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review is just a picture of how personally I take my books and how involved I get! Great many spoilers and fan girl babbling ahead!


Now I dont know how this happened but it was just a coincidence that I read sitelinkThe Black Moth before reading sitelinkThese Old Shades and I hadnt read any of the blurbs about these books before beginning them either.
While I read it, there was some clicking going on in my mind that something is familiar, that I know some of these things, I also felt that Satanas was so similar to The Duke of Andover, the Devil, Further Anthony Merivale is very much alike Sir Anthony Ferndale, in that he had some highwayman history to his name, and had rescued his wife Jennifer from Satanas while he was abducting her and also had had a terrific sword fight with him that was played with almost the same level of expertise, though Merivale had a slight edge over Avon remember Jack taught fencing in France Now werent all these actions what had also ensued between Sir Anthony Ferndale and the Duke of Andover Further the character of Hugh Devanant is again similar to Devils friend who unwaveringly is focused on reforming Devil and is seen prophesying that he will one day love someone more than himself.
I felt curious and I then did some research, It turns out that Heyer had written These Old Shades using the same characters, retaining their character essence in their names and just made them more three dimensional.
And it indeed is another side to the story of The Black Moth set three years after the happenings of The Black moth and it was said that she had named the book as she did in order to give it a continuation of sorts.



I did not like The Black Moth as much as I have liked other Heyer books in fact I have listed it in my bottomHeyers recently.
But after having read TOS, I am fascinated! There can be no other book like These Old Shades! I love it to the last shred! And that is an understatement! I just cannot understand how this was penned.
The detailing of emotions, actions, feelings and situations is just out of the world!


First, It is Monseigneur and Léon, the page!

Oh such a cute mix of loyalty, devotion, love, servitude, fury in Léon and of an apparently detached interest, care, admonition and command in Satanas.
This phase in their lives was so pure and unadulterated, I was touched at Léons selfless and zealous dedication to Avon and his fury in defense of his master, Léons rescue at the hands of Avon from the clutches of Jean and his horrid wife, have earned for the Duke a lifelong dedicated and devoted servant.
Léon has placed his Monseigneur on a pinnacle of heroism,


Here, It always goes like:


Avon: Do this! With haughtiness
Léon: Yes, Monseigneur!
Avon: We go to Vaussauds!
Léon: Yes, Monseigneur!
Avon: an impertinent page!
Léon: engaging smile
Avon: My Léon Oh, how cute!
Léon: I will be yours forever My Monseigneur!
Avon: My infant! How endearing!
Léon: You are the best Monseigneur!


Then the covers are lifted and truth revealed to Avon though hes

known it forever! Léon turns into Léonie and is taught to be a girl again and becomes Avons ward.



Then it is Monseigneur and Léonie, the ward!


Oh theres growth in this phase, Growth in love, in devotion, in care and in affections and fondness of Léonie and Avon for each other, Its not just Léonie who is fond of him there is also growth in Avons attachment here, And theres not just fondness, but a mutual respect evident, I had a lump in the throat and almost cried at a couple of places, Some of the best scenes I have ever read are in this book, especially the one where Avon leaves Léonie in Lady Fannys care.
Thats my favourite scene. Then, the travel to and from Versailles, Also, Léonie and Avons reunion in Bassincourt,

What we come across in this phase is:

Léonie: Monseigneur do this! With an engaging smile
Avon: Yes infant!
Léonie: Monseigneur not our library! a captivating dimple here
Avon: Yes, ma fille!
Léonie: Monseigneur not that! an ensnaring peep from beneath the lashes
Avon: yes my child!


So basically, she has Avon around her little finger! Satanas, whom no one could prevail upon finally comes to love someone more than himself!


I never thought Id say this, but: “I love Satanas!” I mean who could not For all his satanical actions, I still find His Grace of Avon, Justin Alastair one of the most charming and endearing heroes ever! He is enthralling and fascinating.
The sarcasm and the sharp straightfaced oneliners are just too good! Under the façade of his satanical acts, there is a human aspect to Justin which only Leonie succeeds in nudging out.
His kindness, empathy and care for Leonie are remarkably beautiful, He is aware of his own unworthiness and is trying his best to save Léonie from himself, His anguish and accumulating vengeance for what Léonie has had to suffer for her fathers vile actions is captivating to read, To revenge Léonies sufferings he, at one point forgets that he himself had a score to settle with Saint Vire so taken is he by her and so selfless is his love.



