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plottrysts's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first Meredith Duran, and I have thoughts. First, I find that I absorb information better when I'm emotionally invested in a fiction book rather than reading a straight nonfic. (Check out my reviews for A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians and A Radical Act of Free Magic for more about this quirk.) On that level, I think this book works really well: the Indian Rebellion of 1857 is described in detail. Rather than a dispassionate list of atrocities, causes, and conclusions, the MCs live through this era. Readers can viscerally experience the events and understand the trauma.
As a romance, though, my feelings are very mixed. I'm decidedly not a slow burn reader, but I really wish that the first half of the book focused on the emotional and intellectual reasons the MCs fell in love. Yes, they are experiencing trauma together, but why aren't they talking about their reactions to the events, discussing their changing perspectives, or even just having any conversations at all? Instead, they experience traumatic events and then make out a lot. This means that the second half of the book, when they are reunited, feels less resonant.
I firmly believe that historical romance can and should take on difficult eras in history. I'm just not sure that this particular HR was effective on all levels. I know this is Duran's debut, and I'll be interested to see how her writing evolves!
As a romance, though, my feelings are very mixed. I'm decidedly not a slow burn reader, but I really wish that the first half of the book focused on the emotional and intellectual reasons the MCs fell in love. Yes, they are experiencing trauma together, but why aren't they talking about their reactions to the events, discussing their changing perspectives, or even just having any conversations at all? Instead, they experience traumatic events and then make out a lot. This means that the second half of the book, when they are reunited, feels less resonant.
I firmly believe that historical romance can and should take on difficult eras in history. I'm just not sure that this particular HR was effective on all levels. I know this is Duran's debut, and I'll be interested to see how her writing evolves!
yaakovakiva's review against another edition
4.0
There was some lack of consistency that I can't really articulate in this book, but it was really well done for its genre (historicals aren't my thing). Good tension, interesting history, characters with which I could connect. Solid romance read. :)
gossamerwingedgazelle's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the beginning of this book. Then, it slowed down. Then, it got depressing. I believe the main character is supposed to have ptsd after a certain point, but the way she is written, she comes across as kind of foolish and frustrating. I could see what the goal was, but it just didn't work for me. On the flip side, the love interest doesn't rape her or try to rape her, which is better than some books I've read.
kcoleman's review against another edition
5.0
this was a really well crafted story! I loved how the author spun her web, and then sets her characters in each scene. really great read, no dumb female character, no macho isiot male...just people, trying to learn how to deal with tradegy and find love. great!
llamallamacallurmama's review against another edition
2.0
**Most of my reviews contain detailed Content Notes (including CW/TW) sections, which may include spoilers. I have tried to mark them appropriately, but please use caution.**
Unrated (at least for now)
Ebook
* Summary: After a shipwreck, Emmaline arrives to join her fiance in India, just before the Indian Rebellion of 1857, where she meets a biracial aristocrat and the two find an instant connexion. As things start to fall apart in the FMC’s personal life, the political situation also dissolves into violence and the two try to survive together, before a lengthy separation picks the story up again in England years later.
* Stats: HR - Late 1850s India/Early 1860s England, M/F, open door, stand alone.
* Notes: Well, I’ve been thinking about this book for a while now, and I still can’t figure out how to rate it. Here’s the thing - I like a lot of the craft of writing, and I like a lot of how the romance between the characters goes and even parts of the characters and plot themselves - I like angst and fear and pain and struggle and all the difficult stuff in my romance - it’s cathartic for me. BUT here’s the other thing and really the important one - Even accounting for the "age" of this book (pub 2008), I feel really uncomfortable with how race and colonialism and violence work in this story. I don’t think these choices were necessarily intentional, but when I think about the way race and violence are presented in this book… I come away feeling really deeply not okay with it and I don’t think I could recommend this book in good conscience. Does it feel like Duran’s story is researched with some depth? Yes - from a certain perspective. Does it feel like it’s attempting to tell a complex historical story that is trying to be “fair” (or something like that)? Yeah, but for me, it’s failing and it’s perpetuating a version of colonial narratives that I just can’t get past because it’s also not acknowledging that - it’s feels like it’s pretending that it’s past those narratives. The violence in the story feels unbalanced and like it’s still being influenced by colonial historiography - white violence is presented either as deeply personal or broadly institutional (soldiers in war). It’s largely off page or only briefly referenced. Brown violence is described often in much more detail and with more… shock value? Brutality? Purposelessness? And it’s more commonly on page and against people we feel may be expected to feel more emotional connexion to. The MMC’s identity as a biracial man seems disconnected from reality and meaning with I reflect on it, and only really used in the story to educate the white FMC and make her “better” and to turn the plot - and it doesn’t follow through from the first half of the book to the more conventional second half. At the end of the day, I think what I come away with from this story is that it feels like a story in part about race and colonialism that doesn’t really understand either or represent either in a way that I agree with, and that is using both to do work of making white characters/people/projects look better - and that just doesn’t sit right with me. So I don’t know where I stand with this - I think if I had to rate it, I’d have to rate it pretty low.
