Daughter of Montague #2
Thus With a Kiss I Die is the second in Christina Dodd’s Daughter of Montague series, and it loosely follows the plot of Hamlet, complete with a ghostly father. Our protagonist, Rosie Montague, is the eldest daughter of Romeo and Juliet – who the series suggests actually survived the events of that play. Rosie has a hoard of siblings, a strong personality, and a romantic dilemma. In the previous book, Rosie had intended to be caught canoodling with her true love, Lysander, so they would have to be wed. Unfortunately for the pair, the podesta of Verona intervened, and ended up in the dark with Rosie instead.
Now caught with a fiancé she never wanted in Prince Escalus, and on the way to take on a lot of responsibility when she becomes his wife, Rosie has much on her plate. It doesn’t help matters when, during the first joint dinner between the two families, the ghost of her soon to be father in law appears. Neither of them know why Rosie can see him, and no one else in the palace can, but the Elder Prince Escalus tasks her with solving his decades old murder at once. When the elder Prince promises to make sure to help end her engagement if she succeeds, Rosie agrees, eager to get back to Lysander and the life she dreams of.
Rosie herself is a dynamic, strong character that could easily sustain a longer series. She can sword fight, stand up to just about anyone, and has an interesting and large family. The story itself also doesn’t get bogged down just retelling the play, it is simply elements adapted for the mostly new characters that feel like they truly live and breathe in the setting. The only downside is, sometimes, the language – it can feel both historical and too modern at the same time. One phrase (gentle reader) was used often, and was too Victorian for me to reconcile with the time period comfortably. On occasion, this language did distract me from my enjoyment of the work.
Otherwise, though, Rosie’s latest outing was a fun romp. The love triangle presented here, for once, was actually entertaining. Though I think it may have had an even greater effect if I had gotten to know Lysander as well as we get to know Escalus in this book, the story stands pretty well on its own. The pace is quick, keeping the reader engaged as dramatic events pile on, and the greater cast is generally a delight. Anyone who has a fondness for Shakespeare, or even just a lightly Italian setting, is likely to enjoy this. — Margaret Agnew