tale. Her style of writing is so unique. Besides the great descriptive detail of the time period, as the reader you actually feel like you could be a spy right along with Hawker and Justine. She aslo slyly includes these witty remarks, that just burst a smile onto your face as you catch them.
There is also a supporting story with Hawker’s fellow spy, Pax that became so engrossing, I caught myself gasping at a few twists and turns with his plot and I believe his book is next.
What else can I say? Joanna Bourne is a favorite author of mine. I find her books exquisite and so very romantic. Her characters and storylines are complex yet warm and witty. Although this can be read as a stand alone, Hawker plays a pretty big role in the previous book, The Forbidden Rose. I also really enjoyed, The Spy Master’s Lady. I don’t think you can go wrong with this author.
Rating: A
March 1, 2021
This is more like a 4.5, but all the other books have been 4 stars and this one just stood out among the rest. It was worthy of being rounded up. The emotion, the character development... this book consumed me. I'm really glad that I read in publishing order and not chronological order. This was all just set up perfectly for me.
March 19, 2018
Since I read The Spymaster’s Lady, I have been looking forward to reading Adrian’s story and boy, does it ever live up to my expectations!
In the “present”, he is known as Sir Adrian Hawkhurst, having been knighted for his service to the Crown and given the responsibility as Head of British Intelligence Service. He has seen and done unbelievably horrific acts. His parents are unknown; he doesn’t know the date or even year of his birth; he was a thief under Lazarus, criminal overlord in London. He now hobnobs with the beau monde, and can successfully deal with the highest statesmen, including the Prime Minister. Yet he still has a core of the insouciant, mischievous boy. In one of the previous books he told someone he was in love with a Frenchwoman - and he has been since he was about 13 years old.
She is Justine DeCabrillac, although she now calls herself Justine DuMotier. Her parents, the Comte and Comtesse DeCabrillac were killed in the Revolution when she was 11; a family friend betrayed her and put her in a brothel that catered to pedophiles. If she didn’t please, her little sister, Séverine, was whipped. Justine became a member of the Police Secrète and during her teens and twenties, went all over the world - always in the most dangerous places - spying for France. In The Forbidden Rose, Justine gave Séverine to Marguerite for her and Doyle to raise so that her enemies could never use Séverine against her.
Justine and Adrian met when they were about 13 or 14. Even though they spies for opposing teams, so to speak, they were always attracted to each other. They saw each other occasionally over the years and became lovers.
Now Justine has retired from spying and has opened a shop in London. She and Adrian have made a point to be aware of the others whereabouts and yet contrived to avoid meeting. However, when Justine learns of a conspiracy to bring Adrian down, she goes to the house on Meeks Street to warn him. On the way, she is stabbed in the arm. It turns out the knife had poison on it and it doesn’t appear that she will live.
The book jumps back and forth between the past and present, gradually revealing their story. Ms. Bourne relates a number of their adventures, but she cleverly hints at many more that aren’t included. She brings Justine and Adrian to life so that you believe they are real people.
I cannot gush enough about her writing. Her wording is so unique; her phrases are so apt and downright bloody poetic. At one point Justine and Adrian are trying to prevent the assassination of Napoleon by an Englishman, which would cause a war. They are talking and making love in the hours before dawn.
More quotes I liked: “Political revolutionaries spoke a great deal of the equality of man, while continuing to act as if servants had no ears.”
‘One may hang many hopes upon the hook of a single small decency.’
‘’There is a mighty army of what could be. Do not exhaust yourself fighting it.’
‘I know you like skin knows an itch.’
And finally, Ms. Bourne does a terrific job of setting up the next book in the series. One of the recurring characters is a spy named Thomas Paxton. He was Adrian’s rival when Adrian first joined the Service. Over the years they have become friends. In The Black Hawk, Ms. Bourne tells us Now I’m excited to read his story, Rogue Spy. I’m so glad I decided to read this series. This is the kind of historical romance I cannot get enough of! It has piqued my interest in 1800s France and I keep Googling people and events while I’m reading.
Absolutely 5 stars!
In the “present”, he is known as Sir Adrian Hawkhurst, having been knighted for his service to the Crown and given the responsibility as Head of British Intelligence Service. He has seen and done unbelievably horrific acts. His parents are unknown; he doesn’t know the date or even year of his birth; he was a thief under Lazarus, criminal overlord in London. He now hobnobs with the beau monde, and can successfully deal with the highest statesmen, including the Prime Minister. Yet he still has a core of the insouciant, mischievous boy. In one of the previous books he told someone he was in love with a Frenchwoman - and he has been since he was about 13 years old.
She is Justine DeCabrillac, although she now calls herself Justine DuMotier. Her parents, the Comte and Comtesse DeCabrillac were killed in the Revolution when she was 11; a family friend betrayed her and put her in a brothel that catered to pedophiles. If she didn’t please, her little sister, Séverine, was whipped. Justine became a member of the Police Secrète and during her teens and twenties, went all over the world - always in the most dangerous places - spying for France. In The Forbidden Rose, Justine gave Séverine to Marguerite for her and Doyle to raise so that her enemies could never use Séverine against her.
Justine and Adrian met when they were about 13 or 14. Even though they spies for opposing teams, so to speak, they were always attracted to each other. They saw each other occasionally over the years and became lovers.
Now Justine has retired from spying and has opened a shop in London. She and Adrian have made a point to be aware of the others whereabouts and yet contrived to avoid meeting. However, when Justine learns of a conspiracy to bring Adrian down, she goes to the house on Meeks Street to warn him. On the way, she is stabbed in the arm. It turns out the knife had poison on it and it doesn’t appear that she will live.
The book jumps back and forth between the past and present, gradually revealing their story. Ms. Bourne relates a number of their adventures, but she cleverly hints at many more that aren’t included. She brings Justine and Adrian to life so that you believe they are real people.
I cannot gush enough about her writing. Her wording is so unique; her phrases are so apt and downright bloody poetic. At one point Justine and Adrian are trying to prevent the assassination of Napoleon by an Englishman, which would cause a war. They are talking and making love in the hours before dawn.
’I will not be prudent,’ she whispered. ‘Death comes to us all. I will not go to meet it with small, cautious steps.’
More quotes I liked: “Political revolutionaries spoke a great deal of the equality of man, while continuing to act as if servants had no ears.”
‘One may hang many hopes upon the hook of a single small decency.’
‘’There is a mighty army of what could be. Do not exhaust yourself fighting it.’
‘I know you like skin knows an itch.’
And finally, Ms. Bourne does a terrific job of setting up the next book in the series. One of the recurring characters is a spy named Thomas Paxton. He was Adrian’s rival when Adrian first joined the Service. Over the years they have become friends. In The Black Hawk, Ms. Bourne tells us Now I’m excited to read his story, Rogue Spy. I’m so glad I decided to read this series. This is the kind of historical romance I cannot get enough of! It has piqued my interest in 1800s France and I keep Googling people and events while I’m reading.
Absolutely 5 stars!
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