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Prince of Magic
Bewitched by Desire
Disgracing her minister father by dancing barefoot in the moonlit forest, Elizabeth Penshurst is banished to her distant relatives in the wilds of Yorkshire. When she meets Gabriel Durham, who was expelled from the priesthood and shunned by his family, the spirited Elizabeth is intrigued by his brilliance and the mystery that surrounds him. She has no idea that her attraction will plunge her into a danger darker than any nightmare.
Spellbound by Love
Reclusive Gabriel Durham has forsaken worldly pleasures in pursuit of solitude. In a ruined abbey, he devotes his days to the magic of ancient religions—and his nights to forbidden dreams of Elizabeth. But when he learns that a clandestine Druid cult will sacrifice her, he is compelled to risk everything to save her—and surrender to the destiny that awaits him.
Disgracing her minister father by dancing barefoot in the moonlit forest, Elizabeth Penshurst is banished to her distant relatives in the wilds of Yorkshire. When she meets Gabriel Durham, who was expelled from the priesthood and shunned by his family, the spirited Elizabeth is intrigued by his brilliance and the mystery that surrounds him. She has no idea that her attraction will plunge her into a danger darker than any nightmare.
Spellbound by Love
Reclusive Gabriel Durham has forsaken worldly pleasures in pursuit of solitude. In a ruined abbey, he devotes his days to the magic of ancient religions—and his nights to forbidden dreams of Elizabeth. But when he learns that a clandestine Druid cult will sacrifice her, he is compelled to risk everything to save her—and surrender to the destiny that awaits him.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1998
19 people are currently reading
369 people want to read
About the author
Anne Stuart
203 books2,063 followersAnne Stuart is a grandmaster of the genre, winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, survivor of more than thirty-five years in the romance business, and still just keeps getting better.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
September 21, 2014
Two romances in one here! And boy, did Anne Stuart get creative with this one. Evil wannabe druids out to sacrifice virgins in the name of a religion they don't even believe in, an innocent young woman at peace with herself and at one with nature thrown to the wolves, a "dark man" whose reclusive ways paint him wrongfully, and an extra romance about love between the upper and lower classes stuffs this AS novel full to bursting. It's all unique, and she makes it all fit together wonderfully. A stunning epilogue adds levity and closure to the abrupt ending that I've come to expect from this author. Often, readers are left feeling a little bereft of a solid ending, but this one was perfect. There was a minor scene that I felt was out of character and way out of place within this particular story. A bit of an eye rolling way to lose your innocence, but hey...I'm not judging!
Another good one by a favorite author. I love that they are re-releasing her older stories. Fairly light on steam.
Advance copy provided for review.
Another good one by a favorite author. I love that they are re-releasing her older stories. Fairly light on steam.
Advance copy provided for review.
March 25, 2016
I am a little uncertain about this book. It is kind of an odd read, with a very Anne Stuart hero, and a secondary romance that is a lot more interesting than the main one.
I have read about how Anne Stuart can create dark heroes. I tend to agree with that observation. This book further cemented that idea. Gabriel is a dark hero, he is not just brooding or secretly craving love, he is unrepentantly dark and he does his dark wicked deeds with a paranormal flair too. He is my favorite character in this book. Everyone else kind of pales in comparison to Gabriel.
But even Gabriel isn't very fleshed out in this book, in the sense that his past history (or everyone else for that matter) was fuzzy. I don't really know or understand why they are the way they are. Not that I need a lot of background information, I get bored reading that too. The characters just feel kind of ungrounded. I am sorry I can't do better than that. But Anne Stuart did create intriguing characters in this story, ungrounded they may be but their personalities are well-defined.
Anne Stuart seems to like to write about 2 couples in 1 book, which I usually do not like. In this book however, the secondary romance of Jane and Peter is so much more fun to read about than Gabriel and Lizzie. Because I know why Jane and Peter has a story: she was a lady and Peter was a servant. Gabriel and Lizzie, I just don't know why they liked each other. They met and felt "odd" and there you go, we have 2 people attracted to each other.
Gabriel and Lizzie, in my opinion, never reached their full potential in this book. With a leading character like Gabriel, I think the story could have been so much more interesting. Alas, Gabriel and Lizzie spent the entire book not spending time with each other and you don't really see them interact with each other much, whereas Jane and Peter shared more scenes so you could see how they responded to each other and tried to hide their mutual affections.
I have read a few Anne Stuart books and this one was the one that came the closest to 4 stars, even though I never doubted in my mind while reading this book that it will end up being a 3 star book. Quite a shame, I could have really liked it.
