Scoundrel:: The Blades of the Rose

by Zoe Archer

Overview

“[A] delightful tale of an intelligent, competent woman sharing adventure and romance with a formidable partner” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

The Blades of the Rose are sworn to protect the sources of magic in the world. But the work is dangerous--and they can't always protect their own. . .

Ready For Action

London Harcourt's father is bent on subjugating the world's magic to British rule. But since London is a mere female, he hasn't bothered to tell her so. He's said only that he's leading a voyage to the Greek isles. No matter, after a smothering marriage and three years of straitlaced widowhood, London jumps at the opportunity--unfortunately, right into the arms of Bennett Day.

Risking It All

Bennett is a ladies' man, when he's not dodging lethal attacks to protect the powers of the ancients from men like London's father. Sometimes, he's a ladies' man even when he is dodging them. But the minute he sees London he knows she will require his full attention. The woman is lovely, brilliant, and the only known speaker of a dialect of ancient Greek that holds the key to calling down the wrath of the gods. Bennett will be risking his life again--but around London, what really worries him is the danger to his heart. . .

Praise for Warrior: The Blades of the Rose

"Crackles with adventure, a rich sense of place, and terrific characterization." --Mary Jo Putney

"Weaves a delightful spell…cleverly blending history and magic."--Elizabeth Vaughan, USA Today bestselling author

"An innovative and exciting romantic adventure with just the right touch of the paranormal." --Jennifer Ashley, USA Today bestselling author

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781420119848
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	10/01/2010
Series:	The Blades of the Rose , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	432
Sales rank:	741,941
File size:	873 KB

About the Author

Zoë Archer is an award-winning and Rita-nominated romance author who thinks there’s nothing sexier than a man in tall boots and a waistcoat. As a child, she never dreamed about being the rescued princess, but wanted to kick butt right beside the hero. She now applies her master’s degrees in Literature and Fiction to creating heroes in tall boots and butt-kicking heroines. Zoë and her husband, fellow romance author Nico Rosso, live in Los Angeles.

Reading Group Guide

1. What can readers expect in a BLADES OF THE ROSE book?

-Adventure
-Magic
-Action
-Danger
-Exotic historical settings
-Diabolical steampunk inventions
-Sexy men in tall boots
-Heroines who kick ass
-Red hot romance

2. Okay, the series is historical, but if you had to pick for each of your heroes...boxers or briefs?

Gabriel (of WARRIOR) would be a military-issue boxer wearer. Bennett (of SCOUNDREL) definitely goes commando—he’s all about easy access! Nathan (of REBEL) might start out as a boxers-wearing guy, but, for reasons you’ll learn, he probably wouldn’t wear underwear. And Catullus (of STRANGER) is a briefs man. He likes to be neatly contained, but I bet he’d invent some kind of special wicking fabric to keep him cool and comfortable in the field.

3. If the Blades of the Rose are the heroes of these books, who are the villains?

There are many different organizations who want to find and enslave the world’s magic for their own nefarious purposes, but the baddest of the bad are the Heirs of Albion. Even their name is obnoxious! The Heirs want to exploit magic to ensure the supremacy of the British Empire, and nothing will stop them in their pursuit of power. Only the Blades stand between the Heirs and total global domination.

4. Are the BLADES OF THE ROSE books paranormal, historical, or romantic suspense?

All of the above! The books are set in 1874 and 1875, so that definitely makes them historical. There’s lots of fun magic (curses, monsters, enchanted objects), so that makes them paranormal. And the adventure is almost non-stop, with lots of thrilling action, including chases, fights and epic battles, so they’re also romantic suspense. Plus, the BLADES OF THE ROSE books are very sexy, so we get some spice, too!

10. The BLADES OF THE ROSE books are set in some pretty interesting places. WARRIOR is set in Mongolia, REBEL is set in the Canadian Rockies. Where does SCOUNDREL take place, and why did you pick that location?

SCOUNDREL opens in Athens, Greece, but most of the story happens in the Aegean Sea, including the gorgeous Cyclades Islands. If you haven’t been there, just do a Google image search and prepare to fall in love. Crystal blue water, dazzling white rock islands, sunshine. Gorgeous! Because the BLADES series is all about magic, I wanted to set one of the books in a place full of myth and fable, and you can’t do better than Greece for mythology. Also, each BLADES book corresponds to a different element (earth, air, water, fire), and, for SCOUNDREL, that element is water. There’s so much freedom at sea, which makes it the perfect place for good girl London Harcourt to go wild with a scoundrel.

Editorial Reviews

Archer follows 2010's Warrior with another delightful tale of an intelligent, competent woman sharing adventure and romance with a formidable partner. In this version of 19th-century Europe, rival secret societies battle over ancient sources of magic. Meek linguist London Harcourt is brought to Greece by her controlling, secretive father. After a chance meeting with the charming Bennett Day, London learns that her father and his companions want England to control the world's magic, while Bennett's group, the Blades of the Rose, is trying to return the artifacts to the peoples that originally owned them. London, finally ready to make her own choices, becomes an active participant in the race to save the mystery of Greek fire from abuse by her father's organization, beginning a relationship with Bennett along the way. London's personal growth paces the adventure story beautifully, and readers will cheer for both the romance and the Blades. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly