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Heather Rose Jones
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Daughter of Mystery Kindle Edition

by Heather Rose Jones (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 241 ratings
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Margerit Sovitre did not expect to inherit Baron Saveze’s fortunes—even less his bodyguard, a ruthlessly efficient swordswoman known only as Barbara. Wealth suddenly makes Margerit a highly eligible heiress and buys her the enmity of the new Baron. He had expected to inherit all, and now eyes her fortune with open envy.

Barbara proudly served as the old Baron’s duelist but she had expected his death to make her a free woman. Bitterness turns to determination when she finds herself the only force that stands between Margerit and the new Baron’s greed.

At first Margerit protests the need for Barbara’s services, but soon she cannot imagine sending Barbara away. And Barbara’s duty has become something far more hazardous to her heart than the point of a sword. But greater dangers loom than one man’s hatred—the Prince of Alpennia is ill. Deadly intrigue surrounds the succession and the rituals of divine power known as The Mysteries of the Saints.

Heather Rose Jones debuts with a sweeping story rich in intrigue and the clash of loyalties and love.
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  1. Print length
    264 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    January 14, 2014
  5. File size
    1101 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Heather Rose Jones is the author of the "Skin Singer" stories in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress anthology series, as well as non-fiction publications on topics ranging from biotech, to historic costume, to naming practices. She has a PhD from UC Berkeley in linguistics, specializing in the semantics of Medieval Welsh prepositions, and works as an industrial discrepancy investigator for a major Bay Area pharmaceutical company.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00INAL256
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bella Books (January 14, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 14, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1101 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 241 ratings

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Heather Rose Jones

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
241 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

T. T. Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars Rich, Sumptuous, Beautifully Written Novel of Forbidden Love, Intrigue, Danger!
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2014
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Daughter of Mystery is a rich, stunning and exciting novel of forbidden love, intrigue, suspense and danger set in the fictional country of Alpennia against a backdrop of real historical issues and life in 18th-century Europe. That this is the author's debut novel makes the accomplishment even more thrilling.

There's magic, sacred mysteries, a sword-wielding bodyguard named Barbara and the young woman she is charged to protect. These two protagonists just happen to find scholarly pursuits more pleasurable than the balls, parties and dinners of social and political intrigue that form the daily fabric of a society on the verge of determining royal succession. The plot and the love story, as well as the subplot and the back-story revolve around the disputes inherent in this royal succession. The fabric of this story is woven so intricately and tightly that the measured intrigue of Alpennia's current woes is the perfect counterpoint to the wild abandon that couples our two heroines even as they must pretend to invoke the measured responses--to everything--their stations in society demand.

The two protagonists step gingerly amidst the potential faux pas and gaffes of untested ground as they realize they are falling madly in love with one another. They discover, through a series of misunderstandings, miscommunication and mystique that their love can only go forward once they conquer their individual fears about one another and their chosen, rather than assigned, place in society. It is an altogether lovely, alluring dance of fate and destiny propelled by their uneven social status, their absolute shared love of intellectual pursuits and the blessed and sacred reverence they share for the holy Mysteries they study. But it is the social status that becomes both a bridge and a wall to their desire to live together. Jones's sumptuous storytelling talents are both pioneering and brilliant. The bewitching intersection of magic and sacred texts mirrors gorgeously the same tantalizing matrix of illusions and realities between the two lovers.

I adore the writing talent of Heather Rose Jones; it is at once sublime and down-to-earth in a way one might not expect of the complicated subject matter. It is, amongst other things, a mystery book.

The author takes you on the journey with the two lovers without compromising the privacy of their most intimate moments while still leaving you privy to their innermost thoughts, desires and passions. That alone is quite an accomplishment of subtlety, finesse and masterful artistic impression. If you always must have full descriptive sex scenes in your reading, this book is probably not for you. But for those who want their sacred and profane in a more nuanced and sensual interpretation, read Daughter of Mystery today! There isn't a page you won't want to turn, not a scene you're willing to miss--and many you will want to reread and revisit. And I do mean revisit: I was completely sorry when this book ended because the adventure pulls one in, mesmerizes the senses, fulfills the romantic promise and doesn't let go; the adventure was as real as the five stars this books deserves, and really, five stars aren't enough.
5 people found this helpful
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Dr H. Teph
4.0 out of 5 stars Cute and lovley
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2020
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I really like this one, it is a feel good book, with just enough excitement and complications to avoid being a “pure” romance ... and magic!
I like the alternate world building and the intrigue. The persons are likable and with some exceptions not fixed in alliances and opinions, but are depicted as thinking and scheming people.
It lost a bit of focus and meanders halfway, but then picks up speed and finish exemplary!
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Chris Laning
5.0 out of 5 stars Dramatic, delightful, and witty
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2014
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Daughter of Mystery is a well-plotted, intriguing, and satisfying read. I loved it from the first -- and I was privileged to be one of the beta readers, so I've read it several times, each time seeing things I'd missed before. You would never know this is Heather's first published novel: she practices a well-honed craft with both grace and wit.

It's set in the fictional country of Alpennia, but the backstory is soundly based on real European history and life in the 18th century, and the details ring true. I'm especially fond of the magic, found in the Alpennian world through the intercession of the saints -- it's just that some people have a "talent" for being able to get more results from their prayers to the saints than others. This is very well thought out, and as a bonus, the magical events are breathtakingly beautiful and meaningful.