I have read about how Anne Stuart can create dark heroes. I tend to agree with that observation. This book further cemented that idea. Gabriel is a dark hero, he is not just brooding or secretly craving love, he is unrepentantly dark and he does his dark wicked deeds with a paranormal flair too. He is my favorite character in this book. Everyone else kind of pales in comparison to Gabriel.
But even Gabriel isn't very fleshed out in this book, in the sense that his past history (or everyone else for that matter) was fuzzy. I don't really know or understand why they are the way they are. Not that I need a lot of background information, I get bored reading that too. The characters just feel kind of ungrounded. I am sorry I can't do better than that. But Anne Stuart did create intriguing characters in this story, ungrounded they may be but their personalities are well-defined.
Anne Stuart seems to like to write about 2 couples in 1 book, which I usually do not like. In this book however, the secondary romance of Jane and Peter is so much more fun to read about than Gabriel and Lizzie. Because I know why Jane and Peter has a story: she was a lady and Peter was a servant. Gabriel and Lizzie, I just don't know why they liked each other. They met and felt "odd" and there you go, we have 2 people attracted to each other.
Gabriel and Lizzie, in my opinion, never reached their full potential in this book. With a leading character like Gabriel, I think the story could have been so much more interesting. Alas, Gabriel and Lizzie spent the entire book not spending time with each other and you don't really see them interact with each other much, whereas Jane and Peter shared more scenes so you could see how they responded to each other and tried to hide their mutual affections.
I have read a few Anne Stuart books and this one was the one that came the closest to 4 stars, even though I never doubted in my mind while reading this book that it will end up being a 3 star book. Quite a shame, I could have really liked it.
June 11, 2022
I really struggled to finish this. I feel like I've read this before, and then it hit me. This reads like the same kind of version of Ruthless. Lizzy is Eleanor and Gabriel is well, Francis. Especially with the Druid thingy, which is similar to the Heavenly Host. Her books are formulaic (I put her books strictly in the camp of Amanda Quick and Tessa Dare, not bingeable; you need to space them apart), so I guess the reason I didn't enjoy this book as much as that is because I've just read another one of her books recently. I actually enjoyed the secondary romance between Peter and Jane better than the main ones, which rarely happens. I think the secondary romance breaks the monotony. The writing is repetitive as well. The plot is, at times, over the top and silly. This is an average-length book, but it feels longer, so the story isn't as engaging (I kept checking my watch). I'd say skip this book and read 'Ruthless' instead. I feel that 'Ruthless' is a better-written book than this one.
Steam factor: Low steam. There are only two love scenes; one from the main couple and the other one from the secondary couple. The first one only occurred at 80%. Ms Stuart's books are a mixed bag; sometimes you get low steam, sometimes it's mid steam. Not long and not explicit.
Steam factor: Low steam. There are only two love scenes; one from the main couple and the other one from the secondary couple. The first one only occurred at 80%. Ms Stuart's books are a mixed bag; sometimes you get low steam, sometimes it's mid steam. Not long and not explicit.
August 25, 2014
Hero Is More Heroic Than Most Stuart Heroes
Anne Stuart is the queen of heroes that make a reader question whether he is the hero or villain of the piece. Prince of Magic is a historical where the hero is somewhat dark but so obviously cares about his sister and friend that a reader quickly knows that he can be relied upon.
THE STORY: Elizabeth Penshurst has been sent from her family because she was caught dancing in the woods in her shift. Elizabeth is attracted to the woods and its creatures. She intends on mending her ways and return to her family from her banishment a more dutiful daughter. Then she meets Gabriel Durham.
Gabriel is an ex-monk who studies the druid religion. He lives in solitude at a ruined estate. He learns that there are claimed practitioners of the Druid practices that threaten the women in Yorkshire, including Elizabeth. He wants to stay away from Elizabeth to protect himself, but he also wants to protect her.
There are many secrets in Yorkshire including ghostly apparitions. Who is the villain and will Elizabeth be the desired virgin sacrifice?
OPINION: I enjoyed the story between Gabriel and Elizabeth. I thought they were a good match and there was also a secondary romance that was sweet as well. I tend to like Stuart's darker heroes better and Gabriel is more traditional than most of her heroes. I didn't feel that the danger tension was as good as Stuart has done in her Ice Series or her Rohan series.
WORTH MENTIONING: I enjoyed that the ghosts helped this couple get together. It was a lighter moment in the book.
