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Castle #1
Una luz en la ventana
Cuando se ve obligada a partir hacia el castillo de lord Peter, lady Saura Roget tiene la esperanza de que se trate del cambio de vida con el que ha soñado. Su gris existencia bajo el dominio de su cruel padrastro dará por fin un vuelco. O al menos es lo que ella cree. Al llegar a su nueva residencia, conoce a sir William de Miraval, el heredero de lord Peter. Descuidado y con pocos modales, nada tiene sentido para William desde que perdió la vista. Su ceguera le ha hecho perder casi todo el contacto con la realidad. Encerrado en su propio mundo, el noble no entiende por qué su padre ha traído a esta mujer a la casa. Una joven que parece una monja por sus hábitos y educación, pero con una personalidad fuerte y determinada, que intenta imponerse en cada rincón del castillo. El tiempo que comparten le permiten conocerla cada vez más, hasta sentir que se convierte en la luz que lo vuelve a conectar con lo que le rodea.
544 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1991
156 people are currently reading
1851 people want to read
About the author
Christina Dodd
100 books5,908 followersUpcoming:
— 6/30/26 TEACH THE TORCHES TO BURN: Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #3 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
New and Now!
—MUCH ADO ABOUT MISTLETOE: Daughter of Montague Christmas novella https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— THUS WITH A KISS I DIE Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #2
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA Historical Fiction Trade Paperback Once upon a time a young couple met and fell in love. You probably know that story, and how it ended (hint: badly). Only here’s the thing: That’s not how it ended at all…
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
— WELCOME TO GOTHIC: A Gothic novella in ebook (at last!) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— WHAT DREAMS MAY COME Daughter of Montague novella 1.5 "I’m the daughter of Romeo and Juliet. Yes, that Romeo and Juliet. No, they didn’t die in the tomb…" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— GIRL ANONYMOUS “Crackling sexual chemistry and a few love scenes guaranteed to scorch readers’ fingers as they turn the pages." — ⭐️ Booklist
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Readers become writers, and Christina has always been a reader. Ultimately she discovered she liked to read romance best because the relationship between a man and a woman is always humorous. A woman wants world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants a Craftsman router, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will make his bald spot disappear.
When Christina’s first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?
Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before she was published. Now her suspense, paranormal, historical, and mystery novels have been translated into 30 languages and sold more than 15 million copies in print. Praised for her “brilliantly etched characters, polished writing, and unexpected flashes of sharp humor that are pure Dodd” (Booklist), her award-winning books have landed on numerous Best of the Year lists and, much to her mother's delight, Dodd was once a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest, where her 700 lavender plants share the yard with her husband’s various “Big Projects,” including a treehouse, zipline, and their very own Stonehenge.
Enter Christina’s worlds and join her mailing list for humor, book news and entertainment (yes, she’s the proud author with the infamous three-armed cover) at christinadodd.com. For more information on A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA, visit daughterofmontague.com. Her legions of fans know that when they pick up a Christina Dodd book, they'll find the story, "Wildly entertaining, wickedly witty!"
Christina is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools.
(Source: http://www.christinadodd.com )
— 6/30/26 TEACH THE TORCHES TO BURN: Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #3 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
New and Now!
—MUCH ADO ABOUT MISTLETOE: Daughter of Montague Christmas novella https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— THUS WITH A KISS I DIE Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #2
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA Historical Fiction Trade Paperback Once upon a time a young couple met and fell in love. You probably know that story, and how it ended (hint: badly). Only here’s the thing: That’s not how it ended at all…
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
— WELCOME TO GOTHIC: A Gothic novella in ebook (at last!) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— WHAT DREAMS MAY COME Daughter of Montague novella 1.5 "I’m the daughter of Romeo and Juliet. Yes, that Romeo and Juliet. No, they didn’t die in the tomb…" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— GIRL ANONYMOUS “Crackling sexual chemistry and a few love scenes guaranteed to scorch readers’ fingers as they turn the pages." — ⭐️ Booklist
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Readers become writers, and Christina has always been a reader. Ultimately she discovered she liked to read romance best because the relationship between a man and a woman is always humorous. A woman wants world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants a Craftsman router, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will make his bald spot disappear.
When Christina’s first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?
Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before she was published. Now her suspense, paranormal, historical, and mystery novels have been translated into 30 languages and sold more than 15 million copies in print. Praised for her “brilliantly etched characters, polished writing, and unexpected flashes of sharp humor that are pure Dodd” (Booklist), her award-winning books have landed on numerous Best of the Year lists and, much to her mother's delight, Dodd was once a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest, where her 700 lavender plants share the yard with her husband’s various “Big Projects,” including a treehouse, zipline, and their very own Stonehenge.
Enter Christina’s worlds and join her mailing list for humor, book news and entertainment (yes, she’s the proud author with the infamous three-armed cover) at christinadodd.com. For more information on A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA, visit daughterofmontague.com. Her legions of fans know that when they pick up a Christina Dodd book, they'll find the story, "Wildly entertaining, wickedly witty!"
Christina is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools.
(Source: http://www.christinadodd.com )
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews
October 22, 2017
Madre del amor hermoso por fin he terminado de leer este libro, me ha costado la vida!
No me ha gustado nada, es que no habido nada que pueda salvar... Bueno si, el perro de la familia.Es lo único que me ha gustado y ha resultado ser lo mejor de ahí, por que por lo demás, telita...
Los personajes de esta historia no sabes por donde cogerlo, tanto él como ella dejan mucho que desear, la historia me ha parecido surrealista.
Luego había frases que te dejaba con las patas colgando, hay partes que te explican un poco de "Historia" que te quedas igual por que no te enteras de nada.
En fin deseando poder leer otra cosa y sacarme esta historia de la cabeza pero YA!!!
Gracias a Paty una vez más por acompañarme en la LC jajajaja
No me ha gustado nada, es que no habido nada que pueda salvar... Bueno si, el perro de la familia.Es lo único que me ha gustado y ha resultado ser lo mejor de ahí, por que por lo demás, telita...
Los personajes de esta historia no sabes por donde cogerlo, tanto él como ella dejan mucho que desear, la historia me ha parecido surrealista.
Luego había frases que te dejaba con las patas colgando, hay partes que te explican un poco de "Historia" que te quedas igual por que no te enteras de nada.
En fin deseando poder leer otra cosa y sacarme esta historia de la cabeza pero YA!!!
Gracias a Paty una vez más por acompañarme en la LC jajajaja
August 30, 2021
Esta no es mi tipo de literatura se me hizo toda una tortura leerlo, una historia misógina y sin gracia.
Video reseña completa en:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTFiz7IAP7t/
Video reseña completa en:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTFiz7IAP7t/
February 6, 2017
Could you imagine being blind in the medieval times? That’s the theme around which Christina Dodd composes her great Candle in the Window. I enjoyed the fresh perspective, its unique characters and the challenges they have to weather. It’s a romance, a mystery and a thriller all in one. I also appreciated reading, even if superficially, about that difficult period of England’s history.
Lady Saura de Roget was born blind and during her young life has struggled for independence despite her drawbacks, with a high degree of success. At nineteen she lives with her stepfather and endures his abuse. She’s strong, smart and despite it all self-sufficient. I loved her for her positive attitude.
Sir William de Miraval, on the other hand, is blinded in battle and has a hard time accepting what happened to him, muddling in self-pity. He is a strong, powerful and cunning warrior, committed to his family if with a bit of temper. He was used to a way of life that suddenly is no more. I found him engaging in his own way.
His father, having met Lady Saura, brings her home to teach his son how to adapt to his new life, how to ‘see again’. Great hero and heroine, I loved them both! It was entertaining, and funny at times, to see as their romance builds up. She brings William out of his depression, but soon there are duplicitous plots brewing that places them in danger.
Recommended, enjoy it!
Lady Saura de Roget was born blind and during her young life has struggled for independence despite her drawbacks, with a high degree of success. At nineteen she lives with her stepfather and endures his abuse. She’s strong, smart and despite it all self-sufficient. I loved her for her positive attitude.
Sir William de Miraval, on the other hand, is blinded in battle and has a hard time accepting what happened to him, muddling in self-pity. He is a strong, powerful and cunning warrior, committed to his family if with a bit of temper. He was used to a way of life that suddenly is no more. I found him engaging in his own way.
His father, having met Lady Saura, brings her home to teach his son how to adapt to his new life, how to ‘see again’. Great hero and heroine, I loved them both! It was entertaining, and funny at times, to see as their romance builds up. She brings William out of his depression, but soon there are duplicitous plots brewing that places them in danger.
Recommended, enjoy it!
November 15, 2014
I liked this one. I didn't see any 'rape' scenes at all in this so am not sure where some readers are coming from. I enjoyed all of this esp. the hero being besotted with the heroine before she knew her feelings. This is pretty opposite to what most hist.romances do where the man is always the last to discover he is in love.
The chemistry was good and the heroine being blind worked really well. The only clanger for me was that sometimes Saura was confident and other times she was supposedly insecure about herself. However, IMO, this is true for most of us in any given day. There may very well be situations where we feel completely confident and then another day, for whatever reasons, it is all a bit much. This just didn't always gel smoothly in the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one though.
The chemistry was good and the heroine being blind worked really well. The only clanger for me was that sometimes Saura was confident and other times she was supposedly insecure about herself. However, IMO, this is true for most of us in any given day. There may very well be situations where we feel completely confident and then another day, for whatever reasons, it is all a bit much. This just didn't always gel smoothly in the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one though.
March 1, 2020
After my bad times with Castles In The Air, I decided to re-read this. Sorry Ms. Dodd, you got a downgrade.
Infinitely better that C/A, it doesn't quite rate a 4 star for me.
Nicely perfect heroine that is blind, cranky and hunky hero that is blind for a while. Just too much wench chasing for me.
I think I'd rather read Yours Until Dawn that also has a blind hero.
Infinitely better that C/A, it doesn't quite rate a 4 star for me.
Nicely perfect heroine that is blind, cranky and hunky hero that is blind for a while. Just too much wench chasing for me.
I think I'd rather read Yours Until Dawn that also has a blind hero.
February 13, 2018
#RetoRita
Más bien 1.5/5
Tengo poco que decir, otro #Ritamierder más.
