Shadow Music: A Novel (Hardcover)

by Julie Garwood (Author)
Key Phrases: Lady Gabrielle, Father Gelroy, King John (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Throughout her acclaimed writing career, Julie Garwood has captivated readers with characters who are compelling, daring, and bursting with life. Now one of the most popular novelists of our time proudly returns to her beloved historical romance roots–in a thrilling tale of love, murder, adventure, and mystery set against the haunting landscape of medieval Scotland.

For Princess Gabrielle of St. Biel, Scotland is a land of stunning vistas, wild chieftains, treacherous glens, and steep shadows–skullduggery, betrayal, and now murder. Prized for her exquisite beauty, the daughter of one of England’s most influential barons, Gabrielle is also a perfect bargaining chip for a king who needs peace in the Highlands: King John has arranged Gabrielle’s marriage to a good and gentle laird. But this marriage will never take place.

For Gabrielle, everything changes in one last burst of freedom–when she and her guards come upon a scene of unimaginable cruelty. With one shot from her bow and arrow, Gabrielle takes a life, saves a life, and begins a war.

Within days, the Highlands are aflame with passions as a battle royal flares between enemies old and new. Having come to Scotland to be married, Gabrielle is instead entangled in Highland intrigue. For two sadistic noblemen, underestimating Gabrielle’s bravery and prowess may prove fatal. But thanks to a secret Gabrielle possesses, Colm MacHugh, the most feared man in Scotland, finds a new cause for courage. Under his penetrating gaze, neither Gabrielle’s body nor heart is safe.

A gripping novel that delves into the heart of emotions–unyielding passions of love, hate, revenge, and raw desire–Shadow Music is magnificent gift from Julie Garwood and a crowning achievement in her amazing career.

About the Author
Julie Garwood is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including Shadow Dance, Slow Burn, Murder List, Killjoy, Mercy, Heartbreaker, Ransom, and Come the Spring. There are more than thirty-two million copies of her books in print.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; First Edition edition (December 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345500733
• ISBN-13: 978-0345500731
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (154 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #264,950 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

188 of 212 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Who wrote this....no, I mean, who really wrote this?, December 29, 2007

By	Emlyn54 (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) - See all my reviews

Wow, I'd like an Alka Seltzer and a refund, not necessarily in that order. What a huge disappointment, and a hardcover disappointment at that.

Others have covered the plot particulars ad nauseum, and since they weren't worth discussing even once, I won't repeat them. Instead, I'll say this:

IF Julie Garwood indeed wrote this book, is it really the best she thinks her fans deserve? Her strengths in the past have included strong, likeable heroes and heroines, quirky but believable, who fit her historical style to a "T". Even the repetitive storylines (hard to avoid in romance) worked, because of the characters and her ability to make us root for them. And many of her stories were first-rate as well. Her earlier historicals are among my favorites, especially The Secret, The Wedding, The Prize, The Bride and of course, Honour's Splendor.

At some point, Ms. Garwood turned to writing "modern" romance; those books (yes, I actually bought one new based stricly on her name, then another used) were mediocre at best. The snap and vitality of her historical characters just didn't translate to modern times to make those works anything special. At least, not for me.

And now, after all these years, apparently Ms. Garwood has decided to settle for being a mediocre (at best) historical romance novelist as well. I know the "modern" romances didn't do as well (that happens when the work doesn't shine). But really....she just phoned this one in. It doesn't sound like her, doesn't work at any level, and has just become for me an expensive doorstop.

I've complained in earlier reviews of the dreck pumped out this year by so-called "established" historical romance writers; I was counting on Ms. Garwood to pull out an end of the year save (probably not entirely fair, because now I'm even more disgusted). But slogging through this thing has helped crystalize my New Year's resolutions:

1) No more advance orders, PARTICULARLY of established writers (except
Madeline Hunter who has NEVER let me down);
2) No more auto-buys based on "name" and/or "past performance";
3) Everything I read, I'll review and post;
4) Romance authors have websites, they want to hear from their "fans" -
well, they're going to hear from me.

Here's the thing, guys: If you're all happy with what you've been reading from the romance community this year, so be it...not everyone has the same requirements. If you're not (based on what I've read in the reviews here at Amazon, I'd say that's pretty much the case), then you have to be willing to say so in ways the writers and publishers understand. With your buying power.

When an established, admired and trusted romance writer can sell her fans this $18.00 waste of a tree...well, enough said. I'll be interested to see if this review sees the light of day.

Here's to a better 2008; that shouldn't be too hard.

61 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A ghost writer? , December 28, 2007

By	Jody Allen (Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The biggest issue I have with this book is that the voice in this book is not the Julie Garwood of THE PRIZE, SAVING GRACE, THE SECRET ect. I realize it has been a long time since we have had a historical offering from Ms Garwood, and that historical romances have evolved into well researched history as well as character driven stories, but Ms Garwood's voice has disappeared, Gone is the quirky funny heroine and the stern but lovable hero who is leveled by the love he feels for his heroine and her antics- typical Garwood "historical light", where the history is a subtle backdrop with characters who drive the romance.

Colm and Gabrielle, who don't even come together until after page 100, appear one dImensional: she hardly needs him as she is so perfect (Scottish Gaelic, not the language of King Wm's Scottish court, would hardly be a language she would have learned, at least in a previous book she had Jamie learn it from a native speaker adding a spark to the humor of the story) Garwood missed a chance for misunderstanding by having her heroine so perfect, hardly a reflection of real women of the period royal or not. And he is over shadowed by his brother who would have made a better hero. The inaccurate history takes the knowledgeable reader right out of the story in the beginning and could have been avoided as the elements/characters from other books could have been used as the devise to plot the story into the highlands. No fan expects indepth history from a Garwood novel but we do expect the scenarios to at least be believable and this one was flawed from the beginning and so out of character reflecting Ms Garwood's talent to weave a satisfying tale.

Sadly, the story so long anticipated by Garwood fans fell far short of her previous hardcovers and mass market fiction. It seems like this was done quickly to meet a publishing contract and had a feel as if some ghost writer was trying to emulate a Garwood romance but fell far short. Lets hope Ms Garwood doesn't abandon historicals in the future for her more successful romantic suspense. If you must read this book get it from the library or wait for the affordable mass market. This is not a hardcover quality romance and not anywhere near the best Ms Garwood has to offer.

59 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars So Disappointed!!!!!!, December 26, 2007

By	Debpingold (Fairfield, CT USA) - See all my reviews

I only started reading Julie Garwood's historical novels this year. I absolutely loved them! I have read and reread "The Bride", "The Prize" "Ransom", "Honor's Splendour" "The Wedding", "Saving Grace" and "The Secret" so many times I practically have them memorized. I couldn't wait for "Shadow Music". Well, I read it the day it came out and NEVER have I been so disappointed in a book! I am not sure Ms. Garwood actually even wrote it. It took half of the book for the hero, Colm to meet the heroine, Gabrielle. They had no chemistry and in fact were never even together very much. I kept waiting for the magic of the other books but it never even got close. It took Ms. Garwood ten years to write this book and if this is what she is going to come up with I would say "Don't bother."!