OTT and Spoilery Content Notes:
1857-later, shipwreck, near drowning, death of family (drowning and other causes including war), 22ishF/26ishM at the start of the book, alcohol, infidelity in relationship (FMC's fiance on FMC), FMC is engaged to someone else at the start of the book, general manhandling, DV/IPV/Domestic violence (FMC's fiance, not MMC, on FMC - shaking, punching), racism (against MMC and others), biracial MMC, mentions and descriptions of violence (including death, maiming, knife/sword and gun violence, sexual violence, torture), mention of hanging, attempted SA of FMC (several times), firearms, opiate use (laudanum, brief), family estrangement, slut shaming of FMC (by society/fiance, not MMC), FMC kisses MMC while still engaged to someone else (sort of), mention/brief description of suicide, fire, blood and gore, FMC is held at knife and gun point, mention/brief descriptions of violent death of children, mention of death of injured horse (shot), FMC throws something at the MMC out of anger, death of a dog (poisoning, on page), child poverty/homelessness, restraint of wrists with hands during sex, CNC (verbal), biting, kidnapping, blackmail
Unrated (at least for now)
Ebook
* Summary: After a shipwreck, Emmaline arrives to join her fiance in India, just before the Indian Rebellion of 1857, where she meets a biracial aristocrat and the two find an instant connexion. As things start to fall apart in the FMC’s personal life, the political situation also dissolves into violence and the two try to survive together, before a lengthy separation picks the story up again in England years later.
* Stats: HR - Late 1850s India/Early 1860s England, M/F, open door, stand alone.
* Notes: Well, I’ve been thinking about this book for a while now, and I still can’t figure out how to rate it. Here’s the thing - I like a lot of the craft of writing, and I like a lot of how the romance between the characters goes and even parts of the characters and plot themselves - I like angst and fear and pain and struggle and all the difficult stuff in my romance - it’s cathartic for me. BUT here’s the other thing and really the important one - Even accounting for the "age" of this book (pub 2008), I feel really uncomfortable with how race and colonialism and violence work in this story. I don’t think these choices were necessarily intentional, but when I think about the way race and violence are presented in this book… I come away feeling really deeply not okay with it and I don’t think I could recommend this book in good conscience. Does it feel like Duran’s story is researched with some depth? Yes - from a certain perspective. Does it feel like it’s attempting to tell a complex historical story that is trying to be “fair” (or something like that)? Yeah, but for me, it’s failing and it’s perpetuating a version of colonial narratives that I just can’t get past because it’s also not acknowledging that - it’s feels like it’s pretending that it’s past those narratives. The violence in the story feels unbalanced and like it’s still being influenced by colonial historiography - white violence is presented either as deeply personal or broadly institutional (soldiers in war). It’s largely off page or only briefly referenced. Brown violence is described often in much more detail and with more… shock value? Brutality? Purposelessness? And it’s more commonly on page and against people we feel may be expected to feel more emotional connexion to. The MMC’s identity as a biracial man seems disconnected from reality and meaning with I reflect on it, and only really used in the story to educate the white FMC and make her “better” and to turn the plot - and it doesn’t follow through from the first half of the book to the more conventional second half. At the end of the day, I think what I come away with from this story is that it feels like a story in part about race and colonialism that doesn’t really understand either or represent either in a way that I agree with, and that is using both to do work of making white characters/people/projects look better - and that just doesn’t sit right with me. So I don’t know where I stand with this - I think if I had to rate it, I’d have to rate it pretty low.
OTT and Spoilery Content Notes:
pinkcowlandreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
alihewitt's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
megatza's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Duke of Shadows was my first Duran a couple of years ago, and it's really interesting to revisit after reading more of her work. She tackles themes of colonialism on a larger scale than most authors are willing to attempt. It's through the lens of a 2008 writer, of course, but she gives the character's nuanced opinions, particularly Julian, who lives in two worlds. I had forgotten that basically all the angst is in the London half of the book.
bookslovereads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.5
booketofbooks's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5