Más bien 1.5/5
Tengo poco que decir, otro #Ritamierder más.
May 3, 2016
Me he animado a darle las 5 estrellas pese a que dista mucho de ser perfecto, pero ha sido un libro con el que he disfrutado toda la lectura.
Había leído 3 o 4 libros antes de Christina Dodd, pero ninguno me había llenado o enganchado como lo ha hecho éste. Pese a que es un libro larguete se lee bastante rápido, y tiene una prosa sencilla y amena, con mucho diálogo. El gran punto fuerte han sido sus protagonistas, sus dos grandes protagonistas, no sé cuál de ellos me ha gustado más: Lady Saura, pese a su ceguera es una auténtica dama, no deja que su tara le acobarde, ha vivido siempre con ella y es muy perspicaz para valerse a sí misma. William por otro lado me ha llenado por entero, es un gran oso amoroso gigantoñoño, imposible no enamorarse de él, al principio de la novela bastante perdido, pero gracias a la ayuda y paciencia de Saura sabe seguir hacia adelante, y estará tan perdidamente enamorado de ella que es imposible no quererle, y a pesar de ello, no es ningún calzonazos.
En conclusión, una gran historia de amor, como las de antes, no he podido evitar compararla con las buenas novelas medievales de Julie Garwood, además ésta añade el aderezo de una intriga, con traidor incluido que quiere destruir a los protagonista. En definitiva, una novela casi, casi, perfecta.
Había leído 3 o 4 libros antes de Christina Dodd, pero ninguno me había llenado o enganchado como lo ha hecho éste. Pese a que es un libro larguete se lee bastante rápido, y tiene una prosa sencilla y amena, con mucho diálogo. El gran punto fuerte han sido sus protagonistas, sus dos grandes protagonistas, no sé cuál de ellos me ha gustado más: Lady Saura, pese a su ceguera es una auténtica dama, no deja que su tara le acobarde, ha vivido siempre con ella y es muy perspicaz para valerse a sí misma. William por otro lado me ha llenado por entero, es un gran oso amoroso gigantoñoño, imposible no enamorarse de él, al principio de la novela bastante perdido, pero gracias a la ayuda y paciencia de Saura sabe seguir hacia adelante, y estará tan perdidamente enamorado de ella que es imposible no quererle, y a pesar de ello, no es ningún calzonazos.
En conclusión, una gran historia de amor, como las de antes, no he podido evitar compararla con las buenas novelas medievales de Julie Garwood, además ésta añade el aderezo de una intriga, con traidor incluido que quiere destruir a los protagonista. En definitiva, una novela casi, casi, perfecta.
September 8, 2021
Una historia muy bonita, que mezcla muy bien los sentimientos de los personajes con los componentes de intriga y suspenso de la historia, aunque quizá son un poco previsibles. Me llamó mucho la atención la descripción de época, muy realista para una novela del género donde suelen pintarlo todo “rosa”, incluso en la época medieval. Recomendable para pasar un rato agradable.
May 5, 2025
Hacia bastante tiempo que no leía romance histórico. Me ha gustado pero sin más, además algunas cosas y expresiones las he sentido fuera de lugar.
September 24, 2017
RetoRita#17
Fail. No digo que la autora no haya hecho un buen trabajo, pero no me ha atrapado en ningún momento. Ni los protagonistas ni la historia :(
No puedo decir otra cosa.
Fail. No digo que la autora no haya hecho un buen trabajo, pero no me ha atrapado en ningún momento. Ni los protagonistas ni la historia :(
No puedo decir otra cosa.
February 5, 2017
#Retorita
Creo que éste libro lo tenía que haber leído en otro momento.
Tengo esa sensación de que no he sacado provecho de la lectura. Los personajes principales han sido bastante buenos. Con comentarios muy realistas, teniendo en cuenta la época, aunque te chirriaban los dientes cuando lo leías alguna que otra cosa.
En cuanto a la descripción, muy detallada y completa, si eres de éste tipo de lectura te gustará, que a mí me pesaba. Ha habido momentos que he adelantado capítulos enteros y cuando comenzaba otro, solamente había pasado un suspiro en la historia.
No lo he disfrutado nada, para mí ha sido un sin sentido. Por lo que me lleva a pensar que no era el momento, sobre todo viendo la valoración y opiniones que hay sobre él, que son radicalmente opuestas a la mía
Creo que éste libro lo tenía que haber leído en otro momento.
Tengo esa sensación de que no he sacado provecho de la lectura. Los personajes principales han sido bastante buenos. Con comentarios muy realistas, teniendo en cuenta la época, aunque te chirriaban los dientes cuando lo leías alguna que otra cosa.
En cuanto a la descripción, muy detallada y completa, si eres de éste tipo de lectura te gustará, que a mí me pesaba. Ha habido momentos que he adelantado capítulos enteros y cuando comenzaba otro, solamente había pasado un suspiro en la historia.
No lo he disfrutado nada, para mí ha sido un sin sentido. Por lo que me lleva a pensar que no era el momento, sobre todo viendo la valoración y opiniones que hay sobre él, que son radicalmente opuestas a la mía
July 27, 2017
De 2 a 2,5 estrellas para mi última lectura del #retorita. Tengo que meditar por qué no soy capaz de darle más puntuación. Me ha costado mucho terminarla, no conseguía que la historia me gustara, a pesar de que la primera parte ha estado bien, con dos personajes de fuertes convicciones que chocan en un momento determinado y cuya relación se ha llevado todo mi interés. Después se me ha hecho cuesta arriba, no encajaba con la trama, con la manera de relacionarse de los protagonistas y con la resolución del romance. De las más de 500 páginas que tiene, me han sobrado casi 400.
La parte histórica ha estado bien aunque no sé si realmente era necesaria.
https://millibrosenmibiblioteca.blogs...
La parte histórica ha estado bien aunque no sé si realmente era necesaria.
https://millibrosenmibiblioteca.blogs...
April 5, 2017
Pffffffff, vaya fail...
May 7, 2017
(6ª del #RetoRita)
La peor novela que he leído de esta autora y llevo 11, aunque solo 3 del subgénero medieval. La disculpo porque es la primera que publicó, a pesar de que aquí nos llegó de las últimas, 19 años después de recibir el premio RITA a la Mejor Primera Novela, y creo que le hizo un flaco favor (la publicación tardía, no el premio), pues he visto que, después de 3 más (también de sus primeros escritos) dejaron de traducirla y no me extraña. Deduzco que no tenían el nivel de lo que escribió después y no atrapó al público lector, por lo que dejó de vender. Me abstengo de extenderme en mi reiterativa queja sobre la gran pérdida que sufrimos las lectoras que no leemos en inglés por el hecho de que las editoriales nos priven de novelas anglosajonas de calidad (y actuales) para lanzar al mercado un sinfín de publicaciones de autoras nacionales, algunas de las cuales dejan mucho que desear.
Lo mismo opino de "Una luz en tu ventana": deja mucho que desear. Cojea en varios aspectos. El misterio de los intentos de asesinato no está bien llevado, se intuye al culpable demasiado pronto, aunque la autora intente despistarnos señalando a otros sospechosos, y nos lo revela también demasiado pronto. El exceso de personajes secundarios con muchas escenas corales intrascendentes, bastante mal manejadas y que me han llegado a aburrir. El detallismo en la ambientación y en las acciones (cada vez que alguien mueve un dedo, nos lo cuenta) coarta la imaginación del lector y resulta cansino, así como la cantidad de información sobre la situación política del momento; aunque la integre en los diálogos (un recurso muy acertado y que la autora sí domina); creo que no hacía falta contar tanto de unos hechos más bien locales y tan puntuales. Todo esto podría considerarse como los típicos errores de escritor novel, desde luego, pero entonces, ¿por qué ese premio? Debería premiarse una primera novela que no tuviera fallos de novata, creo yo, ¿no?
En cuanto a los protagonistas, diría que es lo mejor de la historia, a pesar de que a mí, él, no me ha gustado. Es tan, tan, tan medieval, tan highlander, brutote y posesivo que me cuesta verlo como un hombre enamorado de verdad de ella. Y ella es casi perfecta y se me sale un poco de la época. La relación de pareja es bonita al principio y me atrapó, pero luego se diluye en la trama de misterio y en los conflictos políticos, y el de pareja se vuelve repetitivo y pierde interés. Creo que si le quitáramos 100 páginas a la novela, sería bastante buena, pero así, tal y como está, es lenta y poco interesante. También me ha parecido desacertado el uso del argot en algunos personajes, que en castellano se ha intentado dar similitud a una forma de hablar barriobajera que cansa, aunque supongo que en inglés quizá debía resultar graciosa (ya me lo contaréis las que lo leáis en original). Le habría dado 1 estrella de no ser porque he leído novelas peores, o 1,5 si hubiera la posibilidad. Como es una autora que ha ido a mejor y el subgénero medieval no es uno de mis favoritos (por lo que puede que la esté juzgando con demasiada exigencia) redondeo a 2 para que no descartéis todas sus novelas. Os recomiendo "Tal como eres" (contemporánea) y "Ccomprometida" (regencia), pero esta no. Excepto, quizá, a las que seáis muy muy adictas a los highlanders medievales. Incluso aprenderéis a poneros un kilt, porque la precisión con que describe cada vez que se viste la chica parece sacada de un manual de instrucciones.
La peor novela que he leído de esta autora y llevo 11, aunque solo 3 del subgénero medieval. La disculpo porque es la primera que publicó, a pesar de que aquí nos llegó de las últimas, 19 años después de recibir el premio RITA a la Mejor Primera Novela, y creo que le hizo un flaco favor (la publicación tardía, no el premio), pues he visto que, después de 3 más (también de sus primeros escritos) dejaron de traducirla y no me extraña. Deduzco que no tenían el nivel de lo que escribió después y no atrapó al público lector, por lo que dejó de vender. Me abstengo de extenderme en mi reiterativa queja sobre la gran pérdida que sufrimos las lectoras que no leemos en inglés por el hecho de que las editoriales nos priven de novelas anglosajonas de calidad (y actuales) para lanzar al mercado un sinfín de publicaciones de autoras nacionales, algunas de las cuales dejan mucho que desear.
