REVIEWS
Children of the Mists
Review by Jane Brown, A LoveReading Ambassador
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. This is a beautiful book the author has created such a detailed account of relationships and beautiful Sardinia. Children of the Mists is a beautiful story consisting of an interesting plot with lovely characters in love in 19th Century Sardinia. I think that this book would be a great sunbed read or, like today, sitting by the fire warmed by some hot chocolate. I cannot believe I have never come across this author before and I am now seeking her out.
Children of the Mists
Review by Valerie Rouse
Children of the Mists, set in the 1800s in Sardinia, is a delightful story about the enduring love that Raffaella Sanna and Antonio have for each other. They live in the countryside with their immediate families. As childhood sweethearts, they matured into adults still caring for each other the same way. Unfortunately, Raffaella’s greedy brother Orlando wants her to get married to Luigi, a doctor from Sassari. Orlando believed that he would obtain a huge fortune if Raffaella became Luigi’s wife. He felt that he would have access to Raffaella’s land and sell the trees on the land and become rich. This plan was interrupted as Luigi’s jealousy intervened and he tried to dispose of Antonio. Antonio survived the ordeal. Will Antonio and Raffaella’s love survive?
Children of the Mists is an intriguing tale with a historical slant. Author Lexa Dudley did an excellent job in presenting her enchanting plot. The language used is colloquial and is quite easy to understand. I love the way in which the author intertwined the elements of ethnicity, clan rivalry and romance in her story. The author also thoroughly explored the pervasive theme of good versus evil in a dramatic yet effective manner. I enjoyed the camaraderie between the family members. This denotes a sense of loyalty which is lacking in our society today. It is akin to a breath of fresh air in a balmy summer. Nowadays, many societies have embraced a selfish mentality and the author’s emphasis on close knit communities is quite refreshing. The pace of the story is a bit slow at first, however, it picks up as the plot unfolds. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Children of the Mists. I recommend it to all lovers of historical romance, and romance in general.
Children of the Mists
Review by Mamta Madhavan
Children of the Mists by Lexa Dudley is a love story set in Sardinia in 1855. While Salvatore Sanna worked hard all his life to gain his land, his neighbor Gestinu Canu got it pretty easy through marriage. Both of them are going to be related soon as Victoria, Salvatore’s daughter, is getting married to Orlando Canu. It is a match fixed as a bond of honor to return Salvatore’s gesture of saving Gestinu’s life earlier. They also love each other. Salvatore’s son, Antonello Sanna, loves Rafaella, Gestinu Canu’s daughter. Rafaella’s father and brother have other plans for her. It’s an engrossing story of love, revenge, desire and honor.
The story is engaging with its romance, revenge, twists and turns that keep readers guessing about what is going to follow. The characters are well portrayed and the book also gives a peek into the Sard society that existed in 1855, and the wildness of the place before the unification of the Italian States took place. The narration is descriptive and detailed, and captures the beauty of the land, making the scenes and story very visual. There is a raw passion and sensuality in the romantic scenes which make it very tangible to readers. Readers will soak up the beauty of Sardinia as the story captures the essence of the place. The author’s love for Sardinia is evident as the story progresses. On the whole, it is a love story that will win the hearts of readers with its many dimensions. An entertaining love story that will captivate the readers with its romance, passion, revenge and honor.
Children of the Mists
Review by Katelyn Hensel for Readers’ Favorite
Two families, bound by a debt of gratitude, work peacefully as neighbors. The Sanna and Canu families have lived and thrived alongside one another through the years. Salvatore Sanna and Gestinu Canu even paired their children to be married, so all would appear to be perfect in paradise. Only, the eldest Sanna son is in love with Rafaella Canu and must go against her father and older brother’s wishes if he wants to be with his love. In a series of moves reminiscent of a medieval political drama, the two families are shaken apart by vendettas and petty grudges and then pieced back together again by the bond of love.
In Children of the Mists, Lexa Dudley paints a beautiful picture of love, family, and the struggle to do what is right. As exotic landscapes and settings go, you really don’t often get to see off the beaten path places like Sardinia. I’m glad that Lexa Dudley resurrected it from the annals of time, because the countryside of the late 1800s can be a beautiful and romantic place – as Dudley’s expert writing describes for us. I admit I got swept away with the romance of the settings and two pairings. The names alone were deliciously foreign and cast a hearty glow over the story, really transplanting me into the heart of the novel and holding me there so that I wanted to keep reading long after my eyelids were drooping closed at night. Children of the Mists is a must-read for those who love family dramas, historical fiction, or simply romance.
Children of the Mists
Review by Rabia Tanveer for Readers’ Favorite
Children of the Mists by Lexa Dudley is a story of honor, love, revenge and honesty of emotions. When Salvatore Sanna saved the life of his neighbor Gestinu Canu, Canu promised Sanna that he would marry off his son Orlando to Sanna’s daughter Victoria. The two neighbors are living in harmony and happiness, with a cordial friendship, and Orlando and Victoria truly love one another.
However, Victoria’s brother Antonello loves Orlando’s sister Rafaella. The two lovers want to be together, but the Canu family has big plans for Rafaella and they will not let her settle for someone who is not meant for her and her worth. What are these two lovers going to do? Will Orlando and Victoria’s love survive this conflict? Will Rafaella and Antonello be able to enjoy a life together filled with love? Will Canu and Sanna’s friendship survive after this drawback? Will honor allow love to prevail or make it perish?
Lexa Dudley has done a brilliant job with Children of the Mists. The story was the perfect combination of love, revenge, and, of course, honor. The historically correct aspects of the story will take you back in time and allow you to appreciate the characters so much more. You will be transported back to 1855 and you will fall in love with Sardinia, the amazing country of the Canu and Sanna family. It was indeed a great story, one I would like to read again. The novel was great and I enjoyed it immensely. The story had just the right amount of thrills and love to make it perfect. This novel is not to be missed.
Children of the Mists
Review by Cheryl E Rodriguez
Lexa Dudley writes a striking historic rendition of life on the island of Sardinia. Children of the Mists is a story of enduring love. Set in the 1800s, life on Sardinia had barely changed since the time of the Caesars. Two families, the Sannas and the Canus, are united by friendship and adversity. Love and laughter, joy and promises, omens and superstitions, youth and experience transcend generations. However, for Raefella and Antonio, their passionate love becomes entangled with revenge. Death changes devotion. Promises are forgotten. Vendettas cannot be ignored. Ambition clouds judgments. Antonio and Raefella were promised to each other, nothing would keep them apart, not even family. Committed to each other, they fight for their love against all odds.
Children of the Mists by Lexa Dudley captures your heart and takes you back in time. A time lost in tradition and love. A time long past, but not easily forgotten. Dudley is an endearing storyteller. Her writing technique is full of illustrious scenes, depicting the beautiful sights, aromatic scents and the echoing sounds of Sardinia. Every word portrays her devotion to the ancient culture of the untamed island. The Sardinian traditions and language are skillfully woven throughout the narrative’s plot. The characters are strong, wild, and at times, illicitly ambitious. Yet, also tender, traditional and passionate, conveying a well-rounded cast. The plot develops graciously, steadily reaching the climax. Then it tumbles down with a few unexpected turns of events, causing the reader to be engulfed in this story of unbridled love and retribution.