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Merlin's Keep
Jani, the strange and lovely heroine, has been brought up in a remote region of the Himalayas in Tibet by a runaway English soldier. Both Jani’s past and that of her soldier protector are shrouded in a mystery that grows ever deeper for Jani when the foreign demon on a black horse comes from the south to take her away to a new and frightening world—a London orphanage. Later, when she moves on and finds the Woman in Red, Jani becomes one of the family in a Hampshire household. And it is here that her past is gradually uncovered. She becomes locked in a macabre struggle, long prophesied by the High Lama of her Tibetan youth, against the strange and terrifying powers of the Silver Man.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1977
17 people are currently reading
1166 people want to read
About the author
Madeleine Brent
31 books217 followersMadeleine Brent is a pseudonym used by Peter O'Donnell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
May 21, 2019
3.5 stars. Merlin's Keep really puts the gothic into the gothic historic romance genre, with some mystical and even seriously twisted occult aspects to the plot. I have mixed feels here; parts of it I enjoyed a lot; other parts not so much.
Like most of the other Madeleine Brent novels I've read, this one takes a young British heroine and gives her an exotic foreign upbringing: Colonial India in this case. Jani is half-Indian, raised in northern India by a Cockney regimental sergeant major she calls Sembur, who may or may not be her father. He's been on the run for years, for reasons that become clear later on.
When Jani is 12, fate catches up to her and Sembur, and she ends up in the care of the young British captain who was tracking down Sembur. The captain nurses her through a bad case of diphtheria and then has to leave her to the care of an orphanage in England.
We follow Jani as she becomes a young woman, and her story gets even more complicated: a mysterious past, a fortuitous meeting (involving a poisonous viper!) that changes the course of Jani's life, an evil "Silver Man" with occult powers, Haitian voodoo, Tibetan monks with foresight, and more. It's a wild ride, fun if you don't mind seriously suspending disbelief, and kept me up reading too late.
I prefer the less creepy and Twilight Zone-ish Brent novels, but I still enjoyed Merlin's Keep.
Like most of the other Madeleine Brent novels I've read, this one takes a young British heroine and gives her an exotic foreign upbringing: Colonial India in this case. Jani is half-Indian, raised in northern India by a Cockney regimental sergeant major she calls Sembur, who may or may not be her father. He's been on the run for years, for reasons that become clear later on.
When Jani is 12, fate catches up to her and Sembur, and she ends up in the care of the young British captain who was tracking down Sembur. The captain nurses her through a bad case of diphtheria and then has to leave her to the care of an orphanage in England.
We follow Jani as she becomes a young woman, and her story gets even more complicated: a mysterious past, a fortuitous meeting (involving a poisonous viper!) that changes the course of Jani's life, an evil "Silver Man" with occult powers, Haitian voodoo, Tibetan monks with foresight, and more. It's a wild ride, fun if you don't mind seriously suspending disbelief, and kept me up reading too late.
I prefer the less creepy and Twilight Zone-ish Brent novels, but I still enjoyed Merlin's Keep.
February 4, 2021
I have three of this author's books but this is my favourite story. It is an easy read with romance, adventure and a mystery over a secret prophecy. The plot moves back and forth between England and Asia ...among the Himalayas and the strong main character is a young girl brought up from childhood by an old soldier. She meets and copes with danger and death as she attempts to discover more of the secret prophecy. Merlin's Keep itself is situated in England. I recommend this author highly if you enjoy a well written and fast paced adventure.
August 3, 2016
This book was a nice surprise. Not only did I not know that Madeleine Brent was also Peter O’Donnell (famous for writing the Modesty Blaise books), I also went into this thinking it was some kind of Arthurian, Medieval romance. It’s definitely not that. What can I say? All I read was the title. That’s what I get for not reading the blurp. lol
This was actually a really good book though. Brent writes exciting, gothic, adventure stories. I loved the parts in Tibet, with the gritty chase in the snowy mountains and the vivid descriptions of the culture and the food.
Jani is resourceful and clever heroine with a mysterious past, who grows up in Tibet (the Land of Bod) and then travels to England. The hero is a Captain in the Gurkha Rifles who’s been ordered to apprehend her and her guardian.
There's a supernatural thread running through this book that added some Tibetan magic and mythology to it (which is always fun).
The villain was a cool badass (who reminded me of John Malkovich) whom they called the ‘Eater of Souls.’ I liked him a lot. :D
In fact, I thought this book had the perfect balance of history, exotic locations, mystery, action and spooky, gothic, creepiness. The only thing I would have changed is I would have liked a little bit more romance. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any romance. The hero and the heroine do fall in love, which made me happy.
I give Merlin’s Keep ****½
I’ll definitely be checking out some of Brent’s other books. I’ve read though that you should space them apart because they are a lot alike. I want to check out Modesty Blaise too.
This was actually a really good book though. Brent writes exciting, gothic, adventure stories. I loved the parts in Tibet, with the gritty chase in the snowy mountains and the vivid descriptions of the culture and the food.
Jani is resourceful and clever heroine with a mysterious past, who grows up in Tibet (the Land of Bod) and then travels to England. The hero is a Captain in the Gurkha Rifles who’s been ordered to apprehend her and her guardian.
There's a supernatural thread running through this book that added some Tibetan magic and mythology to it (which is always fun).
The villain was a cool badass (who reminded me of John Malkovich) whom they called the ‘Eater of Souls.’ I liked him a lot. :D
In fact, I thought this book had the perfect balance of history, exotic locations, mystery, action and spooky, gothic, creepiness. The only thing I would have changed is I would have liked a little bit more romance. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any romance. The hero and the heroine do fall in love, which made me happy.
I give Merlin’s Keep ****½
I’ll definitely be checking out some of Brent’s other books. I’ve read though that you should space them apart because they are a lot alike. I want to check out Modesty Blaise too.
January 14, 2014
OMG was this an excellent read! On almost too many fronts to enumerate. My copy was hard cover and so old the library that sent it had to put in 3 different notes to receiving ends concerning binding and different couplings that were added to hold in the loose first 30 pages- all in different decades. And it had NO bodice ripper front like pictured here; a quite staid setting of the country house lawn of Merlin's Keep in England. In fact, few tales could be further from this considerable and complex history of Jani, that that bodice ripper marketing. It's first third is Jani's girlhood in the land of Bod (Tibet). The rest is primarily in England during the 1890's and just after. It's elements are historical, military, religious, talisman implicated, love stories (multiple), gothic and psychological in scope, and adventure. The last in both its active and passive definitions. All keyed with loyalty at a scope seldom defined at such depth today. Finding this author so many, many years after the publications- what a treat! Madeleine Brent was a man, not a woman, who is not with us any longer. But I will read all he wrote. This was his second for me. They are OF their period. Do not represent judgments of PC or modern obscure sensibilities or reactions in anyway. What a drink of pure clear water this one was. It would make a marvelous movie, but could it be filmed there? It would be costly.
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December 9, 20154.5. Loved it.
December 17, 2019
My second attempt at Madeleine Brent. The first third was fun & quirky,** but other parts were mind-numbingly dull, & I could hardly stand not to skip them altogether in hopes of returning to the better bits. Part of the issue is that Brent's heroines seem to have a compulsion to heal EVERY PERSON THEY KNOW through sweetness & light. I'm not saying loyalty & compassion is a bad thing, but sometimes you really do need to take a step back & say "That sucks, but it's not my problem."**
...On the other hand, I did like Jani's loyalty to Sembur. Given that he was the only father she knew, it's understandable that she'd be so devoted, yet almost totally disinterested in her blood parents. The bit about the gov't office bribery & princess ancestry was tedious, though -- & don't get me started on 'rescuing' Adam. Apparently MB was determined to cram every single gothic-rom trope into a single novel -- the only ones missing were incest & an evil housekeeper. There was just too much going on for a 300-page novel; everything was messy & scattered & overkill.
The good parts were worth 4 stars, but the boring or diabetes-inducing stuff was only worth 2...so I'll average it to a mixed-bag 3. It's much better than TREGARON'S DAUGHTER, but not great either, so I'm not in a hurry to try again. Brent appears to have a rabid cult following; alas, I haven't been wow'd. 😶
**I'm referring to the good kind of quirky vintage plotline, not the vomit-inducing modern standard of 'quirky heroines.' >___<
**Which even David, who was in love with Eleanor, advised Jani on multiple occasions...but of course she had to prove he was wrong to even think such a thing. 🙄
...On the other hand, I did like Jani's loyalty to Sembur. Given that he was the only father she knew, it's understandable that she'd be so devoted, yet almost totally disinterested in her blood parents. The bit about the gov't office bribery & princess ancestry was tedious, though -- & don't get me started on 'rescuing' Adam. Apparently MB was determined to cram every single gothic-rom trope into a single novel -- the only ones missing were incest & an evil housekeeper. There was just too much going on for a 300-page novel; everything was messy & scattered & overkill.
