She squeezed her eyes briefly shut— please, let the Guardian set me no task tonight —and leaned her weight against the sandstone. Her shoulders brushed rock on either side as she slipped through the narrow opening. The block of stone swung quietly back into place, shutting her in stale darkness. Saliel drew her knife. She gripped it tightly. Saliel heard the rustle of cloth as he moved. Stone grated against stone and faint light leaked into the ancient storage room.
For a moment the man was silhouetted in the doorway—bulky, hooded like an executioner—and then he stepped back to let her pass.
The chamber beyond was vast. Centuries ago it had been used to prepare the dead. Stone tables stood in the centre of the room, grooved and stained, and dark-lipped gutters dissected the floor. A single candle burned. Shadows towered in the corners and swallowed the ceiling. One and Two were already seated. Their heads turned as she entered. Her eyes knew which was which. His posture was relaxed, his voice calm. Did I dance with you? The Admiral had been flushed with alcohol—and something more than that.
The word came to her now. She shivered and drew her cloak more closely to her.
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Saliel looked down at her hands. She clenched her fingers together. The Guardian halted in front of her. Three, speak with her and see what you can find out. His voice was neutral, without inflection. She unclenched her fingers. A simple task, she told herself. It will be all right. Across from her, Two shifted slightly. His tension was tight-shouldered and silent. The folds of his black cloak fell to the floor in sharp lines. Shadows swallowed their cloaked figures.
She looked away and walked to where the Guardian held the heavy stone door open for her. Saliel stepped into the darkness of the storage room. The door closed behind her. His voice held a note of envy. The ancient sewer tunnels were broad and low and as black as pitch. Athan ducked his head and walked with noiseless care, his gloved fingers barely touching the damp stone walls.
Women schooled in the provision of physical pleasure and eager to perform any sexual act a man could desire. Women whose ardor was as legendary as their skill. This was no adventure. It was a dangerous game, where one slip could mean death for himself and his fellow spies, for Three. Corhonase was a guttural language, as different from his native Laurentine as a battle chant from a lullaby. Who are you, my lady? His hood brushed the ceiling. Black wool snagged on the rough stone, and he ducked his head lower.
The man was correct: Still, I wish —. He stayed close to the wall, feeling with his hands. He pulled himself up on the stone ledge and stooped to enter the service tunnel. The passage forked almost immediately. To the left a stone staircase led upward. Athan hunched lower and began to climb the ancient stairs. The walls and ceiling, the stale air, the darkness, crowded him. He counted the steps off in his head, concentrating on the numbers, disliking the cramped space, the tightness and the narrowness. The weight of the Citadel pressed down on him. Fifty steps, and then a hundred. One hundred and fifty.
Each step took him closer to the courtesans, to candlelight and wine and sex. His pace slowed—part weariness, part reluctance. Athan stifled a laugh in his throat. I used to want to visit the salon, and now…. On the contrary, there was keen competition for positions in the salon; the lifestyle was luxurious, decadent even.
Instead, his dreams were of private intimacy and his fantasies were about one woman: Most often he imagined that they met in darkness and he never saw her face. He would undress her slowly and her body would be slim and soft and clean, and not smell of other men. And when he kissed her, her mouth was sweet and innocent, and when they made love, she was never bored. Space opened out ahead of him. The ceiling lifted and the walls pulled back. It was dark still, but he could stand to his full height, could stretch out his arms if he wanted to.
Athan stifled a grunt of relief. The cellars on these lower levels were disused, but caution was an ingrained habit. His life depended on the care he took to avoid detection. And not only his life. He stretched his spine and wished he could forgo the salon tonight. Saliel inhaled the cold air of the catacombs. There was no scent of death or decay. The people who lay entombed here were centuries dead, their bones dry and brittle. Her path took her along twisting passageways and through wide galleries. Here lay the priests and priestesses of a long-dead empire, the warriors and the poets, the nobles and the courtiers.
Sep 15, Kim rated it really liked it Shelves: I really liked Gee's first book, Thief With No Shadow , and read an excellent review of this over at http: To my delight, The Laurentine Spy turned out to be a great escapist read, an imaginary world fantasy with somewhat of a Scarlet Pimpernel feel. It's the story of two spies for the Laurentine Protectorate who are stationed at the Corhonase court: Saliel, a former pickpocket with a secret magical power, I really liked Gee's first book, Thief With No Shadow , and read an excellent review of this over at http: Saliel, a former pickpocket with a secret magical power, and Athan, a Laurentine nobleman.
