Night Of Blood And Beauty

Long before Amir taught Eleanora the harder truths of life, he learned them himself, as he fell in love with her mother. CONSTANTINOPLE, 1845 Amir Qureshi knew his life would never be the same the day he met Naděžda Ollerton-Cerná, much to his chagrin. With her sharp wit and brazen charm, Naděžda is as infuriating as she is irresistible, and Amir cannot stop himself from falling in love with her—even though they can never be together. As an ally to the Order of the Crystal Daggers, under the command of Naděžda’s indomitable mother, Amir knows there is no place for love in the life of a spy. When they are sent to Constantinople to investigate a missing shipment of weapons, Naděžda’s life is endangered, and Amir races to save her, knowing he cannot deny his heart any longer. But Amir is not the only one who is keeping secrets ... FROM THE BOOK: “Miss Eleanor.” The desperation in his voice was only matched by his irritation, and the moment he said anything, Amir feared he had inadvertently given himself away. The sapphire eyes he had come to both love and hate twinkled mischievously at him. “Why, Mr. Qureshi, I do believe you’re quite flustered. Especially if you’re going to use your manners. Where are those mongrel ways of yours? I might mistake you for a real gentleman with such a formal tone.” Her lyrical, teasing voice did nothing to lighten his mood; rather, it plucked at his heartstrings with a bittersweet twang, and Amir had to force himself to remain still as he stared down at her. It would do nothing for his case if he showed any further sign of compromise, especially now that his partner sensed his weakness. “It is only proper I address you as such, Miss Eleanor,” Amir said, keeping his voice stripped of all his conflicting emotions. “Your mother, Her Grace, would be the first to agree with me.” At the mention of her mother, her gaze only grew bolder. “We both know my mother’s favorite thing in the world is being a hypocrite,” she said, crossing her arms and tapping her toe. “Call me Naděžda, as I’ve told you to before several times now.” Inwardly, Amir groaned. He should have known better than to say anything. If there was anything Eleanor Naděžda Ollerton-Cerná excelled at—and there was plenty—it was arguing with him. And while there was enough wrong with that in itself, it unnerved him how often he found himself losing those arguments. “Miss Eleanor, propriety demands—” “Is this my punishment, after all these years, to have you give me the same lecture I gave you when we first met, Amir?” Naděžda asked, arching her brow as she pouted. Amir hated how he stared at her mouth. His Abba had always been so concerned about him looking into a woman’s eyes that Amir never realized how sinful looking at a woman’s lips could be. Even beneath her yashmak, the transparent veil worn by women on the streets of Constantinople, seeing Naděžda stick out her bottom lip was like watching a rose bloom under misty moonlight. FROM THE AUTHOR: Night of Blood and Beauty is a companion novella to The Order of the Crystal Daggers, a historical spy romance series. WHAT REVIEWERS ARE SAYING: "Definitely a must read for fans of this series!" ~ Laura A. Grace, Unicorn Quester Book Reviews

Rooted in the energetic, brutal and corrupt world of 15th-century Italy, Blood and Beauty opens with Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, clever and charismatic, buying his way to the Papal crown. In this he is not unusual. Neither is the fact that he has illegitimate children. What does mark him is his blood; he is a Spaniard in a country run by established Italian families. To thrive, even to survive, he must create his own dynasty using the papacy and his family as the building blocks of power. His son Cesare is his most brilliant pupil. Fearless and calculating (later immortalized in Machiavelli’s The Prince), he provides the driving energy and the muscle. The Pope’s daughter, Lucrezia, beloved by both men, is their marriage tool. Just twelve when the novel opens, she is to have one dynastic union annulled and a second—beloved—husband murdered by her own brother to make way for a third strategic marriage—all before the age of twenty. Hers is a journey from pawn to political player. Using the high-wire tension of a political thriller, this portrait of power and its personal costs is the most thrilling family saga to come out of Italy since The Godfather. The Borgias emerge not as the poisoning sexual monsters of popular myth, but in all their ruthless determination and complex humanity.

