The Black Dragon
by December Quinn


First of all, let me say that the cover doesn't come close to matching the mental image that formed of Gruffydd as I was reading The Black Dragon. Second, I have to confess, that while I try to bring an open mind to all books I review, I was fully prepared not to like this book. Medievals are not really my thing; I glutted myself with them several years ago, reading such titles as The Taming, Honour's Splendour and The Prize. So it takes a good deal to interest or engage me in this subgenre of historicals. However, DQ is a friend, so my desire not to tear her a new asshole balanced out my dislike of the subgenre enough to provide a pretty level playing field.

At the start of the book, our intrepid heroine, Isabelle, begins by making a TSTL decision (by modern standards). However, in proper historical context, I could buy her ignorance and lack of self-preservation. She's not terribly appealing as a heroine, however, because she's self-involved, naive and very short-sighted. I hung in there, though, because I was hoping Ms. Quinn was setting me up for some Character Development. It also set up a meeting between the hero, Gruffyd and Isabelle, whom he saved from her own folly.

Flash forward six years, and there's been some trouble going on in the borderlands between the English Marcher lords and the Welsh. As a peace offering, the King decides to send Isabelle as a bride to one of the Welsh Lords -- Gruffydd naturally. Like any princess-bred lady, she can only think about leaving behind her home and family and the sweet, darling minstrel she's been flirting with. She doesn't want to go to Wales and Gruffydd doesn't want her there either because, you see, he has a big honking secret. I don't want to give up too much plot detail because of spoilers, but you get the idea, I think. Minor historical nitpick- it niggled me a little that Ms. Quinn chose to make Isabelle 21 for her wedding. If she was worried about offending modern sensibilities, then I think 18 would've been more true to the times, as historically speaking, a woman might well be married off by 13.

Otherwise, this book possessed a very true to the times feeling, meticulously researched. She didn't go out of her way to offer glimpses of the yucky parts of keep life (ooh, she's peeing in a bowl! or whatever) but there was a definite verisimilitude not present in many costume dramas. It's also definitely an old-school historical romance; as I read on, it actually made me nostalgic for old Jude Devereaux and Katherine Woodiwiss titles. There are burning loins, weeping feminine parts, and breasts crushed to manly chests galore. In places, Gruffydd actually reminded me a little of Rogan, from The Taming, though he never reached such assholeish levels.

Despite my misgivings, I was thoroughly charmed by around page 70 or so. I won't give away anything, but there were several laugh out loud sections, where Isabelle became delightful instead of irritating. She continued to grow on me as the book proceeded, and I forgave her earlier self-absorption because she realized she'd been that way. Good character growth!

The one passage that grated was where Gruffydd has an emotional moment with Isabelle and he confesses his secret pain, his secret shame. (Again, no spoilers). But it was, I felt, spoken in a manner entirely more overwrought and florid than I could conceive him using. While I could see him sharing it with her, I think it would be in a very bleak and controlled manner, as if expecting her to condemn him. It didn't seem consistent with his deft development that he would suddenly develop this hysterical mode of speech, even under duress.

In summary, I liked this book more than I expected. It made me nostalgic for romance's days of yore, and it delivered a few cozy hours of reading, easy to get lost in Ms. Quinn's fictitional world. This wasn't something I'd ordinarily read on my own; I'm drawn to darker, edgier stuff as a rule, but I did enjoy it and I do recommend it, particularly if you're looking for something that reminds you of Woodiwiss and old school Devereaux.

See you next week!

Labels: Ebook Thursday