Judith Merkle Riley. (2013). The Master of All Desires. Sourcebooks.

Judith Merkle Riley. 2013. The Master of All Desires. Sourcebooks.

Judith Merkle Riley, The Master of All Desires. Sourcebooks, 2013.

Judith Merkle Riley. The Master of All Desires. Sourcebooks, 2013.

OverDrive Product Record

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Master of All Desires

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The Master of All Desires

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2015-07-13T12:35:00-04:00

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     • name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
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keywords

1. • value: fiction
2. • value: historical fiction
3. • value: french_literature
4. • value: novels
5. • value: books best sellers
6. • value: best selling books
7. • value: fiction books
8. • value: historical fiction best sellers
9. • value: historical fiction books
10. • value: best books of 2016
11. • value: best fiction 2016
12. • value: best fiction 2017
13. • value: best fiction books of 2016
14. • value: best fiction books of 2017
15. • value: best selling books for women
16. • value: best selling fiction books
17. • value: bestseller books 2016
18. • value: books historical fiction
19. • value: fiction best sellers 2016
20. • value: fiction best sellers 2017
21. • value: fiction bestsellers
22. • value: mytimes best sellers fiction
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24. • value: top fiction books
25. • value: top selling books

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1. • role: Author
   • fileAs: Riley, Judith Merkle
   • bioText:

     Judith Merkle Riley (1942-2010) held a Ph.D from the University of California at Berkeley, and she taught in the department of government at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, CA. From 1988 to 2007, she wrote six historical novels: The Oracle Glass, The Master of all Desires, A Vision of Light, In Pursuit of the Green Lion, The Water Devil, and The Serpent Garden.

   • name: Judith Merkle Riley

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Sourcebooks Landmark

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2013-07-02T00:00:00-04:00

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title

The Master of All Desires

fullDescription

"A delightful blend of history, romance, and the supernatural, served with a generous helping of wit and humor."—Booklist

Nostradamus, a ruthless queen, and a young poet find themselves in the fight of their lives...

Lady Sibille never goes looking for trouble, but trouble always seems to find her. When she inadvertently becomes the master of an ancient cursed head of Menander the Magus—the Master of All Desires—she suddenly has the power to grant any wish, at a steep price.

Queen Catherine de Medici is trying to obtain the power of the Master in order to get rid of her husband's mistress. But she does not understand that the Master is malic itself, twisting the wishes that he grants to bring destruction.

But only Nostradamus knows that evil befalls all who wish upon this accursed object. Can he stop these determined women before they unwittingly destroy the entire kingdom of France?

Praise for The Master of All Desires:

"Mixing history and fantasy with élan, Judith Merkle Riley offers a tightly woven, suspenseful, and fiendishly funny novel...Lush period detail and sprightly dialogue laced with humor and courtly pomp anchor Riley's romantic adventure with stylized whimsy and historical plausibility."—Publishers Weekly

"Another darling mix of history, romance and the occult from Riley, a writer who excels at getting the background right and creating strong, intelligent heroines."—Kirkus Reviews

reviews

1. • premium: False
   • source: Book Loons
   • content: "I love to read period pieces like this and Master of All Desires did not disappoint."
2. • premium: False
   • source: Book N Bytes
   • content: "Ms. Riley makes the otherworldly powers seem genuine, making this intelligent and humorous book a must read for sub-genre fans or anyone who enjoys top entertainment in their literature."
3. • premium: False
   • source: RT Book Reviews
   • content: "Ms. Rileys fans will truly enjoy her special and clever angle on history and the little millennium twists she throw in here and there. This is a book to enjoy."
4. • premium: False
   • source: Kirkus Review
   • content: "Another dazzling mix of history, romance, and the occult from Riley, a writer who excels at getting the background right and creating strong intelligent heroines (The Serpent Garden, 1996, etc.)"
5. • premium: False
   • source: New England Science Fiction Association, Inc.
   • content: "This is a very good, though very offbeat, fantasy."
6. • premium: False
   • source: Publishers Weekly
   • content: "Lush period detail and sprightly dialogue laced with humor and courtly pomp anchor Riley's romantic adventure with stylized whimsy and historical plausibility. "
7. • premium: False
   • source: Dear Author
   • content: "Merkle Riley manages to make the story funny, entertaining, and educational. "
8. • premium: True
   • source:
   • content:

     November 1, 1999
     Again mixing history and fantasy with lan, the author of The Oracle Glass and The Serpent Garden offers a tightly woven, suspenseful and fiendishly funny novel. In 1556 France, Queen Catherine de Medici spies on her husband, King Henri II, and his lover, Diane de Poitiers, in a vain attempt to learn how Poitiers has ensnared her husband's heart. Driven nearly mad by jealousy, the queen, who is "very fond of do-it-yourself magic," is frustrated with her sycophantic, possibly duplicitous court astrologer's ineffective powers, until he reveals his knowledge of the magical object called the Master of All Desires. This is a centuries-old box that contains the living head of Menander the Undying--a magus who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for eternal life. Anyone in possession of the sharp-tongued, mean-spirited and unpleasant head may have their wishes granted, selling their own soul in the process. Through a series of clever plot twists, Menander winds up in the hands of Sibille Artaud de La Roque, a gritty girl from the provinces, who refuses to make a wish, thereby halting Menander's destructive path. Sibille and her aunt, the remarkable, independently wealthy Pauline Tournet, endeavor to rid themselves of Menander, with assistance from Nostradamus. With the queen in pursuit of Menander, and Nostradamus aiming to destroy it, the terrible head still manages to prevent Sibille from marrying her love, Nicolas. Although every character is appealing (the rotten ones serve up deliciously clever dialogue), the most sympathetic, surprisingly, is the "serpent-queen," as Nostradamus dubs her. Catherine is vulnerable and desperate; for want of love, she risks all, and gains nothing. Lush period detail and sprightly dialogue laced with humor and courtly pomp anchor Riley's romantic adventure with stylized whimsy and historical plausibility. Agent, Jean Naggar. Regional author tour; rights sold to Germany and Denmark.

popularity

115

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   • name: English

subjects

1. • value: Fiction
2. • value: Literature
3. • value: Historical Fiction

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shortDescription

"A delightful blend of history, romance, and the supernatural, served with a generous helping of wit and humor."—Booklist

Nostradamus, a ruthless queen, and a young poet find themselves in the fight of their lives...

Lady Sibille never goes looking for trouble, but trouble always seems to find her. When she inadvertently becomes the master of an ancient cursed head of Menander the Magus—the Master of All Desires—she suddenly has the power to grant any wish, at a steep price.

Queen Catherine de Medici is trying to obtain the power of the Master in order to get rid of her husband's mistress. But she does not understand that the Master is malic itself, twisting the wishes that he grants to bring destruction.

But only Nostradamus knows that evil befalls all who wish upon this accursed object. Can he stop these determined women before they unwittingly destroy the entire kingdom of France?

Praise for The Master of All Desires:

...

sortTitle

Master of All Desires

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publisher

Sourcebooks

bisacCodes

1. • code: FIC014000
   • description: FICTION / Historical / General
2. • code: FIC024000
   • description: Fiction / Occult & Supernatural
3. • code: FIC041000
   • description: Fiction / Biographical