Customer Reviews

The Music of the Night (Signet Eclipse)

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

 

 

"The Music of the Night" is a refreshingly idiosyncratic and well-written historical romance set in Venice during the Victorian era. The story is basically a revenge tale with a very unique and interesting heroine caught between two feuding aristocratic rakes. There is so much to admire about this book--particularly the unusual, evocative setting and the very unconventional, flawed heroine, but unfortunately the story runs out of gas with half of the book left to go. The good news is that the first half of the book is so good that it *almost* makes up for the relatively flat second half.

The heroine of the story is Sarah Connolly, base-born and gutter-bred, she has managed to fight her way out of the slums of London and gain enough polish and education to become a lady's companion. But Sarah cannot hide the history of her low-birth since it is written on her face in the form of smallpox scars (which any middle or upper-class child apparently would have been vaccinated against during that era.) Sarah is a compelling character--worldly and intelligent, but vulnerable to the malevolent attentions of the hero and his rival due to her status as a servant and her own lack of self-esteem.

The hero of the story, Sebastian Grimsthorpe, the Earl of Wortham, is a less developed (and therefore, less interesting) character, IMO. Sebastian is a typical gorgeous, decadent, hedonist nobleman until a personal crisis forces him to re-examine his life and his priorities. When his 12-year old illegitimate daughter is raped during one of his own debauched house parties, Sebastian is devastated and has her attacker (his former friend, Bertrand de Lint) brought to trial. When de Lint is acquitted of the crime and an attempt is made on Sebastian's life, Sebastian fakes his own death and heads off to Venice after Bertrand for some serious *revenge*. Unfortunately, Sarah gets caught in the middle of all this when she signs on to the Venice trip as a companion for Bertrand's mother, Lady Merrill.

The plot during the first half of the book is *so* compelling, with Sarah being lured into a romance with Sebastian despite her conviction that his intentions are suspect (to say the least), while at the same time fighting off the unwanted attentions of de Lint. Unfortunately, the story loses a lot of its momentum (and dramatic tension) during the second half of the book, although Sebastian continues to press forward with his convoluted revenge plot against de Lint. The conventional storybook ending seems rather mismatched with the darker, more mature tone of the rest of the book.

In summary, this is very original and richly written historical romance with a marvelously unusual setting and a heroine who definitely breaks out of the traditional "historical romance formula". The story is not flawless and there are some serious pacing problems with the plot, but it is refreshing to see an author who is willing to take some chances with her characters and settings.

Recommended, particularly for historical romance lovers who enjoy darker, more complex stories with genuinely flawed heroes and heroines.

Lydia Joyce drives home a winner with THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT and presents her reader with a story far above the average. Brilliantly, Ms. Joyce unwraps a dramatic, bold, and very sexy `affaire de coeur'.

Sarah Connolly lives in the shadows. She lives among the gentry, but in the background. She is one of the ordinary souls who attend and pamper the elite. Sarah Connolly is a lady's companion; she is a servant. Sarah Connolly will never belong. Still, she wants. Yet, she does not deceive herself. Sarah knows her place in life. She is aware of her plain, scarred face and her wretched background, but still she wants - she wants someone to desire her, not her femininity, but her person - her ugly, scarred body.

Sebastian Grimsthorpe, the Earl of Wortham will have his day. He will make the person pay, the person who brutally raped and battered his daughter. Such revenge will take planning and timing, but vengeance will be his. Sarah Connolly is nothing but a means to an end. Sarah Connolly is nothing more than . . . admirable? What was this unsettling feeling flickering through Sebastian? Was it guilt? Never! He felt nothing. Sarah Connolly was nothing more than a common trollop. Sarah Connolly was a harlot of the lowest form. So what was this feeling?

THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT is intense, ambitious, and extremely adult. Ms. Joyce grabs her reader and forces them to see the ugliness of mankind. Wisely, the author shoves stark realism into the foreground and presents her reader with grim reality - reality based on poverty, disease, and class distinction. THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT is a first-class journey. Be mindful, it is not an easy journey, it is not a comfortable journey, but it is a first-class journey! So why not the perfect grade, because Joyce's ending slipped. Sebastian and Sarah deserved better than the shallow climax the author delivered. Lydia Joyce wrote a gem, but her glorious story deserved a big solid finale, not something bordering on normal!
Grade: A-

MaryGrace Meloche.

