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The Crown of Tremontane #3
Agent of the Crown
Telaine North Hunter, Princess of Tremontane, is beautiful, spoiled, flirtatious, and the center of fashionable society throughout Tremontane.
She’s also a spy.
As an agent of the Crown, Telaine uses her high society connections to gather information for her uncle, King Jeffrey. But when an overheard conversation reveals a sinister plot centered on the Baron of Steepridge, Telaine must pose as a common Deviser in the distant frontier town of Longbourne to uncover the truth.
Fresh from her glittering world of the palace, Telaine is completely unprepared for rural life. She must conceal her identity not only from the townspeople, but from the suspicious, corrupt Baron as well. Her only assistance comes from Mistress Weaver, a local woman with an agenda of her own, and Ben, the handsome young blacksmith who reaches out a hand of friendship when others turn away.
As the days pass with no success in sight, Telaine’s pretense becomes real, and her growing attachment to Longbourne and its people comes into conflict with her mission. She can’t keep up the lie forever, but when the truth comes out, will she face it as the Princess—or as an agent of the Crown?
She’s also a spy.
As an agent of the Crown, Telaine uses her high society connections to gather information for her uncle, King Jeffrey. But when an overheard conversation reveals a sinister plot centered on the Baron of Steepridge, Telaine must pose as a common Deviser in the distant frontier town of Longbourne to uncover the truth.
Fresh from her glittering world of the palace, Telaine is completely unprepared for rural life. She must conceal her identity not only from the townspeople, but from the suspicious, corrupt Baron as well. Her only assistance comes from Mistress Weaver, a local woman with an agenda of her own, and Ben, the handsome young blacksmith who reaches out a hand of friendship when others turn away.
As the days pass with no success in sight, Telaine’s pretense becomes real, and her growing attachment to Longbourne and its people comes into conflict with her mission. She can’t keep up the lie forever, but when the truth comes out, will she face it as the Princess—or as an agent of the Crown?
410 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2016
51 people are currently reading
852 people want to read
About the author
Melissa McShane
94 books860 followersMelissa grew up a nomad, following her family all over the United States, and ended up living in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains with her husband, four kids, and three very needy cats. Her love of reading was always a constant during those uncertain years, and her love of writing grew out of that. She wrote reviews and critical essays for many years before turning to fiction, and was surprised at how much she liked it. She loves the fantasy genre and how it stretches the imagination.
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August 11, 2019
4.5 stars. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Agent of the Crown (2016), the third book in Melissa McShane’s CROWN OF TREMONTANE fantasy series, shifts to a third generation of the royal North family: Princess Telaine North Hunter has been secretly working for her uncle, the king of Tremontane, as a spy for the last nine years, since she was 15. She’s deliberately created a public image as a frivolous, bubble-headed socialite, while she works behind the scenes to uncover plots against her country. Only the king and her maid (who is also an agent) are aware of her double identity. Telaine’s job is made somewhat easier by an inherent magical talent that she also guards as a close secret: she can instantly tell if anyone is lying directly to her. (A lie is indicated by bold font in the text, a trick that took me a few pages to catch on to.)
One night at a ball, Telaine sneaks off to rifle through Count Harroden’s papers, who’s been acting suspicious lately. She’s forced to hide in a closet when the Count and another man, the unsavory Baron of Steepridge, come into the office and discuss a smuggling deal. When she reports back to the king, he unexpectedly sends her on her first undercover field assignment: staying in the rural town of Longbourne (Jane Austen shout-out!) in Steepridge’s barony to find out what the Baron is smuggling and why.
Telaine is sent to live in the home of her ageless great-aunt Zara, once the queen of Tremontane and now in hiding herself (Zara’s story is told in Exile of the Crown). Telaine introduces herself as Lainie Bricker, a commoner from the big city who is skilled with creating and repairing magic-imbued mechanical devices ― a fortuitous hobby of Telaine’s, which she hopes will get her entry into the Baron’s mansion. Zara is incensed at Telaine invading her life and home without an invitation, and initially turns most of the townspeople against Telaine … with the notable exception of Ben Garrett, the young blacksmith. Telaine divides her time between getting to know the townspeople better ― especially Ben ― and secretly investigating the Baron. One of those will be dangerous to her heart and the other to her life.
Agent of the Crown has an absorbing plot that’s an enjoyable mix of a fish-out-of-water story, as the city-bred royal Telaine gradually integrates with rural townspeople, a slowly developing romance, and a tension-filled spying assignment, where the wrong move may mean death. Melissa McShane is talented at creating realistic characters who engage me emotionally. It’s reminiscent of Troubled Waters, one of my favorite books from Sharon Shinn that deftly mixes magical fantasy and thoughtful romance, where people learn and grow in the course of their relationships. In the course of her new experiences and adventures, Telaine learns more about the people of her country as well as about herself.
Like Rider of the Crown, the second book in this series, Agent of the Crown directly addresses the question of one’s identity and making difficult choices about your path in life. Between her roles as the superficial and flirtatious princess, the secret agent, and the commoner Deviser, it’s hard for Telaine to come to terms with who she truly is as a person. And as she grows more fond of Ben and the other people of Longbourne, it becomes increasingly difficult for her to maintain her secret identity and avoid compromising her mission as a spy.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review. Thank you!!
Agent of the Crown (2016), the third book in Melissa McShane’s CROWN OF TREMONTANE fantasy series, shifts to a third generation of the royal North family: Princess Telaine North Hunter has been secretly working for her uncle, the king of Tremontane, as a spy for the last nine years, since she was 15. She’s deliberately created a public image as a frivolous, bubble-headed socialite, while she works behind the scenes to uncover plots against her country. Only the king and her maid (who is also an agent) are aware of her double identity. Telaine’s job is made somewhat easier by an inherent magical talent that she also guards as a close secret: she can instantly tell if anyone is lying directly to her. (A lie is indicated by bold font in the text, a trick that took me a few pages to catch on to.)
One night at a ball, Telaine sneaks off to rifle through Count Harroden’s papers, who’s been acting suspicious lately. She’s forced to hide in a closet when the Count and another man, the unsavory Baron of Steepridge, come into the office and discuss a smuggling deal. When she reports back to the king, he unexpectedly sends her on her first undercover field assignment: staying in the rural town of Longbourne (Jane Austen shout-out!) in Steepridge’s barony to find out what the Baron is smuggling and why.
