The Duke of Shadows

Wow. This book was captivating! I had to wake up early for appointments and even though I was really tired, I stayed up until after 1am to finish it! I'll have to reread it because I was so desperate to get to the ending I know I had to be missing important bits. I loved the writing style and the two characters. There was heartbreak and joy and a host of other emotions throughout. This is set during a rebellion and there is some description of violence such as one would expect during fighting of that sort. I can't wait to read this book again.

In a phenomenally written historical romance about the Rebellion in India during the mid-1800's, Ms. Duran brings the splendor and trauma of this time to life and shows the richness of a culture that fought to remain, and the soldiers of England who were traumatized by this war. Yet in all the chaos, there is beauty and love between two remarkable characters, the very young and beautiful Emmaline Martin and the handsome and cynical Julian Sinclair, The Duke of Auburn. When Emma's fiancé's betrayal leaves Emma trapped in India with no other family to help save her and get her out of India, she has no choice but to turn to Julian for help. The situation they find themselves in turns into an attraction for each other that deepened into an intense love. During the turmoil of the rebellion, Julian loses Emma and thinking her dead, returns to England and mourns her for years. But Emma is very much alive and has felt deserted by Julian. Using her talent as an artist, she sketches and paints the horrors of the India Rebellion over the years and is then encouraged to show her art in a special showing. Julian, struggling through his mourning, is finally pushed to return to society. Considered a traitor in India and a hero in London, Julian feels lost in both worlds until without Emma until he attends the special art show, recognizes the artist by the work he sees and discovers his Emma is alive! Emma's love has turned to indifference at feeling abandoned, while Julian's deep loss turns to anger at the thought that Emma was alive and never contacted him. But the years of feeling betrayed between them both has really intensified their love. Will Emma and Julian learn to come to terms with the past and the present, while at the same time discovering who the real traitor in India was? In this well-written story, there is much intensity, mystery, and sensuality in a story that shows the ugliness of war, yet beauty and love that can rise from it all. Ms. Duran has done a wonderful job at research about a complicated time in history. The characters have such depth throughout the span of time of the story. It is sensual in a way that no other story could be given the time and situation the characters find themselves in. A Gather.com contest winner, The Duke of Shadows is truly a wonderful debut that reads as if it were written by a master of history and romance.

Clear your schedules; you're not going to want to stop reading for a second! I have been absolutely blown away by this emotionally charged romance. Every now and again I come across a truly phenomenal read and this is one for the record books. Meredith Duran wove a love story so real with so much fire my stomach was in knots. The chemistry between the leads was palpable as was the sensual tension. The love scenes were steamy but on a very emotional level. These two characters belong together and I was totally convinced of their love. At no time was I compelled to skim. In fact, I wanted to start the book over as soon as I finished it- something I haven't done in years. Brava, Ms. Duran!

After I finished this book, I immediately got on IM and sent messages to my friends, telling them I'd just glommed The Duke of Shadows. I begged them to get it at once, toss out their TBR list, and devour it immediately. I don't do story summaries. If you want the blurb, it's here on the page. This is homage. This is me, struggling to express all the ways the book succeeds, no, soars. Take a woman, saturated with loss. Cast her to a man who has worn so many faces, he is no longer sure which is his true self. In many ways, Julian is a soul divided, and Ms. Duran portrays it with such grace and valor that I will always, always remember this hero, and his love for the complex, passionate Emmaline. The Duke of Shadows was pitch-perfect, not a single wrong note. This book ravished me. The writing is lovely and luminous, bedizened with subtle poetry. It hit me like a fist in the chest, rousing a sudden, shocking ache. In reading this, you will be permeated with yearning. Some sentences are so lovely, they make you say, "Oh," in quiet, helpless admiration. This book is pure beauty married to elegance and simplicity. I could go on, but I think I will let you discover the rest yourself. I want to read The Duke of Shadows again, again, again. The characters were so well-drawn and compelling, and the plot smart and well-researched. And the emotional intensity...good God, it was gut-wrenching. I found myself in tears more than once, and that doesn't happen often. This book is perfection, better, in fact, than any historical romance I've ever read. I am astonished to find a work of such proficiency and power in a debut author. If Meredith Duran is not a superstar in ten years, taking her place amid such luminaries as Laura Kinsale and Loretta Chase, then the world is mad. Read this book.

As described from the book, it is a debut novel of intrigue, murder, and of course, love. The lead characters are Julian Sinclair, the Duke of Auburn and Emmaline Martin. They meet each other at a military house in India where Julian is conducting business with the Commissioner in regards to the Indian crisis. Across the crowd, he spots Emmaline, who seems to be alone and bored. He is indeed curious about her and decides to introduce himself. When they meet, you can feel the sexual tension between them. I loved the character of Julian who was strong, sexy, and definately all male. Of course, Emmaline was a rebel of sorts, not conforming to society and their standards of womens roles. This author has caught my interest and I hope you all will read this stunning book. It leaves one breathless.