Silver Angel

I read this story ten years ago, and it stayed with me, though I never became a Lindsey fan. Now, later, I am reading a bunch of Johanna Lindsey and discovered this book again. I rank it as my favorite Johanna Lindsey (by now I have read about a dozen of them, and they are uneven: Warriors Woman, Hearts Aflame to name a few other good ones; Captive Bride & Heart of a Warrior at the other end of the scale as the worst). The story of Chantelle is very reminiscent of that of a French-American girl, Aimee Dubuc de Rivery, who at the age of 14, in 1741, was captured by Algerian pirates at sea, and forcibly placed in a sultan's Istanbul harem. She later bore him a son whose own accession to the throne made her an empress, and contemporary of Catherine the Great. The story is told elsewhere by Barbara Chase-Riboud (Valide), and also there was a movie made out of it called Stolen Innocence (I think), starring F. Murray Abraham. I've always found Aimee's story to be horrible. And it happened to countless women. So in Silver Angel, we have a proxy for what it might have been like to endure such a situation. And the story is charmingly told - there is a nice Englishman taking the place of the Dey, to lessen the horror of what it would be like to be a captive harem slave in a foreign environment. I also found it quite charming how the Englishman introduces Chantelle to the wonders of sex, against her will. There is a charming, extended, bit about Chantelle's loss of innocence and gain in the awakening of her body. Quite well done. And it has a happy ending, unlike that for countless real women through history, who no doubt did not have such a positive and romantic lover's experience.

"Silver Angel" is one of Lindsey's more exotic, detail-oriented romance novels. Set in Barikah in the Middle East, "Silver Angel" runs on the premise that Englishman Derek Sinclair impersonates the Dey of Barikah -- also his twin brother -- while the Dey seeks out his would-be assassin. In the meantime, Derek disrupts his brother's harem by pursuing a newly acquired, utterly rebellious concubine, beautiful Chantelle, who was kidnapped off the coast of England and sold into slavery. The detail Lindsey puts into everyday harem life is amazing, and you end up absolutely fascinated with the setting alone. Add to that the fact that Chantelle is a spirited, fiery, and vulnerable heroine, while Derek is a sexy (and considerate) master, and you end up with a sumptuous read. Amazingly, they don't actually make love until page 300, but their nonstop interplay is so sensual and passionate, you never even notice. There are several unforgettable moments in this novel, such as the first time Chantelle is brought to the Dey's palace, as well as the attempted poisoning. The secondary characters also capture your attention, including the eunuch in charge of guarding Chantelle, the Dey's first wife Sheelah, and Derek's mother, the grand dame of the harem. "Silver Angel" is only one of two Lindsey books set in the Middle East. The other is "Captive Bride," her first novel, and not a very good one at that. I highly recommend "Silver Angel" not only for its exotic locale and interesting tidbits about Arab life, but also for its smooth story, outstanding characters, and intensely satisfying romance.

I read this book about 10 years ago and I love it then. I just recently read it again and I still love it. Itis a great book to curl up with in the evening alongwith a box full of chocolates !

I loved this book because it was the first book by Johanna Lindsey that I read. I loved it and thought that no other book could top that, until I read her other books and I fell in more love with those. This is a good book, not the best, but a very good one. I loved the setting and all the details. Even though Derek didn't seem that bad, I was disappointed by his attitude, to just marry her off when he was done with her. All in all, I have to say it was a great book. I hope you enjoy it.

This one has elements which are very cool. Exotic location, intrigue, love, and humor---all woven into a tale worthy of a---well---pasha. Excellent plot and well written.