Telaine is sent to live in the home of her ageless great-aunt Zara, once the queen of Tremontane and now in hiding herself (Zara’s story is told in Exile of the Crown). Telaine introduces herself as Lainie Bricker, a commoner from the big city who is skilled with creating and repairing magic-imbued mechanical devices ― a fortuitous hobby of Telaine’s, which she hopes will get her entry into the Baron’s mansion. Zara is incensed at Telaine invading her life and home without an invitation, and initially turns most of the townspeople against Telaine … with the notable exception of Ben Garrett, the young blacksmith. Telaine divides her time between getting to know the townspeople better ― especially Ben ― and secretly investigating the Baron. One of those will be dangerous to her heart and the other to her life.
Agent of the Crown has an absorbing plot that’s an enjoyable mix of a fish-out-of-water story, as the city-bred royal Telaine gradually integrates with rural townspeople, a slowly developing romance, and a tension-filled spying assignment, where the wrong move may mean death. Melissa McShane is talented at creating realistic characters who engage me emotionally. It’s reminiscent of Troubled Waters, one of my favorite books from Sharon Shinn that deftly mixes magical fantasy and thoughtful romance, where people learn and grow in the course of their relationships. In the course of her new experiences and adventures, Telaine learns more about the people of her country as well as about herself.
Like Rider of the Crown, the second book in this series, Agent of the Crown directly addresses the question of one’s identity and making difficult choices about your path in life. Between her roles as the superficial and flirtatious princess, the secret agent, and the commoner Deviser, it’s hard for Telaine to come to terms with who she truly is as a person. And as she grows more fond of Ben and the other people of Longbourne, it becomes increasingly difficult for her to maintain her secret identity and avoid compromising her mission as a spy.
But what else could she do, and retain her honor? She was used to losing things by now. She’d lost Lainie Bricker. She was about to lose the Princess. It seemed she was going to find out who Telaine North Hunter was, because that would be the only identity left to her.While Agent of the Crown can be read on a stand-alone basis, like most series the experience is definitely enhanced by reading the prior books in the series and becoming familiar with the characters and their world. I strongly recommend this book and the CROWN OF TREMONTANE series to readers who enjoy magical fantasies that include romance.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review. Thank you!!
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November 18, 2022Re-read 11/1/22: This book went through four revisions as I struggled with figuring out how to write a novel--also struggled with turning my nighttime imaginings into something coherent. I didn't realize I'd created two competing magic systems until someone asked why Telaine could do both, and then I had to make them work together. Aunt Weaver's character had to alter to fit the "earlier" books (written after this one). (Kids! Writing a whole series, or most of a series, before publishing means never having to say "oops, there goes consistency.")
Fun bit of trivia: Tremontane's worship of ungoverned heaven is a direct result of my personal choice not to swear by the name of God. I found I needed a swear word that filled that gap, and then all of them saying "good heaven" and so forth stood out enough I wanted to explain it.
Read 11/28/16: I have no objectivity where this book is concerned. It was a story I began telling myself almost two decades ago, when Tremontane didn't exist and the idea of being a published writer was...not an idea, actually; I was a lay critic and reviewer and I was happy that way. There was just Telaine, woman of two worlds, professional sneak and professional Princess. It wasn't a groundbreaking idea, girl out of water, rich girl falls in love with the country life, but Telaine as a character was what made the difference for me. She had some very dramatic (melodramatic, occasionally) adventures that didn't make the cut for this book, she wasn't a Deviser--Devices didn't exist until later--but she was always her uncle's agent, and she always had that central conflict between her identities.
It would have remained a story I told myself, but when I finished writing Emissary, I was casting about for something to write next, and I mentioned Telaine's story to my husband--that it interested me, but was missing a primary conflict. He thought about it for a while, then came up with the smuggling plot. Suddenly, I had most of a book. And then I had Tremontane, and Longbourne, and a host of characters, and the foundation for more stories.
Zara North made her first appearance here, though in quite a different form, and Tremontane's Devices and the magic that runs them were invented to give Telaine something to do that was hers regardless of whether she was the Princess or the spy. But in the end, this has always been a story about one woman and the choices she makes. I hope readers love it as much as I do.
Fun bit of trivia: Tremontane's worship of ungoverned heaven is a direct result of my personal choice not to swear by the name of God. I found I needed a swear word that filled that gap, and then all of them saying "good heaven" and so forth stood out enough I wanted to explain it.
Read 11/28/16: I have no objectivity where this book is concerned. It was a story I began telling myself almost two decades ago, when Tremontane didn't exist and the idea of being a published writer was...not an idea, actually; I was a lay critic and reviewer and I was happy that way. There was just Telaine, woman of two worlds, professional sneak and professional Princess. It wasn't a groundbreaking idea, girl out of water, rich girl falls in love with the country life, but Telaine as a character was what made the difference for me. She had some very dramatic (melodramatic, occasionally) adventures that didn't make the cut for this book, she wasn't a Deviser--Devices didn't exist until later--but she was always her uncle's agent, and she always had that central conflict between her identities.
It would have remained a story I told myself, but when I finished writing Emissary, I was casting about for something to write next, and I mentioned Telaine's story to my husband--that it interested me, but was missing a primary conflict. He thought about it for a while, then came up with the smuggling plot. Suddenly, I had most of a book. And then I had Tremontane, and Longbourne, and a host of characters, and the foundation for more stories.
Zara North made her first appearance here, though in quite a different form, and Tremontane's Devices and the magic that runs them were invented to give Telaine something to do that was hers regardless of whether she was the Princess or the spy. But in the end, this has always been a story about one woman and the choices she makes. I hope readers love it as much as I do.
February 29, 2016
As usual, I'm going to try to be rational about one of Melissa's books. I'm not, of course, and this one less than some of the others (see my Glory note below). There's another big time jump from book two so you can start the series here, but I'd recommend starting at book one, if only to give you the enhanced background and appreciation for meeting Zara again.
As usual for Melissa's books, my main attachment is the heroine. Telaine North Hunter is a dynamic, engaging woman with a lot more responsibility than she lets on. She's more fully engaged in the royal/princess life than we've seen so far in the Crown series but that's as much cover for her real job as anything else. And her real job is a kick. Jeffrey apparently took nearly losing his crown seriously in book two and has developed a spy network with at least some of their effort targeted to keeping track of his own nobles. Telaine serves as an ideal entrant in this capacity with a deep cover that can't be beat. And she's good at what she does, not least due to her innate magical ability to detect when someone is lying.
Which is grand until Jeffrey sends her to the back of beyond for reasons you'll discover in the story. Out of her element in more ways than one, Telaine has her first opportunity to slow down—as frustrating as that is—and she discovers a lot of interesting things, not many of them exactly comfortable.
