The runaway bride

Book review: Night of a Thousand Stars by Deanna Raybourn

I was in the mood for a light, historical novel set in post WW I England, and picked up 'Night of a Thousand Stars' by Deanna Raybourn on a whim. I am an ardent fan of her Lady Julia Grey series and really like her writing style, plots and lead characters. Sure enough, she was in great form in this book as well. 

Straight away, the book begins with a bang - with Penelope Hammond (better known as 'Poppy') running away from the church where her wedding is about to take place to Viscount Madderly, a prosaic aristocrat chosen by her dominating mother and extremely wealthy stepfather. However, Poppy has never felt herself fit into the mould of a high society British lady of the twenties, and hates leading a life constricted by social customs and norms. 

Poppy longs to be free, to see the world and to have experiences that will help her understand who she is and what she wants in life. She knows that adventure runs in her blood, as her real father is Eglamour March, who readers of the Lady Julia series will fondly remember as 'Plum', Lady Julia's brother. The Marches are all said to be "mad as the March hare" and are infamous as non-conformists. So small wonder that Poppy decides to run away at the last moment to escape a staid and predictable married life!

Source: pininterest.com

Just as she is about to jump from the church window, Poppy encounters a young curate, Sebastian Cantrip, who curiously, instead of stopping her, actively aids in her escape plan:

"I say, if you're running away from your wedding, you're going about it quite wrong." 

Poppy persuades Sebastian to drive her to her father's house in Devon and along the way, they have a hilarious conversation where Poppy discusses her reasons for running away from the marriage. We get glimpses of Sebastian through Poppy's eyes and have the feeling that there may be more to him than meets the eye:

There was something improbable about him, as if in looking at him one could add two and two and never make four.

Poppy's mother, stepfather and irate fiancee pursue her to her father's house but she is adamant that she will not go through with the wedding, thereby causing the scandal of the decade. Poppy's efficient maid and faithful confidant, Masterman, comes to stay with her in Devon as she lies low for a while to escape the scandal. Poppy soon gets bored with the quiet life and decides to visit London to thank Sebastian for his timely assistance. Little does she know that she is about to embark on a roller coaster ride, culminating in the kind of adventure of a lifetime that she has always longed for! 

To her utter surprise, Poppy discovers that no one in the church has ever heard of a curate named Sebastian Cantrip. So who is Sebastian actually and where has he disappeared to? With the help of Masterman, Poppy tries to trace Sebastian's whereabouts as she has the nagging feeling that he is in trouble somewhere. She soon finds out his real name and discovers that he has left on a ship bound for Damascus. On an impulse, she decides to pursue him and takes up the role of secretary to Colonel Archainbaud, a retired colonel who is also travelling to Damascus. 

Damascus; Source: edugeography.com

This is when the true fun starts. An entire cast of intriguing characters is introduced, starting from the jovial old colonel and his improbably handsome valet, Hugh Talbot, to the beautiful Comtesse de Courtempierre and her flirtatious son, Armand. There is also a shadowy character following Poppy around and sending her dire warnings to leave Damascus. The ancient treasures discovered at the archaeological site of Ashkelon by Lady Hester Stanhope, the famous 19th century British adventurer, play an important role as well.

Ashkelon; Source: www.danhotels.com

Poppy does meet Sebastian again under completely different circumstances and realizes that he is nothing like the man she had met before. The mystery and danger rapidly escalate as each character's hidden motivations are revealed. The plot thickens, Poppy is embroiled in a murder, and gets plunged deep into an unknown world of espionage and political intrigue. There are surprising betrayals, murderous adversaries, cross-country chases, thrilling disguises and deadly knife fights, along with a few twists in the tale that I never saw coming. 

The author deftly counter-balances all this non-stop action with witty banter and great chemistry between the lead pair. 

"For God's sake," I muttered irritably. "What's the matter with you? Anyone would think you were the Gothic heroine." 

I began to wonder if he was afflicted with a bit of a genteel distaste for violence. It wasn't fair either, I decided. After casting off the shabby garb of an impoverished English curate, he looked like a hero out of a myth. The least he could do was behave like one.

Poppy never comes across as stupid or spoilt. She bravely faces situations she has never before encountered in her sheltered life, and yet manages to retain her sense of humour and passion for adventure. 

Something within my chest tightened then, some feeling of pride that I had risen to a challenge and given him reason to think me worthy, and - more importantly - given myself a reason to feel worthy.

The book ends on a satisfactory note, with Poppy finally realizing who she is and no longer denying what's in her blood.

'Night of a Thousand Stars' is the kind of book that I prefer to read in a single sitting. It drew me in from the very first page, kept me involved in Poppy's adventures, and invited me to jump on to the merry bandwagon. If you are looking for an entertaining, fun read with an intrepid heroine, humourous dialogues, non-stop action and a dash of romance, look no further than 'Night of a Thousand Stars'.