Sebastian Grimsthorpe, Lord Wortham, has nothing but revenge in mind. He wants to destroy Bertrand de Lint, the man he believes raped his young illegitimate daughter. He finds the opportunity to do so one night when he suffers an accident in his carriage. He decides to stage his own death and in Venice, under the guise of a mysterious host wearing nothing but masks, Sebastian takes advantage of the opportunity to ruin the man the same way he had ruined his daughter. Then he meets Sarah Connolly. She is a young woman who works with de Lint's family and whom he believes to be de Lint's mistress. He hopes to use her as a tool for revenge. But then the woman begins to intrigue him. There is something arresting about her. Could it be her somber mood? Could it be the scars on her face? Sarah has a dark past and feels she has finally found some normalcy working as a lady's companion to Lady Merrill. But her life soon takes an interesting spin when she encounters a man who hides in the dark, staring at her, and who invites her to masquerade balls and seduces her. These two tortured souls come together in the most unconventional way and what lies ahead is nothing but secrets and treachery. There are some twists throughout the novel.

This Victorian gothic has all of the ingredients to make this quite a dark, compelling read. The first few chapters are very entertaining and Lydia Joyce sets the right tone for the plot and its characters with the interesting prologue. I like Sebastian because he comes across as such an eccentric character from the get-go and his funky disguises and masks make him all the more mysterious. Sarah is the secretive heroine with a tortured soul and low self-esteem due to her scars. What does the tall, dark and handsome nobleman with beautiful green eyes want with a scarred, insignificant woman such as herself? She is wary of his actions and has every reason to be. Their first encounter in a masquerade ball is one of the best scenes in the novel because the sexual tension between them is almost palpable. The novel is fine and dandy until about the middle. Then it starts to lag so much that I just wanted the novel to come to an end. I think the story should have been at least fifty pages shorter. The second half of the book is mostly filler and the heroine's self-consciousness gets a bit tedious after a while. Other than that, this is a very interesting Victorian gothic with quite a fascinating backdrop of Venice and a plot and style that is far from formulaic. I am impressed with Lydia Joyce because she writes with a nice, fluid prose and adds just the right amount of darkness to the story. I wish I had given her first book (The Veil of Night) a whirl before this one. Despite its slow ending, I recommend The Music of the Night if you're in the bargain for a unique brand of Victorian gothic romance.

The first Lydia Joyce book was, for me, not a bad experience. I absolutely loved (right off the bat) the dark, brooding atmosphere that was prevalent throughout. There was such a dramtic sense of foreboding right from the beginning. I thought this was mainly due to the conflict between the hero and the supposed "bad guy", but realized towards the end that it had more to do with the hero and heroine's interactions instead. Can they overcome their problems? Will they "get togother"? I was pretty hooked on this book, almost all the way till the end.

Sarah Connolly is a young woman who is hiding her course, common past while working as a lady's companion. She's struggled all her life to rise above her life in London's rookery, the roughest, seediest place there was at the time. While fighting off rude questions, suggestions and other comments from her lady's son, de Lint, she travels to Venice with them as well as her lady's granddaughter, and two of her young friends. Sarah is determined to make a place in the world for herself, and she means to do it by quietly serving, never expecting anything much better than that. That is, until she meets Sebastian Grimsthorpe, Lord Wortham. Grim, as he's called, has a score to settle with de Lint, whom he believes assaulted his daughter. Grim will use anyone in his path to bring about his revenge, even unsuspecting Sarah.

I loved this book almost from the start. Again, that dark atmosphere just drew me right in and I felt like I was on that boat to Venice with Sarah, or experiencing to sights of Venice through her eyes. Sarah was a wonderfully vivid character, one that had to make the kind of choices early on in life that would forever mark her as a person unworthy of love, respect and sometimes even kindness from those far above her station. She tries valiently to be content with where she's gotten, but when Sebastian awakens her true passions, she realizes she wants much, much more out of life. Sebastian is, unfortunately thoughout most of the book, a cold-hearted and misguided man. I hesitate to even call him a hero, because he was by no means a hero to Sarah in some ways, using her for his purposes till the bitter end. But he did give Sarah something of what she wanted at times - trust, confidence, for example, when he puts her in charge of his household in Venice. I just wished that his love for her would have been more evident before the very end of the book. Heck, even in the epilogue Sarah is still not certain enough of Sebastian to know whether or not to confide something important to him. I was unhappy with the way their relationship turned out to say the least.

