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    The Emperor's Conspiracy
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    The Emperor's Conspiracy
    Unavailable
    The Emperor's Conspiracy
    Ebook288 pages4 hours

    The Emperor's Conspiracy

    By Michelle Diener

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Set in early nineteenth-century England, this vivid and romantic historical novel goes from the most elegant ballrooms of London to the city’s most tawdry slums, as a spirited young woman helps unravel a plot by Napoleon to bleed England of all its gold.

    Chance led to Charlotte Raven’s transformation from chimney sweep to wealthy, educated noblewoman, but she still walks a delicate tightrope between two worlds, unable to turn her back on the ruthless crime lord who was once her childhood protector.

    When Lord Edward Durnham is tapped to solve the mystery of England’s rapidly disappearing gold, his search leads him to the stews of London, and Charlotte becomes his intriguing guide to the city’s dark, forbidding underworld. But as her involvement brings Charlotte to the attention of men who have no qualms about who they hurt, and as Edward forges a grudging alliance with the dangerous ghosts of Charlotte’s former life, she faces a choice: to continue living in limbo, or to close the door on the past and risk her heart and her happiness on an unpredictable future.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherGallery Books
    Release dateNov 27, 2012
    ISBN9781451684445
    Unavailable
    The Emperor's Conspiracy
    Author

    Michelle Diener

    Michelle Diener has always had a passion for reading and writing. She began writing stories when her parents gave her a typewriter for her twelfth birthday, and she hasn’t stopped since. Born in London and raised in South Africa, she now lives on the west coast of Australia with her husband and two small children.

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    Reviews for The Emperor's Conspiracy

    4/5

    12 ratings9 reviews

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    • 3/5
      The ending- oh the ending!! Why??? Why?? Not even an epilogue?? I'm taking away one star for that alone.

      This is not a romance novel. It is however well paced and action packed. The heroine is torn between the future she can have and the past that will not let her go. As usual the restrictions of Regency England are used as a plot device to put up barriers but in this case it seems a bit contrived- this is a girl who runs freely between the slums of London and the balls of the tons with utter fearlessness, she faces down gangsters and nobility with equal aplomb and in the first chapter itself makes the most shocking revelations about herself to someone who is almost a stranger, yet the prospect of people finding out about her past stops her in her tracks. It's a strange mix.

      The hero strikes me as really cold. In fact most of the men in the book seem less in love with Charlotte than they are with the idea of controlling her. Like I said I don't think this is a romance- the chemistry felt really contrived and the relationships are just a bit too coincidental.
      Also trigger warning about child prostitution and child abuse. There is a lot of it which is handled very casually. It's kind of disturbing. Also stalking. There are more characters watching each other in the novel than there are main characters. If we added up all the people watching they would have no place to hide and watch. While you do want to see where the story goes- and most of the issues are resolved, it feels like this one kind of ran out of steam and someone just thought- oh let's just end it here.
    • 4/5
      My thoughts:
      It started so good..and yes it continued to be that good! :D

      It was a nice mix of historical fiction, suspense, mystery and romance. Charlotte the heroine was no simpering miss of the ton. She used to live in the slum, daughter of a whore, worked as a chimney sweep but was saved by a nice lady and raised as her ward. While still be connected to the underworld. Oh yes I loved that premise at once.

      In this story there is a mystery too. Gold smuggled out of England and a Lord who tries to figure out the plot. A Lord who become the romantic interested of our cool heroine. As he is not one of those silly Men of the ton who wants her dowry and are all talk. And it works, because they do not fall at once, they do not even like each other at once. It's a story that will take time.

      A good mystery, evil guys, flirting and the underworld. Yes that other thing I liked. She has an old friend, Luke who is now a crime boss and it just brought something new and very fresh to it. A woman torn between two worlds, dividing loyalties and a plot that kept it going. It was a book that was hard to put down, easy to read and suddenly I had read it and wanted more.

