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Oct. 15th, 2009 11:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skygiantsI have a new one for my list of top favorite Heyers! The Talisman Ring may come only second to Cotillion as Heyer Novel That Has Brought Me Most Delight. Well, okay, maybe it is also tied with Spring Muslin. Anyway, it is HYSTERICAL, and does exactly what I love best, which is spend a lot of time poking loving fun at ridiculous gothic tropes!
The plot: Eustacie, a beautiful young French girl rescued from the Terror (all right, in a thoroughly legitimate fashion three years before anything actually started happening, but SHE MIGHT HAVE GONE TO THE GUILLOTINE, OKAY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DRAMATIC) is fleeing an arranged marriage with a Thoroughly Unromantic Older Cousin(he UTTERLY REFUSED to ride at breakneck pace to her deathbed! Because he thinks she is quite unlikely to die!) when she runs into . . . her LONG-LOST COUSIN LUDOVIC, the RIGHTFUL HEIR, who has BEEN FALSELY ACCUSED OF MURDER over a MYSTERIOUS TALISMAN RING and has now BECOME A SMUGGLER!
Eustacie and Ludovic promptly launch into a series of very romantic schemes to prove his innocence, while Eustacie's long-suffering ex-fiance/cousin Tristram tries to keep Ludovic from getting picked up by the police or accidentally murdered in an excess of drama. He has the very excellent help of Sarah Thorne, BEST CHARACTER EVER, who wanders into the middle of all the drama while accompanying her brother around England, decides this is the most utterly hilarious series of events she has ever encountered, and convinces her brother to stay so she can help out and assist with project Help Ludovic Not Get Himself Killed!
There is so much hilarity and genre-mockery in this book, guys. Favorite parts include:
Discovering the Real Villain
EUSTACIE: Of course, how could I not see it before! Of course [villain] is the villain! It makes perfect sense, because he wears a silly hat and I do not at all like him.
SARAH: A silly hat, you say? Well, I suppose in that case I am perfectly happy to have him as the villain instead of Sir Tristram, who, alas, really isn't sinister enough to qualify.
Genius Plans
SARAH: What in the world made Ludovic think it would be a brilliant idea to become a smuggler?
TRISTRAM: Probably the same kind of brilliant idea that made Eustacie decide to run away from home in the middle of the night to become a governess. Oh, well, I'd better go look for the ancient talisman hidden behind the secret panel, and did I mention that I hate my life right now?
A Cunning Ruse
SARAH: *dramatically* I was sneaking out . . . TO SEE SIR TRISTRAM!
SARAH'S BROTHER: Why on earth would you sneak out to see Tristram? It would be much better if you just had him meet you here.
TRISTRAM: *deadpan* Ah, but the star-lit sky, the balmy night breeze.
SARAH'S BROTHER: It's February. The breeze isn't balmy at all!
How Kind
LUDOVIC: While you were out, I had to hide from the Bow Street Runners by borrowing your clothes to cross-dress as a maid! It was a genius plan!
SARAH: Ah. Yes. I can see that by the way one of my gowns is completely split across the shoulder seams and the room is completely overpowered by the expensive French perfume you spilled.
[later, after Sarah and Ludovic have traded rooms thanks to the spilled perfume]
SARAH: So, you are saying that the villain is likely to sneak into the room to try to murder Ludovic in his sleep?
EUSTACIE: YES I AM SO AFRAID FOR HIM
SARAH: I might point out that he thinks my room is Ludovic's room.
EUSTACIE: So if he breaks into the room to try to murder Ludovic, Ludovic won't be there! :D :D :D That's wonderful!
SARAH: . . . I don't think it's wonderful!
TRAAAAAAAAAP
VILLAIN: So, Tristram, I will be away from home all day tomorrow! Also, my servants all have holiday. Also, the window to the room with the secret panel has a broken latch. Bye!
TRISTRAM: It is kind of embarrassing how stupid he thinks I am that I would actually fall for this.
LUDOVIC: All the servants away, you say? And a broken latch? AWESOME! :D :D :D I WILL RIDE OFF STRAIGHTAWAY!
TRISTRAM AND SARAH: *HEAD* *DESK*
Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
areyoumymemmy for pointing out that this was an excellent Heyer and should be moved up my list! My current Heyer rankings go I think as follows:
Cotillion
The Talisman Ring and Sprig Muslin (tied!)
