Customer Reviews

The Master of all Desires

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you have not read anything by Judith Merkle Riley, you are in for a treat. Riley, a political science professor at the prestigious Claremont Colleges in California, must be one heck of a lecturer because her books fly through history, weaving strands of politics, culture, humor and magic together into an irresistible tapestry. "The Master of All Desires" is Menander the Undying, purveyor of anyone's deepest wishes (at a small price of your soul, of course) who now takes the form of a grisly mummified head in a box. No one understands him and he is cranky all the time, especially now that he has fallen into the hands of someone who absolutely refuses to wish for anything. Sibille is new to Paris, has very big feet and an overblown sense of her own refinement but she is no fool and knows what the cost of any poorly worded wish will be. No so scrupulous are those around her, including the Queen of France and the King's mistress Diane de Portiers. They'll happily take Menander off Sibille's hands . . .except they can't. Will she ever be able to unload this awful box that materializes wherever she goes and nags her all night long? Can Nostradamus help-and would he if he could? Intelligent, funny, surprising, and full of action,"The Master of All Desires" is historical fiction at its best.

What a delightful blending of historical fact to fictional fancy. The story follows a well know historical triangle between Queen Catherine de Medici , her husband, King Henri II, and his lover, Diane de Poitiers. Then through in an elderly and cranky Nostradamus and you've got a funny and entertaining novel.

It would appear that both Queen Catherine and Diane de Poitiers want to get their hands on The Master of All Desires, aka Menander the Undying. Menander is a disembodied head that can grant any wish. The problem is he has a nasty habit of granting your wish, but always with the classic saying "Be careful what you wish for." Meanander is in the hands of a young Sibille Artaud de La Roque who refuses to make a wish and is trying to free herself of Menander so that she can marry her love Nicolas and have a normal life.

The result is a true delight that feels like a modern day Shakespeare comedy. I can't wait to read more of Ms. Riley's work.

My star ratings:

One star - couldn't finish the book
Two stars - read the book, but did a lot of skipping or scanning. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection or search out other books by the author
Three stars - enjoyable read. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection. Would judge other books by the author individually.
Four stars - Liked the book. Would keep the book or would look for others by the same author.
Five start - One of my all time favorites. Will get a copy in hardback to keep and will actively search out others by the same author.

I enjoy all of JMR's novels of this genre (Oracle Glass & Serpent Garden) - I love the strong willed "underdog" female lead characters, their feminist attitudes in a society that treats them as property, and the sarcastic humor of their other-world friends. I laughed out loud at "the master of all desires" throughout this book. An enjoyable read, lots of fun, set among rich detail.

Sibille is not a 100% sympathetic character to JMR readers, which I think, is the reason why not all reviewers like Sibille and thereby consider her "flat". Margaret of Ashbury (in JMR's Vision of Light & In Pursuit of the Green Lion) was the kind of woman we all wanted to be. Sibille seems to fall short of that; however, this does not make her "flat," she just happens to be flawed with something that we sometimes see in ourselves and don't like. It is precisely this character development and deviation that makes JMR a great author. JMR's women are all different, in their wonderful and horrible ways. We may not be 100% sympathetic, but that is what makes them full-bodied, seemingly living, breathing women: they are like us, flawed.

There are 4 main elements that draw me to JMR's books, and Master of All Desires fulfills all these elements:

1. Real women. As said above, Sibille is young and imperfect. Being near to her age I can identify with the growing pains, and the realization of the flaws of how I perceive myself. This is what makes her a "real" woman (who just happens to be young and inexperienced).

2. Mystical elements. These are obvious: the talking, shriveled, smart-alecky head; the disorganized angel of the future; Sibille's uncanny "luck". All these things add to the story.

3. Unusual stories and odd circumstances. This is what makes the book fun, suspenseful, and a compelling read.

4. Wonderful historic settings. How many modern authors write such excellent historical fiction with these kinds of settings? I can count them on one hand.

Don't miss her other books, especially Vision of Light and In Pursuit of the Green Lion.

While I agree with the reader from NYC that the characters of Sibille and Nicolas aren't as well defined as the characters in Judith Merkle Riley's other books, there is no doubt in my mind that she is the best historical/romance fiction author of our time. Although the main characters are a little one dimensional at times, it is obvious that they are written with love and humor. Riley's meticulous eye for detail and talent for drawing the reader into another time and place more than makes up for that slight deficit. I'd say that Master of All Desires holds its own with her other books. I loved her characterization of Nostradamus and his spirit of the future, Anael, who is wonderfully described as long and blue, and composed of whirling lights. Menander the Great (who is the Master of All Desires and a head in a silver box) is sinister and often amusing as the diabolical tempter that steals souls for wishes. Sibille's Aunt Pauline is a hoot as the widow of a pirate who lives in a house filled with the ghosts of those killed by her dead husband. Each of these main characters along with the minor ones all add up to an atmospheric and hard to put down story of 16th Century France. As with Riley's other books, I took forever to read Master of All Desires, partly because it was so wonderful, and partly because she probably won't hurry up and write another one any time soon. Read this book and then read all of her other ones, they are all definitly keepers.

