Lord of Ice

Rating:
Summary: Astonishing!!
Review: I have not even finished Lord of Ice and I am absolutely captivated. I don't even care if it has a bad ending because so far Gaelen Foley has brought Damien and Miranda's characters with a breath of life. I feel as I am right in the novel. I have been reading one romance novel after the other and I was about to go back to general fiction until I started reading Lord of Ice. I think this book deserves the highest of ratings and I don't give easily. To the others who did not give 5 stars... I won't comment.

Rating:
Summary: Gaelen Foley does it again!
Review: I knew I liked this author after reading The Duke, but this seals it. Fast paced and engaging, Lord of Ice really pulls you in. I couldn't put it down. As in all romance stories, you know that Damien and Miranda will end up together, but watching them get there is truly fun in this story. Ms. Foley ties her books and characters together well, and you will enjoy seeing Bel, Richard, Lucien and Alice again. If you haven't read her prior books, you won't miss a beat, though. But, you will want to read them! I also really enjoyed the epilogue - usually I am left hanging at the end of these novels, but this one gives a nice, satisfying ending. My only criticism is the graphic nature of some of the love scenes. I'm not offended, I'm just not sure they're needed and I have found myself leaning toward authors that are less explicit rather than more. Won't stop me from reading Ms. Foley's next, though....

Rating:
Summary: This is a great book
Review: I loved both Lord of Fire and Lord of Ice! These are the first 2 books I have read of Foley's. I am going to go back and read the other 4. I really hope she follows up and writes Jacinda and possibly Blades story??? And I hope she writes it soon.

Rating:
Summary: I should have read this sooner
Review: I purchased this book almost a year ago, and after reading 'Lord of Fire' I decided to take a break from Ms. Foley's 'Knight Miscellany' because I found 'Lord of Fire' to be a bit tedious. Well, I shouldn't have waited because 'Lord of Ice' was very good.
Damien is a great hero, complex, tortured and reluctant to fall in love. Suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome from his military exploits, he's withdrawn from society to live a quiet life. Until his friend dies, making Damien legal guarding of Miranda Fitshubert. While Damien isn't overjoyed at the prospect of taking on a young girl, he's totally unprepared when he finds Miranda to be an attractive, and very lovely young woman. Miranda turns out to be just what Damien needs, in addition to being independent, smart, and resourceful. To say more about the plot would give away some of the best parts of the book. These characters have great chemistry, and I am not eager to read Ms. Foley's next book.

Rating:
Summary: I should have read this sooner
Review: I purchased this book almost a year ago, and after reading 'Lord of Fire' I decided to take a break from Ms. Foley's 'Knight Miscellany' because I found 'Lord of Fire' to be a bit tedious. Well, I shouldn't have waited because 'Lord of Ice' was very good.
Damien is a great hero, complex, tortured and reluctant to fall in love. Suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome from his military exploits, he's withdrawn from society to live a quiet life. Until his friend dies, making Damien legal guarding of Miranda Fitshubert. While Damien isn't overjoyed at the prospect of taking on a young girl, he's totally unprepared when he finds Miranda to be an attractive, and very lovely young woman. Miranda turns out to be just what Damien needs, in addition to being independent, smart, and resourceful. To say more about the plot would give away some of the best parts of the book. These characters have great chemistry, and I am not eager to read Ms. Foley's next book.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner
Review: I was a bit dissapointed by Lord of Fire, Lucien's story, but after finishing Lord of Ice I have since long forgotten that dissapointment and cannot wait for the next book on the lovely Knight family.

Damien Knight has recently returned from six years of fighting Napoleon on the continent. His bravery in the battlefield has made him into a legend and even gained him an earldom. In spite of all this Damien is very unhappy. Damien is tortured by his memories of the war and has even experienced flashbacks that have caused him to think he's losing his mind. Thinking himself dangerous he removes himself from society. He is living in isolation at his country estate when he finds out one of his fellow officers and a good friend has been murdered. Damien has been named the guardian of the officer's young niece. Damien travels to the school where his young ward is to meet her. He arrives rather late and ends up watching a group of traveling performers which includes a young beauty that he simply cannot resist. He decides he must have her and waits for her after the performance to proposition her. The young beauty is of course his ward Miranda but Damien won't find this out until much later. Even if this book had been terrible (which it isn't) I would've still given it 5 stars just on the basis of that first meeting alone. The dialogue sparkles and Damien is absolutely adorable when he propositions the beauteous "Mrs. White". She finds the strength to resist his advances but Damien can't stop thinking about her. When he finds out who she is he vows to stay away from her no matter what. He would've succeeded except that Miranda has sensed the darkness that haunts Damien and knows just how much he needs to be loved. The road to a happy ending is filled with obstacles for these two including a villain that wants Miranda dead.

