Congress of Secrets

September 12, 2016
Burgis (Masks and Shadows) delivers a rich tale that throws magic into the already-intriguing setting of the Congress of Vienna in 1814 and 1815. Years before, Austria’s secret police, led by Count Pergen, arrested a radical printer and imprisoned his daughter, Caroline. She escaped and reinvented herself, posing as a widow in England, and now she wants to rescue her father. His former apprentice, Michael, has grown into a successful con artist and has snuck back into Vienna with plans of his own. In this alternate history, alchemists intermingle with politicians, and both Michael and Caroline’s schemes have the potential to unravel even before they encounter each other and realize (after some misunderstandings) that they might work well together. Burgis’s thorough research shines through; the Austrian setting and the historical figures—including Emperor Francis II—help ground the story even when magical elements are at the forefront. This capably written and captivating tale is a fine example of historical fantasy. Agent: Molly Ker Hawn, Bent Agency.

Against an intriguing backdrop of the historical congress of nations that met to divvy up Europe after Napoleon Bonaparte's defeat, Burgis (Masks and Shadows, 2016) sets a tenacious survivor against a magic-wielding emperor of Austria.Karolina Vogl has not been back to Vienna for many years--not since the imprisonment of her printer father by the state's secret police and her own imprisonment by the emperor's adviser, a cruel alchemist. In the two decades since, Karolina has married (twice) and is now Lady Caroline Wyndham of England. She returns to Vienna seeking her father's freedom--but Count Pergen and Emperor Francis are not the only figures of her past around. Michael Steinhuller, her childhood friend whom she blames for abandoning her, has become a dashing con man with his own plot to profit from Europe's political upheaval--claiming a false crown, in hopes of snagging reparations. Aided by meticulously researched historical figures such as Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord and the seventh Prince de Ligne, Michael plays international politics and Caroline schemes to get close to Emperor Francis...but when Caroline is betrayed, she must face the frightening (if somewhat nebulous) alchemy and sinister men that terrorized her as a girl. She must also confront her own trust issues, as a childhood crush on Michael blooms into more during their forced alliance. Though it's refreshing for our romantic leads to be in their mid-30s, with cynicism aplenty for both, Caroline's legitimate traumas boil away at the first heated kiss, placing us back into rather cliched territory. While everything wraps up a bit too neatly--with a literally theatrical climax--Burgis paints an engaging cast and has a fine eye for the details of 1814 Vienna. History buffs will find this to be a tasty, if airy, bit of strudel. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 15, 2016
Set during the historical backdrop of the Congress of Vienna, which occurred after the defeat and exile of Napoleon Bonaparte, this novel is not only about the lengths political leaders will go to gain power but the lengths a daughter will go to save her father. It would appear that Lady Caroline Wyndham, a wealthy English widow, is in Vienna to celebrate with other European aristocrats and diplomats in the downfall of Napoleon. In reality, Lady Caroline is actually Karolina Vogl, daughter of a radical printer who was arrested and imprisoned by the Viennese Secret Police when she was just a child. With a childhood stolen by the secret police and dark alchemy, Karolina has returned to Vienna to save her father from imprisonment and from the dark powers that still lurk in Vienna. Though not as engaging as Burgis' previous novel, Masks and Shadows (2016), this will still delight her fans and fans of historical fiction in general with its spin on political intrigue, historical romance, dark alchemy, and romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2016
Against an intriguing backdrop of the historical congress of nations that met to divvy up Europe after Napoleon Bonaparte's defeat, Burgis (Masks and Shadows, 2016) sets a tenacious survivor against a magic-wielding emperor of Austria.Karolina Vogl has not been back to Vienna for many years--not since the imprisonment of her printer father by the state's secret police and her own imprisonment by the emperor's adviser, a cruel alchemist. In the two decades since, Karolina has married (twice) and is now Lady Caroline Wyndham of England. She returns to Vienna seeking her father's freedom--but Count Pergen and Emperor Francis are not the only figures of her past around. Michael Steinhuller, her childhood friend whom she blames for abandoning her, has become a dashing con man with his own plot to profit from Europe's political upheaval--claiming a false crown, in hopes of snagging reparations. Aided by meticulously researched historical figures such as Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord and the seventh Prince de Ligne, Michael plays international politics and Caroline schemes to get close to Emperor Francis...but when Caroline is betrayed, she must face the frightening (if somewhat nebulous) alchemy and sinister men that terrorized her as a girl. She must also confront her own trust issues, as a childhood crush on Michael blooms into more during their forced alliance. Though it's refreshing for our romantic leads to be in their mid-30s, with cynicism aplenty for both, Caroline's legitimate traumas boil away at the first heated kiss, placing us back into rather cliched territory. While everything wraps up a bit too neatly--with a literally theatrical climax--Burgis paints an engaging cast and has a fine eye for the details of 1814 Vienna. History buffs will find this to be a tasty, if airy, bit of strudel.

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.