As promised, and after about 2 hours struggling with the uploads, here are the pictures of our first ever Smuggler get-together! Warning: crazy dorkiness ensues. Continue at your own peril!

Of course, for our first ever in-person meeting, we HAD to both wear our Wonder Woman tees (this is us in the British Museum). And then, Ana took me to her favorite comic book store in the city…

…where we fought over The Killing Joke and subsequently drew a lot of weird glances from the good folks trying to shop.

Randomly, there was a Batman statue along the Thames. Naturally, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Again, more weird looks from the passersby.

Ana This is in her kitchen–where we had a delectable feast cooked for us by The Anonymous Greek!

This is me!

After a couple of beers (glasses of wine for Ana) in Ana’s kitchen.

This one we took the next day at the University of Cambridge!

And now, the pièce de résistance: Book Smuggling in action:

And, a couple more pics of us together!

Needless to say–we had a GREAT time! I cannot wait for our next reunion…in sunny southern California! Right, Ana? No pressure.

Hello, my name is Ana and I am a nalinisinghholic. My addiction started a bit late and only after I read Book 2, Visions of Heat. But from that moment on I was intrigued by the world-building, by the Psy-Changeling dynamics and above all I was completely captivated by the love stories within each novel. When I won a copy of the ARC for her new book, Hostage to Pleasure in a contest in her blog, I thought it was too much of an opportunity to pass – so I promptly asked if she wanted to do a chat with us and she said yes! (You will notice that I tried, as much as I could, to sneak in some spoilery questions but alas, she was on her guard.)

Here it is, so please say hello to Nalini Singh!

The Book Smugglers: Thanks for coming over Nalini. Your new book, Hostage to Pleasure is coming out next week. Can you give us a run down on what to expect?

Nalini Singh: Dorian has been an integral character in the series to date, and in HtP, we really get to see inside him. But it’s not only his story – it’s also Ashaya’s. Together, these two make a very intense couple, and the emotions in this book are strong, raw, no holds-barred.

The Book Smugglers: We have seen changelings portrayed in other series but your Psy race is pretty unique. In my mind I see it as a mix of Matrix and Minority Report mingled with a lot of computer knowledge – what were your inspiration sources to create it?

Nalini Singh: I’ve always been fascinated by psychic abilities as well as futuristic things, and one day, I started thinking – what if it wasn’t a gift, to, for example, be a telepath? What if the flip side to great mental ability was insanity of the worst kind? I can’t point to one thing that inspired me – I think it was more a case of a lifetime of interests coming together.

The Book Smugglers: In Visions of Heat we were introduced to the NetMind, a sentient part of the PsiNet that is all light and then learnt later on about the DarkMind, its dark counterpart. In Hostage To Pleasure , one word pops in very subtly that had my interest pricked: “Anthropomorphic” when they were talking about the NetMind. Do you ever plan to write a book about it? Will it ever become a living breathing character? (note: that would be so awesome).

Nalini Singh: Since the NetMind and DarkMind are linked so integrally to the flows of the PsyNet, the events of the series to date, and in the future, will have an impact. Will they ever become living entities? We’ll have to wait and see—the NetMind and DarkMind are both in the process of evolution – and you have to remember, their age is almost fathomless. Time doesn’t move with the same speed where they’re concerned.

The Book Smugglers: There is also a new denomination of Psy introduced in Hostage to Pleasure – a Traveler Psy. Vasic is a Psy working for the rebellion and I have to say I am very intrigued. Can you tell us more about him, will he become a protagonist?

Nalini Singh: Vasic is an interesting character, and one I definitely plan to develop. But it’s not time for his story yet – his story will, I think, come toward the second part of the overall series arc. Of course, he still has to survive the madness of what he does.

The Book Smugglers: Humans so far have played a minor part in your world building , this seems to be changing from the introduction to Clay’s human mate in Mine to Possess to the appearance of the Human Alliance in Hostage to Pleasure . Are they going to play a larger role from now on?

Nalini Singh: Yes, you’ll see more of the Alliance in particular in BRANDED BY FIRE – Mercy’s book. Things are slowly coming to a head, and all the players are sliding into position.

The Book Smugglers: On to the romance side of things which is where the heart of your books lies, in my opinion. You are a champion to portray the dynamics of a pack and the inner balance of the animal and the human and there is nothing more heartwarming to this reader than to see these alpha heroes completely wrapped up about their mates and how they are so protective while still reveling in their independence – a perfect combination and one that could easily have gone wrong – do you see yourself as a romance writer?

Nalini Singh: Absolutely!! Romance is at the core of everything I write – I love exploring the nuances of each particular relationship, each particular couple.

The Book Smugglers: The whole series seems to have a well-thought out arc that began in Slave to Sensation with the Psy and Changeling worlds coming to a stand off – do you have a clear idea of where this is all going? How many more books there will be?

Nalini Singh: I mentioned the series story arc above – I actually see it as a dual arc. Once part one is completed, part two can begin. So yes, I do know where the books are going, and what the end-point will be. However, I can’t tell you exactly how long it will take or over how many books. Each time I begin writing a book, I discover new aspects, new possibilities that I want to explore, so it’s not going to be a straight line to the finish – I see it more as a journey through different facets of the world, each integral to the climax.

Nalini Singh: Hawke is definitely getting his book, and you’ll get to see a whole lot of him in Mercy’s book as well. As for the second part of your question – you’ll have to wait and see

The Book Smugglers: BRANDED BY FIRE is the next book in the series and it’s Mercy’s book. Chapter one was available with Hostage to Pleasure’s ARC and can I just say – I was very surprised at how hot it was – the sexing starts really early in the story contrary to the other books – that is a ballsy decision. Any info you can share? A release date perhaps?

Nalini Singh: Actually, the mass market of HOSTAGE TO PLEASURE will have an excerpt of ANGELS’ BLOOD – the start of my new series. We decided that after the ARCs were already printed. But since I know I might get pelted with rotten tomatoes if I don’t share a Mercy excerpt, the BRANDED BY FIRE chapter will be available on my website at the start of September.

As for what happens in the first chapter – it really was the only way the book could start given these particular characters. For example, in CARESSED BY ICE, the first love scene isn’t until a ways into the story. That’s because an early scene simply wouldn’t have fit who Judd and Brenna were. In the same way, Mercy and her hero are two dominant, wild, changelings. Getting physical (in more ways than one) is far more natural to them than holding back. It might be the hottest Psy/Changeling book to date – you guys will have to decide!

There’s no confirmed release date yet, but it’s been tentatively scheduled for July/Aug next year.

The Book Smugglers: You also have a new series coming up, unrelated to the Psy-Changeling world! Details please!

Nalini Singh: ANGELS’ BLOOD comes out March next year, and it’s about Elena, a vampire hunter who bags, tags and returns escapee vampires to their masters…the angels. These angels are dark, sexy, and more than a little dangerous. Raphael, the Archangel of New York, is the most dangerous of them all…and he wants Elena to do a job for him, a job that might just get her killed. But then again, failure isn’t an option. No one denies an Archangel.

It’s a darker, more edgy world, more urban fantasy romance than paranormal romance. However, it is still a romance – because as I said, that’s what I love to do. I’m really looking forward to seeing what readers think of this new world.

The Book Smugglers: And was it difficult to get away from the Psy-Changeling world?

Nalini Singh: They’re two such different worlds that no, it wasn’t hard. It’s more a case of using different sections of my writing muscles. And I like being able to switch between them – having different things to work on keeps my writing fresh I think.

The Book Smugglers: You live in NZ but your main market is the US – is it hard to conciliate such distance?

Nalini Singh: Not really, especially given the Internet. I feel very much part of the publishing world – I think being involved in blogging helps. I’ve met so many great people that way. Plus, I try to make the US conferences pretty regularly, so I get to see my editor and agent, as well of course, my readers.

The Book Smugglers: What are you reading right now (and revisions/edits do not count!)?

Nalini Singh: I’ve been on a bit of a reading binge and have recently finished Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs, an ARC of New Blood by Gail Dayton, and Warrior by Angela Knight – all excellent. Last night I picked up Mistress Under Contract by Natalie Anderson and am really enjoying it.

The Book Smugglers: A naughty question – which piece of writing, of any genre, of any era are you most envious about and would like to have written yourself…

Nalini Singh: Hmm, what a difficult question! Not only do I devour books, I’m an English major who focused on Shakespeare and 17th to 19th century lit for the most part, so I’ve got centuries of writing to choose from! I don’t think I can choose just one piece, but I will say I’ve always loved Robert Frost’s Fire and Ice. It’s so clean, and yet says so much.

The Book Smugglers: I had other questions like who is the Ghost? Is Kaleb good or bad? Will we ever see a book for Amara? But I guess it would be way spoilery? LOL. So I guess this is it! Thanks so much for agreeing to take part in one of ours Chat with an Author!

Nalini Singh: You know you don’t really want me to answer those questions anyway *g* Thanks for inviting me to chat – I’m looking forward to learning all about being a Book Smuggler!

Nalini Singh is passionate about writing. Though she’s traveled as far afield as the deserts of China and the temples of Japan, it is the journey of the imagination that fascinates her the most. She’s beyond delighted to be able to follow her dream as a writer.Currently writing the USA Today & NYT Bestselling Psy/Changeling series, and with another exciting new series set to debut next year, Nalini lives in beautiful New Zealand. To find out more about her work,please visit her website at www.nalinisingh.com

So this is it, folks. We have a copy of Hostage to Pleasure to giveaway: all you have to do is leave a comment ! (Contest runs until Sunday noon.)

Title: Hostage to Pleasure

Author: Nalini Singh

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Stand Alone/ Series: Book 5 of Psy-Changeling series.

Summary: Separated from her son and forced to create a neural implant that will mean the effective enslavement of her psychically gifted race, Ashaya Aleine is the perfect Psy–cool, calm, emotionless…at least on the surface. Inside, she’s fighting a desperate battle to save her son and escape the vicious cold of the PsyNet. Yet when escape comes, it leads not to safety, but to the lethal danger of a sniper’s embrace.
DarkRiver sniper Dorian Christensen lost his sister to a Psy killer. Though he lacks the changeling ability to shift into animal form, his leopard lives within. And that leopard’s rage at the brutal loss is a clawing darkness that hungers for vengeance. Falling for a Psy has never been on Dorian’s agenda. But charged with protecting Ashaya and her son, he discovers that passion has a way of changing the rules…

Why did I read this Book: Hello, my name is Ana and I am a nalinisinghholic.

Review:

To be Psy is to be perfect – after all only an emotional being can be flawed. The greatest flaw of all is Love – an emotion that is lost to all Psy that chose to accept Silence when it was first implemented. The ones that made a different choice – to break away – could only but to hurt upon realising that their loved ones chose sanity over love – not an easy decision. Years later, that choice is no longer in question for any Psy. Or is it?
_________________

Hostage to Pleasure continues a story arc that began back in Caressed by Ice when we were first introduced to Ashaya Aleine, the M-Psy (M is for Medical, her Psy denomination) who was working for the Psy Council on the Protocol 1 project. In Mine to Possess we learn that Ashaya is working under duress – she is against the Protocol but the Council is holding her child hostage, which is the catalyst for her to put a plan in motion. It starts with her helping the leopard pack in rescuing Jonquil in the end of Mine to Possess, a help that comes with a price – she is to call to ask their help when her own child, Keenan, needs rescuing. That was the first time Dorian and Ashaya set eyes on each other, from afar – but still enough to get Dorian’s cat aroused and curious.

