Masks and Shadows by Stephanie Burgis
Masks and Shadows is an enjoyable and fast paced read that succeeds in combining historical facts and fantasy fiction into a carefully woven story of espionage and dark magic.
Charlotte von Steinbeck is a visitor at the Eszterháza Palace. Still in mourning following her husband’s death Charlotte accepted an invitation to the Palace from her sister Sophie, mistress to Prince Nikolaus. Charlotte isn’t the only visitor. She’s joined by a famous singer called Carlo Morelli, a Prussian spy and an alchemist! In spite of the wealth and opulence of the palace however it appears that dark plans are being plotted, blackmail is being wrought and occult style magic is creating a sinister atmosphere that fortunately most of the privileged guests are blissfully unaware of.
The story gets off to a very quick start with the death of two opera singers who have eloped together only to be quite viciously murdered. This certainly arouses the curiosity and fear around the Palace as people speculate about how the two met their untimely and grisly end. Meanwhile, this leaves the Kapellmeister, Haydn, short of two singers for his forthcoming performance for the Prince and in this respect we get to also follow in the footsteps of Anna, previously maid to Charlotte now elevated to singer following the discovery of her own musical ability.
What I enjoyed about Masks and Shadows was the combination of intrigue, dark and hidden corridors, mysterious secret societies and occult like magic blended with plenty of characters that it was easy to either like, suspect or dislike. To be honest the story feels almost like an elaborate production which fits perfectly with the musical theme that runs throughout. There is a strong cast of characters each with their own particular sequence of events and motives. Charlotte, whilst the older sister, is also the more sheltered of the two. Her younger sister Sophie is something of a spoilt brat to be honest and on more than one occasion I wished that Charlotte had used a firmer tone with her (or just slapped her!). I really couldn’t like Sophie at all – or the Prince for that matter – so in that respect the two of them were perfectly matched and deserving of each other. Charlotte and Carlo on the other hand, after a rather disastrous first meeting during which both of them manage to display an equal amount of pride and prejudice, eventually begin to develop more romantic feelings towards each other. I wouldn’t class this as a romantic story at all but there is definitely a love story taking place in the wings. Carlo is a famous singer – a castrato to be precise. I can’t profess to have known what a castrato is to be honest although the name is a little bit of a giveaway. Basically a few hundred years ago, and until the practice was outlawed, certain young men, who displayed a talent for singing and were yet to go through puberty, were castrated in order to retain a high singing voice. Of course this had other side effects and castratos, although in one respect were revered for their singing abilities were also the subject of much prejudice and ridicule.
So, what else. Well, this is a sumptuous production and yet Burgis manages to rein in the prose which leaves us with just enough detail to tantalise without being overburdened with weighty descriptions. The setting is of course the Eszterháza Palace which is actually one of the residences owned by the Eszterhazy family. Actually built by Prince Nikolaus it was incredibly isolated – a fact that adds to the fear factor in this particular story. Labyrinth style corridors make it easy for the characters to become lost and secret passageways make it even easier for those that would plot to hide away.
On the whole a very enjoyable read. Well written, fast paced, characters that you can like and dislike in fairly equal measure. No quick fix solutions or instantaneous attractions and a dark plot with creepy ghostlike manifestations.
I would certainly read more.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher through Edelweiss for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Mystery she wrote…
11 April 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None, April Question, The Classics Club
As part of the Classics Club
‘Women’s Classic Literature Event 2016’
The question for the month of April is:
‘Share an interesting fact about the life of the author you’re currently reading for this event.’
My next read for the Club is going to be And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I haven’t started yet but I’ve just picked up a copy and so decided to make Agatha Christie the author of choice for this month’s question.
Now, I could just put a bunch of facts down now that I’ve read up about Agatha being home schooled or that she wrote her first books as a challenge from her sister Madge but what I found most intriguing, particularly given her style of books which have proved so very popular over the years, is the fact that she went missing herself! Life imitating art imitating life!?!?