Lo mismo opino de "Una luz en tu ventana": deja mucho que desear. Cojea en varios aspectos. El misterio de los intentos de asesinato no está bien llevado, se intuye al culpable demasiado pronto, aunque la autora intente despistarnos señalando a otros sospechosos, y nos lo revela también demasiado pronto. El exceso de personajes secundarios con muchas escenas corales intrascendentes, bastante mal manejadas y que me han llegado a aburrir. El detallismo en la ambientación y en las acciones (cada vez que alguien mueve un dedo, nos lo cuenta) coarta la imaginación del lector y resulta cansino, así como la cantidad de información sobre la situación política del momento; aunque la integre en los diálogos (un recurso muy acertado y que la autora sí domina); creo que no hacía falta contar tanto de unos hechos más bien locales y tan puntuales. Todo esto podría considerarse como los típicos errores de escritor novel, desde luego, pero entonces, ¿por qué ese premio? Debería premiarse una primera novela que no tuviera fallos de novata, creo yo, ¿no?
En cuanto a los protagonistas, diría que es lo mejor de la historia, a pesar de que a mí, él, no me ha gustado. Es tan, tan, tan medieval, tan highlander, brutote y posesivo que me cuesta verlo como un hombre enamorado de verdad de ella. Y ella es casi perfecta y se me sale un poco de la época. La relación de pareja es bonita al principio y me atrapó, pero luego se diluye en la trama de misterio y en los conflictos políticos, y el de pareja se vuelve repetitivo y pierde interés. Creo que si le quitáramos 100 páginas a la novela, sería bastante buena, pero así, tal y como está, es lenta y poco interesante. También me ha parecido desacertado el uso del argot en algunos personajes, que en castellano se ha intentado dar similitud a una forma de hablar barriobajera que cansa, aunque supongo que en inglés quizá debía resultar graciosa (ya me lo contaréis las que lo leáis en original). Le habría dado 1 estrella de no ser porque he leído novelas peores, o 1,5 si hubiera la posibilidad. Como es una autora que ha ido a mejor y el subgénero medieval no es uno de mis favoritos (por lo que puede que la esté juzgando con demasiada exigencia) redondeo a 2 para que no descartéis todas sus novelas. Os recomiendo "Tal como eres" (contemporánea) y "Ccomprometida" (regencia), pero esta no. Excepto, quizá, a las que seáis muy muy adictas a los highlanders medievales. Incluso aprenderéis a poneros un kilt, porque la precisión con que describe cada vez que se viste la chica parece sacada de un manual de instrucciones.
October 9, 2016
No he leído muchos libros de esta autora, pero recordaba bastante bien uno que también se ambientaba en el medievo y que no me había convencido, aun así decidí darle una oportunidad a esta novela.
Una luz en la ventana se toma en serio su ambientación medieval y Christina Dodd es una autora que se preocupa por esto, algo que admiro, a pesar de que he encontrado expresiones bastante particulares que no puedo estar segura que se dijesen en la época, como "¡Dientes de Dios!" porque solo las he visto en esta novela. También se ve cuidado en la descripción y nomenclatura de las prendas de vestir, en las tareas de una castellana y de un señor, etc
Me ha gustado que se atreviera con el tema de la ceguera y, aunque así y todo se recalca bastante la prefección de los personajes, también se muestra lo que podían pensar en la época de una persona que no podía ver. Otro detalle histórico, uno que no me ha gustado nada: lenguaje macarrónico. Es decir, sé que los criados en la época, la gente más humilde, no hablaba igual que los señores, pero se me ha hecho muy, muy pesado tener que leer ese lenguaje que la autora recrea para mostrar la diferencia. Los apóstrofes para simular la falta de "s" y demás hacen que todos esos diálogos, que son bastantes, sean difíciles de leer y bueno, yo nunca he sido muy partidaria del lenguaje macarrónico.
Así que nos hallamos ante una novela romántica con una trama decente, si bien no es de lo más original, está bastante bien, una cuidada ambientación medieval y unos personajes bastante bien caracterizados. Ahora bien, no puedo decir que la historia de amor me haya enganchado mucho, y es que la cuestión de reflejar con bastante cuidado el mundo medieval es que la manera de relacionarse que se muestra aquí es muy diferente a la de hoy en día, así que creo que es un poco difícil, por lo menos para mí, congeniar con los personajes y sentir empatía. No estamos ante una de esas historias de amor tan pronto se ven, pero poco más, ya que la atracción perdona todo lo demás y todo se mueve bastante por ahí, aunque me gusta que los protagonistas tengan sus miedos, sus dudas, sus discusiones y sus fallos debido a sus personalidades y sus pasados.
Por lo tanto, una novela que está bastante bien en todos sus detalles técnicos, que he leído con agilidad y que me ha gustado, pero que no me ha llegado a emocionar, que he vivido más alejada, cuando lo principal en la novela romántica es emocionara a quien la lee más que ser una novela de aventuras, pero a pesar de eso la recomiendo como una buena lectura.
Una luz en la ventana se toma en serio su ambientación medieval y Christina Dodd es una autora que se preocupa por esto, algo que admiro, a pesar de que he encontrado expresiones bastante particulares que no puedo estar segura que se dijesen en la época, como "¡Dientes de Dios!" porque solo las he visto en esta novela. También se ve cuidado en la descripción y nomenclatura de las prendas de vestir, en las tareas de una castellana y de un señor, etc
Me ha gustado que se atreviera con el tema de la ceguera y, aunque así y todo se recalca bastante la prefección de los personajes, también se muestra lo que podían pensar en la época de una persona que no podía ver. Otro detalle histórico, uno que no me ha gustado nada: lenguaje macarrónico. Es decir, sé que los criados en la época, la gente más humilde, no hablaba igual que los señores, pero se me ha hecho muy, muy pesado tener que leer ese lenguaje que la autora recrea para mostrar la diferencia. Los apóstrofes para simular la falta de "s" y demás hacen que todos esos diálogos, que son bastantes, sean difíciles de leer y bueno, yo nunca he sido muy partidaria del lenguaje macarrónico.
Así que nos hallamos ante una novela romántica con una trama decente, si bien no es de lo más original, está bastante bien, una cuidada ambientación medieval y unos personajes bastante bien caracterizados. Ahora bien, no puedo decir que la historia de amor me haya enganchado mucho, y es que la cuestión de reflejar con bastante cuidado el mundo medieval es que la manera de relacionarse que se muestra aquí es muy diferente a la de hoy en día, así que creo que es un poco difícil, por lo menos para mí, congeniar con los personajes y sentir empatía. No estamos ante una de esas historias de amor tan pronto se ven, pero poco más, ya que la atracción perdona todo lo demás y todo se mueve bastante por ahí, aunque me gusta que los protagonistas tengan sus miedos, sus dudas, sus discusiones y sus fallos debido a sus personalidades y sus pasados.
Por lo tanto, una novela que está bastante bien en todos sus detalles técnicos, que he leído con agilidad y que me ha gustado, pero que no me ha llegado a emocionar, que he vivido más alejada, cuando lo principal en la novela romántica es emocionara a quien la lee más que ser una novela de aventuras, pero a pesar de eso la recomiendo como una buena lectura.
Want to read
August 19, 2017Me han hablado muy bien de el, aunque me han dicho un par de cosas que no sé si coinciden con la sinopsis... me lo apunto porque lo que me dijeron me llamó mucho la atención 🤔
February 20, 2013
3.5 stars, rounded up...
I really do enjoy medieval romances, the highland men/warriors are of so deliciously big, muscular, and masculine! But then turn into putty at the hands of the heroines. Love that!
I would say that William is the standard medieval hero we love to love – a big, strong man with a bit of a temper that is never misplaced or abusive. He’s intelligent, clever, insightful, skillful (if not the best) as a warrior, rich, powerful, and loves his family – and is good with children, absolutely adorable with his son, Kimball, and also to Clare and Blaise. Oh and yes, he’s besotted with our heroine.
The heroine in this book steals the spotlight though, IMO. She’s blind, but not handicapped. She’s as strong, smart, and capable as they come. She’s absolutely gorgeous though she didn’t know it and when she’s told she is, it’s of no real consequence to her – other than the fact that she’s happy her looks pleases William. She’s tortured – lost her father before she was born, separated from her mother as an infant/toddler and until the age of 19, she’s been leered at, overworked, mocked, and beaten by her stepfather. Her guardian angels – her mother, Maude, and half-brothers – did their best to protect her, but she didn’t come out unscathed. She struggles to feel worthy of love – even though everyone one falls in love with her. This is her obstacle with William, that she doesn’t feel she’s good enough for the rich and best warrior in all of Christendom. The scene where the brothers talk to William and explain that their father, Theobold, all left a legacy within each child was wonderful because it shows that even though they didn’t have physical scars – each of the children carry emotional scars with them, then we could sense William’s strong protective instincts turn on to make sure that the young ones, Clare and Blaise, are spared.
The love story is very sweet, more so than normal because the H/h really started to care and respect each other for who they are before physical attraction came to play. However, the strong, lustful, loving attraction between the H/h follow and is very sexy! Every time they hold and kiss each other it’s properly done! We definitely feel the urgency and deep need - as they get lost in the moment and in each other – even though they try to tame it down for propriety’s sake. What I also found interesting with this couple is that they have longer conversations with each other that I’m used to reading, especially at the end. It only makes sense because they do have issues to resolve and we get to see it, but not in bits and pieces. I liked it very much.
The mystery and suspense part was a good addition to the plot. I was very curious to find out which of William’s friends were the villains – however the reveal is actually not a surprise – that in itself, I suppose, is the surprise. My one complaint is that the book is drawn out. It’s a romance, so there were pages upon unnecessary pages of detail and plot points about the mystery that didn’t add to the story. Therefore, although the mystery was a good addition, it also created an unwanted distraction and I’m one of those people who try not to skim through things – though for this book, I wish I did. This is an early work by Christina Dodd, so I would hope she’s just gotten better over the years. I will definitely read more from her in the future.
I really do enjoy medieval romances, the highland men/warriors are of so deliciously big, muscular, and masculine! But then turn into putty at the hands of the heroines. Love that!
