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youweremycrown's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
i actually liked this one better than the first one! i think it may have been because lady darby’s personal connection to the case was much deeper than previously so she fought harder and you could feel her internal struggle more. i was able to figure out at least a part of the mystery very early on but a big part of my enjoyment of this book is seeing how all of the characters work together to solve it. also, this series is the only romance i’m digging in books lately, for real. the will-they-wont-they and struggle they both have with their personal demons comes across clear on the page. i was full on kicking my feet and giggling but it also frustrated me bc they keep making the same problems, but i guess that’s like real life huh..
mulvama3's review against another edition
5.0
The slow burn romance continues with another mystery and more excellent characters. Love the historical elements.
spinningwheeler's review against another edition
4.0
A great addition to the series but not as well developed as the first. Anna Lee Huber is quickly becoming a favorite author.
ablotial's review against another edition
3.0
Well, this one was not as good as the first, but it was good enough that I will continue reading the story. Or maybe, that's not quite true... it was maybe as good as the first but it was just ... more of the same and suffered from the same flaws that the first one did. The setting didn't seem central to the book - I didn't feel steeped in the era and it seemed to be more for convenience of storytelling: the lack of medical knowledge, the lack of cell phones and GPS trackers, the lack of regulation in mental institutions and the enforced class system all enabled the actual story to take place.
And then there is the relationship between Lady Darby and Gage... once again, she keeps referring to him as enigmatic, frustrating, exasperating, etc. But as a reader, I don't really get that at all. I rather liked the fellow! The only thing is, sure, he doesn't tell her everything all the time but like... no one does. She hasn't known him that long, why does she expect him to tell her every detail of his life, or even his work? Lady Darby herself is a drama queen, always expecting the worst of him when he happens to have something else to do, and always being down on herself oh no one likes me boo hoo (again, something we have almost no evidence for in this book, although in the first there was more).
And we get more than a third of the way into the book before we are even introduced to the actual mystery! Bah!
Whatever. The story was still interesting. And William as a character with PTSD was very well done, and especially the acknowledgement that even "normal" people can have small manifestations of PTSD-like symptoms from traumatic events in their life, even if they are not on the scale of survivors of war. I was fascinated by William's paintings and saddened by his treatment both at the hands of his father and in the institution, and found both believable. I enjoyed the parts of the story getting to know the past relationship between Kiera and William, and getting to know the girl's family and friends and trying to track down what had happened. I really wanted the old man on the island to. I liked the tension between those who were unwilling to entertain any form of guilt, and those who would prefer innocence but acknowledged that it's hard to know with people so affected and thus have to investigate every possibility.
The ending
Worth reading but again, if you're looking to be steeped in the historical aspects, maybe not for you. I'll continue at least one more book in the series and make a decision about whether to keep reading.
And then there is the relationship between Lady Darby and Gage... once again, she keeps referring to him as enigmatic, frustrating, exasperating, etc. But as a reader, I don't really get that at all. I rather liked the fellow! The only thing is, sure, he doesn't tell her everything all the time but like... no one does. She hasn't known him that long, why does she expect him to tell her every detail of his life, or even his work? Lady Darby herself is a drama queen, always expecting the worst of him when he happens to have something else to do, and always being down on herself oh no one likes me boo hoo (again, something we have almost no evidence for in this book, although in the first there was more).
And we get more than a third of the way into the book before we are even introduced to the actual mystery! Bah!
Whatever. The story was still interesting. And William as a character with PTSD was very well done, and especially the acknowledgement that even "normal" people can have small manifestations of PTSD-like symptoms from traumatic events in their life, even if they are not on the scale of survivors of war. I was fascinated by William's paintings and saddened by his treatment both at the hands of his father and in the institution, and found both believable. I enjoyed the parts of the story getting to know the past relationship between Kiera and William, and getting to know the girl's family and friends and trying to track down what had happened. I really wanted the old man on the island to
Spoiler
know more than he did and be more central to the plot... but alasThe ending
Spoiler
was really good, but horribly unsatisfactory. The reader, of course, wants William to be exonerated and walk free and be on his way to recovery. And while he was exonerated... obviously the castle's collapse and the resultant deaths preclude the rest. But at least his brother now inherits the estate and can marry as he wants? Bleh.Worth reading but again, if you're looking to be steeped in the historical aspects, maybe not for you. I'll continue at least one more book in the series and make a decision about whether to keep reading.
laurenjodi's review against another edition
4.0
Mortal Arts
4 Stars
Lady Kiera Darby travels with her sister and brother-in-law to Edinburgh, but is detoured to Dalmay by an urgent missive from Phillip’s aunt. It seems that Michael Dalmay, an old family friend, is soon to be wed to Phillip’s cousin. Unfortunately, the return of Michael’s older brother and the disappearance of a local girl put a pall on the wedding plans, and Kiera is forced to join forces once again with the enigmatic Sebastian Gage to uncover the truth.
