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Mysterious Powers #4
Fool's Gold
Enjoy this gentle and kind historical fantasy romance set in the magical community of Great Britain after the Great War.
Robin needs colour and freedom.
After a series of awful decisions, Robin has spent the past two and a half years under the close supervision of his aunts on the family estate. Finally they've decided he can go back to his work as an art and antique dealer.
When he overhears a conversation about historical pigments, he's sure a spot of forgery is in the works. He needs to know more.
No one sees Beatrice.
Invisible to anyone outside her family due to an inherited curse, Beatrice has made her own good life. She handles the vault records for her banking family, tending to the details with care and attention.
She never expected a stranger to approach her in a tea shop. He sees her, and she has no idea why or how. The more they talk, the more she's intrigued.
And that's before the coiling magic, the sensible dragon, or Robin's explanations of how her cousin's suitor is manipulating every conversation.
Fool's Gold is the fourth book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War. All of Celia Lake's Albion books exploring the magical community of the British Isles can be read in any order. (Though this book does directly refer to the events of Seven Sisters if you want to avoid spoilers for that book.)
It is full of pigments and colour, the magic of banking, and a very bouncy dragon. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1926 with a happily ever after ending!
Robin needs colour and freedom.
After a series of awful decisions, Robin has spent the past two and a half years under the close supervision of his aunts on the family estate. Finally they've decided he can go back to his work as an art and antique dealer.
When he overhears a conversation about historical pigments, he's sure a spot of forgery is in the works. He needs to know more.
No one sees Beatrice.
Invisible to anyone outside her family due to an inherited curse, Beatrice has made her own good life. She handles the vault records for her banking family, tending to the details with care and attention.
She never expected a stranger to approach her in a tea shop. He sees her, and she has no idea why or how. The more they talk, the more she's intrigued.
And that's before the coiling magic, the sensible dragon, or Robin's explanations of how her cousin's suitor is manipulating every conversation.
Fool's Gold is the fourth book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War. All of Celia Lake's Albion books exploring the magical community of the British Isles can be read in any order. (Though this book does directly refer to the events of Seven Sisters if you want to avoid spoilers for that book.)
It is full of pigments and colour, the magic of banking, and a very bouncy dragon. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1926 with a happily ever after ending!
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2021
About the author
Celia Lake
51 books77 followersCelia Lake spends her days as a librarian in the Boston (MA) metro area, and her nights and weekends at home happily writing, reading, and researching.
Born and raised in Massachusetts to British parents, she naturally embraced British spelling, classic mysteries, and the Oxford comma before she learned there were any other options.
Born and raised in Massachusetts to British parents, she naturally embraced British spelling, classic mysteries, and the Oxford comma before she learned there were any other options.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 5, 2022
Robin’s Story
Fool’s Gold is the story of Beatrice of the Scali family (the family was seen in Sailor’s Jewel) and Robin Aelfdane, who played a prominent role in Seven Sisters. I really liked learning Robin’s story, and how much it added to understanding his actions in Seven Sisters. This was a story about two people who do not have a strong sense of belonging in their family or in society connecting and learning to find that place with the help of the other. In doing so, they also find a place for each other. There is a mystery involving magic as often happens in Lake’s books. It’s a lovely read with characters I really cared about.
Fool’s Gold is the story of Beatrice of the Scali family (the family was seen in Sailor’s Jewel) and Robin Aelfdane, who played a prominent role in Seven Sisters. I really liked learning Robin’s story, and how much it added to understanding his actions in Seven Sisters. This was a story about two people who do not have a strong sense of belonging in their family or in society connecting and learning to find that place with the help of the other. In doing so, they also find a place for each other. There is a mystery involving magic as often happens in Lake’s books. It’s a lovely read with characters I really cared about.
December 29, 2021
I'm new to Celia Lake's books but I already know to expect something deliciously different from her. In this book the heroine has higher self esteem and confidence than the hero! This was refreshing and also really satisfying to watch the hero become comfortable with himself. I also liked the themes of family. Both main characters have loving families (in different ways) who take care of them. The heroine is already assuredly part of hers but it was lovely to see the hero realise he could ask for help and see him feel like he belongs and is wanted and appreciated.
December 18, 2022
Oh, this was fun!
Beatrice is under a curse making her effectively invisible to anyone outside her family until one day Robin speaks directly to her in a cafe.
I really love Celia Lake's books and the alt-Britain magical Albion she has created. The MMC in this book, Robin, was the somewhat misguided villain of a previous book and it was great to see his redemption and HEA. I also love that a number of Lake's book’s feature romances of more mature characters. In this one Beatrice is in her 30s and Robin in his early forties. Beatrice is part of a wealthy magical banking family - there’s a dragon in their vault!- and Robin is a ne'er do well artist/sometimes forger. Lake's characters are generally good, competent people and that’s mostly true here too. This is probably not the best book of hers to start with, but I highly recommend her work for anyone who likes cozy historical fantasy romance.
Beatrice is under a curse making her effectively invisible to anyone outside her family until one day Robin speaks directly to her in a cafe.
I really love Celia Lake's books and the alt-Britain magical Albion she has created. The MMC in this book, Robin, was the somewhat misguided villain of a previous book and it was great to see his redemption and HEA. I also love that a number of Lake's book’s feature romances of more mature characters. In this one Beatrice is in her 30s and Robin in his early forties. Beatrice is part of a wealthy magical banking family - there’s a dragon in their vault!- and Robin is a ne'er do well artist/sometimes forger. Lake's characters are generally good, competent people and that’s mostly true here too. This is probably not the best book of hers to start with, but I highly recommend her work for anyone who likes cozy historical fantasy romance.
December 6, 2021
I very much enjoyed this new installment in Lake's Mysterious Powers series. Robin is a compelling character as is Beatrice and the world building here was particularly strong. It feels as if there is more to this story and I'm interested to see if I'm correct.
December 14, 2023
This is going on my list of favorite comfort reads. I loved learning about Robin and understanding him better, gaining insight into what he was hoping to do in Seven Sisters. I loved how he and Beatrice interacted, and how they complemented and helped each other find their place.
October 7, 2023
Beatrice Stafford of the Scali family has inherited a curse from her grandmother's grandmother--no one but a Scali can see or hear her. Robin Aelfdane, descendant of the Pleiades, feels alienated from his family, who dot not understand his love of art. These 2 people, who do not have a strong sense of belonging in their family or in society, connect & and learn to find that place with each other's help--& that of a charming young dragon--while they work together to foil a plot against the Scali Bank.
May 1, 2024
Delightful. Competent heroine. Interesting mystery. Great to see things from Robin's POV, see him find his balance.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews