Lucy Derrick is a young woman of good breeding and poor finances. After the death of her beloved father, she is forced to maintain a shabby dignity as the unwanted boarder of her tyrannical uncle, fending off marriage to a local mill owner. But just as she is on the cusp of accepting a life of misery, events take a stunning turn when a handsome stranger—the poet and notorious rake Lord Byron—arrives at her house, stricken by what seems to be a curse, and with a cryptic message for Lucy. Suddenly her unfortunate circumstances are transformed in ways at once astonishing and seemingly impossible. With the world undergoing an industrial transformation, and with England on the cusp of revolution, Lucy is drawn into a dangerous conspiracy in which her life, and her country’s future, are in the balance. Inexplicably finding herself at the center of cataclysmic events, Lucy is awakened to a world once unknown to her: where magic and mortals collide, and the forces of ancient nature and modern progress are at war for the soul of England . . . and the world. The key to victory may be connected to a cryptic volume whose powers of enchantment are unbounded. Now, challenged by ruthless enemies with ancient powers at their command, Lucy must harness newfound mystical skills to prevent catastrophe and preserve humanity’s future. And enthralled by two exceptional men with designs on her heart, she must master her own desires to claim the destiny she deserves.
*May Contain Spoilers*
The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss is completely captivating with mesmerizing prose and unexpected surprises. The characters are motivated and mysterious, leaving the reader to wonder exactly who is to be trusted and who is to be beaten. David Liss bases this novel upon history, weaving facts together and sprinkling it with magic.
Lucy is the central character of this novel, with everything depending upon her. At the beginning of the novel, readers see Lucy as a young lady who is out of luck. With one mistake, she was cast out of good graces. Then after her father's death she was sent to live with her Uncle, who despises her. Engaged to be married to a man she does not like, let alone love, readers will sympathetically connect with Lucy. Their hope will blossom as hers does when it's revealed that she has the innate power to conduct magic. Here she finds her saving grace, as magic promises to aid her in her escape to a better life. However, before she can find that, she must 'gather the leaves' as Lord Byron tells her. Lucy isn't sure what is happening around her but the Luddites are destroying mills while machines take away the livelihoods of English citizens and it is she that is called to fight. As Lucy advances in her magic, she becomes a strong, brave, courageous woman who stands tall in the face of danger and death.
Though Lucy is the main character, Lord Byron and Mr. Morrison were also great support. Lord Byron as a character is the reason I picked up this book and added it to my reading list. He's arrogant and lovely and beautiful all while being helpful and manipulative and two-faced. Basically he's a conundrum that creates a lot of fun within the novel. Mr. Morrison is the man who ruined Lucy's reputation, but readers learn there is much more to that story. Jonas Morrison is a fighter for England. He's brave and loving but emotionally scarred. It's always wonderful to find a book that has an exemplary main character as well as fantastic supporting characters, not to mention a superb writing style. Lovers of fantasy, magic, and 'save-the-world' stories will lose themselves in The Twelfth Enchantment.
Rating: 4.5/5 Cups
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