"The Music of the Night" gets four stars for the wonderful environment and imagery that is prevalent throughout the book. I even loved Sarah for her her determination in a world that didn't think she deserved a chance. I do think she deserved a better hero than Sebastian though. Still, it's a great book and I'm looking forward to reading more of Lydia Joyce's work.

I enjoyed Ms Joyce's first book THE VEIL OF THE NIGHT, but this her second, I found absolutely fabulous. Dark, rich, compelling and sensual it's a nice meaty read to tuck yourself into. If you're looking for a light, quick read look elsewhere.

Sarah Connolly was born and raised on the mean streets of the St Giles rookery. She's seen much ugliness in her short life and has the scars, both physical and emotional, to prove it. She "wears her life story in her face" in the form of scars left from smallpox. Scars that brand her as of the lower classes as by Victorian times, anyone of the mid-upper classes would have had access to innoculations and other treatments. She's pulled herself out of her do-anything-to-survive life with the help of her friend Maggie who married a gentleman. With Maggie's support, Sarah enrolled in a school for young ladies where she acquired an education and a level of refinement. Now she has taken a position as a companion to Lady Merrill and looks forward to a nice quiet life of servitude. However, when she accompanies Lady Merrill and her party to Venice, her life is about to be turned upside down. For one thing, she feels uncomfortable in the presence of Lady Merrill's rather malevolent son, Mr de Lint who seems bent on seduction or worse. Second, she seems to have attracted the attention of very handsome stranger who invites her to a masquerade! Though she questions his motives, suspecting he has a nefarious purpose, she cannot resist the opportunity to attend the ball, wear the lavish costume and mask he provides and enjoy the beauty of the evening. But what price will she pay for her weakness?

Sebastian Grimsthorpe, Earl of Wortham had lived a life of privilege and, for the last decade or so, debauchery. Often his partner in such revels was Bertrand de Lint, but de Lint betrayed Sebastian's friendship in a violent and ugly attack on Sebastian's illegitimate twelve-year-old daughter. Though de Lint denies his guilt, Sebastian just cannot let it go and simmers with impotent rage at the injustice of it all. An accident in his gig that nearly kills him gives him the idea to allow the world to think him dead so that he can pursue his revenge against de Lint unencumbered. He follows de Lint and party to Venice and notices in their company a compelling young woman with scars on her face. He recalls that a pock-marked woman was involved in the assault on Adela and assumes that this woman is de Lint's mistress. And now yet another target of Sebastian's pitiless revenge. Unfortunately, while he plans to use her, he is also drawn to her in a way he cannot fully understand.

From their first encounter, Sebastian and Sarah are very much attracted to one another though each is wary of the other. Why would such a handsome man pay such attentions to a scarred woman obviously below him in class? What is he up to and how does it involve her? As for Sebastian, he knows he should loathe her, but at the same time, he cannot resist his attraction to her. She's a distraction he does not need and he will not allow these strange feelings to deter him from his purpose. Soon all will be revealed and his revenge will be complete. But there are some unexpected twists to this tale of revenge . . .

Sarah is a wonderful heroine and I felt for her at the indignities and injustices she suffers in her life and the dignity, pride and grace with which she confronts them. I often teared-up in sympathy! Now Sebastian is another story. Some will likely dislike him, but I found him interesting in his rather charmless, ruthless way. Oh, for sure he has the ability to charm, but he rarely uses it in his initial encounters with Sarah. He's too driven to avenge Adela, but even more to asuage his own guilt. Guilt over his own past bad behavior, little better than de Lint's. Guilt over they way he uses Sarah (and he does) and guilt for his benign neglect of his daughter. My only issues are a few slow spots and the ending which was a bit abrupt and an epilogue that was a little too "happily ever after" for my taste. Still, all and all, this is one of the best books I've read this year and it's highly recommended! Looking forward to her next one!

