Customer Reviews

The Cardinal's Heir

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Paris, 1642

Cardinal Richelieu is dead. Loved by a few but hated by many, the most powerful man in France was poisoned. Richelieu's baseborn but secretly beloved niece Francoise Marguerite de Palis, Comtesse de Pau, is one of the few who grieve over the elderly man's deathbed. She is determined to find the man or men who conspired to kill her uncle. A murder investigation is not the usual place to find a woman of the nobility, no matter that she is baseborn. But Francoise is different from most women. First, she's the head of the Cardinal's Eyes, an army of spies and assassins who provided Richelieu with all of his intelligence. Second, Francoise is arguably the most powerful Sorciere in all of France. With her uncle dead, Francoise would rather retire to Venice to live out her life in peace, but she promised to keep France safe and, of course, Richelieu's murder must be avenged. What's surprising is who assists her in her quest, handsome Captaine Jean de Treville, head of the King's Musketeers and the sworn enemy of the Cardinal's Eyes.

Jean de Treville is flabbergasted when he learns at Richelieu's deathbed that his worst enemy, one he has fought and lost to on more than one occasion, is a woman, and a woman he lusts after at that. Embarking on an investigation with a woman proves difficult, his protective instincts warring with his knowledge of Francoise's skills. Soon, they're at odds about her involvement in certain aspects of the case. But through it all, Jean knows that he is falling in love with the beautiful spy.

Together the two follow the leads which seem to implicate everyone from the King and Queen of France to Francoise's best friend and fellow spy, Andre. Francoise quickly realizes that she is pitting her skills against those of another Sorciere. As more members of the nobility succumb to the murderer, Francoise learns some devastating news; her husband may have been a part of the plot to kill Richelieu. Theirs is not a love match, but she never thought Antoine would go so far. Still, her uncle left her the means to annul the marriage, and she needs to think carefully about what she will do, especially with the feelings she has developed for Jean. But all is not what it seems, and neither is anyone involved in the case. Will Francoise and Jean find the murderer before he finds them? Can they resolve their feelings for each other in the midst of the confusion of the case?

THE CARDINAL'S HEIR is a thoroughly modern fantasy set amidst the backdrop of Richelieu's France. Francoise is not your ordinary seventeenth century woman. She knows her mind, and her internal monologues are amazingly funny. Francoise has confidence in herself and her abilities, and fights like a man when it's necessary. As a spy for her uncle, she has been privy to all of the secrets of the French politicos. Saddened that she was unable to save her uncle, Francoise is pleasingly surprised by Jean de Treville's advent into her life. Jean is an angelically handsome Musketeer whose belief in truth and honor sets him apart from most of the nobility of that time. Francoise is constantly waiting for him to show his true colors and can't help but fall for him when she realizes he is exactly who he says he is. Secondary characters are numerous but a few play key roles, including Andre, Francoise's best friend, and D'Artagnan, one of the original Three Musketeers.

For an absolutely enchanting tale filled with humor, magic, and mayhem, pick up a copy of THE CARDINAL'S HEIR today.

Kathy Samuels, Romance Reviews Today

I loved it! Smart, funny, impeccably researched, an absolute feast for fans of Dumas. You'll recognize Biscarrat and Kitty from The Three Musketeers, and Madeleine from Twenty Years After, all rendered with enjoyable revisionist twists. Fans of Joss Whedon will enjoy the writing style, especially the banter. Internal monologues are also hilarious.

Not a sappy romance, thank g-d.

His loyalty was to France and he protected her from her enemies but Cardinal Richelieu made many enemies in his use of power. Although a trusted advisor to King Louis XIII, the monarch chafed under the Cardinal's rule. At a soirée, Richelieu takes ill and his base born niece who he married to the Comte de Palais knows he was poisoned; even with all her magical powers, the Sorcerieress Francoise knows her uncle has only hours to live. He hands over the reigns of the Cardinal's Eye to his niece with the king's consent.

When he dies an anguished Francoise promises to avenge her uncle's murder; as a spymaster and a powerful shapeshifting sorceress she has the power to do it. While searching through her uncle's papers she notices that a group of men, including her horrible husband and her best friend belong to a group in which the last survivor gains the valuable jewel the Heart of Flame. Needing to protect her friend, Francoise investigates the deaths and becomes, almost against her will, romantically involved with the Comte de Traville who helps her in her quest which involves a sorcerer almost as powerful as Francoise and just as dangerous.

Fans of Judith Tarr are going to love THE CARDINAL'S HEIR, rich in historical detail and full of non-stop drama. The romance between Francoise and Jean starts off slowly so it feels believable and becomes something so beautiful that readers will root for the star crossed lovers who used to be enemies. Jaki Demarest is a talented storyteller who weaves magic into the storyline so that it doesn't overwhelm the readers. This is a fantastic work of romantic fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

I occasionally by books without carefully reading the blurbs, sometimes I seem to buy them unconsciously. When this happens I have a tendency to doubt my judgment and stick the book on a back pile. Such is what happened to The Cardinal's Heir, which languished for a year in my catacombs before I finally decided to read it. Now I fear that I have done the writer a disservice. The book is good, actually very good, and my review would have been more helpful a year ago, when it was more available and the writer's hopes were high.