This fifth instalment in the Psy – Changeling series opens with Dorian, Clay and Judd responding to her IOU call and coordinating a rescue operation (Note: coolest team ever) They get Keenan, and the plan was to cut him from the PsyNet and connect him with the LaurenNet via Judd but there is an immediate link between Keenan and Dorian, and his mind is thereby connected with the DarkRiver’s Web of Stars instead, via Dorian. Dorian is more than ok with that since his major weakness is to protect the vulnerable and he develops a soft stop for the kid almost immediately.

With her child safe, part 2 of Ashaya’s plan starts. With some inside help from the rebellious forces she manages to fake her own death just for the right amount of time for her to be able to defect. She then join forces with the DarkRiver pack to bring Protocol 1 down but not before some significant clashes of force with Dorian.

Places to go, people to kill.

Long standing readers of the series have been waiting for Dorian’s story since book 1. Described as having the looks of a poster boy for a surf board advert, he is quite possibly the most lethal of the Sentinels of the leopard pack which says a lot about his personality because Dorian is a latent leopard. He was never able to shift, to become the very thing that he is and in order to overcome this “flaw” he fought to become the best at everything he did – he is the Pretty Boy, but also the Boy Genius and the most kick-ass sniper of the lot. Everything about him is cat expect the cat itself. The beast clawing from the inside trying to get out hurts, physically and emotionally but he has done the best he could.

Dorian is also a man consumed with rage, with hate against the Psy ever since his sister was butchered by the Psy serial killer Santano Enrique (Slave to Sensation) .His inability to shift did not keep him from tearing the man apart with his bare hands, and from that hatred comes the main source of conflict between Dorian and Ashaya, as his attraction to her is mingled with a sense of guilt for falling for one of the race that killed his beloved sister.

Especially because at first, everything pointed that she was just another perfectly cold Psy. The accepted view amongst that race is that each mind is an independent mind, an autonomous unit. Only Ashaya had always known different because there an unmistakable bond between her and her son and once he is cut out of the Pysnet and entered the Wed of Stars – she feels the impossible, she feels the bond that was not supposed to be there. A bond she also shares with her sister, Amara. As a Psy, she is not supposed to care for Keenan. She is not supposed to care for her sister. She is not supposed to be anything that she is.

Silence has been broken inside Ashaya a long time ago, which helps Dorian accepting her more easily. But she had to keep it not for her sake but for someone else’s. Not spoiling whom she is protecting but her choice means she has been protecting a sociopath just like Enrique for her entire life – and that drives Dorian insane backtracking his acceptance of her until he figures out why she is doing what she is doing and which speaks to the very core of him.

I wondered who his heroine could be – Dorian is one of those larger than life characters whose mere presence in the other books begged for the centre stage. When he finally got his book, it was everything I could hope for and Ashaya was just the perfect match for him. She is one of the smartest and strongest female characters in the whole series, one that can absolutely hold her ground against one of the most dominant of the males.

This book is all about choices: Ashaya for example, can break silence, her denomination is not one of those that need Silence to be kept in check. But she chooses not to until she has to make another choice in a moment of despair. In one very interesting conversation, she tries to convey to Dorian that Silence is not all evil and that some of her race do need it in order to be fully functional.

Both Dorian and Ashaya were surrounded in terrible circumstance that could have disabled them – his latency, her bond with a twin sister – but both got what life gave them and spat on its face. I loved that Ashaya made her choice on how to deal with her sister very early in life and how she stood by it to very end. It would have been easy to just relinquish her link with Amara and just let it go, to quit her sister but she didn’t – and the fact that now she has the whole support of Web of Stars is only a great gift life has bestowed her. Similarly, Dorian is a self made man, not accepting his fate and choosing to become much more than any one could ever hope. He hurts inside SO VERY MUCH for not being able to shift with his cat wanting, struggling, fighting to get out of his skin but never being able to. He has a lot of choices to make in this book and sometimes it’s painful to watch. But oh, so very rewarding.

Meanwhile at the Psy’s den of iniquity we see that Protocol 1 is to make the Psy minds into one huge hive mind with no room for renegades or dissention but since Ashaya, before defecting, was given the task to devise different types of implants –in different grades, we learn that the Council has plans to control the entire race. This seems to be a desperate attempt to control things because at this point it is more and more apparent that more Psy are breaking conditioning, becoming flawed, needing rehabilitation. And in that wave, of course there is a new movement of Psy on the move: The Pure Psy.

In the midst of the Psy – changeling war (any doubt that this is what happening here?) the humans are coming into the game as well, trying to show to the Psy they are not as powerless as they think. Whatever could come from it, it remains to be seen. Always and forever expanding her world, Nalini Singh is. And let’s not forget the power play amongst the councillors, Henry and his wife Shoshanna, Anthony Kyriakus and his connections with the rebellion and of course, Kaleb Krychek, whoever, whatever he is.
And, in this book we meet another member of the rebellious forces: a powerful Traveler Psy (another cool denomination, hooray) named Vasic and I can hear his siren call for his own book.

Having said that, something happened to me whilst reading this book and I am starting to pity the Psy, a race whose very own traits turn against them, making them afraid of themselves. The council may be evil (or are they – all of them?) but the majority of the Psy are just people who are afraid of what they can do. Turning themselves against the very own qualities that make them Psy. It is a tragedy, really.

Anyways, I loved this book. Caressed by Ice remains my favorite but Hostage to Pleasure comes in a close second and if Judd is my favorite hero, Dorian is my favorite changeling.

And the epilogue? A present from Nalini Singh to her long standing readers and ultimately a gift that only a writer that truly loves her characters could ever think of granting to a most beloved hero. It made me cry. I have said before that the world building and the Psy race make this series unique. But the changelings are the series’ heart and soul.

I am so emotionally committed to these characters, I feel like I am pack. So, don’t mind me. I will just be sitting here growling and waiting for the next one. (If only I could have skin privileges too…..)

Notable quote/ parts: There is an amazing conversation between Dorian and Ashaya. Dorian knows she is his mate, and whilst the leopard relishes the thought, the man is torn with guilt, because he knows that he wouldn’t trade her for anything , not even for his sister’s life. That is a very powerful feeling. That moment is when Ashaya makes her decision to give in and embrace Dorian and she goes to him and she is crying and he says “don’t cry” and she days “then don’t hurt” and then he talks about his love for his sister and it’s so sweet and it’s so tender and then, and then Dorian breaks down and CRY. I can not bear to see a man cry, people. I just can’t.

Additional Thoughts: I got an ARC and it came with an excerpt for Branded by Fire, next book in the series to be released next year. This is Mercy’s book and her hero is……Riley! Yes, you heard me right, Nalini Singh is pairing a cat and a wolf. The thought alone of the amount of teasing these two will probably endure by their fellow pack mates would be enough to make me want to read it ASAP. Couple that with the fact that they are both soldiers, both very dominant …..and by reading the excerpt which has a very heated sex scene and I am all…. Mama Mia! I think Nailini Singh should consider asking her publisher to put a warning on the cover: “Beware, danger of spontaneous combustion.”

The excerpt will be available on Nalini Singh’s website from early September so be sure to check it out!

Verdict: Nalini Singh takes her story a step further by adding new characters, new Psy denominations with a sense that everything has a purpose and a goal in mind. Above all, this book has a heart and it’s called Dorian.

Rating: 9 damn near perfection

Tomorrow: Nalini Singh Extravaganza Day 4 – an Exclusive interview with Nalini Singh and a chance to win a copy of Hostage to Pleasure!

Title: Mine to Possess

Author: Nalini Singh

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Stand Alone / Series: 4th Full length novel of the Psy-Changeling series

Summary:Clay Bennett is a powerful DarkRiver sentinel, but he grew up in the slums with his human mother, never knowing his changeling father. As a young boy without the bonds of Pack, he tried to stifle his animal nature. He failed…and committed the most extreme act of violence, killing a man and losing his best friend, Talin, in the bloody aftermath. Everything good in him died the day he was told that she, too, was dead.

Clay lost Talin once. He will not let her go again, his hunger to possess her, a clawing need born of the leopard within. As they race to save the innocent, Clay and Talin must face the violent truths of their past…or lose everything that ever mattered.

Why Did I Read the Book: I LOVE this series

Review:

The Forgotten: Once upon a time, before the Silence Protocol was implemented the Psy dreamed, cried and laughed. They also loved and sometimes they loved people form other races. It was not that unusual to have Psy mated with changelings, marrying humans and therefore mixing their blood. These mixed blood Psy were the ones that raged against the Silence Protocol, a program that would wipe their emotions forever. In some basic level, even those understood the necessity of the program in order to protect their race from madness but they also understood the cost. These two factions came to an impasse but the majority chose to remain in the PsyNet and to embrace Silence. No one knows what happened to the others. These days most Psy believe these rebels were neutralized .Forever. There could be no dissent. But that is just another lie, isn’t it?
_________________________

Clay is one of the DarkRiver leopard pack Sentinels. A powerful man with a hole in his life: he lost his best friend Talin, when they were children. A loss he has never been able to get pass. Living on the edge of his own darkness, if any one of the Sentinels was ever close to become a rogue – living outside pack, becoming more animal than human – Clay was the one. Clay is a man who indulges in the madness whenever he wishes, seeing ghosts, still searching for the one he misses most in the world. Until the day his belief that she was dead is shattered into one million pieces when Talin shows up – looking for him. For his help.

Talin is a social worker and there are kids disappearing from all over the country and their bodies are reappearing with their brains missing. When one of her kids, Jonquil, goes missing, she is so desperate she decides to ask for the help from the most dangerous person she knows: Clay. Her childhood friend. Her decision to go looking for him will put things in motion and get their lives back on the track that was always supposed to be.

Talin and Clay first met when Clay was living in the confined space of an apartment lot with his mother – unable to shift into leopard form because the mere sight of it hurt his mother who had lost her changeling mate. A trapped animal inside and out, until when he was 9, he meets this 3 year girl who soothes his beast and from that day onwards she becomes his – his best friend, his future, his to protect and to adore. They are two lost souls that find solace in each other. It is this sense of protection that kicks in and changes their lives when he finds out that her foster father was abusing Talin. Nothing will stop his leopard form protecting her. He kills the father in a savage attack in front of her eyes and is taken to prison where he spends the next four years. Talin is left behind to try to cope with such a violent act from the person she trusted the most to keep her safe, away from violence. Unable to forget she fakes her own death, nearly destroying both of them in the process of separation. In the years to come, Talin becomes exactly what Orrin, her father has told her what she was – a slut. Sleeping around with countless, nameless men, punishing herself for not being pure. Se is truly psychologically sick and it hurts so much to read about it, especially when it’s clear that she thinks Clay would never forgive her if he ever knew.

But now she needs him. Jonquil’s disappearance is killing her and in the end , this is only an excuse for her to go back to where she belongs: at Clay’s side. But things are not easy. She still fears him, she fears herself and what she has done. And she is also dying. Her brain is breaking down. She has dissociate states where se does not know what she is doing and most of them lead to sexual encounters with strangers – her mind acting up on those issues coming from her abusive foster father.