Long before Amir taught Eleanora the harder truths of life, he learned them as he fell in love with her mother. CONSTANTINOPLE, 1845 Amir Qureshi knew his life would never be the same the day he met Nadězda Ollerton-Cerná, much to his chagrin. With her sharp wit and brazen charm, Nadězda is as infuriating as she is irresistible, and Amir cannot stop himself from falling in love with her-even though they can never be together. As an ally to the Order of the Crystal Daggers, under the command of Nadězda's indomitable mother, Amir knows there is no place for love in the life of a spy. When they are sent to Constantinople to investigate a missing shipment of weapons, Nadězda's life is endangered, and Amir races to save her, knowing he cannot deny his heart any longer. But Amir is not the only one who is keeping secrets ... Night of Blood and Beauty is a companion novella to The Order of the Crystal Daggers, a historical spy adventure series set in 1870s Prague.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY KIRKUS REVIEWS The New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Italian Renaissance novels—The Birth of Venus, In the Company of the Courtesan, and Sacred Hearts—has an exceptional talent for breathing life into history. Now Sarah Dunant turns her discerning eye to one of the world’s most intriguing and infamous families—the Borgias—in an engrossing work of literary fiction. By the end of the fifteenth century, the beauty and creativity of Italy is matched by its brutality and corruption, nowhere more than in Rome and inside the Church. When Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia buys his way into the papacy as Alexander VI, he is defined not just by his wealth or his passionate love for his illegitimate children, but by his blood: He is a Spanish Pope in a city run by Italians. If the Borgias are to triumph, this charismatic, consummate politician with a huge appetite for life, women, and power must use papacy and family—in particular, his eldest son, Cesare, and his daughter Lucrezia—in order to succeed. Cesare, with a dazzlingly cold intelligence and an even colder soul, is his greatest—though increasingly unstable—weapon. Later immortalized in Machiavelli’s The Prince, he provides the energy and the muscle. Lucrezia, beloved by both men, is the prime dynastic tool. Twelve years old when the novel opens, hers is a journey through three marriages, and from childish innocence to painful experience, from pawn to political player. Stripping away the myths around the Borgias, Blood & Beauty is a majestic novel that breathes life into this astonishing family and celebrates the raw power of history itself: compelling, complex and relentless. Praise for Blood and Beauty “Dunant transforms the blackhearted Borgias and the conniving courtiers and cardinals of Renaissance Europe into fully rounded characters, brimming with life and lust.”—The New York Times Book Review “Like Hilary Mantel with her Cromwell trilogy, [Sarah] Dunant has scaled new heights by refashioning mythic figures according to contemporary literary taste. This intellectually satisfying historical saga, which offers blood and beauty certainly, but brains too, is surely the best thing she has done to date.”—The Miami Herald “Compelling female players have been a characteristic of Dunant’s earlier novels, and this new offering is no exception. . . . The members of this close-knit family emerge as dynamic characters, flawed but sympathetic, filled with fear and longing.”—The Seattle Times “The Machiavellian atmosphere—hedonism, lust, political intrigue—is magnetic. . . . Readers won’t want the era of Borgia rule to end.”—People (four stars)

Dragonlore, the bestselling fantasy series beginning with A Dawn of Dragonfire, concludes with a tale of blood, steel, and flame. BOOK THREE: A NIGHT OF DRAGON WINGS Requiem burns. Her marble columns lie shattered. Queen Solina's army sweeps across the land, searching to kill every last dragon. Among the ruins, Requiem's dragons plan a desperate attack. To survive, they must strike Solina at the heart of her desert empire. Yet as Requiem rallies, Solina raises her cruelest champions yet. The nephilim, the spawn of demons and their mortal brides, have languished underground for epochs. Giants of rotted flesh, razor fangs, and clawed wings, they crave to crush the world that imprisoned them. When Queen Solina frees this unholy legion, the nephilim marshal under her banners... and swarm into Requiem. Requiem's light dims. Her hope is but a flicker in an endless night. As ancient evil engulfs the world, Requiem's dragons roar, blow their fire, and fly to their last stand. ____________ THE REQUIEM SERIES: Requiem: Dawn of Dragons Book 1: Requiem's Song Book 2: Requiem's Hope Book 3: Requiem's Prayer Requiem: Song of Dragons Book 1: Blood of Requiem Book 2: Tears of Requiem Book 3: Light of Requiem Requiem: Dragonlore Book 1: A Dawn of Dragonfire Book 2: A Day of Dragon Blood Book 3: A Night of Dragon Wings Requiem: The Dragon War Book 1: A Legacy of Light Book 2: A Birthright of Blood Book 3: A Memory of Fire Requiem: Requiem for Dragons Book 1: Dragons Lost Book 2: Dragons Reborn Book 3: Dragons Rising Requiem: Flame of Requiem Book 1: Forged in Dragonfire Book 2: Crown of Dragonfire Book 3: Pillars of Dragonfire Requiem: Dragonfire Rain Book 1: Blood of Dragons Book 2: Rage of Dragons Book 3: Flight of Dragons

THE ORDER OF THE CRYSTAL DAGGERS: A HISTORICAL SPY ROMANCE SERIES Includes: Kingdom of Ash and Soot, Book 1 Prince of Secrets and Shadows, Book 2 Night of Blood and Beauty, A Companion Novella Heart of Hope and Fear, Book 3 City of Light and Sun, A Companion Novella Everyone has secrets. Everyone lies. Everyone has regrets. PRAGUE, 1870. For the last ten years, nineteen-year-old Eleanora Svobodová has worked as a servant in her stepmother's household. Along with her older brother, she dreams of the day they will be free to live life on their own terms. But everything changes when their estranged grandmother comes to Prague on behalf of Queen Victoria. Throughout Bohemia, a string of murders and secret whispers hint at a larger coup. As the leader of the Order of the Crystal Daggers, an ancient order of spies and soldiers that protect kingdoms and their rulers, Lady Penelope is determined to discover the perpetrators. And to do this, she eagerly pulls Eleanora into her plans. As she undergoes training in the life of a spy, Eleanora soon finds herself caught up in several adventures; she falls in love with a secretive rogue, finds the hidden heir to the throne of Bohemia, and traverses into the dark, magical worlds hidden throughout the city of Prague. But soon, her family's past secrets, intertwined with the history of the Order, lead to increasing division among her allies. Will Eleanora and the Order come together to stop war from coming to all of Europe, or will their quarrels destroy them – and others? Full of fun, history, secrets, betrayals, and family dysfunction, The Order of the Crystal Daggers is a historical spy romance series from award-winning author C. S. Johnson.

“What about the Order?” I hesitated to ask, knowing Amir had painful memories of his own. “I wanted to be free before. Lady Penelope pointed out that this is the opposite of what I wanted. I can’t help but feel she is right.” “Wanting to be free is not a sin in itself,” Amir told me softly. “Only when that is everything and held to the highest priority is it so. We are loyal to the truth, Eleanora, but the truth is complicated, and freedom can be painful.” Prague, 1871 Despite the many demands that come with being a member of the Order of the Crystal Daggers, Eleanora Svobodová has plenty of reasons to celebrate. With Lumiere’s capture and Lady Penelope’s reluctant acceptance of Ferdy, not even Ben’s painful ire can completely diminish her joy. But just as the future begins to look bright, the past catches up to Eleanora and the other members of the Order. For as they investigate Karl’s disappearance, Eleanora learns the shocking secret about her mother’s final mission—and Lady Penelope’s treachery—while the Emperor risks his life and heads to Bohemia for a special tripartite council. Can Eleanora and the Order find a way to save the kingdom? And even if they do, will they be able to survive a new betrayal from among their ranks? Full of surprising twists and turns, Heart of Hope and Fear is the final book in The Order of the Crystal Daggers, a historical romance spy trilogy from C. S. Johnson.

Not all legends are born of lies ... Bjorn Kyvansson was never supposed to outlive his brother. After his older brother Sterlig dies on the mysterious island of Eydis, it falls to Bjorn to avenge his brother. But Bjorn, along with his abusive father and his anxious mother, is content to suffer with his lot in life. That is, until Arja Freydottir, Sterlig's beloved, decides she wants to go to Eydis. Bjorn reluctantly agrees to accompany her, knowing he has no right to Arja, as Sterlig's intended bride, no matter how much he loves her himself. But as Bjorn and Arja spend time together preparing to face the dragon of Eydis, it becomes clear that it is not a matter of honor keeping them apart, but the truth. From award-winning, genre-hopping author C.S. Johnson, The Legend of Eydis is a standalone story that blends history, fantasy, romance, and adventure with Vikings, dragons, demons, and a captured princess.