Customer Reviews

The Treasure (Center Point Platinum Romance (Large Print))

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I couldn't wait to read Kadar and Selene's story, as they were smartly portrayed in Lion's Bride to the point I wanted to read more about Kadar than Ware. Not your typical cookie cuter hero, Kadar was an unforgettable character who deserved a great story of his own.

The Good:

The story was interesting, the characters had a history together and they had a powerful bond from the start, which was a nice change from other romance novels where sex comes before love. The conversations were witty and entertaining, and the new characters developed quite nicely.

The Bad:

The prose was extremely simple. Short, crisp sentences with hardly any description of surroundings and much less the character's actions. The author kept that to a minimum, including the love scenes (both sexual and verbal)which are vital in romance novels. Sex was portrayed as very technical and almost unimportant, especially to Selene.
The book was based and moved on dialogue. 300 plus pages of dialogue, that although redundant sometimes, was entertaining enough to be a quick read.

The Ugly:

Selene. Her strength and pride and her need to have everything her way went too far. She was bossy and pushy and too proud to admit her feelings and cooperate with the other characters. Her capriciousness and her attitude was so constant and convincing that the only thing that let the reader know she loved Kadar was the constant reminders of the narrator, totally ambiguous to Selene's actions. She whined about everything, was annoyed by everything and the mutual game she had with Kadar that everything had to be how she wanted WHEN she wanted became old and infuriating.

In conclusion, the book was okay, I certainly was expecting much more. Kadar was the saving grace, yet not so much as to make the book worth it's price.

I don't normally do reviews, but this is so disappointing for Iris Johansen,that I had to comment. This is written in such simple language like you'd see in a teen's romance novel. The story line isn't new...I've read one almost identical in the past. If I could return a "read/used" book, I would do so with this one.

I am a true fan of Johansen's historical romance novels. I have read and reread everyone of her earliest novels. I was truly sadden because romance readers lost a true "treasure" when she left for mainstream thrillers. I stopped reading her for years afterwards because I wasn't a fan of her new thriller/mystery books. I thought we had lost Iris from romance novels for good. So when I heard she was writing the sequel to the Lion's Bride, I had to have it. I never buy hardcover, unless I really enjoy the author's work. I can count on 1 finger, the authors I consider so worthy of shellling out hardcover prices. And it didn't disappoint.

I don't want to spoil the book for anyone by detailing everything that happens, but the old Johansen is back. I thought with years away from this genre that I would not get the same heat as she delivered in her previous historical novels, just like what happened to Catherine Coulter. I didn't have high expectations, happily I was wrong. She gives me what I would expect from a Johansen historical, with the strong intelligent, dialogue between the Kadar and Selene, a little darkness from the hero and a strong minded, independent heroine.

The story takes place around 4-5 years after the Lion's Bride. You know from the off-set that Selene loves Kadar loves Selene, but he feels she is not ready. She doesn't trust, even Kadar, who saved her from slavery from the House of Nicholas when she was a child. She has issues of abandonment that stems from her time when she was a slave.

After Kadar takes Selene's virginity in the beginning of the book, the adventure/action takes off. Sinan's people kidnap Selene to force Kadar to go back to Nosari mountains to have Kadar make good on a promise he had given to Sinan (the Old Man of the mountain, king of the assasins) in the past to ensure that the HEAs from the Lion's Bride were able to escape (another novel). What Kadar and Selene doesn't know it's not Sinan that summoned him but Nasim (Sinan's trainer of assasins). Sinan has been dead for awhile. I loved the building of the relationship between our HEAs.

The ending was a bit mystical in what happens to the heroine and hero. I couldn't summarize everything or else I'd go on and on. Those who loved Johansen's Lion's Bride will be happy with this book.

This book can be read as a stand alone because it involves new characters and the main HEA's,so there will not be any scratching of the head b/c the author puts something in that you have to know to follow the story line. Those who haven't read the Lion's Bride will definitely be tempted to read how it all began.

Iris Johansen's books follow a typically predictable pattern, but can generally be counted on to be a pleasant read.
This book (which earns one star because I actally did manage to read the whole thing) was not pleasant to read.
The entire book was filled with trite nonsense (that is the general formula, but in this book I found it highly irritating). I think maybe the reason is that the heroine was truly an unlikable character. By the end of the book, I had had more than enough of "Selene" and was glad to get away from her. The hero would have been much better off without her!

I can't take it anymore. Somehow, out of sheer will, (and the fact I spent $16.50 on it!) I managed to make it through half of this plodding book with it's contrary and senseless dialogue only to find that I couldn't take any more of the heroin's continued sniping and the hero's enabling indulgence of her poor behavior. It's the only novel I remember reading where I liked the villains more than I liked the heroine and, unfortunately, given the poor character development in this story, there really isn't much to like.

I wish I could be more positive, but unfortunately, I can't. This is the last Iris Johnansen book I will ever read.

Iris Johansen was my fav. author up there with Beatrice Small (Skye O'Malley). So when I saw a new book from her after all these years I shelled out $25 for hardcover. Big Mistake.

If you loved Lion's Bride, the Wind Dancer, etc. and expect more of the same, forget it. It's hard to believe this is the same author. The Treasure was primarily a unilateral plot, with a boring and predictable story line (I don't like the "supernatural" element), and truly dull characters with forced dialogue.

I did not even know this was a sequel to Lion's Bride until just now when I read it on Amazon. It's been a long time. There is no comparison.

The other reviews have outlined the plot.
Pros: sorry can't think of one.
Cons: boring, does not engage your emotions, completely unlike the Iris Jo. we have loved.
suggestion: Skip this one!

Never having done a review before,I could not pass up the opportunity this time. After having read so many of Iris Johansen's novels over the years with great enjoyment, I could not believe this book was written by the same person. It was horrible. I could barely make it through. Sophomoric would be a good discription. Absolutley no redeeming qualities and boring. Will I quit reading her novels, of course not for generally she is awesome.

I used to love anything Iris Johansen wrote she was an automatic buy until the Eve Duncan series then she lost me. One of my all time favorite historical romance couples was Kadar and Selene from the Lion's Bride where they played secondary characters. They really stuck with me for years after when I finished that book. I couldn't believe that finally Ms. Johansen was returning to historical romances and to continue this fabulous duo's story.

What a disappointment The Treasure is. Awww I just feel like the heart of the story was cut out. It moves too fast like they chopped the characterization, the depth, the emotions to keep it moving like some fast ride. One of the beautiful things about books are that you are able to delve into the little details and thoughts you can't see in a movie. Their sex scene was just flat. If you read the Lion's Bride you can see a huge difference.

I felt like it was written just to appease requests but she just wanted to get their story done and over with. Nothing was added to lend them growth from The Lion's Bride. And they were far more interesting then because their was a mystery about each but in The Treasure they don't even come close to capturing any of that essence.

Frankly if this is the effort she will give to historical romances I'd rather remember her others with fond memories. What happened to the author that gave me the Wind Dancer trilogy....

I also miss the books by Iris like The Wind Dancer...I thought that this was going to be one that I could truly lose myself in like I did with those early books...

Ah, not to be.....just couldn't get into it....didn't care for Selene much...glad she's not real and visiting me...

It just seemed to be written by someone else entirely...

So, wait and get it at your library...

Don't give up on Iris though....still an amazing writer....We all have bad days...

Until the next one....

I really did fall asleep twice before I even got to page 114. Very slow opening. I skipped to the back and read the last few chapters which were slightly more interesting. I thought the idea of the grail and how it came about was interesting. It would be interesting to see a more modern twist on the story - if these people potentially could live forever then the story could have been set in modern times with flashbacks.

Have to say I really didn't like Layla. How can you possibly have lived all those years and yet learned nothing about people, especially the man you claim to love?