Customer Reviews

Masque of the Swan (Denise Little Presents)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Masque of the Swan is one of the best Romance novels I've ever read. Maybe The Best. Part Beauty and the Beast, part myth, part Phantom of the Opera, it delighted me, moved me, kept me guessing until the very end. I've read it a hundred times. And NO ONE else seems to know about this book. It's the ultimate hidden treasure on the bookshelf. Alas, where did the talented author go?

As a person who has never read any books or seen any films about The Phantom of the Opera, Masque of the Swan is a book that had me mystified and anxious through the entire story. It begins with the heroine Caralisa whom we're told, is an orphan living in a boarding school. The time setting is never told, so we're left to assume one according to the clothes the characters are described wearing which leads me to think around the 1500's, as this book has a lot of religious overtures which were quite common back then. She has no dowry and her godfather won't let her go out in Larissa society, so she is left behind only with her hopes and dreams. Caralisa can hear the songs of the wind, and she interprets them when she's by herself until one night, a masked man finds her singing and dancing by herself. He introduces himself as the Count of Samothrace, enigmatic and aloof, he proceeds to take her to a masquerade where she meets two men: one a cavalier with dubious intentions, and a young beautiful marquis who expresses his undying love for her. She runs away from both men with the help of Samothrace, and is soon pursued by the marquis in hopes of learning her name and place of residence to ask for her hand in marriage. Events occur that lead to the excommunication of Caralisa and the Church, threatened to be killed by a hired assassin, raped by a mad man, and is constantly rescued by a large black swan whom she dubs 'Lancelot'.

[SOME SPOILERS ALERT]

I find that Count Samothrace was certainly the only reason I continued to read the book, otherwise I would've given up before I even read the third chapter. As most stories go, this one moved a bit slow, however, halfway through the book it began to show more development and the tension between Caralisa and Samothrace is blatant. The fact that the Marquis fell in love with Caralisa when she had a mask and a costume on the entire time was unbelievable, but we're later told that, apart from being a shallow man/character, the marquis only loves beautiful things so I suppose it makes sense that he would want Caralisa. What I didn't understand was the love between Samothrace and the heroine. I felt she was a tad shallow, and undeserving of his love, but then again this could simply be me being jealous of a made up character :p. All in all, I rate this a 5/5 because of Samothrace's character, the swan 'Lancelot', the story behind these beautiful creatures and the way the author put it all together. I always enjoy books with gracious creatures be them dragons, elves mermaids or swans so of course this book won me over.

This book is basically one of the classic love story: girl falls in love with one guy, is pursued by another, and is befriended by and secretly admired by a third. What makes this book great is that the reader can feel the magic that is woven by the author. We experience Caralisa's dramatic escapades and are enlightened to her feelings and thoughts. Adventure after adventure leads her to a tough decision to make. She must make a choice between her mind's idea of a future husband and her heart's secret wishes. In the end, she is very pleased with her choice. This book is a definate must-have!

It's one of those books that you would give anything for, if the plot happened to you. You scream, laugh, cry and talk to the book. There are times you throw it away from you saying, "why doesn't she get it? " and there are times you must hold onto it to see what happens. I would recommend this to everyone.

Suffice to say I bought, read and misplaced this book a couple years ago. Until I found one last week I had been looking regularly for a used copy (just so I could put it with my other keepers). Oh how I wish she had more. If you get a chance, go for it!

Sincerely touched, Not everyday someone can come across a work that inspires them, perhaps others' seem a bit cliche`...or not fully doing the epic justice. But a few years ago I quickly picked up a novel in a dime store, and regretfully didn't get to read the resplendant lines till a few weeks ago, due to motherhood and the joys brought with it.

I honestly was swept away, never had I indulged into such a tale woven especially for myself.<Big smile>.. The unique combination of Fantasy AND History, not leaving out most important...Romance.. these categories masterfully set one into tears, joy and also relief at times. By emotions so easily provoked, I can only end this review in saying it is the pinnacle of ALL books I've ever read, and shall remain so. ;) Marie~

"Masque of the Swan" is a wonderful, romantic story set in the mystical town of Larissa, in a time resembling the Renaissance, although exact dates are never given. The heroine is a young orphan girl named Caralisa.

Caralisa attracts the attention of the dark, mysterious Count of Samothrace, who always wears a mask. The Count became intrigued by Caralisa after hearing her singing on the balcony of her school dormitory. Like Cinderella, while her friends attend a masked ball, Caralisa is told that she may not attend, and must remain in the school dormitory. Instead, she is secretly accompanied there by the Count, who provides her with a gorgeous costume and mask. While at the ball, Caralisa meets the young, handsome Marquis de St. Florian. Caralisa soon finds herself torn between the two men. Whom will she choose?

Along with the romantic aspects of this story, I enjoyed the details of the social structure, mythology and superstitions, political intrigue, and the powerful influence of the religious institution of the day.