House of Shadows

I love stories in which the author can pick up threads from different timelines and weave them into a brilliant story.House of Shadows is partly truth and mostly fiction, beginning with Elizabeth and Frederick, the King and Queen of Bohemia, but not for long. Their reign only lasted a year and Elizabeth became known as the Winter Queen.The crux of the story concerns relics of the Order of the Rosy Cross, in particular a crystal mirror and an enormous pearl. When used in tandem, they exerted a powerful force. These relics survived into the present age and became significant to Holly Ansell who is searching for her missing brother at Ashdown Park, the remains of Ashdown House which was built for Elizabeth of Bohemia.111

Didn't realize I had read this years ago. Still a page turner. Excellent writing, and character and plot development. Recommend.

There are places in England where the veil between past and present is gossamer-thin, and in Nicola Cornick’s skilfully-wrought romantic thriller House of Shadows, the past springs alive in a glorious tale of three women and one grand house. Fans of Victoria Holt, Susan Howatch and Katherine Neville will love the strong and compelling women—Holly, Lavinia and Elizabeth, The Winter Queen—who shape the story with their passionate voices and compelling personalities. Woven throughout the narrative echoes a fourth voice; that of a grand house and its beautiful landscape, drawing the reader into a world both as a vivid and wistful as England herself on a misty summer’s morn.In true time-slip tradition, the thread weaves together their relationships over the centuries – modern day England, a 19th century mistress and a 17th century queen and her courtier. And in each case, the talisman of a precious jewel and a mysterious mirror brings an ominous twist of suspense and doom to the heroines. Against a backdrop of fine historical detail, these women travel towards their destiny, while the house itself waits for them in the shadows.Each of these women has a counterpoint in the men they have loved, lost and loved again, and the theme that echoes through the centuries is one of courage to make difficult choices, and the rewards of independence. These are women we can all relate to—they love passionately, make mistakes, and have strengths and weaknesses that bring life to every page. Their lovers are not mere shadows either; each of the men who enter their lives is a personality with his own charisma and flaws, and the resulting partnerships are multi-faceted and unpredictable.When I was reading House of Shadows I was often startled to look up and find myself in my own world, for the story is completely immersive. And when I was finished, I found myself thinking of the characters long after I had put the book down. A gorgeous novel, and a book I will keep close to hand to re-read when I feel the urge to escape to another world.

Liked the storyline and characters, though at times it languished and I wanted it to get a move along. Still deserving of four stars with a satisfactory conclusion.

I enjoyed the historical parts of the book. The present day story was rubbish, but overall a fast, entertaining read.

I loved the 3 story lines woven together with such perfection. Lavinia was my absolute favorite! There was some channeling of Jane Austen satire in her diary entries. I can picture a young Helena Bonham Carter portraying her in a movie (very A Room With A View). I think Lavinia was hilarious and needs her own book! I’m looking forward to reading more from Ms Cornick!

If you like mixing your history with romance this book is for you. I've never knew about the Winter Queen and her King, so this was a new storyline for me to devour. It took me forever to read the book as I continued to reference check all the historical names and places; but it was interesting to say the least. I hope the Queen found love again after her husband death and for our present day couple I'm glad it worked out for them too.

I enjoy romantic stories, historical fiction, mysteries, and stories with a bit of the supernatural. This book has all of the above. A modern day mystery/romance intermingled with the 17th century story of Elizabeth, the Winter Queen, and a cursed mirror and pearl. Found myself reading late at night, needing to find out what was happening next.

Just discovered this author. Really good.

This author has not yet disappointed me.The story differs from her usual genre in that it is more than romance. Mystery and magic play an important part in the story which intertwines three different time periods along with their respective romances. I can recommend the paperback which added substance to the story!

I really enjoy Nicola Cornick's writing and have done since I first read The Phantom Tree last year. Nicola writes historical time slip novels and House of Shadows lives up to this.In present day, Holly is flying towards Oxford following a frantic call from her young niece who informs her that her dad, Holly's brother Ben has gone missing. When Ben doesn't show up in the first 24 hours Holly decides to stick around. But sticking around means she's drawn into the story of Lavinia a 17th century 'whore' and her mysterious memoir, then there's the creepy mirror and its links to the knights of the Rosy Cross a 15th century order of soothsayers. And then there's the new love interest who comes along too, making Holly act in ways she never thought she would...Meanwhile in 1662 the Winter Queen Elizabeth Stuart is fighting her own feelings for one of her husbands soldiers. William Craven, son of a cloth merchant and not worthy of a Queen. Yet she is inexplicably drawn to him as the crystal mirror and the pearl put her life and those around her on the course of destruction.I love learning about history but I'm not very fond of non-fiction reading, so this was right up my street. I'd actually never heard of the Winter Queen as my penchant has always been for the Tudors and Plantagenets. But now this interest has moved on to the Stuart's as well and I find myself craving more information. Nicola Cornick provides a beautiful story, mingling facts with fiction to weave together an engrossing tale as we jump between past and present. If you like Philippa Gregory or Kate Morton you will be sure to like Nicola Cornick.

A really great read. Intriguing and very evocative of historical atmosphere. Loved it!

Lovely book. Well written and entertaining. I enjoyed it. No more to tell . This was my opinion in a few words.