The Distant Kingdom by Daphne Wright

Left penniless upon the death of her mother, Perdita Whitney’s future takes an unexpected turn for the better when she joins her father Edward in India. Edward’s business is based on the opium trade, and while it is a distasteful business it is also quite lucrative. At twenty-six Perdita is pretty much on the shelf marriage wise, but she receives a very unexpected proposal from Marcus Blagdon, the new Earl of Beaminster. Marcus is a considerate husband, but not a passionate one. They get along well enough and Perdita begins to come out of her shell and shine on her own merit, and now that she’s shining a lot more she’s also attracting the attentions of American Charles Byrd who has quite a reputation as a ladies man.

The story moves to Afghanistan after the British occupation, and once things are *secure* the military wives, including Perdita join their husbands – although the political situation isn’t quite as stable as everyone thought…

I won’t go further so as not to spoil for those not familiar with this bit of history but those who are know there is quite a nail biter when the British withdraw from the occupied territory. I did enjoy this, but it doesn’t quite come up to Emma Drummond’s Beyond all Frontiers, nor MM Kaye’s fabulous The Far Pavilions, but does fairly well as a fix for the British Raj addicts like myself. I didn’t warm up to Perdita, nor buy into the big love story, and those geared more towards romance will be a bit disappointed in the ending. I do give kudos to the author for running a merry chase on the big betrayal promised on the book jacket – I did not see that coming at all. 3.5/5 stars.

Forget the Glory by Emma Drummond

Tags

crimean war, Egypt, india

“In that December of 1853 his reputation as one of the most valiant officers in the service of Queen Victoria was undeniable, but in the breasts of his fellows burnt the secret desire to see the regimental daredevil brought to his knees. In the breasts of the fair sex burnt the same desire, except that they wished him to be brought to only one knee-at their feet, declaring his unquenchable passionate devotion.”

   And that my friends, is Captain Rowan DeMayne, the hero of this story.  Having disgraced himself over an unsuitable female and cast out by his family Rowan joins the 43rd Light Dragoons in the backwaters of India where they see little action, although they can march quite prettily in their full dress uniforms. The other half of this story is that of Mary Clarke, born and raised in the barracks and doomed to spend her life as the wife of a foot soldier – and if he dies she must immediately marry another – and there is never a way out of that life. Or is there?

The 43rd is called to Crimea to the aid of the fallen Light Brigade and as they begin the long journey there Mary gets the opportunity to “get a leg up” in life when she’s offered the job of personal maid to Rowan’s vapid  beautiful wife.  The 43rd makes an incredible journey as they travel across India, oversea to Egypt, then to Alexandria to set sail once again to reach the Crimea.

On the surface that might sound a tad bit boring, but trust me it’s not. Rowan carries some serious emotional baggage and Mary may be the only one who can heal them. Their verbal battles were a lot of fun to watch as the tension heated up between them. You’ll get to see the difficulties of moving a large troop of soldiers and their horses across land and sea – let alone how dangerous a ship full of terrified horses during a storm at sea can be. You will feel as parched and dirty as the soldiers did as they march across the barren desert, and heartbreak at the suffering of their fellow soldiers during the savage Russian winter. As for the final days before the seige of Sebastopol is finally over? Terrifying.

“What had it all been for, they asked themselves. Why had thousands died by sword, sickness and extremes of weather? For what reason had boys agonized and been sundered only yesterday?…There was no victory, no glory in this! Why had they come?”

Yes, war is hell. Another unputdownable book from Emma Drummond, and she will keep you on pins and needles until the very very last page. I really liked using Mary’s character to show the disparity between *classes* of the common foot soldier and their wives and the officers – well done.  Drummond also writes under the name Elizabeth Darrell and the same book can be found under both author names. Not sure why, but I love the exotic Eastern settings she uses and I will be hunting down more of her books in the very near future.

FTC? Library.

Beyond all Frontiers by Emma Drummond

Tags

Afghanistan, british raj, East India Company, Kabul

“Our sepoys are trained to behave like English soldiers, but the blood of India runs through their veins, and the history of past centuries shapes their actions when feelings run high. Fools forget that.”