The good parts were worth 4 stars, but the boring or diabetes-inducing stuff was only worth 2...so I'll average it to a mixed-bag 3. It's much better than TREGARON'S DAUGHTER, but not great either, so I'm not in a hurry to try again. Brent appears to have a rabid cult following; alas, I haven't been wow'd. 😶
**I'm referring to the good kind of quirky vintage plotline, not the vomit-inducing modern standard of 'quirky heroines.' >___<
**Which even David, who was in love with Eleanor, advised Jani on multiple occasions...but of course she had to prove he was wrong to even think such a thing. 🙄
November 24, 2010
My ultimate favourite of all the Madeleine Brent books I have read to date. I have read this one several times over the years, and I still savour it with relish. In this novel, the heroine is Jani, half Indian and half English, as a young girl whe lives with Sembur in the land of Bod, or Tibet as we know it, high in the Himalyas - it is the late 1890s, and Jani's life is about to change as a young arrogant army captain arrests Sembur for a horrible double murder committed 10 years earler. Sembur dies of heart problems in a high pass, and Jani falls ill with diptheria, nursed by the army captain, a man she knows only as Mister, Jani is placed in a hospital in Gorakphur and from here she is sent by the Army widows and orphans society to England, as Sembur's orpahned daugher she is known as Jane Burr.
Leap forward five years, and Jani is now a young lady, the protege of Eleanor Lambert of Merlin's Keep; Jani had helped Eleanor's father and been taken into the family to become Eleanor's companion and secretary. When her friend goes abroad, Jani remains at Merlin's Keep and finds a letter from Sembur placed in the end paper of her Holy Bible, which she had brought with her from Tibet. The letter tells the true story of Jani's parentage, the daughter of a Mahrani and English Colonel, she is the true ruler of Jahanapur an Indian state, it also tells the truth about the night Jani's parents were murdered. Setting out to clear Sembur's name (really RSM Burr), she and Eleanor unwittingly get involved with a man the holy monks of a monastary in Tibet had called the Eater of Souls.
How Jani comes to find Mister, clear Sembur's name and help Eleanor escape from the clutches of her sorceror husband is the remaining part of the story. As usual with Brent, the setting is exotic or unusual, high drama, danger and love are all part of the story. I love this book and will probably contineu to read it on and off over the years.
Leap forward five years, and Jani is now a young lady, the protege of Eleanor Lambert of Merlin's Keep; Jani had helped Eleanor's father and been taken into the family to become Eleanor's companion and secretary. When her friend goes abroad, Jani remains at Merlin's Keep and finds a letter from Sembur placed in the end paper of her Holy Bible, which she had brought with her from Tibet. The letter tells the true story of Jani's parentage, the daughter of a Mahrani and English Colonel, she is the true ruler of Jahanapur an Indian state, it also tells the truth about the night Jani's parents were murdered. Setting out to clear Sembur's name (really RSM Burr), she and Eleanor unwittingly get involved with a man the holy monks of a monastary in Tibet had called the Eater of Souls.
How Jani comes to find Mister, clear Sembur's name and help Eleanor escape from the clutches of her sorceror husband is the remaining part of the story. As usual with Brent, the setting is exotic or unusual, high drama, danger and love are all part of the story. I love this book and will probably contineu to read it on and off over the years.
January 23, 2021
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What a blast from the past! I first read this book in my early teens. It was enjoyable to a book that thoroughly enjoyed when I was young.
What a blast from the past! I first read this book in my early teens. It was enjoyable to a book that thoroughly enjoyed when I was young.
February 18, 2021
This book won the Romantic Novel of the Year in 1978. Madeleine Brent didn’t attend the awards ceremony. Her agent accepted it on her behalf, as the author herself was out of the country (or so I believe). Madeleine Brent was, in fact, Peter O’Donnell, the author of the Modesty Blaise cartoon in the Daily Express and the books that followed. It wasn’t until some years had passed that his ruse was uncovered.
