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The Silver Devil
No woman's heart is safe from The Silver Devil
From the moment he sees the beautiful Felicia, he must have her. Overnight he changes Felicia's nightmare world of tavern drudgery into an erotic adventure as his royal mistress.
He is the Duke of Cabria who holds his subjects in constant fear. He is troubled. He is ruthless.
And Felicia is hopelessly in love with him—though at times he seems like the devil incarnate...
From the moment he sees the beautiful Felicia, he must have her. Overnight he changes Felicia's nightmare world of tavern drudgery into an erotic adventure as his royal mistress.
He is the Duke of Cabria who holds his subjects in constant fear. He is troubled. He is ruthless.
And Felicia is hopelessly in love with him—though at times he seems like the devil incarnate...
373 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
About the author
Teresa Denys
2 books93 followersDenys was Jacqui Bianchi, a major editor at Mills & Boon, overseeing such authors as Penny Jordan, Leigh Michaels, and Emma Goldrick. She died suddenly, apparently in a car crash, in 1987 or 1988.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 482 reviews
April 2, 2018
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2! The Silver Devil (stand-alone). In dangerous times, The Duke of Cambria is intrigued & distracted by his new play-thing Felicia!
The Silver Devil (stand-alone) takes place in Italy, year 1605.
Orphan Felicia Guardi is living a Cinderella-life existence at the mercy of her half-bother and his evil wife when she catches the eye the Duke of Cambria, Demonico Giordano della Raffaelle, Lord of Marches aka the Silver Devil. She is whisked away to the palace to become his mistress and is quickly embroiled into court life rich on scandal, lust, sex, envy and danger.
With silver-blond hair, obsidian eyes and uncanny beauty Demonico, The Duke of Cambria bewitches men and woman alike and is known for his sinister seduction, toying with his conquests until he gets bored. But when Felicia holds her own against his manipulations he refuses to let her go. Demonico is distracted in traitorous and villainous times when he should be fighting for his Dukedom…
Twelve words to describe Demonico Giordano della Raffaelle, The Duke of Cambria, Lord of Marches aka the Silver Devil: Cunning, manipulative, spoiled, aloof, possessive, devious, complex, enigmatic, intense, mercurial, punitive and ruthless.
Nine words to describe Felicia Guardi: Smart, naïve, innocent, feisty, strong, independent, resilient, relfective and loyal.
The Silver Devil, is told from Felicia’s POV, allowing Demonico to remain the enigma he is to the rest of the world. It’s an all-consuming tale offering the best of era life, intrigue, danger, lust and scandal driven by Demonico’s larger-than-life persona, but carried by the unique girl that will bring him to his knees.
Spectacular plot! Classic historical! Legendary anti-hero!
***
Hero: ★★★★★
Heroine: ★★★★★
Plot: ★★★★★
Storytelling: ★★★★★
Sexual tension: ★★★★★
Sex scenes: ★★★1/2
Story ending: ★★★★1/2
******************************************
OVERALL RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Angst: | HIGH FOCUS |
Darkness: | HIGH FOCUS |
Humor: | LOW FOCUS |
Kink: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Romance: | HIGH FOCUS |
Sex frequency: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Suspense: | HIGH FOCUS |
30-day FREE trial: https://goo.gl/Aaeof1
1) Read in ScribD App on phone/iPad
2) How to read it as MOBI on Kindle >>>
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2! The Silver Devil (stand-alone). In dangerous times, The Duke of Cambria is intrigued & distracted by his new play-thing Felicia!
“Sprawled catlike in the silver chair, he was watching me; I could feel his eyes resting on my bare shoulders as actual as a touch.”
The Silver Devil (stand-alone) takes place in Italy, year 1605.
Orphan Felicia Guardi is living a Cinderella-life existence at the mercy of her half-bother and his evil wife when she catches the eye the Duke of Cambria, Demonico Giordano della Raffaelle, Lord of Marches aka the Silver Devil. She is whisked away to the palace to become his mistress and is quickly embroiled into court life rich on scandal, lust, sex, envy and danger.
“He was watching me scientifically; there was no emotion in him at all. There was an assessing gleam in the hooded black eyes, a satiric set to his mouth, and I knew with fatal clarity that I had been duped.”
With silver-blond hair, obsidian eyes and uncanny beauty Demonico, The Duke of Cambria bewitches men and woman alike and is known for his sinister seduction, toying with his conquests until he gets bored. But when Felicia holds her own against his manipulations he refuses to let her go. Demonico is distracted in traitorous and villainous times when he should be fighting for his Dukedom…
“I knew then, looking up at him, that I had been deceiving myself, calling this feeling by any name but love. Lust for the beautiful animal who had seduced me, fear of the vicious tyrant, compassion for the haunted man who cried like a lost child in my arms—they were only part of what I felt for him.”
Twelve words to describe Demonico Giordano della Raffaelle, The Duke of Cambria, Lord of Marches aka the Silver Devil: Cunning, manipulative, spoiled, aloof, possessive, devious, complex, enigmatic, intense, mercurial, punitive and ruthless.
Nine words to describe Felicia Guardi: Smart, naïve, innocent, feisty, strong, independent, resilient, relfective and loyal.
The Silver Devil, is told from Felicia’s POV, allowing Demonico to remain the enigma he is to the rest of the world. It’s an all-consuming tale offering the best of era life, intrigue, danger, lust and scandal driven by Demonico’s larger-than-life persona, but carried by the unique girl that will bring him to his knees.
Spectacular plot! Classic historical! Legendary anti-hero!
“Domenico's smile was breathtakingly beautiful, but his devil's look blazed behind it.”
***
Hero: ★★★★★
Heroine: ★★★★★
Plot: ★★★★★
Storytelling: ★★★★★
Sexual tension: ★★★★★
Sex scenes: ★★★1/2
Story ending: ★★★★1/2
******************************************
OVERALL RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Angst: | HIGH FOCUS |
Darkness: | HIGH FOCUS |
Humor: | LOW FOCUS |
Kink: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Romance: | HIGH FOCUS |
Sex frequency: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Suspense: | HIGH FOCUS |
30-day FREE trial: https://goo.gl/Aaeof1
1) Read in ScribD App on phone/iPad
2) How to read it as MOBI on Kindle >>>
July 19, 2017
I don't read too many historical romances, but every once in a while it is nice to change it up. When I read a friend's review for this one, it sounded like just my type of story. I have a thing for despicable, often abusive, heroes. I love reading stories about the type of guys that you'd run screaming from in real life. It's a hang-up of mine, I guess.
Set in the 1600's, 'The Silver Devil' tells the story of the Duke of Cambria, aka Domenico. Used to getting his way at any cost, he is cold, selfish and often cruel. When he sets eyes on Felicia one afternoon, he decides that he will have her by any means necessary.
When Felicia wakes up in an unknown place, she is soon made aware of her circumstances. A young virgin, Felicia is terrified when she is told that she is to be the newest plaything for the Duke. She resigns herself to a fate worse than death.
Over the course of many weeks, Felicia eventually grows fond of the Duke, despite his less than pleasant disposition. The kind man and tender lover that he is privately, contrasts sharply with the cruel and calculating man he is in public. Watching how easily he dismisses his closest acquaintances with little regard, she fears the day that he will grow tired of her.
Domenico was definitely a tough character to like. He takes Felicia by force and shows little regard for her feelings for much of the book. At the same time, he treats her with just enough tenderness to keep masochistic readers like me hanging in there.
I can't resist a bad guy that is almost irredeemable. Domenico fits the bill perfectly. Just when I thought he'd crossed the point of no return, he'd go and show another side of himself. He was every bit as endearing as he was infuriating.
If, like me, you love stories about really bad guys that turn over a new leaf for the woman they love, then this is a good choice. It doesn't come quickly or easily though. You will have to hang in there to the very end to get the transformation you crave. Domenico was a tough one to break.
Overall, I really enjoyed this historical romance. I found the characters and storyline to be very interesting. I did have to slow down a little to make sense of the language, but for a novel set in the 1600's, it was easier to follow than I had anticipated. I'm certainly no authority on this romance sub genre, but I thought this was a fantastic read.
Set in the 1600's, 'The Silver Devil' tells the story of the Duke of Cambria, aka Domenico. Used to getting his way at any cost, he is cold, selfish and often cruel. When he sets eyes on Felicia one afternoon, he decides that he will have her by any means necessary.
When Felicia wakes up in an unknown place, she is soon made aware of her circumstances. A young virgin, Felicia is terrified when she is told that she is to be the newest plaything for the Duke. She resigns herself to a fate worse than death.
Over the course of many weeks, Felicia eventually grows fond of the Duke, despite his less than pleasant disposition. The kind man and tender lover that he is privately, contrasts sharply with the cruel and calculating man he is in public. Watching how easily he dismisses his closest acquaintances with little regard, she fears the day that he will grow tired of her.
Domenico was definitely a tough character to like. He takes Felicia by force and shows little regard for her feelings for much of the book. At the same time, he treats her with just enough tenderness to keep masochistic readers like me hanging in there.
I can't resist a bad guy that is almost irredeemable. Domenico fits the bill perfectly. Just when I thought he'd crossed the point of no return, he'd go and show another side of himself. He was every bit as endearing as he was infuriating.
If, like me, you love stories about really bad guys that turn over a new leaf for the woman they love, then this is a good choice. It doesn't come quickly or easily though. You will have to hang in there to the very end to get the transformation you crave. Domenico was a tough one to break.
Overall, I really enjoyed this historical romance. I found the characters and storyline to be very interesting. I did have to slow down a little to make sense of the language, but for a novel set in the 1600's, it was easier to follow than I had anticipated. I'm certainly no authority on this romance sub genre, but I thought this was a fantastic read.
May 22, 2017
The Silver Devil by Teresa Denys: 4 “Uncomfortably Good” Stars.
He bought her for thirty pieces of silver, drugged her, dragged her from her home, held her captive in his cellar, subjected her to the scorn of his cohorts, surrounded her with jealous former lovers, and took her virginity in the most violent and humiliating way.
When she smiled at a boy, he tortured and killed him. When she tried to escape, he hung those who assisted her. When a woman tried to drive them apart, he banished her to a leper colony. When a childhood friend conspired against them, he had starving dogs tear him limb from limb.
He seduced and impregnated servant girls, passed mistresses off to his friends, tried to curse his father into an early grave, and drove his stepmother to suicide after having relations with her on the chapel floor.
HE IS SPOILED, NARCISSISTIC, JADED, AND VOLATILE.
He is Domenico Giordano della Raffaelle, Duke of Cabria and Lord of the Marches, and he should NOT be lovable, but he IS.
HE IS BEAUTIFUL, BRAVE, CHARMING, AND PASSIONATE.
And when it comes to Felicia, the girl he bought for thirty pieces of silver, the one to whom he asserts, "It is your vocation to love me above all others”:
So, like all the others – the men and women, boyhood friends, and stepmothers alike – Felicia falls in love with His Grace, The Duke of Cabria.
The Silver Devil, by Teresa Denys, is not a comfortable read.
Like it’s hero, the feelings it evokes are not kind or merciful. Felicia’s first person narrative so vividly describes her every feeling, her every thought, and her every conclusion, that it’s as if you’re experiencing all of The Duke’s actions – his transgressions, his commands, his whispered seductions and possessive caresses - from within her skin. Her confusion becomes your confusion; her fear, your fear; her pain, your pain; her rapture, your rapture; and, her love, your love. By the time the story reaches its dramatic climax, you’re thoroughly convinced that His Grace is everything Felicia believes him to be: an over-indulged, inconstant, opportunist, incapable of returning her love.
That’s when we finally hear Domenico’s side of the story; and with it, all of the unkind and unmerciful emotions finally come to an end. Suddenly, a whole new set of feelings roll through you, ones that are refreshingly sweet and tender. And when they continue to linger long after the story comes to an end, you know, with undue certainty, that despite the discomfort; The Silver Devil was an uncomfortably good read.
For information about my rating system, see my profile page.
A SHOUT OUT TO Fre06:
I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the recommendation. It's nice to read a really well written book. One where you get lost in the world of the main character. Thanks for recommending it to me. I hope someday I can return the favor.
He bought her for thirty pieces of silver, drugged her, dragged her from her home, held her captive in his cellar, subjected her to the scorn of his cohorts, surrounded her with jealous former lovers, and took her virginity in the most violent and humiliating way.
When she smiled at a boy, he tortured and killed him. When she tried to escape, he hung those who assisted her. When a woman tried to drive them apart, he banished her to a leper colony. When a childhood friend conspired against them, he had starving dogs tear him limb from limb.
He seduced and impregnated servant girls, passed mistresses off to his friends, tried to curse his father into an early grave, and drove his stepmother to suicide after having relations with her on the chapel floor.
HE IS SPOILED, NARCISSISTIC, JADED, AND VOLATILE.
He is Domenico Giordano della Raffaelle, Duke of Cabria and Lord of the Marches, and he should NOT be lovable, but he IS.
HE IS BEAUTIFUL, BRAVE, CHARMING, AND PASSIONATE.
And when it comes to Felicia, the girl he bought for thirty pieces of silver, the one to whom he asserts, "It is your vocation to love me above all others”:
So, like all the others – the men and women, boyhood friends, and stepmothers alike – Felicia falls in love with His Grace, The Duke of Cabria.
The Silver Devil, by Teresa Denys, is not a comfortable read.
Like it’s hero, the feelings it evokes are not kind or merciful. Felicia’s first person narrative so vividly describes her every feeling, her every thought, and her every conclusion, that it’s as if you’re experiencing all of The Duke’s actions – his transgressions, his commands, his whispered seductions and possessive caresses - from within her skin. Her confusion becomes your confusion; her fear, your fear; her pain, your pain; her rapture, your rapture; and, her love, your love. By the time the story reaches its dramatic climax, you’re thoroughly convinced that His Grace is everything Felicia believes him to be: an over-indulged, inconstant, opportunist, incapable of returning her love.
That’s when we finally hear Domenico’s side of the story; and with it, all of the unkind and unmerciful emotions finally come to an end. Suddenly, a whole new set of feelings roll through you, ones that are refreshingly sweet and tender. And when they continue to linger long after the story comes to an end, you know, with undue certainty, that despite the discomfort; The Silver Devil was an uncomfortably good read.
For information about my rating system, see my profile page.
A SHOUT OUT TO Fre06:
I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the recommendation. It's nice to read a really well written book. One where you get lost in the world of the main character. Thanks for recommending it to me. I hope someday I can return the favor.
February 7, 2022
The story is unique... I have never quite read anything remotely similar.
I kept rereading some passages, admiring the eloquent beauty of the author's language and... ¿who am kidding? my perfect baby psycho Domenico 💌
I kept rereading some passages, admiring the eloquent beauty of the author's language and... ¿who am kidding? my perfect baby psycho Domenico 💌
November 4, 2019
UPDATED REVIEW
Romance Is Horror! just as the little voice in the back of my head has often whispered to me during various awkward moments.
The Silver Devil is an historical romance with a twist. the twist: i loved it. the feverishly sweaty and grotesque atmosphere, the constant viciousness and savagery, the insanely operatic characters... incredible. and, surprise, the writing is highly accomplished. overall it was fascinating. the whole thing was so luridly gothic an experience that at times it became hard for me to wrap my mind around. in a good way!
okay i've read more about bodice rippers than actually experienced them. i understand that brutish man-boys are the standard. that women often fall into two categories: inexplicably independent (for the historical time period depicted) or - in the case of the The Silver Devil - virginal proto-nuns. this novel pitches these two archetypes of Man & Woman so beyond that template that the effect is genuinely surreal. the brutality and rapeyness was extreme. normally this is something that would upset me. and yet... and yet... everything came together in such an intense fashion that i began to see it as an un-romance. a kind of extreme-relationship novel with a hair-raisingly demanding dom and a heroine who is so deranged in her passivity that she comes across as the ultimate subjugate-me-please sub. but in the end it was as i mentioned at the start: A Tale of Horror. that was really the only way i could take this seriously - and because of the strength of the writing, i did take it seriously. i did not read this with a droll sense of irony because this shit is good, man. the intensity sort of made me feel high at times.
the heroine is a young, sheltered, abused naif. and yet a glass-half-full sorta gal. so devoid of all maliciousness or need for revenge that she basically comes across as a severely developmentally disabled girl-woman. she moved from being a sad character to a pathetic character to a character who attained a bizarre transcendence in the extremity of her submissiveness. she is Pure Victim. and the genuine horror of her story is her unexplainable love for the worst, most evil hero i've come across since i don't know when. it is like she was hypnotized by a devil. The Silver Devil! once i began to see this as a story of extreme psychological terror and so rejected it as a romance, it really came together for me in a way i did not expect. i was on the edge of my seat constantly, just waiting for the next hellish trial that she would be put through. her terrorized first-person perspective on the world around her only strengthened the horror of it all. this is a deeply realized historical novel with a consistently grim tone. one that describes terrible smells of rot and death as a constant, castles as places of nightmare, appealing rascally types who turn around and laughingly engage in gang rape, sybaritic aristocrats who cover their faces in dead-white make-up as if they are miming the undead, irrational rulers who view their people as slaves to be used and killed, unending misogyny, devious deviants who love incest and pederasty, the works. this is a world of abominations and it is all brilliantly described as a genuine living hell.
ah, romance! ah, horror!
the hero is something else. and to me, entirely unattractive - and so the horror remained constant. this was not a remotely arousing novel and yet i was enthralled by the excessive perversity on display. it was easy to never sympathize with the twisted, sickening hero (just as it was easy to long for his punishment and demise) because the author portrays him as evil incarnate... he bullies and terrorizes and rapes and beats the heroine FROM BEGINNING TO END. all that plus he mocks and laughs at her on a regular basis too, exulting in her pain and the bruises he inflicts upon her. again, not romance: horror. imagine a Rupert Everett type (except with silver hair, 'natch): bisexual, mordantly witty, high-handed, suave, always fashionable, always cutting. now combine him with an emo thug from the hbo series Oz who goes violently berserk and throws insane tantrums on a daily basis, tortures people who look at his girl the wrong way, lives to inspire fear, and gets a boner over every one of his disgustingly callous, meaninglessly mean-spirited acts... imagine a petulant man-child who sets dogs on his oldest friend and former lover, and who in turn is depicted as either a kind of unreasoning, ravening dog himself or even more frequently, as a smug and self-satisfied cat who sharpens his claws on human mice... hey, that's our hero. or our villain. he stays this way FROM BEGINNING TO END. if you read this one, you are entitled to that warning. and this one too: this novel has a happy ending. a happy ending where he is not redeemed in any way except he has finally been able to declare his love. Teresa Denys stays completely true to her hellish vision of the time period, her beyond-repulsive characters, her version of "love". there is an admirable and rather fiendish purity to that.
so yeah, i loved this one. but it wasn't just the Ken Russell level of grotesque abandon that won me over. the writing was lush and beautiful, yet remarkably free of sentiment and consistently invested in showing life as one diabolic tableau after another. Teresa Denys has an uncompromisingly bleak world view. this is a dark, dark book. love as a trap for fools and villains. life as death. ah, romance! ah, horror!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
YE OLDE PLACEHOLDER REVIEW
'tis the season...
13 TALES OF TERROR: BOOK 11
oh my God, what the fuck! i'm not sure i've read anything like this before. sweet Jesus this was crazy. so i think i have finally gotten the appeal of bodice rippers, thanks Teresa Denys. this was an intensely sadistic and violent gothic, and hey, i love that. IT THROBS. "romance" as straight up horror. and the writing was excellent. i need to think about this one a little bit more before i write a review because right now i feel like i'm having ptsd from some kind of violent assault. but for now here are some things to illustrate my broken mind after having read this nightmare:
Romance Is Horror! just as the little voice in the back of my head has often whispered to me during various awkward moments.
The Silver Devil is an historical romance with a twist. the twist: i loved it. the feverishly sweaty and grotesque atmosphere, the constant viciousness and savagery, the insanely operatic characters... incredible. and, surprise, the writing is highly accomplished. overall it was fascinating. the whole thing was so luridly gothic an experience that at times it became hard for me to wrap my mind around. in a good way!
okay i've read more about bodice rippers than actually experienced them. i understand that brutish man-boys are the standard. that women often fall into two categories: inexplicably independent (for the historical time period depicted) or - in the case of the The Silver Devil - virginal proto-nuns. this novel pitches these two archetypes of Man & Woman so beyond that template that the effect is genuinely surreal. the brutality and rapeyness was extreme. normally this is something that would upset me. and yet... and yet... everything came together in such an intense fashion that i began to see it as an un-romance. a kind of extreme-relationship novel with a hair-raisingly demanding dom and a heroine who is so deranged in her passivity that she comes across as the ultimate subjugate-me-please sub. but in the end it was as i mentioned at the start: A Tale of Horror. that was really the only way i could take this seriously - and because of the strength of the writing, i did take it seriously. i did not read this with a droll sense of irony because this shit is good, man. the intensity sort of made me feel high at times.
the heroine is a young, sheltered, abused naif. and yet a glass-half-full sorta gal. so devoid of all maliciousness or need for revenge that she basically comes across as a severely developmentally disabled girl-woman. she moved from being a sad character to a pathetic character to a character who attained a bizarre transcendence in the extremity of her submissiveness. she is Pure Victim. and the genuine horror of her story is her unexplainable love for the worst, most evil hero i've come across since i don't know when. it is like she was hypnotized by a devil. The Silver Devil! once i began to see this as a story of extreme psychological terror and so rejected it as a romance, it really came together for me in a way i did not expect. i was on the edge of my seat constantly, just waiting for the next hellish trial that she would be put through. her terrorized first-person perspective on the world around her only strengthened the horror of it all. this is a deeply realized historical novel with a consistently grim tone. one that describes terrible smells of rot and death as a constant, castles as places of nightmare, appealing rascally types who turn around and laughingly engage in gang rape, sybaritic aristocrats who cover their faces in dead-white make-up as if they are miming the undead, irrational rulers who view their people as slaves to be used and killed, unending misogyny, devious deviants who love incest and pederasty, the works. this is a world of abominations and it is all brilliantly described as a genuine living hell.
ah, romance! ah, horror!
the hero is something else. and to me, entirely unattractive - and so the horror remained constant. this was not a remotely arousing novel and yet i was enthralled by the excessive perversity on display. it was easy to never sympathize with the twisted, sickening hero (just as it was easy to long for his punishment and demise) because the author portrays him as evil incarnate... he bullies and terrorizes and rapes and beats the heroine FROM BEGINNING TO END. all that plus he mocks and laughs at her on a regular basis too, exulting in her pain and the bruises he inflicts upon her. again, not romance: horror. imagine a Rupert Everett type (except with silver hair, 'natch): bisexual, mordantly witty, high-handed, suave, always fashionable, always cutting. now combine him with an emo thug from the hbo series Oz who goes violently berserk and throws insane tantrums on a daily basis, tortures people who look at his girl the wrong way, lives to inspire fear, and gets a boner over every one of his disgustingly callous, meaninglessly mean-spirited acts... imagine a petulant man-child who sets dogs on his oldest friend and former lover, and who in turn is depicted as either a kind of unreasoning, ravening dog himself or even more frequently, as a smug and self-satisfied cat who sharpens his claws on human mice... hey, that's our hero. or our villain. he stays this way FROM BEGINNING TO END. if you read this one, you are entitled to that warning. and this one too: this novel has a happy ending. a happy ending where he is not redeemed in any way except he has finally been able to declare his love. Teresa Denys stays completely true to her hellish vision of the time period, her beyond-repulsive characters, her version of "love". there is an admirable and rather fiendish purity to that.
so yeah, i loved this one. but it wasn't just the Ken Russell level of grotesque abandon that won me over. the writing was lush and beautiful, yet remarkably free of sentiment and consistently invested in showing life as one diabolic tableau after another. Teresa Denys has an uncompromisingly bleak world view. this is a dark, dark book. love as a trap for fools and villains. life as death. ah, romance! ah, horror!
"The darkness seemed to breathe, pressing down on me like a hot, thick blanket. Here and there were gleams of light from the last embers of the torches, and the blackness was peopled by innumerable small sounds. Sighs of lassitude, stertorous breathing, the rustle of garments and the kiss of flesh, quietening into a silence of exhaustion; the court's lust had spent itself in one hectic surge, and soon would come the bitter aftermath. I sat staring into space, seeing in the darkness pictures of the gluttony and debauchery to which fear of tomorrow had spurred the Cabrian nobles. The masque of the Seven Deadly Sins played before our faces, sung and chanted, with servants of each Sin's train engulfing the whole hall in a miasma of vivid colour: the spilling dishes, the flowing wine, the sighs and screams of the court as the torches were doused one by one."
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
YE OLDE PLACEHOLDER REVIEW
'tis the season...
13 TALES OF TERROR: BOOK 11
oh my God, what the fuck! i'm not sure i've read anything like this before. sweet Jesus this was crazy. so i think i have finally gotten the appeal of bodice rippers, thanks Teresa Denys. this was an intensely sadistic and violent gothic, and hey, i love that. IT THROBS. "romance" as straight up horror. and the writing was excellent. i need to think about this one a little bit more before i write a review because right now i feel like i'm having ptsd from some kind of violent assault. but for now here are some things to illustrate my broken mind after having read this nightmare:
![Profile Image for Namera [The Literary Invertebrate].](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1647896333i/31792110._UX200_CR0,96,200,200_.jpg)
October 15, 2021
UPDATE: I have a paper copy of this now!!! And I didn't even have to empty my savings to get it!
If you want a cheap rare version, I recommend you set a Thriftbooks alert setting for every time they have this book in stock. Sometimes the copies are really expensive, but sometimes they aren't. I paid £14 for this book (including shipping) which overall makes it the most expensive paper book I've ever bought, but a) that's way cheaper than it is on Amazon etc and b) It's worth it.
__
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this book.
So far I've read it cover to cover maybe three or four times. 'Cover' is sadly a bit misleading; I only have this in ebook, since there are only a handful of copies existing in the world and they cost hundreds of dollars. Someday, I'm going to absolutely treat myself and buy one.
Until then, I'll survive on the ebook. And what an ebook it is. I don't think there's a single thing I don't like about this book. Here's just a brief list of the elements that make me adore it:
✔️ A lushly described Renaissance Italy setting, full of historically accurate speech and details, creating an atmosphere so stiflingly vivid that I could honestly believe I was there.
✔️ A hero who's completely and totally obsessed with the heroine from the moment he lays eyes on her. Domenic is the most unique hero I've ever encountered. He's playful, violent, lusty, cruel, childish, and just wonderful. No character really lives up to him.
✔️ While an OW exists (an ex-lover of Domenic's) he absolutely sends her packing the second she looks wrong at the heroine.
✔️ Bonus: the hero is a blond. This probably won't matter to most readers, but blond heroes are so comparatively rare that I enjoy reading about them.
✔️ A whole cast of superbly drawn supporting characters.
✔️ A plot that's as strong as the romance. Full of action, spies, and all the drama of 17th-century Borgia Italy.
It breaks my heart that the author, Teresa Denys (aka Mills & Boon editor Jacqui Bianchi) died suddenly in a car crash in 1988, which means that she left only two books. I haven't been able to bring myself to read the other one yet.
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
If you want a cheap rare version, I recommend you set a Thriftbooks alert setting for every time they have this book in stock. Sometimes the copies are really expensive, but sometimes they aren't. I paid £14 for this book (including shipping) which overall makes it the most expensive paper book I've ever bought, but a) that's way cheaper than it is on Amazon etc and b) It's worth it.
__
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this book.
So far I've read it cover to cover maybe three or four times. 'Cover' is sadly a bit misleading; I only have this in ebook, since there are only a handful of copies existing in the world and they cost hundreds of dollars. Someday, I'm going to absolutely treat myself and buy one.
Until then, I'll survive on the ebook. And what an ebook it is. I don't think there's a single thing I don't like about this book. Here's just a brief list of the elements that make me adore it:
✔️ A lushly described Renaissance Italy setting, full of historically accurate speech and details, creating an atmosphere so stiflingly vivid that I could honestly believe I was there.
✔️ A hero who's completely and totally obsessed with the heroine from the moment he lays eyes on her. Domenic is the most unique hero I've ever encountered. He's playful, violent, lusty, cruel, childish, and just wonderful. No character really lives up to him.
✔️ While an OW exists (an ex-lover of Domenic's) he absolutely sends her packing the second she looks wrong at the heroine.
✔️ Bonus: the hero is a blond. This probably won't matter to most readers, but blond heroes are so comparatively rare that I enjoy reading about them.
✔️ A whole cast of superbly drawn supporting characters.
✔️ A plot that's as strong as the romance. Full of action, spies, and all the drama of 17th-century Borgia Italy.
It breaks my heart that the author, Teresa Denys (aka Mills & Boon editor Jacqui Bianchi) died suddenly in a car crash in 1988, which means that she left only two books. I haven't been able to bring myself to read the other one yet.
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
April 28, 2024
He sat on his horse unmoving, a somber black figure in startling contrast to the vivid colors about him, the sun dazzling on his white gold hair. Unlike the duke and his bastard, there was no laughter in his face, and his eyes were not searching the housefronts for diversion-instead, he was staring intently straight up at my window.
Poor Felicia Guardi. Not only is she a reviled bastard toiling away, Cinderella-like, at the inn of her portly brother and his shrewish wife, but now she has caught the eye of Domenico della Raffaelle, heir to the Dukedom of Cabria, in the fictitious southern Italian city of Fidena, circa the 1400s. And if she thinks this is going to mean hearts and flowers, she is in for a rude awakening.
A voice, soft and almost teasing, stopped me in my tracks.
“Little crow!”
When I felt his fingertips against my cheek, I flinched as I would have done from a brand. But he turned my face up to him as casually as he might have turned a rose to smell it, and unwarily I looked straight up into his eyes.
They were black; so dark that they were unfathomable, and impossibly, horrifyingly dark in that fair face. I thought of Lucifer as I looked at him, of a demon’s eyes in the face of a fallen angel. Then, as I watched, a strange light began to grow in them-the darkness was swallowed up in a brilliance that made them blaze silver. I caught my breath, and the room, the house, the whole city, was suddenly breathless with waiting.
Next thing you know, her brother sells her for thirty pieces of silver and she is swept to the Duke's castle, a corrupt, rotten, debauched hellmouth where she is caught in the intrigues of ruthless, evil, Machiavellian players.
Felicia's first person narrative is so emotionally poignant, realistic and strong that you cannot help, as the reader, to feel as she feels, sees as she sees, tremble as she trembles. The character of Domenico, seen through her eyes, is a magnificent but terrifying figure.
Nevertheless, Felicia, for all her vulnerability and lack of education, has a strong sense of survival and a natural intelligence that makes her see very clearly the danger she is in and avoid the pitfalls that would make mincemeat of anyone else in her weak position. These inner qualities, more than her pretty looks, are what ensnare Domenico, and keep her safe among this death trap of a royal court.
The struggle between their personalities is mighty, with Felicia fighting him at every turn. Despite the odds, she is the one to come out on top.
I knew that love would not turn the silver devil into an angel. He would remain what he was--subtle yet childish, unfeeling yet passionate, lost irretrievably to everything but his own desire. But he loved me--and I loved him, now and forever.
The silver devil is also a swashbuckler of a novel, with some nice Gothic touches, very vivid descriptions of battles, some awful torture and assassination scenes, and a couple of heart-stopping duels. A perfect pace, with enough plot twists and turns to ensure that it never becomes boring, repetitive or predictable.
I loved The Silver Devil from the first to the last word. Heartbreaking that this book is one of only two known to have been penned by this talented author, whose life was tragically cut short, and about whom we know so little.
Poor Felicia Guardi. Not only is she a reviled bastard toiling away, Cinderella-like, at the inn of her portly brother and his shrewish wife, but now she has caught the eye of Domenico della Raffaelle, heir to the Dukedom of Cabria, in the fictitious southern Italian city of Fidena, circa the 1400s. And if she thinks this is going to mean hearts and flowers, she is in for a rude awakening.
A voice, soft and almost teasing, stopped me in my tracks.
“Little crow!”
When I felt his fingertips against my cheek, I flinched as I would have done from a brand. But he turned my face up to him as casually as he might have turned a rose to smell it, and unwarily I looked straight up into his eyes.
They were black; so dark that they were unfathomable, and impossibly, horrifyingly dark in that fair face. I thought of Lucifer as I looked at him, of a demon’s eyes in the face of a fallen angel. Then, as I watched, a strange light began to grow in them-the darkness was swallowed up in a brilliance that made them blaze silver. I caught my breath, and the room, the house, the whole city, was suddenly breathless with waiting.
Next thing you know, her brother sells her for thirty pieces of silver and she is swept to the Duke's castle, a corrupt, rotten, debauched hellmouth where she is caught in the intrigues of ruthless, evil, Machiavellian players.
Felicia's first person narrative is so emotionally poignant, realistic and strong that you cannot help, as the reader, to feel as she feels, sees as she sees, tremble as she trembles. The character of Domenico, seen through her eyes, is a magnificent but terrifying figure.
Nevertheless, Felicia, for all her vulnerability and lack of education, has a strong sense of survival and a natural intelligence that makes her see very clearly the danger she is in and avoid the pitfalls that would make mincemeat of anyone else in her weak position. These inner qualities, more than her pretty looks, are what ensnare Domenico, and keep her safe among this death trap of a royal court.
The struggle between their personalities is mighty, with Felicia fighting him at every turn. Despite the odds, she is the one to come out on top.
I knew that love would not turn the silver devil into an angel. He would remain what he was--subtle yet childish, unfeeling yet passionate, lost irretrievably to everything but his own desire. But he loved me--and I loved him, now and forever.
The silver devil is also a swashbuckler of a novel, with some nice Gothic touches, very vivid descriptions of battles, some awful torture and assassination scenes, and a couple of heart-stopping duels. A perfect pace, with enough plot twists and turns to ensure that it never becomes boring, repetitive or predictable.
I loved The Silver Devil from the first to the last word. Heartbreaking that this book is one of only two known to have been penned by this talented author, whose life was tragically cut short, and about whom we know so little.
December 20, 2022
Reread: 12/20/22
I still love this crazy book! As crazy as the H is, he's not much different from other monarchs. The women, the entitlement, lack of empathy, ect. It's rare to find rulers in history that differs from his character. This book is just honest and realistic than other books.
Original review
********************************
Read: 10/14/21
I LOVED this book! The H is such a bad guy who could kill in cold blood. With all the bad things the H did, I still rooted for this couple. This shows how talented the author really is. Silver Devil was so good that I had to resist rereading.
I can't believe I avoided this book for so long. So many people claimed the book was dark and disturbing. I didn't find it anymore disturbing than any other BR. There was rape and the H did do some bad things, but that was it. Not that rape isn't bad but it's typical of BR.
The whole book is from the h POV, which I normally don't like. But this served the book well bc it created a mysterious air around the antihero. I never knew what he was thinking. The secondary characters were just as mysterious and well defined.
I can't recommend this book enough! It's on my top list of best BR
I still love this crazy book! As crazy as the H is, he's not much different from other monarchs. The women, the entitlement, lack of empathy, ect. It's rare to find rulers in history that differs from his character. This book is just honest and realistic than other books.
Original review
********************************
Read: 10/14/21
I LOVED this book! The H is such a bad guy who could kill in cold blood. With all the bad things the H did, I still rooted for this couple. This shows how talented the author really is. Silver Devil was so good that I had to resist rereading.
I can't believe I avoided this book for so long. So many people claimed the book was dark and disturbing. I didn't find it anymore disturbing than any other BR. There was rape and the H did do some bad things, but that was it. Not that rape isn't bad but it's typical of BR.
The whole book is from the h POV, which I normally don't like. But this served the book well bc it created a mysterious air around the antihero. I never knew what he was thinking. The secondary characters were just as mysterious and well defined.
I can't recommend this book enough! It's on my top list of best BR
August 3, 2016
This wasn't a romance. The hero villain was completely and utterly (insert hysterical mad laughter) insane. I know many other reviews have spoiled this more than adequately, so I won't go into examples. I can deal with an anti-hero as long as he finds some sort of redemption or learns to look at the world a bit differently. I don't expect them to become paragons, actually that would be absurd. But I do expect some sort of emotional awakening. This guy wasn't capable of that. He was a sociopath.
I think some people like this for the crazy factor and it has plenty of that. I have some glorious train wreck books I enjoy for the same reason. However, this one was just too ick with all the tortures and cruelty. Plus - and this may offend some people - I just can't get into a man who has sex with other men. I don't believe I'm being anti-gay/bi-sexual. As far as I'm concerned people can sleep with whoever they want. However, for me to find a man sexually attractive/romantic hero material he needs to be straight with a capital S. That's just my taste.
I think some people like this for the crazy factor and it has plenty of that. I have some glorious train wreck books I enjoy for the same reason. However, this one was just too ick with all the tortures and cruelty. Plus - and this may offend some people - I just can't get into a man who has sex with other men. I don't believe I'm being anti-gay/bi-sexual. As far as I'm concerned people can sleep with whoever they want. However, for me to find a man sexually attractive/romantic hero material he needs to be straight with a capital S. That's just my taste.
February 4, 2020
3.5 stars!!!! This reads at first like a Cinderella retelling! Except I need to slap that bitch!!
I'm not gonna lie!! It's a good thing I have no triggers, 'cuz this one? So triggering! the quintessential triggering book, no wonder Ballantine books doesn't reprint it. The SJW's today would have a stroke. Actually they should reprint it for that very reason, it'd be so fun!! LOL!!I mean, Rhys doubled over Feyre's arm and she's not a contortionist...except in bed, after she became ....well i'm rambling now!!! LOL!! But it'd be so fun to tell all those who love Feyrhys and think that's a healthy relationship that they're being hypocrites when they complain of Captive Prince, one of my favorite series...or this book for that matter. I just unfriended someone cuz the double standard. The reason I love Rhysand from ACOTAR and Laurent from Captive Prince is their darkness. I love dark heroes, and political incorrectness!! So let's not pretend that popular books can't be dark and triggering, cuz that's what makes them so... AWESOMETACULAR!!!
Sooooooooooooooooo... triggering books UH?.....Trust me, this one has all the things that people hate, like rape and physical abuse, and an evil archbishop, pedophilia, but honestly people, it's fiction, historical fiction and if the author is gonna be accurate in her depiction of royalty she has to write those horrible scenes. In the past royalty was way worse than what was written here. It's good to read about things that aren't political correct and aren't tame, I cringed at some scenes!!!! So much!!!. This book? Not tame, not tame at all. Captive prince in comparison that is so triggering for others is like a flowers and rainbows book compared to this one.
So I ...LOVED IT!!! Sorta!!!
I love Gore!! I got it!
I love blond antiheroes!! I got one!
I love that the evil love interest remains evil by the end of the book!
I love that everyone was so dirty and smelly after their travels, so realistic!
There were two predictable plots; the traitor and the thing with the bride and H's feelings, but other than those I was at the edge of my seat trying to guess what would come next!! So so unpredictable and so compelling!!
I love that this book is as Anti Young adult as it could be!!! So so good!! I might reread one day, now that I know the ending some things might be more enjoyable.
What I didn't love?
Felicia!!!! I hated her!! She didn't deserve my silver devil like at all!! If you want to read an enemies to lover story like this one but with a badass heroine read The Queen of all that Dies by Thalassa sensei!!! Or ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas sensei Or Angelfall by Susan Ee sensei! So so good!!
I love popcherring scenes, but not...
Felicia ruined this book for me, 'cuz she never speaks her mind, she's useless in a fight, she allegedly falls in love with H after only 4 days in his service but never tells him, and everyone can see H is not indifferent but Felicia keeps thinking gloomy thoughts of how he's " so indifferent she could die" when it's evident he is not. Such and idiot!
I get it, she doesn't think he can return her love, that's logical, but so many things happen, she should've realized Domenico was not indifferent.Instead of thinking "poor me he doesn't love me" she could've thought "he doesn't love me but all his actions tell me he isn't indifferent, but that's not enough for me" that'd been mature!!! And she gets angry with Domenico for not recognizing her in boy's clothes...C'm on!!!!! I'm used to books with strong female protagonists, Felicia was so meh!
Also...Domenico was... in love ?
But then why was such a brute that first night??? I get it, he's supposed to be this evil dude, but that's not the kind of evilness I like and he's in love already so it doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense either the way he acted in the chess game. No sense at all!
But I really really enjoyed this book.
BALLANTINE!!!PLEASE REPRINT!!! let's see how many Good reads reviewers get a heart an attack.
*laughs evilly*
I'm not gonna lie!! It's a good thing I have no triggers, 'cuz this one? So triggering! the quintessential triggering book, no wonder Ballantine books doesn't reprint it. The SJW's today would have a stroke. Actually they should reprint it for that very reason, it'd be so fun!! LOL!!I mean, Rhys doubled over Feyre's arm and she's not a contortionist...except in bed, after she became ....well i'm rambling now!!! LOL!! But it'd be so fun to tell all those who love Feyrhys and think that's a healthy relationship that they're being hypocrites when they complain of Captive Prince, one of my favorite series...or this book for that matter. I just unfriended someone cuz the double standard. The reason I love Rhysand from ACOTAR and Laurent from Captive Prince is their darkness. I love dark heroes, and political incorrectness!! So let's not pretend that popular books can't be dark and triggering, cuz that's what makes them so... AWESOMETACULAR!!!
Sooooooooooooooooo... triggering books UH?.....Trust me, this one has all the things that people hate, like rape and physical abuse, and an evil archbishop, pedophilia, but honestly people, it's fiction, historical fiction and if the author is gonna be accurate in her depiction of royalty she has to write those horrible scenes. In the past royalty was way worse than what was written here. It's good to read about things that aren't political correct and aren't tame, I cringed at some scenes!!!! So much!!!. This book? Not tame, not tame at all. Captive prince in comparison that is so triggering for others is like a flowers and rainbows book compared to this one.
So I ...LOVED IT!!! Sorta!!!
I love Gore!! I got it!
I love blond antiheroes!! I got one!
I love that the evil love interest remains evil by the end of the book!
I love that everyone was so dirty and smelly after their travels, so realistic!
There were two predictable plots; the traitor and the thing with the bride and H's feelings, but other than those I was at the edge of my seat trying to guess what would come next!! So so unpredictable and so compelling!!
I love that this book is as Anti Young adult as it could be!!! So so good!! I might reread one day, now that I know the ending some things might be more enjoyable.
What I didn't love?
Felicia!!!! I hated her!! She didn't deserve my silver devil like at all!! If you want to read an enemies to lover story like this one but with a badass heroine read The Queen of all that Dies by Thalassa sensei!!! Or ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas sensei Or Angelfall by Susan Ee sensei! So so good!!
I love popcherring scenes, but not...
Felicia ruined this book for me, 'cuz she never speaks her mind, she's useless in a fight, she allegedly falls in love with H after only 4 days in his service but never tells him, and everyone can see H is not indifferent but Felicia keeps thinking gloomy thoughts of how he's " so indifferent she could die" when it's evident he is not. Such and idiot!
I get it, she doesn't think he can return her love, that's logical, but so many things happen, she should've realized Domenico was not indifferent.Instead of thinking "poor me he doesn't love me" she could've thought "he doesn't love me but all his actions tell me he isn't indifferent, but that's not enough for me" that'd been mature!!! And she gets angry with Domenico for not recognizing her in boy's clothes...C'm on!!!!! I'm used to books with strong female protagonists, Felicia was so meh!
Also...Domenico was... in love ?
But then why was such a brute that first night??? I get it, he's supposed to be this evil dude, but that's not the kind of evilness I like and he's in love already so it doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense either the way he acted in the chess game. No sense at all!
