Maiden Lane—Book 5
By Elizabeth Hoyt
Publisher: Grand
Central
Release Date:
February 26, 2013
Warning—this review contains spoilers for those who haven’t
read the Maiden Lane
series.
Lord of Darkness begins
two years after Thief of Shadows
ends. Two years after Godric St. John was blackmailed into marrying Lady
Margaret Reading. In fact, the books
starts off with Godric seeing Megs for the first time since they married...and
she’s holding a gun to his head. Though, she has no idea she has her husband in
her sights. Megs only sees the Ghost of St.
Giles, whom she believes killed Roger, the only man she ever loved.
Megs comes to London
for one reason: to seduce her husband and conceive a child. She hasn’t seen Godric
since their wedding day, but holds no ill will toward him because she knows he
did her a great favor by marrying her. But now she desperately wants a baby.
She doesn’t expect to see the Ghost so quickly upon her arrival, but decides it
is the perfect time to exact her revenge. When the Ghost ends up saving her
life, Megs begins to see him in a somewhat different light...which of course
causes her to feel slightly uncomfortable and confused.
Godric returns to Saint House just before his wife’s
arrival. He doesn’t expect her to stay too long since his house is in no way
fit for company. Because of his nighttime activities as the Ghost of St. Giles,
protector of the weak, he prefers his privacy above all else. So imagine his
shock when his wife tells him why she’s there! But Megs isn’t the only person
who has felt loss. Godric lost the love of his life to a slow, debilitating
disease only years before. At first he rejects Megs’s plea as he feels it would
be a betrayal to his beloved Clara. Later, he tries to appease her in the hopes
that she’ll leave, but by then he is already falling for her charms. When Megs
discovers her husband’s secret, they make a pact to find out the truth behind
Roger’s murder. But they must be careful as there are others who want the Ghost
dead...
What can I say about Elizabeth Hoyt’s books that I haven’t
already said in my other reviews? With each new book she releases, she always
delivers the goods. I don’t think she could write a bad book if she tried. Lord of Darkness features two previous
secondary characters who are brought together by a marriage of convenience. But
even then, they aren’t “together”. Megs enjoys her life at Laurelwood Manor but
soon longs for a baby and decides to throw caution to the wind and seduce her
husband. I love Megs’s reaction when she first encounters Godric sleeping in an
old, ancient armchair wearing ragged slippers and half-moon spectacles, and she
deems him to be just as ancient. Ha! Of course, he’s not that old—that’s just what he wants her to believe. That’s what he
wants everyone to believe, that he’s
boring and stodgy. When she finds out he’s the Ghost, she knows that she and
everyone else had him pegged wrong.
She threw her head
back, her dark eyes shining, her hair already beginning to struggle out of its
confines as she started pacing in front of his fireplace. “Until yesterday
evening I thought I knew you. I thought you were a staid, elderly scholar who
lived by himself in a much too dusty mansion and once in a while for a bit of
excitement went out to coffeehouses. And then”—she spun at the far end of the
room, waving her hands as if battling birds attacking her head—“and then I find out that you’re a
notorious madman who runs about in a
ridiculous mask and gets into fights with footpads in St. Giles, and, Godric, I
really, truly don’t think I know you
at all now.”
She stopped dead and
glared at him, her breast heaving. Dear God, she was magnificent when she was
in a rage.
He cleared his throat.
“Elderly?”
“Elderly?” She mimicked him in a horribly high voice, which he
privately thought was a bit unfair—he didn’t sound like that at all. “That’s
all you can say?...”
Godric has been alone for so long that when Megs hugs him
for the first time it is a shock to his body and mind. Both have felt the keen
effects of losing someone they loved with all their hearts and certainly never
expected to find that kind of love again. Their relationship slowly evolves
from passing acquaintances to a deep understanding of one another and they
sincerely appreciate what the other means to them.
“He may help people in
St. Giles, but I think he does it at the expense of himself.”... “It can’t be
good for a man such as Godric—a sensitive, moral man—to deal with violence so
often. It’s as if he’s chipping away at his own soul.”
****
He could spend hours
thus, simply watching the constant flicker of changing emotions across her
face. She was so vibrant, his Megs,
so alive with hope and love and happiness. If she left him—when she left him—he didn’t know how he would return to his old
life.
