Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Spectra (2010), 704 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML:�A charming and mannered fantasy confection with a darker core of gothic romance� is how New York Times bestselling author Robin Hobb described Galen Beckett�s marvelous series opener, The Magicians and Mrs. Quent. Now Beckett returns to this world of dazzling magick and refined manners, where one extraordinary woman�s choice will put the fate of a nation�and all she cherishes�into precarious balance. Her courage saved the country of Altania and earned the love of a hero of the realm. Now sensible Ivy Quent wants only to turn her father�s sprawling, mysterious house into a proper home. But soon she is swept into fashionable society�s highest circles of power�a world that is vital to her family�s future but replete with perilous temptations. Yet far greater danger lies beyond the city�s glittering ballrooms�and Ivy must race to unlock the secrets that lie within the old house on Durrow Street before outlaw magicians and an ancient ravening force plunge Altania into darkness forever.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Ivy Quent, after discovering her own powers and driving off the magicians that were attempting to use her father's magical instruments for their own dark purposes, wants nothing more to settle down with her husband, restore her father's old house, and live a quiet life. Mr. Rafferdy wants
Review: The House on Durrow Street was one of those strange cases where it's a really long book that never felt like it was dragging, but in which, in retrospect, not that much actually happened until the very end. That's not to say that this book was boring - far from it - but it's definitely character- rather than plot-driven, which makes summarizing the main story points somewhat difficult. The saving grace (and big attraction) of this book is how wonderful those characters are. Ivy, Eldyn, and Rafferdy are all so thoroughly charming that even their quotidian struggles become of vast importance, and worth reading about even when they don't directly advance the plot per se. In particular, while I was less interested in Eldyn's storyline in the first book, in this book I completely fell for him, and was cheering him on almost from his first chapter. Ivy, on the other hand... I still love her, but is it just me, or is she getting dumber? Ivy's smarts were her best feature, and while she's still quite clever, her intelligence did seem to desert her at some particularly crucial moments.
One of my issues with The Magicians and Mrs. Quent was that it felt like it just had too much crammed in there, and that it didn't all tie together as well as it should (Eldyn's storyline in particular seemed mostly unconnected to the rest of the storyline.) The House on Durrow Street does a better job with this, I think; while the three individual storylines actually overlap less than they did in the first book, they all tie together much more cohesively by the end. The plot did have some points that were fairly predictable (for me; see above for my comments about how predictable Ivy found them), but it also managed to throw in a fair number of surprises. And there was just the right mix of giving enough clues to figure out what's really going on in Altania, while still retaining enough of the mystery that I'm now itching for the third book to be published! 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: The House on Durrow Street is not at all a stand-alone; it relies very heavily on the events of The Magicians and Mrs. Quent. I'd definitely recommend the series to fans of historical/regency fantasy who are looking for a book that's more complex in its worldbuilding and characterizations than the more typical "using magic to snare a wealthy husband" variety.
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a life of indolence and society, but is forced to participate in the government of Altania due to his father's illness, and becomes increasingly involved in magical studies of his own. Eldyn Garritt isn't sure what he wants: he's been drawn to the priesthood since he was a boy, and yet he finds himself increasingly drawn to the sinful realm of the theater... and to one young illusionist in particular. But none of them are seeking their desires in a vacuum; things are changing in Altania - the red planet has appeared in the sky, the almanacs can no longer predict the lengths of the ever-varying days and nights, and political unrest is growing throughout the country, particularly in places with stands of the ancient Wyrdwood - and these three young people will each have their parts to play in the coming turbulence, if they are to keep Altania from plunging into chaos and never-ending night.Review: The House on Durrow Street was one of those strange cases where it's a really long book that never felt like it was dragging, but in which, in retrospect, not that much actually happened until the very end. That's not to say that this book was boring - far from it - but it's definitely character- rather than plot-driven, which makes summarizing the main story points somewhat difficult. The saving grace (and big attraction) of this book is how wonderful those characters are. Ivy, Eldyn, and Rafferdy are all so thoroughly charming that even their quotidian struggles become of vast importance, and worth reading about even when they don't directly advance the plot per se. In particular, while I was less interested in Eldyn's storyline in the first book, in this book I completely fell for him, and was cheering him on almost from his first chapter. Ivy, on the other hand... I still love her, but is it just me, or is she getting dumber? Ivy's smarts were her best feature, and while she's still quite clever, her intelligence did seem to desert her at some particularly crucial moments.
One of my issues with The Magicians and Mrs. Quent was that it felt like it just had too much crammed in there, and that it didn't all tie together as well as it should (Eldyn's storyline in particular seemed mostly unconnected to the rest of the storyline.) The House on Durrow Street does a better job with this, I think; while the three individual storylines actually overlap less than they did in the first book, they all tie together much more cohesively by the end. The plot did have some points that were fairly predictable (for me; see above for my comments about how predictable Ivy found them), but it also managed to throw in a fair number of surprises. And there was just the right mix of giving enough clues to figure out what's really going on in Altania, while still retaining enough of the mystery that I'm now itching for the third book to be published! 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: The House on Durrow Street is not at all a stand-alone; it relies very heavily on the events of The Magicians and Mrs. Quent. I'd definitely recommend the series to fans of historical/regency fantasy who are looking for a book that's more complex in its worldbuilding and characterizations than the more typical "using magic to snare a wealthy husband" variety.
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LibraryThing member justabookreader
The House on Durrow Street is the sequel to The Magicians & Mrs. Quent.
After saving Altania from evil, Ivy Quent is living happily with her two sisters and her new husband in her father’s old house. In the midst of restoring the house to its former glory, many odd things are found, but knowing
Two things about these books: 1.) I like the world. It’s sort of an alternative Edwardian England with magic and it’s very appealing. And 2.) Ivy is a very likable character. Two more things about these books: 1.) Ivy somehow got a bit dense after she got married; and 2.) I still felt as if I was reading different books only tangentially tied together by a few characters that crossed paths every once in a while. I had this same complaint about the first book and that was not alleviated with the second. There are characters and sub-plots in this book that go nowhere and seem to have no ties to the ending. I do like these other characters and story lines and I especially liked the different look at the lives of those in Altania but having characters meet up in a bar doesn’t make the stories mesh. And, it moves slow. Very slow. In The Magicians & Mrs. Quent, I felt like the pace moved faster but in The House on Durrow Street I kept waiting for something to happen and it doesn’t until 550 pages in to the 602 page book.
I’m a sucker for a series (probably something I don’t have to state if you’ve been reading my reviews) but I’m not sure about this one. I so wanted to love it because I really like the world built by Beckett but I don’t feel as if the story is going anywhere. For me, the world can’t be everything and I think that’s the way I feel about this one. I still need things to happen and they don’t seem to be. Then again, maybe it’s me so feel free to ignore at will.
A third book in the series is planned --- The Master of Heathcrest Hall. While I wasn’t so enthralled with the first two, something still nags at me and tells me I’ll be reading the third wondering what’s going to happen with Altania even if I’m not sure that I’m totally invested anymore. Odd? No. Call me a book addict is all.
After saving Altania from evil, Ivy Quent is living happily with her two sisters and her new husband in her father’s old house. In the midst of restoring the house to its former glory, many odd things are found, but knowing
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her father was a magician, none of these things faze the rather unflappable Ivy. Soon, Ivy and Mr. Quent are swept into the high circles of Altania society, Ivy especially attending party after party. Nothing seems amiss in her world until she begins to experience a strange calling from the trees and finds out that the magic her father used to safeguard the house may not be as strong as she once thought.Two things about these books: 1.) I like the world. It’s sort of an alternative Edwardian England with magic and it’s very appealing. And 2.) Ivy is a very likable character. Two more things about these books: 1.) Ivy somehow got a bit dense after she got married; and 2.) I still felt as if I was reading different books only tangentially tied together by a few characters that crossed paths every once in a while. I had this same complaint about the first book and that was not alleviated with the second. There are characters and sub-plots in this book that go nowhere and seem to have no ties to the ending. I do like these other characters and story lines and I especially liked the different look at the lives of those in Altania but having characters meet up in a bar doesn’t make the stories mesh. And, it moves slow. Very slow. In The Magicians & Mrs. Quent, I felt like the pace moved faster but in The House on Durrow Street I kept waiting for something to happen and it doesn’t until 550 pages in to the 602 page book.
I’m a sucker for a series (probably something I don’t have to state if you’ve been reading my reviews) but I’m not sure about this one. I so wanted to love it because I really like the world built by Beckett but I don’t feel as if the story is going anywhere. For me, the world can’t be everything and I think that’s the way I feel about this one. I still need things to happen and they don’t seem to be. Then again, maybe it’s me so feel free to ignore at will.
A third book in the series is planned --- The Master of Heathcrest Hall. While I wasn’t so enthralled with the first two, something still nags at me and tells me I’ll be reading the third wondering what’s going to happen with Altania even if I’m not sure that I’m totally invested anymore. Odd? No. Call me a book addict is all.
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LibraryThing member DWWilkin
The first book was one of the best reads of 2008. This is still a great read also, but there is something lacking and something added. We have three protagonists, Mrs. Quent, Rafferdy and Garritt. Just as the first book, we had these three lead us along on adventure.
There are many elements of
That Mrs. Quent can not see the unrequited love of her friend, also is hard to believe. In a society where friendships are pretty well moderated, having a man be the kind of friend that Mrs. Quent now has, should be a clear sign that something is amiss.
The last quibble, and because the book is so rich, they are all quibbles, is that the enemy is fairly obvious by the time we reach him. Perhaps not all of his ties, but one subplot that involves us is very decipherable. Action also is somewhat lacking in this book until the end. A red herring, or just something to remind the heroes that they are heroic and did heroic acts in the previous book, and should not rest on their laurels or be on vacation, would have been nice.
This book definitely ends with plans for the next. One hopes it will arrive much sooner than this sequel did.
There are many elements of
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regency romance in these books and the dialogue is so well done that it adds to the richness of the story. One thing that is not well done is the passing of the responsibilities of the previous generation to the next. It is not very believable that Lord Rafferdy does not explain all to his son. With so much of importance happening and set to happen, his son surely needs to know or have someone to talk to. That the father is the CIA or the kingdom, seems more like a device to keep knowledge the son needs away from him.That Mrs. Quent can not see the unrequited love of her friend, also is hard to believe. In a society where friendships are pretty well moderated, having a man be the kind of friend that Mrs. Quent now has, should be a clear sign that something is amiss.
The last quibble, and because the book is so rich, they are all quibbles, is that the enemy is fairly obvious by the time we reach him. Perhaps not all of his ties, but one subplot that involves us is very decipherable. Action also is somewhat lacking in this book until the end. A red herring, or just something to remind the heroes that they are heroic and did heroic acts in the previous book, and should not rest on their laurels or be on vacation, would have been nice.
This book definitely ends with plans for the next. One hopes it will arrive much sooner than this sequel did.
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LibraryThing member readinggeek451
A good sequel to The Magicians and Mrs. Quent. The astronomy of the variable-length days still bothers me, but it looks as if Beckett may actually have a plan in mind, instead of it just being there for effect.
LibraryThing member Maaike15274
Fantastic, enticing, lovely! I really, really liked this sequel to [The magicians and mrs. Quent].
New adventures and discoveries await Ivy as she moves with mr. Quent and her sisters to the house in Durrow street. This house as a lot of secrets yet to reveil. And Mr. Quent is rewarded with a new
Mr. Rafferdy takes his fathers place in the House of Magnates reluctantly. There he meets new people, and learns of new dangers and new secrets. (sorry, don't want to spoiler)
This part I learned more about Eldyn Garritt, and I was irritated by him (before I found him rather naieve in quite an irritating manner), however he improves himself even if he is still quite capable of being naieve, a little selfcentered and he fools himself enormously.
Although it does not read fast (at least not for me, since English is not my first language) I did not find at all hard. All the characters developed a little more and there are some interesting new characters. You also learn a little more about Altania and Ivarel. The end suggests a new story so I hope a new book will soon be published.
New adventures and discoveries await Ivy as she moves with mr. Quent and her sisters to the house in Durrow street. This house as a lot of secrets yet to reveil. And Mr. Quent is rewarded with a new
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title for his service to the crown. Yet this puts him and Ivy in new, more public and politic function with new dangers...Mr. Rafferdy takes his fathers place in the House of Magnates reluctantly. There he meets new people, and learns of new dangers and new secrets. (sorry, don't want to spoiler)
This part I learned more about Eldyn Garritt, and I was irritated by him (before I found him rather naieve in quite an irritating manner), however he improves himself even if he is still quite capable of being naieve, a little selfcentered and he fools himself enormously.
Although it does not read fast (at least not for me, since English is not my first language) I did not find at all hard. All the characters developed a little more and there are some interesting new characters. You also learn a little more about Altania and Ivarel. The end suggests a new story so I hope a new book will soon be published.
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LibraryThing member foggidawn
I found The House on Durrow Street by Galen Beckett, sequel to The Magicians and Mrs. Quent, nearly as enjoyable as its predecessor.
In this book, all three of the main characters experience a change in status. Mr. Quent is granted a title, raising Ivy's social status and expanding her sphere of
Each of the three main characters managed to do things that I found extremely stupid over the course of the book, though it all worked out in the end. While the first book made several direct references to classic literature, I found less of those in this story, though of course the setting still evokes those works. There were a few stylistic quirks that grated -- for instance, multiple occurrences of the phrase "a grin split his beard" drove me up the wall, as the mental image that phrase conjures up in me is certainly not what the author had in mind. All in all, though, I really enjoyed this novel, and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
In this book, all three of the main characters experience a change in status. Mr. Quent is granted a title, raising Ivy's social status and expanding her sphere of
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influence. She is soon befriended by an extremely fashionable and influential woman, and readers may find themselves wondering if the lady has a secret motive. Rafferdy begins attending the Assembly of Magnates since his father's health no longer permits him to do so, and finds it indescribably dull. He does meet a group of young lords who are, like himself, magicians. Willing or not, Rafferdy is gaining power in both the political and magical spheres. Eldyn finds himself leading a double life -- clerking for the Church by day, while working illusions in the Theatre of the Moon by night. He's determined to earn enough money for his sister's dowry, and for his own fee to enter the church as a priest, and the pay he earns at the theatre makes this possible (for reference, in the eyes of the Church this is a bit like a woman taking up prostitution in order to earn enough money to enter a convent). Each of the three characters is ignorant of a few key details of their situation, and though they rarely meet over the course of the novel, the three storylines converge at the end of the book.Each of the three main characters managed to do things that I found extremely stupid over the course of the book, though it all worked out in the end. While the first book made several direct references to classic literature, I found less of those in this story, though of course the setting still evokes those works. There were a few stylistic quirks that grated -- for instance, multiple occurrences of the phrase "a grin split his beard" drove me up the wall, as the mental image that phrase conjures up in me is certainly not what the author had in mind. All in all, though, I really enjoyed this novel, and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
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LibraryThing member Jean_Sexton
I hope that the final book will resolve this story. The pace in this book was slow for the most part; then all of a sudden everything happened, leaving the ending feeling rushed. Still, it was good enough to finish the series.
If you haven't read the first book, don't start here. The world is
If you haven't read the first book, don't start here. The world is
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confusing enough without starting in the middle. Show Less
LibraryThing member Linyarai
The plot was decent, but the whole book was so slow paced that I really had to force myself to get through it. Much like book 1, and I won't be reading book 3.
Original language
English
Original publication date
2010-09-28
Physical description
685 p.; 5.5 inches
ISBN
0553807595 / 9780553807592