But I really really enjoyed this book.
BALLANTINE!!!PLEASE REPRINT!!! let's see how many Good reads reviewers get a heart an attack.
*laughs evilly*
October 8, 2012
This review has mild spoilers in it. :)
A few weeks ago, I saw a post where they were discussing the difference between old bodice rippers and modern romance novels. At the time, I couldn’t quite put my thoughts into words. I’ve been thinking about it though, and I’m convinced the main difference is a plot strategy where the hero and the villain are pretty much the same character. This provides lots of sexual tension and conflict for the heroine, plus it adds many hilarious WTF moments, like, huh…are you serious…so now they’re in love? No way! LOL
I’ve always loved old bodice rippers and it bums me out they’ve become so politically incorrect that authors don’t write them anymore. I can read the old ones though.
So does Silver Devil fit the typical BR mold? Well, yes… and no. Clearly Domenico is a villain. He’s a psychopath, tyrant who terrifies his people. Domenico has a man’s legs broken because the man is taller than him. He tells a scribe to write up his own death warrant because the scribe doesn’t write fast enough. And he has a handsome boy tortured and killed because Felicia smiles at the him. Domenico never really regrets his cruelty either. You don’t see him brooding about his past murders. He’s not evolved enough to have an epiphany at the end of the book about who he really is. So the only thing that changes is that the heroine becomes so besotted by Domenico that she doesn’t care that he’s a total nutcase. In fact, I don’t see a happy ending for Felicia. Domenico is so self-absorbed that I’m convinced he will dump her in a few years for a younger woman, and she will be forced to grin and bear it.
So is this romance? Well…the love scenes are intense and passionate. Does that count?
I actually read Silver Devil before when I was teenager and I had forgotten most of it. But I do remember at the time, I was appalled at what a horrible person Domenico was. He certainly wasn’t my idea of a dreamboat hero. Felicia struck me as weak and wimpy for falling for him, throwing away her moral integrity simply because she loves him. "But I love him," is the whiniest reason in the world to stay with someone and this did not endear me to her.
I look at Silver Devil totally different now. While it fails as a romance, I think it’s excellent historical fiction. Teresa Denys is masterful at pulling you into the seventeenth century. She lived in Italy and paints Cabria with visceral color and depth. I feel like she truly captures the personalities and thoughts of time period too. Domenico fits perfectly the self-absorbed and jaded Duke who disposes of human life without a single thought. History is dotted with people like him. Felicia comes from the bottom level of society, so of course she is meek and weak. Her position is precarious and she’s well aware of that. For her, it must be intoxicating to go from being completely powerless to someone people bow to. Who wouldn’t throw away some of their moral integrity to be apart of it? So while Felicia may not admit it to herself, I think she’s attracted to the power as much as she is to Domenico. So it’s not just love that keeps her attached to him, although she’d like to believe it.
These characters make sense to me. They are complicated and full blooded.
In conclusion, I think Silver Devil is a tale about a villain; an evil tyrant that everyone is trying to overthrow. The good guys are trying to kill him, but they fail miserably. The people of Cabria would be much better off with a different ruler, but the Silver Devil has uncanny luck. And this story is told through the eyes of his mistress who grows to love him.
In the end, the bad guys win. It’s not a happy ending. Funny though, Teresa Denys writes so well, you end up rooting for the bad guys.
February 16, 2019
To categorize this as simply a 'bodice ripper' would be an injustice. The quality was outstanding; I felt transported to 17th century Italy. The story felt authentic, and the characters felt real. I felt as if I was in a fever dream while reading. I felt stifled with heat when the author described the hot summers, I felt claustrophobic as the heroine spent days cloistered at the inn or within the chambers of the Palazzo della Raffaelle. I was overwhelmed and confused just as Felicia was when she was first brought to the duke.
Domenico was larger than life: "Lucifer aspiring to mount God's throne." For all his cruelty, there was a childish, mischievous element to his character that was charming. He's a product of his class and time, a master manipulator who revels in the games played at the court of Fidena. I understood Felicia when she said:
Felicia was intelligent, and understood her limited options because of her class and position. Throughout the book she does the best she can for her situation, and while she falls for Domenico, she never mistakes her precarious position as his mistress. She understood she was a fool for falling for Domenico, but she never fooled herself into thinking he could care the same way for her. Her love for him was understandable: She lived a sheltered, solitary life as an orphan working as a servant for her half-brother. Domenico's fancy for her, the attention he doled out was the only attention she had ever received apart from her mother.
The relationship between Domenico and Felicia was one of obsession, infatuation, and possession. The dynamic between them shifts many times amid the court intrigue and the changing political environment. It was fascinating to see him manipulate Felicia, and watch Felicia handle herself. The book just got better as it went on, I truly felt this overhanging sensation of dread and tension as events unfolded. I was also surprised and delighted. I loved the ending.
Some of my favorite quotes (warning: they contain major spoilers):
Domenico did not seem to hear; he only watched the hand. Then his eyes lifted, a savage sneer on his beautiful face. "Do you expect the devil to keep his word?"
Domenico was larger than life: "Lucifer aspiring to mount God's throne." For all his cruelty, there was a childish, mischievous element to his character that was charming. He's a product of his class and time, a master manipulator who revels in the games played at the court of Fidena. I understood Felicia when she said:
I should have been horrified by the cruelty in him, but my heart still ached for the arrogant child who had been spoiled to become something like a monster by the indulgence of his every whim. I did not care that this was the loathed tyrant of Cabria, that my life hung on his lightest word.
Felicia was intelligent, and understood her limited options because of her class and position. Throughout the book she does the best she can for her situation, and while she falls for Domenico, she never mistakes her precarious position as his mistress. She understood she was a fool for falling for Domenico, but she never fooled herself into thinking he could care the same way for her. Her love for him was understandable: She lived a sheltered, solitary life as an orphan working as a servant for her half-brother. Domenico's fancy for her, the attention he doled out was the only attention she had ever received apart from her mother.
The relationship between Domenico and Felicia was one of obsession, infatuation, and possession. The dynamic between them shifts many times amid the court intrigue and the changing political environment. It was fascinating to see him manipulate Felicia, and watch Felicia handle herself. The book just got better as it went on, I truly felt this overhanging sensation of dread and tension as events unfolded. I was also surprised and delighted. I loved the ending.
Some of my favorite quotes (warning: they contain major spoilers):
March 7, 2017
This is a fabulous historical study based on real life accounts of various members of the Borgia's and de Medici's melded into one very interesting character. The H, and I use that lightly, is so overwhelmingly a man of his times that I can practically breathe the wax scented air. Every other character, including the h, comes in a very second to the character that is Domenico. You can really see where Machiavelli got his inspiration for The Prince or where Teresa Denys got hers.
Just a note here for historical purposes. TD did her research really well, including the various acts of bi-sexuality that the H displays. That bi-sexuality is a hold over from medieval times, it wasn't who you were doing, it was more who was doing what to whom. A powerful man could, would and did use the act of penetration to enforce his will or his dominance. While not widely talked about, it happened and contrary to modern belief, that did not diminish a man in the eyes of peers.
Also the torture and the elimination of various characters in various ways are all documented acts of one ruler or another. TD did not have to use her imagination to have Domenico do these things, they are all actual things real Italian rulers did.
TD's talent was to give background and depth to the men who committed these acts, and while it may be a very unusual romance, TSD is a brilliant look at a way of life modern readers will never know.
Just a note here for historical purposes. TD did her research really well, including the various acts of bi-sexuality that the H displays. That bi-sexuality is a hold over from medieval times, it wasn't who you were doing, it was more who was doing what to whom. A powerful man could, would and did use the act of penetration to enforce his will or his dominance. While not widely talked about, it happened and contrary to modern belief, that did not diminish a man in the eyes of peers.
Also the torture and the elimination of various characters in various ways are all documented acts of one ruler or another. TD did not have to use her imagination to have Domenico do these things, they are all actual things real Italian rulers did.
TD's talent was to give background and depth to the men who committed these acts, and while it may be a very unusual romance, TSD is a brilliant look at a way of life modern readers will never know.
October 22, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ four stars -
Well, this was wholly unexpected. I found this book by stalking the shelves of fellow reviewers here, and by following my click happy path deep into the rabbit hole that is the Goodreads labyrinth.
By clicking here and there inside reviews, I stumbled upon this old school bodice ripper; and guess what? I enjoyed it! Plus, if you follow my reviews, you will know that I’m a sucker for any title with “devil” in it, so finding this was almost kismet 😂📖📚
I was originally put off by the less than flattering reviews of this book. Truly, the mention of all the triggers: dub-con, incest, pedophelia, sexual sharing - all things I absolutely abhor in “romance”-land; all these scared me off and it had me skimming this book in fear of these scenes. None of this played out (add: there is no sharing) enough for me to discontinue skimming, which turned into a more thorough read.
Given the fact that this book was originally published in 1978, and is more of a typical bodice ripper book of that era, a lot of the actions are hinted at and do not appear on page. For example, the incest is an action that occurs between secondary characters off page; violent actions against a child are described more as overall actions encompassing an overall scene, and the sexual sharing of the h is brought to a halt by our Hero (whew!).
The dub-con here does happen within the first intimate scene between our h and H, but it’s a pretty typical occurrence in novels from this era, so I wasn’t totally shocked. Does it hold up with what’s accepted today? No, it does not, but the h here moves past it (again, as is typical of books from this era), and the story continues.
The story is entertaining in its old school style. If you can look past that mass market cover from 1984 (gah! Can it be any more horrible? lol) then you will discover a pretty engrossing tale of a 17th century romance with plenty of swashbuckling action.
Denys draws a clear picture of early seventeenth century Italian court life, and it’s an intriguing read. Whether it’s accurate or not, I can’t say, but it is entertaining. There were no instances of any of the triggers mentioned that would make me discontinue reading. It’s a glorified Harlequin with a campy cover; you’re getting what’s promised, with a dose of great world-building, full character arcs, and romance with the strong and silent type 😂♥️
I devoured this story in one sitting. I didn’t read it throughly as a lot of the scene build up, political talk, and military strategizing was lost on me. I am here for the romance, after all, but I did appreciate the overall scene setup. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the swashbuckling sword fight scene, and the action where our h and H are on horseback after the Hero had become a disgraced Duke and they’re traveling the countryside in exile.
The overall romance that develops here is centered more around a lack of communication, and that was frustrating to me, but our h is dealing with a stoic male, which is a huge part of our H’s character. Denys has drawn the H’s character here as a very reserved, strong male, and his character description became stuck in that mold. Almost as if she wanted him to come off as thoroughly evil, but instead he just comes off outwardly vicious but in love lol.
Overall, I’m glad I read this bodice ripper classic. I would recommend to anyone else that enjoys this genre. I personally will not read again, but I am off to source the second book in this series, and the only other book I can find that was published by this author.
Four stars for this well written Harlequin-esque, old school bodice ripper - complete with campy cover.
Well, this was wholly unexpected. I found this book by stalking the shelves of fellow reviewers here, and by following my click happy path deep into the rabbit hole that is the Goodreads labyrinth.
By clicking here and there inside reviews, I stumbled upon this old school bodice ripper; and guess what? I enjoyed it! Plus, if you follow my reviews, you will know that I’m a sucker for any title with “devil” in it, so finding this was almost kismet 😂📖📚
I was originally put off by the less than flattering reviews of this book. Truly, the mention of all the triggers: dub-con, incest, pedophelia, sexual sharing - all things I absolutely abhor in “romance”-land; all these scared me off and it had me skimming this book in fear of these scenes. None of this played out (add: there is no sharing) enough for me to discontinue skimming, which turned into a more thorough read.
Given the fact that this book was originally published in 1978, and is more of a typical bodice ripper book of that era, a lot of the actions are hinted at and do not appear on page. For example, the incest is an action that occurs between secondary characters off page; violent actions against a child are described more as overall actions encompassing an overall scene, and the sexual sharing of the h is brought to a halt by our Hero (whew!).
The dub-con here does happen within the first intimate scene between our h and H, but it’s a pretty typical occurrence in novels from this era, so I wasn’t totally shocked. Does it hold up with what’s accepted today? No, it does not, but the h here moves past it (again, as is typical of books from this era), and the story continues.
The story is entertaining in its old school style. If you can look past that mass market cover from 1984 (gah! Can it be any more horrible? lol) then you will discover a pretty engrossing tale of a 17th century romance with plenty of swashbuckling action.
Denys draws a clear picture of early seventeenth century Italian court life, and it’s an intriguing read. Whether it’s accurate or not, I can’t say, but it is entertaining. There were no instances of any of the triggers mentioned that would make me discontinue reading. It’s a glorified Harlequin with a campy cover; you’re getting what’s promised, with a dose of great world-building, full character arcs, and romance with the strong and silent type 😂♥️
I devoured this story in one sitting. I didn’t read it throughly as a lot of the scene build up, political talk, and military strategizing was lost on me. I am here for the romance, after all, but I did appreciate the overall scene setup. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the swashbuckling sword fight scene, and the action where our h and H are on horseback after the Hero had become a disgraced Duke and they’re traveling the countryside in exile.
The overall romance that develops here is centered more around a lack of communication, and that was frustrating to me, but our h is dealing with a stoic male, which is a huge part of our H’s character. Denys has drawn the H’s character here as a very reserved, strong male, and his character description became stuck in that mold. Almost as if she wanted him to come off as thoroughly evil, but instead he just comes off outwardly vicious but in love lol.
Overall, I’m glad I read this bodice ripper classic. I would recommend to anyone else that enjoys this genre. I personally will not read again, but I am off to source the second book in this series, and the only other book I can find that was published by this author.
Four stars for this well written Harlequin-esque, old school bodice ripper - complete with campy cover.
October 21, 2013
I don't give 5 stars easily but this book is truly one of the best books I have ever read!! Domenico is truly one of the nastiest male leads you will ever read he is an anti hero who kills at whim and is so cold he is also bi sexual something I would normally find off putting but as I read the book I became so engrossed that I almost forgot about it. Even though he does not become good in the end you can feel his obsession with the female lead from the first time he saw her you can also see his resolve in making sure that he would always keep her. The language at first is a bit difficult to get into but once you do it flows nicely. The female lead is accepting of her role as his mistress but for some reason I did not find that off putting as I normally would I think in the end she knew she had no power over her situation and she was being sensible. If you like a book where a completely unredeemable male lead falls in love with a common woman to the point of obsession you will love this book as much as I did if I could I would rate this a 10 stars!! This is a dark read with death betrayal and love but no cheating which I loved if you have not tried it I urge you to read it!!!!
January 3, 2022
Wooooow. Ruthless Hero. Innocent but daring h. Riveting story.
I loved this. Loved. Lovelovelovelovelove. 💕
It’s kind of a dark Cinderella-esque tale. 👀😏
Domenico is an anti-hero. He’s *NOT* a good person. In fact he’s an AWFUL human. 😈
But he’s also vulnerable, complex, and tortured, as all my favorites are. 🥺
And he’s OBSESSED with the h. 🤩🤩🤩🤩
This is told completely in the h’s POV, and frankly, she’s a flawed narrator. She’s naive and terrified. What I loved is that to relieve the pressure on the awfulness of the H, the author gives the reader little crumbs to point us in the right direction, even though the h spends most of the book misinterpreting the H’s actions, words, and motivations. If you’re paying attention, you can see through her confusion…. Domenico is AAAAALLLL about the h and he’s gonna do anything and everything to keep her. He’s not above manipulation, kidnapping, murder, and massive subterfuge. He gives no sh*ts about anyone or anything else.
The HEA is romantic and swoony with a grovel.
Like, ON HIS KNEES BEGGING. 😈😍😈😍😈😍
Bottom Line? Is this THEEEE OG OTT jealous/possessive hero? I dunno, but he’s pretty close to my favorite. 🤷🏼♀️ I loved the dark gothic feel. I loved the intrigue. I can’t believe I put it off for so long. AMAZING. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
.
.
.
.
.
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- OW drama- H has an ex mistress who causes trouble. He’s not at all interested in her
- OM drama - h is uninterested in any man, but the H is super jealous of anyone who talks to her
- noncon/dubcon
- kidnapping
- graphic murders
- manhandling
- H hits the h one time. He’s not in his right mind at the time.
- h is a 18 year old v*rgin
- H is 29 year old manhoooaar
- attempted smexxual assault on the h by OP
- there are smexxy times in this book but they aren’t particularly descriptive.
I loved this. Loved. Lovelovelovelovelove. 💕
It’s kind of a dark Cinderella-esque tale. 👀😏
Domenico is an anti-hero. He’s *NOT* a good person. In fact he’s an AWFUL human. 😈
But he’s also vulnerable, complex, and tortured, as all my favorites are. 🥺
And he’s OBSESSED with the h. 🤩🤩🤩🤩
This is told completely in the h’s POV, and frankly, she’s a flawed narrator. She’s naive and terrified. What I loved is that to relieve the pressure on the awfulness of the H, the author gives the reader little crumbs to point us in the right direction, even though the h spends most of the book misinterpreting the H’s actions, words, and motivations. If you’re paying attention, you can see through her confusion…. Domenico is AAAAALLLL about the h and he’s gonna do anything and everything to keep her. He’s not above manipulation, kidnapping, murder, and massive subterfuge. He gives no sh*ts about anyone or anything else.
The HEA is romantic and swoony with a grovel.
Like, ON HIS KNEES BEGGING. 😈😍😈😍😈😍
Bottom Line? Is this THEEEE OG OTT jealous/possessive hero? I dunno, but he’s pretty close to my favorite. 🤷🏼♀️ I loved the dark gothic feel. I loved the intrigue. I can’t believe I put it off for so long. AMAZING. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
.
.
.
.
.
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- OW drama- H has an ex mistress who causes trouble. He’s not at all interested in her
- OM drama - h is uninterested in any man, but the H is super jealous of anyone who talks to her
- noncon/dubcon
- kidnapping
- graphic murders
- manhandling
- H hits the h one time. He’s not in his right mind at the time.
- h is a 18 year old v*rgin
- H is 29 year old manhoooaar
- attempted smexxual assault on the h by OP
- there are smexxy times in this book but they aren’t particularly descriptive.
Want to read
April 23, 2022I WANT A PHYSICAL COPY SO BADLY
December 5, 2016
Minus stars...if that was an option...
DNF @ 59%
RANT FULL OF SPOILERS!
I tried, my friends, I tried....
This book...
I can't believe I put myself through that. So I found this book based on my recs on Goodreads since I read The Golden Dynasty . So say this book is even similar to The Golden Dynasty is an INSULT.
Okay, so we start off with a girl who is dealt a horrible hand and is basically a slave to her brother. His wife and him treat her the absolute worst and I felt like she deserved better in life.
I was excited when I read her interaction with whatever the Duke's name was, he's not even worth racking my brain for his name.
Well to say the Duke was a complete and UTTER ASSHOLEEEEE is such an understatement..
So get this, he rapes the female and then she's feeling things for him and willingly sleeps with him over and over again...whyy??? He never showed you even the slightest bit of affection....I doubt he's THAT good in bed girl...
So apparently after a couple nights in bed with that insufferable ass-butt, "she knew she was in love with him"
WHAAATTTT????????
Yup... this book has rape, a rape that the Heroine doesn't think it's rape... and INSTA-LOVE. Two very big No-nos in my books.
Then, then. THEN!!!! OHHHHH GUESS WHAT THIS STAND UP GUY DOES WHEN HE THINKS THE HEROINE IS SLEEPING WITH SOMEONE ELSE...
HE NOT ONLY KILLS THE POOR INNOCENT, SWEET MAN BUT TORTURES HIM, TEARS HIM APART via TORTURE TABLE.....
Yup, soooooo true love quality there....
For some reason, I decided to stick it through and keep reading, thinking it would get better. Was I right?
That would be a HELL NO.
So she decides to leave but OF COURSE the asshole Duke catches her and kills all the people involved to punish her and they resume their weird sex-ship....like that's all they do.. SEX and little miss innocent is all in love with him. Keep in mind, he has shown no growth as a character.
I ended my torture there..I couldn't keep going if I wanted to remain sane. The writing wasn't even mind-blowingly awesome, to be quite honest, Denys lacks emotion in her work. Her characters undergo these life altering events that don't change them as a person, or they just don't feel anything.
The pacing is WAY off... I don't get how someone can fall in love with their rapist in just a few days...when again, there was no growth of character. But, also maybe because she hasn't known kindness so she takes this sorry excuse of a man as a kind-ish man..??..
This book was just awful and I honestly wish I could get back my time that I spent reading this horrendous "story." I put "story" in parenthesis because...it didn't feel at all like a full blown story with character growth, rising action, plot, or just conflict (besides him going all psycho!!!) but like their relationship was at a standstill at 59%!!!!!!!!
Yup, I'm done.
DNF @ 59%
RANT FULL OF SPOILERS!
I tried, my friends, I tried....
This book...
I can't believe I put myself through that. So I found this book based on my recs on Goodreads since I read The Golden Dynasty . So say this book is even similar to The Golden Dynasty is an INSULT.
Okay, so we start off with a girl who is dealt a horrible hand and is basically a slave to her brother. His wife and him treat her the absolute worst and I felt like she deserved better in life.
I was excited when I read her interaction with whatever the Duke's name was, he's not even worth racking my brain for his name.
Well to say the Duke was a complete and UTTER ASSHOLEEEEE is such an understatement..
So get this, he rapes the female and then she's feeling things for him and willingly sleeps with him over and over again...whyy??? He never showed you even the slightest bit of affection....I doubt he's THAT good in bed girl...
So apparently after a couple nights in bed with that insufferable ass-butt, "she knew she was in love with him"
WHAAATTTT????????
Yup... this book has rape, a rape that the Heroine doesn't think it's rape... and INSTA-LOVE. Two very big No-nos in my books.
Then, then. THEN!!!! OHHHHH GUESS WHAT THIS STAND UP GUY DOES WHEN HE THINKS THE HEROINE IS SLEEPING WITH SOMEONE ELSE...
HE NOT ONLY KILLS THE POOR INNOCENT, SWEET MAN BUT TORTURES HIM, TEARS HIM APART via TORTURE TABLE.....
Yup, soooooo true love quality there....
For some reason, I decided to stick it through and keep reading, thinking it would get better. Was I right?
That would be a HELL NO.
So she decides to leave but OF COURSE the asshole Duke catches her and kills all the people involved to punish her and they resume their weird sex-ship....like that's all they do.. SEX and little miss innocent is all in love with him. Keep in mind, he has shown no growth as a character.
I ended my torture there..I couldn't keep going if I wanted to remain sane. The writing wasn't even mind-blowingly awesome, to be quite honest, Denys lacks emotion in her work. Her characters undergo these life altering events that don't change them as a person, or they just don't feel anything.
The pacing is WAY off... I don't get how someone can fall in love with their rapist in just a few days...when again, there was no growth of character. But, also maybe because she hasn't known kindness so she takes this sorry excuse of a man as a kind-ish man..??..
This book was just awful and I honestly wish I could get back my time that I spent reading this horrendous "story." I put "story" in parenthesis because...it didn't feel at all like a full blown story with character growth, rising action, plot, or just conflict (besides him going all psycho!!!) but like their relationship was at a standstill at 59%!!!!!!!!
Yup, I'm done.
March 9, 2014
Pre-read impression- Ok. After reading that this book has been put on shelves varying from recommends to: Girly girls to "tall, dark and psycho". I'm crazy curious as to what my beloved ringleader Searock is getting me into. No matter, with her leading the charge, it'll be fun. :)
Review-
3.5 Stars
So, we're takin' it back. That's right ladies and gents, cats and kittens! All the way back to a book written in 1978 about a story in 1605. Bringing you today's hits and yesterday's favorites! Especially if those favorites are "forced consent" and "hemorrhagic virginity loss" and one of my favorites "gang rape". (I don't know technically if it's considered gang rape if four guys hold you down while another does the raping, but they're all complicit, so I'm calling it gang rape). So, stay right where you are, don't touch that dial!
So you might be saying, "Michele, why are you reading a historical bodice ripper with FADE TO BLACK LOVE SCENES when you could be reading Breathe by one of your favorite authors, KA?" I'll tell you why, in one word, Searock. And I'd do it again. If Searock asked me to group read the Bible cover to cover, I'd probably do it, but I'd beg for the children's version. (Searock- please don't call my bluff on this one).
So historical is not my thing and this book made me realize why. Battles. Christ on a crutch. Like I give a flying ape shit if they came from the west or the north. That he hit him with his spear and he parried with his knife, that the horse was running, galloping or cantering, that blah, blah ,blah, blah, blah-boring.
The intrigue is another. Siblings betraying one another. Your Uncle the archbishop is not to be trusted, he has his own agenda. Who doesn't in this book? Your father's third wife poisoned her own husband because she thought it would make you happy and land you in her bed. But instead, you send her away without tupping her. Tsk tsk, a woman scorned. That will come back to bite you in the balls, Duke.
Felicia, is our heroine?? A bar wench who one night, very unusually, was given a "cordial" or two by Antonio, the half brother that detests her. You know, the one that makes her work as a bar wench at his inn, scrub the floors, clean his house top to bottom, for room and board. How's this for intrigue? At one point, I thought Felicia was The Duke's half sister! Felicia thought it too. And this was after the schtupping had begun! But alas, no. It was a lie perpetrated by current handmaiden to Felicia/last whore who warmed the Duke's bed and now warms Sandro the bastard Brother's bed, as she was casted off. She wanted back in the Duke's bed. I mean, who wouldn't? (The man must have a prized cock, that's all I can figure.) She got sent to care for lepers for that tall tale. And that was getting off easy. Felicia smiled at a footboy and it got him tortured and killed. I was rooting for Felicia to run away with the footboy. Seriously. Make your way to the New World together. Ask for the Indians. They'll be nice to you, just be nice to them back. No more intrigue! No more backstabbing! Eat Maize and live in peace. Sure! One of you will die on the journey, but what the hell!
Oh! As an aside. Felicia drinks those cordials from her brother and wakes up in a strange place and soon finds out that she is to be the Duke's whore. Well, yay! A girl can't ask for more than that! I mean the first question out of my mouth would be, "I beg of you sir, have you any pudding?" No, just kidding, it would be, "I beg of you sir, how the fuck did I get here? Is there a Wizard and an Emerald City nearby? Where's Toto? I could sure use a field of poppies right now. I'm not even scared of flying monkeys. Bring 'em on!" Then sir would be like, "She's batshit crazy! She'll fit right in amongst royalty. Good show!"
So shortly after Felicia has a "forced consent" loss of her virginity...[I'm going to parlay this into a mini-discussion about that term. "Forced consent" to me, means rape. But in this instance, in a different time, when a woman's only other choice is to become a beggar or a whore, I'd call it "forced consent". Because better to be the whore to one, than whore to many. Unless that many is a pack of sexy shape shifting werewolves that want to share you and keep you in sexual bliss 24/7. Then, I say bring it on! I'll be your whore! But I digress...] Shortly after she is stripped of her virginity, she comes to love the Duke. A moment after she realizes this, he shows her pictures of women and asks her to help his pick his new bride. *Stage whispers to Felicia* "Pick the ugly bitch! Wait! Sometimes the ugly ones are good in bed! Pick the manliest one. Oh no, wait, the Duke had an affair with a man for a dozen years. Shit! Pick the the one that looks like a shrew. Well, you were kind of a mousy shrew at first. Now look at you! Ah fuck it! Close your eyes and point or do eeny-meeny-miney-moe. Wait, do you have that yet in 1605? Eeny-meeny-miney-moe-catch-a tiger.. Huh? *rears back incredulously* What's a tiger? Oh forget it! Close your eyes and point."
But the Duke is just so darned lovable. For instance: When they are in the tavern and the inn-keeper's wife is being raped, Felicia begs the Duke to make it stop, but he refuses. And holds her tight so that she can't interfere. Ah, but she still can't help but love him. What a gem!
You see, he has nightmares that only she can soothe away. Oh, his tortured soul. If only he'd let her care for him. From the beginning, other men at court say that when the Duke tires of her, which should say, be in a day or two, they will ask that she be given to them. Because that's what he does with his castoffs, he gives them to other men. What's not to love about this guy? Right? I mean, I could see why any girl would fall for a guy that slept with her in a pool of her own blood, the night he took her virginity, then made her ride with him the next day on the hunt, side saddle. [Another discussion- sidesaddle is bullshit! Who comes up with this stuff? You're just a woman. So what if you break your neck? Just don't hurt the horse, wench.]. That Duke, he's a keeper.
One thing that bothered me, haha, was that when Felicia was barwench at her Brother's Inn, she had no self confidence. Took all manner of abuse that her half brother and his wife could dig out. But once she came to court, she instantaneously knew how to behave, how to dance, when to kneel and curtesy. And she was never a wallflower in dealing with these other men pursuing her. Maybe it was borne out of necessity, but it was quite a transformation. Maybe it 'cause she was getting a little sumpin' sumpin', works wonders on the self esteem to be the whore of a Duke.
To entertain myself, I took on the language of the book while reading it. As in, "Dearest husband of mine, would you be so kind as to gather the soiled livery so that I may tend to it?" My hubby just rolled his eyes. But livery is such a weird name for clothing. I always think that livery must smell like onions. Does anyone else think that?