FINAL DECISION: I'd recommend this book for those who are not sure that they want to venture into Stuart's darker heroes. The book has a word edge that is usually present in Stuart's books without the intense darkness.
CONNECTED BOOKS: This book is a standalone.
STAR RATING: I give this book a 3.5 because it was a book I enjoyed reading but probably would re-read again.
NOTE: I received and ARC of this book through Netgalley in order to provide an honest review of the book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Anne Stuart is the queen of heroes that make a reader question whether he is the hero or villain of the piece. Prince of Magic is a historical where the hero is somewhat dark but so obviously cares about his sister and friend that a reader quickly knows that he can be relied upon.
THE STORY: Elizabeth Penshurst has been sent from her family because she was caught dancing in the woods in her shift. Elizabeth is attracted to the woods and its creatures. She intends on mending her ways and return to her family from her banishment a more dutiful daughter. Then she meets Gabriel Durham.
Gabriel is an ex-monk who studies the druid religion. He lives in solitude at a ruined estate. He learns that there are claimed practitioners of the Druid practices that threaten the women in Yorkshire, including Elizabeth. He wants to stay away from Elizabeth to protect himself, but he also wants to protect her.
There are many secrets in Yorkshire including ghostly apparitions. Who is the villain and will Elizabeth be the desired virgin sacrifice?
OPINION: I enjoyed the story between Gabriel and Elizabeth. I thought they were a good match and there was also a secondary romance that was sweet as well. I tend to like Stuart's darker heroes better and Gabriel is more traditional than most of her heroes. I didn't feel that the danger tension was as good as Stuart has done in her Ice Series or her Rohan series.
WORTH MENTIONING: I enjoyed that the ghosts helped this couple get together. It was a lighter moment in the book.
FINAL DECISION: I'd recommend this book for those who are not sure that they want to venture into Stuart's darker heroes. The book has a word edge that is usually present in Stuart's books without the intense darkness.
CONNECTED BOOKS: This book is a standalone.
STAR RATING: I give this book a 3.5 because it was a book I enjoyed reading but probably would re-read again.
NOTE: I received and ARC of this book through Netgalley in order to provide an honest review of the book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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February 9, 2019
Wanted to give it 3.5 stars but don't know. I thought it'd be an interesting read... which it sadly was not. I didn't connect with the heroine at all (from the beginning TBH) though I tried. She was the typical immature and rash heroines who 'grace' Anne Stuart's novels now and then. Sometimes I like them, other times I just wish them gone. This one was neither here nor there. Didn't care for her at all. The hero was your typical a-hole rakish Anne Stuart hero who thought he's beyond redemption. He tried to be over-the-top but he won't really top our favorite Killoran from To Love a Dark Lord. And though you could see Killoran's vulnerability under the mask, and in turn him garnering a bit of your sympathy if nothing else, the hero of this story was just an entitled and presumptuous a-hole. Though it sounds like I hated him, I didn't cause he failed to leave any mark on me really. These two had some chemistry and if the heroine was mature and smart enough to be his equal, I think we'd have had the interesting story I had hoped to find in Prince of Magic.
Once again, I liked the secondary romance between the hero's half-sister and a servant of the house - who was more hero's friend than a servant - more than the original romance. I'm not going into the whys and the hows cause I have no intentions of doing a full review. Needless to say, even with all the paranormal happenings, didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. :/
Guess for now I'll take a break from Anne Stuart's books for a bit.
Once again, I liked the secondary romance between the hero's half-sister and a servant of the house - who was more hero's friend than a servant - more than the original romance. I'm not going into the whys and the hows cause I have no intentions of doing a full review. Needless to say, even with all the paranormal happenings, didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. :/
Guess for now I'll take a break from Anne Stuart's books for a bit.
November 11, 2017
Bizarre. Everyone seems well aware of the villains’ plot yet do nothing to avoid danger. I wish this book focused more on character development rather than this ridiculous human sacrifice plot-line. Perhaps this was meant to be campy and I missed the point?
June 10, 2010
Elizabeth Penshurst has never fit in with her family. The only person who seems to understand her Fae nature is an old woman whom rumors claim is a witch. As hard as Lizzie tries to follow convention, it still manages to elude her. Finally she goes to far and is caught dancing in the woods in nothing but her shift and bare feet. Her father, in a last ditch effort, ships her off to Hernewood, Yorkshire where some of her distant relatives live. There, she is supposed to learn how to behave like a proper young lady. Instead, Lizzie finds herself embroiled in a secret Druid cult bent on making her their virgin sacrifice.