I enjoyed Telaine from the start and loved watching her learn to trust and grow into who she wanted to become rather than coasting on her talent and inertia. And I really loved the town and folks she meets there and finding real friends for perhaps the first time in her life.
This story is a firmer blend of action and romance than either of the previous two. I think that worked wonderfully, but I'll leave you to make your own judgment.
Inside Baseball
This book was actually written first (well, second, after Emissary), before the other Crown of Tremontane books. It has fascinated me how well Melissa had built her backstory because she already had much of the others already planned (including Zara's history). She worries that there's a huge quality shift in her writing, but I don't see it if there is.
Personal Glory
On a more personal note, and another reason to completely disregard anything I have to say about the book as biased nonsense if you want one, I get a writing credit in this one. That's right, I wrote the song. You'll know it when you see it and I'm inordinately proud of having done so. Not least because I tear up every single time from the feels. Melissa needed a folksy song someone might use for . . . uh, story reasons you'll understand when it happens . . . and asked if I could do it. I gave it a shot. I hope it hits you the way it hits me, still, every single time.
As usual for Melissa's books, my main attachment is the heroine. Telaine North Hunter is a dynamic, engaging woman with a lot more responsibility than she lets on. She's more fully engaged in the royal/princess life than we've seen so far in the Crown series but that's as much cover for her real job as anything else. And her real job is a kick. Jeffrey apparently took nearly losing his crown seriously in book two and has developed a spy network with at least some of their effort targeted to keeping track of his own nobles. Telaine serves as an ideal entrant in this capacity with a deep cover that can't be beat. And she's good at what she does, not least due to her innate magical ability to detect when someone is lying.
Which is grand until Jeffrey sends her to the back of beyond for reasons you'll discover in the story. Out of her element in more ways than one, Telaine has her first opportunity to slow down—as frustrating as that is—and she discovers a lot of interesting things, not many of them exactly comfortable.
I enjoyed Telaine from the start and loved watching her learn to trust and grow into who she wanted to become rather than coasting on her talent and inertia. And I really loved the town and folks she meets there and finding real friends for perhaps the first time in her life.
This story is a firmer blend of action and romance than either of the previous two. I think that worked wonderfully, but I'll leave you to make your own judgment.
Inside Baseball
This book was actually written first (well, second, after Emissary), before the other Crown of Tremontane books. It has fascinated me how well Melissa had built her backstory because she already had much of the others already planned (including Zara's history). She worries that there's a huge quality shift in her writing, but I don't see it if there is.
Personal Glory
On a more personal note, and another reason to completely disregard anything I have to say about the book as biased nonsense if you want one, I get a writing credit in this one. That's right, I wrote the song. You'll know it when you see it and I'm inordinately proud of having done so. Not least because I tear up every single time from the feels. Melissa needed a folksy song someone might use for . . . uh, story reasons you'll understand when it happens . . . and asked if I could do it. I gave it a shot. I hope it hits you the way it hits me, still, every single time.
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March 30, 2016Telaine North Hunter, Princess of Tremontane, has been living a double life. As an agent of the crown, she’s a spy with a magical ability to know truth from lies if she talks directly to the speaker. So, under her real name, she lives a false existence, acting like a spoiled, flutter-brained princess while winnowing out troublemakers among the court.
But she has also secretly trained as a Deviser, one who can fix Tremontane’s swiftly evolving tech, now that they have discovered “source”—magical energy.
Her uncle, King Jeffrey, suspects the Baron of Steepridge has been smuggling. This baron has lands on a crucial border, so the king needs a covert investigator to find the truth. But this is not a job for Telaine's cover as the spoiled princess. Telaine is sent in the guise of Lainie, a common Deviser, to the town of Longbourne, to stay with a woman Telaine only knows as “Aunt Weaver.”
The town turns out to have few of the amenities Telaine considers necessary to modern life, and Aunt Weaver is grumpy and sometimes even hostile. But Telaine is determined, and so she throws herself into becoming Lainie, who is everything the princess isn’t, as she waits for her chance to meet the baron.
As Lainie, Telaine has just began enjoying her life, establishing the beginnings of understanding with Aunt Weaver, and the possibility of making friends, when she finally is able to get a start on her orders. She catches hints of far more sinister machinations than smuggling.
Meantime, one of those new friends, a blacksmith with a heart-melting tenor voice, is beginning to feel like he might be more than a friend . . .
McShane takes the times to establish place and characters before events begin to accelerate, and once they do, it’s a gallop to the finish, with some lovely high moments and some hard hits before we reach the end. After the novel, there is a short, intensely poignant coda that readers of the entire series will find especially meaningful.
I like the way McShane develops romances. Her heroes and heroines talk things out, and find respect as well as communication an important component of that mysterious arc from attraction to intimacy to union (one hopes) for a lifetime. The intensity of the relationship is not defined by how much time they romp between the sheets. So refreshing.
I loved the way Lainie/Telaine tackles problems, and her action at a crucial point had me cheering out loud. The emotional cost, and the social aftermath, of her life as an agent had me glued to the pages before bringing the story to safe harbor. Leaving me looking forward to reading more about these characters and this world.
But she has also secretly trained as a Deviser, one who can fix Tremontane’s swiftly evolving tech, now that they have discovered “source”—magical energy.
Her uncle, King Jeffrey, suspects the Baron of Steepridge has been smuggling. This baron has lands on a crucial border, so the king needs a covert investigator to find the truth. But this is not a job for Telaine's cover as the spoiled princess. Telaine is sent in the guise of Lainie, a common Deviser, to the town of Longbourne, to stay with a woman Telaine only knows as “Aunt Weaver.”
The town turns out to have few of the amenities Telaine considers necessary to modern life, and Aunt Weaver is grumpy and sometimes even hostile. But Telaine is determined, and so she throws herself into becoming Lainie, who is everything the princess isn’t, as she waits for her chance to meet the baron.
As Lainie, Telaine has just began enjoying her life, establishing the beginnings of understanding with Aunt Weaver, and the possibility of making friends, when she finally is able to get a start on her orders. She catches hints of far more sinister machinations than smuggling.
Meantime, one of those new friends, a blacksmith with a heart-melting tenor voice, is beginning to feel like he might be more than a friend . . .
McShane takes the times to establish place and characters before events begin to accelerate, and once they do, it’s a gallop to the finish, with some lovely high moments and some hard hits before we reach the end. After the novel, there is a short, intensely poignant coda that readers of the entire series will find especially meaningful.
