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Quelgheny #2
Enchanted by Magic
It was another crazy mission. Allegro and Largo thought they'd seen the toughest test that two semi-competent, always bickering fairies from the magical, musical kingdom of Quelgheny could see, but again they were being asked the impossible. Get the Duke of Chillhart, Grant Hale, to fall in love with the daughter of a criminal? Why, even if she was better than her thieving sire, even if she had fit herself into Regency society, Lauren Miller's father had incited Grant's father to kill himself! She smelled of wildflowers and her features were winsome, but would Grant see Lauren had the inner beauty to match? For these two humans to find harmony, they'd have to be . . . Enchanted by Magic.
Luckily, Allegro and Largo knew just the trick.
Luckily, Allegro and Largo knew just the trick.
- GenresHistorical Romance
305 pages, Paperback
First published December 7, 2004
7 people want to read
About the author
Gloria Harchar
9 books25 followersI write steampunk fantasy romances. You ask what in the world is steampunk? Per the Urban Dictionary, steampunk is a subgenre of speculative fiction, usually set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian alternate historical setting. In other words, it’s what the past would look like if the future had happened sooner. Steampunk includes fiction with science fiction, fantasy or horror themes. Add steam era technology to make highly complicated, advanced machines, and you have a steampunk novel.
Still confused? Think movies like Wild, Wild West, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Van Helsing, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Hell Boy, Sleepy Hollow, Young Sherlock Holmes, Stardust, City of Ember, and Time After Time. If you’re into anime, you’re probably familiar with Howl’s Moving Castle, Full-Metal Alchemist, and Steamboy, all are representative of steampunk.
To flavor the feeling of a steampunk setting, I like to involve the proper speech of the British in an alternate Victorian era. Victorian times included the Enlightenment Period, where the Crown encouraged inventions and forward-thinking. So much was discovered. Some of the discoveries were not recognized and fell to the wayside in favor of others, which were developed and enhanced. What if the dirigible had been favored over the airplane? What would the world have been like? What developments could have been done to a dirigible that were neglected in favor of the development and advancements of the aerodynamic airplane? What about cars? What if gasoline was never used, but instead other forms of energy was employed? Lighter fuel to make steam. I have fun calling cars by names I invented—such as the steamcoup or the steamphaeton—a spinoff of the tall carriages driven in the Regency era. In The Copper Tuners I have one of the characters invent a jetpack that he calls a HaloJet, which runs on hydrogen.
Another way to add texture to a Steampunk setting is playing with fashion. Remember, this is an alternate world: history follows a different timeline. It can be slightly or vastly different. Corsets can be worn over dresses; skirts can be frivolous and they can be short or long. Women can wear knickers. Shoes can have buckles, or lace, or both. Women can wear Wellington or Hessian boots with the dresses. Men can wear top hats decorated with gears and cogs. My heroines wear top hats too, but decorated with lace and other frippery. I also like to have a female character in a derby, or even an Admiral’s tricorne.
Guns are blunderbusses, or rayguns. Swords can be made with different alloys, or even turned into electric, or laser swords. Add fantasy into the mix and I can invent all kinds of fun gadgets!
If you’re visual like me, go to http://pinterest.com/gloriaharchar/ to see examples of steampunk gadgets and fashions.
Comments: Gloria Harchar has two Bachelor’s degrees: One in Education with a concentration in English and the other in Accounting. And a Master’s of Science degree in Instructional Design and Technology. Her love is writing romance, and being able to write the stories that are begging to be told! Her steampunk series is called The Lumière Chronicles. Her latest, The Copper Tuners, is now available here.
Still confused? Think movies like Wild, Wild West, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Van Helsing, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Hell Boy, Sleepy Hollow, Young Sherlock Holmes, Stardust, City of Ember, and Time After Time. If you’re into anime, you’re probably familiar with Howl’s Moving Castle, Full-Metal Alchemist, and Steamboy, all are representative of steampunk.
To flavor the feeling of a steampunk setting, I like to involve the proper speech of the British in an alternate Victorian era. Victorian times included the Enlightenment Period, where the Crown encouraged inventions and forward-thinking. So much was discovered. Some of the discoveries were not recognized and fell to the wayside in favor of others, which were developed and enhanced. What if the dirigible had been favored over the airplane? What would the world have been like? What developments could have been done to a dirigible that were neglected in favor of the development and advancements of the aerodynamic airplane? What about cars? What if gasoline was never used, but instead other forms of energy was employed? Lighter fuel to make steam. I have fun calling cars by names I invented—such as the steamcoup or the steamphaeton—a spinoff of the tall carriages driven in the Regency era. In The Copper Tuners I have one of the characters invent a jetpack that he calls a HaloJet, which runs on hydrogen.
