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roseisa
Joined: 25 Mar 2007
Posts: 334
Location: CA
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 Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Never compare, enjoy. This book is awesome, but I won't compare, every other story would suffer by comparison......... |
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msaggie
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 631
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:36 pm Post subject: Very good start to 2008 |
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I just finished reading The Spymaster's Lady (and did not have the problem of the unrepresentative cover as I got the e-book) - what a marvellous novel! Thanks so much for the DIK review and all other readers who have recommended it. The intrigues and the plot are quite intricate - revelations abound until the very end - indeed, you don't want to read any spoilers whatsoever. As I was reading it, I was reminded of Tracy Grant (for the setting at the Napolenoic era)'s Charles and Melanie books, and Dorothy Dunnett - but then it's Dunnett-lite, and much easier to get into.
The hero and heroine are both immensely likeable. Near the end of the book, I thought - is Annique having a TSTL moment? But then, what she did is totally in character. I loved so many scenes in this book - but the ending's really sweet (a bit Heyeresque, I thought). I also really liked the secondary characters - Adrian (I hope he gets his own book) and Doyle, even Galba (who somehow makes me think of Georgette Heyer's The Duke of Avon).
The Spymaster's Lady is very good indeed, and highly recommended. |
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becky d
Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 114
Location: Baton Rouge
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:47 pm Post subject: Love, love, love it!! (still in the middle of it) |
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I am SO GLAD I read the many positive reviews of this book last week. I would never have known how enjoyable it is! It is a breath of fresh air after a year of not finding the "historical DIK" I so longed-for.
Tee, I Hope you buy it and read it. It is fast-paced, road romance but with lots of surprises. The characters are great. I am ready to vote this one in as next year's winner in many categories! |
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Tee
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 4062
Location: Detroit Metro
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:23 pm Post subject: |
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| MrsFairfax wrote: | | Historical nitpick alert: was "pimp" a word with the currently understood meaning at that point in time? |
I only had a short amount of time to browse this online, but here's something interesting I found about what the word "pimp" meant in the 19th century. This appeared in the Oakland Tribune, Oct 10, 2006--
OAKLAND -- For Cecil Brown, it's about setting the record straight. In his new book, "I, Stagolee," Brown recreates the drama of legendary pimp Stagolee shooting a rival one Christmas night at a bar in the late 19th century.
Stagolee, a real person known as Lee Shelton, was tried and released after the incident, but for generations after was called a "bad man" in ballads and rhymes known as "toasts" or "dozens."
[....]
Brown emphasized that a pimp wasn't the same thing in the 19th century as it is today. Back then, pimps were more like bodyguards, also known as "Johnny Walkers." They would escort the ladies of the night as they went about their business, Brown said.
Because of this, "He was a patron saint to whores," Brown said. "Whores swore by him because he was their protector and provider back then. A pimp was a positive thing."
It wasn't until later that the word began to take on negative connotations, Brown explained. |
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MrsFairfax
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
Posts: 1067
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Tee wrote: |
I only had a short amount of time to browse this online, but here's something interesting I found about what the word "pimp" meant in the 19th century. This appeared in the Oakland Tribune, Oct 10, 2006--
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I remember one of the songs about "Stagger Lee" -
I was standin' on the corner
When I heard my bulldog bark
(you're welcome, to anyone else who's old enough to be humming that song the rest of the night.) Thanks, Tee, I never would have put that bit of history together. Patron saint of whores - who would have guessed?
Grey uses the term in The Spymaster's Lady, near the end. ("You don't pimp your spies.") It's a small thing, but it clanged like a bell for me because most everything up to that point had been near perfect pitch. I suppose in the context you provided, though, it would still make sense, as it was mentioned as a necessary evil the handler must shepherd the female spy through rather than a money-making proposition.
As an aside, I found this in the Online Etymology Dictionary
pimp
1607, perhaps from M.Fr. pimper "to dress elegantly" (16c.), prp. of pimpant "alluring in dress, seductive." Weekley suggests M.Fr. pimpreneau, defined in Cotgrave (1611) as "a knave, rascall, varlet, scoundrell."
