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.

Don't do it!

I love historical romances, don't get me wrong, but I am not a stupid woman and don't like being treated like one by the author. Weak plot, flimsy unlikeable characters, and drab writing that drags the most boring moments on and on without hitting on even a single exciting moment are not even the worst part. The narrator takes herself so seriously that she speaks as if dictating a eulogoy for a king, drawing every phrase out slowly so that it actually causes physical pain to listen to the story. Just keep browsing; anything is better than this one.

Yes, read it!

For a year now I have had this on my wish list but dodged it because of the reviews. I LOVE Rosalyn Landor....it was hard to believe that the narration was that poor.... I have 2 other Julie Garwood books that were great but she is not my favorite author..... Finally I got to a point where the new releases were not used to my standard....I was looking through my wish list and settled on finally getting through this book and hoping I can make it to the end... Well I got to the end in one day! I could not put it down... Yes it's not her strongest book... But the narrator does and awesome job and the story is good, entertaining and some humorous parts! I would say this is one book that did not get the best reviews but is really a great read.

Delightful, Great Story

Would you listen to Shadow Music again? Why?

I have listened to Shadow Music several times and I still don't know how Rosalyn Landor did all the voice overs. Terrific, very well done and extremely entertaining.
The story is very unique, interesting and different from anything I have listened to before.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The two lead Characters of course.

Have you listened to any of Rosalyn Landor’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Rosalyn Landor never disappoints me. She holds the listeners interest and makes the story and all the characters come alive.

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

It made me feel good and that's why I have listened to it several times and will do so again.
Wish Judy Garwood would write more books like this one..

Any additional comments?

It would be wonderful if Judy G. would hire Rosalyn L. to read all her books.

good but not great

I am a great fan of this author and was thrilled to discover this novel. I enjoyed it but felt a little detached from the main characters.

Worth the credit.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend anything by Julie Garwood, however, Shadow Music is not my favorite. The beginning was filled with too many facts and partial background stories that were used to "catch-up" the reader so that one could know the characters. Perhaps the problem was in the number of backgrounds and relationships. It took quite a while to really get into the book...although, by the end, I was.

Not her strongest

What would have made Shadow Music better?

More deeply developed characters, more meaningful moments between the two main characters. All of the scenes together were focused solely on plot, there wasn't time for their relationship to richly develop (as is the case with the other books in this series).

What was most disappointing about Julie Garwood’s story?

It isn't a horrible book or anything, but compared to her others, it fell on its face. 2 dimensional characters. Rushed plot. I had the distinct thought that the author must have been tired when she wrote it. Either physically tired or just tired of writing.

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

She's amazing in everything she does. Her voice is emphatic and she can lull you into the story with ease.

What character would you cut from Shadow Music?

I wouldn't cut anyone, but I would have fleshed out the characters more fully. They didn't feel like real people, just shells. It was sad, because I thought the premise of the book had good potential. But Mrs. Garwood didn't seem to approach this one with her typical enthusiasm.

Wish I had saved my credit...

I'm a Garwood fan, but I'm sorry to say this, her latest Scottish novel, is pretty darn bad. It's slow, the characters are flat and boring,nor does it have the humor, sexual tension and fun of her earlier novels. The narrator reads extremely sloooowly, and I found myself wishing I'd just checked out the actual book from the library and saved myself some time. Shadow Music is mildly entertaining, but a waste of time of money.

Such a good love story

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

Great story & narrator

The narrator had a great mix of accents male & female. The story was so interesting I didn't want to stop listening to it until it was over. I love Julie Garwood and would definitely listen to any stories narrated by Rosalyn Landor.

It's Loooong!

What made the experience of listening to Shadow Music the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed the story and characters. It was well written although I would have liked it better if it had moved along more quickly. I think I would have preferred an abridged version.

What other book might you compare Shadow Music to and why?

It's similar to several books in part, but when brought together in a comprehensive novel by a talented author like Julie Garwood ,with it's own twists and turns, it becomes an original.

Which character – as performed by Rosalyn Landor – was your favorite?

Princess Gabrielle of St. Biel. She's everything you could want in a heroine, beautiful inside and out, kind, resourceful, expert archer, good horsewoman, protective of those she cares for.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I don't think the title fits the book, a more descriptive tag line might read: mayhem and violence in the Scottish Highlands

Any additional comments?

There was a lot of facets to this book, but it was not disjointed. It flowed smoothly although slowly at times.

I'm glad I listened to it. You get a lot for a credit.