Another way to add texture to a Steampunk setting is playing with fashion. Remember, this is an alternate world: history follows a different timeline. It can be slightly or vastly different. Corsets can be worn over dresses; skirts can be frivolous and they can be short or long. Women can wear knickers. Shoes can have buckles, or lace, or both. Women can wear Wellington or Hessian boots with the dresses. Men can wear top hats decorated with gears and cogs. My heroines wear top hats too, but decorated with lace and other frippery. I also like to have a female character in a derby, or even an Admiral’s tricorne.
Guns are blunderbusses, or rayguns. Swords can be made with different alloys, or even turned into electric, or laser swords. Add fantasy into the mix and I can invent all kinds of fun gadgets!
If you’re visual like me, go to http://pinterest.com/gloriaharchar/ to see examples of steampunk gadgets and fashions.
Comments: Gloria Harchar has two Bachelor’s degrees: One in Education with a concentration in English and the other in Accounting. And a Master’s of Science degree in Instructional Design and Technology. Her love is writing romance, and being able to write the stories that are begging to be told! Her steampunk series is called The Lumière Chronicles. Her latest, The Copper Tuners, is now available here.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 17, 2023
The hero needs funds after his fathers was betrayed by a friend and committed suicide and his brother gambling away the money they do have. But his grandmothers will state that he must marry a stranger in order to fulfill her last will and testament.
The heroine at first wanted nothing but the ruby kept by the hero's family but promised to her by her birthright. But in her bid to steal the gem, she found herself attached to the grandmother but never did she expect to be old off to the grandson. With her sister kidnapped and held for ransom, she needs money and her knowledge of how to survive on the streets more than she needs marriage. Especially to such an arrogant man.
The hero, once an interrogator of spies in the war, is a powerful presence and puts the fear of god into anyone unfortunate enough to anger him. This includes the heroine but she does have spunk and a desperation to save her sister. So, she makes a deal with him to marry only if she has an allowance of her own. From the first moment they meet that hero knows she's lying to him about who she is and who her family is.
And I think she knows deep down that the hero knows but it aggravated me that even up to the end she maintained all these lies. It was what your mother or father always told you. Don't lie to them. They know the truth and you're only making it worse on yourself. That was how I felt about the heroine. And the hero, felt betrayed by the heroine because of it. Even when she told him she loved him and didn't reciprocate the feelings because he knew she was keeping secrets. I liked that about him. He came care for his wife and protect her with everything he has but he's not stupid. And he's not going to pretend all the lies said to him are ok. Overall, I enjoyed this book though it did bounce around a lot and had a bit of a muddled plot line involving fairy's and trolls at the end that really could have had nothing to do with the historical romance story that was the real focus.
The heroine at first wanted nothing but the ruby kept by the hero's family but promised to her by her birthright. But in her bid to steal the gem, she found herself attached to the grandmother but never did she expect to be old off to the grandson. With her sister kidnapped and held for ransom, she needs money and her knowledge of how to survive on the streets more than she needs marriage. Especially to such an arrogant man.
The hero, once an interrogator of spies in the war, is a powerful presence and puts the fear of god into anyone unfortunate enough to anger him. This includes the heroine but she does have spunk and a desperation to save her sister. So, she makes a deal with him to marry only if she has an allowance of her own. From the first moment they meet that hero knows she's lying to him about who she is and who her family is.
And I think she knows deep down that the hero knows but it aggravated me that even up to the end she maintained all these lies. It was what your mother or father always told you. Don't lie to them. They know the truth and you're only making it worse on yourself. That was how I felt about the heroine. And the hero, felt betrayed by the heroine because of it. Even when she told him she loved him and didn't reciprocate the feelings because he knew she was keeping secrets. I liked that about him. He came care for his wife and protect her with everything he has but he's not stupid. And he's not going to pretend all the lies said to him are ok. Overall, I enjoyed this book though it did bounce around a lot and had a bit of a muddled plot line involving fairy's and trolls at the end that really could have had nothing to do with the historical romance story that was the real focus.
May 16, 2009
Another "faerie" tale starring pixies Allegro and Largo...
The distrustful Duke (Grant) must marry Lauren Miller in order to collect his inheritance. What he doesn't know is that Lauren is the daughter of the man who inadvertantly caused the Duke's father's death. Lauren's sister has been kidnapped and Lauren must steal a jewel from the Duke in order to rescue her. Hence the marriage between them.
This is a tough book to get into as the Duke is a pompous ass and Lauren is telling lies left and right. It eventually gets better but a really slow start. The faerie elements are rather fun and amusing though.
The distrustful Duke (Grant) must marry Lauren Miller in order to collect his inheritance. What he doesn't know is that Lauren is the daughter of the man who inadvertantly caused the Duke's father's death. Lauren's sister has been kidnapped and Lauren must steal a jewel from the Duke in order to rescue her. Hence the marriage between them.
This is a tough book to get into as the Duke is a pompous ass and Lauren is telling lies left and right. It eventually gets better but a really slow start. The faerie elements are rather fun and amusing though.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews