Customer Reviews

The Wizard's Daughter

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

 

 

Let me say up front, I don't typically read this genre. So keep that in mind when you read my comments. Now for my comments:

This was one of the hardest books I've ever listened to. On more than one occasion I started to just give up and call it a loss. But I kept listening hoping it would get better; it didn't. I purchased the book based upon its synopsis and other reviews. But quite frankly, after forcing myself to listen to it, I can sum it up by saying, this book was boring.

The pace is too slow, and contrary to the synopsis, there's no "earthly terror" to be found here. However, there is mystery but it's no great mystery. And what there was, was unraveled so slowly that I really didn't care about the outcome. To top it off, most of the characters weren't interesting including the main one, Marianne. She was more of an irritant with her simpering ways, than anything else. The setting is dreary, and the story, yawn... Rather than bash this book, I'll end here and say this was definitely not my cup of tea. I prefer books that have either interesting characters and events, or action. This book lacked both.

I have read about 8 of this author's books. Just about all have kept me totally engrossed and expected the same reaction to The Wizard's Daughter. BUT it is totally banal - I just could not believe it was by the same author. Totally unbelievable plot and insipid heroine.

The character of Bagstock changed names two pages after he was introduced and was called Bagshot throughout the rest of the book. At the very least, that's a red flag for me and I should have put the book down then, wondering if the book's editor ever woke up. Apparently, said editor was asleep through most of the task...this is a tediously written book. The only good thing I can say about the experience is at least I didn't pay full price for it. I couldn't even finish it, it was so bad, although I skimmed the last half to see if it ever picked up. It didn't.

I've read this before and I remembered that there was a surprise ending and it was overall, a sweet tale. Upon rereading this book, I again reiterate: sweet tale, surprise ending. A story of an innocent country girl, drawn by circumstance into a world of spiritualism and seances. A world of the corrupt and of the decrepit, which has trouble believing our heroines innocence and honesty. I love stories that point out all the "peculiarities" of the upper crust, their eccentricities and their evils. Help from Jane Austen here, I think. I hate to stuff Ms. Michaels into a stereotype, but this is one of her "bits of fluff". Not at all insulting, mind you. This is just the sort of tale I enjoy reading at times. The "Wizard's Daughter" is a good "bit of fluff," and I recommend it most emphatically. Expect to be entertained!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NJL7AA/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_img

This seems to be one of Barbara Mertz's earlier books, although by the time she wrote this one she was able to begin to move away from the Gothic stereotype that was so popular at that time. She did have many of its standards: the innocent young girl lured into a trap, the old, frightening house, the good guy who seemed like a bad guy and the bad guy who seemed like a good guy, but the "other woman" who is always so spiteful and hateful was conspicuous by her absence, and the only deaths were those to be expected by everyone, including those who were dying.

I doubt I will read this book again, as I do with most of her Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Michaels books, but it was worth buying and reading once.

I don't usually write reviews, but after reading some of these I felt that I should contribute, too. I read this book as a satire - Michaels isn't being cruel or anything, but she knows this genre and the cliches that follow so well that she's managed to use all of them in completely absurd ways. It took me a while to get into it, and then once I started noticing things I couldn't stop laughing. There are so many cliches and genre standards in this, it's wonderful; what I liked the most was that some of the sillier parts had rational explanations sort of tucked in at the end. I would definitely suggest reading this with an open mind, especially if you're a fan of gothic novels and can enjoy making fun of some of the stereotypes.

I generally like for fictional heroines to be more intelligent and spirited than the naive and insipid Miss Marianne Ransom. Fortunately, the mysterious and ghostly plot of this book was enough to keep me from tossing it across the room. While I wouldn't go so far as to pronounce her Too Stupid To Live, Miss Ransom put herself in quite a lot of daft situations, such as wandering on the stage of a London theater one day after arriving from the country and bursting into song, fantasizing that she would immediately become a Famous Actress. This does not happen of course, but what does happen, a duchess decides she is the long-lost child of an old friend (who was a spiritualist) and takes her in as a companion (and makes her perform table turning)is almost as far-fetched. So, is she really? Or is someone playing tricks? The answers to these questions are not what I expected; however, had I given this author a little more credit I probably would have figured it out. Upon reflection, there was certainly enough foreshadowing. I just expected the ending to be less of a revelation. My mistake.
I'm not terribly tempted to check out more of this author's work, although I wasn't unimpressed. I would recommend this only to fans of chaste gothic romances.

you are in a very tolerant mood! The heroine, I've forgotten her name already, is one of the most insipid creatures Barbara Michaels has ever created. She annoyed me immensly--as she will any remotely liberated female. Other than this *minor* flaw, it was a great book, with a great plot. You will enjoy it especially if have a penchant for those dark, saturnine heros who scoff a lot. I recommend, however, that if you enjoyed this book, you should read the Amelia Peabody series from Barbara Mertz's other nom de plume, Elizabeth Peters. You will enjoy those EVEN MORE. Guranteed.

Ms. Michaels combined a damsel in distress story with a who done it and kept me guessing until the end

Barbara Michaels' Wizard's Daughter is narrated by Norma West, whose extensive acting experience displays a vivid, memorable voice here. Ghostly seances, romance and orphan Marianne's experiences in Victorian London blend in a rich gothic novel.