It would be like
living without sunlight.
Lord of Darkness
is another outstanding, emotionally-charged historical romance from Hoyt. It is
the fifth in her popular Maiden
Lane series, and while you certainly don’t need to
have read the other books in the series to enjoy this one, I would recommend
that you do in order to gain a greater understanding of the characters and
their actions. Plus, they’re all terrific books! Those of you who have read the
series will relish seeing some familiar faces and getting updates on previous
couples. Once again, Hoyt has produced another gem for my keeper shelves and,
once again, she has penned another book that I highly recommend. She continues
to keep me enthralled with the folks of Maiden Lane and if the snippet from her
next one is any indication, I will be enthralled again come November.
Great review, Andrea!
ReplyDeleteCannot wait to get my hands on my copy, it's on the way, but not nearly fast enough :) LOVE this series!!
Thanks, Beebs. This series is so addicting, isn't it?!
DeleteYour review left me wishing I could skip all I have to do today and read the new Hoyt without delay, Andrea. Unfortunately, it will have to wait until the weekend. But then I plan some Please-Do-Not-Disturb reading time devoted to Lord of Darkness.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a plan, Janga. :) I hope you enjoy it!
DeleteGreat review, Andrea! I probably won't have time to read this one until next week and it's making me a very unhappy camper. Love Hoyt's writing and the entire Maiden Lane series!
ReplyDeletePJ, it is well worth the wait. ;-)
DeleteTerrific review Andrea! I'm not surprised that Lord of Darkness received it either because I don't think that Elizabeth has ever written a book that isn't great - it's just not something she would accept.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I finish one of her books I picture her going over her manuscript and making slashes and writing in changes (though today's day and age she probably uses a computer).
Have you ever had the same thought and mentally pictured an author with wadded up paper thrown all around on the floor while they search for that perfect phrase or scene that will take us right to the heart of the story?
Thanks, Jeanne! Yes, I have pictured that. And I can definitely picture that with Hoyt. I have to add that when I finish one of her books, I am utterly ruined for any other books for at least a couple days. :)
DeleteAwesome review, Andrea! I'm with you - you could read one of her books as a stand alone, but why would you when you could experience her brilliance over and over again. One of the best things about an Elizabeth Hoyt book is the worlds she creates! I am so excited. I forgot today was release day and this book is at the top of my list. Thanks for the great preview.
ReplyDeleteThank you, irisheyes! I totally agree--Hoyt creates amazing worlds. Not only are they interesting, but they leave you craving for more. I hope you enjoy LOD!
DeleteOh, I read the first in this series and really looking forward to this next one!
ReplyDeleteCatslady, you are in for a treat!
DeleteStarted it and cannot put it down...sneaking a read now and again at work. It IS SOOO good!
ReplyDeleteI know, right? I couldn't put it down either, Hope! I'm so glad you're enjoying it, you sneaky thing! ;-)
DeleteI really want to read this book. I love her books.
ReplyDeleteYes, you really want to read this book, Quilt Lady!
DeleteJust got my copy~! Super excited to start reading.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy it, kipha!
DeleteThanks so much for another review. I love having books like the Maiden Lane series to look forward to. I was trying to wait until the series was all out to begin them, but I can't wait any longer. I have got to start reading them now.
ReplyDeleteYou must have the patience of a saint, librarypat! You are in for a treat. :)
DeleteIt is because I have no patience that I wait to read them until they are all out. I can't stand to have to wait months between books. If I do happen to start a series, I wil snap the next book up as soon as it is out.
DeleteI can certainly understand why you do it, Pat. I love discovering a "new to me" series and being able to gobble it up!
DeleteGreat review! I really love Hoyt's Maiden lane series I can't wait to read Lord of Darkness.
ReplyDeleteI also love her 4 solider series :)
Savannah, I have loved every single one of her books. She creates the most intriguing worlds filled with people you truly care about. And the way she ties them in with a fairy tale in brilliant. Enjoy LOD!
DeleteI really enjoyed your review and the excerpt you shared, Andrea. I always love Elizabeth Hoyt’s novels yet you make me want to run right out and buy it!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing!
Thanks, Connie. I appreciate that. Hoyt makes it so easy to love her books and I only hope my review did it justice. :)
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