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sashapasha's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
The second half was much better than the first.
The second half was much better than the first.
jackiehorne's review against another edition
3.0
Poppy and Sebastian make for an amusingly entertaining couple in this 1920's Middle Eastern-set adventure. But there were a few too many logic holes in the plot for my comfort. And I had a hard time believing everyone when they said/thought Poppy was so intelligent; she's constructed far more as the naive, immature, yet winning ingenue than as the girl ready to become a secret spy.
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
Poppy Hammond cannot go through with her wedding. She knows there's something more she should be doing with her life other than being the good little wife and having a bunch of children. So her logical solution is to run away. Luckily she's helped in her escape by the charming curate Sebastian Cantrip. He whisks her away to family in the country where she can let the gossip pages die down a little before reentring London society.
Upon returning to London, Poppy's first order of business is to thank Sebastian for the help that he provided. But when she goes looking for Mr. Cantrip she finds that he's disappeared. Not only that, but it seems Sebastian Cantrip may not be the curate she had assumed him to be. Somehow believing Sebastian may be in danger, Poppy decides to take it upon herself to start a search for him. Her resourcefulness eventually leads her to Damscus where the mystery plot thickens and Poppy begins to wonder just what she's gotten herself into.
Deanna Raybourn continues to delight me with her 1920's adventure stories. In Poppy's adventure we are taken back to Damascus where [b:City of Jasmine|14435190|City of Jasmine|Deanna Raybourn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387395899s/14435190.jpg|20077299] took place. I am also thrilled that Deanna Raybourn continues to tie her books together. Gabriel Starke our hero in City of Jasmine makes an appearance, and we also get mentions of Jude (from [b:A Spear of Summer Grass|16074560|A Spear of Summer Grass|Deanna Raybourn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356914412s/16074560.jpg|19200712]) among others :) I feel it just further enhances the reading experience to find those little tidbits throughout. But having said that, you don't have to read the other books in order to understand the story. Each one stands alone perfectly.
Poppy is a fun heroine and her interactions with Sebastion border on hilarious at times. Poppy may come off as a little naieve but she's dedicated to seeing her adventure through to the end. We are, again, presented with a cast of characters who are never quite what they seem, and it's expected. The real twist is finding out where each character fits and what their true motivations are that is the surprising aspect of the stories.
As in the previous stories, Deanna Raybourn's setting really takes center stage. She's done well with her descriptions of Damascus and its surrounding areas. I can almost smell the food or the flowers. Makes me wish I could live in the 20's and travel abroad.
I cannot wait to see what adventures Deanna Raybourn takes us on next.
*ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Upon returning to London, Poppy's first order of business is to thank Sebastian for the help that he provided. But when she goes looking for Mr. Cantrip she finds that he's disappeared. Not only that, but it seems Sebastian Cantrip may not be the curate she had assumed him to be. Somehow believing Sebastian may be in danger, Poppy decides to take it upon herself to start a search for him. Her resourcefulness eventually leads her to Damscus where the mystery plot thickens and Poppy begins to wonder just what she's gotten herself into.
Deanna Raybourn continues to delight me with her 1920's adventure stories. In Poppy's adventure we are taken back to Damascus where [b:City of Jasmine|14435190|City of Jasmine|Deanna Raybourn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387395899s/14435190.jpg|20077299] took place. I am also thrilled that Deanna Raybourn continues to tie her books together. Gabriel Starke our hero in City of Jasmine makes an appearance, and we also get mentions of Jude (from [b:A Spear of Summer Grass|16074560|A Spear of Summer Grass|Deanna Raybourn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356914412s/16074560.jpg|19200712]) among others :) I feel it just further enhances the reading experience to find those little tidbits throughout. But having said that, you don't have to read the other books in order to understand the story. Each one stands alone perfectly.
Poppy is a fun heroine and her interactions with Sebastion border on hilarious at times. Poppy may come off as a little naieve but she's dedicated to seeing her adventure through to the end. We are, again, presented with a cast of characters who are never quite what they seem, and it's expected. The real twist is finding out where each character fits and what their true motivations are that is the surprising aspect of the stories.
As in the previous stories, Deanna Raybourn's setting really takes center stage. She's done well with her descriptions of Damascus and its surrounding areas. I can almost smell the food or the flowers. Makes me wish I could live in the 20's and travel abroad.
I cannot wait to see what adventures Deanna Raybourn takes us on next.
*ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
livres_de_bloss's review against another edition
5.0
4.5
This was really unique; it was refreshing in its content and was quite enjoyable!
The grand adventure made an excellent story. The characters were a truly unique bunch and I really enjoyed reading about their connection to one another and exploits.
I am really glad I read this!