Yes, they do. Charlotte Scott is summoned to join her parents in India with the express purpose of putting her on the marriage market. A bit on the mousey side, Charlotte is very different from her mother (a renowned beauty and socialite), and has been over educated by the spinster aunt who raised her – she would rather talk politics with her father and volunteer at the soldier’s hospital than wear pretty dresses and go to balls. Surprisingly, Charlotte’s intelligence and spirit capture the attention of the most wanted bachelor in India, Richard Lingarde, but she’s still mooning over adventurer Colley Dupres – although he carries a secret that shatters her comfortable world and sends her running for the safety of Richard’s arms.

“…but the lowly peasant who drives the camels and cuts grass for the horses has no such sworn bond. He does it in order to live. When his livelihood is threatened is he a traitor to wish to join his own countrymen?”

Uncomfortable with the tensions between the Brits and the natives, Richard had hoped to resign his commission and return home, but his courtship of Charlotte delayed him long enough that he’s forced to stay with his outfit as they march north to install a ruler in Afghanistan sympathetic to the East India Company – although the Afghans are perfectly happy with the ruler they have. The women travel part of the way with them and on the way something very very bad happens that shatters Richard’s illusions and set him on a dark path of self-destruction. Despite being most definitely not wanted by her husband (no spoilers, that’s on the jacket), Charlotte joins the other wives when Kabul is deemed safe for women and children by the idiots officials in charge, although Afghanistan is still seething with treachery and revolt.

I absolutely loved this book and frankly couldn’t put it down (glad I had a rainy Saturday without much else to do). Drummond does a good job showing us the social mores and customs of 19C British society, as well as the Afghan *situation* – the retreat from Kabul through the Khyber pass in the full grip of winter was terrifying and will have you on pins and needles until the very end. Sniff, wish there was a sequel, I want more. Highly recommended for those who can’t get enough of India and the British Raj, and there are more Emma Drummond books in my immediate reading future. 4.5/5 stars.

FTC, library loot.

The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye

Tags

british raj, historical fiction, india

I can’t believe I waited 25+ years to read this again!  Oh well, the first copy I had I loaned out and never got back. I would give this 10 stars if I could, I had forgotten how good this book was. Thank you Amazon, for recommending books and Listmania — so many wonderful books I would never have found or rediscovered without you! A truly wonderful story of star-crossed lovers, treachery, intrigue, heroism, honor and bigotry. The author has a great feel and understanding of India under the British Raj. The story of Ash and Juli (Anjuli) was incredible. I could literally feel Ash’s pain while he had to sit through watching Juli be married to the evil Maharajah.

The first 2/3 of the book deal with Ash and Julie’s early lives together, culminating in the rescue of Juli from being Suttee with her sister. Those pages have to be some of the most heart stopping, page turning, sit on the edge of your seat excitement that I have ever come across in a book (and I have read a few).

The last portion of the book gets away from Ash and Juli (although they are together) and slows down to tell the story of the British incursions into Afghanistan (sp?)and the resultant disaster of setting up a British mission in Kabul. Ash is still prominent as a “spy” for the guides, in the disguise of a native of the country, but while still a good read, the story takes on a different character from the first portions of the book.

I resolve never to loan this book out again so that I won’t lose it, and to keep it on my “to be read again and again” shelf throughout the years. Highly recommended.

As a side note, if you are searching for a book for a younger teen to read, this is a good choice. The few scenes between Ash and Juli that were sexual in nature were left mostly to one’s imagination. This author is capable of building her scenes without graphic play by play bodice ripping.  It’s a door stopper, but well worth the effort.

The Veil of Illusion: A Novel ~ Rebecca Ryman

A Worthy sequel to Olivia and Jai, although it’s heavier on the history and lighter on the romance

The Veil of Illusion begins about 13 years after the Sepoy Rebellion and the massacre at Bibighar when Jai Raventhorne was accused of participating in and presumably hanged (or was he?) for his crimes. Olivia mourns her beloved Jai (this is not a spoiler, it’s on the book jacket) and she has struggled over the years to prove his innocence. Their children Amos and Maya bear the burdens of mixed parentage and stigma of their father’s alleged heinous activities. Maya meets and falls in love with a high born Englishman, Christian Pendlebury, much to the chagrin of his parents newly arrived from England. Also involved in Maya and Amos’ life is the mysterious Eurasian Kyle Hawkesworth who prints a local paper and also has a very hidden agenda (and a BIG secret) in respects to Christian’s father Lord Jasper.

