Masks and Shadows

by Stephanie Burgis

The year is 1779, and Carlo Morelli, the most renowned castrato singer in Europe, has been invited as an honored guest to Eszterhaza Palace. With Carlo in Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy's carriage, ride a Prussian spy and one of the most notorious alchemists in the Habsburg Empire. Already at Eszterhaza is Charlotte von Steinbeck, the very proper sister of Prince Nikolaus's mistress. Charlotte has retreated to the countryside to mourn her husband's death. Now, she must overcome the ingrained rules of her society in order to uncover the dangerous secrets lurking within the palace's golden walls. Music, magic, and blackmail mingle in a plot to assassinate the Habsburg Emperor and Empress-a plot that can only be stopped if Carlo and Charlotte can see through the masks worn by everyone they meet.

• ISBN10: 1633881326
• ISBN13: 9781633881327
• Publish Date: 12 April 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 12 March 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Pyr
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 319
• Language: English

Reviews

[Eve1972]

2.5 Stars

I've been stewing on how to rate this one for a bit now. It was good, and kept me interested. It just never WOWED me. First I felt it was a bit too long, and by 75% I was starting to lose interest. Second, there were a ton of different characters and at times it was hard to keep track of who was who. And out of those tons of characters there wasn't a single one that stood out as being particularly engaging.

Still, the time period and setting (backdrop) of the story was interesting. I enjoyed the little details, and court intrigue. The details about the costumes, and the behind the scenes look at the Opera were enjoyable also. And that cover...amazing.

The ending though was a little too much. I found it hard to believe that the widowed sister and the castrato would become lovers. In any case, overall it was an OK read.