First Night

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.