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Thief of Hearts
Only love can set her free…
Envy is a lucky lady with a secret vice: she’s (arguably) one of the best thieves in the kingdom–something her current employer, the queen herself, has no knowledge of. When one of her more audacious gambles gets her caught, Envy thinks her luck’s run out. The queen banishes her to Bran Tower, a haunted, forgotten prison of no escape.
Envy thinks she’s doomed to be alone and trapped forever, but—each night—a stunning woman appears in her impenetrable prison. The mysterious, enchanting Merle befriends her, and as each magical night enfolds, Envy soon realizes that she’s falling in love with her…
What follows next is a magical love story and adventure that will sweep you off your feet! Set in the enchanting world of Bridget’s beloved Knight books, this is a stand-alone novel of bewitching romance that you’ll never forget!
Note: This book got its start in life as the novella CAGE THE DARLINGS, previously published by Elora Bishop, Bridget’s old fantasy romance pen name. It was expanded into the novel you are about to read and is now being published again under Bridget's actual name.
Envy is a lucky lady with a secret vice: she’s (arguably) one of the best thieves in the kingdom–something her current employer, the queen herself, has no knowledge of. When one of her more audacious gambles gets her caught, Envy thinks her luck’s run out. The queen banishes her to Bran Tower, a haunted, forgotten prison of no escape.
Envy thinks she’s doomed to be alone and trapped forever, but—each night—a stunning woman appears in her impenetrable prison. The mysterious, enchanting Merle befriends her, and as each magical night enfolds, Envy soon realizes that she’s falling in love with her…
What follows next is a magical love story and adventure that will sweep you off your feet! Set in the enchanting world of Bridget’s beloved Knight books, this is a stand-alone novel of bewitching romance that you’ll never forget!
Note: This book got its start in life as the novella CAGE THE DARLINGS, previously published by Elora Bishop, Bridget’s old fantasy romance pen name. It was expanded into the novel you are about to read and is now being published again under Bridget's actual name.
218 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2011
44 people are currently reading
588 people want to read
About the author
Elora Bishop
11 books171 followersElora Bishop is a queer author of magical lesbian love stories. You will often find her wearing soft skirts, curled up in a sunny window (much like a cat), Austen in hand, cup of tea (two cream, one sugar) nearby, always piping hot. She is bewitched by all beautiful things–but, most of all, by her beloved wife. She writes lesbian YA as Sarah Diemer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 15, 2021
This is what I had: a book of fairy stories. A room thirty paces across. An empty trunk. A few blankets. A little table. A bed. Light.
As I interlaced my fingers with hers, as I looked up into those beautiful, sparkling eyes, I knew that what I possessed was infinitely more than the confines of one small prison. Even one legendary prison.
I had her.
~*~
SWOON! A delightful tale of true love, and fairy tales. If you've loved Bridget Essex stuff, you'll love this, Elora Bishop is another of her pen names. Her writing is so evocative and emotional, and beautiful poetic, too. She really has a way with writing Sapphic fairy tales for the romantics at heart, like me, to swoon over!
Envy is a thief, grown up in the poorest area of the city, with other urchins and orphans. Her mother has since passed and taught her everything she knew about thievery, and how to get by... But Envy has become a bit too bold and arrogant. Choosing to bed as many wealthy ladies of the Kingdom Court, and taking little trinkets from them in the aftermath. When she beds a particularly sensitive Princess, Envy regrets her actions immediately. Realizing it isn't just a game, and she infact truly hurt the lady, who thought she had found someone that wanted her for her, not her things, title or money. Envy is sent to the dungeon, and then onto a cursed Tower in deep in the woods, left to rot.
There she meets a strange girl, that may or may not be a ghost, and only comes out at night. Through the day a strange blackbird watches over her. The two begin a tentative friendship and then romance and love blossoms. It's a little quick, but at the same time when there's nothing else to do or distract them in the tower but talk and get to know each other, I supposed that helps speed things up.
There are secrets about the mystery girl, Merle, and who she is and where she comes from. Envy longs to escape her prison, and when it seems plans are coming together to achieve that goal, Merle goes missing, thus Envy must set out to rescue her love, with the help of some magic and other fairy tale creatures of stories and curses!
A really charming story, that had me rooting for the lovers and intrigued with the setting and tales woven through with magic!
