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A review by veronica87
When Maidens Mourn by C.S. Harris
5.0
Four and a half stars
Time doesn't elapse very quickly between books in this series. I think the eight months between books three and four have been the longest stretch of time so far. This time we're dealing with the shortest time interval as only four days have passed since the end of the last book, an ending that saw Sebastian and Hero facing a new, scary, and exciting future.
The murder victim this time is/was a good friend of Hero's so it's a given that she and Sebastian will investigate. Whether or not they do it together, however, is the question. The feelings between Sebastian and Hero are deepening and I am loving seeing them both slowly realize it. It's a sure bet that neither one would have ever admitted to seeing this coming. But even as deepening emotions start to weave themselves into an already established physical attraction, there is still a certain level of wariness between them. No one knows better than Hero about the animosity that exists between Sebastian and her father, Lord Jarvis. One gets the feeling that Jarvis is just waiting for the right opportunity to crush Sebastian once and for all and Hero finds herself caught between these two important men in her life. Jarvis casts a long shadow in this fledgling relationship and whether or not it can survive divided loyalties is something that neither Sebastian or Hero can easily answer.
"He wanted to tell her she was also a part of why he intended to be careful,that he'd realized how important she was to him even as he'd felt himself losing her without ever having actually made her his."
It seems obvious to me however, that Hero has brought a sense of peace and happiness to Sebastian's life - or at least his home life - that has been sorely missing. I love his habit of coming upon Hero unawares and just taking a few moments to watch her doing ordinary things, as if it amazes him. Just lovely. And the ending, again, leaves me excited to see what comes next.
The mystery itself pulls on various Arthurian legends as well as the usual issues of the (then) current political landscape. Once again, I think things get a bit murky in the middle but it all evens out in the end. And if I'm honest, it doesn't bother me because the main draw here for me is just seeing how the various characters interact with each other. It's the human drama that makes me invest. The rest is just nice window dressing. And since I am wholly invested in seeing the relationships between Sebastian and Hero, and Sebastian and Hendon, evolve...I am in for the long haul.
Time doesn't elapse very quickly between books in this series. I think the eight months between books three and four have been the longest stretch of time so far. This time we're dealing with the shortest time interval as only four days have passed since the end of the last book, an ending that saw Sebastian and Hero facing a new, scary, and exciting future.
The murder victim this time is/was a good friend of Hero's so it's a given that she and Sebastian will investigate. Whether or not they do it together, however, is the question. The feelings between Sebastian and Hero are deepening and I am loving seeing them both slowly realize it. It's a sure bet that neither one would have ever admitted to seeing this coming. But even as deepening emotions start to weave themselves into an already established physical attraction, there is still a certain level of wariness between them. No one knows better than Hero about the animosity that exists between Sebastian and her father, Lord Jarvis. One gets the feeling that Jarvis is just waiting for the right opportunity to crush Sebastian once and for all and Hero finds herself caught between these two important men in her life. Jarvis casts a long shadow in this fledgling relationship and whether or not it can survive divided loyalties is something that neither Sebastian or Hero can easily answer.
"He wanted to tell her she was also a part of why he intended to be careful,that he'd realized how important she was to him even as he'd felt himself losing her without ever having actually made her his."
It seems obvious to me however, that Hero has brought a sense of peace and happiness to Sebastian's life - or at least his home life - that has been sorely missing. I love his habit of coming upon Hero unawares and just taking a few moments to watch her doing ordinary things, as if it amazes him. Just lovely. And the ending, again, leaves me excited to see what comes next.
The mystery itself pulls on various Arthurian legends as well as the usual issues of the (then) current political landscape. Once again, I think things get a bit murky in the middle but it all evens out in the end. And if I'm honest, it doesn't bother me because the main draw here for me is just seeing how the various characters interact with each other. It's the human drama that makes me invest. The rest is just nice window dressing. And since I am wholly invested in seeing the relationships between Sebastian and Hero, and Sebastian and Hendon, evolve...I am in for the long haul.