This was really unique; it was refreshing in its content and was quite enjoyable!
The grand adventure made an excellent story. The characters were a truly unique bunch and I really enjoyed reading about their connection to one another and exploits.
I am really glad I read this!
beastreader's review against another edition
1.0
I am a fan of this author's. While I really miss Lady Julia Grey. I have enjoyed this new path that the author has taken with her last couple of books in the histrocial fiction genre, A Spear of Summer Grass and City of Jasmine. So I was looking forward to read her newwest book, Night of a Thousand Stars. Despite the mention and some reference to Lady Julia Grey, I had a really really hard time wantint to stick with this book. The beginning was fine. Nothing too interesting about the characters but the background/time period was good. I put the book down after about six chapters thinking it was just my current mood. I came back to the book later and thought I would give it another chance. I was hoping that the story and the characters would grab me once Poppy started her grand adventure. This did not happen. In fact, I grew even more bored and finally gave up on this book. I can't even remember a thing about it. Bummer.
kefink's review against another edition
4.0
This book, like everything Deanna Raybourn writes, is just FUN. I’m bummed she doesn’t seem to be making this into a series, though it seems pretty well set up for one.
mamap's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the main character. How fun she is - her sass - and her ability to be so clever and so naive at the same time. Fully entertaining.
Poppy, the daughter of Plum and niece of Aunt Julia and Nicholas Brisbane, runs away from her wedding with the help of a friendly curate, but what and where is she running to? With the help of her maid and an unexpected job, she heads to the middle east to find the missing curate -- and nothing is as it seems.
While I was reading - I suspected everyone and everything so maybe didn't quite have as much fun as I would have if I had just immersed myself in the book - still, an author and a character that I really enjoyed.
Poppy, the daughter of Plum and niece of Aunt Julia and Nicholas Brisbane, runs away from her wedding with the help of a friendly curate, but what and where is she running to? With the help of her maid and an unexpected job, she heads to the middle east to find the missing curate -- and nothing is as it seems.
While I was reading - I suspected everyone and everything so maybe didn't quite have as much fun as I would have if I had just immersed myself in the book - still, an author and a character that I really enjoyed.
lisawreading's review against another edition
4.0
Deanna Raybourn excels at creating strong, sassy heroines with a flair for adventure, who aren't afraid to break from the confines of society's expectations and seize life (and love) whenever they get the chance.
Poppy Hammond certainly fits the bill. After her dramatic exit as a runaway bride, Poppy is restless and yearning, knowing only that she needs more in her life. The nice man who helped her flee the wedding is someone she'd like to at least thank for his efforts, leading to an impulsive escapade in which Poppy winds up in Damascus under an assumed identity... right in the midst of political upheaval, treasure hunters, danger and intrigue. Definitely all the ingredients needed to please a girl seeking adventure!
Sebastian is a heroic leading man, insultingly misunderstood by Poppy to start with, only revealing his true character and capabilities to her over time, as they plunge from one dangerous situation to another, fleeing across deserts, hiding out in old ruins, and evading bad guys with a flair that would put Indiana Jones to shame.
As in City of Jasmine, the Middle East of the 1920s offers just the right combination of beauty, danger, and old-timey espionage thrills to make Night of a Thousand Stars a romantic, exciting adventure story. The politics and history of the region in that tumultuous time are well-explained, but never in a way that's boring or instructional. Instead, the intrigue serves as an exhilarating backdrop to Poppy and Sebastian's growing flirtation and affections, and the two play off each other marvelously, displaying the mingled exasperation and amusement you might encounter in an old movie à la The African Queen.
While Night of a Thousand Stars works as a stand-alone novel, characters from the author's earlier works (City of Jasmine, the Lady Julia books) are referenced. There's no reason that you couldn't enjoy Night on its own, but if you're so inclined, I'd recommend reading City of Jasmine (and its companion novella, Whisper of Jasmine) first.
Overall, I found Night of a Thousand Stars to be a fun, engaging, romantic read. If you're a fan of romantic espionage tales, don't miss it!
Full review posted at Bookshelf Fantasies. Review copy courtesy of NetGalley.
Poppy Hammond certainly fits the bill. After her dramatic exit as a runaway bride, Poppy is restless and yearning, knowing only that she needs more in her life. The nice man who helped her flee the wedding is someone she'd like to at least thank for his efforts, leading to an impulsive escapade in which Poppy winds up in Damascus under an assumed identity... right in the midst of political upheaval, treasure hunters, danger and intrigue. Definitely all the ingredients needed to please a girl seeking adventure!