As I interlaced my fingers with hers, as I looked up into those beautiful, sparkling eyes, I knew that what I possessed was infinitely more than the confines of one small prison. Even one legendary prison.
I had her.
~*~
SWOON! A delightful tale of true love, and fairy tales. If you've loved Bridget Essex stuff, you'll love this, Elora Bishop is another of her pen names. Her writing is so evocative and emotional, and beautiful poetic, too. She really has a way with writing Sapphic fairy tales for the romantics at heart, like me, to swoon over!
Envy is a thief, grown up in the poorest area of the city, with other urchins and orphans. Her mother has since passed and taught her everything she knew about thievery, and how to get by... But Envy has become a bit too bold and arrogant. Choosing to bed as many wealthy ladies of the Kingdom Court, and taking little trinkets from them in the aftermath. When she beds a particularly sensitive Princess, Envy regrets her actions immediately. Realizing it isn't just a game, and she infact truly hurt the lady, who thought she had found someone that wanted her for her, not her things, title or money. Envy is sent to the dungeon, and then onto a cursed Tower in deep in the woods, left to rot.
There she meets a strange girl, that may or may not be a ghost, and only comes out at night. Through the day a strange blackbird watches over her. The two begin a tentative friendship and then romance and love blossoms. It's a little quick, but at the same time when there's nothing else to do or distract them in the tower but talk and get to know each other, I supposed that helps speed things up.
There are secrets about the mystery girl, Merle, and who she is and where she comes from. Envy longs to escape her prison, and when it seems plans are coming together to achieve that goal, Merle goes missing, thus Envy must set out to rescue her love, with the help of some magic and other fairy tale creatures of stories and curses!
A really charming story, that had me rooting for the lovers and intrigued with the setting and tales woven through with magic!
July 3, 2015
3.9 stars.
I'm partial to a fairy-tale with two leading ladies and an f/f romance at the center of it. This is an original tale by Elora Bishop, otherwise known as Sarah Diemer, the author of "The Dark Wife".
Bishop does a great job of showing us Envy's character instead of telling us. I particularly liked the first part of the story where we see Envy as a confident casanova and thief that ends up getting knocked down several pegs and locked in an enchanted tower when she goes too far. I also liked the introduction of the character, Merle, and the hints we got of her on each visit.
Halfway through the story, though, it started to feel looser and somewhat rushed (like details were glossed over). Mainly, I think the energy of the story is depleted because Merle disappears and Envy doesn't get time with her again until the very end. For me, it would've had more impact if Merle and Envy would've escaped the tower together, spent time in the enchanted wood and *then* the leads are taken apart.
Overall, though, it's a good read and I really enjoy Bishop's contribution in this genre.
I'm partial to a fairy-tale with two leading ladies and an f/f romance at the center of it. This is an original tale by Elora Bishop, otherwise known as Sarah Diemer, the author of "The Dark Wife".
Bishop does a great job of showing us Envy's character instead of telling us. I particularly liked the first part of the story where we see Envy as a confident casanova and thief that ends up getting knocked down several pegs and locked in an enchanted tower when she goes too far. I also liked the introduction of the character, Merle, and the hints we got of her on each visit.
Halfway through the story, though, it started to feel looser and somewhat rushed (like details were glossed over). Mainly, I think the energy of the story is depleted because Merle disappears and Envy doesn't get time with her again until the very end. For me, it would've had more impact if Merle and Envy would've escaped the tower together, spent time in the enchanted wood and *then* the leads are taken apart.
Overall, though, it's a good read and I really enjoy Bishop's contribution in this genre.
January 24, 2012
Elora Bishop is another penname belonging to Sarah Diemer, for her adult fantasy books. Really, Cage the Darlings isn't that different in tone to her other work: it's a simple, sweet lesbian love story, very much in the fairytale tradition. It's more of a novella than a novel, in length, and is a very quick, easy read. And, like the versions of fairytales we all know, it has a happy ending.
I wanted more, really. More of the world, more of Merle and Envy. I wanted to know Lady Ann would be okay after Envy hurt her, and I wanted more of the magic of the Blackbird Kingdom. I wanted more of Belinda -- I loved her pragmatic outlook and her loyalty to Envy, who isn't always the sharpest tool in the box. I wanted to know more about the magic in the world, more about Maria, I wanted more time with Satin... It's an enchanting world, one that leaves me very curious.