Sarah's early life had been one of survival on the less than fashionable streets of London in whatever capacity she could. Growing up poor she'd survived smallpox but for the scars. Through the generosity of a good friend she had been sent to school and now there was a light shining at the end of the tunnel. She had a chance at a new life, as companion to an elderly and kind woman. On a trip to Venice, she discovered that not all of the family was as kindly as her employer.

Upon arriving Sarah also sensed then spied a watcher that kept to the shadows, a man who seemed to be able to see beyond her scars. The air of mystery surrounding him would compel her to follow, and the passion he aroused would make her doubt the paths she knew she should take.

Sebastian Grimsthorpe, Earl of Wortham had led a privileged carefree life, as most men of his class did -- taking his pleasure whenever and wherever - with one caveat of never really hurting anyone. Unfortunately all good things come to an end, and in one night, an incident so vile in nature, and of such a supreme betrayal of trust would forever change Sebastian. Now, he lives and breathes in shadows, hiding behind masks in order to exact revenge against a man he once called friend. Only, one thing stands in his way - a woman whose beautiful eyes seem to see through him and his nefarious plans; a woman he would soon betray, yet it would be her that would save both his life and his soul before he made a most horrific mistake in his plan of revenge.

-- This was a very compelling and thoughtful read that conveyed both mystery, danger and a deep sensuality. Sarah was drawn with strength and character as a woman embarking on a new life of quiet servitude. A life that she had fought hard to attain, yet because of something she sensed in Sebastian, she took chances that in the end would cause her downfall from the life she so dearly wanted. One phrase stood out that I thought clearly exemplified Sarah's motivations and why she took a `chance' with the man of mystery -

"Because you, this night, everything - it is a kind of dream of beauty. And there is so little, that is beautiful in my life."

Those words unmanned Sebastian yet his thirst for revenge even as he sensed that Sarah might be an innocent, was greater and so he still went ahead with plans that jeopardized her livelihood. This story was powerful, sensual, extremely well-written, AND I never saw the surprise twist ending coming! I won't tell, so read it yourself to find out!! This was a total read and one I can highly recommend. Very well done Ms. Joyce!

Music of the night is the type of book where most of the characters are very ambiguous and have hidden motives that are topsy turvy and a bit confusing. There are many villians of this piece and the people involved in the mystery are not innocents in the least. The story is very dark and graphic in an almost fake atmosphere of seduction and passion.
The heroine Sarah has a past unlike most heroines that have been written. She has scars physically and emotionally. She has also risen from the slums of London from a help of a friend who has married well (Her friend gets her own book which was written after this book. It seems Music of the Night was sold first and then the one about Sarah's friend Maggie called Voices of the Night)
She comes to Italy as a companion to an older woman and her extended family for the holiday. On the surface it looks like Sarah has a comfty position, but due to her employer's son, she will never be at peace.
Sebastian wants revenge against De Lint (Sarah's employer's son). He did something so horrible to Sebastian's daughter that he must pay. Sebastian follows De Lint to Italy where he spies Sarah. She will help with the downfall of his enemy and then he will be avenged.
Of course the whole revenge scenario is not easy. Sebastian is almost as bad as De Lint and what he does to Sarah at times is repulsive. But Sarah sees the good in Sebastian and even helps him with his revenge till the final act where the lies and manipulations are too much and someone really innocent will pay.
Lydia Joyce writes a very atmospheric piece with very seductive and erotic scenes between Sebastian and Sarah. Sarah does not make any excuses for the life she had to live up to this point and only wants the small things in life. You do feel for the girl. Sebastian on the other hand is not a three-dimensional. Yes his revenge makes sense but the whole plot seems in vain. We are given reasons why, but it basically comes down to how far will you go till it is too much? And when someone comes into your life that you can love and can help with forgiving yourself, well why would you want to hate so much? It seems so mute in the end.
All in all, for a gothic, sensual love story where love and forgiveness is the key, this is a recommended read.

Katiebabs
Voices of the Night (Signet Eclipse)

Sarah Connolly barely survived the poverty of the worst slums of London when an opportunity through a caring friend arises that enabled her to attend school. Now a new chance to improve her lot in life occurs when she is offered the position of companion to an elderly woman in Venice; feeling the woman is kind she accepts.