I would say that William is the standard medieval hero we love to love – a big, strong man with a bit of a temper that is never misplaced or abusive. He’s intelligent, clever, insightful, skillful (if not the best) as a warrior, rich, powerful, and loves his family – and is good with children, absolutely adorable with his son, Kimball, and also to Clare and Blaise. Oh and yes, he’s besotted with our heroine.
The heroine in this book steals the spotlight though, IMO. She’s blind, but not handicapped. She’s as strong, smart, and capable as they come. She’s absolutely gorgeous though she didn’t know it and when she’s told she is, it’s of no real consequence to her – other than the fact that she’s happy her looks pleases William. She’s tortured – lost her father before she was born, separated from her mother as an infant/toddler and until the age of 19, she’s been leered at, overworked, mocked, and beaten by her stepfather. Her guardian angels – her mother, Maude, and half-brothers – did their best to protect her, but she didn’t come out unscathed. She struggles to feel worthy of love – even though everyone one falls in love with her. This is her obstacle with William, that she doesn’t feel she’s good enough for the rich and best warrior in all of Christendom. The scene where the brothers talk to William and explain that their father, Theobold, all left a legacy within each child was wonderful because it shows that even though they didn’t have physical scars – each of the children carry emotional scars with them, then we could sense William’s strong protective instincts turn on to make sure that the young ones, Clare and Blaise, are spared.
The love story is very sweet, more so than normal because the H/h really started to care and respect each other for who they are before physical attraction came to play. However, the strong, lustful, loving attraction between the H/h follow and is very sexy! Every time they hold and kiss each other it’s properly done! We definitely feel the urgency and deep need - as they get lost in the moment and in each other – even though they try to tame it down for propriety’s sake. What I also found interesting with this couple is that they have longer conversations with each other that I’m used to reading, especially at the end. It only makes sense because they do have issues to resolve and we get to see it, but not in bits and pieces. I liked it very much.
The mystery and suspense part was a good addition to the plot. I was very curious to find out which of William’s friends were the villains – however the reveal is actually not a surprise – that in itself, I suppose, is the surprise. My one complaint is that the book is drawn out. It’s a romance, so there were pages upon unnecessary pages of detail and plot points about the mystery that didn’t add to the story. Therefore, although the mystery was a good addition, it also created an unwanted distraction and I’m one of those people who try not to skim through things – though for this book, I wish I did. This is an early work by Christina Dodd, so I would hope she’s just gotten better over the years. I will definitely read more from her in the future.
February 8, 2017
Mmmm este creo que va a ser un NO
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Como sospechaba finalmente el libro no me gustó. No puedo precisar que fue porque el contexto histórico está bien ilustrado, los diálogos son ágiles y los personajes bien armados. Pero no logré conectarme con ellos. Con Saura especialmente, porque William me gustó un poco más. Pero ella no me llegó al corazón. La Edad Media no es lo mío
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Como sospechaba finalmente el libro no me gustó. No puedo precisar que fue porque el contexto histórico está bien ilustrado, los diálogos son ágiles y los personajes bien armados. Pero no logré conectarme con ellos. Con Saura especialmente, porque William me gustó un poco más. Pero ella no me llegó al corazón. La Edad Media no es lo mío
September 22, 2023
3.5stars
It was great until I love yous were spoken, it was said way too soon. Still a decent book with a stunning blind heroine, the first 1/3 was incredible when they were both blind. DNF 85% lost all interest once the villain was revealed.
Safe
19h/28H
- no cheating
- om drama. She’s stunning, of course men wants her and gawks at her constantly, then one of H’s good friend, the villain of the story, becomes obsessed with her.
- Minor Ow drama. H kisses women after meeting the h, because H’s literally blind (temporarily), and wants to find the woman he kissed during his bath. He didn’t know that it was the h, so he grabs any woman around him trying to find out who it was. These scenes didn’t bother me, or the h.
- H’s father sent him a maid to have sex with - while he was looking for the maid he kissed, and he said the maid was accommodating, but it’s hinted that he didn’t sleep with her. He also said he refused to sleep with any other female until he found the maid he kissed afterwards to his father.
H is a widow with a son. His marriage was moc. His wife was chosen by his father, but he did come to love her, although he loves the h more.
“With Anne(dead wife), he was content, pleasant, happy. With you, he’s not content, he’s desperate for you all the time. He’s happy when you’re happy, always looking for ways to please you. He wants to kill the men who look at you. He dotes on you at mealtimes, as if you were some dish fixed just for him.”
It was great until I love yous were spoken, it was said way too soon. Still a decent book with a stunning blind heroine, the first 1/3 was incredible when they were both blind. DNF 85% lost all interest once the villain was revealed.
Safe
19h/28H
- no cheating
- om drama. She’s stunning, of course men wants her and gawks at her constantly, then one of H’s good friend, the villain of the story, becomes obsessed with her.
- Minor Ow drama. H kisses women after meeting the h, because H’s literally blind (temporarily), and wants to find the woman he kissed during his bath. He didn’t know that it was the h, so he grabs any woman around him trying to find out who it was. These scenes didn’t bother me, or the h.
- H’s father sent him a maid to have sex with - while he was looking for the maid he kissed, and he said the maid was accommodating, but it’s hinted that he didn’t sleep with her. He also said he refused to sleep with any other female until he found the maid he kissed afterwards to his father.
H is a widow with a son. His marriage was moc. His wife was chosen by his father, but he did come to love her, although he loves the h more.
“With Anne(dead wife), he was content, pleasant, happy. With you, he’s not content, he’s desperate for you all the time. He’s happy when you’re happy, always looking for ways to please you. He wants to kill the men who look at you. He dotes on you at mealtimes, as if you were some dish fixed just for him.”
March 8, 2013
Candle in the Window by Christina Dodd is a mixed bag that ultimately is a failure as a book.
The first half of the book is a delight to read. Dodd masterfully adds historic facts from the earliest English history to her tale, giving a reader the feeling that the characters are not just in a historic setting, but living the history. Her characters are mostly simple, not drawing much depth and thus little attention from the reader – that, is, until we meet Lady Saura of Roget.
Saura is a wonderful character who has great strengths and great flaws. While she was born blind, she has been raised to not view this as an impediment on her daily life and performs the duties of a châtelaine (lady of the house) excellently. Her sad past, however, has left her with quite a bit of heavy psychological baggage which encumbers her life greatly. She lives with her abusive stepfather until a neighboring lord begs her assistance with a troubling matter that has sent his home castle into disarray.
Enter Sir William of Miraval, her unwilling patient – a brave knight who has been stricken blind by a blow to the head in battle. When we first meet William he seems no better than a petulant child and Saura does not coddle him, insisting that if he wishes to wallow in his misery he is free to do such, but that his behavior will not halt the progress of the castle or her job as châtelaine.
It is through their verbal sparring that we come to know William better and they grow to love one another. William is a kind and gentle knight but a man with a firm hand towards his servants, unwilling to allow his people to abuse Saura.
This is why the second half of the book comes with great surprise. It is almost as if Ms Dodd wrote one book and an entirely different book and smashed them together at the middle.
After Saura and William reach the peak of the climax – the point when they and we readers discover there is a nefarious plot out to kill William and claim his lands – and declare their love for one another with a passionate night together… William suddenly changes.
When Saura’s fears rise at the notion of marrying William, instead of comforting her and reassuring her through firm but gentle guidance his thought is not to persuade her with her wit – the main thing he fell in love with her for – but to break her spirit and rape her.
Worse, Ms Dodd actually has Saura justify his actions by claiming the rape was not rape because she enjoyed it. “It would have been rape if I hadn’t enjoyed it so much!” The once virginal girl declares.
There is no justification in the world that would change William’s actions to be anything but what they were: rape. The rape was neither necessary towards the plot nor could it be said that it was added for titillation as the reader (thankfully) is not forced to endure the act itself, merely the carting away of an unwilling maiden over the shoulder of a man like a sack of potatoes.
If you are the sort of reader who can stomach such things, by all means, give Candle in the Window a chance. If you do not enjoy rape as a plot device when it comes to power in a relationship, I would suggest not bothering with this book.
Myself, I will be returning Candle in the Window to the bookseller and will avoid Christina Dodd’s works from here forward.
Two stars for the marvelous first half of the book. What a shame.
The first half of the book is a delight to read. Dodd masterfully adds historic facts from the earliest English history to her tale, giving a reader the feeling that the characters are not just in a historic setting, but living the history. Her characters are mostly simple, not drawing much depth and thus little attention from the reader – that, is, until we meet Lady Saura of Roget.
Saura is a wonderful character who has great strengths and great flaws. While she was born blind, she has been raised to not view this as an impediment on her daily life and performs the duties of a châtelaine (lady of the house) excellently. Her sad past, however, has left her with quite a bit of heavy psychological baggage which encumbers her life greatly. She lives with her abusive stepfather until a neighboring lord begs her assistance with a troubling matter that has sent his home castle into disarray.
Enter Sir William of Miraval, her unwilling patient – a brave knight who has been stricken blind by a blow to the head in battle. When we first meet William he seems no better than a petulant child and Saura does not coddle him, insisting that if he wishes to wallow in his misery he is free to do such, but that his behavior will not halt the progress of the castle or her job as châtelaine.
It is through their verbal sparring that we come to know William better and they grow to love one another. William is a kind and gentle knight but a man with a firm hand towards his servants, unwilling to allow his people to abuse Saura.
This is why the second half of the book comes with great surprise. It is almost as if Ms Dodd wrote one book and an entirely different book and smashed them together at the middle.
After Saura and William reach the peak of the climax – the point when they and we readers discover there is a nefarious plot out to kill William and claim his lands – and declare their love for one another with a passionate night together… William suddenly changes.
When Saura’s fears rise at the notion of marrying William, instead of comforting her and reassuring her through firm but gentle guidance his thought is not to persuade her with her wit – the main thing he fell in love with her for – but to break her spirit and rape her.
Worse, Ms Dodd actually has Saura justify his actions by claiming the rape was not rape because she enjoyed it. “It would have been rape if I hadn’t enjoyed it so much!” The once virginal girl declares.
There is no justification in the world that would change William’s actions to be anything but what they were: rape. The rape was neither necessary towards the plot nor could it be said that it was added for titillation as the reader (thankfully) is not forced to endure the act itself, merely the carting away of an unwilling maiden over the shoulder of a man like a sack of potatoes.