But hey, it had a happy ending.
I can't wait sink my teeth into some KA. All I know is Breathe better contain the words: cock, suck, thrust, mouth, pussy, come, clit, knees, and maybe pounding. Or I am going lose my mind! It may be lost already to the Silver Devil. One can't help but to love him.
Review-
3.5 Stars
So, we're takin' it back. That's right ladies and gents, cats and kittens! All the way back to a book written in 1978 about a story in 1605. Bringing you today's hits and yesterday's favorites! Especially if those favorites are "forced consent" and "hemorrhagic virginity loss" and one of my favorites "gang rape". (I don't know technically if it's considered gang rape if four guys hold you down while another does the raping, but they're all complicit, so I'm calling it gang rape). So, stay right where you are, don't touch that dial!
So you might be saying, "Michele, why are you reading a historical bodice ripper with FADE TO BLACK LOVE SCENES when you could be reading Breathe by one of your favorite authors, KA?" I'll tell you why, in one word, Searock. And I'd do it again. If Searock asked me to group read the Bible cover to cover, I'd probably do it, but I'd beg for the children's version. (Searock- please don't call my bluff on this one).
So historical is not my thing and this book made me realize why. Battles. Christ on a crutch. Like I give a flying ape shit if they came from the west or the north. That he hit him with his spear and he parried with his knife, that the horse was running, galloping or cantering, that blah, blah ,blah, blah, blah-boring.
The intrigue is another. Siblings betraying one another. Your Uncle the archbishop is not to be trusted, he has his own agenda. Who doesn't in this book? Your father's third wife poisoned her own husband because she thought it would make you happy and land you in her bed. But instead, you send her away without tupping her. Tsk tsk, a woman scorned. That will come back to bite you in the balls, Duke.
Felicia, is our heroine?? A bar wench who one night, very unusually, was given a "cordial" or two by Antonio, the half brother that detests her. You know, the one that makes her work as a bar wench at his inn, scrub the floors, clean his house top to bottom, for room and board. How's this for intrigue? At one point, I thought Felicia was The Duke's half sister! Felicia thought it too. And this was after the schtupping had begun! But alas, no. It was a lie perpetrated by current handmaiden to Felicia/last whore who warmed the Duke's bed and now warms Sandro the bastard Brother's bed, as she was casted off. She wanted back in the Duke's bed. I mean, who wouldn't? (The man must have a prized cock, that's all I can figure.) She got sent to care for lepers for that tall tale. And that was getting off easy. Felicia smiled at a footboy and it got him tortured and killed. I was rooting for Felicia to run away with the footboy. Seriously. Make your way to the New World together. Ask for the Indians. They'll be nice to you, just be nice to them back. No more intrigue! No more backstabbing! Eat Maize and live in peace. Sure! One of you will die on the journey, but what the hell!
Oh! As an aside. Felicia drinks those cordials from her brother and wakes up in a strange place and soon finds out that she is to be the Duke's whore. Well, yay! A girl can't ask for more than that! I mean the first question out of my mouth would be, "I beg of you sir, have you any pudding?" No, just kidding, it would be, "I beg of you sir, how the fuck did I get here? Is there a Wizard and an Emerald City nearby? Where's Toto? I could sure use a field of poppies right now. I'm not even scared of flying monkeys. Bring 'em on!" Then sir would be like, "She's batshit crazy! She'll fit right in amongst royalty. Good show!"
So shortly after Felicia has a "forced consent" loss of her virginity...[I'm going to parlay this into a mini-discussion about that term. "Forced consent" to me, means rape. But in this instance, in a different time, when a woman's only other choice is to become a beggar or a whore, I'd call it "forced consent". Because better to be the whore to one, than whore to many. Unless that many is a pack of sexy shape shifting werewolves that want to share you and keep you in sexual bliss 24/7. Then, I say bring it on! I'll be your whore! But I digress...] Shortly after she is stripped of her virginity, she comes to love the Duke. A moment after she realizes this, he shows her pictures of women and asks her to help his pick his new bride. *Stage whispers to Felicia* "Pick the ugly bitch! Wait! Sometimes the ugly ones are good in bed! Pick the manliest one. Oh no, wait, the Duke had an affair with a man for a dozen years. Shit! Pick the the one that looks like a shrew. Well, you were kind of a mousy shrew at first. Now look at you! Ah fuck it! Close your eyes and point or do eeny-meeny-miney-moe. Wait, do you have that yet in 1605? Eeny-meeny-miney-moe-catch-a tiger.. Huh? *rears back incredulously* What's a tiger? Oh forget it! Close your eyes and point."
But the Duke is just so darned lovable. For instance: When they are in the tavern and the inn-keeper's wife is being raped, Felicia begs the Duke to make it stop, but he refuses. And holds her tight so that she can't interfere. Ah, but she still can't help but love him. What a gem!
You see, he has nightmares that only she can soothe away. Oh, his tortured soul. If only he'd let her care for him. From the beginning, other men at court say that when the Duke tires of her, which should say, be in a day or two, they will ask that she be given to them. Because that's what he does with his castoffs, he gives them to other men. What's not to love about this guy? Right? I mean, I could see why any girl would fall for a guy that slept with her in a pool of her own blood, the night he took her virginity, then made her ride with him the next day on the hunt, side saddle. [Another discussion- sidesaddle is bullshit! Who comes up with this stuff? You're just a woman. So what if you break your neck? Just don't hurt the horse, wench.]. That Duke, he's a keeper.
One thing that bothered me, haha, was that when Felicia was barwench at her Brother's Inn, she had no self confidence. Took all manner of abuse that her half brother and his wife could dig out. But once she came to court, she instantaneously knew how to behave, how to dance, when to kneel and curtesy. And she was never a wallflower in dealing with these other men pursuing her. Maybe it was borne out of necessity, but it was quite a transformation. Maybe it 'cause she was getting a little sumpin' sumpin', works wonders on the self esteem to be the whore of a Duke.
To entertain myself, I took on the language of the book while reading it. As in, "Dearest husband of mine, would you be so kind as to gather the soiled livery so that I may tend to it?" My hubby just rolled his eyes. But livery is such a weird name for clothing. I always think that livery must smell like onions. Does anyone else think that?
But hey, it had a happy ending.
I can't wait sink my teeth into some KA. All I know is Breathe better contain the words: cock, suck, thrust, mouth, pussy, come, clit, knees, and maybe pounding. Or I am going lose my mind! It may be lost already to the Silver Devil. One can't help but to love him.
August 6, 2012
Originally, it was my plan to use this review space to create another installment of my Choose Your Own Adventure series.
Then I got to thinking...Is this even going to be possible? How could I spin a taboo book? Would it go something like this?
Are you a fan of kidnappings and rape?
Do you laugh with glee when men are tortured to the point of death because they might have shown an interest in you?
Would the addition of ridiculous mental games make a story even better for you?
I think most people would have had their adventure ended on the first step. Therefore, my plan was not going to work, unless I wanted to do this as a potential parody. If you could see the cold sweat on my face right now from how sick I am, you'd know that "haha, fun parody" is not quite the mood I'm in at the moment.
So I'll just give you a rundown on my thoughts about this book instead...
I wish I had more experience with bodice rippers because I had no way of being able to compare Silver Devil to any other book written in this style. It seemed strange for me to read a historical romance book in first person. I love first person in contemporaries and paranormals, but have always been used to third person when it comes to historicals. Something about the third person style lends itself to going back in time. It makes the setting feel more lush and not as personal (which can be a good thing when you're trying not to hear everyday phrases and slang in your head).
It was also strange to read dub-con scenes in which there were no big details. Not that I'm saying people want to witness rap (*edit* oops, I meant rape, that was a typo but kind of funny...no slam on rap/hip-hop intended) in all of its disturbing glory, but if we the audience are to find a reason as to why Felicia would fall for her Domenico, you'd think that we'd be given more detail about the growing intimacy (especially given the freedoms that come with telling a story in first person narrative). If there was any time I felt awkward about a non-detailed sex scene, it was with this couple's story. This book was a prime example of how "show, not tell" might have helped me connect more with what was going on.
The first half of the book was great. Talk about promise! I love stories in which the heroine is rescued from a horrendous life by a man who is willing to make it all better. Our hero was eyeing up his girl with dark looks, then he had his woman kidnapped so he could have her...I was getting excited about what was going to happen!
The second half took me days to get through. With some books, I am taken in by the politics and intrigue. For whatever reason, I could have cared less when it came to this story. Felicia essentially became background fodder in many instances, even though she was the main character. Domenico was an overgrown man-child, and not even in the sexy tortured "let me make it feel better" kind of way. If some man woke up every night crying into my breast, I'd push him out of bed - especially when he acted like a spoiled brat for the majority of the time out of bed.
Since I can't compare this book to other bodice-rippers, I almost feel like I'm doing it a disservice by feeling such a disconnect. Maybe Silver Devil is a prime example of what works for this category of historicals. I just don't know. All I can go by is what I do like to read in historicals. I prefer my historical romance to be fun, quirky and sexy, and my historical fiction that has a romantic bent to be rich, lush and epic. I didn't get either vibe from this book, so if this is the gold standard, I'm guessing it's just not the category for me.
However, maybe I'll have to give it one more shot. I'm not opposed to trying out a book in which a pirate plunders for booty. YARRRR!!!!
Surprisingly, there were a couple of randomly awesome quote-worthy moments in this book :
"Because he soon tires of those who are too willing." There was an oddly brittle note in Piero's voice. "He is surfeited with brood mares and must mount the unicorn."
~
Then he bent his head as though to kiss her, and spat deliberately, full into her open mouth.
Then I got to thinking...Is this even going to be possible? How could I spin a taboo book? Would it go something like this?
Are you a fan of kidnappings and rape?
Do you laugh with glee when men are tortured to the point of death because they might have shown an interest in you?
Would the addition of ridiculous mental games make a story even better for you?
I think most people would have had their adventure ended on the first step. Therefore, my plan was not going to work, unless I wanted to do this as a potential parody. If you could see the cold sweat on my face right now from how sick I am, you'd know that "haha, fun parody" is not quite the mood I'm in at the moment.
So I'll just give you a rundown on my thoughts about this book instead...
I wish I had more experience with bodice rippers because I had no way of being able to compare Silver Devil to any other book written in this style. It seemed strange for me to read a historical romance book in first person. I love first person in contemporaries and paranormals, but have always been used to third person when it comes to historicals. Something about the third person style lends itself to going back in time. It makes the setting feel more lush and not as personal (which can be a good thing when you're trying not to hear everyday phrases and slang in your head).
It was also strange to read dub-con scenes in which there were no big details. Not that I'm saying people want to witness rap (*edit* oops, I meant rape, that was a typo but kind of funny...no slam on rap/hip-hop intended) in all of its disturbing glory, but if we the audience are to find a reason as to why Felicia would fall for her Domenico, you'd think that we'd be given more detail about the growing intimacy (especially given the freedoms that come with telling a story in first person narrative). If there was any time I felt awkward about a non-detailed sex scene, it was with this couple's story. This book was a prime example of how "show, not tell" might have helped me connect more with what was going on.
The first half of the book was great. Talk about promise! I love stories in which the heroine is rescued from a horrendous life by a man who is willing to make it all better. Our hero was eyeing up his girl with dark looks, then he had his woman kidnapped so he could have her...I was getting excited about what was going to happen!
The second half took me days to get through. With some books, I am taken in by the politics and intrigue. For whatever reason, I could have cared less when it came to this story. Felicia essentially became background fodder in many instances, even though she was the main character. Domenico was an overgrown man-child, and not even in the sexy tortured "let me make it feel better" kind of way. If some man woke up every night crying into my breast, I'd push him out of bed - especially when he acted like a spoiled brat for the majority of the time out of bed.
Since I can't compare this book to other bodice-rippers, I almost feel like I'm doing it a disservice by feeling such a disconnect. Maybe Silver Devil is a prime example of what works for this category of historicals. I just don't know. All I can go by is what I do like to read in historicals. I prefer my historical romance to be fun, quirky and sexy, and my historical fiction that has a romantic bent to be rich, lush and epic. I didn't get either vibe from this book, so if this is the gold standard, I'm guessing it's just not the category for me.
However, maybe I'll have to give it one more shot. I'm not opposed to trying out a book in which a pirate plunders for booty. YARRRR!!!!
Surprisingly, there were a couple of randomly awesome quote-worthy moments in this book :
"Because he soon tires of those who are too willing." There was an oddly brittle note in Piero's voice. "He is surfeited with brood mares and must mount the unicorn."
~
Then he bent his head as though to kiss her, and spat deliberately, full into her open mouth.
October 28, 2023
I can safely say I've never read anything like this. Nothing remotely close.
In the fictional city of Fidena, Italy, Felicia is living a life of drudgery and abuse. She's a bastard, and when her mother dies she is left without protection, at the mercy of her callous stepbrother and his wife. They frequently punish Felicia for what she doesn't do, which will be a recurring theme in her life. Young and beautiful, (but thankfully, not in the normal bodice ripper way where it's expounded upon ad nauseum) she's told she can only hope for a life of sex work outside her family's tavern, a topic her family uses to instill fear and distrust of outsiders.
Felicia, already afraid of men, unfortunately meets the worst man, and what little control she had over the course of her life evaporates.
Domenico, the future Duke of Cabria, spots Felicia from her window and makes quick work of kidnapping her. The night he takes her coincides with the night his father dies. Domenico is now the most powerful person in the Cabria, and Felicia is his newest plaything.
It's a jarring experience for a woman who rarely left her brother's tavern. Domenico's initial brutalization is just the tip of the iceberg: she's now at court, a place of secrets and lies, and she has a type of power that she doesn't understand how to wield. As the days pass, she's told that she's a wonder: she's lasted so much longer than Domenico's other mistresses.
But her fate when he loses interest will be catastrophic: he could banish her or punt her aside to another man. The well-being of a woman outside of Domenico's protection is short-lived, and Felicia has a Scheherazade-type task of keeping him interested. She doesn't think she can do it, and she braces herself for the day she loses.
Meanwhile, Domenico is growing obsessive over Felicia. Some of the most horrifying things he does in this book, which I will not elaborate on because it's best experienced without warning, are to punish Felicia for her interactions with other men. Domenico draws a direct line of cause and effect for Felicia: you are responsible for other peoples suffering. Behave yourself, and nobody gets hurt.
If this sounds like a nightmare, it absolutely is, but Felicia is drawn into it, regardless. Even seeing Domenico clearly for what he is: a monster, a child, a self-absorbed mess, she doesn't want to leave him.
I love this book wholeheartedly.
