Recenzie Lordul Intunericului (Maiden Lane #5) de Elizabeth Hoyt

El traieste in umbre. Singurul tel al misteriosului razbunator mascat cunoscut drept Fantoma din St. Giles, Godric St. John, este sa protejeze nevinovatii din Londra. Pana in noaptea in care se confrunta cu o tanara doamna neinfricata care indreapta un pistol spre capul lui si isi da seama ca aceasta este sotia lui.

Lady Margaret Reading a jurat sa ucida Fantoma din St. Giles, barbatul care i-a ucis marea dragoste. Intorcandu-se la Londra si la barbatul pe care nu l-a mai vazut din ziua nuntii lor, Margaret nu recunoaste barbatul din spatele mastii. Feroce, impunator si periculos, cunoscutul Fantoma din St. Giles este tot ceea ce ea s-a temut ca va fi si mai mult decat atat.

Cand pasiunea se intensifica, acesti doi straini nu se pot abtine sa dezvaluie mai mult decat au planuit despre ei. Dar cand Margaret descopera adevarul, ca Fantoma este sotul ei, jocul incepe, iar jucatorii trebuie sa se predea tentatiei care i-ar putea distruge pe amandoi.

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RECENZIE.
One moonless night, the Hellequin came upon the soul of a young man lying in the crossroads, dying in the arms of his beloved. The woman was lovely, her face both innocent and good, and for a moment the Hellequin paused, staring at her. There are those who whisper that the Hellequin was not always in the Devil’s service. Once, they say, the Hellequin was a man like any other. If this tale is true, perhaps the girl’s face sparked some human memory, wandering lost, deep in the Hellequin’s mind.

From The Legend of the Hellequin

Vaduvul Godric St. John este silit sa se insoare cu indoliata si insarcinata Margaret Reading. Santajat de fratele acesteia, care a descoperit ca el este Fantoma din St. Giles, si amenintat cu dezvaluirea adevaratei sale identitatii, Godric nu are alta optiune decat sa se casatoreasca cu Margaret. Fidel memoriei sotiei sale, decedata cu ani in urma, Godric o trimite pe noua lui sotie sa locuiasca impreuna cu mama si sora lui la domeniul sau de la tara.
Doi ani mai tarziu, Margaret se intoarce la Londra decisa sa-si convinga sotul sa-si consume casnicia pentru a putea avea copilul pe care si-l doreste atat de mult. Doar ca acesta nu este singurul motiv care a facut-o sa revina in Londra. Margaret doreste sa razbune moartea fostului ei logodnic si sa-l ucida pe cel banuit ca l-ar fi omorat pe acesta: Fantoma din St. Giles.

Godric si Megs au atat de multe lucruri in comun, amandoi si-au pierdut in mod tragic marea dragoste, amandoi sunt neconsolati si amandoi pastreaza vie amintirea celui pe care l-au iubit. In timp ce Godric a ales sa traiasca in umbre si sa-si riste viata fara sa ia in considerare riscurile, Megs este inconjurata de tandretea, iubirea si grija familiei lui.

Godric este un personaj minunat, preferatul meu din acest volum, un protector al celor aflati in primejdie, un sot loial si un erou torturat de amintirea sotiei pe care a pierdut-o si de sentimentele pe care inca le nuntreste pentru acesta. Un barbat misterios si seducator, un justitiar curajos, puternic si drept, Godric nu ezita sa-si asume riscuri si sa se sacrifice pentru a-i salva pe nevinovatii din St. Giles. Am apreciat faptul ca nu a invinuit-o niciodata pe Megs pentru situatia in care se afla, a tratat-o intotdeauna cu blandete, respect si consideratie, a protejat-o, i-a inteles suferinta, a consolat-o si s-a preocupat de nevoile ei chiar si cand aceasta era doar o necunoscuta cu care a fost silit sa se casatoreasca. Poate din acest motiv uneori comportamentul lui Megs m-a dezamagit pentru ca ii pretindea lui Godric sa-si lase trecutul in urma, desi ea nu era capabila sa faca acelasi lucru.
Mi-a placut modul in care relatia dintre cele doua personaje evolueaza de-a lungul timpului, de la scrisorile prin care au tinut legatura in cei doi ani in care au fost despartiti, in care Megs ii impartasea lui Godric tot ce se intampla pe domeniul lui, la prietenie si  mai apoi la iubire. Treptat isi deschid sufletul unul in fata celuilalt, isi impartasesc suferinta si disperarea simtite la pierderea iubitilor lor si invata sa iubeasca din nou.

Am adorat inceputul fiecarui capitol, acele randuri care istorisesc Legenda Hellequinului, mesagerul Diavolului si colectorul sufletelor mortilor, care se indragosteste de femeia indoliata care incearca sa-l convinga sa elibereze sufletul iubitului ei. Iubirea care mai tarziu ii va lega pe cei doi si sacrificiile pe care sunt dispusi sa le faca unul pentru celalalt sunt mi-au frant inima si m-au induiosat.

Singurul minus al acestui volum este modul lipsit de realism in care Megs le destainuie multor persoane adevarul despre fostul ei iubit si despre copilul ilegitim pe care l-a pierdut. In acele timpuri trecutul ei ar fi putut afecta pozitia familiei ei in societate (cel mai probabil din acest motiv fratele ei l-a santajat pe Godric sa o ia in casatorie) si ar fi declansat un scandal care pata atat onoarea ei, cat si pe cea a lui Godric pentru multe generatii. Tinand cont de impactul pe care faptele ei l-ar fi avut in secolul 18, cel mai logic ar fi fost ca aceasta sa incerce sa pastreze ascunse acele momente din trecutul ei si sa fie cat mai discreta. Comportamentul ei este mai mult unul potrivit pentru o eroina din secolul nostru, nu pentru o eroina care traia intr-o societate in care drepturile femeilor erau limitate si care taxa intr-un mod foarte dur legaturile de amor clandestine (cel mai probabil ar fi fost exilata la o proprietate izolata si cat mai indepartata a familiei ei, iar o casatorie nu ar mai fi fost posibila decat daca exista o zestre substantiala si un barbat dornic sa infrunte rusinea pricinuita de faptele ei).
Mi se pare ingrozitor si nedrept modul in care erau ostracizate femeile care aveau legaturi amoroase fara a fi casatorite in acele timpuri, in timp ce barbatii care aveau acelasi comportament puteau oricand sa isi refaca viata, fara sa conteze cate femei au dezonorat si fara sa fie afectati in vreun fel de consecintele faptelor lor (unul dintre motivele pentru care o multime de copii ilegitimi nu erau recunoscuti niciodata si nu primeau niciun drept la mostenirea care li se cuvinea).
Cu toate acestea, Lord of Darkness este un volum care m-a cucerit de la prima pagina si de care nu m-am putut desprinde pana la final. O lectura pasionala, fermecatoare, emotionanta, incarcata de mister si palpitanta, de care toti cititorii romanelor romantice se vor indragosti.

“Wait!” Faith cried. “Where are you going?”
“To meet the Devil,” the Hellequin said.
“Then I shall come with you,” she replied.
He looked at her, and for a moment Faith thought she saw an emotion in his eyes: sorrow. Then he held out his hand to her.
Faith took his hand and he pulled her in one movement onto the back of the big black horse. She wrapped her arms around his middle and for a very long time they rode in silence through the Plain of Madness.
At last a towering stone arch appeared before them, jagged and black.
“Is this Hell?” Faith whispered.
“Yes,” the Hellequin said, “this is the mouth of Hell. Remember: whatever the Devil says to you, he has no power over you, for you live and breathe. He rules only the dead.”
Faith nodded and gripped the Hellequin tighter. The Hellequin rode the big black horse through the Mouth of Hell and into utter darkness. Faith looked about her, but she could see nothing and hear nothing. It was a place so hollow and bleak and cold that had she been alone, she might’ve simply shriveled up and lost herself. But Faith still held the Hellequin, and as she laid her cheek against his broad back, she heard the steady thump of his heart. A thing in the shape of a man appeared before them, and though he was pale and thin and not particularly tall, the utter void of humanity in his eyes made Faith shudder and look away.
Even so, the Hellequin took her hand and dismounted, leading her to stand with him before the thing.
“You’ve let loose the soul I sent you to collect,” the Devil said, for of course it was he.
The Hellequin bowed his head.
“You know,” the Devil said quietly, “what forfeit you must pay.”
Faith’s heart squeezed. “What is he talking about?” she asked the Hellequin. “What is the forfeit?”
“My soul,” the Hellequin replied. “The Devil demands a soul and since I lost one, I must pay him back with my own.” 

“No!” cried Faith.
The Devil’s thin, cold lips curved as if he were amused. “The living are so passionate. Shall I chain you to a red-hot rock and roast your flesh for a hundred years, girl?”
Faith lifted her chin, and though it made her tremble to do so, she met the Devil’s pitiless gaze. “I live. You have no power over me.”
“Ah. The Hellequin has been speaking out of turn, I see.” The Devil shrugged. “Begone from my domain, then, human.”
“I shall go,” Faith said, “but not without the Hellequin.” The Devil threw back his head and laughed—a sound like a blade drawn along a whetstone. “Silly girl. The Hellequin is not human and hasn’t been for a thousand years.”
“He drinks like a human,” Faith said.
The Devil’s eyes narrowed.
“He eats and he sleeps like a human as well,” she continued bravely, hope rising in her chest. “How is he not a human?”
“He does not draw breath like a human,” the Devil snapped.
Faith’s eyes widened and she saw that she had lost, for the Hellequin had never drawn breath the entire time she’d ridden with him.
Faith turned to the Hellequin, her eyes swimming in tears, and stood upon tiptoe to place her palms on either side of his black face. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”
And she laid her mouth on his and with a kiss blew air from her lungs into his.
The Devil shrieked in rage and around Faith and the Hellequin a roaring wind began to spin. The wind rose, spinning higher and faster until all Faith could do was close her eyes and cling to the Hellequin.
Then the wind was gone and she opened her eyes to find that it was night and they both stood on the crossroads where her beloved had breathed his last breath. The Hellequin was making an odd rasping sound. He clutched his side and fell to his knees.
Faith knelt beside him, alarmed. “What is wrong?” “Nothing,” he said. “It hurts to draw breath after a millennia of stillness.”
He threw back his head and laughed—and unlike the Devil his laughter sounded warm and alive.
The Hellequin drew Faith into his arms. “Dearest, you have given me food, drink, and sleep. You have made my heart beat and breathed life into my dead lungs. You have outwitted the Devil and saved me from Hell, a thing I have never seen before. I am not a good man like your beloved, but if you will take me as husband, I will spend the rest of my mortal life learning how to make you love me.” Faith smiled. “I love you already, for you would have given your own immortal soul simply to free my beloved’s—and to please me.”
And she pulled his head down and gave him the first of many kisses as a mortal man.

From The Legend of the Hellequin