If you are the sort of reader who can stomach such things, by all means, give Candle in the Window a chance. If you do not enjoy rape as a plot device when it comes to power in a relationship, I would suggest not bothering with this book.
Myself, I will be returning Candle in the Window to the bookseller and will avoid Christina Dodd’s works from here forward.
Two stars for the marvelous first half of the book. What a shame.
Read
September 18, 2014Well, sorry, that book started okay, but just got stupider and stupider as it went along till I couldn't stand it anymore. Did not finish.
June 15, 2019
Good medieval romance with a strong, admirable heroine and a wonderful, sensitive hero (4 stars)
Setting: Medieval England, 1153
Sensuality: 7
I greatly enjoyed Candle in the Window even though I don't normally read medieval historical romances - I'm more into the regency/Victorian setting. I am a great fan of Christina Dodd's novels, however, so I wanted to read this earlier work of hers (1991).
Saura and William were a wonderful pair and I enjoyed the interactions and chemistry between them. Saura was kind, courageous, and capable; her strength was a wonderful thing to see in a heroine and the fact that she is blind adds a nice twist for someone who has read almost every historical romance out there! William was one of those tough warrior heroes, but he was so tender and sensitive with Saura that it made my heart melt. He was quick-witted and loyal and I loved his possessiveness of Saura and jealousy over others admiring her (he doesn't take it out on her or anything like that, so it's actually very sweet).
CRITICISMS:
There are two reasons that I couldn't give it five stars, the first being also one of the main reasons that I don't normally read medieval romances: because when the author is accurate in depicting the times (as they should be) there are a lot of things which bother me: the young age at which women were married, the widespread acceptance of physical punishment, etc. Though William never abuses Saura, he clarifies to her brothers that he doesn't believe in hitting his wife even if she deserves it - sorry, I just don't believe anyone "deserves" being hit. Also, he does slap one of the servant women, Hawisa, at the beginning. Overall, William is NOT one of those heroes that you feel acts more like a villain, so please don't think that; he's very sweet and understanding with Saura. I also didn't like the constant references to "sluts" and some of the characterizations of the serfs and churls. These were all probably accurate for the times, but it is why I normally steer clear of romances from this era.
My second criticism is that Saura's objections to marrying William, her subsequent turnaround, Maude and Lord Peter's plan - it was all very murky and unclear. I didn't fully understand the emotional obstacles to William and Saura's relationship, as it seems like Dodd couldn't make up her own mind throughout the novel about what it was that was stopping them from being completely happy and open with one another. In the end it all resolves itself, of course, but there was just a general murkiness and vacillation on this subject throughout the novel that detracted from the overall quality of the story.
SUMMARY (from the back cover):
"Lady Saura of Roget lives a lonely life of servitude - her fortune controlled by her cruel, unscrupulous stepfather. Yet it is she who has been called upon to brighten the days of Sir William of Miraval, a proud and noble knight who once swore to live or perish by the sword ... until his world was engulfed in agonizing darkness. Summoned to Sir William's castle, the raven-haired innocent is soon overcome by desire and love for the magnificent, golden warrior who has quickly laid siege to her heart. But there is a grave danger awaiting them both just beyond the castle walls ... and a dear and deadly price to be paid for surrendering to a fiery, all-consumed love."
BOTTOM LINE:
I would highly recommend this book - the hero was to die for and it was easy to respect Saura and want her to finally get the happy ending she deserved. It wasn't my favorite Christina Dodd, but definitely worth reading and I am glad I bought it, so that I can reread it in the future.
Setting: Medieval England, 1153
Sensuality: 7
I greatly enjoyed Candle in the Window even though I don't normally read medieval historical romances - I'm more into the regency/Victorian setting. I am a great fan of Christina Dodd's novels, however, so I wanted to read this earlier work of hers (1991).
Saura and William were a wonderful pair and I enjoyed the interactions and chemistry between them. Saura was kind, courageous, and capable; her strength was a wonderful thing to see in a heroine and the fact that she is blind adds a nice twist for someone who has read almost every historical romance out there! William was one of those tough warrior heroes, but he was so tender and sensitive with Saura that it made my heart melt. He was quick-witted and loyal and I loved his possessiveness of Saura and jealousy over others admiring her (he doesn't take it out on her or anything like that, so it's actually very sweet).
CRITICISMS:
There are two reasons that I couldn't give it five stars, the first being also one of the main reasons that I don't normally read medieval romances: because when the author is accurate in depicting the times (as they should be) there are a lot of things which bother me: the young age at which women were married, the widespread acceptance of physical punishment, etc. Though William never abuses Saura, he clarifies to her brothers that he doesn't believe in hitting his wife even if she deserves it - sorry, I just don't believe anyone "deserves" being hit. Also, he does slap one of the servant women, Hawisa, at the beginning. Overall, William is NOT one of those heroes that you feel acts more like a villain, so please don't think that; he's very sweet and understanding with Saura. I also didn't like the constant references to "sluts" and some of the characterizations of the serfs and churls. These were all probably accurate for the times, but it is why I normally steer clear of romances from this era.
My second criticism is that Saura's objections to marrying William, her subsequent turnaround, Maude and Lord Peter's plan - it was all very murky and unclear. I didn't fully understand the emotional obstacles to William and Saura's relationship, as it seems like Dodd couldn't make up her own mind throughout the novel about what it was that was stopping them from being completely happy and open with one another. In the end it all resolves itself, of course, but there was just a general murkiness and vacillation on this subject throughout the novel that detracted from the overall quality of the story.
SUMMARY (from the back cover):
"Lady Saura of Roget lives a lonely life of servitude - her fortune controlled by her cruel, unscrupulous stepfather. Yet it is she who has been called upon to brighten the days of Sir William of Miraval, a proud and noble knight who once swore to live or perish by the sword ... until his world was engulfed in agonizing darkness. Summoned to Sir William's castle, the raven-haired innocent is soon overcome by desire and love for the magnificent, golden warrior who has quickly laid siege to her heart. But there is a grave danger awaiting them both just beyond the castle walls ... and a dear and deadly price to be paid for surrendering to a fiery, all-consumed love."
BOTTOM LINE:
I would highly recommend this book - the hero was to die for and it was easy to respect Saura and want her to finally get the happy ending she deserved. It wasn't my favorite Christina Dodd, but definitely worth reading and I am glad I bought it, so that I can reread it in the future.
February 10, 2017
Una novela ligera, amena y muy fácil de leer.
William es un hombre que a causa de su ceguera en la primera parte del libro, es todo lo contrario a lo que solía ser. Es huraño, tosco y no parece que le importa nada ni nadie. Solo quiere estar encerrado en si mismo y olvidar que ahora es un inútil. Saura, por el contrario, es una mujer que ha vivido con esa discapacidad desde que puede recordar, pero que no le ha hecho deprimirse, todo lo contrario. Maneja el castillo que fuera de sus padres como si realmente viera y es querida por todos los que en él viven..o por casi todos.
En la desesperación nacida del mal que afecta a su hijo, el padre de William decide llevar a Saura con él para que ayude a su hijo con la ceguera y le haga ver que no por faltarle un sentido, se debe dejar derrotar.
Es ahí cuando empieza esta historia de amor en la que en un principio ambos no se llevan precisamente bien debido al papel que tiene cada uno, pero con el paso del tiempo, Saura se va metiendo más y más en el corazón del protagonista, hasta el punto en que, cuando él recupera la vista, se da cuenta de que Saura, siendo ciega como es, siempre ha estado ahí para él y siempre se ha levantado de los golpes que la vida le haya podido dar.
William es un hombre que a causa de su ceguera en la primera parte del libro, es todo lo contrario a lo que solía ser. Es huraño, tosco y no parece que le importa nada ni nadie. Solo quiere estar encerrado en si mismo y olvidar que ahora es un inútil. Saura, por el contrario, es una mujer que ha vivido con esa discapacidad desde que puede recordar, pero que no le ha hecho deprimirse, todo lo contrario. Maneja el castillo que fuera de sus padres como si realmente viera y es querida por todos los que en él viven..o por casi todos.
En la desesperación nacida del mal que afecta a su hijo, el padre de William decide llevar a Saura con él para que ayude a su hijo con la ceguera y le haga ver que no por faltarle un sentido, se debe dejar derrotar.
Es ahí cuando empieza esta historia de amor en la que en un principio ambos no se llevan precisamente bien debido al papel que tiene cada uno, pero con el paso del tiempo, Saura se va metiendo más y más en el corazón del protagonista, hasta el punto en que, cuando él recupera la vista, se da cuenta de que Saura, siendo ciega como es, siempre ha estado ahí para él y siempre se ha levantado de los golpes que la vida le haya podido dar.
September 27, 2021
I'm pretty sure I've read one of Ms. Dodd's book before, but I'm not sure which one it was (it was a long time ago). I came across this one as I was looking for a historical romance with a disabled hero or heroine (I'm a sucker for this trope!) and thought to give this one a shot since I remember vaguely liking the other book.
This was just an okay read. It was readable, but I had a feeling that it could have been so much more whilst reading. The premise was interesting, but the story was pretty much all over the place. Some of the MCs actions didn't come across as being truthful to their characters. It was just a mixed bag. I couldn't quite recommend this.
This was just an okay read. It was readable, but I had a feeling that it could have been so much more whilst reading. The premise was interesting, but the story was pretty much all over the place. Some of the MCs actions didn't come across as being truthful to their characters. It was just a mixed bag. I couldn't quite recommend this.
January 8, 2018
Parte de una idea muy interesante y cae rodando por una pendiente muy inclinada de tópicos muy sobados y unos errores muy básicos que, aunque sean de una primera novela, un lector podría medianamente espabilado lo puede ver.
Lo siento, pero ni para premio, ni para ser publicado. Es un fail en toda regla, 500 paginas de la más absoluta nada. Infantil en muchos puntos, no soy capaz de rescatar ni un solo personaje.
Una lástima toda esa documentación, porque como digo la idea me había gustado.
Lo siento, pero ni para premio, ni para ser publicado. Es un fail en toda regla, 500 paginas de la más absoluta nada. Infantil en muchos puntos, no soy capaz de rescatar ni un solo personaje.
Una lástima toda esa documentación, porque como digo la idea me había gustado.