      Conclusion:
      I truly enjoyed it
    • 2/5
      I guess I shouldn't have expected much since the Ebook was only $3.99 but it was not a bargain. The last 50 pages or so were absorbing but the book was too abrupt in the way it started. The story is sort of like Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series but a student version.
    • 4/5
      One of the first things that struck me with this book was how it never really lets up with the story-telling and action. From one discovery to the next, the story moves at a brisk pace, leading the reader from one scene to the next with hardly a stop in between. I did like this for the most part as I was always eager to find out the next big surprise. Yet, there were times where I felt a bit overwhelmed. At times, so many people were introduced and just chucked into the story that I had to pause and try to remember where they came from. There were some really nice historical details, though, that bumped this story up in my opinion. Using real events for the impetuous to the story gave it some lovely added depth.I did really like the dynamic between Edward and Charlotte. It was intense and very charged, yet sweet at the same time. I felt that Edward appreciated Charlotte for what she really was, a woman of two worlds who felt tied to both. I liked there weren't any of the cliched misunderstandings that a novel like this could have fallen prey to. Charlotte was very up front with her past from the very beginning, warning Edward's sister to the danger her sons were in. She wasn't afraid to expose her secret to accomplish a good deed, neither was she afraid to expose herself to Edward when it needed to be done. I felt that this added a very honest depth to their relationship and set a tone for mutual cooperation and trust. While at times a bit overwhelmed from the sheer forward moment of the story, I felt this was a novel I could get lost in and love. The characters were wonderfully vivid, the historical details set the scene beautifully, and Edward's and Charlotte's relationship made me smile. Overall, a very well written novel set in Regency England. Very recommended.
    • 4/5
      Warning - the ending of this book is very abrupt and doesn't completely resolve the romantic subplot of the story. For the sake of a review I will assume the author intends to bring back the characters in another book. Otherwise I would be annoyed at the ending of this one.

      The mystery part of the novel was done well enough, but the best part of the book are the main characters and their stories (and backstories). Charlotte is a complex heroine who is (thank the lord) mature and worldly although fairly young in years. This is due to her childhood raised in the slums, orphaned and protected by a boy named Luke. Having taken a beating in prison, Luke has grown into a bitter, violent crime lord who is both physically and emotionally damaged. The one soft spot he has is his love for Charlotte, who he protects with a ferocity that sometimes frightens her. Rescued and taken in by a rich lady as an adolescent, Charlotte strives to keep a foot in both worlds, trying to remain loyal to Luke while attempting to please her guardian and friend, Lady Howe.

      Unlike so many heroines of historical novels these days, Charlotte is not impulsive or silly, and if she believes something needs to be done she doesn't wait around for a man to take care of it, but takes action herself; not impulsively but with careful thought and planning. And I also loved the character of Luke, but then I have a soft spot for damaged anti-heroes.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      The cover of the novel I have reads, "Diener has set a standard for what good historical fiction ought to be." - Luxury Reading; If this is what GOOD historical fiction is, I want nothing to do with it. This novel was lackluster at best. I'd even describe it as severely underwhelming.

      The idea of the story is great, but that's about as far as I can go with a complement. The execution was lacking and haphazard, the language painfully simple. Although I'm not sure what the suggested audience is, I wouldn't give it to anyone above an 8th grade reading level. Some of the content, however, would require a slightly more mature audience.

      Many areas of the plot seemed forced, although it at least followed a logical progression. Unfortunately, it all seemed too easy. The conspiracy was too easily explained and forgotten about, with tempers turned on one person instead of an entire country. The actions of Lord Durnham also bother me from time to time. I would expect Charlotte Raven (don't even get me started on the name) to not follow all the social protocols of polite society, but she did, for the most part, to a "T". Lord Durnham however, who was raised in England's high society even though he avoided it whenever possible, is the one who breaks social protocol... in PUBLIC for EVERYONE to see. That is unheard of and completely far-fetched, if I do say so myself.

