Customer Reviews

The Serpent Prince

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Lucy Craddock-Hayes is content in her quiet country life. She lives with her father, sketches in her spare time and every week goes riding with the vicar in the hopes that he will finally propose. Lucy is happy with her life...that is until the Viscount Simon Iddesleigh comes into it; he is opening new doors for Lucy.

Simon's life is consumed with avenging his brother's death; he won't rest until this task is finished. When he is rescued by Lucy, she introduces him to the softer, quieter side of life. Soon both Simon and Lucy are seeking a life different from the one they are currently living.

While I liked this story tremendously, I didn't love it like the previous two books in the series, The Raven Prince (Warner Forever)and The Leopard Prince (Warner Forever). I thought Ms. Hoyt concentrated a little too much on the sex and the revenge part of the story, missing out on developing the relationship between the two characters more. Despite that minor flaw, she still managed to write a thoroughly compelling read with loveable characters.

As in the previous two books there is a secondary story told throughout; a fairy tale quality story complete with princes, magic and the granting of wishes. This was a fantastic story and I am anxiously looking forward to her next book.

The last time I read a book about a foppish Englishman and enjoyed it I was in Jr. High and the book was The Scarlet Pimpernel. Usually I find such characters shallow and boring. Thus I found myself absolutely SHOCKED to be reading - and loving - the first half of this book. I wanted the characters to fall in love, I wanted them to declare themselves somehow, I wanted it to go on and on... Until we found ourselves in London, and the revenge subplot began to take over. I kept reading and reading, wondering where these delightful people had gone. Where was the suggestive banter? Where were the clashes of class, taste, and expectations? Where had the book I was reading gone?
I don't remember ever reading a book that felt so abruptly different - as if two completely separate manuscripts had been mixed up at the printers. The second half could have been about any two boring, predictable characters who persist in keeping secrets and behaving like idiots with each other. It had none of the fun or life of the first section. I read it all, hoping to find those two delightful people hidden in it somewhere, but they never showed up again.The characters had no spark, no uniqueness. They behaved in totally predictable ways, moving through a plot so hackneyed it could have been from any ordinary novel, the kind you read once and wish you hadn't wasted your time on. I don't know when I have been so disappointed by a book! The Serpent Prince started out a five and ended up a mundane, generic waste of time. Two very disappointed stars.

With THE RAVEN PRINCE's (****) Edward de Raaf, THE LEOPARD PRINCE's (****) Harry Pye and finally THE SERPENT PRINCE's Simon Iddesleigh, Elizabeth Hoyt's heroes evince some of the most unconventional yet compelling guy-characterizations I've ever read in this genre. These are believable, passionate guys in love; not just rich, handsome, pining cartoon pimps to service the virgin heroine. Definitely one of the better virgin-heroine-saving-the-tortured-soul routines I've read in romance, THE SERPENT PRINCE paints the wounded story of Viscount Simon Iddesleigh's quest for revenge. Originally introduced in THE RAVEN PRINCE, we know Simon is an expert swordsman, and an accomplished duelist. Although I generally don't go for the virgin-heroine-rescuing-the-tortured-soul routines, that's not what I didn't like about THE SERPENT PRINCE. Thankfully, there were no ultimatums here and no emasculating the hero at the end like so many tortured-soul-revenge stories in romance. In fact, this was the darkest, most believable tortured soul/revenge stories I've read in romance, and better than Madeline Hunter's THE SEDUCER (**). Unlike Hoyt's prior two novels however, THE SERPENT PRINCE was mostly a *yawn* for 250-275 pages in this 362-page paperback. I also thought the settings and prose declined from THE LEOPARD PRINCE, but the disappointingly boring plotting and pacing may have contributed to the weak prose and settings.

I liked the characters, and again their interaction and passion is mutually giving which I always enjoy in Hoyt's stories. Hoyt isn't afraid to let her heroines grab their heroes by the balls, so-to-speak. Unfortunately, THE SERPENT PRINCE's profligate, handsome hero and virginal, sweet heroine dutifully mimics romance genre's strictures for the h/h (more so than Hoyt's characters from prior novels). Other than the h/h, I also liked one of our antagonists, Sir Rupert Fletcher. His characterization was unique, and although I didn't agree with him, I found myself understanding him. He is the perfect gray character, and I do like ruthless realists.

Since we don't learn the complete background behind Simon's plight for revenge until 275 pages into this novel, it was difficult to get behind his revenge. The book describes a convincing tale of a man who truly loses a part of his soul with each duel and each kill. We desperately wanted to see Simon drop the revenge for his heroine Lucy even though Lucy didn't lay down any such ultimatums so like other romances. Once we learn the full import of Simon's revenge, we finally begin to understand his demons, his rage, and his helplessness. But by this point, it's late in the novel, and we're rooting for him to give it up. Thankfully, love doesn't handicap Simon like so many other romance novels, and actually empowers him to redouble his efforts.

Like Hoyt's prior two novels, THE SERPENT PRINCE is very sensual. She never disappoints in that department.