I like the way McShane develops romances. Her heroes and heroines talk things out, and find respect as well as communication an important component of that mysterious arc from attraction to intimacy to union (one hopes) for a lifetime. The intensity of the relationship is not defined by how much time they romp between the sheets. So refreshing.
I loved the way Lainie/Telaine tackles problems, and her action at a crucial point had me cheering out loud. The emotional cost, and the social aftermath, of her life as an agent had me glued to the pages before bringing the story to safe harbor. Leaving me looking forward to reading more about these characters and this world.
March 3, 2016
Who do I want to be? This is the central question of the well-written Agent of the Crown (The Crown of Tremontane Book 3) by Melissa McShane.
I enjoyed the previous two books in this series. They were thought-filled, inspiring, and romantic and book three lives up to that same standard. While the cast of characters changes slightly, focusing this time on Telaine North Hunter, niece of King Jeffrey, there were many carryovers from the first two books to keep continuity...Read my full review on my blog at http://blog.lrwlee.com/2016/03/03/rev...
I enjoyed the previous two books in this series. They were thought-filled, inspiring, and romantic and book three lives up to that same standard. While the cast of characters changes slightly, focusing this time on Telaine North Hunter, niece of King Jeffrey, there were many carryovers from the first two books to keep continuity...Read my full review on my blog at http://blog.lrwlee.com/2016/03/03/rev...
February 24, 2016
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Crown of Tremontane is one of my favorite series, and like its predecessors Agent of the Crown does not disappoint.
Agent of the Crown takes us back to Tremontane and the North family, this time in the form of Telaine North Hunter, the daughter of Elspeth North and Owen Hunter, who we saw very briefly as a bouncing baby at the end of Rider of the Crown. Telaine is all grown up now and living a double life as the fashion forward belle of every ball she's ever attended and as one of her Uncle Jeffery's spies. This is a really fun set up which drives the character arc of the story as Telaine has to decide whether she's the Princess, the spy or something in between, and in the long run who does she WANT to be. This arc is deftly combined with a political plot which draws her out of her glittering life and firmly puts Telaine somewhere uncomfortable and that's a great place for a character to be.
As usual the supporting cast is fantastic from Ben the Blacksmith (who I have a huge crush on) to the return of in all her snarky glory. While there are a lot of townsfolk which we meet, they are distinct enough that I never just lost the personalities in a sea of names and was as tied up in their successes and failures as I was in Telaine's bigger job. The villains are suitably terrifying and I felt like I understood the various motives in a way that gelled together nicely.
It was also great to get glimpses of characters we know and love including Imogen, Jeffry and Alison.
It's interesting to see how far the author has come by this book. While I love the whole series the writing here is stronger and tighter and you can see the growth of the author as well as the world and the people in it.
When you get to the short story at the end... All I can say is have tissues on hand. In the best possible way. I've read it three times and it gets me right in the feels...every...time.
The Crown of Tremontane is one of my favorite series, and like its predecessors Agent of the Crown does not disappoint.
Agent of the Crown takes us back to Tremontane and the North family, this time in the form of Telaine North Hunter, the daughter of Elspeth North and Owen Hunter, who we saw very briefly as a bouncing baby at the end of Rider of the Crown. Telaine is all grown up now and living a double life as the fashion forward belle of every ball she's ever attended and as one of her Uncle Jeffery's spies. This is a really fun set up which drives the character arc of the story as Telaine has to decide whether she's the Princess, the spy or something in between, and in the long run who does she WANT to be. This arc is deftly combined with a political plot which draws her out of her glittering life and firmly puts Telaine somewhere uncomfortable and that's a great place for a character to be.
As usual the supporting cast is fantastic from Ben the Blacksmith (who I have a huge crush on) to the return of in all her snarky glory. While there are a lot of townsfolk which we meet, they are distinct enough that I never just lost the personalities in a sea of names and was as tied up in their successes and failures as I was in Telaine's bigger job. The villains are suitably terrifying and I felt like I understood the various motives in a way that gelled together nicely.
It was also great to get glimpses of characters we know and love including Imogen, Jeffry and Alison.
It's interesting to see how far the author has come by this book. While I love the whole series the writing here is stronger and tighter and you can see the growth of the author as well as the world and the people in it.
When you get to the short story at the end... All I can say is have tissues on hand. In the best possible way. I've read it three times and it gets me right in the feels...every...time.
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March 21, 2017Possibly my favorite ending from a book in this series to date.
April 21, 2017
Cutting her alter ego out of her life hadn’t left a hole; it had given Telaine North Hunter space to finally breathe.
Attempting to write a review for Melissa McShane’s Agent of the Crown is making me repeatedly tap my fingers on the keyboard without typing words. I am conflicted. I liked it, so by Goodreads’ rules, I gave it three stars, but part of me is skeptical. I feel like my answer should be: I liked it? Yes, I did, but I have a few concerns.
Sent on a new mission to find proof of foul play, Telaine arrives in Longbourne and goes undercover as a Deviser to get inside the home of the slimy baron. Overall, I did enjoy Telaine/Lainie as a main character and applaud McShane again for once again creating a unique character in a landscape that her readers are already familiar with. It’s comforting to read about the same setting and getting glimpses of old characters, yet getting a whole new experience. I liked Telaine’s role as a Deviser—she’s not a warrior, but is strong and smart in her own unique way.
However, she is very hard on herself when not realizing Ben’s feelings for her (this isn’t really a spoiler—while all of McShane’s books do have a likable slow-burn romance, they’re always obvious). When he makes his feelings known by singing directly to her at a party (not by telling her mind you), she’s really confused at first and isn’t sure what to think, but suddenly realizes these feelings about him.
…hadn’t even considered trying to attract [Ben], because…why? Because he was a friend…But now she was having trouble thinking of him as just a friend. How did she feel, really?
Talk about a light switch of emotions. Considering how long it takes their relationship to finally turn into something beyond friendship, I wish Telaine could have been a bit more aware of her feelings. Maybe McShane wanted to show that she’s dedicated to the job, but it still didn’t take her long to make the switch to Ben. (I almost think it would’ve been an interesting twist if they ended up being friends or something) Then, when Telaine realizes that Ben loves her, it’s again, not because he tells her, but because he’s worried about her and he walks away and the village tells her how stupid she is for not realizing his feelings.
Um, excuse me. First, everyone, take a chill pill. Ben is a big boy and should be able to tell her how he feels on his own. I don’t care if he’s shy or keeps his emotions close to his hurt, if he wants to marry this woman, he needs to tell her that he loves her on his own for pete’s sake. Ben constantly gets away with not having to say anything and getting someone else or finding some other way to explain his feelings. Considering Ben doesn’t seem to open up to everyone, the village is pretty in tune with his thoughts.
