Helpful Score: 4
A. Alters (Springfield, IL USA
This book tops my list of all-time favorite romances. Simply put, there's no other book like it. Certainly there's never been another hero remotely like Domenico. The story is about a Duke (Duke = King), somewhat uneasy on his throne, who sees a peasant girl in a window, buys her from her brother and forces her to become his mistress. But that short synopsis doesn't do justice to the intensity and complexity of the story, which weaves you through the politics of Renaissance Italy through the eyes of a woman who's more used to cleaning kitchens than consorting with noblemen, or the richness of the writing and characters.
Domenico, the Duke, is a remarkably complicated man. How many heroes have there been who would have a man horribly tortured because he was afraid the man had stolen his mistress's affections, have a man's legs broken because the other man was taller than him or who is clearly bisexual? Raised from birth in an atmosphere of distrust, obsequiousness and betrayal, he comes to us a man who has had most of the worst facets of his character rewarded throughout his life. There is a decidedly cruel streak in Domenico, and yet he's amazingly attractive - to both the men and women in the story, and to the readers. One might say he exudes sex appeal.
Be warned, this is a dark story - with a happy ending, of course. It's a cult classic that deserves more readership. It breaks my heart that we'll never see another story from Denys, but I thank her for writing a book I've enjoyed reading over and over through the years.
This book tops my list of all-time favorite romances. Simply put, there's no other book like it. Certainly there's never been another hero remotely like Domenico. The story is about a Duke (Duke = King), somewhat uneasy on his throne, who sees a peasant girl in a window, buys her from her brother and forces her to become his mistress. But that short synopsis doesn't do justice to the intensity and complexity of the story, which weaves you through the politics of Renaissance Italy through the eyes of a woman who's more used to cleaning kitchens than consorting with noblemen, or the richness of the writing and characters.
Domenico, the Duke, is a remarkably complicated man. How many heroes have there been who would have a man horribly tortured because he was afraid the man had stolen his mistress's affections, have a man's legs broken because the other man was taller than him or who is clearly bisexual? Raised from birth in an atmosphere of distrust, obsequiousness and betrayal, he comes to us a man who has had most of the worst facets of his character rewarded throughout his life. There is a decidedly cruel streak in Domenico, and yet he's amazingly attractive - to both the men and women in the story, and to the readers. One might say he exudes sex appeal.
Be warned, this is a dark story - with a happy ending, of course. It's a cult classic that deserves more readership. It breaks my heart that we'll never see another story from Denys, but I thank her for writing a book I've enjoyed reading over and over through the years.
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