On the 3rd December 1926 Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days sparking a major manhunt involving police, volunteers and even aeroplanes!
Her car was found fairly quickly by the police and didn’t seem to have any signs of foul play and yet at the same time held no clues as to Agatha’s strange disappearance!
Agatha’s husband was suspected of foul play. Arthur Conan Doyle tried to find Agatha using a medium and Dorothy Sayers visited the spot where her car was found to search for clues!
Finally, after 11 days of searching Agatha was found. Located in a hotel in Harrogate. To this day nobody has ever solved this mystery. It is believed that Agatha’s husband was having an affair and she did in fact divorce him later on. It is also suggested that she may have been in some form of car accident and suffered amnesia. Another theory is that she was in a ‘fugue’ state – brought on by depression.
Basically, it’s a mystery and perhaps only one that Miss Marple or Poirot himself can solve! Was it all a very elaborate publicity stunt?? Who knows but it really does go to show that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction!
What really happened people. Foul play or just a hoax??
Kushiel’s Justice by Jacqueline Carey, readalong week No.4
Today is week 4 of our readalong of Kushiel’s Justice by Jacqueline Carey. The schedule and participants are below. All welcome to join in or to simply jump in with the comments. This week we cover chapters 23-29, and our host is Tethyan Books. Without further ado, to the questions with the customary warning of spoilers!
1) Given the developments since last time, what do you think the Maghuin Donn are after with Imriel? Could it be related to Dorelei’s and Alais’s dream? Were Imriel and Dorelei right to refuse their blessing?
As to what the Maghuin Donn are after I’m not really sure. Other than they see Imriel perhaps upsetting the balance somehow, in fact there is already a changing of tack isn’t there now Dorelei is pregnant? As to refusing their blessing. It’s difficult to say without knowing really what the implications of that blessing would mean. Does it have any negative connotations. If not then it perhaps seems a bit extreme to refuse it, but, it could be that the blessing means something more? Or maybe it’s a trick of some sort?
2) Imriel and Dorelei’s relationship is very honest now. Do you think their plan is a wise one or not? What do you think of the Alban custom of limited-term marriage?
I like that Imriel and Dorelei are being so honest. I do feel sorry for Dorelei and the fact that she loves Imriel. And, yes, I think it’s good that they have a plan – whether they stick to it remains to be seen because as we all know ‘the best laid plans, etc, etc’ This idea of a limited term marriage – I suppose it’s a case of swings and roundabouts isn’t it? I have mixed feelings about it. In one respect I think it’s a good idea because you wouldn’t feel trapped, etc. In another way it feels like an easy get out clause doesn’t it and I wonder whether people will really give their whole to a relationship where they know they have a limited time to give it a shot? The other thing about this arrangement, and as Dorelei has already demonstrated, a twelve month period is more than enough time for the young woman to become pregnant and have a child. So, who gets left holding the baby?? This isn’t a small thing. Will Imriel take the baby with him when he returns home – I can’t say for sure but it seems highly unlikely doesn’t it. I could be wrong though, maybe the baby will accompany him – and even if it does, for royalty it wouldn’t really have a major impact but for other young women who are not quite as privileged it seems that taking a year out to have a trial marriage could lead them with a lot more responsibility at the end of that twelve month period. That being said I don’t know enough of what sort of provision is made for such occurrences so it could be the responsibility is divided.
3) What did you think of the Alban nuptials, with respect to the ones in Terre d’Ange? Did anything in particular stick out as memorable?
It was a lot more wild and carefree wasn’t it not to mention quite long with the three day business – uninhibited is the word I’m going for. I think I would prefer the Alban nuptials. I enjoyed reading about that aspect and thought their ceremony came across as clean and simple. Although – at least the nuptial at the other end didn’t have the Maghuin Donn showing up – that certainly put a bit of a dampener on things didn’t it?
4) We get to see Hyacinthe again! What are your thoughts on his plan to not pass on his knowledge? Do you think Phedre and Joscelin are completely on board with it, and do you think this ‘secret task’ will affect Imriel’s story?
I don’t know. I suppose Hyacinthe is in a perfect position to see how badly this has all affected him and it would be tough to put somebody else in the same position wouldn’t it? Then again, to lose all that knowledge seems quite dire. I think between the three of them maybe they’ve conjured up something different than we suspect and yes, I do think this will affect Imriel’s story somehow. I have no idea how though but I’m sure Carey had something in mind when she roped Phedre and Joscelin into this!
5) Imriel’s going to start off as a Prince of Alba with a neighborly cattle raid. What do you think about this tradition? Is the violence and risk worth the respect and goodwill Imriel will likely get for it?
No. I agree with the females. It just feels silly. I prefer the Skaldi way of settling things with the holmgang. This just feels like inviting trouble where there doesn’t need to be any. Even Imriel remarked that it feels like sport – and if it’s sport that they all want then that’s what they should do – compete in some sort of games or have a competition. Not go and raid a load of cattle and potentially involve themselves in injury or death.
Here is the schedule:
Week 1: Chpts. 1-7, Mar 20 – Hosted by Dab of Darkness
Week 2: Chpts. 8-14, Mar 27 – Hosted by Emma Wolf
Week 3: Chpts. 15-22, Apr 3 – Hosted by Lynn’s Book Blog
Week 4: Chpts. 23-29, Apr 10 – Hosted by Tethyan Books
Week 5: Chpts. 30-37, Apr 17 – Hosted by Dab of Darkness
Week 6: Chpts. 38-46, Apr 24 – Hosted by Emma Wolf
Week 7: Chpts. 47-56, May 1 – Hosted by Lynn’s Book Blog
Week 8: Chpts. 57-65, May 8 – Hosted by Tethyan Books
Week 9: Chpts. 66-END, May 15 – Hosted by Dab of Darkness
And here is the current list of participators:
Allie at Tethyan Books
Lynn at Lynn’s Book Blog
Emily at Emma Wolf
Susan at Dab of Darkness
Lisa at Over the Effing Rainbow
Help needed… book recommendation…
That may seem a silly opening line but I need help suggesting a couple of books to somebody who I work with – I know! I should be able to come up with something but the fact is that this person has read no SFF at all, ever. Not only that, he hasn’t seen Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter – in fact I could just keep going which means I can’t say ‘if you like this, then you’ll like this’. If you imagine a completely SFF free zone (difficult to imagine and not a place I wish to go :D) then you’ve hit the nail on the head. However, said young chap would like to read something (I think I’ve managed to create a little spark of interest there and would like to help fan the flames (queue evil cackle)! So, obviously I’m not going to just chuck him in at the deep end and want to give him an adventure, light fantasy, not a huge ass tome and I’m open to suggestions???? I was wondering about The Graveyard Book but I’m not so sure really… Maybe something creepy – what was that book that really first hooked you into SFF? suggestions please…
An Artifical Night by Seanan McGuire, Readalong No.1
9 April 2016
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: An Artificial Night, readalong week 1, Seanan McGuire, Tobe Daye #3
Today is week one of our readalong of An Artificial Night (October Daye #3) ) by Seanan McGuire).arranged by Lisa from Over the Effing Rainbow.
The details are over here on Goodreads – the schedule is below. If you want to join in or jump in with the comments then please do so. Without further ado here are the questions and answers with a customary word of warning that spoilers will be lurking below:
Week 1: Saturday 9th April, Chapters 1-7, hosted by Over The Effing Rainbow
Week 2: Saturday 16th April, Chapters 8-17, hosted by Books By Proxy
Week 3: Saturday 23rd April, Chapters 18-24, hosted by Lynn’s Book Blog
Week 4: Saturday 30th April, Chapters 25-End, host TBD
1. The book opens with Toby at a birthday party for Mitch and Stacy’s youngest child, and follows with an early-morning meet-up with Connor. Both scenes serve to keep previously introduced characters in play and show us how life is progressing for Toby, but in very different ways. What do you make of these scenes after all that’s gone before?
I think both of these scenes show that Toby is coping really well in certain respects. I don’t think it can be really easy to go along to your friend’s house to attend the birthday party they’re throwing for their youngest when you’ve missed all that with your own child. That could be really difficult for Toby to handle. Meeting with Connor – I liked that Toby is being so firm with him. To my mind he wants something different but Toby is keeping him at arm’s length and yet at the same time still being friend enough to meet him when he needs to talk to someone. I did feel a little bit sad for him to be honest when he said he was lonely. That being said I really don’t want Toby to go down the whole ‘Connor route’.
2. As we may have come to expect by now, things rapidly go downhill from there… What are your thoughts right now on this interpretation of the Wild Hunt?
I kind of took that a little like Toby “What? That wasn’t a question that ever occurred to me. Blind Michael and his Hunt were part of the landscape, like the trees or the rocks. They didn’t need to come from anywhere” That. The Wild Hunt just ‘IS’. Well that’s what I always just thought. I never really considered where the members of the Hunt came from which seems kind of ridiculous when I think about it now (puts me in mind of Gimli talking about female dwarves “It’s true you don’t see many Dwarf-women…And this in turn has given rise to the belief that there are no Dwarf-women, and that Dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground! I guess I just thought that the Hunt also sprang out of holes in the ground. And how awful!! Blind Michael really is a terror stealing into peoples’ homes and taking their children. ‘No locks can keep him out. No door can bar his way. He’s too old and too strong, and he follows the laws of Faerie too closely to be caught that way’ – what a terrible and scary creature. That’s one creepy tale I’m glad I never heard of as a child. Worse than the bogeyman in my book – perhaps where the bogeyman tale came from! And what a terrible fate for those children he takes. I can certainly say that this has a much more sinister feel than what we’ve read so far in the series. I’m curious also about the mention of Amandine??
3. And (because it wouldn’t be a Toby read along if I didn’t celebrate him) Tybalt is back! After what was apparently a lengthy absence… What do you suppose kept Tybalt away after the events in A Local Habitation…?
Ahh, it’s great to have Tybalt back on the scene – I’m not sure exactly how much he’s going to be able to help Toby in this book. It kind of has a feel that she’s going to be more alone at the moment. Tybalt’s absence: I think it’s all connected with Toby’s bringing Alex back from the dead in A Local Habitation. I don’t know what that started in Tybalt’s brain but it obviously set some gears in motion. It feels like he’s been away doing a spot of investigation and I’m really curious what that might be – if that’s the reason that is and I haven’t just gone on a wild goose chase! I felt like Tybalt’s appearance in this instalment was a little bit more reined in somehow. Obviously Toby is angry with him but their first meeting felt a little reserved somehow – like there is something getting in between them at the moment?
4. Back to the real drama – Toby (eventually) gets some answers from Luna after a non-starter meeting with Lily. Everyone’s being mysterious, but Luna is acting especially strangely – as is Sylvester, who is openly unhappy with her about something… Any thoughts? Guesses? Suspicions?
Lily and Luna are both acting oddly. I think Sylvester perhaps didn’t want Luna to tell Toby about the Night Hunts. It feels like Blind Michael is so strong that the other fae just accept they can’t do anything about him and things just go on as always. It doesn’t feel like it’s something that Toby will be able to change so I’m guessing Sylvester is worried about what she will get herself into – particularly as she’s now had a visit from her own Fetch! There was also the mention of Amandine which nudged something in me – has Amandine followed the same route that Toby is about to go down?
I enjoyed the chapters so far. It already feels like No.3 is going to be a bit ‘darker’ than the first two instalments and Blind Michael is going to be a very creepy character indeed.
Books and travelling with Lynn 