Speaking of Ben getting away with things, I have some major beef with how he treats Telaine in general. At the slightest doubt or trouble, Ben stomps away like a sad child and leaves Telaine to figure out what to do. But on some adult pants and freaking DO SOMETHING. You want to marry this woman? Then you deal with your problems together and use your words. At one point, he calls Telaine one particular word that made my face actually contort in shock and disgust. I don’t care how f*cking mad you are about something, you do not say that to someone you love. If my husband used that word at me, I would forgive him (eventually), but you know we would have one hell of a conversation about it. Does he ever apologize for it? Nope. He apologizes for some things, but I wish he was a bit more sorry and specific.
Overall though, I still liked the dynamics between Telaine and Ben and how they handle conflict. As always, McShane gives us a satisfying slow-burn of a relationship (despite my criticism, I still believe this). As with her MCs, McShane creates a new kind of male MC that she hadn’t created yet in her series: a non-royal. I appreciate that even her royal characters aren’t extremely exceptional; they have flaws that are believable and make you care about them more, yet they are so sweet and likeable.
However, McShane isn’t kind to all of her characters in Agent of the Crown. While I was excited about her (relatively) positive view of homosexuality in Rider of the Crown, but I think the representation in this book fell a little flat on its face. At the beginning of the book, her friend Michael is said to be gay and married, but as the book went on, it felt more like he was used as a way to say, “no, it’s okay, she has a gay friend.”
Though after her discovery, she really wondered at his sexual preferences…It was none of her business what he did in private, but the image still left her queasy. Surely he wouldn’t trust a servant to pleasure him, but Morgan? She hadn’t gotten the sense that the darkly handsome man was oriented that way, especially since he was paying so much attention to her.
The exchange happens after she finds a pair of handcuffs under the Baron’s bed. Now, all things considered, the Baron and Morgan are two sick dudes, but before we an audience know this, we’re only given Telaine’s opinion, which is that they are having a homosexual relationship. First of all, I thought that it was weird that she assumed that in the first place just by seeing a pair of handcuffs? And what, because Morgan doesn’t take rules well yet is the Baron’s lapdog means that they must be having some homosexual dominator/submissive relationship? Also, she’s made queasy at the idea of them having a relationship and is surprised because Morgan is so darkly handsome as if he’s too handsome to be gay? Or he can’t be a creepy flirt because he’s gay? I don’t know, it just felt like an odd assumption to make and I was turned off by how weirded out she constantly was at the idea of them being in a relationship, even though they’re the villains.
One last note, I found it a little difficult to believe how quickly her family was able to transition to believe the new Telaine. I get that it’s her family and they are there for her, but if this whole time she’s been a whole other people, wouldn’t that be a bit more difficult to know how much you like that person? Julia says that she’s glad Telaine isn’t the flirty, bubbly Princess they all thought her to be; so did Julia this whole kind of dislike Telaine? Or was that the only part she faked? It’s my smallest criticism, but I thought Julia’s comment was really interesting.
Uffda, I didn’t expect to have this much to say about this book, but I needed to get my thoughts out and some of the issues I had with the book really stuck with me. I felt a bit unfulfilled at the end of the book, because I was hoping for a slightly slower resolution, rather than the bowtie-neat deus ex machina. Considering everything that Telaine worked to get to where she was, things came to a pretty quick conclusion. It doesn’t help that I’m still a bit distraught at so many characters I love dying, by both old age and other causes. I still enjoyed the series as a whole. I’m not aware of any additions, but if there ever were, I would be happy to jump back into this world.
Attempting to write a review for Melissa McShane’s Agent of the Crown is making me repeatedly tap my fingers on the keyboard without typing words. I am conflicted. I liked it, so by Goodreads’ rules, I gave it three stars, but part of me is skeptical. I feel like my answer should be: I liked it? Yes, I did, but I have a few concerns.
Sent on a new mission to find proof of foul play, Telaine arrives in Longbourne and goes undercover as a Deviser to get inside the home of the slimy baron. Overall, I did enjoy Telaine/Lainie as a main character and applaud McShane again for once again creating a unique character in a landscape that her readers are already familiar with. It’s comforting to read about the same setting and getting glimpses of old characters, yet getting a whole new experience. I liked Telaine’s role as a Deviser—she’s not a warrior, but is strong and smart in her own unique way.
However, she is very hard on herself when not realizing Ben’s feelings for her (this isn’t really a spoiler—while all of McShane’s books do have a likable slow-burn romance, they’re always obvious). When he makes his feelings known by singing directly to her at a party (not by telling her mind you), she’s really confused at first and isn’t sure what to think, but suddenly realizes these feelings about him.
…hadn’t even considered trying to attract [Ben], because…why? Because he was a friend…But now she was having trouble thinking of him as just a friend. How did she feel, really?
Talk about a light switch of emotions. Considering how long it takes their relationship to finally turn into something beyond friendship, I wish Telaine could have been a bit more aware of her feelings. Maybe McShane wanted to show that she’s dedicated to the job, but it still didn’t take her long to make the switch to Ben. (I almost think it would’ve been an interesting twist if they ended up being friends or something) Then, when Telaine realizes that Ben loves her, it’s again, not because he tells her, but because he’s worried about her and he walks away and the village tells her how stupid she is for not realizing his feelings.
Um, excuse me. First, everyone, take a chill pill. Ben is a big boy and should be able to tell her how he feels on his own. I don’t care if he’s shy or keeps his emotions close to his hurt, if he wants to marry this woman, he needs to tell her that he loves her on his own for pete’s sake. Ben constantly gets away with not having to say anything and getting someone else or finding some other way to explain his feelings. Considering Ben doesn’t seem to open up to everyone, the village is pretty in tune with his thoughts.
Speaking of Ben getting away with things, I have some major beef with how he treats Telaine in general. At the slightest doubt or trouble, Ben stomps away like a sad child and leaves Telaine to figure out what to do. But on some adult pants and freaking DO SOMETHING. You want to marry this woman? Then you deal with your problems together and use your words. At one point, he calls Telaine one particular word that made my face actually contort in shock and disgust. I don’t care how f*cking mad you are about something, you do not say that to someone you love. If my husband used that word at me, I would forgive him (eventually), but you know we would have one hell of a conversation about it. Does he ever apologize for it? Nope. He apologizes for some things, but I wish he was a bit more sorry and specific.