I struggled through most of Prince of Magic. What could have been a strong Gothic tale turned into a farce because of the laughably 'Eeevil' characters that make up the Druid cult. They didn't even come close to instilling any sort of fear in me and their motivation was entirely lacking. Also, I had issues with the hero, Gabriel. Many times the author told me how devilish Gabriel was, but she never showed me. Overall, the book was unable to evoke any kind of strong emotion from me.
About the only thing that saved this book from being a total disaster were the secondary characters Peter and Jane. The romance between Peter and Jane was good and I also liked Jane and Peter's interaction with Gabriel. There is a wall-banger moment when Peter rescues Jane that I am still shaking my head over. In conclusion, I am sorry to say that I do not recommend this book.
I struggled through most of Prince of Magic. What could have been a strong Gothic tale turned into a farce because of the laughably 'Eeevil' characters that make up the Druid cult. They didn't even come close to instilling any sort of fear in me and their motivation was entirely lacking. Also, I had issues with the hero, Gabriel. Many times the author told me how devilish Gabriel was, but she never showed me. Overall, the book was unable to evoke any kind of strong emotion from me.
About the only thing that saved this book from being a total disaster were the secondary characters Peter and Jane. The romance between Peter and Jane was good and I also liked Jane and Peter's interaction with Gabriel. There is a wall-banger moment when Peter rescues Jane that I am still shaking my head over. In conclusion, I am sorry to say that I do not recommend this book.
August 20, 2014
Ms Stuart is a very good writer. I like the way she tells a story where people are sometimes not what they appear. This one was no exception. You have a woman named Elizabeth Penshurst who likes to be naughty (not like her boring other sister) and wants to be herself. She feels disconnected with her family who expects her to marry a fat, old, disgusting man her father approves of. But Lizzy goes one last time to her favorite spot in the woods and dances barefooted where she is caught by her preacher father. Oops! Well so much for sneaking out. Then her family sends her to her cousin's house to serve penance in Hernewood so she can become the perfect wife any suitor would want.
Then Lizzy meets the handsome and wicked man Gabriel Durham. He lives in an abby where they call him the Dark Man who conjures up spirits. Gabriel is a man of strong appetites of the sexual kind or used to be now that he's back home. The ghosts that haunt his place never let him be. When he meets Lizzy he tries not to want her, but his heart tells him different. Lizzy tries to stay away from him, but she also lets her heart guide her when her head says no to.
Lots of mystery about a cult of Druidism who wants a virgin sacrifice for Beltane that is really kinda creepy. You will just have to read and find out if the tortured hero will get the girl.
Thanks Net Galley for letting me read this for an honest review.
Then Lizzy meets the handsome and wicked man Gabriel Durham. He lives in an abby where they call him the Dark Man who conjures up spirits. Gabriel is a man of strong appetites of the sexual kind or used to be now that he's back home. The ghosts that haunt his place never let him be. When he meets Lizzy he tries not to want her, but his heart tells him different. Lizzy tries to stay away from him, but she also lets her heart guide her when her head says no to.
Lots of mystery about a cult of Druidism who wants a virgin sacrifice for Beltane that is really kinda creepy. You will just have to read and find out if the tortured hero will get the girl.
Thanks Net Galley for letting me read this for an honest review.
October 20, 2007
I first read this book at my very Catholic Grandmother's house during Christmas Holidays. Which is odd because the book has a strong pagan feeling underlying it. Both the main characters Gabrial and Lizzie are called to the woods.
Anyway, Lizzie is a preacher's daughter, now 24ish, past marrying age. One of her would be suitor's, in an attempt to pressure her into marriage, arranges for her capture while she dances at midnight in the woods. Her father sends her off to one of her mother's distance cousins.
The cousin's are horrible, except for their daughter Jane (who really isn't their daughter at all). The woods are haunted by monks. Down the road are some rogue druids hell bent on a virgin sacrifice for Beltaine. The rogues are also chasing Gabriel, another "cousin" of Lizzies, who knows more about Druids and the old ways then any other man alive.
Of course, Gabrial isn't really related to Lizzie, which is convenient because he's strongly attracted to her.
I thought the book was good. Gabe is a damaged soul who finds his salvation in Lizzie, tho he fights it and rightly so. Good character build up. Good suspense of what is going to happen when Beltane comes. And a nice secondary romance with Jane and the stable hand, Peter.
