The duke and the duchess of Dunwoody, Robert and Maggie,
are in attendance for the coronation of James II. Maggie
is the illegitimate daughter of the new monarch, and
after many difficult situations, the Dunwoodys have been
somewhat accepted at court. In addition to the problems
the duke and the duchess experience because they are Catholic, the couple
and
their baby face a terrifying threat: smallpox is rampant
and Robert has fallen ill. Frantic at the prospect of
losing her husband, then their beloved child, Maggie is
ready to do anything...
THE DEVILS'S MASQUERADE is the third instalment in the
astonishing Royal Pains series, and it picks up
exactly where book 2 left off. Having read and loved the
two previous books, I wondered if a new reader to the
series would have problems following. I believe Ms. Mason
provides enough background so that a reader will not be
lost; however reading the two previous books would be
helpful, specifically when it comes to Robert and
Maggie's passionate relationship, Robert's sexual
proclivities, and the various, and oftentimes complex,
relationships of all sorts mentioned in THE DEVIL'S
MASQUERADE.
Ms. Mason's painstaking research ensures the authenticity
of everything historical, be it the characters, the
settings, the clothes, and the political turmoil of the
era; the author really puts the historical in
historical erotica, and the erotica part is as well-
researched and captivating as the political goings-on.
And it is seriously erotic, make no bones about it, but
never gratuitous, as it is intrinsic to Robert's
character. THE DEVIL'S MASQUERADE is as much a historical
fresco of the political events of the era, particularly
as regards Scots and Catholics, as well as the story of a
fierce love between two strong-willed people who defy
conventions.
Nina Mason is a supremely talented writer: her prose is
elegant, lush, and eloquent; the characters are
exceptionally well-defined; and the sex scenes are
intense, unbelievably sensual, and never gratuitous. And
most of all, the compelling political story that is as
much the basis of THE DEVIL'S MASQUERADE as is the
complex relationship between Maggie and Robert, will keep
you enthralled. THE DEVIL'S MASQUERADE is yet another
exciting book in the sumptuous Royal Pains saga.
The year is now 1685 and Maggie’s father has just been
crowned King of Great Britain, but that doesn’t mean trouble
is over for the Duke and Duchess of Dunwoody. Rather than
cool the flames of hatred between Papists and Protestants,
the coronation of a Catholic monarch has only added
accelerant to the already raging blaze. Two-faced devils
lurk in every corner of the royal court, as do diseases with
the power to kill and maim.
When Robert falls prey to the smallpox virus, it looks as
though Maggie will lose the two people most precious to
her—her beloved husband and their only child—the son she
bore three months before after five years of heartbreaking
miscarriages and stillbirths. The one person in London who
can help save her son demands a steep price in exchange her
services.
Will Maggie trade Robert’s hard-won fidelity to save her
only child…or offer the apothecary an even more scandalous
alternative?
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