Overall though, I still liked the dynamics between Telaine and Ben and how they handle conflict. As always, McShane gives us a satisfying slow-burn of a relationship (despite my criticism, I still believe this). As with her MCs, McShane creates a new kind of male MC that she hadn’t created yet in her series: a non-royal. I appreciate that even her royal characters aren’t extremely exceptional; they have flaws that are believable and make you care about them more, yet they are so sweet and likeable.
However, McShane isn’t kind to all of her characters in Agent of the Crown. While I was excited about her (relatively) positive view of homosexuality in Rider of the Crown, but I think the representation in this book fell a little flat on its face. At the beginning of the book, her friend Michael is said to be gay and married, but as the book went on, it felt more like he was used as a way to say, “no, it’s okay, she has a gay friend.”
Though after her discovery, she really wondered at his sexual preferences…It was none of her business what he did in private, but the image still left her queasy. Surely he wouldn’t trust a servant to pleasure him, but Morgan? She hadn’t gotten the sense that the darkly handsome man was oriented that way, especially since he was paying so much attention to her.
The exchange happens after she finds a pair of handcuffs under the Baron’s bed. Now, all things considered, the Baron and Morgan are two sick dudes, but before we an audience know this, we’re only given Telaine’s opinion, which is that they are having a homosexual relationship. First of all, I thought that it was weird that she assumed that in the first place just by seeing a pair of handcuffs? And what, because Morgan doesn’t take rules well yet is the Baron’s lapdog means that they must be having some homosexual dominator/submissive relationship? Also, she’s made queasy at the idea of them having a relationship and is surprised because Morgan is so darkly handsome as if he’s too handsome to be gay? Or he can’t be a creepy flirt because he’s gay? I don’t know, it just felt like an odd assumption to make and I was turned off by how weirded out she constantly was at the idea of them being in a relationship, even though they’re the villains.
One last note, I found it a little difficult to believe how quickly her family was able to transition to believe the new Telaine. I get that it’s her family and they are there for her, but if this whole time she’s been a whole other people, wouldn’t that be a bit more difficult to know how much you like that person? Julia says that she’s glad Telaine isn’t the flirty, bubbly Princess they all thought her to be; so did Julia this whole kind of dislike Telaine? Or was that the only part she faked? It’s my smallest criticism, but I thought Julia’s comment was really interesting.
Uffda, I didn’t expect to have this much to say about this book, but I needed to get my thoughts out and some of the issues I had with the book really stuck with me. I felt a bit unfulfilled at the end of the book, because I was hoping for a slightly slower resolution, rather than the bowtie-neat deus ex machina. Considering everything that Telaine worked to get to where she was, things came to a pretty quick conclusion. It doesn’t help that I’m still a bit distraught at so many characters I love dying, by both old age and other causes. I still enjoyed the series as a whole. I’m not aware of any additions, but if there ever were, I would be happy to jump back into this world.
March 22, 2016
Been reading a lot of good books lately and this was one of them. I knew I would like it when I bought it, I've read the other books in the series, and I wasn't wrong.
What I've admired about this series is that the author doesn't try to make everyone perfect and doesn't try to make life perfect. I really like the dynamics, all characters are so different.
I'm also intrigued. The other novels, while in the same universe and with some of the characters recurring, haven't had much to do with each other. They don't continue as a series in the sense that you have read them all. BUT, I feel as if some hints were dropped that it might not be so in the next. I guess we'll see come October, can't wait!
What I've admired about this series is that the author doesn't try to make everyone perfect and doesn't try to make life perfect. I really like the dynamics, all characters are so different.
I'm also intrigued. The other novels, while in the same universe and with some of the characters recurring, haven't had much to do with each other. They don't continue as a series in the sense that you have read them all. BUT, I feel as if some hints were dropped that it might not be so in the next. I guess we'll see come October, can't wait!
March 24, 2016
I may like this chapter better than either of the first two books. The others felt like a mini story expanded into a larger one. This book was epic from start to finish. I love the way the romance played out (but I'm a sucker for a guy who sings, so there's that). Cameos from previous characters were fun. And the generations linking the different books is a fun way to follow the story.
Also, I'd read this just for the bonus story tucked at the end.
Also, I'd read this just for the bonus story tucked at the end.
December 1, 2021
DNF due to boredom at end of sample.
March 30, 2016
I received this book as a giveaway from Goodreads and right from the start I was hooked. Had my heart in my mouth on quite a few occasions- expecting the worst but hoping not.. Absolutely loved this book, well written, easy to read, wonderful characters, lots of intrigue, heartaches and some happiness.
December 17, 2016
Holy cow! That was a great read!
Couldn't put my kindle down, read it in one day. Love love love this series. Both the men and women are so strong and real without taking away from their femininity or masculinity. The villains are awful, truly chilling. Awesome book.
Couldn't put my kindle down, read it in one day. Love love love this series. Both the men and women are so strong and real without taking away from their femininity or masculinity. The villains are awful, truly chilling. Awesome book.
March 15, 2016
I have greatly enjoyed this series since the beginning, I hope McShane continues to write about the North family.
March 4, 2016
I love this book, I just couldn't put it down. The extra story at the end broke my heart, but I was so happy to see Zara back in the story. My favourite book so far.
December 22, 2016
4 stars mainly for seeing Zara again. Oh she'll be so distressed when she wakes up though.
I think I'll have to do a reread. I believe the 1st book was about a Librarian and a abused royal library.
I think I'll have to do a reread. I believe the 1st book was about a Librarian and a abused royal library.
September 15, 2019
The Crown of Tremontane series gets better with every installment for me, although Rider of the Crown is still my personal favorite so far. This book follows Telaine North Hunter, niece of King Jeffrey North and his wife Imogen (whom we read about in Rider), and granddaughter of Alison North, whose own book Servant of the Crown started the series.
Because each book takes place a generation after the previous one, it is not necessary to read the series in published/chronological order. However, as is pretty much always the case, you'll get the most out of the books if you start with Servant and go from there.
Telaine is a woman of many talents. She is an agent of the Crown and uses her eccentric, frivolous Princess persona as a mask so she can spy on Tremontane's elite for her uncle. Her inherent magic also tells her whether or not someone is lying when they speak to her, a useful ability for a spy to have. And lastly, she is a Deviser, someone who is able to create and fix technological Devices that are powered by magical source.
When Telaine discovers hints a rural baron is smuggling goods for an unknown purpose, the king sends her to the village of Longbourne under the guise of a common-born Deviser so that she might find proof of the baron's nefarious ways. Telaine has never before been placed in the field in this way, and she is excited to prove her worth and expose the culprit.