The two meet with their guardian and a third spy in the Corhonase catacombs, but their identities are obscured; they arrive cloaked, refer to themselves only by number, and speak only in Laurentine, Thus Athan and Saliel don't know each other's names or court identities, though as spies they have a certain bond. But when a dangerous spycatcher comes to court, will all their secrets be revealed? The Laurentine Spy has all the ingredients for a terrific read: I really liked Saliel, who was both a survivor and a competent spy, and Athan, the nobleman with almost too much conscience at times.
I'll admit, Gee has a tendency to write characters who seem reserved and a bit closed-mouthed at times; this makes sense for spies, but at times it seems like things would go much more smoothly if they actually said what they felt. Because events get quite emotional at times, and you know the characters are just stewing in inner turmoil, but they seem to have no outlet.
This is one of those books which makes me long for a sequel, because I have questions about the characters but even more about the world itself. In the first half of the book, we learn quite a bit about the Corhonase court, which seems to be a repressive yet decadent place, but not much about the nature of the country itself. How did the Corhonase Empire and Laurentine Protectorate come to be in conflict?
How did the witch hunts begin? I would also have liked to have the characters' back story revealed at a more leisurely pace, maybe even dramatized or revealed through flashbacks there is one, but could be more. In general, the last pages or so felt a bit rushed, though still enjoyable to read. Jun 14, Fantasy Literature rated it it was amazing. Saliel is in over her head. After foiling an enemy plan to take over another fought-over land, Saliel learns that the Prince and his consort know there are spies in the fortress and have hired a notorious and feared spycatcher.
Saliel and the other spies still have w Saliel is in over her head. Saliel and the other spies still have work to do however, and must stay one step ahead of him in order to accomplish their goal. All the time Saliel must play a part — a part she know she has no business playing — and longs to be back home in Laureant, independent and finally free from playing roles. And free from her past. I could not put down The Laurentine Spy. Nov 15, Felicia rated it liked it Shelves: I really really liked this book.
- The Laurentine Spy by Emily Gee - FictionDB.
- Jouez coeur et gagnez (TERRES FRANCE) (French Edition).
- The Irish Connection;
It was very "Three Musketeers-ish". Very interesting romance and world, and VERY tense. Evocative of the real danger and fear a spy might feel, unusual angle on the genre as spying is always portrayed as more glam. I liked the characters, the world building was a bit vague but none-the-less I enjoyed and would read another book by this author! Oct 05, Kristen rated it it was amazing Shelves: Could barely force myself to put it down once I'd started it. I'm not certain it's appropriate to put this on my historical fiction shelf, because the places in it are all fictional, but the book has the feel of history, and I'm not sure how else to classify it.
It read for me like the best historical fictions books I've loved. The pacing of this book is absolutely superb! The author deftly creates the ebbs and flows of story that carry the reader along almost withou I absolutely LOVED this book!! The author deftly creates the ebbs and flows of story that carry the reader along almost without any effort at all. You become so engrossed in what is happening that the pages seem to turn themselves and you can't stop reading. This is also a factor of the excellent writing, as the author has created a fully realized fictional world, that nevertheless makes perfect sense to the reader.
You do not have to work at all to become immersed in the world of the Laurentine spies and their enemies. As soon as I started reading this, I was there and engaged with these people and their mission. The characters are also easy to become attached to. They are written as fully formed people, with the foibles and history that real people have, so while you can absolutely like them and root for them, they are not perfect, and have their issues too, which somehow makes them even more real for a reader. I especially liked Saliel, who perseveres despite ridiculous odds to do what needs to be done, while trying desperately to retain her own dignity and self-worth.
She was a wonderful character - one of the best I've read in some time! Even the "bad" characters have slight redeeming characteristics, and are presented such that while you don't want them to win, you nevertheless understand the movitations that make them do the things they do. The plot itself held me spellbound the entire way. Every time the book slowed down, I foolishly took a breath and started to relax, and then the story would excitingly ramp up again plunging me back into the drama and intrigues of what was happening, and bringing me to the edge of my seat wondering if things would work out the way I wanted them to.
And that didn't stop until literally the last 30 pages. Right up to the end of the book the author kept the tension going so you flew through those last pages to find out how the characters would end up. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this book. Terrific, well-written, excellently paced easy-reading story with great characters and a historical fiction "feel" if not accurate classification of the book.
Dec 01, Alice Lawrence rated it really liked it. This book offers nothing particularly new to it's genre, instead it is a hug to lovers of fantasy romances with strong leads. It's fun, heart-warming, and a quick page-turner. The Good -The hero and heroine are likeable and believable. I was reading this backstage in rehearsals and very nearly missed my entrance cue. It's the sort of book you stay up to finish. The Bad -There were no dramatic, unpredictable twists- but then again, the book never claimed there would be.
