Lions in the Garden

Gr 9 Up—When Mila runs away from the castle in Prague in 1610, nefarious men happen upon her, and she is saved by Marc. The two quickly become lovers. She is the High Chancellor's daughter, destined to marry nobility, while he is the blacksmith's son. Even more ruinous, she is a Catholic and he is a Protestant. This takes place at a time when Catholics rule and live in excess while the Protestant peasants starve. As Mila's eyes are opened, she discovers that in order to fight for her love, she may have to ignite the rebellion. The story relies too heavily on the clichéd damsel-in-distress/savior dynamic: Mila is frustratingly naive for most of the book, while Marc is overly perfect. However, romance readers able to overlook the one-dimensional characters may still enjoy seeing the simmering romance turn a little bit steamy. The straightforward writing moves at a quick pace, while cliff-hanger chapter endings encourage continuous reading. The political and religious drama add action and intrigue. Though this is a realistic historical novel, the focus on the romance of an unlikely pair, coupled with depictions of the castle and gowns, gives it more of a fairy-tale feel. The conclusion sets the stage for the upcoming sequel.