Unraveled by Courtney MilanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a weird situation for me to be in for two reasons:
1) Smite was never the character I’d warmed to or wanted anything to do with;
2) This book here involve Smite in the lead male POV . . . and I liked this specific book best of all in the series.
Smite Turner, of no title, is the middle child – when his brother (Ash), at the tender age of 14, ran off to India to make his fortune, Smite took over as guardian to the youngest brother (Mark). This is not a young adult book nor is there much in the way of flashbacks to younsterdom. I’m not sure if Smite’s age is ever given, though I expect he’s somewhere in his thirties.
At some point between being the son of a mill owner (father), insane religious zealot (mother), and the start of this book, Smite both spent time on the streets of Bristol and time in high class schools (Eton and . . . I believe Oxford). Unlike his eldest brother, or for that matter his youngest, Smite never had a title added to the beginning of his name – neither from being born (you know, inherited titles), nor through other means. Other means include through the court (Ash got to become a Duke by having the children of the present Duke declared illegitimate, and he was the next in line); or there . . what’s the word used? Well, the Queen liked Mark’s book so much she Knighted him. Smite? Didn’t care about those things. He got a law degree and became a magistrate in Bristol.
The book opens with Smite on the bench hearing cases, though the book does not start from his point of view. No, it starts from the point of view of the female lead character. Miranda Darling (I forget her age, I had her in my mind as being 20, but she might be . . . closer to 24). She’s in a wig and dress that alters her appearance and has a fake name. She’s there to perjury herself. It’s not something she wants to do but has to do – as she has an agreement with the ‘Patron’ who is both the criminal head in the poor area of Bristol, and the giver of justice to that area.
Smite, as those who have read the series up to know would have been informed before now, remembers everything. Miranda was in court before now – and Smite recognizes her despite the different name and appearance. He stops her from actually perjuring herself and warns her.
So, as I mentioned in another review for this series, this is a different type of series. The lead male is a law trained judge. He has the blood of titled people (somewhere back in the past), and is the brother of a Duke, though he wasn’t born into the branch that serves as the heir family. Gah, I’m wording that badly. He’s from the business/professional class. And the female lead is from the working class (daughter of actors).
There are no ballrooms visited, no dances, no young girls giggling over ‘the ton’, or watching the ‘dandies’ do stuff. No, there are instead people who work for a living going about their lives. Granted the prior book in this series also had this touch, though there the fella had a title. So this is a different type of historical fiction. At least for those set in Britain in the 19h century (this one takes place . . hmm, 1843 I believe).
Right, so. One thing leads to another and . . . shockingly Miranda becomes Smite’s mistress. That particular branch can get hinted at and/or feared in other books, but rarely actually gets used.
They learn to like each other and stuff. As expected when one of the characters I a mistress and the other is ‘putting her up’ as a mistress, graphic sex occurs.
Rating: 4.5
June 29 2018
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