Léonie or Léon! She is my most beloved of Heyer heroines, even more than Frederica and Venetia whom I had found the most likable up till now.
Reading TOS has really changed the sequence of my favourites, She is just so selfless in her love for Justin and so devoted to him, Theres nothing she wont do for him, The sweet mix of innocence, wisdom and cynicism and her defense of her master with all her life and heart are just so cute! “I am his dog” who says this I mean this is the height of innocent devotion! Her reminiscence of the small conversational details they have had, her fear of losing him, of being away from him and unhappiness at being parted from him when hes on his travels, her whim of keeping the library out of reach of outsiders just because it is their sitting place and where he had brought her for the first time are the things which really show how much he means to her and how much each moment they passed together is important to her.



Such intricate description of the small nothings which are valued as everything endears the book so much to the heart!

I found their love for one another selfless and unadulterated.
There is a sense of belonging between them right from their first meeting with each other and their bond just grows stronger each moment, And it was not just Justin and Léonie, but Monseigneur and Léon were equally beautiful, “My Leon” and “Monseigneur” are just simple endearments denoting such deep fondness, pride and affection, They are just made for each other!


Hugh Devanant, Lord Rupert Alastair, Lady Fanny Marling who have substantial roles to play in the story are all so very likable.
Ruperts outspoken jests are hilarious! Lady Fanny is a sweet heart and Hugh Devanant such a level headed and caring friend, Merivale is interesting and I felt like killing Saint Vire myself! Told you I get too involved!


The story is compelling, The way it is wrought is remarkable, Splendid, in fact! No doubt, it is so loved and appreciated around the globe,


I could go on and on and on about it and still not be satisfied with what Ive written because this is not even a tenth of what I feel! Ive come to love and appreciate Georgette Heyer even more after this and am royally spoilt for other books!


I would just say: IF YOU HAVENT READ THIS BOOK, YOUVE LEFT A BEAUTIFUL TREASURE UNOPENED.
A MUST READ IN THIS LIFETIME! I think I'm too much a product of my time, Having a hero who wasyrs and a heroine who was, combined with the hero constantly calling her infant and forof the story portraying her as very young, innocent, and wideeyed, I couldn't and didn't want to buy into their romance.


If you liked Val from Hoyt's Maiden Lane series, you're going to love our hero Justin, definitely an inspiration for him, I was a big fan of Justin and his wit, he's constantly miles and moves ahead of everyone else, Leonie was kept so young, guileless, and precocious without much emotional maturity growth, I have to be that person and say I wasn't a big fan of the heroine.


The father figure falling for the young girl who hero worships him but written very well with tangled weave drama, A guardianward romance set in the reign of Louis XV, with a dash of Pygmalion, and a revenge dish served very, very cold, Georgette Heyer's These Old Shades was quite delicious, once I was able to ignore and set aside the hopelessly out of touch and destructive hypothesis that is at the core of the novel.
That is, nature will always win out over nurture, So if an aristocratic, wellbred, pureblood being is unwittingly ripped from its natural surroundings and thrust upon a dung heap, it will still manage to bloom as a most radiant flower.
And viceversa, you can put lipstick on a pig and he always will reek,

The dialogue and characterizations in this story were superb, particularly the male protagonist, a fortyish, dandified, rakehell of the Georgian era, The denouement of his meticulously planned revenge was so perfect that it made the comeuppance of the evil shrew of Les Liasons Dangereuses seem like child's play.


I have to admit though that the cast of secondary characters, a madcap assortment of aristos with always a bon mot, a box of snuff, and an invitation to a ball up their sleeves, and the infantile, annoying heroine, who I am sure delighted the original readership of this book, kind of grated on me.


