Me at the end of this book- Absolutely loved it. Fantastic. Candidate for favorite book of 2011.
Me at the beginning of this book- I dont like Barbara. I dont get what is going on.
Obviously, I went through quite a transformation from the beginning of this book to the end. Why am I telling you this? Because if you do decide to pick it up, DO NOT SET IT BACK DOWN! Seriously, Im so happy I continued to read this book.
Ok, enough of my ranting.
The characters-
Barbara- She is the daughter of an Emperor and the sister of an Emperor. She knows her role in life, and it has been decided that she will be Alfonso dEstes 2nd wife. She takes her job very seriously and is determined to be the best wife and duchess that the Ferrara court has ever seen.
Alfonso- He is the Duke of Ferrara and it is suspected that he murdered his first wife (known as the First Duchess). Hes a hard, formal man and for most of the book, I was yelling you ass. Notice I said most of the book. Hint, hint!
Alfonsos sisters- They are ruthless and have their own agenda. Can Barbara trust them is the big question?
Numerous characters in the book- Barbara is so screwed in this book. Seriously, she has no clue which person she can trust. Moreover, she needs to find people she can trust or shes going to end up like the first Duchess.
Alternate POV- I had a hard time deciding if I should reveal this person. She is revealed almost at the beginning but I do not want to spoil it. This alternate POV tells the same story but from her viewpoint. Initially, I was a bit wary of this method of telling the story. However, later in the book, I not only understood why it was used, but enjoyed hearing from the alternate POV.
The story-
Its really quite simple. Barbara doesnt want to end up dead like Alfonsos first wife. She wants to know what happened but asking questions, trying to uncover the mystery of the death of the first duchess, is a dangerous endeavor.
What I loved-
I was stumped. I hate being stumped. Once I thought I figured it out, the author managed to surprise me.
I loved how the story unfolded. Just the right amount of information was revealed as the story progressed.
The characters were incredible. Talk about flip-flopping. You think you like a character or dislike a character and by the end of the next chapter, you cant believe how your thoughts on that character has changed.
The setting. It was lush in detail. I so did not envy Barbara. Even though she had servants and jewels, it was easy to see how lonely and isolated her life truly was.
Overall-
My review cannot do this book justice. However, Im not going to rewrite it and explain myself better since how I feel is clear. Read the book.
Me at the beginning of this book- I dont like Barbara. I dont get what is going on.
Obviously, I went through quite a transformation from the beginning of this book to the end. Why am I telling you this? Because if you do decide to pick it up, DO NOT SET IT BACK DOWN! Seriously, Im so happy I continued to read this book.
Ok, enough of my ranting.
The characters-
Barbara- She is the daughter of an Emperor and the sister of an Emperor. She knows her role in life, and it has been decided that she will be Alfonso dEstes 2nd wife. She takes her job very seriously and is determined to be the best wife and duchess that the Ferrara court has ever seen.
Alfonso- He is the Duke of Ferrara and it is suspected that he murdered his first wife (known as the First Duchess). Hes a hard, formal man and for most of the book, I was yelling you ass. Notice I said most of the book. Hint, hint!
Alfonsos sisters- They are ruthless and have their own agenda. Can Barbara trust them is the big question?
Numerous characters in the book- Barbara is so screwed in this book. Seriously, she has no clue which person she can trust. Moreover, she needs to find people she can trust or shes going to end up like the first Duchess.
Alternate POV- I had a hard time deciding if I should reveal this person. She is revealed almost at the beginning but I do not want to spoil it. This alternate POV tells the same story but from her viewpoint. Initially, I was a bit wary of this method of telling the story. However, later in the book, I not only understood why it was used, but enjoyed hearing from the alternate POV.
The story-
Its really quite simple. Barbara doesnt want to end up dead like Alfonsos first wife. She wants to know what happened but asking questions, trying to uncover the mystery of the death of the first duchess, is a dangerous endeavor.
What I loved-
I was stumped. I hate being stumped. Once I thought I figured it out, the author managed to surprise me.
I loved how the story unfolded. Just the right amount of information was revealed as the story progressed.
The characters were incredible. Talk about flip-flopping. You think you like a character or dislike a character and by the end of the next chapter, you cant believe how your thoughts on that character has changed.
The setting. It was lush in detail. I so did not envy Barbara. Even though she had servants and jewels, it was easy to see how lonely and isolated her life truly was.
Overall-
My review cannot do this book justice. However, Im not going to rewrite it and explain myself better since how I feel is clear. Read the book.
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