The Empress Emerald
The Empress Emerald is the story of Leo Kazan and Davina Dymond, lovers separated by continents, time and social convention. Set in the tumultuous years between the two World Wars, when Russia was ripped apart by revolution, civil war destroyed Spain, and the ‘Home Rule’ independence movement finally ended the British Raj in India, it is a love story played out on an international stage.
Leo is half Russian and half Indian, an orphan (or so he believes) and a talented linguist. He is also a thief, attracted like a magpie to everything that glitters.Leo becomes the protégé of Sir Lionel Pinecoffin, the District Political Officer in Bombay, who recognises his talents and turns him into a spy. From an early age, Leo is involved in international espionage, and diamond smuggling. He travels from India to Europe and Russia, but the most meaningful time in his life are a few stolen days with a girl named Davina, in London.
As the drums of war reverberate around the world for the second time in their lives, Leo begins to understand his past, and Davina turns to crime to survive. She and Leo must find a way to escape the old world and its ways in order to find their true identities, happiness – and each other.
Reviews
Drums of war, of history.
Every once in a while you come across a piece of literature which marks
its territory in your heart. From the romantic works of Austen to the fantastical
themes that Gaiman provides, the list is endless. Written by J.G. Harlond,
The Empress Emerald is yet another brilliant work that is certain to stay
with the reader for quite a long time.
The protagonist of the novel, Leo Kazan is a Russian-Indian orphan; a thief
and a talented linguist. Just the way a moth gets attracted to flame, Leo
is drawn to everything that glitters..
By Paavana Varma for Indian Book Reviews. (29th
July 2017)
An epic and enthralling novel.
An epic and enthralling novel of love and separation, betrayal and treachery,
which sweeps the reader across continents from India and Russia to Spain
and England. Individual lives are torn apart by the flood of war and political
manipulation, yet even as they struggle in that drowning tide, Leo and Davina
discover their own identities and place of belonging. Cinematic, with a
rich tapestry of colour and characters.
Karen Maitland author of Falcons of Fire and Ice
An entertaining and educational read.
I am a fan of historical fiction, I like books that entertain, and I
am always keen to learn about places and times that I know little about.
The Empress Emerald ticked all my boxes. I cared about
the main characters Leo and Davina, which is important but something that
not all novels achieve. Their faults were endearing rather than demeaning.
I was batting for them throughout my reading.
With multiple locations, as this story has, an author has to adapt their
language to suit. J G Harlond achieves this perfectly. The history of the
period weaves through the book without imposing on the narrative. The author
comments that her research was copious and that I can believe. It is commendable
that there is no attempt to show any of the various political and national
factions of the period in an unflattering light.
Without
reservation, I can recommend The Empress Emerald as an
entertaining and educational read.
Amelia Pasch author of Murder in Mind.
See here a Reading Group Guide for The Empress Emerald.
New edition of the book now published by Penmore Press Ltd.
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