As a swashbuckling novel, there are the classic inheritance conflicts, mysterious parentage, swordplay, political dangers, dastardly plots, romance, and a manuscript that contains key revelations. The romance is sweet and true, but hardly free from obstacles: it's important to the plot, but there's so much else going on that it's not the only important thing. It's also very discreet, with curtains drawn gracefully over any bedroom scenes.

There is resolution at the end -- no cliffhangers -- but there are dozens of intriguing loose ends that I'm sure will lead to several more books in this delightful world. I've already heard hints of the next one.
13 people found this helpful
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TipsyTenoh
3.0 out of 5 stars It’s entertaining!
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2020
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3 stars usually means dubious outcomes for these books but for this one it’s truly ok! The protagonists are Duty applejack personality meets Logic twilight sparkle personality. It makes the intrigue almost too calculated and the characters almost too competent. Made me more an observer to their lives and story held at a hand’s length away instead of getting connected and immersed. But! I enjoyed it to pass the time and sufficiently entertained! Book 2 seems to have a more interesting start to it and I look forward to continuing it on my off time.
2 people found this helpful
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kaysa
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, light, 'clean' period romance
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2017
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Full of political intrigue, this period romance with a splash of magic is a fun, light read. I was frustrated by the lack of described intimacy, especially noting the back blurb and the cover, but the book was well written and the romance compelling. The characters had good chemistry and tropes employed were reasonably explored.
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Top reviews from other countries

Kate Cudahy
5.0 out of 5 stars A story to treasure
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 5, 2017
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It's quite hard to explain how much I loved this book. Let's just say I'd already bought the sequel before finishing Daughter of Mystery simply because I knew I’d be paying another visit to Alpennia shortly.
The novel is an exquisitely crafted romance, deftly paced and with engaging characters, exciting enough to keep you turning the page, cerebral enough to get you thinking deeply about the culture and politics of the world - or rather the country - which Heather Rose Jones has created.
Set in an imaginary central European state at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the narrative pivots around the actions of two young women brought together by the stipulations of an old aristocrat’s will. The rules of social hierarchy seem an insurmountable barrier to their love, and yet Margarit – an ingénue and burfro or bourgeois – finds herself struggling to understand the feelings she develops for her armin or private duellist. The novel also explores by proxy the way in which women of this period were denied anything approaching a meaningful education or intellectual fulfilment and stimulation, forced into culturally ordained roles which proved restrictive and demeaning.
The fantasy element of this novel is fascinating. The working of miracles and invocation of saints carry beyond the realm of the mystical in Alpennian society, having a tangible impact on the everyday lives, the politics and the traditions of the nation. Margarit’s abilities as a vidator, capable both of perceiving and working miracles brings risk as much as privilege. In pursuing her scholarly interests, she finds herself plunged into a world of deceit and intrigue which threatens to destroy her and those she loves.
The world building is superlative – I never felt that I was being spoon-fed when I read this novel. The author fleshes out sufficient space for the reader to make sense of Alpennia as both a reflection of 19th century Europe and its ‘other’ – a realm of fantasy in which our awareness of religion and history might be turned on its head. The prose style both challenged and entertained, and I found myself unable to stop turning the pages as the narrative reached its climax. Which means I’m going to have to give it another read to pick up on anything I might have missed. But first I’m off to read The Mystic Marriage – part two of the Alpennia series.
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Simona Bertozzi
5.0 out of 5 stars A very nice surprise
Reviewed in Italy on December 28, 2015
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Another author in her blog recommended this book, and I was not disappointed.

It's my first time reading fantasy with a historical, believable setting and I absolutely loved it. I loved seeing all the social customs at play, the proper manners, the unsaid rules that control and limit the actions of the two main characters (I almost had the feeling I was being schooled in proper manners along with Margerit, at times). Little details like this really make the difference in creating a believable setting where the reader can immerse himself.

Another part I loved are the mysteries, which I think are the real focus of the story (more, sometimes, than the actual romance between the two main characters) and give a magical flavour to this world. An original take on the usual prayers and hymns you hear in church, indeed! And I quite understand the risk for them to be mistaken with sorcery, although the times for witches burnt at the stake should be long past.

The political intrigue is also another subplot that was very interesting to me, and I was slightly disappointed to see it resolved in such a quick way at the end (although I understand it couldn't have been done differently, since the two main characters are not politically influent): the resolution though was pretty satisfying, and I hope to see more of the royal court in the following books.

I am very happy that the author is expanding the Alpennia setting with multiple books, and I can't wait to read what happens next!
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Sara L Uckelman
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect combination of love and intrigue
Reviewed in Germany on February 23, 2014
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A sweet and unusual love story, an alternate history where theology adheres to the laws of logic and of magic, an undercurrent of mystery and intrigue -- I could hardly put it down. Can't wait for the next Alpennian novel to be available!
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Amazon-Kunde
2.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, but could have been better.
Reviewed in Germany on May 18, 2017
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The set-up was nice, but there was too much telling and too little showing for my taste. This created distance between the reader and the characters and the story felt rushed.
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Helen
4.0 out of 5 stars Regency-esque lesbian romance set in a fictional European country and ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 29, 2015
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Regency-esque lesbian romance set in a fictional European country and filled with inheritance-related intrigue and mystic ritual. Thoroughly enjoyable, my only complaint is that the romance is treated with too light a touch in places. This isn't quite Ellen Kushner's Riverside books but then nothing else is.
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