After her initial cold reception from the villagers of Longbourne, Telaine ends up making the first real friends she's ever had and comes to think of the place as her home, despite the fact that she must hide her true reason for being there. She grows particularly close to the blacksmith Ben Garrett, who has a beautiful singing voice. She also wants to uncover the secrets of her mysterious hostess "Aunt Weaver," who is more than she seems (people who have read Servant of the Crown and Exile of the Crown will know that Agatha Weaver is actually Zara North, former queen of Tremontane and Telaine's actual great-aunt).
This book is exciting. Spying on the baron is dangerous work - both he and his bodyguard Morgan are frightening and malicious in their own differing ways. We also get to learn more about the Devices and how they function since Telaine is able to repair and create them, and I enjoyed that added fantasy element. I also had fun getting to know the villagers along with Telaine and the romance that develops between her and Ben is sweet. And, of course, seeing more of Zara is always a treat.
I did have a bit of a hard time with Telaine herself. She comes to hate her Princess persona as much as I do, but her tittering, empty-headed behavior grated on me in the early chapters. It also made me sad that even her family did not know the true Telaine because she acted like the Princess even around them. She appealed to me a lot more once she got to Longbourne (which doesn't take very long, anyway) and began discovering her true personality, even if it was under yet another guise.
**Slight Spoilers Ahead**
However, her decision to pursue a relationship with Ben despite not being able to tell him who she really was irritated me a bit, too. I can understand wanting to go along with it even though she knew it was a bad idea, but she seemed to forget or purposefully ignore what the future consequences would be. I don't think she realized how much it would hurt Ben once the truth came out.
**End of Spoilers**
Overall, however, those are minor complaints. I did really enjoy the story and it was fast-paced. As a bonus, the short story at the end of the novel, "Night Be My Guardian," which is told from Alison's point of view, was beautiful and heart-breaking and wonderful. All in all, fans of the series will find plenty to love in Agent of the Crown and newcomers will enjoy it, too. If you're looking for a fantasy series with clean romance, I'd recommend picking up the Crown of Tremontane books.
Disclaimer: I do know the author, if only through Goodreads, and while that is the reason I was aware of and decided to read this book, it has not influenced my rating. She did not contact me to ask me to read or review this book.
Because each book takes place a generation after the previous one, it is not necessary to read the series in published/chronological order. However, as is pretty much always the case, you'll get the most out of the books if you start with Servant and go from there.
Telaine is a woman of many talents. She is an agent of the Crown and uses her eccentric, frivolous Princess persona as a mask so she can spy on Tremontane's elite for her uncle. Her inherent magic also tells her whether or not someone is lying when they speak to her, a useful ability for a spy to have. And lastly, she is a Deviser, someone who is able to create and fix technological Devices that are powered by magical source.
When Telaine discovers hints a rural baron is smuggling goods for an unknown purpose, the king sends her to the village of Longbourne under the guise of a common-born Deviser so that she might find proof of the baron's nefarious ways. Telaine has never before been placed in the field in this way, and she is excited to prove her worth and expose the culprit.
After her initial cold reception from the villagers of Longbourne, Telaine ends up making the first real friends she's ever had and comes to think of the place as her home, despite the fact that she must hide her true reason for being there. She grows particularly close to the blacksmith Ben Garrett, who has a beautiful singing voice. She also wants to uncover the secrets of her mysterious hostess "Aunt Weaver," who is more than she seems (people who have read Servant of the Crown and Exile of the Crown will know that Agatha Weaver is actually Zara North, former queen of Tremontane and Telaine's actual great-aunt).
This book is exciting. Spying on the baron is dangerous work - both he and his bodyguard Morgan are frightening and malicious in their own differing ways. We also get to learn more about the Devices and how they function since Telaine is able to repair and create them, and I enjoyed that added fantasy element. I also had fun getting to know the villagers along with Telaine and the romance that develops between her and Ben is sweet. And, of course, seeing more of Zara is always a treat.
I did have a bit of a hard time with Telaine herself. She comes to hate her Princess persona as much as I do, but her tittering, empty-headed behavior grated on me in the early chapters. It also made me sad that even her family did not know the true Telaine because she acted like the Princess even around them. She appealed to me a lot more once she got to Longbourne (which doesn't take very long, anyway) and began discovering her true personality, even if it was under yet another guise.
**Slight Spoilers Ahead**
However, her decision to pursue a relationship with Ben despite not being able to tell him who she really was irritated me a bit, too. I can understand wanting to go along with it even though she knew it was a bad idea, but she seemed to forget or purposefully ignore what the future consequences would be. I don't think she realized how much it would hurt Ben once the truth came out.
**End of Spoilers**
Overall, however, those are minor complaints. I did really enjoy the story and it was fast-paced. As a bonus, the short story at the end of the novel, "Night Be My Guardian," which is told from Alison's point of view, was beautiful and heart-breaking and wonderful. All in all, fans of the series will find plenty to love in Agent of the Crown and newcomers will enjoy it, too. If you're looking for a fantasy series with clean romance, I'd recommend picking up the Crown of Tremontane books.
Disclaimer: I do know the author, if only through Goodreads, and while that is the reason I was aware of and decided to read this book, it has not influenced my rating. She did not contact me to ask me to read or review this book.
September 18, 2018
I am totally and addictively adoring Melissa McShane’s The Crown of Tremontane series. Each book has taken place at least partly in Tremontane bit involved wildly different characters. In Agent of the Crown (Book 3) the heroine is another great one, Princess Telaine North Hunter, by appearance vapid party-goer in the glittering court of her uncle, King Jeffrey of Tremontane, but in reality one of the Kim’s top spies. Now she’s sent off to a small town undercover as a commoner to investigate. A total fish out of water tale that works beautifully both in terms of her mission and in how she grows to develop a love for the small town (and her growing relationship with the town’s blacksmith). While very different from, even if loosely connected to, the prior stories in the series, this book shares the magnetism. I’m truly loving Tremontane. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises - the book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to Voyager of the Crown, the next book in this series.
June 12, 2019
Fun story with a great pace and lots of twists and turns.
Each book has added something to the world building that was pretty vague in the first book but in this story had a lot of fascinating detail about the magical end of things. Less of the politics and international drama of the second book in this one but I liked the suspense of the sort of lady spy thriller feeling. Characters from the first and second book make appearances.
The romance part of the story felt a little formulaic after reading the last two. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back, but each set of characters is a little bit unique and a little bit the same which carries well in the series.
A lot of loose ends and mysteries left at the happy ending. One story line gets tied off in a sort of sample story that appeared at the end of the kindle book I read but others were left dangling, much to my frustration.
