Silver Mirror (Paperback)

by Roberta Gellis (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Gellis ( Masques of Gold ) gamely tries to attach a sense of urgency to the political turmoil of late 13th-century England, but not even her considerable talents can achieve that herculean task. In a brief afterword, Gellis admits to introducing more historical characters than she usually does, and this choice may have reined in her imagination. The ceaseless political maneuverings of the period are a stupefying bore, and the weak English monarch is as unappealing a rallying point here as he was to so many of his subjects in 1264. Even the romance between the Alphonse d'Aix, fictional vassal of King Louis of France, and Barbara, fictional illegitimate daughter of the historical earl of Norfolk, merely plods. All sparks are extinguished by a great wet blanket of exasperatingly artificial complications. He regrets having refused her pubescent love for him; she thinks he can never love her because he rejected her when she was 13. He believes she resists his passion because she has a secret lover; she's certain he can remain attracted to her only if she is hard to satisfy. The ending ably resolves the plot but lacks the sizzle of Gellis's earlier efforts.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
The headstrong and beautiful daughter of an English earl, Lady Barbara fights to unite her family, which has been divided by a wicked war, and to win the man who first aroused her passions. Reprint.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Berkley (January 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042514237X
• ISBN-13: 978-0425142370
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,259,245 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alphonse! The Hero's Name is Alphonse?, May 6, 2003

By	Sires (It's a Toss Up Right Now) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Yes, the hero's name is Alphonse (of Aix)and Roberta Gellis does a great job of bringing his life in the era of Henry III to life. Alphonse is the younger brother of Raymond Comte d'Aix whose story was told in Fire Song and the nephew of both Eleanor, Queen of England, and the Queen of France. He has spent his life at the French court as, essentially, a diplomat and politician.

During his time at the French Court he had been instrumental in arranging the affairs of Barbara, the natural daughter of the Earl of Norfolk. He had also fallen desperately in love with her.

However Barbara was already married to a friend of his and Alphonse is too honorable to engage her in an affair. When Barbara's husband dies unexpectedly and Barbara recoils from the men who seek her as a bride because of her wealth, Alphonse withdraws from temptation to Aix.

Now it is ten years later. The Barons of England are in revolt. Queen Eleanor is in France trying to secure support for her husband. Among those of Henry's supporters who have fled to France is Barbara's uncle. And Barbara is sent as her father's emissary with news of his wife, children and estates. There, she and Alphonse meet again.

Played out against the politics of the era, the story of Barbara and Alphonse is engrossing reading. This is one of Gellis' stronger historical novels. The characters are interesting and the conclusion satisfying.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars He said he loved her - but for how long?, April 29, 2000

By A Customer

Once again Roberta Gellis has set an intriging passionate novel in a medieval time period with a skill that makes history come alive. When Lady Barbara Bigod first told Alphonse d'Aix she lived him she was 13 years old and he considered her only a child. When they meet again 11 years later he has grown to love her spirit, her mind and her love of court intrigue. But she accuses him of wanting to make her his mistress. When he immediately asks her to marry him, she fears she has shamed him into the question. When she says yes, he thinks she is joking. They marry, but neither is sure of the other. Court intrigues, rumors of invasion and attempts on Barbara's honor further complicate their marriage.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gellis wrote the best historical romance, April 9, 2009

By	Melitabel (USA) - See all my reviews

How I wish Gellis were still writing historical romance! I want good history in with the romance, and Gellis was one of the few who satisfied. Silver Mirror paints a rare picture of life at court in the mid-thirteenth century. Alphonse, a younger son, is not a landed lord; he serves as his family's representative at the French and English courts, and has earned a living on the tourney circuit. Barbe, the heroine, is the illegitimate daughter of an earl; she has a modest property but also lives mainly at court as one of the noble attendants of one of the princesses. Alphonse and Barbe's struggle to come to an understanding is entangled in the struggle for control of the English throne. Gellis manages to intertwine romance and history better than any author I can think of.