I should have known I was in dicey territory when I saw this was set in Australia. Victoria Holt suffers from The Georgette Heyer Problem, which is, eI should have known I was in dicey territory when I saw this was set in Australia. Victoria Holt suffers from The Georgette Heyer Problem, which is, essentially, casual bigotry and a fondness for English imperialism.
There is social commentary in here about the destructiveness of greed and revenge, but what I took from it was that charming white men always land on their feet. Charles Herrick, better known as Lynx, was sent to Australia as a convict after being falsely accused of a crime. In barely any time at all, he works his way up as a trusted servant in a manor home, eventually marrying his employer's daughter. He uses his charm, wit, and skills to amass a fortune, but it isn't enough. He wants revenge.
Nora, our heroine, is much younger when she meets Lynx. After being orphaned she's sent to live with him in Australia as his ward. Nora is fond of Lynx's son and heir, Sterling, but she soon catches Lynx's eye, and he wants her for a wife.
The Shadow of the Lynx is an apt title. The problem with having a character that sucks all of the air out of the room is that it becomes unbearable when they leave the room....more
The Duke of Torquay and the Marquis of Bessacarr are both trying manipulate Rachel Berryman into being their mistress. The Duke takes the direct approThe Duke of Torquay and the Marquis of Bessacarr are both trying manipulate Rachel Berryman into being their mistress. The Duke takes the direct approach: ruin her in front of her family, get rid of her job opportunities, and loom behind her in his carriage, waiting to snatch her up.
The Marquis goes more Dangerous Liaisons with it. He pretends to be Rachel's friend and savior, meanwhile he's sabotaging her so she has no one else to turn once she's truly penniless. Even though the duke's actions are the most obviously evil, the book takes the point of view that there is a sort of morality in being upfront about how wicked you are. (Anne Stuart villainous love interests rejoice!)
I didn't care that much about the love story or about who would win over Rachel in the end, but the duke is a loquacious weirdo and I loved it. He does not speak, he opines. His inner dialogue is flowery prose about how debauched he finds himself to be, and he finds pleasure in everything. While he's reminiscing on a woman he finds repulsive, he gives the caveat that he could have found something to enjoy in the new shapes and textures. Shapes and textures!...more
I was halfway through the phrase "gay space opera" before I had already ordered this book to be shipped to my house. Space is objectively queer and I'I was halfway through the phrase "gay space opera" before I had already ordered this book to be shipped to my house. Space is objectively queer and I'm glad that fiction is catching up!
Prince Kiem becomes engaged to Jainan of Thean after Jainan's previous political marriage is abruptly ended when his husband, Taam, dies in a flybug accident. Kiem is his royal family's last resort for a political alliance, as he's best known for his collegiate pranks and youthful troublemaking. Now in his mid-twenties, he's grown up a bit, but he hasn't fully left his reputation behind. He goes into his marriage knowing that a grieving Jainan couldn't possibly be thrilled by the new alliance.
Meanwhile, Jainan is anxiety personified. He's eager to please and thoroughly convinced that every minor mistake is a disaster, and every disaster is his fault. Jainan and Kiem's misunderstandings keep them from forming the closer emotional bond that both of them desperately want, while they both attempt to prop up their marriage as a last-ditch defense against intergalactic war.
This was a very sweet story about two characters I loved from the beginning. Mostly sugar, no spice, and a tablespoon of trauma salt....more
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