This is a story that is very difficult to put into words, and is very different from Olivia and Jai. There are no star crossed lovers that keep you turning the page well into the night waiting for the next surprise, the first half of the book is actually taken up with setting up the story and providing the flash backs into what happened prior to the Mutiny.

What this book is about is the plight of the Eurasians in colonial India, whether they are poor and base born or independently wealthy as the Raventhorne’s are. Not accepted by either the British community or the Indians, theirs is a life lived in constant shadow and insecurity. The author uses several interesting methods with her characters to keep this theme at the forefront of her story, from Olivia’s support of a home for women, to Amos and Kyle’s interest in setting up a school for the lesser born Eurasian children, Christopher’s idealistic dreams of what he can accomplish during his public service in India, and the most heartbreaking of all when Maya is rejected by a member of an Indian family she’s known since childhood.

As stated earlier, this is not a romance with star crossed lovers and a HEA ending for all, and if that’s what you are expecting I recommend you stop and just savor the ending from Olivia and Jai and keep that in your memories forever. However, if like me you need to read the rest of the story and enjoy a novel heavy on the history and setting of 19C India and the British Raj along with an eye opening look at the prejudices of the time against the Eurasian population it’s well worth your time searching this one out. Ryman was born and raised in India and her knowledge and love of the culture shine through making for a well written and well rounded journey to another place and time, and isn’t that what historical fiction is all about?

Shalimar by Rebecca Ryman

History, Mystery, Espionage and Love in late 19C India

Shalimar begins in 1890 shortly after the death of Emma Wyncliffe’s father, who was found frozen on a glacier high in the Himalayas during an archeological expedition that went tragically awry. The Wyncliffe’s are left with little funds and Emma’s brother David in the throes of gambling bets and loses the family home to the mysterious Damien Granville. For reasons of his own, Damien offers to void the gambling debt if Emma will marry him and live at Shalimar, his estate in the Vale of Kashmir.

As Emma tries to reconcile herself to a loveless marriage, mystery and intrigue take center stage as many players unfold in an international chase between Great Britain, Russia and China as they play the Great Game to unlock the secret to the long hidden Yasmina Pass, as whoever holds access to the pass holds the key to control of the unclaimed regions that sit in the center of the borders of India, Russia and China. Emma unknowingly holds the key to it all (or does she?), and who is the mysterious Armenian slave Ivana that all players in the game are desperate to find at all costs?

No one (except Emma of course) is who or what they appear to be on the surface and the author keeps the reader guessing with plentiful twists, turns and big surprises all the way until the very last pages. This was a top notch novel of mystery and intrigue and I found it very difficult to put down, especially the last 100 or so pages. The author’s knowledge of India and its culture shines through, and I especially loved the gorgeous glimpses of the Himalayas and Kashmir Valley. Just a warning, if you’re expecting a love story on a scale of Ryman’s fabulous Olivia and Jai you will probably be very disappointed. However, if you want a novel filled with abundant history, mystery, treachery and intrigue that keeps you on your seat until the end I’d say go for it if you can find a copy used at a reasonable price.

Shadow of the Moon by M.M. Kaye

Star crossed lovers, the British Raj & India, what more can you want in a book?

This was just an amazing book. Once the author set up her characters and story line things just cooked along — be prepared for the last 200 pages, because you will not surface for air until it’s done! We have Winter, a wealthy heiress born and orphaned in India and sent to England to be raised by mostly uncaring relatives(except for the great-grandfather). When her great-grandfather dies, she is sent at the age of 17 to join her fiancee under the care of Alex Randall, who unbeknownst to her is now a debauched, obese drunk. Alex does try to tell her, but she maintains her childhood image of her “hero” and will not listen, to her great regret.

Lots of trials and tribulations as our hero and heroine travel back to India, the meeting and marriage to Conway and the Sepoy rebellion, and vividly portrayed by an author who has a great knowledge and love of the country and it’s history. This is not only a story of two lovers, but one of stubborn, bigoted officials hiding their heads in the sand, treachery, intrigue and the brutal way in which the rebellion played out against the British, even shocking some of their own people. As with The Far Pavilions, it is shocking to see after 150 years not much of life and politics has changed in the Far East, nor should the Europeans (or Americans now for that matter) be interfering in their life, culture and religion.

Highly recommended for any lover of historical fiction, India, or just a darn good book. This would make an awesome mini series, the sequences from the attack on the British and Alex and Winter’s escape are just breathtaking. As a side note for those loooking for well written books for younger readers, this should be a good choice. Originally written in the 50’s, the love scenes are quite chaste. Just be prepared for some gory, though accurate, portrayal of the violence aginst the British (including women and children) during the rebellion.

If you enjoy this book, I would also recommend Zemindar. The same topic, the Sepoy rebellion, and beautifully written. The author’s prose was gorgeous, very reminiscent of Charlotte Bronte.

Olivia and Jai by Rebecca Ryman

A fabulous tale of star crossed lovers in 19C India

The story begins in Calcutta in 1848 as Olivia O’Rourke arrives from California to spend time with her mother’s sister, Lady Bridget Templewood. Used to the freer life she shared with her father, Olivia chafes under the rigid morals of British Society, but then she accidentally meets a man reviled by her family, Jai Ravenstone. Jai is a Eurasian with a mysterious past who against all odds built up a successful shipping empire.

Despite her family’s hatred of Jai and his attempts at destroying her uncle’s competing shipping business, Olivia cannot overcome her overwhelming attraction to Jai and sees him at every opportunity, even though Jai himself warns her of the dangers of involvement with him. Just when it seems Olivia and Jai may be able to surmount the problems of his past and find love, Jai’s obsession with destroying the Templeton’s takes him on a path that utterly destroys Olivia’s love for him and sends her on a path of building her own business ventures to enact her revenge against Jai.

This was a wonderful tale of love and revenge that will have you reading well into the wee hours of the morning, by page 250 or so I literally didn’t come up for air until I finished it. There are many twists and turns and quite shocking surprises that will have you guessing and turning the pages until the very end. It’s not quite up to the standards of The Far Pavilions, but for those seeking a well spun yarn set in 19C India during the British Raj this is one worth checking out. Five Stars.

Zemindar by Valerie Fitzgerald

I just had to sit back and say WOW!! at the end of this book

This was just outstanding,and I am sorry there was never a sequel and very sorry this author never wrote again. An incredible tale of Laura the poor relation on a journey to India with her newly married cousin Emily and her husband Charles (who Laura thought herself in love with). The book really has a Jane Eyre feel to it, neither the heroine or hero are out and out drop dead good looking, just strong, honorable people we come to care about.

As they travel through India on the way to Lucknow in northern India we meet many characters as the author sets up her stage to the Sepoy rebellion and the seige of Lucknow. Also introduced is Charles’ half brother Oliver Erskine, a Zemindar, or large land holder. Eventually Oliver and Laura fall in love, and are separated at Lucknow (after a harrowing escape from Oliver’s estate after the rebellion). Oh, when Oliver said to Laura, “I will come back to you, for you”.

The rest of the book follows the harrowing conditions at the residency at Lucknow during the seige, the battles, deaths and brutal conditions suffered by the British. Be warned that this was a very brutal rebellion and some of the scenes described, although accurate, can be a bit gory, but important history to be reminded of and the mistakes that were made by ignorant pompous officials and the brutalities committed on both sides due to hate, ignorance and prejudice. It’s unfortunate that we do not learn well from history and things are still so much the same in the Middle East in our present time.

The thing I liked most about this book was the author’s lovely prose and characters. I felt like I was reading Jane Eyre or Villette, she reminded me so much of Charlotte Bronte, particularly at the end with the letters Oliver and Laura exchanged and when they were finally reunited. You definitely want to set aside quiet time(no kids, dogs or phone) for the last 50 or so pages so that you can savor every lovely word and emotion.

Highly highly recommended for any lover of historical fiction, and would suit well to a younger reader as the love scenes are extremely chaste. I would also recommend MM Kaye’s Shadow of the Moon. The same setting, but her characters experienced the rebellion outside of the Residency, so you see a different side of the tale. Both are out of print, but readily available used.