Renee's Book Addiction

Enchanting the Lady (Relics of Merlin trilogy, book 1) by Kathryne Kennedy

This month’s theme is new authors and authors I haven’t read in a long time. I went with a new-to-me author, Kathryne Kennedy, because I kept hearing great things about her Relics of Merlin series, especially from Amy over at Romance Book Wyrm. Like me, Amy loves her fantasy with a big helping of romance, so I always am interested in her recommendations!

Now, this book isn’t actually owned by me, and hasn’t been sitting on my tbr shelf since last year (my usual criteria for the TBR Challenge.) However, it’s a library book that has been sitting on my shelf for so long that all the renewals were used up, and it’s last possible due date was fast approaching. For this reason, I felt it qualified for the TBR Challenge!

Here’s the book description:

In a world where magic ruled everything, Felicity Seymour couldn’t perform even the simplest spell. If she didn’t pass her testing, she’d lose her duchy — and any hope of marriage. But one man didn’t seem to mind her lack of dowry: a darkly delicious baronet who had managed to scare away the rest of London’s Society misses.

Sir Terence Blackwell knew the enchanting woman before him wasn’t entirely without magic.  Not only could she completely disarm him with her gorgeous lavender eyes and frank candor, but his were-lion senses could smell a dark power on her — the same kind of relic-magic that had killed his brother.  Was she using it herself, or was it being used against her?

One needed a husband, and the other needed answers.  But only together could they find the strongest magic of all: true love.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that the world in Enchanting the Lady is given short shrift. It’s unique setting and society were really interesting. I loved how it is a blend of Victorian society and a magic-based aristocracy. The weres are an underclass, both feared and looked down upon by the ton.

Felicity really reminded me of the old-school Regency and Victorian heroines that I used to read in my teens (remember Barbara Cartland, anyone?) It made her familiar, but at least for me, not too relate-able. She was very much the sweet, innocent, ingenuous heroine. I rooted for her, but she never felt completely real to me, because she was always so sweet and kind. I wanted her to get mad, yell at someone, lose her temper, to show some more dimension, but it never happened.

Sir Terence, otoh, was all broody intensity. I have a weakness for shifters, especially cat-shifters, so he was definitely my cuppa. I really enjoyed seeing him fall for Felicity, despite himself. He was in such denial, yet everytime he saw her, it was obvious he was just falling deeper in love with her.

The mystery of the relic-magic was well done, and kept me guessing, even when I was sure I knew what was going on. (I was wrong.)

At the end, there were a couple of issues that I felt weren’t really addressed or resolved. I can’t discuss them without spoilers, so highlight the following text at your own peril:

SPOILER  SPOILER  SPOILER  SPOILER (Highlight area to read.)

When Felicity decides to not pursue reclaiming her title, it really bothered me for two reasons: 1.) that she seemed to assume  she would be able to “fix” Terence’s feelings of social inferiority by not out-ranking him, and 2.) that (as she tells Prince Albert) she “only wants to be her husband’s wife.” While probably a historically accurate view for the time period, it wasn’t one that helped me with my problems relating to Felicity. Also, neither of these reasons really addressed Terence and his own feelings about their respective social positions. I would have liked more to have been resolved for him on this issue.

END SPOILER

However, in the end there was enough of Enchanting the Lady that I did enjoy, that I will probably get around to reading the rest of this trilogy.

• Kathryne Kennedy’s site.
• Excerpt for Enchanting the Lady.