Ondine [Mass Market Paperback]

Shannon Drake (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1996

Ondine, once a pampered lady, becomes an innocent pawn in a terrible game of power and influence that ends in her being condemned to death, and she is rescued by the vengeful Lord Chatham, who needs a wife for his own purposes. Original.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Good news! Zebra Books is reissuing the early Shannon Drake classics. Fans will recognize Shannon (who also writes as Heather Graham and Heather Graham Possezzere) and her husband Dennis on the cover. This is the second time the couple have posed for one of Shannon's books. Beautifully written and incredibly complex, Ondine is set in England during the reign of Charles II. It offers readers everything from political intrigue, divided loyalties, treachery, and revenge, to sweet love and stronger bonds while weaving throughout the mythology of the undine water nymph as well as articulating the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 478 pages
• Publisher: Zebra Books (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821754149
• ISBN-13: 978-0821754146
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #765,152 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Buried Treasure of a Read: Highly recommended, August 5, 2004

By 

avidbookreader "Keishon" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ondine (Paperback)

I did happen to read one other Shannon Drake novel that I couldn't put down: No Other Man. It was good but the other books in the series were too cliched and predictable. ONDINE is a great example of a book that has a nice balance of mystery, romance and intrique. I did like the fact that the couple seem to work together and communicate with each other and there didn't seem to be ridiculous plot contrivances for the sake of having one in the plot. I really enjoyed this novel and think it is a buried treasure of a read. Highly recommend this book.

Other authors I would recommend: Kathleen Eagle, Laura Kinsale, Connie Brockway and Judith Ivory.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Here's the Shannon Drake I'm used too..., August 1, 2003

By 

"gecko874" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ondine (Paperback)

It seems to me that Shannon Drake is using the same plot in most of her books: heroine and hero are enemies, they are forced together, they fight for most of the book, and right when you are about to burn the book in frustration, they FINALLY realize that they love each other. A prime example of this is Princess of Fire.

Ondine, however, was, in my opinion, Drake's best book. It had a plot to it that supported the characters, versus a watered-down plot held together soley by the characters. It had the perfect mixture of plot, mystery, romance and history. There was character conflict, but not to the extent that she sometimes gets carried away to. I would definitely reccomend this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Gothic with contemporary twist, May 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ondine (Mass Market Paperback)

Not being a 'Gothic' fan, reading Ondine was slightly difficult. I began Ondine, put it down, read 'Glory'(Heather Graham's latest) and another author's novel before going back to Ondine. In my opinion, I have to be in the mood for gothic. And I figured out whom the sinister murderer was early in the novel. I guess I've read one too many mysterious romances. But was stunned to find that the murderer's son didn't share her opinion for her hatred of Warwick and his brides. The original plot, marrying the bride on the gallows was captivating, however, the plan to catch the murderer wore on. The sparring between the two was not as intense as it could have been, however, Ondine lived with the threat of being turned out if she didn't live up to Warwick's standards, or at least she believed so. In my opinion, Ondine dragged on without any major climaxes that could have kept me interested. But then again, I'm not a gothic fan. Nor am I the 'a typical romance novel' fan where the hero and heroine looks into each others' eyes and fall in-love. I like history, reluctant brides, reluctant grooms, and historical events that throw the two together of course encourages tenacity, stubborness, willful, strong, bullheaded but likeable characters. If you're a fan of Victoria Holt, Marilyn Harris of the 1970s, then you'll enjoy the more contemporary version of gothic that Drake pens. Contemporary gothic because Drake thinks and writes the prose that we want to hear in the 1990s, of course, paired with the sensuality that Graham/Drake is known for penning. But I agree with the reader from California whom submitted a comment on 2 Feb. 1998, 'Surrender and Princess of Fire' are exciting and exhilirating historical romances written by Graham/Drake. These two are just two of my favorites by this author!