Customer Reviews

Stranger: (The Blades of the Rose)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Gemma Murphy has been following Catullus Graves and his friends for some time now. After first seeing him in the Northwest Territory of Canada, she now finds herself on a boat, to England. A reporter, she loves to investigate, and she knows Catullus and his crew have many secrets.

Catullus is a member of The Blades of the Rose, a secret organization that protects Sources, those items that hold magical power throughout the world from the evil Heirs of Albion. The Heirs now have the primal source, and have plans to use it for world domination. The Blades are hot on their trail, and are willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to stop them.

The first time Catullus set eyes on the red haired, freckled beauty in Canada, it stirs him. A genius inventor, Catullus has a very scientific approach when it comes to romance, which means he isn't quite the ladies man. Soon Catullus becomes aware that Gemma is following them, and when the Heirs spot her with the Blades, her life becomes endangered. She wants to prove to the Blades she is a competent fighter, and she wants to break down Catullus's serious ways, and show him just how wicked romance can be.

Stranger is the fourth book in Zoe Archer's The Blades of the Rose series and held much anticipation for me to discover Catullus whom we meet in great detail in book three, Rebel. Catullus is reserved, a bit shy and awkward when it comes to women. He loves fine waistcoats and is extremely smart. His match, Gemma is just the kind of woman who can break him out of his mold. She has spunk and spirit, yet she is very kind and from the start understands who this man is. Although Catullus is black, she never once sees his skin color as a deterrent. I absolutely adored their romance. The uncertainty Catullus has in the bedroom is very endearing, and once he gains confidence - watch out.

The adventure in this one weaves in the King Arthur legend, as the Blades rush to prevent the Heirs from using the primal source. I didn't love the adventure as much as the previous books. Besides an evil form of King Arthur being resurrected, for some time Catullus and Gemma find themselves in Otherworld, an alternate fairy world. It just didn't grab me like the other books did. I did thoroughly enjoy the banter between Catullus and other blade members Bennet Day and Nathan Lesperance and their spouses. The pages where all of them are working together are some of my favorite. And of course the pages with the hot smex in a tree house.

After finishing this series, four books in four months, I can say they have been a joy to read. With the mixture of historical, paranormal and adventure, Zoe Archer brings something different to these books. I really hope we get more Blades in the future, and Catullus has just made his way onto my boyfriend list.

In 1875 Chicago newspaper reporter Gemma Murphy overhears three people discuss saving the world from some affluent British Heirs. Fascinated with what she heard, Gemma makes inquiries into the trio especially the mysterious inventor Catullius Graves. She asks him for an interview.

Catullius knows his first loyalty must be to the Blades of the Rose, but he also feels a kinship to Gemma as he is an intense outsider who knows no one understands him; while he senses she must prove her worth every day to the good old boys' network at her paper where she is an outsider there. They are attracted to one another but in spite of his efforts to keep her out of his undercover work, Gemma joins her loved one and his Blades to prevent the Heirs from obtaining and using the Primal Source to reanimate King Arthur as the first step in making England the depository for all of the magic in the world.

The Blades of the Rose (see Rebel, Warrior and Scoundrel) is another super thriller as the suspense never slows down while the romance simmers in order to first save the world. Loaded with action as Camelot appears coming to Reconstruction Era Chicago, Zoe Archer scores four consecutive bulls-eyes with this great finish to this terrific saga.

Harriet Klausner

Catullus Graves is the primary inventor for the Blades of the Rose, a society responsible for the protection of the world's magic. While on a mission in Canada, he encounters a beautiful American reporter, Gemma. Gemma senses that Catullus and the other members of his party are up to something extraordinary and, desperate for their story, she follows them back to England. Soon she's caught up in the Blade's quest to stop the villainous Heirs of Albion from using the Primal Source of magic to enslave all of the world's magic. Along the way, Gemma and Catullus face vicious fairies, enormous monsters, and even King Arthur himself.

Positive Comments:

As usual with Zoe Archer's books, there's a ton of action and adventure. The mythology feeds the action, and is so imaginative and varied that the reader is never sure what to expect.

I loved Graves in the previous books when he was a secondary or background character. Now, as a hero, he measures up pretty well. I was surprised when he was revealed to be awkward with women, but in some ways it was charming. He's clever, original, and very sexy. I didn't connect strongly with Gemma, but I did find her likable. She's charming, smart, and readily accepting of Catullus and all of his eccentricities. They were a bit of an oddball couple for me, but I found their romance fairly enjoyable.

I really liked seeing all of the Blades, especially the couples from the previous books, come together to fight and save the day.

Critical Comments:

The conflicts in this novel are almost entirely external. There's nothing wrong with that, especially in an adventure based novel. But the effect, for whatever reason, is that I connected with the characters only on a shallow level. It's not the kind of novel where you really feel the characters' pain, or rejoice in their happy ending.

Similarly, the character development feels shallow. Catullus and Gemma have a goal, they accomplish it, and then they end up together. There's no big shift in paradigm for either character. I bring this up as a flaw because given the social positions that they occupy (Gemma as a working woman, Catullus as a black man), there could have been a lot of deep character development.

Overall, this is a good book, but it isn't fantastic. I do recommend the Blades of the Rose as an entertaining historical fantasy series. 3 stars.

I wrote in my review of Rebel, book three in the Blades of the Rose series, that Nathan Lesperance was one of my all-time favorite romance heroes. Catullus Graves, the hero of this fourth book, is another.

Catullus is an original and intriguing character throughout the series. He's black Englishman, a genius inventor, and adventurer who has reached his forties without finding his soul mate...but then he happens to see red-haired, freckled Gemma Murphy at a trading post in the Northwest Territory, at the end of book three.

Gemma is a high-spirited and determined journalist who follows Catullus and his Blade companions to England, drawn to both an incredible story and a fascinating man. She's soon enmeshed in the Blade's mission to defeat the Heirs of Albion. A brilliant, sartorially gifted, and not inexperienced man, Catullus is still adorably awkward and tongue-tied when it comes to expressing his interest in Gemma. In the heat of passion, however, he's more than sure of himself. (Can I just say I'm familiar with the type? I'm a big fan.) I especially enjoyed Catullus getting advice from his buddy, the reformed ladies' man Bennett Day.

Gemma, for her part, is much more playful and flirtatious, the perfect balance for Catullus. They share a keen intellectual curiosity, and although Catullus's old friend Astrid is wary of Gemma at first, it's eventually obvious to all the Blades that Catullus and Gemma are a perfect match. Gemma is my favorite heroine of the series. I love these two together, and their relationship develops with nuance and realistic quirkiness.

Oh, and the love scenes are smoking hot. (At one point I just put the book down and dragged my husband into the bedroom.)

Catullus's and Gemma's romance develops amid a showdown between the Blades and the Heirs, and the adventure takes some really imaginative turns. Characters from the other three books all come together for the final fight, bringing together elements of humor and breakneck danger. It's a slam-bang conclusion to an awesome series that I'm going to revisit again and again.

Reporter Gemma Murphy is often considered an anomaly: she's a woman who wants to write about more than traditional "female" topics. Gemma has to work twice as hard as a man to get a good story, so she never lets the prospect of one pass her by. So when she's on the edges of the Canadian wilderness and overhears an elegant Brit talking about magic, saving the world, and danger, how can she pass the story up? But the Brit and his companions are no fools and Gemma's soon caught spying on them. But discovery is only the beginning of her adventure, for the man she's spying on is no other than Catullus Graves.

Catullus Graves knows what it's like to be considered strange. His ancestors were slaves, but for the past few generations the Graves family has been a part of the Blades of the Rose, a group of men and women intent on protecting the world's magic from those who would seek to harness it for themselves. Catullus himself is even more eccentric than the rest of his family; he's a genius inventor with a taste for fashion and a shyness around women.

Bold, brilliant Gemma Murphy tempts Catullus in ways he's never before experienced, but he can't afford to be distracted by the beautiful reporter. The Heirs of Albion - a cult of British supremacists who want to use magical Sources to take over the world in the name of England - have unlocked the most powerful Source of all. The fate of the world hangs in the balance as good battles evil. And two strangers with a powerful attraction might just be the ones who tip the scales.