Clay is shaken to his core every time he is near her and smells her fear, it tears a piece of his heart. He feels she rejects what he is, just like his own mother did. But what Clay doesn’t understand is that Talin was but a child when she was faced with his most violent side. Clay up to that moment, had been the only person she always believed would never hurt her, and to see him losing control like that snapped something inside her, something that needed years to understand.

Now that she may be ready for him, they may not have time. But once Clay gets pass the hurtful truths of what she has done, the reality settles in and he change gears into hero mode, and it is easy to recognize the facts: She is the brat, he is the bully and they belong together. Simple as that.

This was the hardest installment in the Psy-Changeling series to read because the psychological problems Talin had felt so real and were very distressing for me as a reader. It hurt me to read about the things she went through and above all, it hurt me to read Clay’s inner thoughts, his struggle with learning how much she suffered and how he wasn’t there. One of the best thing in this series is how Nalini Singh develops this sense that these changeling males are all about protecting their mates, putting them above all and the fact that Clay could not protect her killed him inside and therefore made me hurt so, so much. It was painful but it was also rewarding when they were finally able to let the past go and start their lives together, as it was supposed to be from the start.

All of this intertwined with the investigating of the children’s disappearance and their desperate search for Jonquil until they find out that everything has to do with the Forgotten.

From the Psy perspective, we learn Councilor Kaleb Krychek, as a cardinal telekinetic, has a natural affinity with the NetMind (we learned about the NetMind in Visions of Heat) and its counterpart the DarkMind. If the Net Mind is light and goodness, the DarkMind held all the violence that Silence tried to suppress. That this one man has the power to communicate with it – just like Faith communicate with the NetMind does not bode well in my opinion, Kaleb is turning out to he a bigger player and lord only knows for which side. The DarkMind is pure evil and it spoke to him when he was 7 years of age. Plus he is planning to take over the council – but what for? Good or evil? Being the geek that I am I can not help but to wonder if there is a clue in his surname – as an X-File fan I am instantly reminded of another Krychek – one that we never truly knew if he was good or evil, having the potential to be either. I remain suspicious but with an open mind.

The action comes to a climax when Clay and Dorian rescue Jonquil – with the help from someone from the inside. As we know from Caressed by Ice , Ashaya is a powerful M-Psy working on a Protocol to unify the Psy in a hive mind. In Mine to Possess we learn she is working under duress and her helping Jonquil’s escape comes with a price – the leopard pack must rescue her own son who is being held hostage by the Psy as leverage for her compliance.

That sets things in motion for Hostage to Pleasure – Ashaya is Dorian’s heroine and the downfall of Protocol 1 is at the center of the action in that book.

This is a powerful story of love lost and found again, of redemption, of evil and good and of soul mates. It is heart wrenching but also very heart warming. It made me cry. But it also made me smile.

Notable quotes/ parts:

Notable quotes/ Parts: I think one of the most painful scenes I ever read in any book, not only romance novels was when Talin was telling Clay how she called for him during those nights when she was being abused. She called his name but he never came because she never really told him what was going on because he was only 8 then and she thought he would not cope or survive and she needed to protect him. She knew that it was her choice, but still deep inside she blames him for never coming to her and she opens up her heart by telling that to him and it hurts him so much. And he says:

“I am a leopard” he said “our women are everything to us. I would rather die than have you hurt. Don’t ever try to protect me again”

Additional Thoughts:

I could feel how much it pained Clay that she chose to stay away from him. Their relationship was always meant to be and it reminded me quite a lot of the deep connection Cathy and Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights shared. But Cathy also left Heathcliff and he could never forgive her. This passage from Wuthering Heights reminds me of Clay’s feelings:

“You loved me–then what right had you to leave me? What right–answer me–for the poor fancy you felt for Linton? Because misery, and degradation and death, and nothing that God or Satan could inflict would have parted us, you, of your own will, did it. I have not broken your heart–you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine”

Verdict:This is yet another fantastic installment in a fantastic series and if you have not started reading it, you do not know what you are missing.
Rating: 8, Excellent.

Tomorrow: Nalini Singh Extravaganza Day 3 – Review of Hostage to Pleasure

Title: Caressed by Ice

Author: Nalini Singh

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Stand Alone/ Series: Book 3 of the Psy/Changeling series.
Book 1 – Slave to Sensation
Book 2 – Visions of Heat

Summary: As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins—cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna… Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted—and had her mind violated—by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives…

Why Did I Read the Book: even though book 1, Slave to Sensation did not rock my world, book 2, Visions of Heat, did. Reading book 3 (and 4 and 5) was only but a natural progression.

Review:

In the perfect silent world of the Psy there is no room for unwanted emotion, in their minds or in their souls. The Silence Protocol was implemented in an attempt to thwart the madness typical to their race and a secretive squad, the Arrow Squad, was created to control the backlash. Almost a myth for most Psy, except for the ones that come into contact with them. An Arrow is a warrior with spectacular mental combat abilities used to wipe out any Psy that may be breaking the Silence Protocol. Arrows are loyal only to the Silence Protocol. Or at least, they should be.

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This is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series where the action takes place in the SnowDance wolf pack rather than in the DarkRiver leopard pack. A welcomed change of scenario – not because one gets tired of the DarkRiver pack ( far from it, how could one possibly get tired of such an amazing group of people?) but because learning about another pack adds another perspective to the world Nalini Singh has created.

Brenna is the wolf changeling that was at the centre of the mystery in Slave to Sensation – she was the wolf taken by the crazy Psy serial killer, the event that precipitated the action in that book. Rescued from a fate worse than death, in a combined effort of DarkRiver and SnowDance packs with the help of the Judd Lauren, a Psy who defected from the PsyNet joining the SnowDance pack.

Brenna is broken. The torture she endured has done things to her down to the very core of what she is – she was raped in every possible way and her mind was taken and ripped and controlled. Brenna is in the slow process of recovering; of bringing herself back together and to everyone’s consternation, the person that has helped her most is the cold, unfeeling Judd Lauren.

Judd was one of the first Psy to have ever defected from the PsyNet, ahem, that we know of, along with his family. They have been living in hiding with the SnowDance pack, having created their own net to support their minds – the LaurenNet.

Judd and Brenna have already a relationship as the book opens: they are sort of friends with Judd being the only person that does not overprotect her, unlike her brothers Andrew and Riley. He just lets her be. His pitiless, coldness, typically Psy, is exactly what she needs to be able to recover. But there is more to them because Brenna starts to realise that she wants to be near the man that helps her control her mind but also speaks to very heart of the wolf inside of her. Judd on the other hand, as cold as any Psy can be, also starts to develop feelings for Brenna but he just can’t allow this, whatever this is, to develop.

Because for Judd, touch and feelings foster the possibility of loss of control. Unlike the other two Psy protagonists in the two previous books Sascha and Faith, Judd’s problem is not getting away and surviving outside the PsyNet because he has done that already. Judd’s problem is that he used to be an Arrow and the Silence Protocol is whatever has been holding together his capacity to do violence. He believes he was recruited to the Arrow Squad because of what he can do, because of his mind abilities, he didn’t become a threat because he was an arrow, it was the other way around. He believes himself to be a prime example of the very thing the Silence was created for. And the most tragic element in their love story is that even though Judd is Psy to his core, he KNOWS that the Silence is an arbitrary condition – he would be fully prepared to accept feelings but he just can’t. He also believes that his own conditioning is what keeps his immense power in check and breaking it could bring death to the people around him , specially Brenna. His struggle to fight the feelings, to fight her closeness is a thing to behold as is the moment he realises he can not fight it, will not fight it anymore and gives in to feelings. They will eventually bring about is own death and every times he is near Brenna and feels, he gets pain triggers, and he bleeds, but the alternative now has become unthinkable.

The romantic plot in this book is absolutely extraordinary because both Judd and Brenna must go at great lengths to be with each other. Changelings crave touch because it centres them but it has the opposite effect to Judd. Brenna needs to learn to cope with a mate that won’t fit the mold she would like whilst Judd will learn valuable lessons from Hawke, the alpha male of the wolf pack (Changeling 101 lesson #1 always stand by your female in public). And they are both overcoming immense obstacles even though they believe there is no mating bond between them – their wanting to be together is all the more powerful for it. What the Psy has caused them: the torture that changed Brenna and the protocol that has Judd holding back is so cruel and heart wrenching. Their HEA was the most difficulty to achieve and the one that has melted my heart.

But the romantic element is by not by any means all that is amazing about this book. It is but one of the treads that are interconnected – there is the not so small detail that someone is trying to kill Brenna and that mystery is not revealed until the last chapters and the villain is not easy to guess. Their concept of good and evil is to be challenged when the mystery is finally solved. It does no detract from the overall story, quite the contrary. The mystery further develops all the conflict and it serves as a powerful wake up call to every one involved: evil is everywhere.

Furthermore, we get glimpses of our DarkRiver favorites and get to know a lot more about Hawke (Hawke! His book could not come soon enough) and the usual chapters from the Psy point of view, which starts a story arc that will expand throughout the next two books:

Kaleb Krychek, a cardinal Psy and the newest member of the Psy council has been doing something out of his own accord. He has a hidden agenda that has something to do with the implement of Protocol 1- a program to implement Silent at an organic level. The last desperate attempt to avoid more breakdowns and desertions. A creation of a hive mind, where freedom is impossible. Their head scientist is Ashaya Aleine (mark this name , because she is important!) a Gradient 9.9 M-Psy and there is a rumour going around that she is not entirely supportive of the Protocol which could only help the insurgents. Plus there is the ever present Ghost, someone very close to the Council that with help from Judd has been attacking and destroying laboratories connected with the project.

I open and close the review with the Psy world because that is one of the greatest creations in the series. We all have read about changelings in other series but the Psy is unique to Nalini Singh. And its uniqueness come from that everything that they are, everything that they believe in is a concocted lie. And they are coming down.

This is where I feel, Nalini Singh has come into full control of her writing, bringing it to perfection point. There isn’t a single thing I can think of that isn’t perfect about this book. It is honed to a point where everything meets, all is interconnected, it expands the world she has created, adding new information. Nothing is lost and everything has a point and a reason.

Hello Lord this is me Ana, please send my love to Nalini Singh for having created such an amazing story.

I love all the books in the series but Caressed by Ice is by far, my favorite.

Notable quotes/ Parts: I love every single thing about this book. But I particularly loved to see Judd, The Man of Ice to start accepting the things that were inherent to a changeling personality but not to his – like for example his reaction to Brenna calling him baby. Or how she would just tell him what to do “you need to hold me now”. He did have some instincts though and in the end he learns how to laugh and how to play, but only with Brenna. *sighs*

Additional Thoughts: I love all of the DarkRiver heroes, their Alpha and their Sentinels: Lucas, Vaughn , Nate, Clay, Dorian and I love how they are a perfect balance of human and animal and how they are at ease with every aspect of their personality embracing every single thing that makes them alive, be it good, be it bad. They just are the perfect Alpha heroes in any romance novel. And just as they are the epitome of the Alpha Male , it is easy for them within the reality of the world created by Nalini Singh, to be heroic and the dream man of any romance reader.