Anyway, Lizzie is a preacher's daughter, now 24ish, past marrying age. One of her would be suitor's, in an attempt to pressure her into marriage, arranges for her capture while she dances at midnight in the woods. Her father sends her off to one of her mother's distance cousins.
The cousin's are horrible, except for their daughter Jane (who really isn't their daughter at all). The woods are haunted by monks. Down the road are some rogue druids hell bent on a virgin sacrifice for Beltaine. The rogues are also chasing Gabriel, another "cousin" of Lizzies, who knows more about Druids and the old ways then any other man alive.
Of course, Gabrial isn't really related to Lizzie, which is convenient because he's strongly attracted to her.
I thought the book was good. Gabe is a damaged soul who finds his salvation in Lizzie, tho he fights it and rightly so. Good character build up. Good suspense of what is going to happen when Beltane comes. And a nice secondary romance with Jane and the stable hand, Peter.
November 13, 2016
Two Outcasts..
This book has just about everything, Druids, Cults, and a bit of Romance.
The female lead, Lizzie is a free spirit and Gabriel, the male lead is mysterious, I though
that they were well matched
There were a few twists and turns and the story line was well written with likable
developed characters.
Overall, a Good Suspenseful Romantic Read.
Christine Rogerson did well with the narration
Note:
"This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review."
April 30, 2012
What can I say? It was a typical Anne Stuart book. Of course I LOOOOOVE Anne Stuart. This book was cute, and I kind of saw where she got her idea for her House of Rohan books. The story was good, the ending was "eh" and epilogue was cute.
February 18, 2009
a really good book has romance and fantsy in it
Read
January 3, 2015It had its moments. nothing to get excited about.
May 10, 2025
Okay, so here's the thing. All Anne Stuart books are basically varying degrees of sameness. There's always the prudish and possibly tortured, but still determined heroine who meets the mysterious and possibly evil, but still ultimately noble hero amidst some sort of sinister backdrop of nefarious circumstances. The hero probably seems like he's going to be the villain for a while-- and sometimes he even is-- but there's always some greater evil that makes him realize that, sigh, he has to abandon his nihilist ways to care about something, so it might as well be her, I guess.
This is literally the formula in every single one of her books-- and to be honest, I don't even care, because when it works, I love it. Unfortunately, not all Anne Stuart books are created equal. I actually think, for the most part, her older historical romances are the best. PRINCE OF MAGIC is one of the really good ones, and it comes across as kind of being like a cross between LORD OF DANGER and RITUAL SINS.
Lizzie is forced to leave Dorset after shaming her family by being caught dancing in the woods in her underthings, thus terminating her engagement with a hypocritical lecher and earning her family's scorn. She's sent to live with a cousin who lives in this idealistic woodsy town with a crumbling abbey and a sinister forest. The cousin's family consists of a prudish aunt and uncle, her good-hearted cousin Jane, spoiled twins named Edwina and Edward, and the mysterious Gabriel, a recluse known as the Dark Man who lives in a tower.
Gabriel used to be a monk but then he became more interested in druidism and paganism, much to the interests of the pathologically sadistic couple, the Chiltons, who have a rather, ahem, incendiary plan for Beltane. Gabriel thinks they're idiots who are basically just using the trappings of a religion they don't understand as window dressing for their own debaucheries-- which is actually excellent and still-relevant commentary on cultural appropriation that continues to happen to this day to Native and Eastern religions-- but anyway, he's basically doing his best to stall and rebuff them, while still holding on to his "I don't care" mentality, but obviously, this being a romance novel, that doesn't work.
The villains in this book were appropriately twisted, as befitting a book that has cults and ritualistic sacrifice. There were scenes in this book that gave me chills, and the climax was like something out of a horror movie. I also actually really liked the secondary romance. Anne Stuart includes a lot of those in her books and sometimes they take up way too much page time, but I actually loved Peter and Jane almost as much as I loved the main couple. The forbidden romance, high stakes, and sense of danger really added a lot of spice to the romance, and the sex scenes were hot. Plus, there's a heavy Gothic atmosphere and two rather hilarious ghosts. I ended up loving virtually everything about this.
I think I have a new favorite Anne Stuart book to grace my god-tier romance list.
4.5 stars
This is literally the formula in every single one of her books-- and to be honest, I don't even care, because when it works, I love it. Unfortunately, not all Anne Stuart books are created equal. I actually think, for the most part, her older historical romances are the best. PRINCE OF MAGIC is one of the really good ones, and it comes across as kind of being like a cross between LORD OF DANGER and RITUAL SINS.
