The Shadow and the Star – Victorian Hearts, Book 2

By: Laura Kinsale

Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton

Length: 16 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

In defense of her honor, innocent Leda Etoile has burned all her bridges and taken refuge in her tiny attic room in a shabby boarding house in London. But her last safe haven is invaded when she wakes to find a man hidden in the dark - a man with golden hair and the face of a fallen angel, who moves in the night like a shadow.

Will he be her savior, or her ruin? Samuel Gerard draws her inexorably into the richest circles of aristocratic England. But even as Leda falls in love with a man she can never have, she must keep his secrets. Though everything about him is shame and illusion, this shadow warrior desperately desires what only Leda can give him - absolute love, and the truth about himself.

The incredibly successful pairing of Laura Kinsale and Nicholas Boulton has been honored once again, winning a THIRD Earphones Award from AudioFile Magazine, this time for The Shadow and the Star. Sweeping listeners from the jubilee parades of Park Lane to the flower-scented breezes of Hawaii, Boulton brings this beloved Kinsale classic to memorable life.

©1991, 2005 Hedgehog Inc (P)2013 Hedgehog Inc

Well that was different

It's took a few chapters for me to become invested it the outcome but it was interesting. Definitely a different sort of romance story. Worth a listen.

Always my favorite among Laura's romances

If you could sum up The Shadow and the Star in three words, what would they be?

A superb read

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Shadow and the Star?

the climactic lagoon battle

What about Nicholas Boulton’s performance did you like?

He makes the king's English of the time sound like it, and then he adds in some Hawaiian of the era. The man's range is superb. His ability to bind the listener to the tale just as good.

Any additional comments?

This book always was entrancing to me with its range over England thru Hawaii, with its apt descriptions of down in the luck London as well as the latest highborn contrivances and life among the upper classes there. Moving then to soft flowery vales high up in the valleys of Oahu and to the reedy shallows of old Pearl Harbor. Lots of research, lots of love for these venues by the author and then enhanced even more by reader Boulton.

Loved it!!

Laura Kinsale always seems to manage to tug at your heart strings. You feel for her characters. Her stories are very well written. They keep me interested from beginning to end and leave me wanting more. Nicholas Boulton is a wonderful narrator and brings the characters alive.

Very Good Romance.

What about Nicholas Boulton’s performance did you like?

It's my first book read by him. I'll be looking for more.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh, cry, anger. I had all kinds of reactions. I felt sorry for Samuel because of his sad past, but I also hated him for making Leda thinks that she was not the one he wanted for most part of the book . He redeemed himself, but there were times that I wanted to strangle him.

Any additional comments?

It's worth the credit. It's romance, adventure, history all in one.

Loved it the first time, revised review the second

Originally I gave this book 5 of 5. It was one of the first titles I purchased on Audible. 5 years later listening it was only a 4 of 5 for me. The beginning was slow. It took quite a while into the book before I really enjoyed it. It was a good story but there are so many other books that just grab you in the beginning and hold you the entire book. I prefer a book that I simply cannot put down.

Awesome read!

Where does The Shadow and the Star rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

So far this book is by far my favorite! It's a keeper. Loved the whole book!

Who was your favorite character and why?

The two msin characters were fabulous, they truly brought emotions in .

What about Nicholas Boulton’s performance did you like?

Very good

Leading man hamstrung by past...

Our leading man was hamstrung by his past and wish for another woman. This slowed the flow of true love and was, at times, irritating. I liked our leading lady quite a bit. She was consitent throughout the book. Her belief her desire for the leading man was due in part to her being half french was a cute internal dialog.

Not her typical style but fantastic.

This was a bit different for Kinsale. She does the tragic hero so well, but this one is a bit more haunted than others. The relationship between he and Leda is tenuous but so well-done. I was rooting for both of them. Kinsale spins a tale like no other author. The usual adventurous scenes, heartbreaking moments, and laugh-out-loud antics are all included, as expected. Boulton gave another fabulous performance. I highly recommend!

Struggled to finish this one.

I have listened to three other Kinsale books and loved them all (Flowers from the Storm, Sieze the Storm and Part 1 of the Victorian series (cant remember the name). This one just missed the mark entirely. I really didn't care for either of the main characters and just lost interest in the story. It was slow moving. Boultan did an amazing job, as ever, with narration, with the exception of his American accents. Any of the characters with American accents came off as completely monotone. Overall, I found this to be a boring, implausible story.

A STORY FOR THE MIND, HEART AND SENSES!

The Shadow and the Star was an unexpected surprise for me. I had no idea how the exquisite and very complex story of Samuel and Leda would take me on an emotional journey. The writing is so good that you feel as though you have been transported to each setting described in the book: from the dreary, congested streets of London to the airy, fresh paradise of Hawaii. You see….you smell….and you feel. In addition, the masterful combination of Nicholas Boulton’s narration and Laura Kinsale’s writing was magic to me.

The story in itself is unique, and the secondary and tertiary characters that surround the lives of Samuel and Leda were all relevant, entertaining, interesting and quite powerful. From the saving graces of the Ashlands to the devoted training from master Dojun, Samuel’s life was saved, but the emotional turmoil, and unrest from his incomprehensible abuse as a child, was far from healed. And, this aspect of the story is what makes Samuel a very tortured hero who moved forward by creating fortresses of dreams based on false premises from his wounded heart.

Every tormented Hero needs a heroine who is immovable, patient and so in love with him that she will be able to see him through all of the dark moments that need to be worked through before reaching their HEA. And, this is what Leda is to Samuel. She was the anchor that steadied him through his storms of raw emotions. In Leda’s own life she was saved from living on the streets, and raised by the very proper Lady Myrtle. I enjoyed how Leda recalled advice and sayings in every dilemma of the deceased woman (Mrs. Myrtle) who mentored her.

Leda is a beautiful heroine. I was so touched by Leda’s journey: from her fierce struggle to hold on to her morals when fighting poverty, and later in her quest to never give up on love and her hero, in her relationship with Samuel.

The author really does make the reader work for the HEA. My emotions were as tight as piano wires as I read this book. I had to listen to (certain parts) twice as I tried to count the reasons or evidence that led to Samuel’s love for Leda. You see, I felt dissatisfied with the ending and was left frustrated because I was not sure that the Hero and Heroine had resolved all of the challenges to reach a continued HEA. (No epilogue did not help in that respect). However, upon reading/listening a second time, it was as plain as day that this man freaken loved Leda.

Although Samuel pursued love as one searching in the dark, he finally defeated his fear and self-loathing and allowed himself to find peace in Leda’s unquenchable love. This is a beautiful story that will stay within my heart forever……and, I have no doubts, whatsoever, that Samuel and Leda found their HEA and will be able to weather anything that comes their way as they live in complete happiness and a sweet surrender to one another.