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Summary: Letters 1-25. Ulrich and John's agreement for Perchta's dowry promises that Ulrich will contribute 60k groschen, which John will add 90k to in the form of an estate at Steiregg. The majority of letters are written by Perchta. Her initial letter is playful and teasing, then the tone dramatically shifts. Perchta is deeply unhappy in her marriage to John and pleads in generalized complaints to both father Ulrich and brother Henry that she is left in poverty and bullied by her mother-in-law, to the extent that she fears her death from poison or mistreatment.

Prologue A woman cries out for an 'Araxes!' against the backdrop of the Pyramids and Sphinx.

Chapter 1 Satirical commentary against colonialist offenses in Egypt and false ideas of scientific racism and cultural superiority that leads into character introductions. Male friends of Sir Chetwynd lounge about the Gezireh Palace Hotel and prepare for a costume party ball, where Dr. Dean discusses religious philosophy with Armand, leading to a discussion on the immortality of the soul and the "beyond".

Sir Chetwynd Lyle: the worst sort of Englishman. Newspaper editor. Has a wife and two eligible unmarried daughters: Dolly and Muriel.

Armand Gervase: French painter who arrives later to attend the ball. Materialistic denier of God and the soul. Hired to paint the beautiful, unmarried (?), Princess Ziska, a subject of gossip.

Ross Courtney and Lord Fulkeward: Leisured friends of Sir Chetwynd. Courtney is infatuated with Princess Ziska. Lady Fulkeward: Lord Fulkeward's mother, who trends liberal with her social calls and habits.

Dr Maxwell Dean: In Egypt to 'study' personages, the occult, and history. Knows hieroglyphics. Spiritualistic. Firm believer in life after death.

Helen Murray: A beauty with blue eyes. Denzil Murray: Similarly handsome young man who is in love with the Princess Ziska.

Intro Summary: Perchta and Anezka were daughters of the powerful Rozmberk family of south Bohemia in the 15th c. Their family's finances and authority were complicated by the Hussite Wars and their father Ulrich's opposition against George of Podebrady, a moderate Hussite who was crowned as King of Bohemia in 1473.

Anezka remained unmarried and free from a convent, an usual situation for noble women in her time and place, as families feared an unmarried woman would scheme to marry a man not of their choosing.

Perchta married John of Lichensteijn in 1449, but a delay in dowry payments due to financial difficulties and other priorities of the Rozmberk family troubled her marriage. John of Lichesteijn did not care for Perchta and her expectations of traditional wifely obedience in exchange for love and support and authority over household affairs, as modeled by her beloved father Ulrich, were not met. Her brother John of Rozmberk enabled payment of Perchta's dowry after granting his support to George of Podebrady, who agreed to cancel significant Rozmberk debts. However, Perchta's situation did not improve.

Anezka's letters were written in Czech while Perchta's were written in either Czech or German, with the help of hired scribes.

I've read a few of these old novel scans that no one reads anymore, and this is one where I really think more people should read it.

Just started this one - the author's a possible influence on Elizabeth Bonhote.

Epistolary. Book expects you to pay attention in the beginning with memorizing the family relationships and figuring out who is writing which letter and what everyone's name is, I haven't gotten grounded yet.

The writing style in this is a bit too chatty for me, I do not normally like NF written in that way, but I've started reading it and haven't DNF'd.

This, apparently, is now connected to the Dark-Hunter novels, too, think this is the last of the older novels I have to catch up on. Otherwise I'm into the 2010's in this series. Kenyon is one of my most-read authors, but I stopped enjoying the series a while back. I'm giving it another chance.

Kenyon's Dark-Hunter Universe has ballooned to include this one too, so it was in my 'started series' queue.

Think a reviewer nailed it when they suggested it was originally a juvenile work or written soon after the author graduated college.

Competent MFA-type stories. Was starting to get tired of them by the end and it's a short collection.

DNF'd this but picked it up again, was in the mood for something extremely trashy that I have little respect for. And that is definitely this.

Started this. Nice juicy stories.

Category: New Books: (1) uncommon Library of Congress call numbers. This one's PR9387, within the section for Nigerian fiction written in English.