In the fictional city of Fidena, Italy, Felicia is living a life of drudgery and abuse. She's a bastard, and when her mother dies she is left without protection, at the mercy of her callous stepbrother and his wife. They frequently punish Felicia for what she doesn't do, which will be a recurring theme in her life. Young and beautiful, (but thankfully, not in the normal bodice ripper way where it's expounded upon ad nauseum) she's told she can only hope for a life of sex work outside her family's tavern, a topic her family uses to instill fear and distrust of outsiders.
Felicia, already afraid of men, unfortunately meets the worst man, and what little control she had over the course of her life evaporates.
Domenico, the future Duke of Cabria, spots Felicia from her window and makes quick work of kidnapping her. The night he takes her coincides with the night his father dies. Domenico is now the most powerful person in the Cabria, and Felicia is his newest plaything.
It's a jarring experience for a woman who rarely left her brother's tavern. Domenico's initial brutalization is just the tip of the iceberg: she's now at court, a place of secrets and lies, and she has a type of power that she doesn't understand how to wield. As the days pass, she's told that she's a wonder: she's lasted so much longer than Domenico's other mistresses.
"He is a sort of child in that- he wants nothing so much as the thing that is withheld. And once he has it-" he stepped away from me and shrugged elaborately- "he breaks it, like as not, or tosses it undervalued."
"He is a monster," I whispered.
"A royal one."
But her fate when he loses interest will be catastrophic: he could banish her or punt her aside to another man. The well-being of a woman outside of Domenico's protection is short-lived, and Felicia has a Scheherazade-type task of keeping him interested. She doesn't think she can do it, and she braces herself for the day she loses.
Meanwhile, Domenico is growing obsessive over Felicia. Some of the most horrifying things he does in this book, which I will not elaborate on because it's best experienced without warning, are to punish Felicia for her interactions with other men. Domenico draws a direct line of cause and effect for Felicia: you are responsible for other peoples suffering. Behave yourself, and nobody gets hurt.
If this sounds like a nightmare, it absolutely is, but Felicia is drawn into it, regardless. Even seeing Domenico clearly for what he is: a monster, a child, a self-absorbed mess, she doesn't want to leave him.
I love this book wholeheartedly.
May 12, 2017
Hell...I'd never managed to read through the pdf version of a 300+ novel within three or so days!
Thoughts after reading:
Just...What The Hell Had I Just Read!?
(Link: http://vampirekiki.deviantart.com/art...)
That...that's just mind-blowing in a crazy manner!
It's a damn difficult book to rate, on one hand I'm intrigued by the outstanding, sensual writing, the vivid sense of dread expressed through said writing, the fine details and the roller coaster ride which is the main story. On the other hand, I rolled my eyes (with a few 'No it can't be!' exclaims) at how the plots go over-the-top at times and the ending is *ways* too unrealistic *and* the hero, a.k.a the main love interest in this book, is an irredeemable asshole.
To spice things up, this guy is also a torturer, a cold-blooded killer and a rapist. Although I can almost appreciate how unapologetic this guy had been for an entire book.
I mean, when comparing with Domenico Giordano della Raffaelle, Lothaire the Enemy Of Old from Immortals After Dark series suddenly looks like he is Mr. Nice.
To be very honest, if you didn't happen to have a morbid curiosity over this book, if you didn't happen to have some sort of sadistic threads within you (yes I have some within me, shocking), I don't think you should be reading this book.
One of my Goodreads friend commented that "reading this book is like watching Caligula"...and she is right.
However, I have to tell you that is exactly part of the fun of reading The Silver Devil, Teresa Denys push everything to the extreme and she didn't hold things back, she went into places where other romance novelists rarely visit, and OMG I just love it!
As to the late Miss Denys, we know so little about this lady, but by reading this book I at least can tell she had a lot of guts, a fine taste for Gothic-style writing and a lavish imagination. I must wonder how the ending of this book would have turned out if Miss Denys didn't have to limit herself to the typical romance cliches of a
And here's a damn good review from Bgurl, with splendid jpgs: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Thoughts after reading:
Just...What The Hell Had I Just Read!?
(Link: http://vampirekiki.deviantart.com/art...)
That...that's just mind-blowing in a crazy manner!
It's a damn difficult book to rate, on one hand I'm intrigued by the outstanding, sensual writing, the vivid sense of dread expressed through said writing, the fine details and the roller coaster ride which is the main story. On the other hand, I rolled my eyes (with a few 'No it can't be!' exclaims) at how the plots go over-the-top at times and the ending is *ways* too unrealistic *and* the hero, a.k.a the main love interest in this book, is an irredeemable asshole.
To spice things up, this guy is also a torturer, a cold-blooded killer and a rapist. Although I can almost appreciate how unapologetic this guy had been for an entire book.
I mean, when comparing with Domenico Giordano della Raffaelle, Lothaire the Enemy Of Old from Immortals After Dark series suddenly looks like he is Mr. Nice.
To be very honest, if you didn't happen to have a morbid curiosity over this book, if you didn't happen to have some sort of sadistic threads within you (yes I have some within me, shocking), I don't think you should be reading this book.
One of my Goodreads friend commented that "reading this book is like watching Caligula"...and she is right.
However, I have to tell you that is exactly part of the fun of reading The Silver Devil, Teresa Denys push everything to the extreme and she didn't hold things back, she went into places where other romance novelists rarely visit, and OMG I just love it!
As to the late Miss Denys, we know so little about this lady, but by reading this book I at least can tell she had a lot of guts, a fine taste for Gothic-style writing and a lavish imagination. I must wonder how the ending of this book would have turned out if Miss Denys didn't have to limit herself to the typical romance cliches of a
And here's a damn good review from Bgurl, with splendid jpgs: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
January 2, 2021
A supposed romance between a psychopath and his masochistic lover.
Domenico's character may be a historically accurate portrayal of a nobleman living in early seventeenth-century Italy, but I don't find a psychotic "hero" who expresses little to no remorse for his murders and rapes appealing, and wasn't convinced he felt anything more for the heroine than lust.
According to the Society for the Study of Psychopathy, psychopath traits include:
-Lack of guilt/remorse
-Lack of empathy
-Lack of deep emotional attachments
-Narcissism
-Superficial charm
-Dishonesty
-Manipulativeness
-Reckless risk-taking
Based on other reviews this turd didn't evolve emotionally by the novel's end, so I stand by my above assertion and my decision to not finish this book. (I stopped at the 47% mark.)
Let's discuss the insta-love on the heroine's part. Why? He wasn't even a good lover. Just because the author (via Felicia and Domenico's past lovers) said so doesn't make it true. This reader wasn't shown any proof of Domenico's supposed sexual prowess. Minus the brutal deflowering and rape of Felicia the sex scenes were all tell, not show (this also includes the hero's "passion" for her). Not that sexual skill excuses bad behavior, but that's all that Felicia had to go by at this point in time, and his cruel, petulant, and petty behavior.
So the author skimped on portraying a convincing romance but, don't worry, she didn't hold back on detailing the minutiae of everything else though. Bleh.
P.S. I usually don't rate DNF books, but this one deserves a rating because it was so bad.
Domenico's character may be a historically accurate portrayal of a nobleman living in early seventeenth-century Italy, but I don't find a psychotic "hero" who expresses little to no remorse for his murders and rapes appealing, and wasn't convinced he felt anything more for the heroine than lust.
According to the Society for the Study of Psychopathy, psychopath traits include:
-Lack of guilt/remorse
-Lack of empathy
-Lack of deep emotional attachments
-Narcissism
-Superficial charm
-Dishonesty
-Manipulativeness
-Reckless risk-taking
Based on other reviews this turd didn't evolve emotionally by the novel's end, so I stand by my above assertion and my decision to not finish this book. (I stopped at the 47% mark.)
Let's discuss the insta-love on the heroine's part. Why? He wasn't even a good lover. Just because the author (via Felicia and Domenico's past lovers) said so doesn't make it true. This reader wasn't shown any proof of Domenico's supposed sexual prowess. Minus the brutal deflowering and rape of Felicia the sex scenes were all tell, not show (this also includes the hero's "passion" for her). Not that sexual skill excuses bad behavior, but that's all that Felicia had to go by at this point in time, and his cruel, petulant, and petty behavior.
So the author skimped on portraying a convincing romance but, don't worry, she didn't hold back on detailing the minutiae of everything else though. Bleh.
P.S. I usually don't rate DNF books, but this one deserves a rating because it was so bad.
February 27, 2023
**SPOILERS under Sexual History**
The GOOD:
#1. captivating writing
Evoked a here-and-now experience (i.e., sword-fighting scene with Hero and another Duke towards the end). Advanced in its theme/content since reads like a currently-written dark romance with a cruel but obsessed anti-Hero and virginal heroine with quiet strength and smarts.
#2. good char and character development
Liked how h started speaking up more and fighting for what she wanted instead of being passive. Also liked how it was obvious to everyone that indiscriminate manho H became solely focused on h and spurned potential lovers (both men & women), even when he thought h was dead.
#3. H groveled
Liked that H humbled himself and showed his vulnerability to h @ the end, when he confessed his love for her and how much she meant to him.
MEH or the BAD
#1. H’s grovel @ the end seemed so sudden.
Wished there was more of a lead-in or bridge between H being demanding and distant towards h and H groveling to h @ the end.
#2. Good-enough emo with some angst.
Wished there were more details/explanation given on what it was about h he fell for @ 1st sight and why he became so obsessed/in love with her when it's only been about sex with all others. These skipped details would've strengthened the emotional involvement in this book.
Sexual History:
18yo sheltered h was a virgin in everything with 29yo new-Duke H (i.e., kiss, boob-touching, sex). She was kissed and boob-groped by the crazy Duke who won her @ a chess game with H towards the end, with H being forced to watch them. But H was able to stop him from smexxing h.
29yo H was an indiscriminate manwhore who had sex with men and women, no matter what age or social status. He impregnated his 1st stepmother’s serving girl and had sex with this stepmother at a church altar, after she told him she’d been secretly desiring him. He mostly had sex with time with someone. But he had some return lovers, including 1 of h’s maidservants. Since he 1st smexxed h, he’d only been with h.
The GOOD:
#1. captivating writing
Evoked a here-and-now experience (i.e., sword-fighting scene with Hero and another Duke towards the end). Advanced in its theme/content since reads like a currently-written dark romance with a cruel but obsessed anti-Hero and virginal heroine with quiet strength and smarts.
#2. good char and character development
Liked how h started speaking up more and fighting for what she wanted instead of being passive. Also liked how it was obvious to everyone that indiscriminate manho H became solely focused on h and spurned potential lovers (both men & women), even when he thought h was dead.
#3. H groveled
Liked that H humbled himself and showed his vulnerability to h @ the end, when he confessed his love for her and how much she meant to him.
MEH or the BAD
#1. H’s grovel @ the end seemed so sudden.
Wished there was more of a lead-in or bridge between H being demanding and distant towards h and H groveling to h @ the end.
#2. Good-enough emo with some angst.
Wished there were more details/explanation given on what it was about h he fell for @ 1st sight and why he became so obsessed/in love with her when it's only been about sex with all others. These skipped details would've strengthened the emotional involvement in this book.
Sexual History:
18yo sheltered h was a virgin in everything with 29yo new-Duke H (i.e., kiss, boob-touching, sex). She was kissed and boob-groped by the crazy Duke who won her @ a chess game with H towards the end, with H being forced to watch them. But H was able to stop him from smexxing h.
29yo H was an indiscriminate manwhore who had sex with men and women, no matter what age or social status. He impregnated his 1st stepmother’s serving girl and had sex with this stepmother at a church altar, after she told him she’d been secretly desiring him. He mostly had sex with time with someone. But he had some return lovers, including 1 of h’s maidservants. Since he 1st smexxed h, he’d only been with h.
April 9, 2017
Enthralling, Terrible and Wonderful, a Classic set in 17th century Italy
This was my first by Denys. Her only other novel is The Flesh And The Devil, which is also wonderful. Both are set in 17th century Europe.
The Silver Devil begins in 1605 north of Naples, Italy, at the time of the plague. It tells the story of Felicia Guardi, a commoner beauty who comes to the attention of Domenico della Raffaelle, the new Duke of Cabria, the one they call the “Silver Devil.”
When her mother died, Felicia learned from her brother that she was bastard born. Forced by him and his wife to live in their house as a servant, Felicia becomes a sort of Cinderella. Though Felicia has had a hard life, she has virtue, integrity and wisdom that outshine all those around her. Surely that is what Domenico saw when he chanced to glimpse her. Without her knowing it, Domenico buys Felicia from her half brother who drugs her so she can be taken to the duke’s palace.
Already ruined by having been taken to the duke, Felicia nevertheless fights the man who would have her (“a demon’s eyes in the face of a fallen angel”… “as graceful as a leopard and as treacherous as murder”). After he takes her maidenhead, she realizes she has no choice but to stay with him until he tires of her, which according to what she is told, may be very soon as he runs through mistresses quickly. But Felicia is unlike any woman Domenico has ever known and he does not cast her off.
Having just come to power, Domenico is aware of the seething treachery swirling around him. There are those who would prefer to see his half brother Alessandro rule the duchy. And Domenico knows he must take a wife and sire an heir so there are choices to be made. But Felicia has fallen in love with him (“…it was then, as I went to him like a falcon flying to his fist, that I realized I loved him”); and even knowing she will be set aside, she stays.
I can’t say enough good about this classic. Brilliantly written with attention to detail reflecting much research into the era and the politics of the time, it is a fascinating story of warring families and the vicious actions some take to stay in power. The prose is nearly lyrical at times and Denys’ writing is truly beautiful in its descriptions. Few authors could do it so well.
The plot is intricate and captured me from the start. Though told from the first person (we are only ever in Felicia’s head), it works for an intriguing story as we can only wonder what the Silver Devil is thinking behind his black eyes. Felicia is a wonderful heroine, and though he was often wicked, Domenico was a very worthy alpha male hero. I did not want to put it down. I highly recommend this one and it’s going on my Best Bodice Ripper list, My Favorite Heroes & Heroines list and my Top 20 list!
You’ll have to get it used, but get it! It's a keeper.
This was my first by Denys. Her only other novel is The Flesh And The Devil, which is also wonderful. Both are set in 17th century Europe.
The Silver Devil begins in 1605 north of Naples, Italy, at the time of the plague. It tells the story of Felicia Guardi, a commoner beauty who comes to the attention of Domenico della Raffaelle, the new Duke of Cabria, the one they call the “Silver Devil.”
When her mother died, Felicia learned from her brother that she was bastard born. Forced by him and his wife to live in their house as a servant, Felicia becomes a sort of Cinderella. Though Felicia has had a hard life, she has virtue, integrity and wisdom that outshine all those around her. Surely that is what Domenico saw when he chanced to glimpse her. Without her knowing it, Domenico buys Felicia from her half brother who drugs her so she can be taken to the duke’s palace.