Violence, vague bedroom scene, some language.
Each book has added something to the world building that was pretty vague in the first book but in this story had a lot of fascinating detail about the magical end of things. Less of the politics and international drama of the second book in this one but I liked the suspense of the sort of lady spy thriller feeling. Characters from the first and second book make appearances.
The romance part of the story felt a little formulaic after reading the last two. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back, but each set of characters is a little bit unique and a little bit the same which carries well in the series.
A lot of loose ends and mysteries left at the happy ending. One story line gets tied off in a sort of sample story that appeared at the end of the kindle book I read but others were left dangling, much to my frustration.
Violence, vague bedroom scene, some language.
January 22, 2020
Once again I'm kicking myself for taking so long to continue The Crown of Tremontane series. Melissa McShane is now officially on my auto-read/buy list - even when the plot isn't totally for me, her books are just so enjoyable to read. And when the plot is for me I know I'll come back to them again and again.
I loved Telaine and found her character arc, particularly her struggles with her true self vs. the characters she has played, extremely enjoyable. The plot is an interesting one, and strays into some truly dark territory.
And, the short story that's included at the end of this one may have broken my heart into a million tiny little pieces. . . Alison *sob*. . .. Zara *sob*. . . Anthony *sob*.
I loved Telaine and found her character arc, particularly her struggles with her true self vs. the characters she has played, extremely enjoyable. The plot is an interesting one, and strays into some truly dark territory.
And, the short story that's included at the end of this one may have broken my heart into a million tiny little pieces. . . Alison *sob*. . .. Zara *sob*. . . Anthony *sob*.
June 6, 2018
A good ending to this series. I liked both main characters, just like the story. Since the very first book of this series, I have only seen improvements from this author (even if the second book is probably my favorite), which is always just nice to see.
I also definitely like how the author isn't afraid to not give her characters a happily ever after in the next books, choosing to be a little more realistic. While it did sadden me at times, it made the story feel real, not like one of those where everyone is happy, always, without facing any difficulties besides what they went through in their respective books.
Probably not the only series I'll ever read by McShane.
I also definitely like how the author isn't afraid to not give her characters a happily ever after in the next books, choosing to be a little more realistic. While it did sadden me at times, it made the story feel real, not like one of those where everyone is happy, always, without facing any difficulties besides what they went through in their respective books.
Probably not the only series I'll ever read by McShane.
October 13, 2017
This whole trilogy is well written with solid world building and cultures described well. The juxtaposition of "modern Devices and magic, with the "old" style of living is fun to read. Could have described that better...but it's hard to do :) you just have to read it yourself
Telaine reminded me of the Scarlet Pimpernel...a pampered, spoiled Princess on the outside, but really a very canny and intelligent spy on the inside.
Ben the blacksmith is the latest addition to my collection of book boyfriends because of...well...everything!
Telaine reminded me of the Scarlet Pimpernel...a pampered, spoiled Princess on the outside, but really a very canny and intelligent spy on the inside.
Ben the blacksmith is the latest addition to my collection of book boyfriends because of...well...everything!
April 3, 2018
Seriously, so good. I can't decide who I love more ~ Allison, Imogen or Telaine. Probably Zara. These are such strong female leads, and the books go so well together. I was sad to end this one, knowing the story is done. There were a few times in this book, where the tears were real, as I have grown to love so many characters that Melissa McShane weaves through these books. Can't recommend enough. So fun.
August 9, 2019
Another book that I could barely put down and this one even left tears in my eyes on several occasions. The weaving in and out of truth and mask was beautifully done as the main character did her duty and also came into her own self-discovery at the same time. I was sad to have the story end, wanting it to continue to know more of what happens next but maybe it's yet to be written or still ahead for me to read already.
Read
September 28, 2022After all these DNFs I'm starting to wonder if I'm the problem...? Anyway, DNF @ 19%
I was a big fan of Imogen and Jeffrey, and Telaine's story fell flat. I didn't like that she was a city girl taking on a small, rural town where everyone knew each other and judged her, including her supposed guardian. Also, tech whizzes just don't excite me the way warriors do. This wasn't for me, in the end, so I didn't continue.
I was a big fan of Imogen and Jeffrey, and Telaine's story fell flat. I didn't like that she was a city girl taking on a small, rural town where everyone knew each other and judged her, including her supposed guardian. Also, tech whizzes just don't excite me the way warriors do. This wasn't for me, in the end, so I didn't continue.
May 30, 2017
I don't believe in writing about the plot- no point if everyone here visits the page to either read or write a review. I think the book was fair, not so much as I enjoyed the first two books as I liked the character development and world building. But I felt like Telaine wasn't so relatable as the writing quality of the book was so so. I couldn't get into it.
April 28, 2018
So so
Trelaine was an interesting character. Being a spy is difficult work. My problem with this text is that in the preceding novels you fall in love with couples who just disappear, Anthony’s and her parents. Their absence feels like a betrayal of the genre. It was also distracting from the story. I’m done with the series.
Trelaine was an interesting character. Being a spy is difficult work. My problem with this text is that in the preceding novels you fall in love with couples who just disappear, Anthony’s and her parents. Their absence feels like a betrayal of the genre. It was also distracting from the story. I’m done with the series.
September 23, 2018
Another excellent Tremontane story. A young princess who lives a double life as a spy. She ends up in a small village learning about herself and falling in love.
I think one of the reasons Im enjoying Melissa McShane’s books so much is the characters aren’t Mary-sues. They make mistakes, aren’t perfect and that makes them so relate-able.
I think one of the reasons Im enjoying Melissa McShane’s books so much is the characters aren’t Mary-sues. They make mistakes, aren’t perfect and that makes them so relate-able.
November 10, 2018
This was a twisty, good book about a spy who's lost herself in creating another identity. It's a standalone, which is good since I couldn't get into book two, but it reminds me a bit of the multi-generational, interconnected Valdemar tales (meaning that you kinda wish you'd read the other books even if you're not confused without them).
June 1, 2021
Wonderful series! I read all 10 books in chronological order.
Saga of Willow North, Heirs of Willow North, Crown of Tremontane with the novella Exile if the Crown.
The whole series covers over 200 years of Tremontane history. Strong, interesting heroines and the men (royal or not) they love. Lots of adventure and romance.
Highly recommend them all!
Saga of Willow North, Heirs of Willow North, Crown of Tremontane with the novella Exile if the Crown.
The whole series covers over 200 years of Tremontane history. Strong, interesting heroines and the men (royal or not) they love. Lots of adventure and romance.
Highly recommend them all!
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