This is a wonderful story that left me smiling long after I turned the last page. An added bonus is the appearance of Robert and Bel from The Duke and of course Damien's twin Lucien and his wife Alice from Lord of Fire. A bigger bonus is the little hints that Foley drops throughout the story about the other Knight siblings and who they might be paired with. I found the introduction of the mysterious gang leader Billy Blade very intriguing. It looks like he will be paired with Lady Jacinda and I for one cannot wait for that particular story.
This is a great read. If you're a fan of Foley you will not be dissapointed and if you're new to her I suggest start with The Duke to get the full story of the wonderful Knight siblings!
Another keeper from Ms Foley! :)

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I'm surprised that this book has not received the full 5 stars which it richly deserves.

I have read all 3 of Gaelen Foley's Knight Series and liked this one the best. I loved Lord of Fire and thought the character of Lucien was brilliantly portrayed. The storyline too was captivating. However, the charachter of Alice, to me, was a little flat and didn't match the vibrancy of Lucien. Of course the fact was that Lucien needed a "good" woman to save him from himself - but still I found Alice rather dull compared with Miranda in Lord of Ice and to me characters play a larger part in the success of the book than the storyline.

What really captivated me about Lord of Ice was the true to life quality of both Miranda and Damien which makes the story real and very poignant. Damien is a battle-scarred war hero going through serious post-war mental stress. I think Gaelen has successfully combined passion, great strength and abject vulnerability in this character so while you admire him you also feel very sorry for him. You can find many Damiens among most modern war veterans I think. Miranda on the otherhand is exuberant and vibrant with a passion for life and a strength ot face up to it - a perfect foil for Damien. She is one of the most endearing and facinating heriones in any romance novel I ever read.

Finally comparing Damien with Lucien - I fell for Damien completely - and not just because of the picture on the cover!!! While Lucien is quicksilver, Damien is all still smoldering passion. This may not be the popular opinion of those who've read both books - but I always liked the strong silent type anyway!!!

Well done Gaelen! Looking forward to the next Knight story on Jacinda and (could it be ?) Billy Blade!! Such a promising read!!

Rating:
Summary: 3 & 1/2 stars is more accurate
Review: In some ways I liked this one better than Lord of Fire; in other ways I liked LoF better. Foley has improved some in her errors & use of modern language in a period setting. There is still some of that, but much less. However, she makes other historical mistakes that pull the reader out of the story. "Silent Night" has already been mentioned. In addition, the phrase "mad as a March hare," while popular in the 1800s predates this story a bit.

Damien is not as complex as Lucien (LoF) but Miranda is a livelier heroine than Alice. The difficulty with this book is its uneven character; some parts were excellent while others were slow or less than engaging. The ending, especially Napoleon's return & Waterloo, felt rushed. Damien's war career is so central to this book that such a significant event deserved more attention.

So, some good stuff, but flawed.

Rating:
Summary: LORD OF ICE thaws but fizzles out towards the end
Review: In tandem with the release of LORD OF FIRE, Gaelen Foley ushers Damien Knight in as her most brooding hero ever with LORD OF ICE after introducing his twin Lucien in FIRE. A gallant celebrated hero on the exterior, Damien hides the psychological trauma that the carnage has inflicted upon him well. Only Lucien knows about his mental breakdown. When his comrade-in-arm, Major Jason Sherbrooke died after an apparent burglary ruled foul play, his niece Miranda FitzHubert is entrusted to Damien as her guardian. His first meeting with the unexpectedly gorgeous and spirited Miranda was at the Pavilion where she stole out from the Yardley School to sing for the folks. He is immensely attracted to her beauty without knowing who she was then. The meeting turns fortuitous when some bandits waylaid Miranda. Damien rescues her and it is there she witness him manipulated by the savagery within himself.
His chivalry charms Miranda even more when he dealt with the abusive school master and launches her into society. Damien is determined to fight off the attraction as he hunts for suitable marriage proposals for Miranda. He deceives himself even with his heart aching for Miranda for fear that his treacherous illness may harm her. Yet their love triumphs over. However, a hidden danger lurks when Damien discovers the sabotage and attacks on Miranda is planned'
LORD OF ICE could have been Ms. Foley's most dazzling masterpiece to date if not for the poor editing and ridiculous epilogue that is jarring and incoherent. The piece de resistance spiced with intrigue, murder and warfare is bolstered by the poignant romance between Damien as the scarred hero and Miranda who heals and transforms him. It is regally atmospheric with rich historical tapestry on England's high classes and ghoulish in its scope on holocaust in Waterloo waged by Napoleon.
The mystery ends with an unlikely saviour. As if to give the historical part a conclusive chapter, Ms. Foley engages the characters into the French battle where a historical note would suffice. LORD OF ICE starts off with such terrific characterization and high intrigue that it is guaranteed an icebreaker but the book stretches incredulously towards the epilogue to submerge as a sinker.

Rating:
Summary: It's hard to believe but Gaelen Foley has outdone herself!
Review: It's hard to believe but this book is *almost* even better than Lord of Fire. Damien and Miranda's story had me hooked from page one. A must read!