      In short, I would not recommend this book, not even as a beach read.
    • 4/5
      The Emperor’s Conspiracy is a fast moving story heavy on the intrigue and history- with a splash of romantic feeling between Charlotte and Edward. It’s nicely intertwined with the twisty plot that doesn’t neatly fold itself into a particular genre, but straddles several – historical fiction, mystery, a tipple of romance. Charlotte Raven is a particularly appealing character because she doesn’t escape the hardship that would have been face by those who lived in poverty. She’s adopted around the age of twelve, and though she has the appearance of a gentlewoman she is burdened by the horrors of her past, the life she narrowly escaped and the friends left behind who weren’t so lucky. With feet planted firmly in both worlds she navigates the restrictions of her privileged lifestyle and the watchful eye of Luke, a man who still longs for the relationship they shared as younger adults.

      Diener based her plot on real life Napoleonic conspiracies to topple the English government, and her novel gives every evidence of careful research. I’ll cop to not always knowing what was going on. It is quite detailed, clever and most of all, enjoyable. Recommended.
    • 4/5
      THE EMPEROR'S CONSPIRACY was an enjoyable read filled with mystery, a touch of romance, and rich historical details about London life at the dawn of the 19th century. From the memorable opening chapter to the unexpected ending, the story kept me engaged.England's gold is disappearing fast, and Lord Edward Durnham is assigned to find out who is behind it before the economy suffers. It takes the help of a very unique young woman to put the pieces of the mystery together.I loved the heroine Charlotte Raven. She is not your typical lady of the ton. Not many members of high society spent their childhood as an impoverished chimney sweep like Charlotte. Though rescued by a generous and wealthy woman, she's kept her connections with the seedy side of London. She can't forget her roots, and does what she can to help others. Her ability to blend into both worlds becomes invaluable to Edward's search for answers.One person in particular is not happy about Charlotte's involvement with Edward - crime lord Luke Bracken. Luke was Charlotte's protector during her years in the stews, and he wants nothing more than to have her again. I have to say, I was rooting for Luke. He had such a rough life, and what happened to him was heartbreaking.THE EMPEROR'S CONSPIRACY was a well-written historical mystery, dark at times, but always entertaining. The ending was left somewhat open-ended, so I'm wondering if the author has plans for a sequel? I hope so! I give it 4-stars! Review copy courtesy of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.
    • 5/5
      *Huge sigh of satisfaction* This is THAT book, the one where history melts into the background, the writing disappears and players emerge spitting character and bold love so that... I sigh.Charlotte - Charlie - is a great character. She's headstrong and intelligent. Her guardian/savior is the sweetest, smartest lady. It's a household of two great brains with different kinds of strength and I loved seeing the strong women.Charlie's childhood friend, the crime lord, is so dark and mysterious and powerful. I loved the dirty grit of the streets and the society that pulsed beneath the city. There's no fluffy cuteness about it... it's as real as poverty. Edward Durnham really doesn't have much of a chance of participating in Charlie's life or in this story, but he's stubborn and persistent and won't take "stay away" as an answer. He causes more trouble than he helps, sometimes, blundering where he doesn't belong. But his heart has been awoken and he understands Charlie in ways no one else can. I love his view of her and their romance is delicate and fresh.I could hug the pacing... this book is hard to put down. It flies by. I might have been frustrated only because it ended and I could have continued reading their story for a long time.My Rating: 5 - I need this book in my library so I can reread it often!! (I rec'd my ARC from Edelweiss.) I love a story that doesn't center around romance, but yet has some... a story that has so much tangible history, but doesn't clobber me with it... a mystery that I can't second-guess and is not overbearing. This is one of my favorite books this year.Like this, Like that... I was reminded a little of Soulless, Alanna, & Crown Duel. There's a bit of mystery and smart players, a great thief and underworld, but also a play-acting society where appearances rule. I loved the smart new combination of some of my favorite elements!