The King's Daughter
I have said it before and I will say it again, Goodreads needs half stars! I don't really want to give this book three stars but finishing a nearly 500 page book means it was better than two stars. This book is the second of the novels featuring the Thornleigh family. I wasn't head over heels in love with the first novel, but I didn't hate it either. I felt it was a good place to start a series. The second book let me down, big time. Maybe it was because this novel takes place 20 years after the first. Maybe it was because Isabel just isn't Honor. Maybe it was because I had figured out what was going to happen about 100 pages into the book. The blurb on one of the next books talks about Isabel and her future husband Carlos. Another blurb talks about Honor and Richard working for Princess Elizabeth. This makes is pretty obvious, Honor's gunshot doesn't kill her. Richards escapades through various prisons don't kill him. Isabel doesn't get married to Martin. Carlos isn't as bad as he wants us to believe he is. There just wasn't an real sense of mystery to the book.
There was a scene which was described as other reviews as deplorable, disgusting, difficult to stomach, etc. I glanced over the scene. I didn't think it required as much detail as was given. A father watched his jailer go to town on his daughter in exchange for the father's release for prison. I think it's safe to assume the father is going to be pretty upset watching this. The detail used to describe the rape wasn't really necessary to the story. I can see where people were possibly offended by it but I really wasn't. I have definitely read worse. However, as I said, I didn't really think it was necessary.
I did find Kyle's descriptions of the conditions of English prisons to be well done. I especially appreciated the details about gentleman's prison versus everyone else's prison.
I don't think I'm going to continue reading the Thornleigh series right this moment. I have a lot of other books I want to read and frankly, this one just doesn't make me want to continue one in the series right now. I will more than likely come back to the series as some point. If I do pick up the next book it will be because Isabel isn't mentioned as a major player. I just didn't like Isabel. For a person who her peers describe as intelligent, she certainly wasn't. Her decision making was highly questionable and there were various times when common sense seemed to escape her entirely. You're going to trust a Spanish mercenary you just helped escape from prison? Probably not the best idea. You are going to sneak around London prisons unattended? Again, not the best decision. . The whole "you really are your mother's daughter" thing just got to be too much. I didn't think Isabel was much like her mother at all. Honor's motives felt more genuine. Isabel's felt a little selfish, more teen angst driven. It was pretty clear Isabel was a spoiled child. Her solution to a fair amount of her problems was to throw money at it.