Again, one of the most grittiest, realistic revenge stories I've read in this genre. I thought the background behind Simon's reasons for his revenge should have been revealed much earlier. Between Foley's DEVIL TAKES A BRIDE (***), Hunter's THE SEDUCER (**) and Hoyt's THE SERPENT PRINCE, all dealing with the hero's tortured plight for revenge, this is one of the better ones. Certainly better than Medeiros' awful THE BRIDE AND THE BEAST (*) which emasculates its hero.

I loved The Raven Prince. Was ambivalent towards The Leopard Prince. And really did not like The Serpent Prince. The revenge plot completely eclipsed the romance. I had no idea whether Simon and Lucy were in love or just obsessed with each other. There was very little sexual tension and no hero-jealousy.

The sex scenes were steamy but I was a bit turned off by them since the hero is described ad nauseum as wearing red-heeled shoes, wigs, ornaments, and having delicate wrists. Granted this is a Georgian period, however, a mention or two would have been sufficient. I prefer my heroes a bit more masculine.

Lucy's character was very one-dimensional so I had a problem connecting with her. For my part I couldn't find much to love about either of the characters and would rather have seen Rosalyn or Christian's story.

Having really enjoyed "The Raven Prince", I was looking foward to reading Simon's story. I already liked the character, and was anticipating a great read. What is upsetting is that I feel this could really have been a wonderful story. I liked many things about it: the duels and revenge scenario, the character of Simon. However, I agree with many other reviews that the story didn't seem to really come together. I wasn't that fond of Lucy,who was supposed to be intelligent...hmmm. And the sex scenes were lacking intimacy; and it seemed most of the book did regarding these two. It felt as if Ms. Hoyt could have written a very good book if she'd planned a longer novel; maybe let us get to know both main characters better,and let them have more interaction than in the bedroom. Don't take me wrong, we all read these to include the wonderous sex scenes. But I just didn't feel the love there, or many other areas either. Wish she could write a "do over." Sigh.

Lucinda Craddock-Hayes is stunned when she finds a naked, half-dead man in a ditch. Surprised, Lucy takes him back to her home to nurse the poor man back to health, despite the disapproval of her father and her servants. When he wakes up, Lucy learns that the man in question is Viscount Simon Iddesleigh. While he recuperates in her home, Lucy and Simon forge a bond. Simon is full of sarcastic charm and teasing gallantry, while Lucy is more straightforward and down to earth. Something draws the two together, though and they fall in love.

The Serpent Prince is set against the backdrop of Regency England, but takes a decidedly darker turn than the previous Prince books. Simon is a man bent on revenge, and no amount of love or hope for the future will set him from his course. Lucy, on the other hand, is a simple country girl who honestly believes that love conquers all. She can't believe that the man she loves would kill men on the "field of honor" without a hint of remorse or a second thought. Her sweet nature and calm disposition provide a perfect foil for Simon's self-deprecating humor and vengeance-destroyed mind.

This book isn't like other romance novels, and not like the previous Prince books at all, so I can understand how some people might not like it. I found myself enthralled by Simon's wit, by his dandyish tendencies, and his seduction of a simple country girl. I found Lucy to be a breath of fresh air when heroines are so often too dumb to live in historical romances. If you like your plots a bit darker, your heroes a bit more flamboyant, and your heroines more reserved, you'll find a place in your heart for The Serpent Prince. Otherwise, check out the first book in the series, The Raven Prince, which is much more along the lines of a typical historical romance.

I must admit I'm baffled by the good reviews. I ordered the Serpent Prince because I loved the Raven Prince and the Leopard Prince. This was not up to her usual standard. It was MUCH less steamy than the 2 predecessors and the Simon character wasn't very well developed IMHO. I didn't buy him as the tortured hero and the ending was too quickly and conveniently wrapped up.

I never got the feeling that the H & H got to know each other well enough to really be in love in this book.

Very weak effort from Elizabeth Hoyt, in my opinion. I hope she isn't losing her touch!

THE SERPENT PRINCE may by my favorite of the Prince books. What can I say? I'm a sucker for an elegant savage. And the hero of the novel, Viscount Simon Iddesleigh, may be the best example that I have ever encountered of the type. Pale, lithe, urbane, with a too-clever tongue, he pretends to be a fop but is too obviously driven and intelligent for anyone to believe the charade.

The novel begins when Iddesleigh is abducted, beaten, and left for dead in the tiny town of Maiden Hill. The heroine of the novel, Lucinda Craddock-Hayes, finds him lying by the side of the road and has him taken back to the family manse, where she can nurse him back to health. The moment that Simon wakes, something clicks between them.

One thing I liked very much about THE SERPENT PRINCE is that while secondary characters frequently jump to the conclusion that if there is trouble in paradise, it's probably because Simon is running around like a tomcat sleeping with other women, Simon never questions his love for Lucy - or his ability to remain faithful - and Lucy, for her turn, doesn't doubt him either. In so many romance novels about rakes, the heroine is constantly racked with fear, convinced she can't keep (or deserve) her man's interest. In THE SERPENT PRINCE, the connection between Simon and Lucy is solid and true from the beginning, and the faith that the couple have in one another really brings that home to the reader. They love one another, it's real, and that's that.