Male authors of romantic fiction were rare in those days, but he proved himself a master of the genre. He remains a beacon of hope for male authors writing romance (like me)!
Merlin’s Keep is very much a product of its time – being written over 40 years ago. It IS a really good read though. The author was a comic strip author for much of his life and that pace and economy of style permeated his writing.
One of the main differences between Merlin’s Keep and contemporary romance is the VERY late introduction of the main male character! Modern trends have the hero appearing by page 4 at the latest, whereas here he doesn’t appear until page 50! Its worth the wait though.
This is very much a Gothic Romantic Suspense novel. The action takes place on the Indian/Tibetan border, then moves to London and England before returning to Tibet for a thundering climax.
All the main protagonists are well drawn and hugely likable or detestable as appropriate. The book is written from the point of view of the heroine, Jani, who we discover orphaned, aged about 12, and being sheltered by an ancient British soldier in the wilds of the Himalayas.
Time passes, and her guardian succumbs to the altitude and old age. She is rescued by a young English army captain, on a mission to find her now-dead guardian and bring him to justice. Now his task is to rescue Jani and pass her over to the authorities. During this time, we never find out his name. Into this heady mix are added a Buddhist prophecy, told to her by the senior abbot of a monastery.
Jani is sent to England, to an orphanage in the slums of London, where she has to fight to survive. This she does and ends up leaving the orphanage to enter a life of service in the Hampshire countryside. Subsequently adopted by the owner of Merlin’s Keep, a curious manor house, she finds out her origins.
She finds love and danger in equal measure, and when the truly villainous Silver Man, the Stealer of Souls comes into her and her friends lives, they must risk all to survive!
Merlin’s Keep is a book of its time – 45 years ago, but it is still an excellent read and would have been a worthy winner of the Romantic Novel of the Year.
There were echoes of Rudyard Kipling’s Kim and The Man Who Would be King, of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and Dennis Wheatley’s occult thrillers. I thoroughly recommend it, and I must go back and see if I can find any more Madeleine Brent books.
Male authors of romantic fiction were rare in those days, but he proved himself a master of the genre. He remains a beacon of hope for male authors writing romance (like me)!
Merlin’s Keep is very much a product of its time – being written over 40 years ago. It IS a really good read though. The author was a comic strip author for much of his life and that pace and economy of style permeated his writing.
One of the main differences between Merlin’s Keep and contemporary romance is the VERY late introduction of the main male character! Modern trends have the hero appearing by page 4 at the latest, whereas here he doesn’t appear until page 50! Its worth the wait though.
This is very much a Gothic Romantic Suspense novel. The action takes place on the Indian/Tibetan border, then moves to London and England before returning to Tibet for a thundering climax.
All the main protagonists are well drawn and hugely likable or detestable as appropriate. The book is written from the point of view of the heroine, Jani, who we discover orphaned, aged about 12, and being sheltered by an ancient British soldier in the wilds of the Himalayas.
Time passes, and her guardian succumbs to the altitude and old age. She is rescued by a young English army captain, on a mission to find her now-dead guardian and bring him to justice. Now his task is to rescue Jani and pass her over to the authorities. During this time, we never find out his name. Into this heady mix are added a Buddhist prophecy, told to her by the senior abbot of a monastery.
Jani is sent to England, to an orphanage in the slums of London, where she has to fight to survive. This she does and ends up leaving the orphanage to enter a life of service in the Hampshire countryside. Subsequently adopted by the owner of Merlin’s Keep, a curious manor house, she finds out her origins.
She finds love and danger in equal measure, and when the truly villainous Silver Man, the Stealer of Souls comes into her and her friends lives, they must risk all to survive!
Merlin’s Keep is a book of its time – 45 years ago, but it is still an excellent read and would have been a worthy winner of the Romantic Novel of the Year.
There were echoes of Rudyard Kipling’s Kim and The Man Who Would be King, of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and Dennis Wheatley’s occult thrillers. I thoroughly recommend it, and I must go back and see if I can find any more Madeleine Brent books.
December 8, 2015
Four and a half stars.