Looking forward to more from Sarah Diemer/Elora Bishop.
I wanted more, really. More of the world, more of Merle and Envy. I wanted to know Lady Ann would be okay after Envy hurt her, and I wanted more of the magic of the Blackbird Kingdom. I wanted more of Belinda -- I loved her pragmatic outlook and her loyalty to Envy, who isn't always the sharpest tool in the box. I wanted to know more about the magic in the world, more about Maria, I wanted more time with Satin... It's an enchanting world, one that leaves me very curious.
Looking forward to more from Sarah Diemer/Elora Bishop.
December 2, 2017
Fairytale. I like fairytales very much and this has all the ingredients.
There is a poor thief, a little cock-sure, a little too daring, a little too disenchanted with the world. So, everything is set up for her to be enchanted, to be put down a peg, to peel away the sarcastic layers of her essentially, caring, loving and courageous heart. So where do we put her? Well, what about a "Rapunzel-tower", give her time to self-reflect? Enter a mysterious woman who wins her heart and now the tale spins off.
Frankly looking at this I'd have very much liked to be more struggle, to be more layers to be stripped away. If we are in a fairytale setting and it has the general feel of a fairytale why not use the magical number of three? Three tasks to win the girl, three gifts to do it with after doing three good deeds ...
But it's sweet and entertaining and I liked that the setting was Arctos, so it ties in nicely with the Knight-series by Bridget Essex.
There is a poor thief, a little cock-sure, a little too daring, a little too disenchanted with the world. So, everything is set up for her to be enchanted, to be put down a peg, to peel away the sarcastic layers of her essentially, caring, loving and courageous heart. So where do we put her? Well, what about a "Rapunzel-tower", give her time to self-reflect? Enter a mysterious woman who wins her heart and now the tale spins off.
Frankly looking at this I'd have very much liked to be more struggle, to be more layers to be stripped away. If we are in a fairytale setting and it has the general feel of a fairytale why not use the magical number of three? Three tasks to win the girl, three gifts to do it with after doing three good deeds ...
But it's sweet and entertaining and I liked that the setting was Arctos, so it ties in nicely with the Knight-series by Bridget Essex.
November 6, 2017
Fairy tales do come true!
She is a phenomenal thief and has a reputation to uphold but she is growing reckless. Little does she know what awaits her. What lies ahead is shocking and terrifying. When she receives a mysterious visit throughout the night, everything changed. This is a spellbinding fairy tale with an intriguing adventure, magical experiences and a delightful, touching romance. I loved how their relationship grew. The engaging characters have completely captured my heart and their chemistry is amazing. I wish it wasn't over so soon. It was a blast to read and I absolutely recommend this book. You'll love it.
She is a phenomenal thief and has a reputation to uphold but she is growing reckless. Little does she know what awaits her. What lies ahead is shocking and terrifying. When she receives a mysterious visit throughout the night, everything changed. This is a spellbinding fairy tale with an intriguing adventure, magical experiences and a delightful, touching romance. I loved how their relationship grew. The engaging characters have completely captured my heart and their chemistry is amazing. I wish it wasn't over so soon. It was a blast to read and I absolutely recommend this book. You'll love it.
December 6, 2017
I bought Cage the Darlings by Elora Bishop in 2012. It sat, for all these years, on my overflowing want to read shelf.
It took an updated cover, new title and revised author's name to put Thief of Hearts on my currently reading shelf. The revised edition is still short, but longer than the average novella. If you like a well told fairytale, then grab this book and read it. Bridget Essex can write. The love between Envy and Merle is palpable. Passages from this book should be read slowly and savored for their beauty or should be read aloud to capture the sound of them.
Envy imagines herself a master thief and protected by the goddess of luck. She and her best friend Belinda scam their way out of Ratter Prison and Envied Mansion, in order to survive winter, passing as maidservants in the Queen's castle. By day, they performing the menial tasks that they were never hired to do. At night, Envy charms her way into trysts with the Court's Ladies and steals from them. Her plan seems to be successful, until her luck stretches too thinly. Lady Ann awakens, after their night together, only to find Envy trying to take something other than her heart. Envy suffers a punishment sure to be the death of her. She is banished to Bran Tower in a magic forest.