And this is why, amongst all of that goodness , Judd stands out as my favourite Nalini Singh hero to date. Because out of all of them he is the one that needs to embrace things he has never thought he would be able to. He is the one to have a long way to go, the most arduous path, and one that he believed would cause his own destruction but one he resolutely followed anyway because the option of not being with Brenna was just not an option at all.

Plus he has the coolest Psy powers of them all. Who cares about empathy and future predicting? Pffft. His telekinesis is so powerful he can TELEPORT, babies. And don’t even get me started on TK Sex. It is, quite possibly, the hottest sex I have ever read in a romance.

Verdict: This is one of the best paranormal romance series out there. There is an overall arc of Psy x Changelings that expands throughout all the instalments and every detail in the world building remains consistent. Romance wise? Dream worthy.

Rating: Caressed by Ice gets a 10 from me. It is perfect. I have read and re-read it more times than I can count.

Tomorrow: Nalini Singh Extravaganza day 2: Review of Mine to Possess.

Title: Razor Girl

Author: Marianne Mancusi

Genre: Shomi – Sci fi Romance

Stand Alone / Series: Stand Alone

Summary: Molly Anderson is not your average twenty-one-year-old. It’s been six years since she and her family escaped into a bunker, led by her conspiracy theorist father and his foreknowledge of a plot to bring about the apocalypse. But her father’s precautions didn’t stop there. Molly is now built to survive. Yes, Ian Anderson’s favorite book gave him ideas on how to “improve” his daughter. Molly is faster, stronger, and her ocular implants and razor-tipped nails set her apart. Apart, when—venturing alone out of the bunker and into a plague ravaged, monster-ridden wilderness—what Molly needs most is togetherness. Chase Griffin, a friend from her past, is her best bet. But while he and others have miraculously survived, the kind boy has become a tormented man. Together, these remnants of humanity must struggle toward trusting each other and journey to the one place Molly’s father believed all civilization would be reborn: the Magic Kingdom, where everyone knows it’s a small world after all.

Why did I read the book: I got the ARC from the publishers. I was going to read it anyway, but The Book Binge’s Shomi Spotlight (Holly has a review of Razor Girl, here) made me want to read it pronto. Then of course, my Powerpuff buddy, Katie, got it too then…here I am .

Review:

It’s the year 2036, six years after most of the world’s population has succumbed to the Super Flu. Few have survived, mostly children and the adults who were immune to the virus. And The Others, adults infested with a mutating string of the virus which turned them into zombies, mindless, slow, flesh eating creatures, out to eat the healthy survivors.

21 year old Molly Anderson has lived the past six years in an old bomb shelter adapted to the latest technology by her crazy cum scientist cum conspiracy theorist father to hold against invasions and against the virus, to protect Molly and her mother for the six years necessary for the virus to subside in the air while he and his friends set up a new society at Disney World.

As the doors open,Molly has one mission: to go meet her father and help the rebuilding of the world. As she leaves the bunker, the first person she sees is her old sweetheart Chris Griffin, the geek boy who has loved her since they were children andwith whom she fell in love just before going into the shelter. Chase – as he is known now – lives with his brother Trey, and a few other survivors ( mostly children) at a Wal-Mart. They are happy to see each other alive and well,but there is still some underlying angst about the fact that Molly has stood him up the night they were set to leave town together without so much as a goodbye. Molly agrees to spend the night at their shelter and go on her way the next morning: she has no time to lose for Molly is a Razor Girl.

Based on her father’s favorite character out of the Book Neuromancer, Molly Millions, he has changed Molly as soon as the “apocalypse” started to enhance her chances of survival: her eyes have been replaced with ocular implants which allow her to see in the dark and which contains GPS instructions and other techie implements and under her fingernails there are retractable razors. Her tears ducts rerouted to her mouth – she can’t cry, she spits. She also has nano implants that make her stronger, faster but which have a short life span and her time is running, baby and she must go meet her father before she starts to break down.

But that night, one of the guys who had been bitten by an Other and was quarantined, escapes and now turned into a zombie, attacks the adults, killing Chase’s brother and only the children, Molly and Chase survive. Now they all must go to Disney World together – it is a dangerous mission in a dangerous post-apocalyptic world, populated with not only zombies but other crazed surviving humans. Not to mention the not so small fact that Chase has a drug addiction that will put them in danger sooner rather than later.

I am completely torn about this book. At one hand we have the interesting premise which although not extremely original, was still interesting to keep reading about. The thing that I loved the most and thought was really well done were the alternating chapters between the now – the post- apocalyptic world , the struggle for survival and the reunion of the two lovers – and the past with them falling in love for the first time and the virus starting to spread and how Molly became a Molly Millions. I loved their interaction; Chris was a rather sweet geek who truly loved Molly. And I thought the fact that Molly was a Molly Millions was very cool.

But somewhere towards the second half of the book, a few things started to bother me. It was hard to believe in the timeline of the story , to believe that only after six years mankind would decay to the point where some of the survivors would behave like animals and have gladiator-like festivals and the such. Call me naïve, I would like to believe it would take a bit longer than that.

A few things were off, like for example how her mother kills herself right in the first pages of the book and there is little to none reaction from Molly. And the language. Dear Lord, the language! Although it was fully appropriate for the age the characters had – first 15 and then 21- it felt dated and at some points it was cringe worthy. One good example, was when they were having sex and Chase was worrying that he would not last long (which is fair enough, they were basically teenagers who had never had sex before) and then he thinks “Pathetic much?”. Granted they are very young but I can’t allow myself to use that excuse, after I have read other fantastic YA novels, with very young protagonists, who sounded like their age without sounding like two escapees from “Dude Where is my Car”.

I think it would have been more effective if more time had passed – not only that would explain the complete decay of society’s laws but also would make the pair of protagonists a lit but older and therefore a lit bit more palatable for my tastes. Still, the fact itself these two are barely out of teenage years and are all that is left in the world is rather striking and quite possibly the whole point. That these two as kids, were thrown in the midst of so many responsibilities and had to make do without guidance from parents – it is a coming of age tale.

I could have lived with the all that though, but the plot went places I did not like after 2/3 of the book and all of the gloominess and the apocalyptical feel started to go away to be replaced with way too much cookie cutter happiness up to a very tidy ending and a couple of cop-outs that had me screaming at the book. ( a Molly Millions that can cry?? So why all the spitting references then? )

The book begins really well, with a dark edge and a sweet love story. Of course, I wanted a happy ending specially for Chris and Molly and with the hope of a cure in the distance for mankind . I did not expect a Welcome to Disney World Where Everything is Possible kind of ending though, with everything being so resolved it smelled of back tracking. Since the back cover compares the book with I am Legend I will go there and say it: it was just like the movie. Good premise, fantastic start, amazing realisation then from 2/3 onwards, chaos and mayhem in the plot and a cop-out ending. I am pretty sure others would like the book though; it was just not for me.

Notable quotes/ Parts: I can’t really quote anything as I had an ARC copy. But for me the best of the book, was the fact that the chapters alternated between past and present showing what was then and what is now. Very well done.

Additional Thoughts: Fellow Powerpuff girl, Katie(babs) has her own take on the book and I am sure she enjoyed it more than I did. Go check her review later today for a different opinion.

Verdict: it feels more like a YA novel than anything else. An interesting premise (the Disney Wold thing was genius) with a sweet love story, that others may find more appealing that I did. One thing is certain though, I will sure be reading more of the Shomi line.

Rating: 5. meh. Not for me.

Reading next: Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh, which kicks off our Nalini Stravaganza from tomorrow!

After our Long Weekend with Loretta Chase, Susan approached us with a chance to read and review her historical fiction novel The King’s Favorite. Having come highly recommended by Loretta, we eagerly agreed–and fell in love with her book. Susan, who is totally cool and a fellow sports nut (as Thea is), also graciously agreed to an interview! (And we have two copies of The King’s Favorite to giveaway, just leave a comment on this post and the Smugglers’ Sorting Hat will choose the lucky winners! )

So, we present you our Chat with Susan Holloway Scott!

The Book Smugglers: Focusing on the reign of King Charles II, The King’s Favorite sets the stage (so to speak) in Restoration England. Your other novels, Duchess: A Novel of Sarah Churchill, Royal Harlot, and the upcoming The French Mistress, are also set in the Restoration era, in all its bawdy glory. Could you give us a little background information on the time period, and what makes it such a compelling era to write about?

Susan: I love Restoration England, the reign of King Charles II (1660-1685.) Following the grim puritan rule of Oliver Cromwell and the Protectorate, an ecstatic London welcomed Charles back from exile with giddy celebration. It’s a delicious time in English history, straddling as it does the end of the middle ages and the beginning of the age of enlightenment. Traitors are still drawn and quartered, their heads stuck on spikes on London Bridge, yet Christopher Wren is rebuilding London into a modern city and Isaac Newton is making revolutionary scientific discoveries. Much like the Regency, the Roaring Twenties, and the Swinging Sixties (every era needs a snappy nickname doesn’t it?), the Restoration is a time of tremendous social instability and change, with youth ruling the day and traditional moral standards being questioned. The mercantile middle class is increasing its power while the aristocracy is feeling the first pinch of waning influence. Add to this the “big events” of the Restoration like the Plague and the Great Fire of London, and the wealth of fascinating people, and it’s a fantastic setting for a novel.

The Book Smugglers: Nell Gwyn is a real life Cinderella, rising from her humble beginnings as a child working in a bawdy house teasing and singing songs to the grand (and cutthroat) stage of Whitehall. In The King’s Favorite, you portray Nell as a feisty sprite with a cunning wit that even the most seasoned courtiers could not match. How does your characterization of Nell compare to how history remembers her?

Portrait of Nell Gwyn

Susan: You’re right –– Nell is as close to a real-life Cinderella as real life ever gets!

Every generation interprets the past through their own eyes and attitudes. Nell’s “story” began evolving even during her own lifetime. Because she was for the most part illiterate, she left no journals or diaries, no version of her life in her own words. Everything was up for grabs, and throughout the next three hundred years or so, she has been both vilified as a whore and a guttersnipe who didn’t deserve to be loved by a king, and then practically turned into a Protestant saint for her legendary kindness and generosity to the poor. The Victorians in particular absolutely loved this mythic Nell, and that almost-saccharine version of her is the one that most often appears even today in movies, books, and mini-series.

I tried to sift through the folklore and repeated hearsay to try to find the girl and woman Nell must have been, within the context of her time. I tried to show how her early life helped shape her. Behind her light-hearted personality, she must have been tough as the proverbial nails, and cheerfully able to look after herself in just about every situation.

While the king was the great love of her life, I wanted to show the other men in her life, too. I also wanted to include her long-standing friendship with the notorious (and notoriously charming) Earl of Rochester (played by Johnny Depp in the recent movie “The Libertine”). Most of all, I wanted to try to show Nell as a real woman, with real joys and sorrows, and not just the plucky stereotype.

The Book Smugglers: As Nell was illiterate and has no memoirs or personal notes to draw from, how did you go about researching this remarkable woman?