Blame it on Cardinal Richelieu, who I've never liked. But, the good Cardinal dies quite early in the book, and the real star is Francoise Marguerite de Palis, his niece, who inherits the leadership of the Cardinal's Eyes, his spy network and must set about proving the worth of a woman in the excruciating politics of the court of Louis the XIII. Francoise is a hard pill to swallow - she is intelligent, deadly in her own right, fixated on finding Richelieu's killer, and a sorceress to be reckoned with in a France that still burnt witches.

Men, of course, are a complication in Francoise's life. André de Sorlin - faithful companion and master assassin, Jean de Tréville - Captain of the Musketeers and often Richelieu's opponent, and her husband - a man of little or no character and a great deal to pay for. Thus it should be since deep down below the plot line, this is a romance story Jaki Demarest deserves some note for creating one in which the plot is more important than the love scenes. She even indulges in some wanton character development, which makes this much more of a novel then a break neck passion fest.

Francoise's quest to solve her uncle's assassination keeps expanding. There is more at risk than just the lives of a few political enemies. Something darker is afoot, something that revolves around a ruby the size of a small Cadillac and a sorcerer who has no intention of stopping once his greed is satisfied. Although this tale is almost entirely fantasy it draws heavily on period France. So you will occasionally get an education in spite of yourself. And don't be too stunned when D'artagnan and similar characters wander through with bit parts. The tale is a confection, one that doesn't take itself too seriously. I wouldn't mind running into a sequel someday.

The infamous Cardinal Richelieu is dead, poisoned by one of his many enemies. But who? Long the defender of France and its monarchy his death creates not only havoc but a mystery for his dearly loved but baseborn niece Francoise de Palis, Comtesse de Pau and the unprofessed, closeted leader of his legion of mole's and assassins, known as The Cardinal's Eyes. Francoise swears revenge and aligns herself with her adversary, Captain Jean de Treville of the King's Musketeers. To complicate affair's she must also reveal she is a potent Sorciere with the ability to shape-shift. Together with the help of Musketeer's and Cardinal's Eyes alike they stray dangerously in pursuit of not only a murderer but a famous jewel that could well be the key to an entire conspiracy.

I thoroughly enjoyed Demarest's witty and sarcastic style which added a brilliant originality and vivacity to the tale. At times Francoise seemed lacking in the cleverness (hence the four stars) one would think would be vital to her position, still, the author manages to use this flaw in a positive way to illustrate the Comtesse's womanly side in a rather intriguing fashion.

The Cardinal's Heir was a brisk, compelling and by a stoke of brilliance, humorous read that I would heartily recommend to readers of both historical fiction and fantasy alike.

Demarest has a deft and skillful hand with politics; the book is interwoven with subtle moves and countermoves, all made by a tremendously enjoyable heroine. Francoise is a delight, as is Andre, and the friendship between them is particularly compelling.

The dialogue is swift and sharp, the characters are three-dimensional and the plot is fast-paced. I loved this book, absolutely loved it and would recommend it highly, especially to any woman over thirty. It's probably wasted on the young.

Echoes of Dumas! Ms. Demarest has written a noble tribute to Dumas' adventures. I had great fun reading it. And it's one book, one beautiful, not a freakin' series, book. Pick this one up if you can if you like true heroines and heroes.

Before I bought this book, I was fairly excited about reading it. It looked promising; the plot seemed interesting, as did the characters. I'm a fan of mystery, and The Cardinal's Heir seemed like it would have a fairly mature one.

Ugh.

I couldn't have been more wrong. This book is horrible. After reading 30 pages, I felt like I couldn't go on. The way Demarest writes is painful to read. Her attempts at wit fall very short-I LOATHE authors who try to be witty, but in a very conventional sense of the word. It's horrible, no? That's what happened here.

The dialogue, which, for me, absolutely needs to be well written, was atrocious. No other word can describe it. Demarest has set in the story in the mid 1600s, but the characters, especially Francoise, speak as we do today, slang included. It made me cringe every time I read the word "Yup." The only person that I liked were her husband-NOT enough.

The story also has absolutely no depth whatsoever. Yes there's a murder, but the whole thing still feels like a big ball of fluff. It's much too light. When you finish it, the most it'll get out of you is a "Well. Huh." And maybe you'll chuck it across the room like I did.

Also the "romance" was much too rushed, way too early. Not even one hundred pages in, and they're already having an "affair." Very unbelievable.

All in all, everything about the book felt like it was written by an anxious 12-year-old. Demarest's biography on the back does nothing to refute this claim.

I would have given this a book a zero, if that were available. I have no wish to be cruel, but I wonder if this author still plays with Barbie dolls. I also think she saw the Kiefer Sutherland / Charlie Sheen version of the Three Musketeers, and considered that research. Her story has even less depth than that movie, and I wouldn't have thought that possible. Don't waste the money.