Very good mix of adventure, mystery, romance and suspense. I didn't know a merlin is a bird, a type of falcon.
Very good mix of adventure, mystery, romance and suspense. I didn't know a merlin is a bird, a type of falcon.
July 27, 2011
I never quite forgave my 10th grade English teacher for rolling her eyes when I told her this was my favorite book. Jani was everything I wanted to be or thought I already was - brave, mystical, loyal, romantic, misunderstood, kind, stubborn, willful - and I couldn't get enough of her story. 25 years later after several re-readings, I can also see the campy melodramatic aspects that probably set that teacher's eyes rolling, but I still hold Jani near and dear.
April 22, 2018
"Merlin's Keep" is the kind of book that you would read over and over again, just to find new details that you might have missed the first time.
April 25, 2025
eind jaren '70, begin jaren '80 was ik dol op de boeken van Madeleine Brent, ik las ze allemaal, in het Nederlands natuurlijk, en smulde van de exotische avonturen
nu ben ik erachter gekomen dat ze door een man geschreven zijn, een man die wel erg graag alles wat hij weet in het boek verwerkt (béétje omgevallen-boekenkast-syndroom) maar intussen heb ik er weer enorm van genoten, en gezien dat al die details heus wel zin hadden voor de plot
nu ben ik erachter gekomen dat ze door een man geschreven zijn, een man die wel erg graag alles wat hij weet in het boek verwerkt (béétje omgevallen-boekenkast-syndroom) maar intussen heb ik er weer enorm van genoten, en gezien dat al die details heus wel zin hadden voor de plot
May 14, 2016
Half-Indian-half-English Jani is a kickass little girl who grew up on the Roof of the World. Tibet is all she knew and understood, but after her guardian's death, Jani has to move to England. She grows into a kickass woman, and is a match for anyone from orphanage bullies to powerful practitioners of the dark arts. The sinister, frightening Silver Man is a fitting villain for this Gothic saga. I especially like the first part in Tibet . Btw, why is this book called Merlin's Keep? The story is not centered around Merlin's Keep. Most of it doesn't take place in Merlin's Keep.
Anyway, this book hits the right balance of exotic adventure, Gothic suspense, mysticism, and eeriness.
Anyway, this book hits the right balance of exotic adventure, Gothic suspense, mysticism, and eeriness.
September 29, 2018
A lovely long engaging romp with Jani in her journey as a small cockney whippet in Tibet to an educated woman in England, all the while holding unknown secrets in her heritage as well as her destiny. I enjoyed and was engrossed throughout. I always love the well rounded and tough heroines that Madeleine Brent creates, and Jani did not disappoint. Nor did the other characters surrounding the multi layered plot.
July 15, 2021
Madeleine Brent hit her stride with this fourth romantic suspense/gothic novel. By this time, she had developed a formula that worked well for her: a capable, self-reliant heroine--usually who's grown up in an exotic environment--discovers the secrets of her birthright and past, resolving family secrets and finding love along the way. In this novel, Brent adds a supernatural element. Jani has grown up in Myanmar with a former British soldier. When she is around 12, a prophecy begins to change her life, leading to the revelation of her past, encounters with several people who will dramatically change her life, and a final confrontation years in the future. Trappings of British occultism and ceremonial magic add suspense to the novel, which is great fun.
March 25, 2022
I read this book decades ago, and then ran across a hard copy of it in a used book store a few years back and bought it. I did so because decades later, I still felt the impact of this story with the “Eater of Souls” coming up in my mind from time to time.
After I started reading it a week ago, each night I put the book down, I’d find myself dreaming about Smon T’ang, Sembur, and Mister, and traveling through the high mountain passes of Bod & Tibet, and of all of Jani’s adventures always overshadowed by the woman in red and the silver trulku.
What an odd story from a man of his time writing under a feminine nom de plume… the mysticism he writes of seems absolute worlds away from the beliefs of his time and certainly much more in touch with the mysticism we see talked about all around us today.
I found this story completely compelling decades ago and just as thoroughly compelling as I reread it this past week.
Loved it!
After I started reading it a week ago, each night I put the book down, I’d find myself dreaming about Smon T’ang, Sembur, and Mister, and traveling through the high mountain passes of Bod & Tibet, and of all of Jani’s adventures always overshadowed by the woman in red and the silver trulku.