Thief of Hearts is as charming as any fairytale, but don't expect any princes. Queens, Princesses and Ladies are joined by best friends, lovers, goddesses, witches and mothers. The main characters must look within to find magic, love, bravery and selflessness. The setting matches the theme and works to advance the storyline. I could fill my review with pages of quotations. I'm sure that readers can find their own favourites. To share just one example, Envy learns that before Merle she'd been playing at love, but now realized "that love was an elemental thing, a wild thing, unruly and impatient and wonderful."
It took an updated cover, new title and revised author's name to put Thief of Hearts on my currently reading shelf. The revised edition is still short, but longer than the average novella. If you like a well told fairytale, then grab this book and read it. Bridget Essex can write. The love between Envy and Merle is palpable. Passages from this book should be read slowly and savored for their beauty or should be read aloud to capture the sound of them.
Envy imagines herself a master thief and protected by the goddess of luck. She and her best friend Belinda scam their way out of Ratter Prison and Envied Mansion, in order to survive winter, passing as maidservants in the Queen's castle. By day, they performing the menial tasks that they were never hired to do. At night, Envy charms her way into trysts with the Court's Ladies and steals from them. Her plan seems to be successful, until her luck stretches too thinly. Lady Ann awakens, after their night together, only to find Envy trying to take something other than her heart. Envy suffers a punishment sure to be the death of her. She is banished to Bran Tower in a magic forest.
Thief of Hearts is as charming as any fairytale, but don't expect any princes. Queens, Princesses and Ladies are joined by best friends, lovers, goddesses, witches and mothers. The main characters must look within to find magic, love, bravery and selflessness. The setting matches the theme and works to advance the storyline. I could fill my review with pages of quotations. I'm sure that readers can find their own favourites. To share just one example, Envy learns that before Merle she'd been playing at love, but now realized "that love was an elemental thing, a wild thing, unruly and impatient and wonderful."
June 12, 2019
This is a shortened version of my audiobook review.
Thief of Hearts is a beautiful fairytale Fantasy Romance about a thief and her blackbird girl.
Envy is a fantastic thief. Until she isn’t. She gets caught and is thrown into an enchanted prison tower where she’s all alone and would starve to death. Until a woman shows up out of nowhere. And while she can’t save her from the tower, she can provide company and food…
This is a short and fast-paced adventure love story. And it has everything you’d wish for in a fairytale, including a witch with a bad reputation, magic, someone being locked into a tower, and a talking dead horse.
During the entire time of the romance developing, there were no supporting characters to nudge the two main characters in the right direction or cause conflict. It was just between the two of them.
That was beautiful and gave the story such a nice flow.
Thief of Hearts is magical and gets all my recommendations.
Thief of Hearts is a beautiful fairytale Fantasy Romance about a thief and her blackbird girl.
Envy is a fantastic thief. Until she isn’t. She gets caught and is thrown into an enchanted prison tower where she’s all alone and would starve to death. Until a woman shows up out of nowhere. And while she can’t save her from the tower, she can provide company and food…
This is a short and fast-paced adventure love story. And it has everything you’d wish for in a fairytale, including a witch with a bad reputation, magic, someone being locked into a tower, and a talking dead horse.
During the entire time of the romance developing, there were no supporting characters to nudge the two main characters in the right direction or cause conflict. It was just between the two of them.
That was beautiful and gave the story such a nice flow.
Thief of Hearts is magical and gets all my recommendations.
November 24, 2014
Posted on The Lesbrary: http://lesbrary.com/2014/09/21/marthe...
I love fairytales, especially those with a queer twist so I had to pick this book up! The story is about Envy, a thief working as a servant for a scheme she came up with and Merle, the blackbird princess who visits Envy once she gets locked up in Bran Tower. It is a romantic story but with a lot of personal changes and adventures. It is 104 pages in which Bishop weaves mysteries and magic.
The blurb of the book, which I did not read before reading the book, gives most of the story away. However, there are still a lot of elements and story building to be discovered.
In the beginning as we see the story from Envy’s point of view, you really get the impression that it is told from a classic, boastful and slightly evil voice. It is quite fun. Envy and Belinda both come from a family of thieves who grew up in Vice Quarters and both have good instincts which are useful for their adventures.
Envy starts out with having really good luck, in fact, she brags about it to her ever loyal friend Belinda who followed her in the castle working as a servant. As the story unfolds however, her fortunes change. We get the impression as she later realized that her bad fortune was her greatest fortune after all. Envy’s greatest fault is probably pride since she is always trying to prove herself, which lends her in some trouble towards the middle of the story where she gets banished to Bran Tower. In the time at the tower, it feels both like time is moving fast thanks to the jump cuts and inactivity but it also feels lethargic.
Interestingly I found the theme of freedom vs. time in a moment in the tower very realistic. Sometimes we are willing to do nearly everything to have a moment of ‘total freedom’ but when we are presented with the opportunity, it almost feels like we are not ready, that we want more time with non-freedom.
Bishop has this intricate way of weaving things in threes either through ideas, mentioning of the number three or thrice or by repeating conjunctions three times. Three here is really a magic number; after all, Envy found love in the third woman that we see her get close to, although it is much gentler and with more feelings than the previous two. Bishop also has a way with adjectives; she uses the seemingly perfect words to describe things.
There are short stories within the main story; stories of childhood and past and fairytales which Envy had heard or read. No story however, is said without purpose.
Envy changes as the story moves forward. She faces regrets, guilt and insecurity, she misses her friends and she falls in love. The romance is quite sweet and although there are some trust issues, both Merle and Envy eventually work through that.
There were sweet characters who we and the protagonist thought would be evil, there were funny characters, average characters and evil characters.
Overall, I found this fairytale quite interesting, however, I think I would enjoy some other writings by Elora Bishop more. Although a towards the end there was a twist, most of the things were predictable but it still is a sweet and light read.
I love fairytales, especially those with a queer twist so I had to pick this book up! The story is about Envy, a thief working as a servant for a scheme she came up with and Merle, the blackbird princess who visits Envy once she gets locked up in Bran Tower. It is a romantic story but with a lot of personal changes and adventures. It is 104 pages in which Bishop weaves mysteries and magic.
The blurb of the book, which I did not read before reading the book, gives most of the story away. However, there are still a lot of elements and story building to be discovered.
In the beginning as we see the story from Envy’s point of view, you really get the impression that it is told from a classic, boastful and slightly evil voice. It is quite fun. Envy and Belinda both come from a family of thieves who grew up in Vice Quarters and both have good instincts which are useful for their adventures.
Envy starts out with having really good luck, in fact, she brags about it to her ever loyal friend Belinda who followed her in the castle working as a servant. As the story unfolds however, her fortunes change. We get the impression as she later realized that her bad fortune was her greatest fortune after all. Envy’s greatest fault is probably pride since she is always trying to prove herself, which lends her in some trouble towards the middle of the story where she gets banished to Bran Tower. In the time at the tower, it feels both like time is moving fast thanks to the jump cuts and inactivity but it also feels lethargic.
Interestingly I found the theme of freedom vs. time in a moment in the tower very realistic. Sometimes we are willing to do nearly everything to have a moment of ‘total freedom’ but when we are presented with the opportunity, it almost feels like we are not ready, that we want more time with non-freedom.
Bishop has this intricate way of weaving things in threes either through ideas, mentioning of the number three or thrice or by repeating conjunctions three times. Three here is really a magic number; after all, Envy found love in the third woman that we see her get close to, although it is much gentler and with more feelings than the previous two. Bishop also has a way with adjectives; she uses the seemingly perfect words to describe things.
There are short stories within the main story; stories of childhood and past and fairytales which Envy had heard or read. No story however, is said without purpose.
Envy changes as the story moves forward. She faces regrets, guilt and insecurity, she misses her friends and she falls in love. The romance is quite sweet and although there are some trust issues, both Merle and Envy eventually work through that.
There were sweet characters who we and the protagonist thought would be evil, there were funny characters, average characters and evil characters.
Overall, I found this fairytale quite interesting, however, I think I would enjoy some other writings by Elora Bishop more. Although a towards the end there was a twist, most of the things were predictable but it still is a sweet and light read.
September 13, 2013
“Oh, moon and stars, it was delicious.” Thus narrated the heroine (named Envy) of the book
Cage the Darlings
by Elora Bishop just after her growing infatuation with the novel’s romantic interest (Merle) blossomed into something more. And indeed, at that point of my reading of the story, I felt exactly the same way!
Envy is a moderately successful thief in this medieval-like-setting fantasy novel filled with magic, curses, and odd topography. So, she gets busted for her thieving ways and banished to a remote tower within which she is meant to expire. As she is building her courage to leap from a high window (instead of dying of dehydration), she suddenly hears a woman’s voice from the darkness. The voice, which most certainly must be from a ghost, pleads her to have faith. Envy steps back from that ledge (my friend!) and finds food and water the next morning. And, from here... well, the excitement grows.
Wow! I really liked this novel. Even after the first page, I was excited and filled with joy because the personality of the narrator is so charming. I knew that I was going to love the story. The growth of the relationship between Envy and Merle which dominates the first half of the novel is wonderfully paced, and, as I said, utterly delicious. The second half erupts into nail-biting action that makes you keep flipping pages (virtually, perhaps) all the way to the end.
Sure! The book has flaws. I felt that the second half was far too rushed. Perhaps that was intentional as the heroine spent most of the time galloping across a winter landscape on a particularly macabre beast. I felt I was being dragged along behind screaming, “Slow down!” While the set pieces and characters were interesting, the plot, while utterly satisfying, did not leave me overly astounded, in fact, I almost felt that some of the set pieces were wasted. No big deal! I look forward to reading more from Elora Bishop!
By the way, Elora Bishop is Sarah Diemer and, between the two of herself, they are very prolific.
Envy is a moderately successful thief in this medieval-like-setting fantasy novel filled with magic, curses, and odd topography. So, she gets busted for her thieving ways and banished to a remote tower within which she is meant to expire. As she is building her courage to leap from a high window (instead of dying of dehydration), she suddenly hears a woman’s voice from the darkness. The voice, which most certainly must be from a ghost, pleads her to have faith. Envy steps back from that ledge (my friend!) and finds food and water the next morning. And, from here... well, the excitement grows.
Wow! I really liked this novel. Even after the first page, I was excited and filled with joy because the personality of the narrator is so charming. I knew that I was going to love the story. The growth of the relationship between Envy and Merle which dominates the first half of the novel is wonderfully paced, and, as I said, utterly delicious. The second half erupts into nail-biting action that makes you keep flipping pages (virtually, perhaps) all the way to the end.
Sure! The book has flaws. I felt that the second half was far too rushed. Perhaps that was intentional as the heroine spent most of the time galloping across a winter landscape on a particularly macabre beast. I felt I was being dragged along behind screaming, “Slow down!” While the set pieces and characters were interesting, the plot, while utterly satisfying, did not leave me overly astounded, in fact, I almost felt that some of the set pieces were wasted. No big deal! I look forward to reading more from Elora Bishop!
By the way, Elora Bishop is Sarah Diemer and, between the two of herself, they are very prolific.
June 26, 2012
A really sweet, beautifully written sapphic fairytale with a heroine in a tower and a magic love-interest in peril. Teh actual plot is lightweight but satisfyingly fairytale-like, and the central romance and the messages of friendship and trsut and self-responsibility are really charming. This novella is one I will keep and read again when I meed a good comfort read. Really highly recommended.
November 6, 2017
Amazing love story
To say it was good, is an understatement. This book is romantic, engaging, full of outstanding characters. Well developed and falls in to Bridget Knights world.
The thought of spending your life alone is imaginable. And Envy is such a loving and gentle woman, and I believe it's why love found her dispute being locked away and forgotten.
This is a must read for sure.. such an amazing story.
To say it was good, is an understatement. This book is romantic, engaging, full of outstanding characters. Well developed and falls in to Bridget Knights world.
The thought of spending your life alone is imaginable. And Envy is such a loving and gentle woman, and I believe it's why love found her dispute being locked away and forgotten.
This is a must read for sure.. such an amazing story.
January 5, 2012
(From my blog, Word Vagabond: Supporting Independent and Small Press Authors.)
Envy is doing a pretty good job of following in her mother’s footsteps as a thief, until her pride and ambition get the better of her. Caught stealing from the King’s daughter, the guards throw her in an inescapable tower and leave her for dead. Suddenly all the childhood stories she thought were only myths- like the Blackbird King, patron of thieves- are coming true, and the things she thought she would never have are within her grasp.
Much like Bishop’s previous novel, One Solstice Night, this is a beautifully written and original fantasy romance novel. Bishop’s passionate writing style fits her subject matter, managing to be poetic without feeling overblown. Her writing flows, drawing the reader easily into the current of her book.