Already ruined by having been taken to the duke, Felicia nevertheless fights the man who would have her (“a demon’s eyes in the face of a fallen angel”… “as graceful as a leopard and as treacherous as murder”). After he takes her maidenhead, she realizes she has no choice but to stay with him until he tires of her, which according to what she is told, may be very soon as he runs through mistresses quickly. But Felicia is unlike any woman Domenico has ever known and he does not cast her off.
Having just come to power, Domenico is aware of the seething treachery swirling around him. There are those who would prefer to see his half brother Alessandro rule the duchy. And Domenico knows he must take a wife and sire an heir so there are choices to be made. But Felicia has fallen in love with him (“…it was then, as I went to him like a falcon flying to his fist, that I realized I loved him”); and even knowing she will be set aside, she stays.
I can’t say enough good about this classic. Brilliantly written with attention to detail reflecting much research into the era and the politics of the time, it is a fascinating story of warring families and the vicious actions some take to stay in power. The prose is nearly lyrical at times and Denys’ writing is truly beautiful in its descriptions. Few authors could do it so well.
The plot is intricate and captured me from the start. Though told from the first person (we are only ever in Felicia’s head), it works for an intriguing story as we can only wonder what the Silver Devil is thinking behind his black eyes. Felicia is a wonderful heroine, and though he was often wicked, Domenico was a very worthy alpha male hero. I did not want to put it down. I highly recommend this one and it’s going on my Best Bodice Ripper list, My Favorite Heroes & Heroines list and my Top 20 list!
You’ll have to get it used, but get it! It's a keeper.
February 4, 2022
Excellent book.
The prose is undoubtedly one of the most refined and complex I read in romances.
I could have given five stars only for it, since I'm not native english and it's not easy to find something so obviously challenging for me.
The historical setting is perfect, you can breath the athmosphere of italian Renaissance. I had difficulties in detaching myself after reading it, since it was really captivating.
There's much history in it, and it's very detailed and accurate.
Even the language is perfect.
The heroine is a Cinderella, a poor illegitimate girl who is exploited and abused by her half brother and his wife.
And as Cinderella she has her prince Charming, that is not exactly the nice chap next door.
He's the king of the villains.
Mind, he must be like that to survive the plots around him.
He must be the most evil, rotten, cruel of all.
And in the beginning he's not very prince charming to the heroine too...
He buys her from her evil brother, basically kidnaps her, takes her in his castle and forcibly seduces her.
But at least he takes care of her, and even if she tries to resist she falls in love with him completely, even knowing who and what he is, and what he does.
I loved the hero.
He's completely evil and devious.
He kills, he rapes, he deceives, he uses sex as a means of submitting people, both males and females, he charms and lies, he uses people and discards them when they arent useful any more.
He is cruel and enjoys cruelty. He seduces his stepmother in a church.
He gives his discarted mistress to his minions as if she were soiled goods.
Oh, and he never ever hides who he is, and that is what I liked most. He's shameless.
The perfect villain.
And the heroine? The heroine is a secondary character, she's the narrator of the story but she's hardly a strong character.
She's quite innocent and clueless because she can't do anything but accept what the hero decides.
There's a lot of angst because the book is entirely written in first person and from her POV, so we feel her angst, her pain in being used, her fear of being discarded, her jealousy of his future bride.
We live her story from her POV, but we don't know what he thinks and feels.
We can only imagine.
And I understood perfectly well what her error was.
But I don't want to spoil it.
What I like beside the story and the perfect writing style is also that this is my perfect hero: a man who is evil to everyone except the heroine.
He's completely, absolutely, entirely obsessed by her.
She's his Achilles' heel.
His soft spot.
His weakness.
His only reason to live.
The end is amazing.
The book is amazing.
If you are not afraid of the many triggers that you can find in this book, I can say that the only trigger you won't find is cheating.
They are both completely, absolutely, totally devoted to each other since they first met.
And this, in a man such as our hero, who respects nothing and no one, is something great.
Domenico is my new best hero.
The prose is undoubtedly one of the most refined and complex I read in romances.
I could have given five stars only for it, since I'm not native english and it's not easy to find something so obviously challenging for me.
The historical setting is perfect, you can breath the athmosphere of italian Renaissance. I had difficulties in detaching myself after reading it, since it was really captivating.
There's much history in it, and it's very detailed and accurate.
Even the language is perfect.
The heroine is a Cinderella, a poor illegitimate girl who is exploited and abused by her half brother and his wife.
And as Cinderella she has her prince Charming, that is not exactly the nice chap next door.
He's the king of the villains.
Mind, he must be like that to survive the plots around him.
He must be the most evil, rotten, cruel of all.
And in the beginning he's not very prince charming to the heroine too...
He buys her from her evil brother, basically kidnaps her, takes her in his castle and forcibly seduces her.
But at least he takes care of her, and even if she tries to resist she falls in love with him completely, even knowing who and what he is, and what he does.
I loved the hero.
He's completely evil and devious.
He kills, he rapes, he deceives, he uses sex as a means of submitting people, both males and females, he charms and lies, he uses people and discards them when they arent useful any more.
He is cruel and enjoys cruelty. He seduces his stepmother in a church.
He gives his discarted mistress to his minions as if she were soiled goods.
Oh, and he never ever hides who he is, and that is what I liked most. He's shameless.
The perfect villain.
And the heroine? The heroine is a secondary character, she's the narrator of the story but she's hardly a strong character.
She's quite innocent and clueless because she can't do anything but accept what the hero decides.
There's a lot of angst because the book is entirely written in first person and from her POV, so we feel her angst, her pain in being used, her fear of being discarded, her jealousy of his future bride.
We live her story from her POV, but we don't know what he thinks and feels.
We can only imagine.
And I understood perfectly well what her error was.
But I don't want to spoil it.
What I like beside the story and the perfect writing style is also that this is my perfect hero: a man who is evil to everyone except the heroine.
He's completely, absolutely, entirely obsessed by her.
She's his Achilles' heel.
His soft spot.
His weakness.
His only reason to live.
The end is amazing.
The book is amazing.
If you are not afraid of the many triggers that you can find in this book, I can say that the only trigger you won't find is cheating.
They are both completely, absolutely, totally devoted to each other since they first met.
And this, in a man such as our hero, who respects nothing and no one, is something great.
Domenico is my new best hero.
August 12, 2022
Trigger Warning: Rape, abuse, kidnapping.
3.5 Stars
I know a lot of people have very polarised opinions about this book. I believe not every story is meant to be hunky dory, happy and clean. Some stories are triggering, full of sensitive topics, but a lot of times that’s the story that needs to be told. Besides I feel like it holds up to the standard of reality in those days, perhaps for a woman in the heroines situations so many centuries in the past things would have been even worse
I kind of liked Domenico, aka our anti hero, or our straight up villain.
Domenico was the worse kind of guy there can be, he was cruel, abusive, controlling, arrogant, but at least he had facets to him, and that made him an interesting character.
A lot of the times I wanted to scream, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS DOMENICO? But I didn’t find out since, it was written in Felicia’s Pov, and they never seem to discuss what’s going on, so we never know that thought process.
I would have preferred to read this story through Domenico’s eyes, through the male POV, because his was a very interesting mind, and a lot of the times I wished we as the reader could dig deeper into it
As for Felecia, I first of all I hate that name, because it rhymes with Alisha, who was my backstabbing, gossiping ex best Friend. (Issues so many issues)
Felicia was the so boring She had no backbone, she didn’t use her brain, she needed to put Domenico in his place. Felicia, was out storyteller, but she had no control over the story. Everything happens to Felicia, she hardly does anything on her own, and when she does do something, it’s the stupidest of things ever.
But I get it, this book was published in the 1970s, which is why I feel like everything happens to Felicia, a lot of older books follow this pattern of women being helpless little flowers.
I love my Anti Heroes, or straight up villain male leads. There’s a certain aura to them, the goody two shoes of the romance world just cannot replicate. So 3.5 Stars, that’s all for Domenico. Cruel as he was, he was something spectacular.
Also, WTF. Domenico, says he’s loved Felecia since the beginning...like whaaatttttt? Are ya sure? Are ya like rally sure? Because it didn’t seem that way.
3.5 Stars
I know a lot of people have very polarised opinions about this book. I believe not every story is meant to be hunky dory, happy and clean. Some stories are triggering, full of sensitive topics, but a lot of times that’s the story that needs to be told. Besides I feel like it holds up to the standard of reality in those days, perhaps for a woman in the heroines situations so many centuries in the past things would have been even worse
I kind of liked Domenico, aka our anti hero, or our straight up villain.
Domenico was the worse kind of guy there can be, he was cruel, abusive, controlling, arrogant, but at least he had facets to him, and that made him an interesting character.
A lot of the times I wanted to scream, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS DOMENICO? But I didn’t find out since, it was written in Felicia’s Pov, and they never seem to discuss what’s going on, so we never know that thought process.
I would have preferred to read this story through Domenico’s eyes, through the male POV, because his was a very interesting mind, and a lot of the times I wished we as the reader could dig deeper into it
As for Felecia, I first of all I hate that name, because it rhymes with Alisha, who was my backstabbing, gossiping ex best Friend. (Issues so many issues)
Felicia was the so boring She had no backbone, she didn’t use her brain, she needed to put Domenico in his place. Felicia, was out storyteller, but she had no control over the story. Everything happens to Felicia, she hardly does anything on her own, and when she does do something, it’s the stupidest of things ever.
But I get it, this book was published in the 1970s, which is why I feel like everything happens to Felicia, a lot of older books follow this pattern of women being helpless little flowers.
I love my Anti Heroes, or straight up villain male leads. There’s a certain aura to them, the goody two shoes of the romance world just cannot replicate. So 3.5 Stars, that’s all for Domenico. Cruel as he was, he was something spectacular.
Also, WTF. Domenico, says he’s loved Felecia since the beginning...like whaaatttttt? Are ya sure? Are ya like rally sure? Because it didn’t seem that way.
January 18, 2014
Well that was one heck of a ride. Phew....... Mr. Silver Devil himself. Not exactly choir boy material.
This story felt very real to me. It was a true depiction of renaissance life with dukes and lords and kings and their total power over common people. The heroine was complex in her own right. At first she appeared incredibly simple and naive. Yet as the story evolves you understand she is the victim of circumstances being illiterate, imprisoned within her own home, beaten and abused and eventually sold for silver pieces. She is powerless to change anything and is reduced to praying for death once the Silver Devil tires of her because the future of a discarded mistress is too brutal for anyone to endure.
At first, I wanted her to be much more cunning and I was disappointed when she wasn't. But then I came to realize that she never had the skills or ability to pull herself out of the mire. Consequently she confuses lust for love and finds herself enslaved physically and mentally to the hero.
The hero is a merciless, ruthless, cruel, sadistic, monster, but he knows his way around the sheets (with men and women) and he holds everyone around him in his power. While most are blinded by his charms and anxious to warm his bed, there are few who would just as soon see him dead. The story is hauntingly filled with lies, treachery and treason which adds another dimension, excitement and complexity to the story.
This book isn't for the faint of heart (which I usually am), but it is surprisingly good and has the power to suck you right in.
I absolutely loved it!
This story felt very real to me. It was a true depiction of renaissance life with dukes and lords and kings and their total power over common people. The heroine was complex in her own right. At first she appeared incredibly simple and naive. Yet as the story evolves you understand she is the victim of circumstances being illiterate, imprisoned within her own home, beaten and abused and eventually sold for silver pieces. She is powerless to change anything and is reduced to praying for death once the Silver Devil tires of her because the future of a discarded mistress is too brutal for anyone to endure.
At first, I wanted her to be much more cunning and I was disappointed when she wasn't. But then I came to realize that she never had the skills or ability to pull herself out of the mire. Consequently she confuses lust for love and finds herself enslaved physically and mentally to the hero.
The hero is a merciless, ruthless, cruel, sadistic, monster, but he knows his way around the sheets (with men and women) and he holds everyone around him in his power. While most are blinded by his charms and anxious to warm his bed, there are few who would just as soon see him dead. The story is hauntingly filled with lies, treachery and treason which adds another dimension, excitement and complexity to the story.
This book isn't for the faint of heart (which I usually am), but it is surprisingly good and has the power to suck you right in.
I absolutely loved it!
February 23, 2021
Edited 23/2/21: I didn't realize the author died long long time ago. This is so sad. She could be so much more. 😭
First of all, I went into this book not realizing I would love it. Hell, I've heard bad baddd stuffs about this book. Like bad-I-shouldn't-even-consider reading this book.
Imagine the surprise when I found myself entertained by the idea of this book. Trust me, in another lifetime, I would rate this book one-star. Domenico was really not a good hero. He was bad, promiscuous and conniving in every way. The things he did in his past were unredeemable just because he fell in love with the heroine.
In the end, he was still kinda not redeemed well you know. But the evil side of him, the cold and calculating part of him, I kinda like it.
It seems that lately, I keep on picking up books with an antihero. First it was Pestilence, now this and Addison Caine's Alpha Claims series. And I like it.
First of all, I went into this book not realizing I would love it. Hell, I've heard bad baddd stuffs about this book. Like bad-I-shouldn't-even-consider reading this book.
Imagine the surprise when I found myself entertained by the idea of this book. Trust me, in another lifetime, I would rate this book one-star. Domenico was really not a good hero. He was bad, promiscuous and conniving in every way. The things he did in his past were unredeemable just because he fell in love with the heroine.
In the end, he was still kinda not redeemed well you know. But the evil side of him, the cold and calculating part of him, I kinda like it.
It seems that lately, I keep on picking up books with an antihero. First it was Pestilence, now this and Addison Caine's Alpha Claims series. And I like it.
July 1, 2021
4.25 +stars
This is a hard one to rate. I am tempted to go higher. There is so much depth to the not just the main characters but the supporting cast too. It’s very well written.
It shows that in the corruption and betrayals in politics of today, it existed back in the 1600s too. I guess it’s just human nature.
I saw what the h had missed for most of the book, but it wasn’t as obvious as the H stated it had been. Even I had doubts along the way.
I stayed up to stupid o’clock to finish and was not tempted to skim.
This is a hard one to rate. I am tempted to go higher. There is so much depth to the not just the main characters but the supporting cast too. It’s very well written.
It shows that in the corruption and betrayals in politics of today, it existed back in the 1600s too. I guess it’s just human nature.
I saw what the h had missed for most of the book, but it wasn’t as obvious as the H stated it had been. Even I had doubts along the way.
I stayed up to stupid o’clock to finish and was not tempted to skim.
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