The Corinthian
The Unknown Ajax
Sylvester
The Masqueraders
The Grand Sophy
Venetia
Regency Buck
The plot: Eustacie, a beautiful young French girl rescued from the Terror (all right, in a thoroughly legitimate fashion three years before anything actually started happening, but SHE MIGHT HAVE GONE TO THE GUILLOTINE, OKAY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DRAMATIC) is fleeing an arranged marriage with a Thoroughly Unromantic Older Cousin(he UTTERLY REFUSED to ride at breakneck pace to her deathbed! Because he thinks she is quite unlikely to die!) when she runs into . . . her LONG-LOST COUSIN LUDOVIC, the RIGHTFUL HEIR, who has BEEN FALSELY ACCUSED OF MURDER over a MYSTERIOUS TALISMAN RING and has now BECOME A SMUGGLER!
Eustacie and Ludovic promptly launch into a series of very romantic schemes to prove his innocence, while Eustacie's long-suffering ex-fiance/cousin Tristram tries to keep Ludovic from getting picked up by the police or accidentally murdered in an excess of drama. He has the very excellent help of Sarah Thorne, BEST CHARACTER EVER, who wanders into the middle of all the drama while accompanying her brother around England, decides this is the most utterly hilarious series of events she has ever encountered, and convinces her brother to stay so she can help out and assist with project Help Ludovic Not Get Himself Killed!
There is so much hilarity and genre-mockery in this book, guys. Favorite parts include:
Discovering the Real Villain
EUSTACIE: Of course, how could I not see it before! Of course [villain] is the villain! It makes perfect sense, because he wears a silly hat and I do not at all like him.
SARAH: A silly hat, you say? Well, I suppose in that case I am perfectly happy to have him as the villain instead of Sir Tristram, who, alas, really isn't sinister enough to qualify.
Genius Plans
SARAH: What in the world made Ludovic think it would be a brilliant idea to become a smuggler?
TRISTRAM: Probably the same kind of brilliant idea that made Eustacie decide to run away from home in the middle of the night to become a governess. Oh, well, I'd better go look for the ancient talisman hidden behind the secret panel, and did I mention that I hate my life right now?
A Cunning Ruse
SARAH: *dramatically* I was sneaking out . . . TO SEE SIR TRISTRAM!
SARAH'S BROTHER: Why on earth would you sneak out to see Tristram? It would be much better if you just had him meet you here.
TRISTRAM: *deadpan* Ah, but the star-lit sky, the balmy night breeze.
SARAH'S BROTHER: It's February. The breeze isn't balmy at all!
How Kind
LUDOVIC: While you were out, I had to hide from the Bow Street Runners by borrowing your clothes to cross-dress as a maid! It was a genius plan!
SARAH: Ah. Yes. I can see that by the way one of my gowns is completely split across the shoulder seams and the room is completely overpowered by the expensive French perfume you spilled.
[later, after Sarah and Ludovic have traded rooms thanks to the spilled perfume]
SARAH: So, you are saying that the villain is likely to sneak into the room to try to murder Ludovic in his sleep?
EUSTACIE: YES I AM SO AFRAID FOR HIM
SARAH: I might point out that he thinks my room is Ludovic's room.
EUSTACIE: So if he breaks into the room to try to murder Ludovic, Ludovic won't be there! :D :D :D That's wonderful!
SARAH: . . . I don't think it's wonderful!
TRAAAAAAAAAP
VILLAIN: So, Tristram, I will be away from home all day tomorrow! Also, my servants all have holiday. Also, the window to the room with the secret panel has a broken latch. Bye!
TRISTRAM: It is kind of embarrassing how stupid he thinks I am that I would actually fall for this.
LUDOVIC: All the servants away, you say? And a broken latch? AWESOME! :D :D :D I WILL RIDE OFF STRAIGHTAWAY!
TRISTRAM AND SARAH: *HEAD* *DESK*
Thanks to
areyoumymemmy for pointing out that this was an excellent Heyer and should be moved up my list! My current Heyer rankings go I think as follows:Cotillion
The Talisman Ring and Sprig Muslin (tied!)
The Corinthian
The Unknown Ajax
Sylvester
The Masqueraders
The Grand Sophy
Venetia
Regency Buck
