Masks and Shadows by Stephanie Burgis

I am not much of a "romance" person so that aspect of this book was not my favorite but I did appreciate the setting and the use of magic in unexpected ways.

Charlotte von Steinbeck is a recent widow visiting her sister, Sophie, mistress to Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy, at the summer palace. Charlotte is excited to hear new music from choirmaster Josef Hayden and a little scandalized that one of the foremost castrati of the day, Carlo Morelli, will also be a guest. Things get very out-of-control quickly, however, and Charlotte finds herself caught up in webs of palace intrigue as well as supernatural plots.

Like I said, the romantic subplot between Carlo and Charlotte I could have done without, even though I think it was integrated into the story quite well. It's just not my cup of tea. I liked the quasi-realistic setting and the attention to period details, however. It was a very lush read and it was easy to get caught up in the drama of it all. It reminded me a little of the Magnus Flyte series for that old-world glamour but just ended up a little too light and fluffy for me.

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