Shadow Music

A Novel

By: Julie Garwood

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Throughout her acclaimed writing career, Julie Garwood has captivated readers with characters who are compelling, daring, and bursting with life. Now one of the most popular novelists of our time proudly returns to her beloved historical romance roots in a thrilling tale of love, murder, adventure, and mystery set against the haunting landscape of medieval Scotland.

For Princess Gabrielle of St. Biel, Scotland is a land of stunning vistas, wild chieftains, treacherous glens, and steep shadows: skullduggery, betrayal, and now murder. Prized for her exquisite beauty, the daughter of one of England's most influential barons, Gabrielle is also a perfect bargaining chip for a king who needs peace in the Highlands: King John has arranged Gabrielle's marriage to a good and gentle laird. But this marriage will never take place.

For Gabrielle, everything changes in one last burst of freedom, when she and her guards come upon a scene of unimaginable cruelty. With one shot from her bow and arrow, Gabrielle takes a life, saves a life, and begins a war.

Within days, the Highlands are aflame with passions as a battle royal flares between enemies old and new. Having come to Scotland to be married, Gabrielle is instead entangled in Highland intrigue. For two sadistic noblemen, underestimating Gabrielle's bravery and prowess may prove fatal. But thanks to a secret Gabrielle possesses, Colm MacHugh, the most feared man in Scotland, finds a new cause for courage. Under his penetrating gaze, neither Gabrielle's body nor heart is safe.

A gripping novel that delves into the heart of emotion, unyielding passions of love, hate, revenge, and raw desire, Shadow Music is magnificent gift from Julie Garwood and a crowning achievement in her amazing career.

©2007 Julie Garwood (P)2007 Random House, Inc.

So worth it!

This was the most complex and convoluted storyline of the three books, and I almost lost interest. But I hung in there and I'm so glad I did. This turned out to be a very good book, but it does require a bit of patient whimsy on the part of the reader, at least in the beginning.

Like the other two books in the series, Garwood sets up the tale by telling us the back story of the main character, in this case, Princess Gabrielle, a member of the now defunct royal family of a mythical country called Saint Biel. Given in marriage to a highland laird by King John, Gabrielle is in the highlands for her wedding. Then the machinations of a couple of ruthless barons leaves Gabrielle in disgrace and at the mercy -- and under the protection of -- another highland laird.

If there is a weakness, it is Laird McQue. He's a bit of a stock character and isn't given much to do other than be all highlandy. We really only know him through the reactions of other characters, and I found myself wanting more.

BUT -- what's great about this story is the personality of Gabrielle. She is not a weak or silly woman, but someone with excellent self esteem who faces adversity as it comes. She isn't overly maternal, or a healer, or any of the usual stock traits that makeup a female character of her type. She is unique in my experience, and this is so refreshing that I slowed my reading in order to savor it. It's fun to watch her manage the laird without confrontation. She constantly surprises him, and his reactions to her make him a more interesting character. Gabrielle is very original and likeable and I would love to see more female characters created in her image.

Gabrielle also has a close relationship with her four St. Biel guards, who have been with her since childhood; they are great characters in their own right, and her interactions with them are fun to watch.

All in all, a very entertaining read, maybe slightly less well plotted and a little more clunky than the first two, but still very good.

Rosalyn Landor reads this -- need I say more?

Good story but...

Slow pace! Excruciatingly slow pace, describing each person's thought over and over again! Otherwise good story

lovely

very nice story. narrator did an awesome job. I was drawn in from the first word.

Good but not great

I enjoyed the story, but I enjoyed the other stories in this series much more.

Great story wonderful author

I love most of Julie Garwood books and own quite a few that I read or listen to more than I can remember reading or listening to over and over again.

wonderful writer and storyteller

Both my husband and I have listened to all 3 books in this series! We have love all 3. We listen in the car and at night before sleep. Her characters are well written, complex and promote the meaning of family, loyalty and love.

Good story.

Good ending to the trilogy. Much longer than the other books. Less physical and much more to the story than the previous books. More about intrigue and less about the actual relationship between the two which I didn't care for specifically but it's a good story. The narrator was decent but sounds more Welsh than Scots.

Another great from julie!

It sounded like I would love it and I’m not disappointed! I wish there was more laird books . They are mixed with humor, intrigue, romance and a look at what it was like to live in those times.
If you like any of the large books you’ll love this one!!!

RM

This is another good Julie Garwood book, the only thing is, is they made a mistake at the beginning, when it was Alec that was taken not Michael.

Such a good love story

I love these period novels with danger, excitement, and a lovely sweet love story.