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A review by veronica87
What Remains of Heaven by C.S. Harris
4.0
This series has done several things right from the start. I admit to being no expert on 18th century London (or 18th century anywhere for that matter), but this series has always felt "right" to me in terms of bringing the time period to life, with all of its sights, sounds, and smells. Sometimes very vivid smells. *wink* That said, my investment in this series sky rocketed with the last book (book 4), [b:Where Serpents Sleep|3142581|Where Serpents Sleep (Sebastian St. Cyr, #4)|C.S. Harris|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1389211885s/3142581.jpg|3174048], with the elevation of Hero Jarvis as a character to be reckoned with. Now I love Sebastian as well, and have since book one. He's smart, dashing, dangerous, and sexy but he's needed a woman who could well and truly hold her own against him. For my money, that woman is Hero. So yes, while this series works quite well as a historical mystery, I'm not going to lie...I'm in this for Sebastian and Hero now.
This book picks up roughly two months after book four and finds Sebastian drawn into trying to solve two murders, 30 years apart, at the request of the Archbishop of Canterbury and his own Aunt Henrietta, the Duchess of Claiborne. I love Aunt Henrietta and I wish there was more of her in each book. She's a take-no-prisoners type of woman, a grand dame of high society, and she gives Sebastian the type of advice that he sorely needs to hear even when he doesn't want to hear it. I totally picture Maggie Smith a la the Dowager Duchess from Downton Abbey in my head when I read her parts. But I digress.
In the course of solving the latest murders, Sebastian unwittingly stumbles upon some pretty significant information about his past and his family. It's nothing that will come as a shock to readers as this reveal has been pretty well telegraphed since the first book still, it is interesting to read about Sebastian coming into this knowledge and how it upends his world. Some things are cleared up with the reveal but it also shakes the already fragile relationship between Sebastian and his father, the Earl of Hendon. Along with Sebastian and Hero, this father-son relationship is one I am also strongly rooting for, despite Hendon's wrong choices.
Kat continues to make the odd, but brief, appearance or two but I get the sense that she is going to be in rear view mirror from here on out at least as far as the major story arc goes. I just can't see that her character offers anything to the story, or to Sebastian, that can't be provided by one of the other characters. She does try to encourage the father-son relationship so I give her props for that.
But my most favorite bits were those that dealt with Hero...and with Sebastian trying to deal with Hero, lol. Hero is preoccupied with figuring out just how she is going to deal with some very real consequences stemming from the last book. Because if anyone can find a way, she can. Meanwhile, Sebastian spends his "free" time chasing her down from one London hot spot to another in his efforts to figure out the truth he is sure she is hiding. And all the while, there is the definite sense that while Hero exasperates and frustrates him, and he her, an attraction is growing as well as, perhaps, respect and a better understanding.
He had always thought of her as a formidable, intelligent woman of extraordinary courage and fortitude. But now, standing stiff-backed in the afternoon sunlight streaming in through the garden window, she looked suddenly vulnerable, and maybe a little afraid."
Bring on the next book!
**Re-read it in February 2014 and loved Sebastian and Hero just as much**
This book picks up roughly two months after book four and finds Sebastian drawn into trying to solve two murders, 30 years apart, at the request of the Archbishop of Canterbury and his own Aunt Henrietta, the Duchess of Claiborne. I love Aunt Henrietta and I wish there was more of her in each book. She's a take-no-prisoners type of woman, a grand dame of high society, and she gives Sebastian the type of advice that he sorely needs to hear even when he doesn't want to hear it. I totally picture Maggie Smith a la the Dowager Duchess from Downton Abbey in my head when I read her parts. But I digress.
In the course of solving the latest murders, Sebastian unwittingly stumbles upon some pretty significant information about his past and his family. It's nothing that will come as a shock to readers as this reveal has been pretty well telegraphed since the first book still, it is interesting to read about Sebastian coming into this knowledge and how it upends his world. Some things are cleared up with the reveal but it also shakes the already fragile relationship between Sebastian and his father, the Earl of Hendon. Along with Sebastian and Hero, this father-son relationship is one I am also strongly rooting for, despite Hendon's wrong choices.
Kat continues to make the odd, but brief, appearance or two but I get the sense that she is going to be in rear view mirror from here on out at least as far as the major story arc goes. I just can't see that her character offers anything to the story, or to Sebastian, that can't be provided by one of the other characters. She does try to encourage the father-son relationship so I give her props for that.
But my most favorite bits were those that dealt with Hero...and with Sebastian trying to deal with Hero, lol. Hero is preoccupied with figuring out just how she is going to deal with some very real consequences stemming from the last book. Because if anyone can find a way, she can. Meanwhile, Sebastian spends his "free" time chasing her down from one London hot spot to another in his efforts to figure out the truth he is sure she is hiding. And all the while, there is the definite sense that while Hero exasperates and frustrates him, and he her, an attraction is growing as well as, perhaps, respect and a better understanding.
He had always thought of her as a formidable, intelligent woman of extraordinary courage and fortitude. But now, standing stiff-backed in the afternoon sunlight streaming in through the garden window, she looked suddenly vulnerable, and maybe a little afraid."
Bring on the next book!
**Re-read it in February 2014 and loved Sebastian and Hero just as much**