The Prince of Midnight [Mass Market Paperback]

Laura Kinsale (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2008

In the late 18th century, intent on avenging her family's death at the hands of a cult leader, Lady Leigh Strachan dresses as a boy and seeks out the reclusive S.T. Maitland, nobleman and highwayman, who was once known as the Prince of Midnight. Hiding in a crumbling castle in France, with a tame wolf as his pet, the hero is deaf in one ear, suffers from vertigo, and seems revoltingly sentimental to the stoic Leigh. But he joins her quest and together they begin to emerge from their individual suffering ...

"As always Laura Kinsale delivers a powerful, unique romance laced with passion, danger, and compelling characters. The Prince of Midnight is a wonderful tale of a most unusual highwayman and his lady. Readers will fall in love with the hero and that's the hallmark of a first-rate romance."
-Amanda Quick, author of Surrender

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Romance readers should be enchanted with Kinsale's ( Seize the Fire ) unlikely 18th-century duo: a staunchly unsentimental heroine and the has-been highwayman who joins her quest for vengeance. Leigh Strachan's parents and sisters are dead, and she's determined to murder the man responsible: The Right Reverend James Chilton. To this end, she tracks down S. T. Maitland, once the infamous robber called the Prince of Midnight but now a recluse--he can teach her how to handle a gun and a sword. But her "prince" is a disappointment: he's deaf in one ear, inclined to dizzy spells, a hopeless romantic starved for female company--and he fancies a wolf as a housepet. Just as Leigh concludes that S.T. is useless, he decides to become her champion. As they travel to Leigh's home to challenge Chilton, each emerges from a kind of cocoon: S.T. regains his skills, Leigh her capacity to feel affection. Unfortunately the unscrupulous reverend and his deluded followers are far less interesting than the bantering Leigh and S.T., and the prolonged confrontation seems more drab than dramatic. Major ad/promo.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"No one-repeat, no one-writes historical romance better than Laura Kinsale. The Prince of Midnight is a riveting read of bright words, dark deeds, and the most irresistible hero ever to ride down the turnpike." Mary Jo Putney, author of Dearly Beloved "As always Laura Kinsale delivers a powerful, unique romance laced with passion, danger, and compelling characters. The Prince of Midnight is a wonderful tale of a most unusual highwayman and his lady. Readers will fall in love with the hero and that's the hallmark of a first-rate romance." Amanda Quick, author of Surrender "Laura Kinsale is one of the most powerful and unique voices in romance today, and The Prince of Midnight is classic Laura Kinsale-beautifully written, totally compelling, and utterly unforgettable." Elizabeth Kary, author of Midnight Lace "A love story you'll remember long after you close the book. With eloquent and lyrical prose, Laura Kinsale breathes life into memorable characters and their powerful story. Ms. Kinsale stretches the limits of the genre, challenging the reader's imagination." Kathe Robin, Romantic Times --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402213972
• ISBN-13: 978-1402213977
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,014,915 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Finally, my Medieval Hearts series is now available for the Kindle. Looking for an unusual romance where the dark, tortured character is the heroine instead of the hero? FOR MY LADY'S HEART is Melanthe's story. Then in SHADOWHEART, the assassin Allegreto will take you deeper into his black heart than you may have thought you were willing to go...

I've designed the new covers myself, and it's been great fun. One of the perks of ebooks is a bit more author input on covers. Wait till you see the new MIDSUMMER MOON cover...hedgehogs anyone?

***
Laura Kinsale is a New York Times bestselling author and both winner and multiple nominee for the Best Book of the Year award given by the Romance Writers of America. Her novel FLOWERS FROM THE STORM was chosen by readers of Glamour Magazine and the Washington Post as one of the Greatest Love Stories of All Time.

Laura believes that a romance novel can be more. More fascinating characters than you ever anticipated. More unexpected depth. Emotion to engage your heart and your mind. Stories that keep you awake and words you will remember long after you close the book.

Whenever readers list their "Desert Isle Keepers," the books they couldn't live without, Laura Kinsale's award-winning historical romances are included near the top.

Why a puppy for an author photo? There have been a few fake author pages on the web purporting to be Laura. So whenever you see a picture of Ventoux the Peter Pan of Great Pyrenees dogs, you know it's authentic Laura Kinsale.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read, five star keeper, November 14, 1998

By 

K. Smiley (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Prince of Midnight (Paperback)

Is it possible to read a Laura Kinsale book without feeling captured, body and soul, and held prisoner for 400 pages? In this story, S.T. Maitland, a legendary English highwayman--dangerous and larger than life--has been brought to his knees by an explosion which renders him deaf in one ear and racked by sudden, debilitating bouts of vertigo that leave him staggering, nauseous and wretched. S.T. exiles himself to a decrepit French castle to lick his wounds and mark his days in monotonous anonymity with his only companion, a strange half-wild, half-tame wolf named Nemo. Into this suspended life comes Leigh Strachan, a damaged but beautiful young woman bent on avenging the deaths of her parents and sisters. She seeks the Prince of Midnight to aid her in her plans for revenge. What she finds is not her Seigneur de Minuit, but a shattered hero of the night, seemingly incapable of helping either her or himself. Their journey of discovery is told in some of the richest prose I have encountered since Pat Conroy's Prince of Tides. This is storytelling at its best and will leave you breathless to the end.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rates more than 5 stars!, June 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Prince of Midnight (Hardcover)

I am retired and have the time to read about 3 books a week. I found this book on our local library's free exchange rack. I had never read any of Ms. Kinsale's books and didn't realize till now what I have been missing. I have read a few 5 star rated books lately which can't hold a candle to her writing. So if I could I would rate this closer to a 10. The story covers so much of interest that I couldn't put this down and finished it in 2 days. S.T. is the sweetest hero ever. The story brings in training of horses like the famous Lippizan stallions, Marquis de Sade and the Hellfire Club, religious fanatics, inner ear damage leaving deafness and loss of equilibrium. A man hopelessly in love and a woman bent on revenge, quite the switch. As you can tell I loved this book and her spellbinding storytelling. I can't wait to find more of her books and this is going on my keeper shelf.{:o} But I will return another book to the library to keep me honest.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent Book - Horrible Printing Job, April 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Prince of Midnight (Paperback)

This is a wonderful story of a heart-hardened heroine and a flawed, romantic, optimistic hero who rises to the occasion. Not only is this beautifully written, but there is a nice flip of roles. He is aching to be in love and she is desperately afraid if it, not just with him but with his horses and his wolf sidekick as well. The only really disappointing thing about this particular printing is the lack of respect for the written word. Whoever is responsible for printing this edition (eread.com) should be ashamed of themselves. I have never seen so many typos in anything. There must be well over a hundred mistakes in this book. Sometimes two and three on a page. Some of these mistakes made it hard to understand the intent of the author. Really a mess. If you can find an old issue read that. The one pictured here should be burned. If I were the author I would sue.