The Duke Of Shadows
Meredith Duran
Pocket, Apr 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 9781416567035
In 1857 her parents died in the shipwreck that Emmaline Martin was fortunate to survive. Although grieving she continues the journey to Delhi, India to meet up with her fiancé Marcus. He not only proves arrogant and snooty, he betrays her as the sepoy native soldiers revolt against the British. Half native and English heir Julian Sinclair saves her life bringing her to safety in the independent desert city Sheened, but they are separated when he follows his duty back to Delhi to negotiate a peace between the warring parties. When he returns to Sheened, she is gone; he can not find her so he sadly assumes she died. Shortly afterward Julian goes to England as a duke.
In 1861, paintings of India become the rage of London. Julian is ecstatic to find the artist is Emma as he never forgot her from their brief moments together. As they finish what they had no time to peruse in India, falling in love, someone tries to kill his Emma. Julian risks his life to keep her safe as he will not allow anyone ever again to split them apart.
Though somewhat typical of the Victorian romance, fans of the sub-genre will appreciate THE DUKE OF SHADOWS as two honorable individuals, outcasts in many ways, fall in love. Especially refreshing is the India sequence as readers observe the Anglo-native interactions. Emma and Julian turn Meredith Duran’s historical into an entertaining read.
Harriet Klausner
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