I enjoyed the three Jane Aiken Hodge books I’ve read previously – Marry in Haste, Strangers in Company and Watch the Wall, My Darling – so I thought I would try another one. First Night was originally published in 1989, but has been recently reissued by Agora Books.

The story begins in 1802 in the fictional Central European principality of Lissenberg. Lady Cristabel Sallis, the teenage daughter of a British duke and politician, and Prince Maximilian, heir to the principality, are performing in a children’s performance of Orpheus and Eurydice to mark the opening of the new Lissenberg Royal Opera House. Cristabel persuades Max to switch parts with her so that she can sing the male lead, revealing her identity at the end to rapturous applause from the audience. Not everyone is so impressed, though – her father is outraged and sends Cristabel home in disgrace.

Twenty-one-year-old American heiress Martha Ann Peabody hears about Cristabel’s escapades and is intrigued. She has been longing for adventure and the chance to make an independent life for herself, so she seeks out Cristabel in England and offers to help her launch a career in opera despite her father’s opposition. With Martha’s money and Cristabel’s talent they are the perfect team and, chaperoned by Cristabel’s Aunt Helen, they make their way to Paris, then Venice, before eventually ending up back in Lissenberg again.

Opera continues to play a big part in the plot of First Night as Cristabel pursues her passion for singing and the three women meet an assortment of composers, musicians and performers, but as the novel progresses the political situation in Lissenberg becomes more and more important. I wish the author had included an author’s note at the end of the book because I would have liked to have known more about her portrayal of Lissenberg and whether she had a real place in mind. It certainly sounds like an oppressive and dangerous place to live: an absolute monarchy under the control of the tyrant Prince Gustav who stops at nothing, including murder, to get what he wants. On the outside, there’s Napoleon Bonaparte, rapidly increasing in power – and Prince Gustav must decide whether to yield to him or try to defy him.

The setting was fascinating, but I can’t really say the same for the characters. I did love Martha Peabody, who is both courageous and kind-hearted and tries to help the people of Lissenberg in any small way she can, but Cristabel was a complete enigma to me. I felt that I never understood how she was really thinking or feeling and this made her come across as a strangely shallow character considering that at the beginning of the book it seemed as though she was going to be the heroine. Based on the first chapter I had also expected a romance between Cristabel and Prince Maximilian, especially when they meet again on Cristabel’s return to Lissenberg, but because Cristabel’s emotions are kept at such a distance from the reader, I wasn’t sure how she truly felt about him or what the nature of their relationship really was.

Unlike the other three books I’ve read by Jane Aiken Hodge, which could be neatly labelled as historical romance, romantic suspense and gothic novel respectively, this one is much more difficult to classify. I certainly wouldn’t describe it as a romance, although the cover might suggest otherwise. I found it difficult to get into and confusing at times, but I enjoyed the last few chapters which were packed with surprises, political intrigue and the revelation of secrets.

This book appears to be the first in a trilogy, followed by Leading Lady and Last Act; I don’t have any plans to look for the other two books at the moment, but I would still like to read Red Sky at Night, one of her earlier novels which I already have on my shelf.

I liked this book much more than the last one by Jane Aiken Hodge, that I have read. In this novel three women boldly decided that they would try to lunch a successful singing career for one of them, introduce her to great opera houses and make her a primadonna. The talented young woman Lady Cristabel Sallis was a duke's daughter and she was determined to leave her old life behind and launch an amazing career. Her aunt agreed to be her chaperone and a rich American friend Martha Ann Peabody decided to sponsor it all. Martha loved music and adventure. She was also the most likable person in the story. She was the one who convinced Cristabel to start her journey to greatness.

Most of the novel took place in Venice, Italy and Lissenberg, which was a fictional place ruled by tyrannical Prince Gustav, who made everyone's life miserable through the story. Prince Gustav had a son, who was a great fan of opera and fell in love in Cristabel, but couldn't be with her because obviously reasons (and also because of the raison de l'état and his infuriating father).

The plot resolved around the competition held in Lissenberg for the best new opera and also around conspiracy and rebellious discontent in Lissenberg. As a result there was a lot of singing and opera writing in the story. The author revealed many characters' secrets, especially at the end... But, honestly, they were a bit too far-fetched for my liking. Also some characters disappointed me badly with their actions. It was hard to understand how some characters decided to ignore the political situation in Lissenberg, which threatened their and their friends' safety and to live on happily as nothing was wrong. Also Cristabel's feelings weren't really explained in the book and consequently her actions were completely baffling.

