Swashbuckling Pirates!
Reading the manga Corsair by Fuuko Minami & Erii Misono put me in the mood for more pirate stories. So after a few hours in one of my favorite bookstores I came home with my booty: The Iron Rose by Marsha Canham . Here's the blurb on the back of the book to give others an idea of what's it all about:
A CLASH OF STEEL
When the roar of the Spanish guns was silenced, the crew of the English merchant ship discovered they had been saved by the Iron Rose, a rogue privateer. No one was more shocked than the king's envoy, Varian St. Clare, to learn that the captain of the privateer was Juliet Dante, daughter of the legendary Pirate Wolf.
A CLASH OF WILLS
Varian was sent to the dangerous waters of the Spanish Main to persuade marauding English privateers to uphold a new peace treaty with Spain. Juliet agrees to take him to her father--but only as her hostage. And soon it becomes clear that the fiery Pirate Wolf takes orders from no man, not even a king.
THE IRON ROSE
Juliet had assumed most noblemen were soft and pampered, unfit for the harsh realities of a life at sea. Yet she had seen Varian's skill with a sword and she was intrigued by his quiet strength, his enigmatic midnight eyes. More than that, she soon found herself craving the touch of his hand, the surprising pleasure of his lips, and as intrigue and deception swirls around them, the danger of the high seas will prove to be no match for the danger of desire...
Like Corsair, I'm still in the middle of reading it 'coz I don't want to rush it-I'm enjoying it too much! When I checked Corsair's stats I discovered it only has 3 volumes. NOooooo~~~ *ion's face is like that of Munch's The Scream* I've only read a few chapters-the part where Canale and Ayace visits Aura-and I already want it to be longer~
Anyway-
5 things I like about The Iron Rose:
1. it's a historical romance novel
Reality sometimes kicks you in the face so it's nice to escape in a world where there's always a happy ending for a while (I'm a girl who doesn't mind spoilers so I cheated and peeked in the end | ｰ^)ﾉ ) .
2. the characters
I like all of 'em! Of course I like the main characters: the heroine Juliet is kick-ass cool while Varian, the hero, could win the heartthrob award. But I just have to mention Juliet's brothers-Jonas and Gabriel. Jonas, the eldest, is the bruiser type, while Gabriel is an elegant, angelic, bishie one. They remind me a bit of Kaji and Retsu from Rie Honjou's Konna Otoko wa Aisareru.
3. the details, details, details
The author's writing style sets the atmosphere nicely by not being stingy with detailed descriptions. From the characters' clothing to the fighting scenes-I guess the closest thing to describe it would be that it's cinematic. It's kinda like Corsair's art in words (⌒▽⌒).
4. the humor
You just have to love the dry wit the characters use to tease each other (≧∇≦)ﾉ.
5. it's part of a series
This is apparently a sequel to an earlier published novel, Across a Moonlit Sea, which in turn tells the story of Juliet's parents. It's just 2 books but it also means more to read hohoho. Just hope one of the bookstores I frequent carry it coz it was published way back in 1996.
A CLASH OF STEEL
When the roar of the Spanish guns was silenced, the crew of the English merchant ship discovered they had been saved by the Iron Rose, a rogue privateer. No one was more shocked than the king's envoy, Varian St. Clare, to learn that the captain of the privateer was Juliet Dante, daughter of the legendary Pirate Wolf.
A CLASH OF WILLS
Varian was sent to the dangerous waters of the Spanish Main to persuade marauding English privateers to uphold a new peace treaty with Spain. Juliet agrees to take him to her father--but only as her hostage. And soon it becomes clear that the fiery Pirate Wolf takes orders from no man, not even a king.
THE IRON ROSE
Juliet had assumed most noblemen were soft and pampered, unfit for the harsh realities of a life at sea. Yet she had seen Varian's skill with a sword and she was intrigued by his quiet strength, his enigmatic midnight eyes. More than that, she soon found herself craving the touch of his hand, the surprising pleasure of his lips, and as intrigue and deception swirls around them, the danger of the high seas will prove to be no match for the danger of desire...
Like Corsair, I'm still in the middle of reading it 'coz I don't want to rush it-I'm enjoying it too much! When I checked Corsair's stats I discovered it only has 3 volumes. NOooooo~~~ *ion's face is like that of Munch's The Scream* I've only read a few chapters-the part where Canale and Ayace visits Aura-and I already want it to be longer~
Anyway-
5 things I like about The Iron Rose:
1. it's a historical romance novel
Reality sometimes kicks you in the face so it's nice to escape in a world where there's always a happy ending for a while (I'm a girl who doesn't mind spoilers so I cheated and peeked in the end | ｰ^)ﾉ ) .
2. the characters
I like all of 'em! Of course I like the main characters: the heroine Juliet is kick-ass cool while Varian, the hero, could win the heartthrob award. But I just have to mention Juliet's brothers-Jonas and Gabriel. Jonas, the eldest, is the bruiser type, while Gabriel is an elegant, angelic, bishie one. They remind me a bit of Kaji and Retsu from Rie Honjou's Konna Otoko wa Aisareru.
3. the details, details, details
The author's writing style sets the atmosphere nicely by not being stingy with detailed descriptions. From the characters' clothing to the fighting scenes-I guess the closest thing to describe it would be that it's cinematic. It's kinda like Corsair's art in words (⌒▽⌒).
4. the humor
You just have to love the dry wit the characters use to tease each other (≧∇≦)ﾉ.
5. it's part of a series
This is apparently a sequel to an earlier published novel, Across a Moonlit Sea, which in turn tells the story of Juliet's parents. It's just 2 books but it also means more to read hohoho. Just hope one of the bookstores I frequent carry it coz it was published way back in 1996.