What an odd story from a man of his time writing under a feminine nom de plume… the mysticism he writes of seems absolute worlds away from the beliefs of his time and certainly much more in touch with the mysticism we see talked about all around us today.
I found this story completely compelling decades ago and just as thoroughly compelling as I reread it this past week.
Loved it!
July 21, 2022
(Stefon voice) This book has everything, Yaks, voodoo, bacon sandwiches, a veterinarian. The more I read of Madeleine (aka Peter's) books the more I am convinced that "Moonrakers Bride" is the best of his work. Every other book of his seems to get progressively more far fetched and this one felt like a bit of a slog. Also don't love that the main female character is usually VERY young (12 in this one) when she first meets the guy you know she'll end up with. Peter, yuck. Granted they don't become a thing until she's 18, BUT I DON'T LIKE IT.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2025
I definitely found this title more exciting then the last Brent book that I read. I read most of them many years ago and have been reading some of the ones I never did. I enjoyed this read and thought it kept a good pace.
September 23, 2019
4.5 stars
One of my old time favorites and I still like it.
One of my old time favorites and I still like it.
May 10, 2020
That's my kind of romance! Such a sweet and lovely story, full of mystery and adventures (and a touch of supernatural), with a smart, determined heroine that is not an emotional yo-yo (which is always a bonus) and a troubled but sympathetic hero totally worthy of her love. Not to forget the perfect love-to-hate villain...
This is an excellent proof that you don't need explicit sex scenes to make a romance book enjoyable. I consider it the best of the four I have read by Brent so far and I think it's funny that one of my all-time favorite romance books it's written by a man.
This is an excellent proof that you don't need explicit sex scenes to make a romance book enjoyable. I consider it the best of the four I have read by Brent so far and I think it's funny that one of my all-time favorite romance books it's written by a man.
October 26, 2016
4.5 stars, if half-stars were available.
This was another very good read from Madeleine Brent. The protagonist, Jani, is an appealing, capable girl (and later, woman) who demonstrates admirable loyalty and strength of character. She may be a little too good to be true, but she remains likeable throughout the book.
Though it is billed as a romance-- and though Jani's romance is certainly a big part of the story-- I found that aspect less satisfying than in Moonraker's Bride (by the same author). I'm not sure what was lacking... Maybe it just needed more scenes of the two interacting before the "declaration"... So, the love story could've been improved upon, but in general, Jani's relationships are well-drawn and strong-- particularly her touching bond with Sembur.
The book has its minor flaws, but for the most part, I enjoyed the experience and look forward to reading more from the author (and I'm still completely impressed that he, as a man, was capable of writing female voices so convincingly). However, I do think I'll try to wait a while before reading another Madeleine Brent novel, because they do seem to follow a definite pattern. The author struck on a formula that works-- hits most of the right notes for me, at least-- but if read back-to-back, one might feel a little too similar to the next.
Specifics:
--The featured cover on Goodreads is misleading. If you read Merlin's Keep on the basis of a steamy cover, you'll be disappointed. While there is romance, pretty much everything happens behind closed doors. The bigger misfortune would be if potential readers are put off by the suggestion that it's a bodice-ripper, because this book is not a "trashy romance", by any stretch.
--Coincidences? Oh yes, they're here in droves, as in Moonraker's Bride. Though actually, maybe it's less coincidence in Merlin's Keep than "fate" and mysticism.
--I could have gone through my whole life not knowing that sometimes when a cow gives birth, her uterus comes out, too, and must be pushed back inside-- but thanks to this book, I am now cursed with that nightmarish image. Thank you so very, very much, book. Ah, what a wonderful world!
This was another very good read from Madeleine Brent. The protagonist, Jani, is an appealing, capable girl (and later, woman) who demonstrates admirable loyalty and strength of character. She may be a little too good to be true, but she remains likeable throughout the book.
Though it is billed as a romance-- and though Jani's romance is certainly a big part of the story-- I found that aspect less satisfying than in Moonraker's Bride (by the same author). I'm not sure what was lacking... Maybe it just needed more scenes of the two interacting before the "declaration"... So, the love story could've been improved upon, but in general, Jani's relationships are well-drawn and strong-- particularly her touching bond with Sembur.