July 3, 2012
Fresh perspective and characters with unique challenges. I was glad I delved into a romance set in a much earlier time. Gracefully done a pleasure to read.
November 19, 2011
1100's - England -j 100 years after Norman invations, unrest - dawning of Prince Henry -
Lady Saura - blind since birth, raised and loved by her mother's lady who serves as her hands and eyes now that she is 19; loved by her mother, who expected and provided for her to live normally, to run in the sunshine, and trained her to run the castle and her holdings; her 5 half brothers loved her and were raised to protect her; and her evil stepfather abused her emotionally and sometimes physically, lusting after her, demeaning her, and keeping her unwed so as to keep the income from her lands even as she run his household for his teen wife.
Sir William - a brave, strong, effective knight, raised by a loving father - has proven able to manage and defend their holdings; 3 friends from his youth were fostered by his father, to learn to be knights (Raymond, Charles, and Nicholas); he learned to love the wife his father chose for him, and has a son - she died in childbirth with their 2nd... his mother died. And he is hit in the back of the head during a minor skirmish, and is blinded; and for months he is in dispair, refusing to leave the castle, unwilling to adjust. Raymond tells his father, Sir Peter, that he heard of a castle whose staff was run by a blind woman...
Sir Peter investigates, observes and sees the beautiful Saura and how she quietly handles the running of dinner and her drinking, he listens to the mean speaking, drinking stepfather. and then he goes to Maud and Saura, requesting her help in helping his son -j and they come up with a ruse that she will come in as the housekeeper, that she is matronly of a nunnery, and that William is not to know she is blind and there primarily to help him. On meeting him, without pity she confronts his slovenly no care of things he can do - calling him stinking drinking, a blind halfman, and that they'd move around him like he was a part of the furniture.
And while she cleans the castle, he listens to how she handles the servants - with patience, firmness, and conniving (when servants meander through the assignment of cleaning the kitchen, the go to bed without dinner - no kitchen to fix it in), and he starts to realize that his other senses still work. After dealing with a recalicant servant, he demands a bath - a turning point. The ladies bathe him, and he pulls Saura in, fondling & kissing her... she cannot protest because he cannot know it is her - and they are both enjoying until Maud pulls her out of the tub. They send a servant to him of her general build (and with her teeth), but he is not fooled, and he starts to suspect Saura is not what they have represented her to be (after eliminating all of the maids by kissing them, trying to find the one in his bath). He is 'finding' his legs - stretching his limits - listening to problems, working on the accounts, ropes to allow him to walk into the woods, and he rides a horse that is on a lead... and his 4 friends come to visit - Raymond, who quietly extends his understaning, Charles, who is jovial, Arthus, who is quiet, and Nicholas, whose words on the surface are nice, but are putting down his accomplishments - and the friends and his father talk about past battles, and William quietly drank - and wehn they go off to bed, Saura, afraid their good work was going to be undone spoke with William - shaming him with people who are worse of than him - and he gets her to admit he is not a nun... and then that she is young, and when they to out on the horses with his son & her young brother (10ish) and the boys are dismissed to race the horses while they sit by the water, they are taken by a dozen men - William attempts to fight them off, Saura hits a few on the head, but they finally knock William to the ground (hitting his head), and they take them to a castle - sitting on the same horse - where he comes to feel her true figure - and locked in a tower room in the castle, she attends to his injuries, and disrobes, thinking him sleeping and needing the shared warmth of the one blanket, she cuddles up to him - and starts to feel his face and body, as she has never dared before... and at first he pretends sleep and allows her touch - and then he initiates her into love making - treating her gently, lovingly, and igniting their passions. And in the morning he wakes up first, and he can see - and as she awakens, and he finally realizes she is blind, and she quickly determines his sight is back - and after a selfish moment of thinking he no longer needed her, she is quite happy for him... and they kill Arthur, the one who had them kidnapped but realize that someone else was the brains.
and he is determined to marry her - and she says no - but she'll share his bed... and he tries to understand her - and he overrules her... and Maude and Peter manipulate her into accepting his offer... and they have a few months preparation - and William loves her deeply, and is prepared to be patient, waiting for her to love him - to love and trust him fully - to be his partner fully... and it's a bit of a an uphill battle -
William is very conscious of protecting her - and is annoyed with Nicholas, who is smitten with her... Nicholas is rich, but not a warrior... he hangs out with Saura, leading to talk about what their relationship might be. and she starts to sense someone watchng her... and then that some one coming up to her when she is alone, whispering he loves her in a disguised voice... and no one seems to believe her, ans she doesn't tell William... and its time for the wedding - guests are there - her brothers come, and they and William connect... and there is the battling - and Saura is left to herself on the dais with the other women, whom she does not know - and Nicholas comes to describe the action, making it sound as if William is taking unneccessary chances and is repeatedly close to being seriously hurt - which is not true - and William proves his prowess on the fiels, defeating all - and goes to Saura, who runs to him - both displaying their love for one another.
And they are happily bedded with some medeivil customs, and he goes off to battle one of her tenant barons, comes back wounded and infected - she nurses him .. and when he is finally well, there is an honest confrontation in the herb garden - where she is angry, and he accepts her anger and they have sex - he listens to her and comforts her, and he becomes angry when she verbally tells him that her feelings are of that of a grateful wife - and he shares his heart, his love, and his need for her trust and love - he feels they are 2 halves of a whole, and together can conquer the world - and she cries, and though things are not settled, he tries to find his patience again and tries to soothe her... but he leaves to confront Charles, thinking he must be the mastermind of the threats against them, and in spite of Saura telling him that she does not believe it is Charles - by her judgment of his voice and his honesty through that... and she is crying the woods, with only the dog, and Nichollas kidnaps her, taking her to his castle. Nicholas is crazy, and she works to stay calm, and to defend herself as beswt she can. Nicholas wants William's possessions - convinced that when he kills William (as he killed his own brother), his father will adopt him and give him the lands, and he will win Saura's love and he'll have her too. When she defies him, he tosses her down the dungeon - and she plants the seed she does not want William to be thrown in with her, hoping that Nicholas will do the opposite. And after a bit of feeling sorry for herself, she remembers Williams' speech, and prepares for William coming for her - exploring the cell to see what's available.
William is second guessing himself about Charles, and Charles invites him in... and they finally determines that Nicholas is the culprit... he sends Charles to get his father & men, and he goes to Nicholas by himself... and is thrown into the dungeon, seeing her plan. And at first he is overcome with fear in the darkness, and Saura comforts him and helps him find his core... and she shows him the tunnel she found, that is going out to the sea, and together they get the boulder blocking the exit to move - and she fully puts her trust in him - and he sees it and is warmed by it... they make it up the face cliff with her guidance, and he puts her in a safe place while he returns to the castle to take care of Nicholas before he can escape - trusting that his father will be there soon... and as he hears the horses coming, he breaks through the guards, and into the castle, tracking down Nicholas and killing him...
and he returns to Saura.... ahhhh
Lady Saura - blind since birth, raised and loved by her mother's lady who serves as her hands and eyes now that she is 19; loved by her mother, who expected and provided for her to live normally, to run in the sunshine, and trained her to run the castle and her holdings; her 5 half brothers loved her and were raised to protect her; and her evil stepfather abused her emotionally and sometimes physically, lusting after her, demeaning her, and keeping her unwed so as to keep the income from her lands even as she run his household for his teen wife.
Sir William - a brave, strong, effective knight, raised by a loving father - has proven able to manage and defend their holdings; 3 friends from his youth were fostered by his father, to learn to be knights (Raymond, Charles, and Nicholas); he learned to love the wife his father chose for him, and has a son - she died in childbirth with their 2nd... his mother died. And he is hit in the back of the head during a minor skirmish, and is blinded; and for months he is in dispair, refusing to leave the castle, unwilling to adjust. Raymond tells his father, Sir Peter, that he heard of a castle whose staff was run by a blind woman...
Sir Peter investigates, observes and sees the beautiful Saura and how she quietly handles the running of dinner and her drinking, he listens to the mean speaking, drinking stepfather. and then he goes to Maud and Saura, requesting her help in helping his son -j and they come up with a ruse that she will come in as the housekeeper, that she is matronly of a nunnery, and that William is not to know she is blind and there primarily to help him. On meeting him, without pity she confronts his slovenly no care of things he can do - calling him stinking drinking, a blind halfman, and that they'd move around him like he was a part of the furniture.
And while she cleans the castle, he listens to how she handles the servants - with patience, firmness, and conniving (when servants meander through the assignment of cleaning the kitchen, the go to bed without dinner - no kitchen to fix it in), and he starts to realize that his other senses still work. After dealing with a recalicant servant, he demands a bath - a turning point. The ladies bathe him, and he pulls Saura in, fondling & kissing her... she cannot protest because he cannot know it is her - and they are both enjoying until Maud pulls her out of the tub. They send a servant to him of her general build (and with her teeth), but he is not fooled, and he starts to suspect Saura is not what they have represented her to be (after eliminating all of the maids by kissing them, trying to find the one in his bath). He is 'finding' his legs - stretching his limits - listening to problems, working on the accounts, ropes to allow him to walk into the woods, and he rides a horse that is on a lead... and his 4 friends come to visit - Raymond, who quietly extends his understaning, Charles, who is jovial, Arthus, who is quiet, and Nicholas, whose words on the surface are nice, but are putting down his accomplishments - and the friends and his father talk about past battles, and William quietly drank - and wehn they go off to bed, Saura, afraid their good work was going to be undone spoke with William - shaming him with people who are worse of than him - and he gets her to admit he is not a nun... and then that she is young, and when they to out on the horses with his son & her young brother (10ish) and the boys are dismissed to race the horses while they sit by the water, they are taken by a dozen men - William attempts to fight them off, Saura hits a few on the head, but they finally knock William to the ground (hitting his head), and they take them to a castle - sitting on the same horse - where he comes to feel her true figure - and locked in a tower room in the castle, she attends to his injuries, and disrobes, thinking him sleeping and needing the shared warmth of the one blanket, she cuddles up to him - and starts to feel his face and body, as she has never dared before... and at first he pretends sleep and allows her touch - and then he initiates her into love making - treating her gently, lovingly, and igniting their passions. And in the morning he wakes up first, and he can see - and as she awakens, and he finally realizes she is blind, and she quickly determines his sight is back - and after a selfish moment of thinking he no longer needed her, she is quite happy for him... and they kill Arthur, the one who had them kidnapped but realize that someone else was the brains.
and he is determined to marry her - and she says no - but she'll share his bed... and he tries to understand her - and he overrules her... and Maude and Peter manipulate her into accepting his offer... and they have a few months preparation - and William loves her deeply, and is prepared to be patient, waiting for her to love him - to love and trust him fully - to be his partner fully... and it's a bit of a an uphill battle -
William is very conscious of protecting her - and is annoyed with Nicholas, who is smitten with her... Nicholas is rich, but not a warrior... he hangs out with Saura, leading to talk about what their relationship might be. and she starts to sense someone watchng her... and then that some one coming up to her when she is alone, whispering he loves her in a disguised voice... and no one seems to believe her, ans she doesn't tell William... and its time for the wedding - guests are there - her brothers come, and they and William connect... and there is the battling - and Saura is left to herself on the dais with the other women, whom she does not know - and Nicholas comes to describe the action, making it sound as if William is taking unneccessary chances and is repeatedly close to being seriously hurt - which is not true - and William proves his prowess on the fiels, defeating all - and goes to Saura, who runs to him - both displaying their love for one another.
