Rate this book

Emerald (2011)

by Karen Wallace(Favorite Author)

3.62 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1416917160 (ISBN13: 9781416917168)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Simon & Schuster UK

review 1: **MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS**This book has been shortlisted for the Lancashire Book of the Year 2012 Award (LBOY) and I am determined to get through all ten books before June.Emerald is an inquisitve and accomplished young girl who knows how to take care of herself. But there are forces at work to break her down. Under her mother's threatening rule she must marry the vile Lord Suckley and become what Emerald refers to as "breeding stock". The premise is intriguing - Emerald is not the typical Elizabethan 'lady' we might expect, and the underlying mystery of treason and secrets keeps you wanting to know more. However, there are many flaws in this text. The introduction of an unnecessary romance left me cold. After one conversation, Emerald and her fancy sailor man are completely... more head-over-heels for each other. Despite his very dubious background, and her questioning nature, she automatically believes his every word. Just shows what a few blond locks and pair of violet eyes can do...Throughout there are several instances where the editor has obviously said, "But what about so-and-so?" and an extra paragraph of garbled explanation has been inserted. Bear-baiting is an idea running through the text, but it does not seem strong enough to support itself, even though we are told about Molly in detail. In fact, the whole plot seems to run on "telling" not "showing" - a big no-no for writers.All this said, I found this book very enjoyable to read. The easy prose and strong imagery swept me along fluidly and I would like to read more historical fiction as a result. Although Emerald is not an all-round 3D character, she is extremely likeable, as are the other main characters. Research has been done, but the story is not bogged down with weighty passages where the author is shoving her hours at the library down our throats. I found this very well done. The voice of a fifteen-year-old girl comes through clearly and I would not doubt the narrative p.o.v.I would recommend this book as a nice easy read, to lovers of historical teen fiction, and anyone who likes twists and turns.
review 2: This was such fun to read! For some reason I don't read much historical fiction but on the basis of this one I really think I should.I really liked the character Emerald. She was strong and determined - but also easy to like - and I was glad that she wanted to 'save' herself. Arabella was a great character too - as much as I wanted to hate her at times I couldn't quite manage it. And Sarah and Meg proved brilliant additions - and of course I adored Molly the bear!The romance, I must admit, was very quick to happen. But I imagine that if I were being forced to marry a man as vile as Lord Suckley I too might fall very quickly for someone as nice as a certain Viscount! He's a great character - he comes across as nice and kind but also with an air of intrigue. A perfect match for Emerald and my only complaint would be that I wish he had been in more of it.There is a good sense of mystery and twists and turns - something happened that I really didn't expect and that certainly grabbed my attention! I really enjoyed it and am now looking forward to reading many more books along the same lines. less

Download links for: Emerald

Advertising