The book has its minor flaws, but for the most part, I enjoyed the experience and look forward to reading more from the author (and I'm still completely impressed that he, as a man, was capable of writing female voices so convincingly). However, I do think I'll try to wait a while before reading another Madeleine Brent novel, because they do seem to follow a definite pattern. The author struck on a formula that works-- hits most of the right notes for me, at least-- but if read back-to-back, one might feel a little too similar to the next.
Specifics:
--The featured cover on Goodreads is misleading. If you read Merlin's Keep on the basis of a steamy cover, you'll be disappointed. While there is romance, pretty much everything happens behind closed doors. The bigger misfortune would be if potential readers are put off by the suggestion that it's a bodice-ripper, because this book is not a "trashy romance", by any stretch.
--Coincidences? Oh yes, they're here in droves, as in Moonraker's Bride. Though actually, maybe it's less coincidence in Merlin's Keep than "fate" and mysticism.
--I could have gone through my whole life not knowing that sometimes when a cow gives birth, her uterus comes out, too, and must be pushed back inside-- but thanks to this book, I am now cursed with that nightmarish image. Thank you so very, very much, book. Ah, what a wonderful world!
June 22, 2010
It wasn't until Peter O'donnel died that I found out that he had written a whole series of books under the name of Madeleine Brent.
It's my first Gothic romance, and I think perhaps a good example of the genre. The heroine has many Modesty Blaise elements and gets to do lots of adventuring. Every so often one of the male characters tells her she can't do something but this barely slows her down. The man she falls for is absent for much of the book, and then when he does show up is incapacitated. So by the time he starts trying to be heroic it's far too late to be in charge of the story.
Definitely plan to read more of these.
It's my first Gothic romance, and I think perhaps a good example of the genre. The heroine has many Modesty Blaise elements and gets to do lots of adventuring. Every so often one of the male characters tells her she can't do something but this barely slows her down. The man she falls for is absent for much of the book, and then when he does show up is incapacitated. So by the time he starts trying to be heroic it's far too late to be in charge of the story.
Definitely plan to read more of these.
June 30, 2009
I stumbled upon Madeleine Brent many years ago in the hallowed stacks of the local library, and I've been head-over-heels ever since. Merlin's Keep is absolutely my favorite of all of Brent's books; it effortlessly combines historical romance, adventure and mysticism, with a little politics thrown in for good measure. This book features a fantastic villian, and one of my all-time favorite heroines: Jani Burr, who is strong, smart, and ruthlessly loyal. She's definitely on my "who I want to be when I grow up" list!
July 1, 2013
This is one of my favorite books of ALL TIME! I used to read this book all the time when I was a young girl, and I totally love the story. I recently found my old copy and read it in one day. Story is still good, but obviously a pretty easy read.
March 24, 2022
Another great Madeline Brent adventure! Love the mystery and suspense! Jani was a great character. The cover makes me laugh because it looks like such a "romance novel" but it's really an adventure, murder mystery, with a little bit of romance sprinkled in.
April 3, 2017
My favorite of Brent's books. Great romantic suspense with a historical (Victorian) setting. IMHO Brent is as good as if not better than Victoria Holt.
December 1, 2023
3rd or 4th reading? Not sure, but the first time in many, many years. I first read this book as a teenager when I first discovered romantic fiction. I absolutely loved it then, and my opinion hasn't changed over the decades. I became an instant fan of the author Madeleine Brent, and devoured all of her books.
I was very surprised to learn some years ago that Madeleine Brent was a pseudonym for Peter O'Donnell. He had an amazing gift for writing strong female characters, women who find strength through their suffering and overcome the obstacles thrown their way - and oftentimes they even rescue their own male love interests.
All of the books follow the same basic pattern: Young girl grows up in some disadvantaged environment but where she finds her strength, meets her love interest (typically at an early age, but not always), stumbles upon a patron of sorts who changes her circumstances for the better, then some event happens that brings her back to her roots where she proves her bravery and rescues one or more people, including her love interest.
Merlin's Keep is my favorite of Madeleine Brent's novels. While it adheres to the above pattern, it includes additional elements which have made it stand out to me: the supernatural, the mysteries of the East, a radiant best friend (whom the main character must rescue), the best friend's love interest (who is also a dear friend), the most evil of all of Brent's villains, the scrappy main character who can talk to animals (and who ends up being an actual princess), and the charismatic man she falls in love with.