And they are happily bedded with some medeivil customs, and he goes off to battle one of her tenant barons, comes back wounded and infected - she nurses him .. and when he is finally well, there is an honest confrontation in the herb garden - where she is angry, and he accepts her anger and they have sex - he listens to her and comforts her, and he becomes angry when she verbally tells him that her feelings are of that of a grateful wife - and he shares his heart, his love, and his need for her trust and love - he feels they are 2 halves of a whole, and together can conquer the world - and she cries, and though things are not settled, he tries to find his patience again and tries to soothe her... but he leaves to confront Charles, thinking he must be the mastermind of the threats against them, and in spite of Saura telling him that she does not believe it is Charles - by her judgment of his voice and his honesty through that... and she is crying the woods, with only the dog, and Nichollas kidnaps her, taking her to his castle. Nicholas is crazy, and she works to stay calm, and to defend herself as beswt she can. Nicholas wants William's possessions - convinced that when he kills William (as he killed his own brother), his father will adopt him and give him the lands, and he will win Saura's love and he'll have her too. When she defies him, he tosses her down the dungeon - and she plants the seed she does not want William to be thrown in with her, hoping that Nicholas will do the opposite. And after a bit of feeling sorry for herself, she remembers Williams' speech, and prepares for William coming for her - exploring the cell to see what's available.
William is second guessing himself about Charles, and Charles invites him in... and they finally determines that Nicholas is the culprit... he sends Charles to get his father & men, and he goes to Nicholas by himself... and is thrown into the dungeon, seeing her plan. And at first he is overcome with fear in the darkness, and Saura comforts him and helps him find his core... and she shows him the tunnel she found, that is going out to the sea, and together they get the boulder blocking the exit to move - and she fully puts her trust in him - and he sees it and is warmed by it... they make it up the face cliff with her guidance, and he puts her in a safe place while he returns to the castle to take care of Nicholas before he can escape - trusting that his father will be there soon... and as he hears the horses coming, he breaks through the guards, and into the castle, tracking down Nicholas and killing him...
and he returns to Saura.... ahhhh
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2025
Rating: I didn't understand what was going on / 5
The only way that I can describe this book is in terms of its writing, which was...awkward.
I felt like I was missing something, but basically the writing is terrible. It seems to jump from scene to scene in the middle of discussions; and, as if this wasn't confusing enough, I couldn't get a handle on half of the things the characters were talking about, or even what they looked like / felt like, etc. Everything just...transitions with no real rhyme or reason, and it completely took me out of the story. *sighs heavily*
What makes it doubly disappointing is that the premise just just sooooo my cup of tea, as I LOVE romances where one of the characters is blind or the like, as that just adds such a great new dimension to the romance! To have them both be blind seemed like such a refreshing and inspired idea, and I was looking forward to how the author would manage to describe it!
The answer to that is: NOT well.
Just read Yours Until Dawn instead, as I've seen others in review recommend. Just...yeah, go elsewhere.
The only way that I can describe this book is in terms of its writing, which was...awkward.
I felt like I was missing something, but basically the writing is terrible. It seems to jump from scene to scene in the middle of discussions; and, as if this wasn't confusing enough, I couldn't get a handle on half of the things the characters were talking about, or even what they looked like / felt like, etc. Everything just...transitions with no real rhyme or reason, and it completely took me out of the story. *sighs heavily*
What makes it doubly disappointing is that the premise just just sooooo my cup of tea, as I LOVE romances where one of the characters is blind or the like, as that just adds such a great new dimension to the romance! To have them both be blind seemed like such a refreshing and inspired idea, and I was looking forward to how the author would manage to describe it!
The answer to that is: NOT well.
Just read Yours Until Dawn instead, as I've seen others in review recommend. Just...yeah, go elsewhere.
February 27, 2022
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"3.5 stars" Candle in the Window is the first book in Christina Dodd’s Castle Duet. It’s also the first book she ever published and the first book of hers that I’ve read. It’s a medieval historical romance about a brave and noble knight named William who was blinded from a blow to the head during battle. Ever since, he’s been a shell of his former self, stewing in self-pity and feeling useless. Desperate to find a way to reach his son, William’s father, Lord Peter, visits nearby Pertrade Castle, where he’s heard a blind young woman who doesn’t seem disabled at all resides. Lord Peter is impressed with the lovely Saura, and when she agrees to help, he persuades her stepfather to allow her to return to his estate of Burke to act as their housekeeper. There she whips both Burke and William into shape, drawing him out of his doldrums. As they work closely together they begin to fall for one another. But an enemy lurks outside the castle walls, lying in wait, and when William and Saura go on an outing, they find themselves kidnapped. They quickly discover that their captor is none other than someone William thought was a friend. However, he’s not the mastermind behind the plot. The pair manage to escape and make their way back to Burke, but the danger still awaits them. Before they can figure out who might harbor ill will toward them, he strikes again, but not before William asks Saura to be his bride. William will get the chance to conquer his enemy, but first he must conquer Saura’s heart and her uncertainties about their future in order to convince her that they’re meant to be together.
Saura has been blind since birth, but her mother insisted that she be treated no different than an able-bodied person. As a result, she can run a castle with precision and gets around in familiar surroundings without help. But in spite of this, her cruel stepfather views her as useless and resents not being able to marry her off. When Lord Peter comes with his offer of a secure place to stay in exchange for helping William and returning order to his own castle, she’s eager to get out from under her stepfather’s thumb. She becomes an efficient mistress at Burke and gives William a metaphorical kick in the seat of his pants to get him to see that he still has much to offer the world. She also teaches him how to navigate the world as a blind person. Gradually she begins to fall for the proud warrior, and while in close quarters during their kidnapping ordeal, they give in to their passion prompting William to offer marriage. But when events change the dynamic in their relationship, Saura fears that as a blind person herself, she has little to offer him in return. Still, during their wedding celebration, she uses her keen sense of hearing in an attempt to ferret out their enemy, but when the stubborn William doesn’t agree with her choice of suspect, she once again feels like she’s unvalued. After their adversary kidnaps her a second time, though, she finally gets a chance to shine. Overall, I liked Saura but I couldn’t help feeling that her characterization was uneven and there were times when her convoluted thinking didn’t make much sense to me. She begins the story as a strong, confident woman who has learned to navigate the sighted world as a blind person, and I loved how she gave William exactly the push he needed to rise out of his depression. But when William asks her to marry him, she suddenly becomes filled with insecurities and self-doubt that I didn’t fully understand even when it was finally explained. Also although William declares his love for her a number of times, she resists reciprocating, which also didn’t make a lot of sense to me, because IMHO, most women would be thrilled to have a man be so demonstrative of his affection. So while she was a generally likable character, she could also be quite confusing at times.
William is a widower with a young son and a brave and noble knight who’s never known aught but running Burke and slaying his enemies on the battlefield. So when he loses his sight, he also loses his way. When his father brings Saura back to their castle, he sometimes finds her amusing, while at others infuriating. After he eventually discovers that she’s a young woman and blind like him, he gains a great deal of respect for her, while also falling in love with her. Together, they make a formidable team when they’re kidnapped, and even before he makes love to her during that time, he knew he wanted to marry her. However, when he declares his love and asks for her hand, Saura’s insecurities start to come out, leaving William at a loss for how to get her to believe that he truly loves her and wants a future with her. Of course, their enemy is still out there just waiting to strike again, too, and eventually William gets the chance to do battle with him to save his lady fair. William is basically a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of guy, a warrior and a man’s man type of hero. I found myself having somewhat mixed feelings about him. On the one hand, he’s the first to declare his love for Saura and keeps pressing his suit with her, which is something I liked very much. However, I couldn’t help wanting him to be a little more vulnerable. We finally get a scene at the very end, where he is quite vulnerable, but I would have liked a little more of that woven throughout. Then there are a couple of scenes where he skirted perilously close to the dreaded forced seduction (one scene arguably was) and a few times when he makes some very off-color statements regarding women. There’s also a scene where he slaps a female servant in the face, and while she arguably deserved it, I loathe seeing a man raise a hand to a woman for any reason. I know all this was probably more historically accurate, but these moments just felt misogynistic to my modern sensibilities. While I can appreciate being factually correct, I appreciate even more the fantasy of romance and prefer for it to not be quite this realistic. So while he didn’t drive me crazy like some romance heroes have, William had both good points and bad points.
