Set in Victorian times, My Lady of Sapphires is the tale of a young woman named Suzanne Thatcher who is rescued from her life in a pottery factory to be the muse for Anthony, a rakish young artist. What Anthony does not initially realise, however, is that Suzanne is actually a young man who ran away from his family to live the life he has always craved . . . that of a woman. Once he discovers this secret, Anthony is more determined than ever to establish Suzanne as both a proper lady, and his wife.
Although I adored Suzanne, particularly the way she was presented as a fully realised woman (not some boy in drag), all of her development is previous to the story. She has already escaped, transformed, and established herself as a woman before we ever meet her. As for Anthony, his character definitely had potential, but everything about his presentation is awkward and confusing, almost as if the author didn't know who Anthony really was.
I must say, however, that the writing of this book is of a much higher calibre than I would have expected. A clear effort was made to match the style to the Victorian plot/setting, and (for the most part) it worked. The opening few pages, especially, were very well done. While the style weakened a bit towards the end, I certainly applaud the effort.
Not the greatest story ever told, but worth a quick read.
♥
Thank you very much for reading and reviewing this book. I can only apologize that it took me this long to discover that the review had been written. I appreciate (and concur on!) the weaknesses of this story. As always, I hope to improve in the future.
ReplyDeleteThank you again for your time and interest. If you would care to review other stories from the "My Lady..." series, I would be happy to provide you with review copies.
Hi, hon . . . delighted you could stop by!
ReplyDeleteI must say that, in hindsight, I have a deeper appreciation for how you presented Suzanne. As much as I enjoy sharing in the transformation experience, that’s a personal bias (fetish even). There is something wonderfully unique and positive in your presentation. It really sets an expectation by establishing her as being fully-realised, as opposed to just another character in transition.
I would absolutely love to give the rest of the series a read. Thanks so much for the offer.
I'll be rustling up an ebook version of the first book in this series, My Lady of Diamonds, and sending it along to you. Future books are planned, and I'll certainly keep you in the loop as they are published.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed the way I presented Suzanne. As a transman and author, I'm a bit weary of the 'transition story' being the sole example of trans fiction. I write the My Lady series as a tribute to my love and wife, who is also trans. It is encouraging and delightful to know that 'the rest of the story beyond transition' is an engaging topic for my readers.