Susan: It was a challenge. Without any of the letters, diaries, or memoirs that are always the backbone of research for historical fiction, I had to rely on what Nell’s contemporaries wrote about her. While some left detailed descriptions of what she said or did, most of the time the mentions are along the lines of “Saw Nelly Gwyn at the palace last night, and she had us all roaring with her jests.” Yes, but what did she SAY??? That was where the fiction had to take over from the history, mixing fact with what’s plausible and hoping that it all comes out as it should.

Another portrait of Nell

The Book Smugglers: One thing we marveled at in The King’s Favorite was the witty dialogue—and how genuine Nell’s and other characters’ colloquialisms sounded in the context of the historical period. How did you get a handle on the speech of the period? (We suspect right now the answer involves a flying, time traveling Delorean)

Susan: Oh, I wish it were the Delorean!

The reality is far less glamorous, and less shiny, too. Instead I read as many original sources as I could find: not just letters and diaries like Samuel Pepys’s, but also plays, handbills, and popular song lyrics –– anything to get the “flavor” of the how people might have spoken. I also read some of these things out loud (by myself, without witnesses ) to help feel the rhythm of 17th century speech. As for the colloquialisms –– I collect those as I go, making lists of particularly amusing expressions or slang. Most of them are accurate to the period, but there are the occasional ones that I just, ahem, made up. Yes, I like to research, but my imagination loves to get into the act, too.

The Book Smugglers: A major part of the book, and a character unto itself, is the Theater. Something we were very interested in reading was the inclusion of female actresses in productions (since previously, men played any female roles). Nell flourished onstage and became one of the finest actresses of her time, relishing in her lewd comedic roles—growing so famous, in fact, that Nell’s participation in a play would fill seats regardless of the play or writer. Could you tell us a little about the theater of Restoration England? Was Nell’s immense popularity as an actress something unique to Nell, or were there other celebrated actresses of her caliber?

Susan: One of Charles II’s most popular “innovations” when he returned to England was to reopen the playhouses, and permit women to take women’s roles, as was done in France. (Before this, all female roles were played by boys, or men who specialized in playing women; remember the movie “Shakespeare in Love”?)
The only problem at first was that there were no actresses. The owners scrambled to find women with potential who were fast learners, and, of course, beautiful. Because reading was a plus, and few common women were literate at the time, many of the first actresses were from the middle class, daughters of merchants or even clergymen, with the proper education.

The results were apparently pretty mixed during the first few years, but soon talented actresses did emerge. Then, as now, the most respect went to those who specialized in tragic or dramatic roles. These pioneer actresses not only were popular with audiences, but also in time became shareholders in the playhouses, with some of them having careers that spanned twenty years.

Nell, who was a comedian with a gift for physical comedy, was also wildly popular, especially with the masses. Part of her appeal was that she’d “risen” from the audience, where she’d already established herself as a favorite orange-seller. She never forgot her origins, and never “put on airs.” The public believed she was one of them, and loved her long after she left the theater for the palace.

The Book Smugglers: A significant thread running through The King’s Favorite is the question of religion, and the sentiments of Protestants versus the threat of Popish Roman Catholicism. Similarly, the book deals with the antagonism of the English to the French—embodied beautifully in Nell priding herself as a self-proclaimed “Protestant whore”, and her disdain for all things French (especially the King’s other mistress Louise de Keroualle). Were these themes of religious antagonism and patriotism something that pervaded the time period and issues King Charles struggled with during his reign? Did Nell really did use her Englishness—lowborn or not—to differentiate herself as the King’s Protestant mistress?

Susan: The average 17th century Englishman was intensely suspicious of Catholics. Catholicism was commonly blamed for everything wrong with the (English) world, and Catholics, led by the Pope in Rome, were despised as corrupt and wicked. Even educated, titled people thought that persecuting Catholics (and other religious minorities) was a good, patriotic thing to do. Charles tried his best to create a national religious tolerance, and failed. Worse, he was often suspected himself: his wife, mother, brother, and two of his most famous mistresses were Catholic themselves.

This was a wonderful opportunity for Nell, who loved to play to an audience her entire life, both to differentiate herself from the other mistresses for being more “English”, and to ingratiate herself further to the king as being good for his public image. Of course, there were times that her behavior became too outrageous, even for Charles (she prided her house on having the biggest, most outlandish effigies of the Pope for burning on holidays), but Nell was never repentant for long, and continued proudly to proclaim herself the “Protestant whore.”

The Book Smugglers: Also, the political situation facing the English with the ongoing Dutch War and an increasingly volatile relationship with France and Parliament factored in to Nell’s narrative, coloring what roles she would take on in the playhouse, how she would dress, etc. Yet, Nell herself did not meddle with politics overtly, instead trusting—almost blindly—in her King to do what was best for England. Could you explain how the political intrigue might have shaped the relationship between Nell and the King? For a woman with such a meteoric rise in position, it is mind-boggling that Nell was able to become the King’s favorite without being involved in some bedroom political scheme. In your opinion, was her disengagement with politics reflective of her ‘lower’ birth status, or of her own choice?

Susan: For the most part, Nell kept away from political intrigue. I don’t think that it interested her much –– she doesn’t seem to have followed the intricacies of foreign policy the way that some of her rivals did. Whether it was because of this lack of interest or because foreign ministers couldn’t believe such a common creature could have any influence, she wasn’t offered the substantial bribes and gifts as the other royal mistresses. I also suspect that Nell was wise enough to see that the king needed a respite from politics, and made her home a kind of politics-free haven for him. In her home, he knew he would be entertained by her theatrical friends without being hounded by lobbyists –– which, of course, made him return often.

The Book Smugglers: According to your bio, you are an art historian, which really shines through your writing. In The King’s Favorite, you discuss a number of artifacts, with an alluring focus on portraits commissioned by Nell and the King. Are all of these portraits real? Which visual representation of Nell is your favorite?

Susan: I majored in art history in college, and I’m afraid that’s the extent of my being an “art historian.” But I’ve always enjoyed the “stories” behind paintings, and I’m especially fascinated by portraits, and how the sitters chose to have themselves portrayed for posterity. As a result, there’s usually a portrait-sitting scene or two in my books. The ones in King’s Favorite do indeed refer to real portraits, and are based on real anecdotes (including Nell receiving the king and his friends while posing naked as Venus!) For more about this, as well as the portraits themselves, check out the blog I wrote over at the WordWenches.

The Book Smugglers: Similarly, there is a focus on the playhouse and Nell’s wonderful songs and spoken preludes. Poetry and other writings from John Dryden to Lord Rochester are frequently integrated into the story, and add a strong sense of authenticity. The research process must have been exhausting!

The Libertine, Earl of Rochester

Susan: Thanks to the internet, it’s possible to find contemporary versions of nearly all the plays that Nell performed in, and those that she attended as well. Some are full of clever wordplay had hold up very well over the centuries. Others were so tied to contemporary events for their humor that to modern readers, they’re unfathomable, and not very funny at all. Some, too, needed the slapstick “business” to bring them to life, so reading them was often more dutiful than enjoyable. Those early allegorical plays by John Dryden can be pretty slow going, too, and there’s a reason they’re not read much today, not even in English Lit classes.

As for Lord Rochester’s poetry: it remains witty, clever, and, in many instances, beautifully phrased and wholly accessible. But it can also be some of the most obscene and misogynistic poetry ever published in English, which makes reading it something of an adventure. A complicated man, Lord Rochester!

The Book Smugglers: We MUST ask about Nell’s silver bed! Did she actually sleep on a sterling silver bed—complete with engravings of herself and the king, their sons, and her rivals? If so, is the bed still in existence—and have you seen it?

Susan: By all reports, Nell’s silver bed was quite real, and famous in her time. It was made by the master silversmiths to the royal family, and cost her a staggering amount. And yes, it really did have all those little portraits and “in-jokes” worked into the design. Nell was very proud of the bed, and invited all visitors to her house into her bedchamber to see it.

Unfortunately, while there are many descriptions of the bed, I’ve never found any drawings. Sadder still, soon after Nell’s death, the bed was broken up and melted down, and the silver sold to help pay her debts.

King Charles II

The Book Smugglers: While this is a novel focused on its heroine, the other major player to the story is the King of England himself, Charles Stuart. For all Nell’s devotion and constancy to her king, Charles kept many other mistresses, and in fact granted others more in the way of rooms, titles, and property than he did to Nell, even after promising to ennoble her. Why do you think he treated her in such a way, when she was one of his most long-standing, favorite mistresses and dear friend?

Susan: There’s no doubt that Charles loved Nell, and regarded her as one of his dearest friends. Yet despite that, he was never faithful to her (or to any of the women in his life), and he never could quite forget Nell’s humble origins.† While he gave her several houses and a handsome income, he never granted her the same titles or livings that he gave to his other long-term mistresses, and his casual disregard for her feelings is as troubling as Nell’s constant forgiveness of his slights towards her.† There is proof that he was intending finally to grant her a title, but he died suddenly before he could: one last example of his characteristic procrastination.

Theirs is undeniably a love story between friends, a fairy tale romance between king and commoner, but it’s also sadly a love story where the hero does not always behave as heroically as he should.

The Book Smugglers: So far you have written about the women in Charles Stuart’s life, with varying takes on the King. Do you plan on writing a book from Charles’s perspective?

Susan: Probably not. Oh, I know, never say never, especially in publishing!, but I don’t think it’s likely. For all that Charles was called the “merrie monarch”, he was also a complex man who worked hard to hide his true feelings and fears behind a charming, sardonic exterior. He would be a fascinating, but very challenging subject for a novel.

Louise de Keroualle, rival to Nell Gwyn

The Book Smugglers: We find it intriguing that you have written two books from the perspectives of two different mistresses to Charles Stuart, with a third on the way! From Nell’s point of view, the heroine of Royal Harlot Lady Castlemaine seems a jaded, bitter conniver when the King tires of her and they part ways. Similarly, the heroine of your next book, The French Mistress is none other than Nell’s dreaded rival, and subject of Nell’s pranks and jibes, the Frenchwoman Louise de Keroualle! What made you decide to write from these varied perspectives of these different mistresses, who all have designs on the same man? Will you be overlapping the events of Nell’s story with the narrative of Louise? As none of these women seem to “like” each other, do you find the task of giving each woman a different voice and casting them in a more sympathetic light (especially after you have just written from a rival’s perspective) a challenge?

Susan: It’s actually even more complicated: in Duchess, my historical novel about Sarah Churchill, first Duchess of Marlborough, the same people appear yet again from another perspective. Sarah was a maid of honor at Court late in Charles’s reign, and in his youth, Sarah’s future husband John was Lady Castlemaine’s “boy toy” lover! It was a small world in that palace…

But I’ve had a lot of fun integrating the different stories like that. I remember one reader explaining why she enjoyed the seemingly endless stream of Anne Boleyn books: to her it was like going to a big, fancy party, and then discussing it the next morning with all her friends who’d been there, too. Everyone had a different perspective on the same events.

And no, none of Charles’s mistresses was particularly fond of any of the others. On the other hand, Charles’ much-neglected queen was fond of both Nell and Louise. Go figure.

The Book Smugglers: And now, for the more standard fare questions! You graduated from Brown with a degree in art history and now have a career as an author of historical fiction, and also as a writer of historical romance under a pen name! Could you share with us how you first got into writing books?

