Pastiche

Charms of Albion, Book 1

By: Celia Lake

Narrated by: Maria Nicola Johnson

Can a chivalrous lord and his clear-sighted wife find love together?

As a child, Richard dreamed of knighthood and gallant deeds. As a grown man, he is committed to doing his best as an officer of the Guard, as a Lord of the land, and as a father. Living up to his oaths is easy. Being a good husband is much more of a challenge.

Alysoun has done everything expected of a woman in her position. She has married well and had two clever, healthy children. That's not enough. Richard is kind, but increasingly distant. Alysoun herself has pain and fatigue magic can't fix. In truth, she is isolated and more than a little bored.

When Alysoun visits a new museum exhibit, she sees something odd in one of the stained glass pieces. Investigating could bring her closer to Richard or at least give them something to talk about. But it might threaten his position or even his life.

Join Richard and Alysoun in 1906 as they explore a mystery, take on new oaths, and discover each other after years of marriage.

Pastiche is set in the Edwardian era of Albion, the magical community of England, Wales, and Scotland. It is a standalone story of an arranged marriage turning into a true love match.

©2020, 2025 Celia Lake (P)2025 Celia Lake

Beautiful representation of chronic pain illness!

Very well written, especially concerning the presentation of fibromyalgia (and other chronic pain ill illnesses). The performance is perfect. The story is a typical Victorian style reviewed from upper class and with all of the propriety that entails. It’s a very sweet story, lovely characters, very heartfelt. I love the aspect of the chivalrous husband who truly loves his wife. There are so many Victorian style romances that are full of infidelity and mistresses.. This is not one of those. I felt the plot was slow, but that may just be my perception after having read months worth of action packed sci-fi and romantasy thrillers. I especially enjoyed the last half of the story and the art details. But what amazed me the most was the representation of a woman with fibromyalgia. I have fibro and rheumatoid arthritis. I’m on lots of meds for them and secondary/tertiary illnesses. The meds usually help, but I don’t recall having a day completely free of pain in the last 20 years. On my best days the pain is still at a 1.5-2 (10-point scale). It is so frustrating to not know what exactly to do to prevent the pain. It is so easy to be discouraged to the point of severe depression. I am so thankful Celia portrayed how I feel and have to alter my life to deal with this affliction.

Magic!

I have read many of Celia Lakes books and not one has disappointed me. But this one is special! It is the first and so far only audiobook!
I love reading real books but when I can listen I don’t have wonder how names are pronounced though I occasionally wonder how they are spelled. The 2 main characters grow so much closer through the book and the narrator shows this so well with her voice. I love this book and eagerly await more audiobooks.