historical

I've been reading Mary Jo Putney for years, and this is one of the best books she has written. The characterizations are excellent -- striking hero, enchanting heroine, interesting secondary characters, and wonderful animals (even if you are not a "cat person," you will love the feral cat). The plot is intriguing, and I really enjoyed Putney's foray into the magic of the British Isles. One can only hope that she revists these characters with several sequels.

This is a great read and is strongly recommended.

There are supernaturally endowed Guardians who lived amongst the Mundanes, mere mortals. The Guardians each have special talents, and were sworn to protect the Mundanes. Years ago, Gywnne's father, a powerful Guardian too a Mundane to wife. This was not forbidden, but was discouraged because a Guardian man needed an equally strong woman to balance and enhance his powers. As Gwynne grew up in her father's home, she inherited his love for history and lore. When her father died, she was seventeen. Alone in the world, she passively accepts marriage to a man over 50 years older than she. Over fifteen years pass, with Gwynne still working in the library of her childhood home, keeping companionship with her late husband's sister. She's content to pass through life like some hothouse flower.

When Duncan McCrae, the Lord of the Storms, sees Gwynne he knows she is his destiny. Gwynne is a pain to Duncan (and the readers) by her willingness to avoid life. When Duncan makes it clear to her he wants her for his wife, she is shocked and rebuffs him. Gwynne believes she does not have any power and hesitates to welcome a union with such a powerful Guardian.

Duncan accepts Gwynne's mandate to leave her alone and is preparing to depart for his home in Scotland. Gwynne is been summoned by the Guardian Council and told she must marry Duncan. Gwynne hesitates, but finally accepts as a member of the Guardian society she must married Duncan. She is warned that war between Scotland and England is looming, and that Duncan will need her. He is a Scot, but his loyalties lay with Hanoverian rules in England. This will make his power as a Guardian very pivotal for both countries.

Duncan and Gwynne marry within days and start their journey toward Scotland, just as Bonnie Prince Charlie has landed in Scotland to raise the Clans. Gwynne and Duncan soon discover she is an Enchantress mage, a woman who can control men through her sexual aura. She did not know this, because Enchantresses only unlock their power after they have slept with a man they truly love.

Within short order, Duncan and Gwynne are tossed into the Jacobite rebellion and Gwynne soon sees her husband is using his power to help the Scottish cause, and only she can stop him.

While the premise holds so much promise, this novel fire. The two leads just don't capture the emotions or the heart in true Putney Style. Thunder of Roses and all the Fallen Angels are just so much more than this book. Since it dealt with Scotland, and the lore angle, I REALLY wanted to love this book. It an enjoyable read, just pale, as if she went through the motions not caring. The whole plot had so much potential she totally left untapped. Even the prose was stale - "her waist was so tiny he could span it with both hands"....HOW many times has that overused phrase been trotted out in Historicals? A writer of Putney's strengths and talent should never fall back on something that worn out. And referring to Gwynne's wedding night as being "initiated in the ways of Aphrodite"...(groan)

The second half of the book is much stronger and I was glad to see it picked up and started to come "alive", but it never overcame to "shallow" emotions of the characters. The novel is a weak effort from one of the most talented writers around. If you are a diehard fan, wait for paperback or get it at the library. This is a series. I still have high hope for the next one, but please more passion in the romance instead of sleepwalking. Putney is truly one of the greatest writers in Romance today. Thunder of Roses and Dancing on the Wind are prime examples of just how evocative her prose are. A Kiss of Fate is just not true Putney.

I've been a devoted Mary Jo Putney reader since I read Thunder and Roses in 1993. I've read all of her backlist. Then sometime during the bride series, I became aware that the stories were not holding me the way they used to. I didn't even buy her contemporaries. But, this book reminded me why I love Putney. I really enjoyed the fantasy elements of the story, and they really added to the development of the characters in a realistic, unforced way. The characters were strong, but human and very compelling. Their attraction and courtship were incredibly dynamic. I wouldn't rank this work with Putney's best; however, it is a truly enjoyable read. I don't think you'll be disappointed!