review 1: This book is, in a word, brilliant. Definitely i of my favorite reads this year – I could gush on and on. John Wiltshire is a new to me writer, and I went looking for more of his piece of work immediately.The "vox" of 35 year onetime Nikolai is the middle and soul of this story. His narrative begins with a veiled prologue. I was hooked from the outset sentence, and found myself wanting, no make that craving, his full story. In vivid and absorbing detail Nikolai recounts his somewhat harrowing solo journey across a stark and brutal Europe to reach the court of Hesse-Davia, where the king is suffering from a long illness. Nikolai is an unconventionally trained doctor who, by virtue of his healing talents, found himself held in high favor with English aristocracy which in plow ear ... more ned him the summons to tend the foreign king.Nikolai'south beginning interactions with the king's youngest son – the brash and alluring 23 year old Aleksey – involved a fair corporeality of snark and an underlying spark, setting upwards a powerful dynamic between the two that builds cleverly and deliciously throughout the course of the story. This is an exchange between the two men after Nikolai's initial examination of the king:"What did you lot think of my begetter?""He is very sick."He scoffed lightly. "And you come all this style to tell us that. How grateful we all are.""Sarcasm isn't likely to improve his health. I will tell yous that for free."I loved both men from the moment they appeared on page, and they proceeded to exasperate and delight me in equal mensurate. Nix was unproblematic and nobody was quite what they seemed to be. Though Nikolai is narrating this story – with wonderful insight, great detail and some of the wittiest and funniest dialogue I've had the pleasure of reading – his recognition of exactly what was transpiring between him and Aleksey lags behind that of the reader. Nikolai, by necessity born of the time and place in which he is living, has to suppress his true inclinations. Men in Hesse-Davia were brutally tortured and killed for sodomy – he had been an center witness to it. Throughout the story, there is a deadening reveal of Nikolai's past. I was mesmerized by what it turned out to contain. As he was forced to recall events from his life, he plant himself having to remember, share, and process many unpleasant memories. The utilise of this narrative style delivered powerful, authentic grapheme and relationship development.Nikolai was able to successfully treat the king, but could not quite bring himself to leave Hesse-Davia, or more specifically – Aleksey. Aleksey was not set up to lose the companionship of Nikolai, and then asked him to bring together his ground forces as a field dr. in their looming state of war confronting a neighboring country. Nikolai accepted. Going to war actually brought the men in closer and constant contact with one some other. The escalation of their romance took place juxtaposed with savage boxing and roughshod medical scenes (the blood soaked snowfall and dagger on the book cover have definite relevance!). Nikolai seemed improve able to deal with all the death and destruction than the fact that he was in love. Aleksey in turn had never experienced a relationship such every bit he finds himself in with Nikolai, and he is boring to acknowledge the romantic nature of it, only once he does, at that place is no holding him dorsum. Once they are finally able to accept and embrace the reality of their feelings – and each other – Aleksey'south legacy and the weight of the kingdom crash down around them.Poisonous substance was definitely a running theme throughout the story. There were the obvious poisonings that Nikolai dealt with equally a doctor, but he also viewed faith every bit a toxicant of sorts. Nikolai questions Aleksey as to the king's routine:"Who has access to the king when he prays?""No one except God, and I do not remember God is trying to poison my father."Why not? I thought. He's poisoned almost everyone else he'south had contact with.Ability is also viewed as a poison. This shows upward in Nikolai's memories of his babyhood and formative years, as well every bit in the high courts and on the boxing fields of Hesse-Davia. Interestingly, the build- upwardly and culmination of the relationship between Aleksey and Nikolai could exist considered a deadening toxicant as well.Strong secondary characters – including a loyal wolf and a couple of supremely brave horses (always a plus in a story for me!) – compliment Nikolai and Aleksey. The surprising and actually very original revelation of how Nikolai spent his younger years striking a nerve for me likewise, and lent acceptance to his negative views on religion, European "law and lodge" and the Hesse-Davian boxing tactics.The intriguing set upwardly in the prologue, combined with neat dialogue, witty humor, snarky banter, careful reveals, more than a few plot twists, and some "oh what the hell, no this can't be happening!!" moments toward the end, left me turning page after page, frequently with my heart in my throat. Not to worry though… no bewilderment. Well, really, at that place is a cliff….I can't recommend this book highly enough. At that place are many details and plot devices I've purposely not touched on, as the discovery of them and the way they are spun out over the course of the story are huge reasons for what makes it so memorable. A Royal Affair absolutely delivers all that I'm looking for in a story: unique and compelling characters, a vivid, action packed setting, conceivable romance, all wrapped in a fresh and captivating narrative mode.A sequel is promised by the writer. I'll be first in line!
review 2: 3.five stars. This book is hard for me to rate. I really enjoyed the principal couple & the plot, though I felt that at that place were a multitude of plots, but it all made sense & was coherent. The trouble I did have lies with the main character. I by and large liked him at the beginning, with his advanced cognition of healing and bones human being rights, but after fifty% certain things he said and implied infuriated me. Mostly, putting people in boxed stereotypes. Many of them towards women. I know it's in the historical genre, but I am done with letting that be an excuse for sexist comments. This also had a kind of fantasy feel to it, might be because of the lack of historical slang. An example of these comments is when he tells the audition that he killed his rapists. He says that this is what separates him from a raped adult female, he believes no woman would e'er retrieve of murdering her rapist. Really? I'm going to save y'all all from that bluster bubbling inside me, but yous get the idea.Besides those off handed comments, the 1st & 2d half of the volume don't completely connect. At the showtime the MC is appalled at how the rich accept an over affluence of food while the poor are starving, simply later in the book he completely forgets about it, & doesn't seem to set up it when he can.All in all I did like information technology, it had a sugariness ending. I plan to look for more than books by this writer. less