Susan: The short version: I wrote my first book when I was on maternity leave after my daughter was born, eighteen years ago. I thought it would be “fun”, which shows you how unbalanced my hormones were after childbirth. I didn’t know how the odds of publishing were stacked against first time writers, or else I probably wouldn’t have ever taken that first step. I didn’t have an agent or any connections. I’d never taken any writing courses (though I did work in public relations, which is great training for fiction writing.) All I knew was that I liked to read, and I liked to write.

So I wrote my book –– an enormous, rambling, epic historical romance set during the American Revolution–– and sent it off to an editor whose name I liked (really), and then went back to work. I didn’t get “the call” until nearly a year later, long after the original editor had left the publishing house, and long, long after I’d given up ever hearing, convinced that editors had decided my manuscript was too awful even to acknowledge. But I finally did sell that first manuscript to the senior editor, after I agreed to cut it by a third (and a good thing, too.) Fortunately, she continued to buy many more after it. After the fifth book, I was able to quit my day job and write full time, and I’ve been doing it ever since, some forty-odd books later. Yes, I’ve worked hard at my writing, and I enjoy it immensely, but I also realize how incredibly lucky I’ve been to have it all work out as well as it has.

For now, I’ve stopped writing historical romances, and I’m concentrating entirely on the historical novels. If you’re interested in exploring any of my books, please check out my website: www.susanhollowayscott.com

The Book Smugglers: Who (or what) are some of your influences? Any favorite authors?

Susan: If we’re talking influences, I’d have to say all those grand old historical writers that I devoured as a teenager. I can get a sunburn in about fifteen minutes, so while everyone else was at the pool in the summer, I developed a wicked “book-a-day” habit that I’m sure the Booksmugglers can understand. Jean Plaidy, Anya Seton, Daphne du Maurier, and, of course, Kathleen Winsor’s Forever Amber. I also read tons of older books that weren’t strictly “historical”, but the contemporary novels of their time, like Anthony Trollope, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, Alexandre Dumas, the Brontes, and Henry Fielding (though as speedy a reader as I was, I didn’t finish any of those in a single day!)

The Book Smugglers: Quick! What five books would you bring with you to a desert island?

Susan: Arghh! That’s such a tough question! It’s doubly hard for me because I don’t often reread books – there are always so many new ones to discover. But if I were pressed, I’d probably take:

Persuasion, my favorite Jane Austen
Lord of Scoundrels, my favorite Loretta Chase, and probably the best historical romance ever written.
Any book by the costume historian Aileen Ribiero, because they combine all my favorite things: clothes, history, good writing, and gorgeous pictures.
Tom Jones, by Henry Fielding, because it makes me laugh out loud and is about a million pages long.
Diary of Samuel Pepys, because no matter where I open it, I find something interesting.

The Book Smugglers: Thank you so much again for your time, and for answering our questions!! We cannot wait to see Louise’s story in The French Mistress: A Novel of the Duchess of Portsmouth & King Charles II!

Susan: And thank you for inviting me!

A Gemini in every way, Susan Holloway Scott was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in northern New Jersey, in an area rich with colonial American history. She graduated from Northern Valley Regional High School, and after a brief sojourn in art school, she realized her talents lay more with studying other people’s paintings than in creating her own. She graduated from Brown University with a bachelor’s degree in art history, which combined her three great loves — history, writing, and art — into one delightful package..

Susan lives with her family in a house filled with books outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

You can reach susan online at her website: http://susanhollowayscott.com/ or over at Word Wenches. Thank you again to Susan for the interview!

Title: The King’s Favorite

Author: Susan Holloway Scott

Genre: Historical Fiction

Why did we read this book: During our recent Chat With an Author, Loretta Chase mentioned Susan Holloway Scott’s The Royal Harlot as one of her inspirations for her new series, beginning with Your Scandalous Ways. Susan contacted us and generously offered copies of her most recent book, The King’s Favorite–and of course we could not pass up the opportunity!

Summary: (from NALauthors.com)
The acclaimed author of Duchess and Royal Harlot returns with the unforgettable story of a king’s last love and London’s darling…

Even though she delights the king, she must learn to negotiate the cutthroat royal court, where ambition and lust for power rule the hearts of all around her. For beneath her charm and light-heartedness, Nell has her own ambition—to become no less than the king’s favorite.

Review:

First Impressions:

Thea: Ever since my Outlander binge last year, in which I read all 6 of Diana Gabaldon’s books in the span of a couple of months (in total somewhere above 9000 pages), I decided to take a break from historical fiction for a bit. This year I had picked up a few historical fiction reads, but each book I tried left me cold (try as I might, Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl just wasn’t cutting it for me). So, when we were offered the chance to read The King’s Favorite on the heels of the Loretta Chase recommendation, I was ready to dive in! And Susan Holloway Scott really delivers. I loved this book, I loved her characterizations, especially of the witty, pretty Nell Gwyn. Going into this read, I knew next to nothing about Restoration England, but Ms. Scott manages to make even the greenest history novice feel right at home in the bawdy spirit of the era. I loved it, and cannot wait to read more by this author!

Ana: All of my knowledge about Restoration England came from a couple of lessons back at university and two or three period movies. I knew about the “bawdy spirit of the era” (Thanks, Thea) and about the English Civil War that preceded it but I had never heard of Nell Gwyn. I decided to do some homework before reading the book and read a couple of encyclopaedia entries about her. It was clear that she was quite a famous figure and I was so curious I asked some of my colleagues at work (note: I live in England) and to my surprise everybody knew who she was, including a French colleague who, as soon as I mentioned her name said: “Oranges, oranges” . The meaning of this was lost to me at the time but once I read the book I understood: Nell Gwyn was the commoner who caught the King’s eye when she was selling oranges at the theatre – this is how, it seems, most people think of her today and this is one of those stories that pass down generations. Equipped with at least some knowledge about the era, I delved into the story and I completely fell in love with the Nell the author presented me with.

On the Plot…

Eleanor “Nell” Gwyn’s tale begins in a bawdy house. Daughter of an absent English soldier father and a low-born mother, 11 year old Nell earns her keep by serving, flirting and singing songs in Madam Ross’s Covent Garden brothel. It is here that she first makes the acquaintance of a handsome young noble, marking the beginning of a lifelong friendship, Lord Rochester. Both Nell and Rochester are young, but connect as they have both been forced to grow older than their years suggest. Both are even more united in their unfading devotion to their King, Charles Stuart. Nell, with her young girl’s heart loves and idolizes her King, and Rochester too is bound to him through the ties of his late family.

Even though Nell’s mother and sister have both taken to earning an honest living by lying with men for coin, Nell’s aspirations are much higher than becoming a mere tavern whore: she dreams of becoming Charles Stuart’s love. And yet, as the years pass and Nell reaches the age of 13, she is forced to face her destiny for the moment, and becomes a kept mistress of a well-to-do merchant (for the confident, energetic Nell, however, this is by no means the end of her journey). She sells her maidenhead to Mr. Duncan and in return is treated well and looked after, but soon Nell finds that being kept is a very dull life indeed. But when Duncan takes her to the theater, Nell falls in love. From the brash orange girls in the pit, to the players on the stage, Nell knows that her wits and charms were made for the theater, and says as much to her keeper. Although Nell’s attempts at becoming a player are initially refused by Master Killigrew when he discovers she is “Duncan’s chit”, once her merchant tells Nell he is to be married, she seizes the opportunity and returns to the theater looking for employment. Since she is illiterate, however, Nell’s dreams of becoming an actress are (temporarily) thwarted–still, she is offered a position as an orange girl, and she flourishes in her role. Pretty, youthful, spritely Nell thrives off of her audience’s attention, and it is only a matter of time before her brazen comedic charm is rewarded by an onstage role. Though she cannot read, Nell’s memory is as sharp as her wit–which is to say, very, very sharp indeed.

From there, Nell rises from smaller roles to the star of the stage–capturing the King’s interest. Instead of tumbling into bed with Charles, however, Nell builds a bond of friendship, laughter and camaraderie with the King–for she is determined to be more to her childhood love than just another chit to see his bedchamber once and be discarded the next day. And, as time passes, Nell becomes what she has always wanted–England’s most celebrated actress, and the King’s favorite mistress.

Thea: What a story! The King’s Favorite reads like a real-life Cinderella tale, with Nell rising from her station in life as a barefoot chit to the King’s trusted friend, lover, and mother (to two of his many illegitimate) children. The plot follows Nell’s remarkable life, from her hopes and trials as a young girl, to the stage, and to her final role with the King. This is not to say that Nell’s story is a fairy tale, full of rainbows and ponies. There is no fairy godmother to grant fine clothes and glass slippers, ending with Cinderella marrying her Prince Charming and living happily ever after. Although good fortune and opportunity played a role in Nell’s life, hers is a tale of struggle and triumph, and one that resonates as a realistic, accurate portrayal of Nell Gwyn.

My favorite scenes showed Nell at her brightest, shining as a star in the theater, from the pit as the cheeky orange girl stealing the King’s attention from mistress Lady Castlemaine, to her speeches and songs onstage. And, of course, mocking her rivals for the King’s affections. I loved one scene where Nell victimizes a rival actress named Moll, who unfortunately lacked Nell’s wit or skill onstage:

Every scene was well received, and every time I appeared on the stage, I was greeted with great applause, Yet it felt as if everyone were holding their breath together, waiting for the scene they’d all heard would come. At last it did, with Mirida bidding Pinguister come sit on her lap. No one could cry and wail like Mr. Lacy, tormented by the knowledge that he is too fat to follow his love. While he wept, I (as Mirida) cast myself to the floor and sang my frustration, too, and made certain to employ exactly the same whining, singsong inflection that Moll had used, with the same wooden gestures.

My Lodging is on the cold boards,
And wonderful hard is my fare,
But that which troubles me most is
The Fatness of my Dear.
Yet still I cry, Oh, me, love,
And I prythee now, melt apace,
For thou are the man I should long for
If’twere only not for grease.

Oh, was there anything more deliciously ludicrous? I could scarce hear Mr. Lacy’s replies for the laughter and uproarious cheers that greeted my song, but I wasn’t yet done. Instead of walking toward me like an ordinary suitor, Pinguister’s ungainly girth made him roll across the boards like a giant ball, while I in turn was reduced to rolling away from him, the way children do on a grassy hill. Trying to avoid having my tiny person crushed by the mighty Pinguister, I flailed my limbs about in a mockery of Moll’s sorry dance, my legs and petticoats tossing prettily about the stage while Mr. Lacy rolled after me.

The plot is imbued with a sense of history, as a living creature–Ms. Scott integrates numerous poems and plays from the Restoration theater–using snippets (like Nell’s song above) throughout the book. Other artifacts play a prominent role as well, from portraits to Nell’s wonderful sterling silver bedframe–engraved with images of Nell and Charles together as King and Queen, their sons as cherubs, and most deliciously of all, all Nell’s rivals in compromising positions:

Prancing overhead on a fine-spun silver wire was a tiny figure of Jacob Hall. Hall was the famously accomplished rope-dancer who’d performed for us at court over our heads in the Banqueting House. He’d likewise performed privately for the Duchess of Cleveland as one of her most notorious lovers (and her most acrobatic, too, for with him she was said to attain the most complicated of Aretino’s postures for coupling). Nor was Louise neglected. I’d had her shown lying in a coffin with an exotic foreign prince, in tribute to her well-known salacious delight in Africans, Turks, and other heathens.