Gives you new appreciation for the Baroness Orczy's choice of "The Scarlett Pimpernel" as a name for her hero, doesn't it? |
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Tee
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 4062
Location: Detroit Metro
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| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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| becky d wrote: | | Tee, I Hope you buy it and read it. It is fast-paced, road romance but with lots of surprises. The characters are great. I am ready to vote this one in as next year's winner in many categories! |
I hope to pick it up tomorrow, becky. Your enthusiasm abounds!
| MrsFairfax wrote: | | pimp 1607, perhaps from M.Fr. pimper "to dress elegantly" (16c.), prp. of pimpant "alluring in dress, seductive." Weekley suggests M.Fr. pimpreneau, defined in Cotgrave (1611) as "a knave, rascall, varlet, scoundrell." Gives you new appreciation for the Baroness Orczy's choice of "The Scarlett Pimpernel" as a name for her hero, doesn't it? |
That it does, Mrs Fairfax; that it does! |
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dick
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 2263
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:05 am Post subject: |
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re "Pimp": According to "Slang and Its Analogues," (J.S. Farmer & W. E. Henley, Arno Press) the word was used with its present meaning as early as 1681 by John Dryden in the satire "Absalom and Achitophel."
'But when to sin our biassed nature leans,
The devil is still at hand with means,
And providently pimps for ill desires. |
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kris
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 301
Location: Southwestern Ontario
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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Normally I wouldn't read a book with such a cover. Talk about making me cringe and giggle at the same time. If I hadn't read the review, I would have missed this gem. What an absolutely great start to 2008. Annique and Robert are truly equals. They sizzle in every scene. Talk about passion. I guess I shouldn't judge a book by its' cover  |
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bookmark
Joined: 06 Nov 2007
Posts: 300
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 6:43 pm Post subject: I have to agree with everyone here. It was a wonderful book |
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I loved that the heroine was so capable, to put it mildly. I actually knew of her "secret" at the beginning and was surprised when the hero found out because I had assumed that it was known up to that point. Wasn't she touching their faces at the beginning? Maybe it was me not paying too close attention. Regardless I haven't read book that was so unique in quite a while. It was just so full of intrigue, action, and everything without sacrificing the romance.
I'm a sucker for those smaller kick butt (literally) heroines.
I was actually disappointed when she became "normal". |
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Tee
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 4062
Location: Detroit Metro
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:15 pm Post subject: Re: I have to agree with everyone here. It was a wonderful |
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| bookmark wrote: | | I actually knew of her "secret" at the beginning and was surprised when the hero found out because I had assumed that it was known up to that point. Wasn't she touching their faces at the beginning? Maybe it was me not paying too close attention. |
I hope this isn't the spoiler I'm thinking it may be. I haven't read the book yet and, well.... it just may have spoiled it! |
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LeeB.
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 1226
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:35 pm Post subject: Re: I have to agree with everyone here. It was a wonderful |
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| Tee wrote: | | bookmark wrote: | | I actually knew of her "secret" at the beginning and was surprised when the hero found out because I had assumed that it was known up to that point. Wasn't she touching their faces at the beginning? Maybe it was me not paying too close attention. |
I hope this isn't the spoiler I'm thinking it may be. I haven't read the book yet and, well.... it just may have spoiled it! |
Tee: I wouldn't consider that the spoiler at all. |
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Tee
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 4062
Location: Detroit Metro
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:47 pm Post subject: Re: I have to agree with everyone here. It was a wonderful |
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| LeeB. wrote: | | Tee: I wouldn't consider that the spoiler at all. |
Thanks, Lee. That's all I needed to know. |
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veasleyd1
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Posts: 2064
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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I just finished The Spymaster's Lady. It's truly marvellous.
Virginia |
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Tee
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 4062
Location: Detroit Metro
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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| MrsFairfax wrote: | | Does Adrian remind anyone else just slightly of Cat from The Windflower? |
I have to admit (as I've done before here) that The Windflower and I did not have a compatible relationship. And that's okay. I am only about a third of the way thru this one and I agree that Adrian is reminding me of Cat, too. In fact, so does Grey remind me of the main character in Windflower, but, of course, under different circumstances and no ships around (yet).  |
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cheri
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 1350
Location: michigan
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| Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 10:12 am Post subject: |
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| The postings were killing me. I ran out and bought it. I'm loving it so far! YEAH! cheri |
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