No, it would take something truly dark and terrible to separate Simon and Lucy. That something is Simon's determination to revenge his brother's death by killing all the men who conspired to cause it. As the novel opens, he's already killed two of the four men responsible - in duels - and although the killings don't sit lightly on his conscience, he's not even tempted to change course and find another way.

There is something truly brutal, feverish and animal, about Simon. It comes through in his single-minded pursuit of revenge but it's present in his love for Lucy, as well - the edge of desperation and ferocity always lying just under the surface when he's with her. It's simply part of his character, and not really subject to change. This is another thing I liked about THE SERPENT PRINCE - Simon isn't declawed once he embarks on the road to marital bliss. Lucy anchors him enough to keep him from self-destructing; she gives him something to live for, and that changes some of his decisions; but Simon is never domesticated or tamed. At the end of the novel, he's still the elegant savage that I melted for at the beginning.

I recommend THE SERPENT PRINCE wholeheartedly. The characters are wonderful, the romance heartwrenching, the sex sizzling. It's a tour de force.

This is a book that reads like a synopsis instead of the full, actual novel. It's a quick little Harlequin when it should be a huge, lengthy, massive Kathleen Woodiwss-sized mega-novel.

The hero, Simon, is a marvelous character, tortured and revenge-mad underneath a light and witty foppish exterior. How delicious! The heroine, Lucy, is grave and calm and lovely, different from the usual run of flighty heroines. The plotline is not too overused, and feels pretty fresh, overall.

The problem is, the characters--all of them, but especially Simon and Lucy--feel like they're sketches instead of the finished product. They need to be further fleshed out. The book itself also feels like a sketch to me, and it really needs to be further fleshed out, more depth added, more details, more explanations, more scenes that show who the characters are and what they're doing and why.

The romance between Simon and Lucy is very sudden and feels uneven, sketchily written. I was surprised when Simon proposed to Lucy--it felt like it came out of nowhere. The secondary characters, like Christian, Rosalind, and Patricia are horribly under-used, and definitely need more time spent on their sub-plotlines. They barely feel like real characters at all.

This book could be so much MORE than it is. It's watered-down, thin, it needs to be much meatier.

If this book took more time to delve into the characters, and even the setting and especially the motives and action and backstory, this book would be an absolute gem, a keeper for sure. There are such marvelous elements to this book! But unfortunately it's too thin and light.

Simon really is an interesting and attractive character, though. I liked what I did read of him. I'd love to have been able to read more.

Maybe it's because I haven't read the previous two books? I don't know, but I read the blurb on the back about Lucy's quiet country life being disturbed by her encountering a stabbed, beaten, naked man on the Lane to her home and I was immediately intrigued. There's a mystery here--and I LIKE mysteries!!! Perhaps that's it?

I thought Lucy was a strong character. She is mature and confident. She immediately feels compassion for a dead man dumped along the road--and when she learns he is still alive, she calmly insists on getting him the proper care, despite a quirky man servant and a cranky, blustering, but loving father.

Simon is the more difficult character... but one has to love his cool at finding himself waking, injured in a strange bed in an unknown place when he was last in London walking along the street, before being jumped by three men.

He falls in love with his "angel"--and I don't see why the love at first sight isn't reasonable, here. Lucy is a calm and loving anchor in Simon's troubled and chaotic world. Simon is the hope of love and passion that Lucy doesn't have in her ordered country life, where she has been slowly courted by the vicar who is so passionate he's taken three or four years and hasn't yet asked for her hand. That Lucy quickly realizes she can't settle for the vicar, even as she knows Simon's world isn't her own, is a mark of her sense and her sensibility. Simon, too, knows his world isn't her world--not because she's a simple country miss (as Lucy sometimes fears) but because the attack upon him is part of the current darkness of his life--one of revenge and death, leaving little room for love and goodness.

Convalescing, Simon gradually tells Lucy the tale of the Serpent Prince, ostensibly so Lucy, talented with her drawing and painting, can illustrate it as a gift for Simon's young niece. I think the tale fits their character and the story perfectly. He is revealing his thoughts of unworthiness and his road of sacrifice, even the sacrifice of his love. It's beautiful and moving, and rather than just imposing a superficial frame of reference for the romance, deepens it.

Now, perhaps Hoyt has handled this even better in her earlier two books, I don't know, but I do know I liked it all well enough here!

Historically--yes, the details were very light, but the elements of Georgian style Simon's life reveals is fine enough: his red-heeled shoes, his close-cropped hair under his wigs, his duels and fencing, the brothels and gaming hells and coffee houses...

But I am predisposed towards Georgian romances... and men whose witty tongue and sartorial excellence hide their inner, far more sensitive soul. I found it all profoundly romantic and I couldn't put the book down.

Now, perhaps I am in for an even better experience when I read the other books? What's so bad about that?