How delightfully mischievous–capturing the devilish, fun side of this notable woman. *On a side note, I also love Ms. Scott’s sprinklings in like “Aretino’s postures”–Pietro Aretino, from The School of Whoredom (read in one of my university history classes)–lending more authenticity and context to the story.*

Ms. Scott also manages to capture the feel of Restoration England with the undercurrent of important events and tensions, showing the conflicts between the English and the Dutch, the distrust of the French, and the tension of Protestantism versus Catholicism and patriotic loyalty. No small feat–especially while keeping in tune with Nell’s first person voice.

I did have a few gripes, writing-wise. Nell narrates the story looking back in time, and as such, many chapters end with melodramatic messages of foreboding (i.e. “But oh, what we would become. What we would become,” or “by the end of the summer, everything–everything–I knew and held dear would be changed”). While this does bug, the quality of writing throughout the rest of the book is still exceptional.

Ana:

I would like to echo Thea’s thoughts: what a story! The remarkable life of a woman who knew what she wanted since she was a child and pursed her dreams – to be an actress and to capture the king’s affections. It is difficult to say with certainty if this portray is accurate or not but it certainly feels that way. Thea explored how Mrs Scott integrated numerous poems and plays from that era and how they helped to bring Nell and her friends to life and I couldn’t agree more. Some of the lighter and funniest scenes of the book occur on stage and sometimes behind it too when Nell lets her player side shine.

But for me, the best parts were the more emotional ones, followed close by the historical background and the questions I was asking myself throughout. More than the political aspects of the plot, I was more enthralled by the cultural panorama:

For example, how so very young everyone was. Nell starts the book at 11, she has her first lover at around that time. This was a time when a woman was at her prime when she was 15! FIFTEEN. She felt old when she reached 30. It never fails to surprise me how times change perception and merely 400 years later all of these men would end up in jail for pedophilia. Similarly, boys were considered men at a young age as well. Rochester was a student (and a bright one at that) at Oxford when he was 14 – already debauched, drunk and horny.
Please note that these are my own anachronistic feelings speaking – within the story itself all of these feel right and in keeping with the time period.

Other painful moments came from realizing the position women occupied in those times and no matter who they were – noble, commoner, queen, whore – they were always less than men. Yes, in the Restoration period there seem to be some amount of freedom and some recognition of what a woman can do – it was then that women were allowed playing parts in the theatre – but ultimately they were but pawns, specially the Ladies. The whores and widows may have had more freedom and the mistresses may have held their men’s hearts but they also probably died in misery or by illness.

And speaking of it, all the debauchery, the lose morals may have been fun but the repercussions were dire: most of these infamous men and women suffered from syphilis. Rochester himself died of it and it is speculated that both the King and Nell had it too, which wouldn’t surprise me at all.

As for the emotional side, many times I was in tears. Nell may have been bent on making people laugh, specially the King and she knew better than to shower him with tears or demands but those few times she allowed herself to show her emotions were really heartbreaking. Specially sad were those moments of clarity when she felt she was less than his other whores when he King would grant them titles, or houses and for poor Nelly, nothing until it was almost too late.

This was a woman capable of undying loyalty to a man who was less than stellar in his dealings with her. She never denied him anything and how could she? He was after all, the King and she never let herself forget that. Still, there were a couple of scenes there were really touching and the author managed to convey that their relationship was that of a friendship above all. They had fun together and she truly loved him, all that was all she ever wanted.

On the Characters…

Thea: Ah, what characters! I knew nothing of Nell Gwyn or Charles Stuart before reading this book (I’m more of a 20th century political history type of gal), but upon finishing The King’s Favorite I felt intimately acquainted with Nell and all the characters in this novel. These characterizations, especially of Nell herself, are where Ms. Scott truly shines. She manages to breathe life into these prominent historical figures and makes them tangible, whole and real. Upon opening the book, the first thing I noticed was that it was narrated in the first person point of view, from Nell’s perspective. Immediately, I felt somewhat wary–this is a gutsy move to assume the voice of not just a character in a story, but a real person.

I need not have worried–Nell Gwyn was a delight to read! The voice Ms. Scott employed for her Nell was perfect, capturing the spirited and mischievous side of the actress. In less capable hands, the Nell’s actions and narration could have easily come off as two-dimensional, or slid into a cutesy caricature–but Ms. Scott manages to avoid this pitfall effortlessly, tempering the more mischievous aspects of Nell’s persona with a sensitivity and earnestness that is at once completely believable. For every prank Nell plays (my favorites were of her mocking the rival mistress, French “Weeping Willow” Louise de Keroualle), we also garner a sense of the woman behind the act. And what’s better–it’s handled with beautiful subtlety. Though from her narrative she seems brash and incredibly self-confident, there are instances that show her own insecurities, and motivations for her actions. Her constant mockage of Louise (though Nell would never admit to such a thing) speaks to her own unsure footing and longevity in the King’s heart, and her place among those born much higher than she. When Louise is given the title of Duchess while Nell is neither ennobled nor even given deed to her house, the motivations for Nell’s vigorous mockery of the weepy Louise are all too clear.

Beyond the pranks and her dislike for rival mistresses, Nell’s insecurities stem further, to her own sense of belonging, despite all her self-confidence. Nell’s illiteracy and her low birth, for all her wit and intelligence, manifests as something she laughs off with gusto in her narrative…but then passages about Nell’s pride in being able to recognize her name, and her habit of proudly branding all of her belongings with her initials (an idea she took from Charles’s every item bearing the mark of C.R.–Charles Rex) is incredibly touching and speaks volumes to her own quest for acceptance. Her cries and resounding jibes to her audiences, “I am the Protestant whore!” again shows Nell’s vulnerability, in spite of how many merry jigs she dances.

What makes Nell even more endearing as a character and tangible as a real flesh and blood person is her unyielding devotion to King Charles (however undeserved her devotion may seem). From historical accounts, and reflected here in The King’s Favorite, Nell was not a “whore” in the literal sense of the word–she recounts to herself that she can count all the men she has been with on one hand (with a finger to spare), and after becoming the King’s mistress, she never again slept with another man. From the beginning of the book, Nell’s infatuation with her King is clear, and resounds throughout her story. For Nell, it has always been about serving her King, growing from a girlish infatuation to a bond of dearest companionship and unconditional love. In Nell’s narrative, the concepts of loving Charles and of serving her country are intertwined and nigh inseparable–Nell does not interfere with politics though she is aware of them, and trusts almost blindly in her King’s decisions for England, and for herself as well. Foolhardy perhaps, but again lends to this vivid, stunning depiction of the woman Nell Gwyn was.

The other characters in this book are similarly detailed, and lovingly brought to life on the page–of course, by the lens Nell perceives them through. Even when her dear Charles accepts secret funds from Catholic France and Nell fears for Protestant England, or when Charles continues with the bankrupting Dutch war, or when he decrees gold be spent on frivolity of horse races instead of rebuilding or tending to the parts of the city destroyed after the Great Fire; he is still her King, and infallible. Of course, as readers, we are free to form opinions–and my own views of Charles Stuart aren’t quite so favorable as Nell’s! Still, I found it fascinating to read about this romanticized King, especially through Nell’s rosy perceptions.

The other character that stands out is Nell’s close friend, the rakish Earl of Rochester. The friendship between these two characters is a thread that runs through this book from beginning to end–it is a constant, steady relationship that seems to anchor both Nell and Rochester throughout their turbulent lives. Rochester is a charming, beautiful young man when he first meets Nell in the bawdy house–and though there is the current of attraction and playful flirting between them, their relationship is much deeper than some shared sexual innuendo. In fact, the only time when Nell openly defies Charles is on Rochester’s behalf–in turn, the Earl is one of Nell’s champions that argues for the King to ennoble her and give her the property and finery she deserves for being the King’s loyal companion for years. Rochester’s story is a heartbreaking one to read–for his own charm and writing wit, his alcoholism and libertine lifestyle catches up with him all too soon.

Ana: After doing some pre-reading research, the historian in me was a bit worried about reading a novel concerning a famous figure that didn’t leave any writings or journals behind. I was especially wary once I realized the story was narrated in first person by Nell, which I though is a very ballsy move by the author. But I felt, given what is known about Nell, that the “voice” she was given by Mrs Scott was a believable one and Nell felt so real she leapt from the pages.

Because of that, I was captivated by Nell from the get go. From her beginnings as a lowly tavern entertainer, when she was merely 11 years old to the position as mistress to the King of England. She seems to have always known who she was and what she was – a commoner, an illiterate, a whore but first and foremost, a born entertainer. Her love for all things funny and amusing and her wit granted her a place not only at the Theatre but also amongst some of the most eminent figures of the time – not only King Charles himself, but Charles Hart, one of the greatest actors of his generation and Lord Rochester, of The Libertine fame.

Such a fascinating figure! She was known to be one of the funniest women of her time but she was also witty and smart – although her smarts don’t necessarily mean that she was well –cultured or politically savvy. Quite the contrary – her humour was bawdy and she could not even read which, in my opinion, proves how smart and intelligent she was and with such a memory that she was able to memorise her lines just by hearing them. Her mimicry of illustrious figures seems to have carried a cunning eye for capturing the ridiculous and exposing it to everyone. Not even the King was safe: in fact maybe that was even the secret of her success. By having the guts to say and to laugh at things that no one else would, she attracted the attention of a man who had everyone attending to him like a God – this seems to have been their main connection and what kept her as his favorite amongst many (MANY).

It is interesting to see that even though she walked amongst politicians and was in an enviable position so near the King, she seem to have kept away from the politics of the Court. Other mistresses appear to have tried to gain vantage with their position but Nell was extremely loyal to Charles, who was her lover, her friend and her King, all at once. She never tried to be more than she was, she knew herself to be a whore – not too smart, not too ambitious, just plain old Nell. The court jester – allowed saying things no one would.

Now what about King Charles II (or King Charles the Pig, as my own internal voice has tenderly named him)? There are two sides of King Charles: the man and the King. Even though for Nell they were one and the same, in order to keep my sanity whilst reading this book, I had to separate both. I can never distance myself, even if this is a historical character with many sides and as complex as it can be. As a man, he was less than heroic, less than perfect – in reality he was tremendously selfish, incapable of keeping his cock inside his breeches, displaying his mistresses in front of his queen and officially keeping them with money provided by the parliament. His actions towards his many lovers were less than stellar and towards Nelly were downright appalling –out of all of his mistresses she was the one who seemed to have been his one true friend and still, she was granted less than any other in the way of favours.
For all its anachronism, I was still left with a sour taste in the mouth but alas, let sleeping dogs lie.

Having said that, what a stupendous writer Susan Holloway Scott for being able to make me feel sympathy for the King with regards to his difficult position – a man caught between French and Dutch, between Catholics and Anglicans, he fought to do the best for England. I thought many scenes even if from the more than pink coloured lenses point of view of Nell, were truly emotional when one could get a glimpse of a man who truly loved, at least in some measure all of his women, even his queen and Nell. His love for his sister, his love for his sons, even the bastards ones and for his friends was quite believable.