This was my second foray into the world of Judith Merkle Riley's work. My first, "The Oracle Glass," was good. But I really liked "The Master of All Desires" much better.

I *really* liked these characters. Sibille seems very real to me. True, she isn't perfect, but I think that's what I enjoyed most about her. She is intelligent, passionate, and a bit conceited, not a great beauty. Aunt Pauline is the epitome of the widowed rich aunt, eccentric, too old to put up with nonsense. Nostradamus as a cranky old man is delightful. And Menander, the Undying Head and Master of All Desires is wickedly funny. In fact, all the ghosts and ghoulies seem to have distinct personalities, reminiscent of the spirits haunting Hogwarts in Harry Potter's world.

The verbal jousting and fencing between the ladies and Menander is priceless. The conversation is first-rate, giving the appearance that matching wits with a 2000-year-old mummified head was a perfectly normal thing to do in 16th-century France. Nostradamus' dealings with Anael, the disorganized keeper of History and the Future was equally delightful.

And while all this is going on, the history of France is being shaped by the Queen, the King, and the King's mistress. The power struggles among these three are all influenced by Menander, in ways no one anticipated.

Full of surprises, witty, and with a distinct point of view -- "The Master of All Desires" is definitely worth a read.

I've been a fan of Riley ever since I read "The Oracle Glass." Lately I've been reading all of her books all at once in a fit of passion for historical fiction. So I've had the distinct pleasure of watching her progress as a writer, getting steadily better and better. This, being her latest, is probably her most well-written book. Maybe not my favorite, but it showcases really suberb writing skills.

One of the great things about it is the humor. Riley's books have always been marketed as humorous, but except for a few sniggers, I always thought they were more dramatic romances. This is the first book of hers that's made me laugh out loud, and often (which is rare in books -- for some reason I'm rather humorless when reading, unless it's done REALLY well). It's a wonderfully frothy book, with a cast that redefines the word 'colorful.' A pair of high-strung lovers, a ball-busting aunt with a house full of ghosts, a malevolent queen, a truculent prophet, and a talking head. (You heard me.) This book is really an ensemble piece, something I don't remember ever seeing pulled off so flawlessly. No one really takes center stage -- despite the ingenue, Sibille, being the plot's focus, she inevitably fighting for your attentions with the hilariously crochety Nostradamus and the charasmatic Catherine de Medici. It's... well, it's just fun.

Or it would be, except for the undeniably dark overtones throughout. "Master of All Desires" contains a lot of fascinating historical and political information of the time, and alludes heavily to an event not portrayed in the book: the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. So I'd reccomend one of my favorite movies, "Queen Margot," in addition to this book. It will give you a future glimpse of many of the (historical) characters, as well as portray the massacre in horrifying detail. It's the only French history I knew of before reading the book, and I think I did okay. So, watch it before, or watch it after. Whatever floats your boat.

My only complaint was the book didn't really stick to the classical stucture of climax, denoument, etc, so I felt like it dragged in places, but that's a purely personal thing. Go out and read this book!

Though not without a sense of whimsy, This book (like all of Judith Merkle Riley's books) deals with a strong and interesting female lead character and tells her story well. The story is propelled partly by the political machinations so common to the time -- so if you simply cannot deal with politics, do not read this book. The politics are portrayed in saucy enough manner that I doubt anybody could find them dry or boring, and Ms. Riley lays them out in a clear manner. The interactions of a frence demoiselle, her eccentric aunt, Nostradamus, a war, a demon, and various assorted roaylty and sycophants combine in a very amusing and interesting manner.

I've been a fan of Ms. Riley since "A Vision of Light" and have never been disappointed by her books. "The Master of All Desires" is no exception. It lacks the power and scope of "The Oracle Glass". Somehow the characters are not quite as compelling and the plot doesn't have the same suspense and immediacy. But this is a great read all the same, and I'd recommend it to both fans and JMR novices. As always, historical characters (Nostradamus, Catherine de Medici, Mary Queen of Scots) wander in and out of the scene, adding to the fun. I also enjoy the hint of the supernatural in her books; Anael was a great addition to this one!

Riley's mix of history, feminism, and sly humor keeps me smiling while I turn the pages. The formulaic nature of her books (misunderstood, slightly misfit heroine, happy ending) is part of what I enjoy--it's a real pleasure to read her. I am also a university professor in history, and applaud her atmospheric history lite.