Overall, "First Night" made an interesting read, but I would prefer the story to take place in an actual place not in a fictional country. I also would rather the author explained better the motivation and feelings of characters.

The story started out, to be about one thing but ended up being about something else.
It was an okay story.

I couldn't get through the first chapter. Found everything very confusing, and no one grabbed my attention.

Lady Cristabel, daughter of a duke, wants nothing more than to be a great singer like her mother. Martha Peabody, an American heiress, has money and independence, and offers to take Cristabel under her wing as a manager to help get the young woman the training she needs. The pair become surrounded by political intrigue as Napoleon rises in power.

What I especially enjoyed about this story was it is set in my favorite time period, but mostly takes place in a small country and not entirely in London. While I found Cristabel naive and foolish, I very much enjoyed Martha. Her confidence and wit in facing whatever she faced were admirable.

The plot is rich with details of the era, and I do feel like I learned quite a bit about opera, composing, and the politics of the time. The romance is understated, and the ending is a bit fantastical.

Overall, I would highly recommend this to readers who enjoy a different view of the Regency era.

Cristabel and Max are headlining a youth performance of Orpheus and Eurydice in Lissenberg’s new opera house. Thirteen year old Christabel convinces Max to switch parts to let her sing the male lead only to reveal herself to thunderous applause, and her father’s burning shame, at the opera’s close. Disgraced, Christabel is sent back to England.
American heiress Martha Peabody seeks Cristabel out with an unorthodox proposition: Martha has money and independence but no talent, Christabel has raw talent but no means to support herself. But tensions in Lissenberg are rising: Napoleon Bonaparte’s supporters are growing in number and Max’s father, the mad Prince Gustav, is tightening his iron grip on his kingdom. Max’s distant behaviour confuses Cristabel. Meanwhile, Martha finds herself drawn into a political intrigue destined only for trouble.
An engaging read of a novel that was first released in 1990, the pace of the story was good & the characters well portrayed but unfortunately I found my attention wandering & I also skipped through pages. I didn’t connect with the characters & thought they were OK but didn’t really like any of them

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I've never read anything by Jane Aiken Hodge, so I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The characters are both lovable and frustrating, the plot is excellent. My only complaint is that the conclusion wasn't neatly done. Overall, a fun book that many will enjoy.

I loved First Night. I expected something even more over the top than usual with settings like Venice and the fictional Lissenberg, and the author did not disappoint me. Even as the mystery and suspense overtakes the plot a love of opera thrums through the novel and striving for excellence drives the characters forward. The plot has unexpected twists and turns that kept me reading. The novel was published in 1989, and I think it holds up well.

At thirteen, Lady Christabel exchanged roles with her friend Prince Max of Lissenberg, and became a sensation singing Orpheus to his Eurydice. Her furious father the duke dragged her home to England and shut her up away from society. Fifteen years later, wealthy American Martha Peabody arranges to hear Christabel sing; afterward, the two young women and Christabel's spinster Aunt Helen set out to make Chris and opera star. They go first to Paris, then to Venice. When they have the opportunity to return to tiny Lissenberg with Prince Gustav's new opera company, Christabel leaps at the chance. But all is not well in Lissenberg. Prince Gustav is a tyrant, rebellion is brewing, and Napoleon's imperial ambitions threaten from outside. While Chris embraces life in the opera, Martha--the main viewpoint character--finds herself embroiled in plots.

First published in 1989 and now available as an ebook, this holds up well to a modern reader. Although there is romance aplenty, it isn't really a romance novel. Nor is it quite genre romantic suspense. But it is definitely a good read, with appealing characters.

I'll be honest, I just could not get to grips with this book and did not read it all the way to the end. It just did not capture my attention and sadly I did not enjoy it.

Martha Peabody is bored so goes to Europe. She hears about Lady Cristabel and her beautiful voice. Crisabel and her friend Max had changed places in doing a child's Opera of Orpheus and Eurydice which they are found out and Cristabel is sent to the country not to sing again. Cristabel and her Aunt Helen are met up with Martha and they go to Italy to develop her voice. They eventually go to Lissenberg where Cristabel first sang with her friend Max. They are stuck there for the winter. Martha tries ot help the people as the Prince cannot see past his own needs. He is hoping to make an aliance with Napoleon but that may not work as Napoleon is becoming Emperor Will the ladies accomplish what they want? Read to see where all this story goes. .

As all her books, first night was wonderful. The storyline was excellent. I loved that the characters were both horrible and great. You loved them and disliked them at the same time. I wish the book had more of a conclusion but still loved the read!