Definitely a book I'll recommend to any one who wants a fun, exciting page turner. Dec 26, Jennie N rated it did not like it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Laurentine Spy was not spying with a hint of romance, but rather romance with a hint of spying. A proper title should be The Laurentine Romance instead, to warn off the unwary reader like me. I expected a convincing villain who would not so easily fooled by the spies.
I had expected the false identities and complex schemes on par with those of The Gentlemen Bastards mistake. I expected the Consort to be a brilliant but layered like the First Lord in the Codex Alera series mistake again. Where was the political trickery and court intrigues? Even though none of these elements were present, at least the romance would be convincing and engaging, right? Athan loves Saliel as the anonymous Three for her mind, and Lady Petra for her physical characteristics. Saliel is his destined soul mate because her mind and her body complement his tastes perfectly.
He spends most of the novel anguishing over her, consumed by a need to protect this woman oh, the damsel-in-distress and her knight, how charming. Do these individuals bond? They suffer silently and are always alone in their thoughts. Their conversations are minimal and only occur if something important like their lives is on the line. Their entire relationship is based upon melodrama. Can he feign illness? Pretend to be unattracted to her? Something more creative and befitting of a spy? If Saliel is a competent spy, then why is she resigned to her dramatic sigh unfortunate fate?
The spying lasts for half the book and then the characters feel self pity for the remainder. The man feels guilt for something he could have tried to avoid, the woman is resigned that she could never have children and live. They both strive for a happy-ever-after, a life away from spying, despite the obvious war brewing between their beloved nations.
This at least was consistent with their selfishness from beginning to end. Their irresponsibility sometimes irked me. Both spies would rather escape rather than finish their mission and consequently maybe even save lives , Athan would rape Lady Petra even though he knew it was wrong, Saliel would shun Athan even though he saved her life.
The Laurentine Spy
Acting in such self interest would not have irritated me so much if there was less angst spewing out of every page. The villain was laughable. I found him quite humorous excuse my weird sense of humour because he was so Evil. We know he is Evil because he has abnormally light irises!
He tortures people and enjoys it! We know the protagonists are Good because they are attractive people! Laurent is a Good nation. Corhana, with its hedonistic nobility, is an Evil and land hungry nation. I can go on, but you get the point. Overall, this novel was a disappointment to me. The plot sounded very exciting, packed with mistaken identities, secret missions, magic and romance. What could be better?
The Laurentine Spy | Book by Emily Gee | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster
Saliel Lady Petra, Three is our heroine, she has decided to become a spy to escape her troubled past and earn enough money to start a new life. Athan Lord Ivo, One comes from a privileged past and has decided to become a spy mainly out of boredom. As spies they only know each other by their numbers. I think Percy ended up winning that contest. In the city of Corhonase it is VERY common for the noble men to visit the courtesan salon fancy name for whore house.
Lord Ivo would have to visit the courtesans to try and gather information about the Corhonaseans. Another annoyance was the fact that the husbands could visit the prostitutes and enjoy themselves, but the wives were made to hate sex. A pretty big double standard if you ask me. Needless to say, I was relieved when they finally left the citadel and were on the run. Calling this a fantasy novel is a bit of a stretch. Saliel has a little magic in her, and I mean a very little. I think if all the sex had been left out of the book I would have liked the story a lot more. It was just too crass and distracted from the story.
So, overall it had the potential to be really good but ended up just okay for me. Feb 03, Liviu rated it it was amazing Shelves: A third page turner in a row that kept me way too late to finish it: A romantic fantasy, as well as a suspense novel, The Laurentine Spy first pages are some of the most suspenseful I've read in a long time. While Saliel spies for money and a chance at a better life back home, Athan has quite different reasons, which are slowly revealed, not quite pure patriotism though The identities of the spies are actually revealed to us early, though they meet masked in the dark, so they do not know each other, however it's better to start the book fresh so no spoilers above When the Corhonese prepare a dastardly action, our heroes are there to help thwart it and then things start happening fast And there are remnants of sorcery, though after the big Burning Day several centuries in the past when all over the world the known "witches" - male and female have been burned at stake, the "Eye" as the power of the witches is known is getting more and more diluted, though they are still burned when found, unless of course a corrupt government uses them in secret as Spycatchers Highly, highly recommended and a big positive surprise for Jun 08, Errolyn rated it liked it Shelves: There have been there some at least two years, and meet regularly to pass the secrets they learned to their guardian so he can pass it to their homeland.
The three spies do not know each other identities, just each other's code names so as to protect each other if they are caught. The person she knows as One is a nobleman and Two is a servant. Also during that period.. What follows is lots of suspense, adventure, lots of action and a good bit of romance. The book was an nice easy read In between the action, there was nice slower moments that gave you more views into the characters And most of all.. Jul 10, Marie rated it it was ok. When you hover over the stars on goodread, it informs you that one star is for "did not like it" and two is for "it was okay".
I didn't like this book. But it wasn't the worst book I ever read. It didn't make me angry or upset. I just didn't enjoy it, so I feel awkward lumping it in the one star range where most of those books made me angry and annoyed. This book just made me bored. So it gets a two star rating from me because it wasn't bad enough to recieve a one star but that doesn't mean I enj When you hover over the stars on goodread, it informs you that one star is for "did not like it" and two is for "it was okay".
So it gets a two star rating from me because it wasn't bad enough to recieve a one star but that doesn't mean I enjoyed the book itself. Starting off, I was excited. Spies and witches and magic, oh my! The focus was on the romance and even then the romance was nothing to write home about. I didn't care about the characters or the story line. There is little to no world building which is usually pretty damn important in a fantasy.
Over all I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. Mar 08, Niffer rated it liked it Shelves: This is basically a romance novel masquerading as a fantasy novel, but it's still a decent book. The story occasionally suffers when the romance in emphasized over the fantasy plot line, but the author has a well developed world with several distinct cultures that are easy to understand and yet foreign enough to feel like we're being invited into another world. The characters are largely likeable although they are scared so much of the time you have to wonder how they ever got up the courage to This is basically a romance novel masquerading as a fantasy novel, but it's still a decent book.
The characters are largely likeable although they are scared so much of the time you have to wonder how they ever got up the courage to be spies in the first place. The ending was a little weak--again focusing on the romance aspect more than the fantasy story. All in all, though, a good book and one that I read straight through in an evening. Nov 15, Summer rated it it was ok Shelves: I really wanted to like this book.
I mean really, fantasy with romance and espionage? However, maybe it's just me, but it throws me off a book when within the first few pages the main male character is having descriptive sex fantasies about the main female character. In fact, in this book the hero and heroine have met but do not actually know what either look like. Spotlight on Alternative Coordinates 1 by Liviu Dick Award Nominees, Part 1 - Plague Spotlight on Impossibillia by Douglas Smith by Li Friday, April 17, Official Emily Gee Website. Then I read it once more just for the pure enjoyment of it as well as buying a copy of Ms.
For some books it is easier to convey why I liked it and why I think it's a book people should read. For others, it is harder because the enjoyment is of a more personal nature and will depend on how much a reader appreciates certain things like character interactions, wordplay, the build-up of suspense, etc. There is not much backstory on either but we discover that the Empire has several power centers including the Citadel , where a dissolute imperial prince and his powerful Consort lord over a Victorian-style court, though with a little decadent Roman twist.
The Protectorate seems a more liberal society, at least for common people and women at least, but is led by a very rigid high caste with elaborate rituals and a habit of throwing out the non-comformists. This is where our heroes come from. But there are those that use witches in secret for their own purposes like the Spycatchers for example. There, she pretends to be a low-level noblewoman in mourning for her family, but the Consort has plans for her.
Saliel spies for money and a chance at a better life back home. The identities of the spies are actually revealed to us early on. Lastly, Lord Grigor is the sinister Corhonese spycatcher with a justified reputation for getting results, while the Consort is the true power behind the Prince and is a hard woman to deceive. The narration is in the third person from the POVs of Saliel and Athan , and takes place in the present of the novel.
The ending is excellent and fitting while the book is a standalone, though I would not mind revisiting its universe. Cover art provided by Larry Rostant. It starts with our heroes helping to thwart a dastardly action by the Corhonese. The Consort is no fool though and already suspects that Laurentine spies have infilrated the Citadel. Therefore, she persuades the Prince to enlist the famous spycatcher Lord Grigor to investigate, and from there the suspense builds Included below are a couple of quotes that will illustrate both the atmosphere of the novel and the slow, but inexorable build-up of suspense.
The more pages you turn, the more you can feel the tension surrounding our heroes as they reach the crux of their mission, with doom only a misstep away. This build-up is remarkably well done, especially when things do not go exactly to plan and Saliel and Athan have to deal with the unexpected and the almost unthinkable.