The Prince of Midnight by Laura Kinsale

Narrated by Nicholas Boulton

The Publisher’s Blurb*: They called him the Prince of Midnight – a legendary highwayman, once dashing and dangerous… now a tarnished, forgotten hero, exiled and alone. She sought his fabled skills in the ruins of a French castle – a proud and desperate English beauty, drawn to the myth… but bewildered by the man. Across perilous mountains and tempestuous seas, together they pursued their separate dreams – of vengeance, of passion, of glory reborn… kindling the all-consuming fires of a bold and unexpected love that would set the midnight skies ablaze.

My Take on the Story: I read The Prince of Midnight in ebook first, a few months back, after news of Kinsale going to audio. What a swashbuckling ride! Kinsale’s way with words is incredible – she’s a true artiste with words, weaving a tale that envelops us, and moves us, and enthralls us. It takes place in France and England of 1772, where Leigh Strachan seeks to find the Prince of Midnight to teach her fighting skills so she can seek revenge on the man who ruined her family. The Prince is now broken recluse S. T. Maitland, hiding in the mountains of France, who is inspired to return to his former glory in her defense.

Truly, I found myself hating Leigh, the heroine, for her endless pricking at hero S.T., but that too is the mark of a great author – moving us to feel something, anything about the characters. And S.T. is my favorite hero – wounded, besotted, noble, broken – he’s the beta-alpha, able to defend and protect but bowing to his lady, allowing her to be and do as she wishes. And the Notable Pets! S.T. is an animal whisperer, training a wolf and several horses – he can coax them into doing his wishes at the most subtle of commands, but he cannot find the way into Leigh’s cold, broken heart, not with gentleness or harshness, not with money nor with grand gestures.

My Take on the Narration: Superb. Magnificent. Beyond belief. Nicholas Boulton is a master of not just the English language, but also the small bit of French and Italian sprinkled throughout, and all the various local accents and dialects. His men are manly, or stuffy, or dandy-esque, or gruff; his women, soft spoken, strident, subservient, highborn – but all sounding human and real and breathing. As Brenda said in our Three Gals Talking discussion of The Prince of Midnight, he creates a movie of the book in your head while you listen. When he speaks, you see the French countryside, the north of England, the ballrooms of London; you see S.T.’s paintings, you see his pet wolf Nemo leaping towards you with joy. When he describes a conflagration, you feel its heat. Yes, I think this was one of the most perfect narrations I’ve had the joy to experience. His tone and his pacing match the urgency of the tale in every way. Kinsale and Boulton are one of the best author-narrator combos out there!

*This blurb is from Fantastic Fiction.

Melinda

Narration: A+

Book Content: A-

Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in

Violence: Escalated and maybe graphic violence

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Hedgehog, Inc.

The Prince of Midnight was provided to AudioGals for review by Hedgehog, Inc.