Lizzie is forced to leave Dorset after shaming her family by being caught dancing in the woods in her underthings, thus terminating her engagement with a hypocritical lecher and earning her family's scorn. She's sent to live with a cousin who lives in this idealistic woodsy town with a crumbling abbey and a sinister forest. The cousin's family consists of a prudish aunt and uncle, her good-hearted cousin Jane, spoiled twins named Edwina and Edward, and the mysterious Gabriel, a recluse known as the Dark Man who lives in a tower.
Gabriel used to be a monk but then he became more interested in druidism and paganism, much to the interests of the pathologically sadistic couple, the Chiltons, who have a rather, ahem, incendiary plan for Beltane. Gabriel thinks they're idiots who are basically just using the trappings of a religion they don't understand as window dressing for their own debaucheries-- which is actually excellent and still-relevant commentary on cultural appropriation that continues to happen to this day to Native and Eastern religions-- but anyway, he's basically doing his best to stall and rebuff them, while still holding on to his "I don't care" mentality, but obviously, this being a romance novel, that doesn't work.
The villains in this book were appropriately twisted, as befitting a book that has cults and ritualistic sacrifice. There were scenes in this book that gave me chills, and the climax was like something out of a horror movie. I also actually really liked the secondary romance. Anne Stuart includes a lot of those in her books and sometimes they take up way too much page time, but I actually loved Peter and Jane almost as much as I loved the main couple. The forbidden romance, high stakes, and sense of danger really added a lot of spice to the romance, and the sex scenes were hot. Plus, there's a heavy Gothic atmosphere and two rather hilarious ghosts. I ended up loving virtually everything about this.
I think I have a new favorite Anne Stuart book to grace my god-tier romance list.
4.5 stars
October 2, 2022
The couple: Gabriel and Elizabeth
Romance trope: historical
Length: 348 pages
Plot: Elizabeth tries hard to be good, but when her father finds her dancing in the woods at night wearing not a lot of clothing, he ships her off to stay with a distant cousin. While there, she meets the mysterious Gabriel, somehow related to her host family, a former rake, and an expert on pagan religions. He is grumpy and pushy and sometimes just mean, but Elizabeth is no pushover. When she is in danger, though, Gabriel will have to finally decide what to do about his Lizzie.
Commentary: This story was interesting because most of the time our heroes not only redeem and prove themselves, but their personalities change, at least for their heroines. But Gabriel does not - he is grumpy up until the end, and that seems to fit Lizzie perfectly. She doesn't want what she's supposed to have. She wants something real and wild, and that's exactly what Gabriel is. He doesn't conform to society's expectations and he doesn't really conform to hers either - and doesn't expect her to conform to his. In fact, that's something that he finds delightful and attractive about her.
This author also wrote one of my top 10 romances ever, Lord of Danger. Read it! Fake alchemist/magician who marries the "plain" sister.
Romance trope: historical
Length: 348 pages
Plot: Elizabeth tries hard to be good, but when her father finds her dancing in the woods at night wearing not a lot of clothing, he ships her off to stay with a distant cousin. While there, she meets the mysterious Gabriel, somehow related to her host family, a former rake, and an expert on pagan religions. He is grumpy and pushy and sometimes just mean, but Elizabeth is no pushover. When she is in danger, though, Gabriel will have to finally decide what to do about his Lizzie.
Commentary: This story was interesting because most of the time our heroes not only redeem and prove themselves, but their personalities change, at least for their heroines. But Gabriel does not - he is grumpy up until the end, and that seems to fit Lizzie perfectly. She doesn't want what she's supposed to have. She wants something real and wild, and that's exactly what Gabriel is. He doesn't conform to society's expectations and he doesn't really conform to hers either - and doesn't expect her to conform to his. In fact, that's something that he finds delightful and attractive about her.
This author also wrote one of my top 10 romances ever, Lord of Danger. Read it! Fake alchemist/magician who marries the "plain" sister.
July 4, 2023
3.6 stars? =|
At the start of the book we have our heroine
Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Penwrust who is found dancing out in the woods by her Father and She is sent away to live with her cousin up in the North.
Let's hault here...
If any of my parents found Me, dressed in my undergarments dancing out in the woods, then I'm sure I would be either grounded or given good earthrobing lecture while they decide my mental stability.
Another thought,
This is how the FMC reacts when she is touched by a guy not good-looking but a greasy, fatty gentleman.