The dynamic Blades of the Rose series reaches its climax in Stranger. Zoë Archer has built up Catullus all throughout the series, so I was eager to see everyone's favorite genius fall in love. Happily, Gemma is his match in every respect while being quite different from Catullus in many ways. It was easy for me to become invested in their romance and I was thrilled to discover that - with all that goes on in terms of action in Stranger - Ms. Archer keeps the focus of the story centered on Catullus and Gemma.

Stranger is the fourth book in the Blades of the Rose series and it should definitely not be read as a standalone. The skirmishes against the Heirs of Albion in Warrior, Scoundrel, and Rebel are nothing compared to what happens in Stranger; everything comes together in this book. The action/adventure of Stranger kept me eagerly turning the pages, and though I don't want to spoil what happens, I will say that the one thing that bothered me about Stranger was the shift in genres mid-story. The entire Blades of the Rose series has been paranormal, but Stranger switches awkwardly from paranormal to fantasy and back again. Still, even with this minor complaint, Stranger gave me everything I needed as a fan of the Blades of the Rose series: a satisfying romance, danger, action, and a chance to revisit all my favorite Blades of the Rose characters.

Shayna

Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

From the very first book in this action-packed series, this fantastic author has brought us through story after story that has concentrated on the lives of The Blades of the Rose. This fourth offering picks up right where the wonderful Rebel left off. Readers find themselves on a steamship heading to Liverpool called the Antonia. It's the year 1875, and Gemma Murphy is the woman we are following. Gemma is a hard-nosed journalist and has been chasing a story from Canada to New York and on to this ship, tailing three people she truly knows are up to something immense. She's heard all kinds of talk from the three mysterious passengers including information about a strange organization called the Heirs of Albion; in addition, the oddly-acting passengers are also worried about what these so-called Heirs are doing with the Primal Source...whatever that may be. Even though Gemma tries with all her might to stay undercover and unseen, Catullus Graves - a brilliant inventor - spots Gemma and ends up telling her everything that he and his comrades are up against. Here, the author takes us on an outstanding journey that focuses on the main source where all magical objects come from. This, the Primal Source, is "the repository of mankind's imagination," (I love that line) and some very bad people have gotten their hands on it and unlocked the source of all the world's magic. What these supposed Heirs don't know, however, is how to use the Primal Source, so Catullus and his two comrades are getting ready to face down this supreme group and defeat them before it's too late - The Heirs vs. The Blades for the world's magic! Yes...it is that cool of a story. From the great chase scenes, to the romance that erupts between the inventor and the newshound, every part of this story is unforgettable. Not to mention, I thought the way Ms. Archer handled the issue of prejudice - from the America's and their Civil War, to how Catullus was treated in his own beloved England, the author was able to really speak volumes within a true, non-stop adventure.

Stranger, the fourth book in Zoe Archer's excellent Blades of the Rose, brings the series to a close and provides a final bow for all the past pairs.

Stranger didn't manage to displace Rebel as my favorite of the series, but it was still good. The hero Catallus Graves, genius inventor is quite reserved, so his romance is not as fiery as some of the other Blade's romances. And the book has a different feel from the rest of the series, since the leads quest to stop a magical takeover of epic consequences takes them not to some exotic earthly locale but to the otherworldly land of Faerie. But I was charmed by the debonair Catallus and I loved Catallus' heroine, her determination and inquisitiveness - and willingness to take the lead in moving their romance forward - was quite appealing. I guess that my biggest nit with Stranger was that there weren't enough of Catallus' fabulous inventions sprinkled throughout the story - we've been seeing his gizmos save the day throughout the rest of the series I was expecting to be continuously dazzled by his ingenuity and instead it was magic and not inventions, for the most part, which was the key to the Blades a victory over their enemies.

Still Stranger is not to be missed and if you are at all interested in historical-ish adventure romances with a touch of magic - or looking for a gift for your favorite romance reader - all four books are available in a discounted bundle The Blades of the Rose Bundle: Warrior, Scoundrel, Rebel, & Stranger.

Was looking forward to this book but was very disappointed - too much confusion - it was if the author had to have a certain number of pages and just filled them with boring stuff.