Helpful Score: 2
ISBN 1416560807 - I'd have considered 5 stars for this book, not because it's a superb bit of literature, but because it's a very good bit of what it is - Melikan doesn't over-reach or try to make her story be all things to all readers. My negative reaction is based on a personal annoyance: I really, really do not like books that include "Reading Group Guides". I don' know just exactly how big an ego has to be for an author to sit down and say "hey, people will definitely want to talk about my book and they're probably not smart enough to come up with ideas on their own, so I'll give them some!" but, whatever the answer, it smacks of huge ego to me.
Mary Finch is an orphan and a teacher at Mrs. Bunbury's, a place she appreciates but finds dull. Mary is too full of life and curiosity to be happy in boredom, so she gladly accepts her uncle's invitation to visit him. Along the way to his estate, Mary finds a mystery and meets several people with ties to that mystery. England and France are at war and smugglers are at work - right in her uncle's home, it seems! Using her wits, Mary manages to lend a hand to her country's cause, but is she sharp enough to sort out the good guys from the bad guys before it costs her her life?
Fluff, plain and simple - and entertaining fluff, at that. The story begins slowly and didn't really grab me for about 75 pages, and Mary's habit of making a mystery out of every little thing was ridiculous enough to have me ready to give up; I'm very glad I didn't! The Blackstone Key is mostly mystery, a little adventure and a bit of romance; a light and fun read. The language in the book seems wrong for the era, and travel seems to happen far faster than it would have in reality, but I'm willing to overlook those things. MINOR SPOILER! If you apply logic, it's far too easy to pick out the bad guy (let's see, England's fighting France, we've got Captain Holland and Mr. Deprez... wow, tough one), which was probably an easily avoidable thing; certainly a spy would think of using a different name, perhaps not one so clearly French? This just seemed so remarkably lazy on the author's part that I'm disappointed.
As a middle-of-winter, need-an-escape book, Key is a very good pick.
- AnnaLovesBooks
Mary Finch is an orphan and a teacher at Mrs. Bunbury's, a place she appreciates but finds dull. Mary is too full of life and curiosity to be happy in boredom, so she gladly accepts her uncle's invitation to visit him. Along the way to his estate, Mary finds a mystery and meets several people with ties to that mystery. England and France are at war and smugglers are at work - right in her uncle's home, it seems! Using her wits, Mary manages to lend a hand to her country's cause, but is she sharp enough to sort out the good guys from the bad guys before it costs her her life?
Fluff, plain and simple - and entertaining fluff, at that. The story begins slowly and didn't really grab me for about 75 pages, and Mary's habit of making a mystery out of every little thing was ridiculous enough to have me ready to give up; I'm very glad I didn't! The Blackstone Key is mostly mystery, a little adventure and a bit of romance; a light and fun read. The language in the book seems wrong for the era, and travel seems to happen far faster than it would have in reality, but I'm willing to overlook those things. MINOR SPOILER! If you apply logic, it's far too easy to pick out the bad guy (let's see, England's fighting France, we've got Captain Holland and Mr. Deprez... wow, tough one), which was probably an easily avoidable thing; certainly a spy would think of using a different name, perhaps not one so clearly French? This just seemed so remarkably lazy on the author's part that I'm disappointed.
As a middle-of-winter, need-an-escape book, Key is a very good pick.
- AnnaLovesBooks
Helpful Score: 2
I picked this book up because it's Georgian period, and I like historical mysteries, especially if they have a hint of a developing relationship in them. At first I found it rather slow going -- perhaps my reader's reflexes have been ruined by so many of the wretched historical romances of recent years -- but I stuck with it and am glad I did. It is not dumbed down and doesn't insult my intelligence. The characters are not just 21st century people in funny old clothes; they speak and behave as people did in that era. It is much slower paced than we are used to, but that's a plus because it allows time to absorb the ambience. I would recommend it, but not to those looking for a fast read, rather to those looking for a book they can sink into.
Lanelle C. (nellybellc) - , reviewed The Blackstone Key (Mary Finch, Bk 1) on + 24 more book reviews
I have read this book several times. It's one of my favorites. Melikan tells a great story about a young woman who is willing to step out on a limb and go for what she wants. Unusual in those times. I can't wait to see what develops between the hero and the heroine.