Earl Sebastian Grimsthorpe had lived a hedonistic life until a betrayal by a friend Bertand de Lint and an explosion while driving his coach destroyed more than his visage; it ripped asunder his soul. Now he hides behind shadowy masks living for vengeance only waiting for the right moment. That is until he meets Sarah; she somehow sees behind the mask and begins to heal his heart. Will love be enough to prevent a second tragedy or will his festering anger overwhelm their relationship before she mends his soul?

In some ways this powerful romantic suspense that grips the reader from the moment the lead couple meet and never slows down feels like a gothic thriller as the innocent heroine falls in love with the brooding male protagonist. The action-packed story line is character driven especially by Sarah, who expects a life of tranquility as a servant, which is all she wants as a street urchin cannot expect to achieve more until she encounters the enigmatic Earl. As she risks everything that she worked so hard to obtain to reach out to the man she loves, fans will hope she succeeds knowing that Sebastian lives for revenge not love. A final twist will shock the audience though afterward this subplot will seem obvious leaving fans to rejoice for having read a wonderful historical.

Harriet Klausner

Sebastian Grimthorpe, Earl of Wortham, is bent on revenge after his former friend, Bertram deLint, raped Sebastian's young, illegitimate daughter. A carriage accident gives Sebastian the excuse to fake his death, and he goes to Italy, where he makes an elaborate plan to pay deLint back.

When deLint and his family arrive, Sebastian notices a young woman with a pock-marked face, and remembers the mistress who'd abetted deLint in the rape, so he decides to add her to his scheme.

The scarred woman, however, is deLint's mother's companion, Sarah Connolly. She'd been born in the slums (hence the pox marks), but has raised herself as high as she's able, given her past.

The more Sebastian sees of Sarah, the less he wants to involve her in his plan for revenge. Still, his guilt over not protecting his daughter drives him to revenge, even though he knows it'll destroy Sarah's regard for him.

Sarah, on the other hand, is happy to have his attention and affection, but her knowledge of her status is deep-rooted, and she can't believe her future holds anything better than working as a companion until she's too old, hopefully accruing enough savings to support herself in her old age.

So they're both holding back, but of course, love is a steamroller.

The ending fell a little flat for me. I'm not sure how I was expecting it to turn out, and I loved the twist, but I think the villain's recitation of his misdeeds was my biggest problem. It seemed forced, like an actor in a play addressing the audience directly.

There was also the issue of a certain part of Sarah's past. It seemed tacked on at the end, almost like a change of mind. I couldn't figure out a good reason for the deception, nor a reason for what amounted to "oh, by the way...." I guess I just wish it had been either left out or expanded on.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Venice setting. It's been over 22 years since I was there, but the descriptions still evoked memories. I also enjoyed the characters trying very hard not to fall in love with each other. I'd figured out Sebastian's revenge plot ahead of time, but it still kept me on the edge of my seat, begging him not to go through with it.

I'd read (and loved) The Veil of Night (Signet Eclipse) when it first came out, but unfortunately forgot to keep looking for Lydia Joyce's books. I've remembered now, and don't think I'll forget again. I have her next two books in my TBR pile.

I purchased this book based on all the reviews being so good and found my self disapointed. After finishing this book I felt let down. The book fell flat for me on all counts. Sebastian's character was so bland and his need for revenge was plausable but I never cared about him one way or another. Sarah's character I found slightly better. Yes todays romance novels usually fall under the catagory of 19 year virgins so it was nice to read about something different for a change but a woman who was a whore years back - that's stretching it a little. Sarah's character never seemed to stay true to who she was. She seems vulnerable on all counts and lonely and a host of other depressing qualities and wants to better her life by being a lady's companion but then she meets Sebastian and he then takes her to his place and they have sex. She's obviously looking for respectability, wanting to change and make a better life than the one she was raised in but then proceeds to do the complete oposit by sleeping with him. Then when she thinks her time with Sebastian is over she tells him she would like to be a courtesan. Again she seems to make me change my opinion of her at every turn. Yes she had a bad life and the choices she made in the past reflect the person she is today but why go back. It made no sense. But having said all that I did find it nice that dispite her lack of beauty (pock marks) Sebastian was still able to find beauty inside of her.

This is not one of my favorites books and I was a little disapointed. It just seemed alittle on the dark depressing side. If your looking for a fun light hearted read don't read this but if your looking for something different this might be it.