" It wasn't Elliott's unprepossessing appearance that appalled Lizzie; it was his small, critical nature and the way his moist eyes ogled her when her father wasn't around. The way he always found some excuse to touch her with his soft, damp hands. Never indecently, just possessively. Leaving Lizzie with the desperate need to scrub whatever portion of her anatomy he'd happened to grasp, be it her hand, her wrist, her elbow, or the small of her back."
So there's that and if it was the same possessive touch of the MMC then there'd be no disgust, I'm sure about it. But then again it's just my own personal view.
Fiona
At the start of the book we have our heroine
Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Penwrust who is found dancing out in the woods by her Father and She is sent away to live with her cousin up in the North.
Let's hault here...
If any of my parents found Me, dressed in my undergarments dancing out in the woods, then I'm sure I would be either grounded or given good earthrobing lecture while they decide my mental stability.
Another thought,
This is how the FMC reacts when she is touched by a guy not good-looking but a greasy, fatty gentleman.
" It wasn't Elliott's unprepossessing appearance that appalled Lizzie; it was his small, critical nature and the way his moist eyes ogled her when her father wasn't around. The way he always found some excuse to touch her with his soft, damp hands. Never indecently, just possessively. Leaving Lizzie with the desperate need to scrub whatever portion of her anatomy he'd happened to grasp, be it her hand, her wrist, her elbow, or the small of her back."
So there's that and if it was the same possessive touch of the MMC then there'd be no disgust, I'm sure about it. But then again it's just my own personal view.
Fiona
April 30, 2025
Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed this book. Were there moments that gave me the ick or concerned me? Yes, Gabriel Durham is a walking red flag. I loved Jane and Peter’s love story and wish I could have seen more of that as well as Jane and Lizzie’s friendship. But the villains of the story were wonderful and their demise was so funny honestly. Fantastic especially for a random $1 book pull at the thrift store.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2021
Enjoyable, but sometimes the characters did things that felt silly and unreasonable. Worth a read once to pass an afternoon, but it's not going to be a reread for me.
March 5, 2022
AS is always a ride for me.
May 27, 2022
Classic Ann Stuart---very dark hero, innocent heroine, and a great deal of drama.
June 5, 2022
I loved the setting and plot.
January 7, 2023
Haunting
What an interesting read. I loved the characters and the setting (Druids). The main character Gabriel is mystic and solving his background was fascinating.
What an interesting read. I loved the characters and the setting (Druids). The main character Gabriel is mystic and solving his background was fascinating.
March 27, 2025
i think this was a re-read and i def enjoyed it. Gabriel is swoony
May 25, 2015
"If I have to spend any more time trapped with you, I'm going to jump out the window," she said in a deceptively calm voice.
"You wouldn't fit."
When we're finished…" he paused, looking down at her, his voice raw. "Hell, I don't think we'll ever be finished."
Anne Stuart one of the best author in romance genre. I love her books, especially her historical romance books. So I loved Prince of magic tremendously. In my opinion it's one of her best books.
The plot was wonderful, mysterious. The settings of Yorkshire were beautiful. I could totally imagine myself being there, so vivid and beautiful description of this beautiful place, especially woods, my god, I should totally visit those woods in the future.
One of the best things about the book is characters, all of them. I loved them, bad ones and good once, they all were good developed and interesting to read about. Of course, Gabriel is the star, he is complex, lost, unloved in childhood. And it was so, so sweet to watch him and Lizzie together, to see the tenderness developing between them, and of course I enjoyed their fights. The romance between Lizzy and Gabriel was wonderful, I loved how Gabriel tried to decide seduce Lizzie or not to seduce, and why should he refuse temptation. I am a goner for a good romance, so I loved everything about it. And the dialogues, they were wonderful, smart, funny, sweet, and so, so interesting to read, I enjoyed all the dialogues immensely.
So, if you are looking for a smart, romantic read, you should totally read this book, you won't be disappointed.
July 4, 2008
Vintage Anne Stuart, like some unique spice which you can fin nowhere else - druids, defrocked monks, bad bad bad ( but good!) heroes, ghosts and ruined abbeys, a truly moving secondary romantic plot. But, with such a promising start, it did not quite live up to my expectations. She wrote better.
The ending is particularly confusing, both the plot and the character´s emotions. Harder to explain, I thought there were too much of the too evil villains - perhaps evil like magic is scarier being hinted at rather than screaming for attention. I did not particularly enjoy reading about Francis and Delilah but even for Anne Stuart, those two were too charicature like by far. But despite not enjoying them exactly, their scenes seemed to steal the book away from all the other characters. it did not quite work but affected the whole balance of the book - or perhaps just my interest.