There are some things about this book, published in 1977, that modern readers may find offensive, e.g., the way natives in Nepal and India are spoken of by the English. While unfortunate, Brent is merely staying true to the period in which the narrative takes place, which is the turn of the 20th century; the British Empire was at its height, the Great War was still ten to fifteen years off, and Europeans in general considered themselves vastly superior to the rest of the world's inhabitants. It would be anachronistic to present the British (in general) in any other way.
I'm really glad I made the effort to rediscover this book after so many years.
I was very surprised to learn some years ago that Madeleine Brent was a pseudonym for Peter O'Donnell. He had an amazing gift for writing strong female characters, women who find strength through their suffering and overcome the obstacles thrown their way - and oftentimes they even rescue their own male love interests.
All of the books follow the same basic pattern: Young girl grows up in some disadvantaged environment but where she finds her strength, meets her love interest (typically at an early age, but not always), stumbles upon a patron of sorts who changes her circumstances for the better, then some event happens that brings her back to her roots where she proves her bravery and rescues one or more people, including her love interest.
Merlin's Keep is my favorite of Madeleine Brent's novels. While it adheres to the above pattern, it includes additional elements which have made it stand out to me: the supernatural, the mysteries of the East, a radiant best friend (whom the main character must rescue), the best friend's love interest (who is also a dear friend), the most evil of all of Brent's villains, the scrappy main character who can talk to animals (and who ends up being an actual princess), and the charismatic man she falls in love with.
There are some things about this book, published in 1977, that modern readers may find offensive, e.g., the way natives in Nepal and India are spoken of by the English. While unfortunate, Brent is merely staying true to the period in which the narrative takes place, which is the turn of the 20th century; the British Empire was at its height, the Great War was still ten to fifteen years off, and Europeans in general considered themselves vastly superior to the rest of the world's inhabitants. It would be anachronistic to present the British (in general) in any other way.
I'm really glad I made the effort to rediscover this book after so many years.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2022
All in all, good book. Maybe great, even. I enjoyed the storyline and adventure that Jani goes on, as well as all of the characters. They were all written so well to have great and different personalities. I liked the superstition and supernatural elements to this book as well, and was greatful for an unambiguous happy ending as I haven't had one in a while. The romance element also pleased me because it wasn't the main overarcing point of the story, but was still wonderful. However I am only giving this book 4 stars as I think that the was the blindness was portrayed was a bit problematic and also because it took me so long to get through, because i found it difficult to completely emerce myself into the story.
August 23, 2022
Jani vive in Tibet, alle pendici dell’Himalaya.
Un lama tibetano le fece una profezia: la Donna in Rosso le sarà amica mentre l’Uomo in Argento le porterà solo guai.
Quando il suo unico amico muore Jani decide di trasferirsi in Inghilterra dove incontrerà Eleanor, la Donna in Rosso, e l’Uomo in Argento che sarà un pericolo per la sua vita.
Un romanzo davvero strano… ambientazioni spooky e gotiche con misticismo e mitologia tibetana? Mancava soltanto un unicorno rosa che scendeva da un arcobaleno e poi le avevamo tutte ma se devo essere sincera mi ha intrattenuto, quasi 400 pagine volate
I personaggi sono tutti ben caratterizzati soprattutto il cattivo, il Mangiatore di anime. La storia d’amore passata un po’ in secondo piano con tutta sta carne al fuoco ma non male
Un lama tibetano le fece una profezia: la Donna in Rosso le sarà amica mentre l’Uomo in Argento le porterà solo guai.
Quando il suo unico amico muore Jani decide di trasferirsi in Inghilterra dove incontrerà Eleanor, la Donna in Rosso, e l’Uomo in Argento che sarà un pericolo per la sua vita.
Un romanzo davvero strano… ambientazioni spooky e gotiche con misticismo e mitologia tibetana? Mancava soltanto un unicorno rosa che scendeva da un arcobaleno e poi le avevamo tutte ma se devo essere sincera mi ha intrattenuto, quasi 400 pagine volate
I personaggi sono tutti ben caratterizzati soprattutto il cattivo, il Mangiatore di anime. La storia d’amore passata un po’ in secondo piano con tutta sta carne al fuoco ma non male
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