Envy is an endearingly imperfect protagonist. Much like her friend Belinda, I felt a combination of amusement and concern for her from the beginning, which made the story immediately engaging and lent it some tension. However, I did end up feeling that she was really the only well-developed character in the book. Merle remains mysterious throughout, even when she eventually tells Envy what her secret is, and much as I liked the Haglin and the Blackbird King, I really wanted to know more about their background. I think if we’d gotten more backstory it would have greatly enriched the main plotline.
The story itself is great fun and a lovely romance. Bishop’s books are the sort of tales you would like to cuddle up with at the end of the day with a cat and a cup of tea. There is a sense of hope and faith in the eventual triumph of good that is refreshing in a cynical age. The trade-off is that that they can also come off as a bit frivolous, skimming the surface of deeper waters and more complicated situations. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though- sometimes a happy ending is what you really need, and in that case, this is the book to turn to.
Envy is doing a pretty good job of following in her mother’s footsteps as a thief, until her pride and ambition get the better of her. Caught stealing from the King’s daughter, the guards throw her in an inescapable tower and leave her for dead. Suddenly all the childhood stories she thought were only myths- like the Blackbird King, patron of thieves- are coming true, and the things she thought she would never have are within her grasp.
Much like Bishop’s previous novel, One Solstice Night, this is a beautifully written and original fantasy romance novel. Bishop’s passionate writing style fits her subject matter, managing to be poetic without feeling overblown. Her writing flows, drawing the reader easily into the current of her book.
Envy is an endearingly imperfect protagonist. Much like her friend Belinda, I felt a combination of amusement and concern for her from the beginning, which made the story immediately engaging and lent it some tension. However, I did end up feeling that she was really the only well-developed character in the book. Merle remains mysterious throughout, even when she eventually tells Envy what her secret is, and much as I liked the Haglin and the Blackbird King, I really wanted to know more about their background. I think if we’d gotten more backstory it would have greatly enriched the main plotline.
The story itself is great fun and a lovely romance. Bishop’s books are the sort of tales you would like to cuddle up with at the end of the day with a cat and a cup of tea. There is a sense of hope and faith in the eventual triumph of good that is refreshing in a cynical age. The trade-off is that that they can also come off as a bit frivolous, skimming the surface of deeper waters and more complicated situations. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though- sometimes a happy ending is what you really need, and in that case, this is the book to turn to.
November 28, 2011
The only thing that kept my heart from breaking was my absolute and firm belief in a happy ending.
Slow to start, for me, we follow the adventures of Envy, a self professed charming and clever thief, on a most interesting challenge: to sleep with every lady of the King's court and steal one thing from each conquest.
Naturally, this goes awry and the subsequent tale will take Envy and her friend, Belinda, into the pages of myth and legend, and love above all.
The debut novel from Elora Bishop will make you hold your breath, your soul sing and warm you to the depths of your heart.
Slow to start, for me, we follow the adventures of Envy, a self professed charming and clever thief, on a most interesting challenge: to sleep with every lady of the King's court and steal one thing from each conquest.
Naturally, this goes awry and the subsequent tale will take Envy and her friend, Belinda, into the pages of myth and legend, and love above all.
The debut novel from Elora Bishop will make you hold your breath, your soul sing and warm you to the depths of your heart.
October 14, 2014
THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. READ THIS BOOK.
It's a wonderful little fairy tale about queer girls in love, and I spent the latter half of it crying with happiness because it was a fairy tale about queer girls in love.
This book is everything. Buy it read it love it.
It's a wonderful little fairy tale about queer girls in love, and I spent the latter half of it crying with happiness because it was a fairy tale about queer girls in love.
This book is everything. Buy it read it love it.
April 3, 2013
One word: mesmerizing.
June 26, 2015
Imaginative and well-written fairy-tale romance with memorable characters and beautiful settings.
August 31, 2018
This is always a fun little feel-good read. I enjoy my time with it each and every read through. It’s like a Grimm Fairy tale set in a Tim Burton-like world for adults. The writing is good. The story is well thought out and tasteful. The characters are relatable and you feel yourself rooting for them the whole way through. It’s actually probably somewhere in between 4 and 5 stars. I gave it 4 because in some places it felt too brief and quick, but certainly not enough to detract from the overall story. Still, everyone looking for a sweet lesbian fairytale should definitely give it a repeated read.