Still, overall, an entertaining little book, Okay, I am officially a Georgette Heyer reader now, I can see why she is touted as the best of the best when it comes to historical romance, This book was thoroughly enjoyable, I tell you, Avon is a very singular hero, I have read few books with a hero whose dialogue was so expressive, yet ironic at the same time, His wit is so sharp that it could cut diamonds, What's really interesting is that Avon is considered the worst of the worst when it comes to being a debauched rake, yet you never see him looking or acting anything less than elegant.
I really admire that Heyer was able to convey this about him without going into his dirty deeds, All that occurs before the book begins, In fact, so much is conveyed and not expressly shown in this story, and done with remarkable skill, I have to say that I read this story, looking to Ms, Heyer to teach me as a writer the ability to create powerful dialogue that shows and does not tell, Avon is quite the character, He is definitely a dandy and a fop, wearing bright colors, dripping with lace and jewels, and highheeled shoes, He even carries a fan that he uses, But he is a man of his time, with a masculinity that is not questionable, And to think we don't have to see him bedhopping to believe in his masculinity!! I thought that Ms, Heyer did a fantastic job in showing Avon's transition from being a cold man with a heart of stone to a loving person, You see this in his manner changing towards friends and family, And you see it in how he interacts with Leonie, who gives him her steadfast, unconditional love from the very beginning,



Avon is bent on revenge, but he exemplifies the saying, "Revenge is a dish best served cold, " He waited over twenty years to obtain his revenge on his enemy, When the tool of his revenge stumbles into him on a Paris street, it takes a while for you to see how he/she plays into it.
Avon concocts a shallow, bored, remote demeanor that is very misleading, The whole while, he is feeling and seeing everything that goes on around him, He sees right through Leon's facade, realizing that she is a girl, Her unique coloring, Red hair and black eyebrows, immediately brings to mind his worst enemy, SaintVire, Yet it takes the reader a little while to put the puzzles together, You are not bored though, as the story unfolds and you get to realize what Avon's plan is, For the lines in this story are so laugh out loud funny, you might want to be careful where you break out this book, I'm sure people thought was I was crazy in the moments I read this story in public, because I would burst out into hilarious laughter.
As for the revenge plot, you have to read this book until nearly the very end to see how marvelously and skillfully Avon executes his plan for revenge.
I have to say, 'Bravo, ' And to be honest, it couldn't have happened to a better person,


One of my favorite characters in this story is Rupert, Avon's younger brother, Why Because he made me laugh so hard, He had the best lines, I firmly believe that Loretta Chase must have thought of him when she wrote Bertie in sitelinkLord of Scoundrels, although Rupert is not nearly as unintelligent as Bertie is portrayed to be.
Rupert does a very good job as serving as comic relief in a story that would have been quite dark without these moments of humor.
Because of his contribution, I cannot even consider this a dark read, This is also in part to the back and forth dialogue between characters which has the cadence and the humor that endears comedic movies of thes ands to this reader and movie buff.
The scene with the horse that Rupert 'borrowed' and its livid owner who comes to Avon's home for redress was laugh out loud hilarious, Definitely like a scene froms slapstick comedy at its best, Some of the characters that add to the wonderful atmosphere are Fanny, Avon's sister, Marling, her staid husband, and Hugh, Avon's less staid, but certainly moral friend, who often disproves of Avon's behavior, but is a steadfast friend all the same.


Leonie is a character that I liked, although at times her ingenue nature was a bit much for me, The older I get, the less I really enjoy the very young, vivacious, extremely audaciousmannered heroines, I did not let that lessen my enjoyment of this story, for Leonie is the perfect foil for Avon, This older, very jaded hero needed a very young, sweet heroine with a zest for life, He would not have fallen in love and committed to a happy ending as a happily married man otherwise, In fact, I think his cold heart would have grown colder through the years, probably pushing everyone away who loved him, had it not been for Leonie's advent into his life.


Leonie is the character that everyone loves, I suppose she might be considered a 'Mary Sue' by some, but again, I don't quibble, for this story needed a character like her for it be successful.
Also I reject the notion that an old fashioned, feelgood story doesn't have its place in the world, They most certainly do. And at the end of the day, the escapades of this hoyden do make you smile and feel good,

This novel gave me a very good look intoth century life in France and England, for which I was grateful, It is said that Heyer's book stand up against the most stringent historical accuracy sticklers, She is a testiment to the genre of historical romance, which is always taking hits as being lowbrow fiction, I wonder why this has not been made into film, for I feel it would make a wonderful movie, And it has an appeal outside of those readers who enjoy romance,

This book was a joy to read, and it has made me an eager fan of Heyer, I would love to read more of her books, and since I've heard that she had some older, sensible heroine one of my favorite types in historical romance, I expect to enjoy those books just as much, if not more.


For those romance fans who haven't read Heyer, take it from me, You really should give her a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed, .