Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss

    “Lucy Derrick is a young woman of good breeding and poor finances. After the death of her beloved father, she is forced to maintain a shabby dignity as the unwanted boarder of her tyrannical uncle, fending off marriage to a local mill owner. But just as she is on the cusp of accepting a life of misery, events take a stunning turn when a handsome stranger—the poet and notorious rake Lord Byron—arrives at her house, stricken by what seems to be a curse, and with a cryptic message for Lucy. Suddenly her unfortunate circumstances are transformed in ways at once astonishing and seemingly impossible.

With the world undergoing an industrial transformation, and with England on the cusp of revolution, Lucy is drawn into a dangerous conspiracy in which her life, and her country’s future, are in the balance. Inexplicably finding herself at the center of cataclysmic events, Lucy is awakened to a world once unknown to her: where magic and mortals collide, and the forces of ancient nature and modern progress are at war for the soul of England . . . and the world. The key to victory may be connected to a cryptic volume whose powers of enchantment are unbounded. Now, challenged by ruthless enemies with ancient powers at their command, Lucy must harness newfound mystical skills to prevent catastrophe and preserve humanity’s future. And enthralled by two exceptional men with designs on her heart, she must master her own desires to claim the destiny she deserves.”

Witches, Fairies, the Luddites and Lord Byron? Oh My!

History, romance, adventure and magic all combine in Regency England in David Liss’ newest novel The Twelfth Enchantment. As a lover of all things Regency, I could not wait to see how the author would combine it’s world of society and manners with the fantastical idea of magic and witches among the Ton. Throw in some Lord Byron to boot and you have a page turner that truly seems to work well together despite being a jumble of genres that often seem to many to count. However beware one must be willing to think freely for this is not a book that follows the rules…suspension of belief is a must.

Lucy Derrick is a charming main character that is well written and realized especially considering the author is male and his protagonist a female. Often in this instance I find the character may not ring true especially with a woman placed in a historical setting but Liss managed to make Lucy not only real but also quite charming and likeable. She is believable both as an abandoned women at the mercy of her Uncle and as a woman on the brink of discovering her own powers as a witch. As the novel progresses she becomes more and more enjoyable as she embarks upon adventure, intrigue and romance.

The supporting characters within The Twelfth Enchantment were also well written and developed including the devilish “bad guys”, loyal friends and of course the handsome suitors. In many instances I found the book reminding me of various past novels such as North and South (Elizabeth Gaskell), Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell and The Discovery of Witches. It was as if there was a bit of each all wrapped into one with The Twelfth Enchantment.

While suspension of belief is required, the novel was both interesting and intriguing on many levels and a well blended version of historical fiction and fantasy for those who enjoy a little more than your average foray into the past. I myself would love to see a sequel later on down the road perhaps?

Until then make sure to follow along on this TLC Book Tour and see what other reviewers think about this book.

Book Giveaway

One lucky reader of Stiletto Storytime will win their very own copy of The Twelfth Enchantment. Giveaway ends midnight EST August 29, 2011. US/Canada addresses only please. The winner will be chosen by random.org and notified by e-mail address.Good Luck to all and Happy Reading!

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