“A queen who trusts no one is as foolish
as a queen who trusts everyone”
-Daenerys Targaryen
1/10/2018 0 Comments The Glass of Time: Book ReviewNineteen year old Esperanza, an orphan, living with her guardian Madame de l’Orme and her old friend, Basil Thornhaugh, Esperanza’s tutor lands an interview to become the personal maid of Lady Emily Duport, the widowed Baroness Tansor. The newspaper advertisement orchestrated by her guardian, was the first of many deceptions Cox’s characters lay upon each other. Fortunately Esperanza known as Alice in the newspaper advertisement, is offered the position as Lady Tansor’s personal maid. This was one of the many steps in what her guardians called “The Great Task”, a plot so thickly layed out that they can’t disclose it’s terms to her. During her time serving the Tansor family, Alice(Esperanza), is recognized as far too cultured and perceptive to be a Lady’s maid. She soon catches the eyes of both Tansor sons, Perseus, the heir to the to Evenwood and to the title of baron, and Randolph the more easy going brother. Esperanza also develops a strong relationship with Lady Tansor, who is still mourning her poet lover, Phoebus Daunt, who was murdered by his estranged friend Edward Glyver more than twenty years ago. Michael Cox’s Glass of Time conveys a story about an uncommon friendship between two women, an unrequited love, as well as a web of intrigue and deception . “The Great Task” is slowly revealed to Esperanza when her guardians reveal that she is actually the heir to Evenwood. Through a story involving murder, deception, and betrayal Esperanza's father was stripped of his title as Baron Tansor. The documentation proving this was destroyed by Lady Tansor and her lover. In an unfortunate series of events, Esperanza’s father ends up murdering the lover. Esperanza realizes that she is working at Evenwood to find evidence of her father’s title. She is also part of a greater plan to reinstate her family title. As explained by Madam De l’Orme, Esperanza is to marry the heir to Evenwood who is Perseus so that her title as baroness of Tansor will be restored. Esperanza finally realizes that she is a pawn in a much larger game that spans generations. When you travel alongside Esperanza to the gorgeous estate of Evenwood in England, you feel as if you are transported into something quite similar to a Disney film. That is until the real dirt is exposed leaving the once pristine landscape littered with secrets and lies. Cox’s word choice makes you feel as if you are there, standing right beside Esperanza during every waking moment of fear and deceit as if the whole world is actually toppling down before your eyes. I became engulfed in Esperanza’s suffering and passion, and most of all I shared her burning curiosity about "The Great Task". Why had her guardians sent her to the Evenwood Estate, and specifically why the Tansor family? After this is revealed, the tension in the book increases. Lady Tansor discovers the true identity of Esperanza and then it becomes a battle of wills, wit, and intellect. Michael Cox reveals “the Great task” in such a way that I was captivated until the last page. The secrets were dark and ran deep. The plot was complicated, but I remained engaged and intrigued. His use of Victorian english was easy to navigate and I felt transported to that era every time I picked up the book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
February 2018
Categories |