October 31, 2017
Enchanting
This latest book from this author is just enchanting. I felt like I was reading a fairy tale the whole time and I loved it. That this story takes place in the Land of the Lady Knights and yummy Virago is in it (albeit briefly) is simply icing on the cupcake.
This latest book from this author is just enchanting. I felt like I was reading a fairy tale the whole time and I loved it. That this story takes place in the Land of the Lady Knights and yummy Virago is in it (albeit briefly) is simply icing on the cupcake.
February 7, 2018
Stunning imagery.
I very much enjoyed this story by Bridget Essex. The world she brings us is full of magic and beauty. Each character and setting and action is described so that the reader can see it clear as if it were right in front of them.
I very much enjoyed this story by Bridget Essex. The world she brings us is full of magic and beauty. Each character and setting and action is described so that the reader can see it clear as if it were right in front of them.
August 30, 2018
Quick, sweet read!
I loved the characters and the lore! The pace was nice and steady, though a bit anticlimactic. But it's a great afternoon read that'll have you feeling butterflies and dreaming of your own magical lady!
I loved the characters and the lore! The pace was nice and steady, though a bit anticlimactic. But it's a great afternoon read that'll have you feeling butterflies and dreaming of your own magical lady!
October 17, 2018
My new favorite!
I absolutely loved it! So beautifully written, and so sweet! I loved how that there was no stupid main characters, they all were witty and made mostly bold but reasonable moves. It was fun to read!
I absolutely loved it! So beautifully written, and so sweet! I loved how that there was no stupid main characters, they all were witty and made mostly bold but reasonable moves. It was fun to read!
December 8, 2017
Loved It
One of my favorite books by Bridget. A great fun fast read. Very creative and new. Give it a shot.
One of my favorite books by Bridget. A great fun fast read. Very creative and new. Give it a shot.
December 15, 2017
Cute story
This was a nice cross between a fairytale and a lesbian romance. I really enjoyed the fairytale aspects to the story.
This was a nice cross between a fairytale and a lesbian romance. I really enjoyed the fairytale aspects to the story.
November 12, 2018
💖🌈FANTASTICAL🌈💖
Like her other books that I've read. This tale was vividly presented. Like my header states!😍. This is a fantastical tale !😍
Definitely a good read. 💖💗💘
Like her other books that I've read. This tale was vividly presented. Like my header states!😍. This is a fantastical tale !😍
Definitely a good read. 💖💗💘
June 8, 2019
Purely an emotional 5 star rating for Envy & Merle’s true love 😭😭💜
August 2, 2021
5 stars for original Elora Bishop version, 4 stars for updated Bridget Essex version
September 29, 2022
A lovely romance and quirky adventure. The beginning was a little slow, but once Envy is sentenced to the tower things became really interesting. It was a fun, quick, lighthearted read.
August 31, 2016
This wasn't quite as good as the other work I've read from this author. I loved the main character and the world building, but this would have definitely benefited from a bit more editing. The narrative made some odd jumps here and there. I also felt like the main character somewhat lost their sassy personality when they fell in love. I would have loved them to keep making sardonic remarks even in the more mushy moments.
January 24, 2016
What I Like: great moments, good characters, like how Bishop twists together fairy tales into something new.
What I Didn't Like: Although I keep reading books by Elora Bishop, and probably still will, the writing isn't as strong as I would like it to be, and it's a little too romantic for my taste. I felt like this book wrapped up too neatly. Life is messy, folks. The fact that everyone was super happy and it all ended super easy... A little frustrating.
What I Didn't Like: Although I keep reading books by Elora Bishop, and probably still will, the writing isn't as strong as I would like it to be, and it's a little too romantic for my taste. I felt like this book wrapped up too neatly. Life is messy, folks. The fact that everyone was super happy and it all ended super easy... A little frustrating.
April 18, 2016
Was actually good (still pretty good though) until the rescue part which -I personally felt- was kinda flat.. nice but could've been much better. Kidnapped for ransom? C'mon.. we know it could've been much more advanced and complected, most of Bishop's work is.
On the other hand, the language was captivating and the descriptions are just charming, which is what makes Elora's writing style one of my favorites.
On the other hand, the language was captivating and the descriptions are just charming, which is what makes Elora's writing style one of my favorites.
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