An enjoyable sequel with engaging characters although the mystery is far too obvious.
Similar to Charles Todd’s A Duty to the Dead, Huber provides an accurate and heart-wrenching portrayal of battle fatigue albeit during a much earlier time period (Napoleonic War vs. WWI). Huber’s insight into the human mind as it struggles with the devastating aftermath of war and her descriptions of the terrible atrocities suffered by those afflicted with mental illness and confined to asylums in the 19th century adds a darker tone to the story and makes it impossible for the reader not to sympathize with William Dalmay’s suffering.
The mystery takes time to get going and although the eventual explanation is exceedingly disturbing it is also very predictable. The culprit is glaringly obvious from the start as is the motivation, and all that remains is following along as Kiera and Gage investigate and figure out the hows and the whys of it all.
Gage and Kiera’s relationship (one cannot quite call it a romance at this time) develops at a steady pace as more of Kiera’s past is revealed including her feelings of isolation as a young teen and the time she spent under her nefarious husband’s oppressive thumb. More details of Gage’s background are also provided and they go a long way toward explaining his actions in the previous book. Nevertheless, there are still many unanswered questions and it will be interesting to learn the answers.
Heather Wilds' narration is alright. Her accents are very good, but her pacing is off. She reads quite fast and there are times when the sentences seem to run together, i.e., she doesn't pause would she should at the end of a paragraph or a section of dialogue.
All in all, a well written and disturbing mystery with a touch of romance. Recommended for fans of Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia series.
4 Stars
Lady Kiera Darby travels with her sister and brother-in-law to Edinburgh, but is detoured to Dalmay by an urgent missive from Phillip’s aunt. It seems that Michael Dalmay, an old family friend, is soon to be wed to Phillip’s cousin. Unfortunately, the return of Michael’s older brother and the disappearance of a local girl put a pall on the wedding plans, and Kiera is forced to join forces once again with the enigmatic Sebastian Gage to uncover the truth.
An enjoyable sequel with engaging characters although the mystery is far too obvious.
Similar to Charles Todd’s A Duty to the Dead, Huber provides an accurate and heart-wrenching portrayal of battle fatigue albeit during a much earlier time period (Napoleonic War vs. WWI). Huber’s insight into the human mind as it struggles with the devastating aftermath of war and her descriptions of the terrible atrocities suffered by those afflicted with mental illness and confined to asylums in the 19th century adds a darker tone to the story and makes it impossible for the reader not to sympathize with William Dalmay’s suffering.
The mystery takes time to get going and although the eventual explanation is exceedingly disturbing it is also very predictable. The culprit is glaringly obvious from the start as is the motivation, and all that remains is following along as Kiera and Gage investigate and figure out the hows and the whys of it all.
Gage and Kiera’s relationship (one cannot quite call it a romance at this time) develops at a steady pace as more of Kiera’s past is revealed including her feelings of isolation as a young teen and the time she spent under her nefarious husband’s oppressive thumb. More details of Gage’s background are also provided and they go a long way toward explaining his actions in the previous book. Nevertheless, there are still many unanswered questions and it will be interesting to learn the answers.
Heather Wilds' narration is alright. Her accents are very good, but her pacing is off. She reads quite fast and there are times when the sentences seem to run together, i.e., she doesn't pause would she should at the end of a paragraph or a section of dialogue.
All in all, a well written and disturbing mystery with a touch of romance. Recommended for fans of Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia series.
lakecake's review against another edition
4.0
I felt like the central mystery of the book got a little bit subsumed by the societal and interpersonal explanations, and the ending felt a little bit forced to me, but overall this was still a very enjoyable book. Watching Lady Darby come (back) into her own and the interplay of personalities between her and Gage is truly just enjoyable to me.
holl3640's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
carolwk's review against another edition
1.0
I don't often laugh out loud at bad writing, but there's an entire page where the main character sits squirming in her chair without speaking during a conversation. Was there an editor for this? And I don't think I've ever read a mystery where you literally knew "whodunit" as soon as you read the mention a person was missing, even before the revelation that something had been "dun." About halfway through, I stopped actually reading and just paged through to the end to confirm that it wrapped up the way I thought it would. Such a pity, because the main character of this series had promise. I can only conclude the favorable ratings are plants written by employees of the publisher or friends of the author.
adelita18's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25