This book is in the Victorian era, the second book of a trilogy inside the Arcane Society series!
Adelaide Pyne was 15 when her parents died. Her parents had been members of the Arcane Society, (created to study psychic powers), and she can read dreamlight. The man who controlled her inheritance told her he was sending her to an orphanage for young ladies. Instead, he sold her to a brothel and stole the money! She escaped from the brothel with a lamp a 'customer' had brought to her room, still a virgin, and went to America. Years later, she felt compelled to return to England, and has spent her time rescuing girls from brothels. She is known only as 'The Widow', dresses in mourning, and keeps her face veiled. She creates new identities for them and has set up an academy to teach them a trade.
Griffin Winters, also a teenager when his Arcane Society parents were murdered, took to the streets and became a crime lord. As he did not deal in prostitution, Adelaide had not encountered him. He, however, had been tracking her and discovered that she could read dreamlight. He has been desperately searching for the lamp and a dreamlight reader as he has turned 36 and is having nightmares and hallucinations, a curse that runs through the males of the Winters family. He asks a mutual friend to set up a meeting with her. He can veil himself in shadows, she never shows her face.
When they meet, he tells her that she is in danger because her raids are becoming predictable, and that she must stop. He also tells her that he needs help to find the lamp, and for her to help him work it. As she already has the lamp and he explains that he will go insane if she won't help him, she agrees. He tells her that he is getting another talent, and that the Arcane Society will have him killed if he does, as it assumes he will go rogue. He shuts off the shadows, and asks her to lift her veil, which she does. They study each other.
The customer who had originally tracked her to the brothel, is again searching for her and the lamp. He is known only as Mr. Smith, and is a high ranking Arcane member.
Griffin is shot rescuing Adelaide from a kidnapping. She takes him in and treats him. It turns out that she had spent time in America in a 'wild west show' and had learned a lot of things about gunshot wounds and guns! He recovers but is furious when he finds out that Mrs Jones, of Jones & Jones Agency, had been called in to treat him. Jones & Jones work for the Arcane Society!
The story is full of adventure and intrigue and romance. I don't want to go into more details as it might spoil the book for you, but I loved it. Krentz/Quick books are always fun to read.
The third book in the trilogy, 'Midnight Crystal', is in the future and on another planet. Interesting!
Adelaide Pyne was 15 when her parents died. Her parents had been members of the Arcane Society, (created to study psychic powers), and she can read dreamlight. The man who controlled her inheritance told her he was sending her to an orphanage for young ladies. Instead, he sold her to a brothel and stole the money! She escaped from the brothel with a lamp a 'customer' had brought to her room, still a virgin, and went to America. Years later, she felt compelled to return to England, and has spent her time rescuing girls from brothels. She is known only as 'The Widow', dresses in mourning, and keeps her face veiled. She creates new identities for them and has set up an academy to teach them a trade.
Griffin Winters, also a teenager when his Arcane Society parents were murdered, took to the streets and became a crime lord. As he did not deal in prostitution, Adelaide had not encountered him. He, however, had been tracking her and discovered that she could read dreamlight. He has been desperately searching for the lamp and a dreamlight reader as he has turned 36 and is having nightmares and hallucinations, a curse that runs through the males of the Winters family. He asks a mutual friend to set up a meeting with her. He can veil himself in shadows, she never shows her face.
When they meet, he tells her that she is in danger because her raids are becoming predictable, and that she must stop. He also tells her that he needs help to find the lamp, and for her to help him work it. As she already has the lamp and he explains that he will go insane if she won't help him, she agrees. He tells her that he is getting another talent, and that the Arcane Society will have him killed if he does, as it assumes he will go rogue. He shuts off the shadows, and asks her to lift her veil, which she does. They study each other.
The customer who had originally tracked her to the brothel, is again searching for her and the lamp. He is known only as Mr. Smith, and is a high ranking Arcane member.
Griffin is shot rescuing Adelaide from a kidnapping. She takes him in and treats him. It turns out that she had spent time in America in a 'wild west show' and had learned a lot of things about gunshot wounds and guns! He recovers but is furious when he finds out that Mrs Jones, of Jones & Jones Agency, had been called in to treat him. Jones & Jones work for the Arcane Society!
The story is full of adventure and intrigue and romance. I don't want to go into more details as it might spoil the book for you, but I loved it. Krentz/Quick books are always fun to read.
The third book in the trilogy, 'Midnight Crystal', is in the future and on another planet. Interesting!
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