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Sutton Place #2
The Silver Swan
From somewhere deep in the house a cry rang out - a cry so distressing, speaking as it did of terror and night-fright - that John Weston felt his blood chill and every hackle on his body rise. He was not a nervous man but that terrible sound brought back to his mind something that he had long ago dismissed - the legend of the curse of Sutton Place. But John Weston, the last male descendant of Sir Richard the builder, did not believe in the evil that had dogged his ancestors, and put all the ill-luck down to coincidence.
The Silver Swan tells not only his story but also that of his beautiful silverhaired daughter, Melior Mary, and her fatal desire for two men; one a strange orphan boy from Calais, the other Prince Charles Edward Stuart - the Young Pretender himself. The pages swarm with the great characters of history - Alexander Pope the deformed poet, Captain Charles Wogan the Jacobite spy, Princess Clementina Sobieski the bride of the Old Pretender and Joseph Gage the Rake Hell and dandy. All were destined to know and love Melior Mary but she was damned by the ancient spell of her mansion house.
The Silver Swan tells not only his story but also that of his beautiful silverhaired daughter, Melior Mary, and her fatal desire for two men; one a strange orphan boy from Calais, the other Prince Charles Edward Stuart - the Young Pretender himself. The pages swarm with the great characters of history - Alexander Pope the deformed poet, Captain Charles Wogan the Jacobite spy, Princess Clementina Sobieski the bride of the Old Pretender and Joseph Gage the Rake Hell and dandy. All were destined to know and love Melior Mary but she was damned by the ancient spell of her mansion house.
301 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 20, 2022
New review as of 10/20/22
I reread this, and I like it better this time around. It is the second part that drags down the first part. It still is not as good as the first one.
I got this book on vacation. There was this used bookstore about two books from my hotel (which was near a couple other bookstores). Of course, I had to check it out. I got this book for free. See, I found this book. I wasn't looking for it, didn't even do the happy book dance. You know the happy book dance, surely; the dance you do when you find that book. You clutch the book in your hands so tightly that even death wouldn't make you give it up. You might jump up and down, or you might try not to jump up and down. Well, I didn't even do that dance. But, I liked the first book in the trilogy, Sutton Place, so I figured why not. As I was checking out another section near the front, I met this young woman who was looking at the vampire books. We talked about Anita Blake. Her friend came over and asked about it. I said the early Blake books were like Buffy for adults. The friend said cool and picked up a Blake book. The owner of the store said they had Buffy books in the back, and the two ladies went to look. When I went to pay, he knocked three to four dollars off the total. I think I've missed my calling.
So why the long story? Because it's more interesting than the book. I liked the first in the series. This is dull after page 50, when the focus shifts to people who are just figures and not characters. When the plot becomes too predictable. When the language becomes too over the top. Shame really, the first book wasn’t that bad.
I reread this, and I like it better this time around. It is the second part that drags down the first part. It still is not as good as the first one.
I got this book on vacation. There was this used bookstore about two books from my hotel (which was near a couple other bookstores). Of course, I had to check it out. I got this book for free. See, I found this book. I wasn't looking for it, didn't even do the happy book dance. You know the happy book dance, surely; the dance you do when you find that book. You clutch the book in your hands so tightly that even death wouldn't make you give it up. You might jump up and down, or you might try not to jump up and down. Well, I didn't even do that dance. But, I liked the first book in the trilogy, Sutton Place, so I figured why not. As I was checking out another section near the front, I met this young woman who was looking at the vampire books. We talked about Anita Blake. Her friend came over and asked about it. I said the early Blake books were like Buffy for adults. The friend said cool and picked up a Blake book. The owner of the store said they had Buffy books in the back, and the two ladies went to look. When I went to pay, he knocked three to four dollars off the total. I think I've missed my calling.
So why the long story? Because it's more interesting than the book. I liked the first in the series. This is dull after page 50, when the focus shifts to people who are just figures and not characters. When the plot becomes too predictable. When the language becomes too over the top. Shame really, the first book wasn’t that bad.
October 1, 2016
It was alright. I liked the first one better. I will see if I can stay interested through the third one. Some of it was just contrived. However, it's almost uniformly well/properly written, has a lot of momentum, and there's occasionally a really pretty sentence. It's funny to read a bunch of historical romances now, after so many years of not - the conventions are just the same as they were when I was a teenager, I can recognize them a mile away. Not to be confused with real life. It's easy for me to say that now, but you don't know that when you're young, I think that in some ways my life was ruined by reading too many historical romances in the 70s!
August 16, 2019
Not as gripping as Sutton Place.
Bored me with regards to the Tudor and Stuart fight for the rightful crown.
I enjoyed the love triangle between Melior Mary, Hyacinth and Sibella and the fateful twist in their lives.
Bored me with regards to the Tudor and Stuart fight for the rightful crown.
I enjoyed the love triangle between Melior Mary, Hyacinth and Sibella and the fateful twist in their lives.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2020
I was drawn in from the first page, even though all the characters were new from the first book but I knew they were descendants so there was a connection. I was definitely interested in their life and the story to see how the curse would proceed. A very interesting read.
October 29, 2020
2.5 stars. On to book #3.
December 4, 2020
Good read
Enjoyed the book very much, even though the historical backdrop was not as colorful as the previous volume. Cannot wait to see how the author brings in the 20th century.
Enjoyed the book very much, even though the historical backdrop was not as colorful as the previous volume. Cannot wait to see how the author brings in the 20th century.
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February 6, 202102/05/2021
January 24, 2024
Excellent Book!
March 26, 2016
Not as good as the first book. I found the main character to be completely unsympathetic...on to the third and final book to see how Sutton Place concludes.
November 15, 2016
half way through the book the story became lifeless.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews