The Prince of Midnight

By: Laura Kinsale

Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton

He was once a legendary highwayman. Now he's a recluse in a ruined French castle, with only a half-wild wolf for a companion. When Lady Leigh Strachan comes looking for a man to aid in her revenge, she's disillusioned to find that the famed Prince of Midnight couldn't help even if he cared to - which he doesn't. S. T. Maitland wants nothing to do with his legend, or with this fierce, beautiful, broken woman... until the old thrill of living on the cutting edge of danger begins to rise in his blood again.

Laura Kinsale personally chose the exceptional talent of Nicholas Boulton to narrate The Prince of Midnight as a fully voiced audiobook, creating a unique work that brings all the life and color of the original to audio.

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Absolutely charming story

I have read all that I can of Laura Kinsale/Nicholas Boulton, but this is one of my favorites. Right from the beginning it is entertaining, and the story of the fantastic prince of midnight and his reluctant lover is full of fresh and enchanting dialogue right up until the last delightful episode. The story is extremely well-written: a real story, with real people who you both love and find exasperating, and the writing style is poetic, beautiful and laugh-out-loud funny. Especially if you love animals and horses, you'll fall in love with S.T.'s wolf companion and marvel at the seigneur's skill with horses, which is amply explicated at the same time it reveals his kind and patient nature. Lee is the appropriate and often difficult foil to the Seigneur's charming man of mystery, seeing through his poses at the same time that she knows his heart. She has experienced great tragedy, and the story reveals how love and tragedy are linked. Nicholas Boulton is a fabulous narrator who makes these strong male characters come alive with his gorgeous voice.

Still not sure

There were things I loved about this book. The animals! ST’s animals are truly characters in the stories. I now have two reasons to love the name Nemo. I thought the hero was flawed and had depth but I still really liked him.
But there were things to not like in this book too. Leigh? Not so much. Their “I love you now but then I don’t” gave me whiplash. She wasn’t just frustrating to read about...I found myself rooting against her. She’s had a rough life and I think she was supposed to be sympathetic. But she often wasn’t to me. And while the cult stuff felt a little random, it was still interesting. This was my first Kinsale book and based on reviews, her readers love her books so I’m going to try one more.
As for the narration...Boulton now makes my top three readers of all time. Audible, please take note. I’ll buy more books if he reads them.

Love and revenge

This book is excellent! Historical adventure with a twist. I could not put it down, so now that I finished it....I can get some sleep!

An erotic, glorious adventure

Another wonderful story, skillfully told and performed by Bolton. The emotions swung wildly from great humor with the conversation between ST and Nemo at the beginning to heart wrenching agony when the wolf disappeared displayed the depth of the story to come. And the epilogue- whew! Brilliant.

I wanted to scream at the characters from time to time

Great story with multifaceted protagonist and heroine. Equestrian portions of story are told by a writer who knows horses very well. First time ever I did not cringe at the horse human interactions in a novel. As a equestrian, I can attest that the horse training rings with authenticity. One equestrian scene almost pulled a few tears out of me.

I also wanted to slap both of the main characters from time to time.

Still highly recommend this book. It's a great read/listen. The narrator is superb and I'd put him up as one of my favorite audible voices.

Was good, not great

The Prince of Midnight was not as good as Flowers in the Storm or The Shadow and the Star. This book was a little darker. Two injured birds instead of one. Nicholas Boulton is perfect as usual. He has a wonderful voice for narrating.

loved it!!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Prince of Midnight to be better than the print version?

I imagine so , the reader gives it character!

Have you listened to any of Nicholas Boulton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

None

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

it was exiting , amazed that is the first time I have a romance novel in the point of view of a man ...wonderful!!

Please write more novels

I love the stories and Nicholas Boulton. I have listened to this one 5x. Your other novels, a like number. Please, please write more.

Good Book But A Bit Frustrating

This seemed like it was going to be a very strange book and, in some ways, very unlike any other romance I've read. There's a former swordsman named S. T. Maitland who's half-deaf and loves to love and be loved, S. T.'s pet wolf who's afraid of women, and Leigh Strachan, a woman who's disguised herself as a man and wants to learn to use a sword so she avenge her family. In an odd sort of role reversal, it's Leigh who wants nothing to do with love and emotions, and S. T. who wants love (although mostly he wants a willing bedpartner).

One thing that I noticed about this book that was really different from any other romance I've listened to because of the the point of view from which it was told. Most romance novels I've read mainly show things from the woman's point of view, with occasional passages or chapters from the man's. In this book, that was reversed. It isn't even until the fourth chapter that you get to see anything from Leigh's point of view, or know her actual thoughts. It was interesting, and, although I wasn't sure at first how I'd like it, S. T. was fascinating.

The only real problem I had with this book was Leigh, who was often very frustrating. I could understand why she didn't want to open up to S. T. - I though the author got that across quite nicely. However, I got tired of how cruel and cold she could be, and started wishing she'd just learn to trust someone a little. It was a great story, but sometimes Leigh really made me want to scream in frustration. If I could, I think I would give this book a 4.5.

Nicholas Boulton was outstanding with the delivery of the story.

Brilliant!

"Don't let that happen to me." Her words shook. "Don't leave me to be what I'll become without you."

This is a review of the audio book as well as the story itself.

Once again Laura Kinsale has written an amazing novel, and Nicholas Boulton has made it real. I can’t even explain what he brings to the stories he narrates. How he makes the hero and heroine so much more than just characters in a book. He doesn’t merely read their lines, he exists in them. The people, their lives, their passions and trials and triumphs… he becomes them! He makes them living, feeling human beings – flawed, tormented, irredeemable people who I can’t help but fall in love with.

The Story

Leigh’s need for revenge drives her far from home to La Paire, in the foothills of the French Alps, seeking the help of the man known as le Seigneur du Minuit – The Prince of Midnight. She needs someone with his strength, his cunning, and his skills at swordplay if she has any hope of destroying the man that destroyed her family. But convincing le Seigneur to help is harder than Leigh anticipated, and so begins a battle of wits and wills.

S.T. Maitland isn’t the man he once was – not physically or emotionally. As Leigh’s masquerade unravels and her story comes out, bit by bit, S.T. knows that her’s is a cause le Seigneur du Minuit would have championed. But now, barely able to stand up without falling over, hope he once had of healing, any high esteem he’d once regarded of himself is gone, and S.T. doesn’t imagine to be any use to anyone.

My Thoughts

Oh, what an emotional roller-coaster ride this is! At times I loathed Leigh, at times I loved her. At times I hated S.T., at times I worshipped him! From one scene to the next I didn’t know what to expect from these two equally tortured souls! It’s a heartbreaking, uplifting, romantic, painfully brilliant story, and that, lovely readers, is why I was up until the wee hours, listening, unable to close my eyes until the end.

I’m not usually a fan of high-angst stories, but this one sucked me in, chewed me up and spit me out - and I loved every minute of it! I wanted to kill Leigh and S.T. at the same time I couldn’t help but love them both. I desperately needed them to get their happily ever after just as desperately as I wanted them to give up on each other and walk away.

But, in the end, when it was all said and done and I was listening to those final words of the story, I knew it was right. I knew that even though their happily ever after was hard fought, it was so, so well deserved, and that made it right.

Perfect.

Brilliant!