The ending is particularly confusing, both the plot and the character´s emotions. Harder to explain, I thought there were too much of the too evil villains - perhaps evil like magic is scarier being hinted at rather than screaming for attention. I did not particularly enjoy reading about Francis and Delilah but even for Anne Stuart, those two were too charicature like by far. But despite not enjoying them exactly, their scenes seemed to steal the book away from all the other characters. it did not quite work but affected the whole balance of the book - or perhaps just my interest.
May 24, 2015
Delightfully over the top Gothic characters, fun 18th century Gothic setting. The atmosphere was more Gothic-camp than Gothic-creepy -- I'm generally fine with either approach, but for Gothic-camp I prefer a little faster pace than what we got here.
I enjoyed the secondary romance (Jane and Peter) a bit more than the primary, mainly because Gabriel's hot-cold reaction to Lizzie didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Also, and I'm not sure if this is because of pacing or because Gabriel kind of bored me, but this is the first AS I've read that I'm pretty sure I'll never bother re-reading. I've occassionally wanted to drop-kick an Anne Stuart hero into next week, but I've never been bored by one before -- it's a little weird :/
I enjoyed the secondary romance (Jane and Peter) a bit more than the primary, mainly because Gabriel's hot-cold reaction to Lizzie didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Also, and I'm not sure if this is because of pacing or because Gabriel kind of bored me, but this is the first AS I've read that I'm pretty sure I'll never bother re-reading. I've occassionally wanted to drop-kick an Anne Stuart hero into next week, but I've never been bored by one before -- it's a little weird :/
March 6, 2016
Anne Stuart's books always a have a dark element to them and "The Prince of Magic" is no exception.
It is a story about a young woman by the name of Elizabeth, whose father is very straitlaced and does not approve of her dancing barefoot in the woods of Yorkshire. He sends her to family members who will not put up with her love of freedom. Except for Gabriel Durham, who was expelled from the priesthood and shunned by his family. Upon meeting "Lizzie", he feels a kinship with her and he
tries to protect her from the rest of his family, who want to use Lizzie as a Druid sacrifice. You will have to read the book to discover what happens.
It was an enjoyable read-if you like a little darkness in your reads.
It is a story about a young woman by the name of Elizabeth, whose father is very straitlaced and does not approve of her dancing barefoot in the woods of Yorkshire. He sends her to family members who will not put up with her love of freedom. Except for Gabriel Durham, who was expelled from the priesthood and shunned by his family. Upon meeting "Lizzie", he feels a kinship with her and he
tries to protect her from the rest of his family, who want to use Lizzie as a Druid sacrifice. You will have to read the book to discover what happens.
It was an enjoyable read-if you like a little darkness in your reads.
March 14, 2018
Prince of Magic
I did not enjoy this book and was somewhat disappointed. I thought the book could have really played up more on the mysteries and eeriness of the forest. I found a lot of silliness through the book. I will say the love scene in the end of the book between Gabriel and lizzy was hot. I wish the book had more of that kind of chemistry than just at the end. I did finish the book and am glad I did since the last quarter was better. I don't recommend this book. This is the first time I've a read a book by this author. I don't know if I want to try reading another.
I did not enjoy this book and was somewhat disappointed. I thought the book could have really played up more on the mysteries and eeriness of the forest. I found a lot of silliness through the book. I will say the love scene in the end of the book between Gabriel and lizzy was hot. I wish the book had more of that kind of chemistry than just at the end. I did finish the book and am glad I did since the last quarter was better. I don't recommend this book. This is the first time I've a read a book by this author. I don't know if I want to try reading another.
Read
January 9, 2016When the book starts out, much is made of the heroine's connection to the forest and she seems somewhat magicall. This is never followed through and she ends up relying on the hero to save her. Repeatedly. He leaves abruptly one too many times for me and I'm never sure why she takes him back. The evil, human sacrificing swingers that serve as the villains are over the top. You'd think if the hero really thought they were going to try to kill the heroine and his sister he would have kept better track of them. Anyway, not Anne Stuart's best.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2014
The story started off very strong but ended somewhat weak. I was expecting a little bit more villainy from the villains. Gabriel and Lizzie really were a good match, the characters complimented each other well. The development of Gabriel's character and a secondary love story took a bit too much time and the story seemed rushed at the end.
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