As for the other characters, I really enjoyed reading about the Merry Gang: the bunch of witty libertines, that circled around Crown and Country, friends with both the King and Nell: the Earl of Rochester (one of Nell’s closest friend), the conniving Duke of Buckingham, Charles Buckhusrt (one of Nell’s former lovers) and others. All indulged in debauchery, drinking, shagging and making fun of others – the epitome of The Restoration period for its freedom after the dark period of The Civil War. It was interesting to see how the King gravitated around them – at one hand attracted to the fun they promoted, at another having to keep his cool and his distance and sometimes even having to bring about punishments when the jokes went too far.

Final Thoughts, Recommendation and Rating…

Thea: A caveat for the romance readers in the house: I would caution against thinking of this book as a “historical romance”–there is no happy ever after here (although there is happiness) and the romance is not of the monogamous one-true-love variety. For all that Nell becomes a true favorite of the King’s, she is always one of many mistresses and one-night stands. The relationship between Nell and her King similarly cannot be boiled down to simple, pure true love–although they do love each other in their own ways.

That said, I loved this book. The characterizations were brilliant, the history rich, and what’s even more impressive is that Ms. Scott manages to tell Nell’s story without any hint of modern day judgements or apologies. Nell’s voice is strong and wholly believeable in historical context–I found myself marvelling at the level of detail in this book, as well as at the minute colloquialisms that felt completely authentic.

Ana: I loved reading about Nell Gwyn. That is one fascinating story and now I wonder why I don’t read more biographies or more historical novels based on true characters. In any case, this book proved to be both entertaining and educational. There were laughter and there were tears. It felt truly authentic. There is no better word for it.

Notable Quotes/Parts:

Thea: I loved all of Nell’s theater scenes and performances, and this passage I think best captures her love for the stage, as an exceptional, born performer:

“On your way, Nelly,” James whispered, applying a friendly swat of encouragement to my silk-covered bum. “There’s your cue.”

My cue; ah, are there any sweeter words to an actress? I raised my face, set my hands upon my hips, and pranced out onto the stage, the great hatflapping over my head. The laughter and applause began before the whole house had even spied me, waves and waves of boisterous amusement so loud that I had to stand a full fifteen minutes in the center of the stage before I’d quiet enough to begin to speak my piece. True, I coaxed them onward by making a show of peeking out from beneath the hat, feigning great surprise to find them on the other side, and then once sure of their favor, posing and preening like the most foppish French gentlemen, taking the daintiest pinch of snuff from the back of my wrist only to have it knocked away by the outsized brim of my hat. And when I finally began to speak, the laughter started all over again, to be muffled only by giddy anticpation for my next words.

Ana: This is not part of the book per se but I loved the author’s notes in the end. The book ends, let’s put it this way, at a “happy” point in Nell’s life. But there was more to their story and in the notes, the author recounts the last moments of their life together – how the King fell ill and Nell was denied entry to his bedroom and as he lay there dying, she could do nothing but to weep outside the door. There were no goodbyes between them and it is said that his last words where about Nell, and that someone needed to be sure she was taken care of. When I read that, all the emotions I had reading the book came rushing back and I sobbed uncontrollably. There could be no better compliment from me than that I was moved to point where I was crying myself to sleep.

Rating:

Thea: 8 Excellent – I loved this book. Historical fiction fans looking for a new voice in the genre should give Susan Holloway Scott a try! I cannot wait for her next book, The French Mistress, in stores next year. Very highly recommended.

Ana:
8 Excellent. – I loved to learn about Nell and King Charles and the Restoration period. I was impressed with the amount of research necessary to be able to have so many details about the characters and the era and I highly recommend it.

COME BACK TOMORROW FOR A FANTASTIC INTERVIEW WITH SUSAN HOLLOWAY SCOTT WHERE SHE TELLS EVERYTHING ABOUT HER RESEARCH FOR THE BOOK, AND MORE ABOUT NELL AND KING CHARLES. SHE WILL BE AROUND TO ASNWER SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS AS WELL!

SEE YOU THEN!

First it was Kmont with Summer of Night. Then, Kate with The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes. Now, it’s The Happily Ever After’s Christine turn to…read a straight Dark Fantasy novel. We dared her to read…..

Title: Across the Nightingale Floor – The Tales of the Otori book 1 (out of 5)

Author: Lian Hearn

Genre: Fantasy

Summary:In his black-walled fortress at Inuyama, the murderous warlord, lida Sadamu, surveys his famous nightingale floor. Constructed with exquisite skill, it sings at the tread of each human foot. No assassin can cross it unheard. Brought up in a remote mountain village among the Hidden, a reclusive and spiritual people, Takeo has learned only the ways of peace. Why, then, does he possess the deadly skills that make him so valuable to the sinister Tribe? These supernatural powers will lead him to his violent destiny within the walls of Inuyama – and to an impossible longing for a girl who can never be his. His journey is one of revenge and treachery, honour and loyalty, beauty and magic, and the passion of first love.

Why did we RECOMMEND this book: This is one of Thea’s favorite series, set in Feudal Japan.

And so, without any further ado, we present you with this month’s Guest Dare, and turn the stage over to CHRISTINE!

Christine’s Review:

Across the Nightingale Floor is book one in the original trilogy of the Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn. This trilogy is an historical fantasy based in the fictional world of The Three Countries and is reminiscent of feudal Japan. Within The Three Countries, there is severe unrest among the various clans as the aggressive and controlling Tohan Clan is using cruelty and violence to achieve dominance and power over the entire land. Among the people of The Three Countries, there also exists the people The Tribe. The Tribe is a secretive group made up of several clans whose people posses varying degrees of mystical powers that have for the most part been lost to the world. The Tribe are frequently hired as spies and assassins throughout the land. Their mystical powers consist of those such as incredible stealth, speed, power, invisibility and acute hearing. Two of the largest clans within The Tribe are the Kikuta and the Muto; the Kikuta being the fiercest and possibly most powerfully skilled clan.

Across the Nightingale Floor is the story of a young man named Otori Takeo who was born under the name Tomasu and raised by his mother and stepfather in the village of Mino among fellow members of a secret religion called The Hidden. The Hidden are a peaceful and non violent people who are persecuted for their religious beliefs by those who dominate the land in numbers, wealth, and power and worship ‘the Enlightened One.’ While Tomasu is in the forest foraging for mushrooms, the powerful and cruel warlord of the Tohan clan, Iida Sadamu, pillages Tomasu’s village of Mino and burns it to the ground. Tomasu rushes to his village only to discover he is the sole survivor and in his rage insults and attacks Iida Sadamu. Tomasu runs from the soldiers to the forest where he literally bumps into a stranger who saves his life. The stranger is Lord Otori Shigeru, the widely loved and respected member and heir of the Otori Clan who renames and adopts the young boy as Lord Otori Takeo. While under the care of Lord Shigeru, Takeo is trained by Shigeru and his trusted friends Ichiro and Muto Kenji, who is of the Muto Clan of The Tribe. The men train Takeo in art, fighting, and self discipline. As it turns out, Takeo’s biological father was Kikuta Isamu, the talented assassin of the secretive Kikuta Clan of The Tribe and now Takeo finds himself torn between allegiances to The Hidden, The Otori and The Tribe.

Loyal first and foremost to his adoptive father, Lord Otori Shigeru, Takeo becomes instrumental in the unspoken plan to assassin Iida Sadamu for the purposes of personal revenge and in order to establish peace among the waring clans. In order to do this, however, Takeo must hone his innate Kikuta skills in order to cross the nightingale floor–a floor created with floorboards that ’sing’ as they are stepped upon– to Iida Sadamu’s bedside undetected. As Takeo undergoes training and awaits for the opportunity to carry out the assassination, he struggles with his sense of personal identity, and also falls in love with Shirakawa Kaede, the young girl arranged to be married to Shigeru.

Across the Nightingale Floor is a novel of less than three hundred pages, yet is a story of epic proportions as it encompasses the complications of war, power, loyalty, betrayal, revenge, true love and the duty of marriage as the lives of numerous individuals are intertwined through blood and or obligation. Ms. Lian Hearn has an amazing talent to not only bring her characters to life, but also the culture and landscape. The emotions and visuals are so vivid, that I truly felt swept away and submerged into the world of Across The Nightingale Floor.

Most of the story is told from the first person point of view of Takeo, but some of the story is also told from the third person as we follow the life of Shirakawa Kaede who,unbeknownst to her, is an incredibly instrumental pawn in the conflict of this tale. I’ve never read a novel that switched perspectives like this in the same story, and I must admit that worked beautifully. The Tale of the Otori is clearly the story of Lord Otori Takeo, yet his story would not be complete without truly understanding the life and perspective of his true love, Lady Shirakawa Kaede.

Across The Nightingale Floor is saturated with incredible insights to humanity and spirituality. At times the human insights are disturbing and frustrating, and at other times the insights are hopeful and inspiring. The author has carefully and creatively interwoven spiritualness into the entire tale as the characters, primarily Takeo, question their fate and the weight of their actions on the world. The author is also adept at using metaphors from nature to symbolize Takeo’s take on the world as he struggles to understand his purpose and do what is right. Very beautifully written.

There is very little I can think of that did not work in this novel. At first, I was a bit challenged in keeping straight all of the Japanese-inspired names that were used for characters, clans, and places. I ended up having to flip back to earlier pages a few times, and then all of a sudden I was able to keep all the names straight and the rest of the reading flowed very smoothly. I do think that a reference page of character names, clan names, and places within the novel would have been helpful.

Another element of this novel that did not sit perfectly with me was that Takeo and Kaede fell in love at first sight. While I can easily suspend my disbelief on the magical level, it is much more difficult to do so with human emotion. However, given the seductive and subtle nature of the fantasy or magic in this novel, where the author actually convinced me that the Kikuta are able to make time stand still, I believed in the love that blossomed between Takeo and Kaede when their gazes locked. It was as if time stood still as these two souls connected and nothing could ever change the intention of their hearts to never love another soul as long as they both lived or died. It was very beautiful, but I still hope that more emotional depth between Takeo and Kaede is developed in the other novels, as I want to be further convinced that their love is truly real and can withstand anything.

This was an excellent novel to challenge my typical genre choices. Across the Nightingale Floor is simple in nature and is easy to read, yet at the same time, complex. The premise, the world building, the characters, the dialogue, and the conflict resolution were all wonderfully developed and beautifully written. While the ending is not the classic kind of happily ever after I’ve come to love from romance, the conflict is resolved in a realistic way that has left me content. At the same time, the end of the novel brings tragedy to Takeo that can never be reversed and there is a overlying saddness that I fear will only be magnified in the novels that follow Across The Nightingale Floor. Of course, now I have to read the rest of the Tales of the Otori to find out how it all ends.

Rating: 9 Damn Near Perfection

Note: Across the Nightingale Floor was published in 2002 and originally written as book one in a trilogy. There are now five novels in the Tales of the Otori series.

Next up for the Guest Dare: CJ from The Thrillionth Page does Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas

Thanks Christine, for the wonderful review and for being a good sport!