Sebastian is a heroic leading man, insultingly misunderstood by Poppy to start with, only revealing his true character and capabilities to her over time, as they plunge from one dangerous situation to another, fleeing across deserts, hiding out in old ruins, and evading bad guys with a flair that would put Indiana Jones to shame.
As in City of Jasmine, the Middle East of the 1920s offers just the right combination of beauty, danger, and old-timey espionage thrills to make Night of a Thousand Stars a romantic, exciting adventure story. The politics and history of the region in that tumultuous time are well-explained, but never in a way that's boring or instructional. Instead, the intrigue serves as an exhilarating backdrop to Poppy and Sebastian's growing flirtation and affections, and the two play off each other marvelously, displaying the mingled exasperation and amusement you might encounter in an old movie à la The African Queen.
While Night of a Thousand Stars works as a stand-alone novel, characters from the author's earlier works (City of Jasmine, the Lady Julia books) are referenced. There's no reason that you couldn't enjoy Night on its own, but if you're so inclined, I'd recommend reading City of Jasmine (and its companion novella, Whisper of Jasmine) first.
Overall, I found Night of a Thousand Stars to be a fun, engaging, romantic read. If you're a fan of romantic espionage tales, don't miss it!
Full review posted at Bookshelf Fantasies. Review copy courtesy of NetGalley.
mjwerts's review against another edition
3.0
Despite being a huge fan of the author's Julia Grey series, I have found her 1920s trilogy to be a bit underwhelming.
Set in the same world as City of Jasmine, Night of a Thousand Stars features Poppy Hammond, a rich American-Brit who has set off for Damascus in hopes of coming to the aid of a gentleman who assisted her on the eve of her non-wedding. What follows is an unexpected—but longed for—adventure.
Unlike Raybourn's Victorian-set novels, which teem with intriguing, entertaining, and heartfelt characters, this story squarely centers on Poppy, which means that it lives or dies on her shoulders. And while I found Poppy somewhat interesting, at the same time, she left me frustrated a good deal of the time, especially her complete misunderstanding of her leading man, and a little bored, as there was nothing truly compelling about her. With no other significant characters to lighten the mood, increase the tension, or otherwise shake up the story, the novel simply moves along without much emotion, at least on the side of this reader.
Set in the same world as City of Jasmine, Night of a Thousand Stars features Poppy Hammond, a rich American-Brit who has set off for Damascus in hopes of coming to the aid of a gentleman who assisted her on the eve of her non-wedding. What follows is an unexpected—but longed for—adventure.
Unlike Raybourn's Victorian-set novels, which teem with intriguing, entertaining, and heartfelt characters, this story squarely centers on Poppy, which means that it lives or dies on her shoulders. And while I found Poppy somewhat interesting, at the same time, she left me frustrated a good deal of the time, especially her complete misunderstanding of her leading man, and a little bored, as there was nothing truly compelling about her. With no other significant characters to lighten the mood, increase the tension, or otherwise shake up the story, the novel simply moves along without much emotion, at least on the side of this reader.
hlizmarie's review against another edition
4.0
I've always been a huge fan of Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey series but I never felt motivated to pick up her other work. In this case the description of Poppy and her adventures was too good to resist and It definitely lived up to my expectations. We're introduced to Poppy as she's running away from her own wedding with the help of a dashing curate named Sebastian Fox. She retreats to her estranged father's house questioning who she wants to be now that she isn't going to be a boring society wife. When she goes to thank Sebastian for his help she finds out he's disappeared mysteriously and the name he gave her isn't his real one. She becomes fixated on finding him to repay the debt she owes him and make sure he's not in danger. So, Poppy is off to the Mideast with only her trusted ladies' maid as an ally. Along the way she finds far more adventure and danger than she could have ever imagined and, in the end, she finds herself.
This was so much fun to read. The characters just jump off the page. I fell in love with Poppy from the first few pages and only loved her more by the end. Her chemistry with Sebastian is off the charts and I have to admit I was more than a little impatient for them to act on it although in the end I liked how it was handled. Whether the character was only on a few pages or half the book you could tell they had depth and value. The story itself is completely engaging and moved along really quickly. It was a nice mix of history informing the plot without becoming boring. The highest compliment I can pay is that this makes me want to read the related book City of Jasmine right away.
This was so much fun to read. The characters just jump off the page. I fell in love with Poppy from the first few pages and only loved her more by the end. Her chemistry with Sebastian is off the charts and I have to admit I was more than a little impatient for them to act on it although in the end I liked how it was handled. Whether the character was only on a few pages or half the book you could tell they had depth and value. The story itself is completely engaging and moved along really quickly. It was a nice mix of history informing the plot without becoming boring. The highest compliment I can pay is that this makes me want to read the related book City of Jasmine right away.