Candle in the Window appears to be well-loved by fans of Christina Dodd (according to her website, many fans cite it as their favorite of her works), and for her first effort, it was a pretty good story that I mostly enjoyed. I waffled a lot on how many stars to give it, but ultimately there were just too many flaws for me to give it a top rating. In addition to my already metioned issues with the characterizations, I felt that the story was over-long. At 437 pages, it’s a pretty thick book, and there were times that the pace needlessly dragged with not much happening. There are places where the narrative and/or dialogue became a little too verbose, as well as historical details that could have been woven in a bit more seamlessly, which only contributed to the slow pace. In spite of not being all that good at figuring out mysteries, I discerned the identity of their enemy probably about halfway through the book. Although the author tries to get the reader to question it, I never really wavered in my opinion. I was hoping she might pull a rabbit out of the hat, but when the person’s identity is revealed, I wasn’t surprised at all. Then there’s the villain being something of a cardboard cutout with very little motivation aside from simply being insane, which was kind of disappointing. Lastly there’s just something about the author’s writing style that left me feeling at a distance from her story and characters. It took me a really long time to figure it out, but I think it’s because she sometimes writes with a more omniscient voice, rather than delving into the deep POV that I crave. However, in spite of all my criticisms, I can’t deny that I kept reading and it was never really a chore to finish, which is why I went back and forth on how to rate it. I would typically award four stars to most stories like this, but I kept thinking about all these little annoying things and just didn’t feel like it warranted quite that high of a rating. Still, I enjoyed it enough to be open to trying more from Christina Dodd, maybe even the second book of the series, Castles in the Air, which features William’s best friend, Raymond, as the hero. I’m hoping that perhaps Ms. Dodd’s writing style has grown and developed more over time since this early example of her work.
"3.5 stars" Candle in the Window is the first book in Christina Dodd’s Castle Duet. It’s also the first book she ever published and the first book of hers that I’ve read. It’s a medieval historical romance about a brave and noble knight named William who was blinded from a blow to the head during battle. Ever since, he’s been a shell of his former self, stewing in self-pity and feeling useless. Desperate to find a way to reach his son, William’s father, Lord Peter, visits nearby Pertrade Castle, where he’s heard a blind young woman who doesn’t seem disabled at all resides. Lord Peter is impressed with the lovely Saura, and when she agrees to help, he persuades her stepfather to allow her to return to his estate of Burke to act as their housekeeper. There she whips both Burke and William into shape, drawing him out of his doldrums. As they work closely together they begin to fall for one another. But an enemy lurks outside the castle walls, lying in wait, and when William and Saura go on an outing, they find themselves kidnapped. They quickly discover that their captor is none other than someone William thought was a friend. However, he’s not the mastermind behind the plot. The pair manage to escape and make their way back to Burke, but the danger still awaits them. Before they can figure out who might harbor ill will toward them, he strikes again, but not before William asks Saura to be his bride. William will get the chance to conquer his enemy, but first he must conquer Saura’s heart and her uncertainties about their future in order to convince her that they’re meant to be together.
Saura has been blind since birth, but her mother insisted that she be treated no different than an able-bodied person. As a result, she can run a castle with precision and gets around in familiar surroundings without help. But in spite of this, her cruel stepfather views her as useless and resents not being able to marry her off. When Lord Peter comes with his offer of a secure place to stay in exchange for helping William and returning order to his own castle, she’s eager to get out from under her stepfather’s thumb. She becomes an efficient mistress at Burke and gives William a metaphorical kick in the seat of his pants to get him to see that he still has much to offer the world. She also teaches him how to navigate the world as a blind person. Gradually she begins to fall for the proud warrior, and while in close quarters during their kidnapping ordeal, they give in to their passion prompting William to offer marriage. But when events change the dynamic in their relationship, Saura fears that as a blind person herself, she has little to offer him in return. Still, during their wedding celebration, she uses her keen sense of hearing in an attempt to ferret out their enemy, but when the stubborn William doesn’t agree with her choice of suspect, she once again feels like she’s unvalued. After their adversary kidnaps her a second time, though, she finally gets a chance to shine. Overall, I liked Saura but I couldn’t help feeling that her characterization was uneven and there were times when her convoluted thinking didn’t make much sense to me. She begins the story as a strong, confident woman who has learned to navigate the sighted world as a blind person, and I loved how she gave William exactly the push he needed to rise out of his depression. But when William asks her to marry him, she suddenly becomes filled with insecurities and self-doubt that I didn’t fully understand even when it was finally explained. Also although William declares his love for her a number of times, she resists reciprocating, which also didn’t make a lot of sense to me, because IMHO, most women would be thrilled to have a man be so demonstrative of his affection. So while she was a generally likable character, she could also be quite confusing at times.
William is a widower with a young son and a brave and noble knight who’s never known aught but running Burke and slaying his enemies on the battlefield. So when he loses his sight, he also loses his way. When his father brings Saura back to their castle, he sometimes finds her amusing, while at others infuriating. After he eventually discovers that she’s a young woman and blind like him, he gains a great deal of respect for her, while also falling in love with her. Together, they make a formidable team when they’re kidnapped, and even before he makes love to her during that time, he knew he wanted to marry her. However, when he declares his love and asks for her hand, Saura’s insecurities start to come out, leaving William at a loss for how to get her to believe that he truly loves her and wants a future with her. Of course, their enemy is still out there just waiting to strike again, too, and eventually William gets the chance to do battle with him to save his lady fair. William is basically a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of guy, a warrior and a man’s man type of hero. I found myself having somewhat mixed feelings about him. On the one hand, he’s the first to declare his love for Saura and keeps pressing his suit with her, which is something I liked very much. However, I couldn’t help wanting him to be a little more vulnerable. We finally get a scene at the very end, where he is quite vulnerable, but I would have liked a little more of that woven throughout. Then there are a couple of scenes where he skirted perilously close to the dreaded forced seduction (one scene arguably was) and a few times when he makes some very off-color statements regarding women. There’s also a scene where he slaps a female servant in the face, and while she arguably deserved it, I loathe seeing a man raise a hand to a woman for any reason. I know all this was probably more historically accurate, but these moments just felt misogynistic to my modern sensibilities. While I can appreciate being factually correct, I appreciate even more the fantasy of romance and prefer for it to not be quite this realistic. So while he didn’t drive me crazy like some romance heroes have, William had both good points and bad points.
Candle in the Window appears to be well-loved by fans of Christina Dodd (according to her website, many fans cite it as their favorite of her works), and for her first effort, it was a pretty good story that I mostly enjoyed. I waffled a lot on how many stars to give it, but ultimately there were just too many flaws for me to give it a top rating. In addition to my already metioned issues with the characterizations, I felt that the story was over-long. At 437 pages, it’s a pretty thick book, and there were times that the pace needlessly dragged with not much happening. There are places where the narrative and/or dialogue became a little too verbose, as well as historical details that could have been woven in a bit more seamlessly, which only contributed to the slow pace. In spite of not being all that good at figuring out mysteries, I discerned the identity of their enemy probably about halfway through the book. Although the author tries to get the reader to question it, I never really wavered in my opinion. I was hoping she might pull a rabbit out of the hat, but when the person’s identity is revealed, I wasn’t surprised at all. Then there’s the villain being something of a cardboard cutout with very little motivation aside from simply being insane, which was kind of disappointing. Lastly there’s just something about the author’s writing style that left me feeling at a distance from her story and characters. It took me a really long time to figure it out, but I think it’s because she sometimes writes with a more omniscient voice, rather than delving into the deep POV that I crave. However, in spite of all my criticisms, I can’t deny that I kept reading and it was never really a chore to finish, which is why I went back and forth on how to rate it. I would typically award four stars to most stories like this, but I kept thinking about all these little annoying things and just didn’t feel like it warranted quite that high of a rating. Still, I enjoyed it enough to be open to trying more from Christina Dodd, maybe even the second book of the series, Castles in the Air, which features William’s best friend, Raymond, as the hero. I’m hoping that perhaps Ms. Dodd’s writing style has grown and developed more over time since this early example of her work.
November 3, 2013
Interesting Medieval with a Blind Heroine
Set in England in 1153 (at the time when Stephen was King of England and Matilda’s son Henry vied with him for the throne, this is the story of Lady Saura de Roget, a wellborn but blind heiress who has learned to use her abilities despite the lack of sight. When Roger de Miraval happens to see how well she runs her stepfather’s castle, he sees her as the solution to his son’s blindness caused by a battle injury. Sir William de Miraval is wallowing in self-pity having lost his ability to be the magnificent knight he once was. Saura does not tell him of her own blindness when she agrees to Sir Roger’s request she come to Miraval and set things right.
One afternoon, Saura ends up in Sir William’s bath and he kisses her thinking she is a servant, never knowing she is actually Saura, the one he thinks is an aging nun come to bring order to their keep. But soon he will recover his sight and discover that Saura is a beautiful young woman…
What can I say? Dodd has done her research and always tells a good tale. Most of the story takes place in William’s keep as he and Saura pursue their relationship (the battles take place off scene). The characters are well developed and the dialog rich. There is enough treachery, envy and intrigue to hold your interest as the new love between William and Saura is challenged. There was William’s desire for a deeper love and Saura’s more traditional view of a wife’s obedience to her husband as gratitude for his kindness, though I’m not sure how persuasive this bit was. The middle seemed a bit slow as we lingered in the castle with Saura. But then one of William’s friends abducts her and the suspense builds.
A worthy, if long, tale. I can recommend it.
Set in England in 1153 (at the time when Stephen was King of England and Matilda’s son Henry vied with him for the throne, this is the story of Lady Saura de Roget, a wellborn but blind heiress who has learned to use her abilities despite the lack of sight. When Roger de Miraval happens to see how well she runs her stepfather’s castle, he sees her as the solution to his son’s blindness caused by a battle injury. Sir William de Miraval is wallowing in self-pity having lost his ability to be the magnificent knight he once was. Saura does not tell him of her own blindness when she agrees to Sir Roger’s request she come to Miraval and set things right.
One afternoon, Saura ends up in Sir William’s bath and he kisses her thinking she is a servant, never knowing she is actually Saura, the one he thinks is an aging nun come to bring order to their keep. But soon he will recover his sight and discover that Saura is a beautiful young woman…
What can I say? Dodd has done her research and always tells a good tale. Most of the story takes place in William’s keep as he and Saura pursue their relationship (the battles take place off scene). The characters are well developed and the dialog rich. There is enough treachery, envy and intrigue to hold your interest as the new love between William and Saura is challenged. There was William’s desire for a deeper love and Saura’s more traditional view of a wife’s obedience to her husband as gratitude for his kindness, though I’m not sure how persuasive this bit was. The middle seemed a bit slow as we lingered in the castle with Saura. But then one of William’s friends abducts her and the suspense builds.
A worthy, if long, tale. I can recommend it.
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