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The Laurentine Spy Kindle Edition

by Emily Gee (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 168 ratings
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The Corhonase citadel is a place of virtue and debauchery―and deadly secrets. For the Laurentine spies embedded there, every day brings danger. Nothing is as it seems, whether in the ballrooms and salons of the nobles' court or the catacombs beneath the citadel. 
Saliel has many secrets; her spying is one, her past as a pickpocket in Laurent's slums is another, but her most deeply guarded secret is the magic she possesses. She walks a narrow path between discovery as a spy and being burned as a witch.

With a sadistic Spycatcher closing in, Saliel and her fellow spies are tested to the limits of their endurance. In the fight to stay alive they must trust each other...or die. Magic may be their only hope of survival.

"Dark and compelling. Emily Gee is a storyteller to watch." ~ Nalini Singh, author of the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    420 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy
  5. Publication date
    April 1, 2014
  6. File size
    3038 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hooked me so completely that as soon as I finished reading the novel, I immediately reread it again to pick up any nuances that I might have missed the first time around. Then I read it once more just for the pure enjoyment of it."
~ Liviu @ Fantasy Book Critic

"I read it in 5 hours non-stop because I simply could not put it down. Verdict: A great, exhilarating and dramatic read with a lot of romance."
~ Ana @ The Book Smugglers

"Deserves more than 5 stars ... Gee's knack for creating suspense could rival Alfred Hitchcock's ... This is what good fantasy should be: edge of your seat, page-turning, late-night reading, heart-racing entertainment."
~ Julie @ Fantasy Literature
What readers are saying about The Laurentine Spy:
"I devoured THE LAURENTINE SPY. It was precisely what I needed--a really emotionally involving, heart-thumpingly exciting yarn."
"A cracking good read."
"My heart was in my throat for the majority of the story."
"Think 'Pride and Prejudice' meets 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'."
"A great escapist read, an imaginary world fantasy with somewhat of a Scarlet Pimpernel feel."
"All the ingredients for a terrific read: adventure, romance, magic, and a bit of humor."
"I absolutely LOVED this book!! Could barely force myself to put it down once I'd started it."
"Held me spellbound the entire way."
"Terrific, well-written, excellently paced easy-reading story with great characters and a historical fiction 'feel'."
"The plot itself held me spellbound the entire way."
"I was reading this backstage in rehearsals and very nearly missed my entrance cue. It's the sort of book you stay up to finish."
"A fun, exciting page turner."
"Lots of suspense, adventure, lots of action and a good bit of romance."
"Refreshingly standalone."
"I absolutely adored this book."

From the Author

I've recently launched a new series under my Emily Larkin penname. It's historical fantasy rather than epic fantasy―adventure, romance, magic, with Regency England as the backdrop.
The first novel in the Baleful Godmother series is available for free. 
Just search for 'Unmasking Miss Appleby' in the Amazon store to download your free copy, or visit my website emilylarkin.com.
Happy reading!

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00J90C7NU
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy (April 1, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3038 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 420 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 168 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Emily Gee

Emily Gee

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Emily Gee grew up in a house full of books--her mother was a librarian and her father is a novelist. She has studied a wide range of subjects, including geology and geophysics, canine behavior, and ancient Greek. Her varied career includes stints as a field assistant in Antarctica and a waitress on the Isle of Skye. Most recently she has worked in Fiordland National Park, one of New Zealand's most isolated and beautiful national parks.

Emily loves to travel and has lived in Sweden, backpacked in Europe and North America, and traveled overland in the Middle East, China, and North Africa. She enjoys climbing hills, yoga workouts, watching reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and reading.

Emily writes fantasy novels as Emily Gee and historical romances as Emily Larkin.

Her websites are www.emilygee.com and www.emilylarkin.com.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
168 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Margaret Browder
5.0 out of 5 stars love this author
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2022
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This book started a bit slow and I almost put it aside. I am so glad I didn’t. As with the other novels that I have read by Emily Gee, the characters have depth, are complicated and interesting. By the halfway point of the book, I was in love with the two main characters, Saliel and Athan. Can’t wait to read her next novel.
One person found this helpful
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Tracy S.
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2018
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Like all her books, it starts out slow but gets much better and even becomes unputdownable. it's got spying, court intrigue, and a run for their lives. Very good.
2 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Mindboggling/heartstopping
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2022
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Took a chapter to sort the different identity s.great plot and full of mystery &suspense.To see their relationship while through trail and error,revolusion,shame act both suffered because of a cause,betrayal,traegery and extreme hardships.A book u can"t put down. I have read the other books.Great Auther.
One person found this helpful
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Holly Petersen
3.0 out of 5 stars review of Laurentine Spy
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2009
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Well for me after having read A Theif With No Shadow first, it was a slight disappointment with this book. I mean don't get me wrong, its got an element of fantasy and romance is cleary apparent. I just wanst engaged with it as her previous novel. The story develops slowly and at a pace where one can judge what is going to happen before it does. The reviews from other people on the back of it give praise to the both novel, but i dont think this is as good. Just for a slight feel good happy ending sort of book, if thats what you need. But not a detailed, heavy duty fantasy novel.
4 people found this helpful
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April Chick
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn’t put it down!
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
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It was intriguing and sucks you in! I enjoyed this book and will be adding it to private collection right next to her The Sentinel Mage series!
One person found this helpful
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oonagh dixon
4.0 out of 5 stars unexpected twists and turns with a little love story thrown in
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2014
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Lots of suspence... Mystery ...unexpected twists and turns with a little love story thrown in.... A good read !!....In fact liked the authors style so much , ordered "The Sentinel Mage "next to read!
One person found this helpful
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Anonymous Big
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful adventure with a complicated romance
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2018
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It was a little hard to follow at first to me, as it wasn't immediately clear that this did not take place in the world we know and the customs etc. took time to be revealed. But once I got into it, i was HOOKED and was sorry when the book ended. I very much recommend this book and this author!
One person found this helpful
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Glinda Good
1.0 out of 5 stars So many cliches
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2022
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I was promised a book about spying and magic. The book I read used the concept of spying (in an undeveloped social/political setting) to wallow around in that old chestnut 'the forced marriage and deflowering' with a male lead informally called 'Donkey' (takes a while, but it's the contents of his pants that apparently gave him the name), a virgin slum girl 'too low to marry' maybe a witch who barely uses any witchy powers, and the obligatory scene where the deflowered, soon to be abandoned due to her station wife asks good old Donkey to show her why a wife's duty can be better than the wham bam thank you ma'am wedding night she experienced. By the end of LS, I felt slightly icky, and had to go read some Ilona Andrews fight scenes to recover.
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Top reviews from other countries

Fiona Gordon
5.0 out of 5 stars Good weekend read
Reviewed in Canada on July 18, 2017
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Great story with cleverly written characters
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Book wyrm
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in Germany on February 3, 2016
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Another stand-alone from Emily Gee. Great world-building and a twisty story that makes for a great fantasy read. I loved it.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Finishes too soon
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 10, 2012
Verified Purchase
It's an excellent book, and I loved it. It is certainly fantasy in that it takes place in worlds that never were. There's a small amount of magic involved as well.

The other reviewers have said all the right things. Now let me highlight areas where I think it could have been better.

My main complaint is that the story only resolves on the very last half-page, when the hero and heroine finally decide they want to be together. The reader is left hanging, rather. There should be another chapter.

Conceivably, indeed, there ought to be a sequel; because what happens next? It feels unfinished. Do his family really accept a one-line written message from a third party declaring that their blue-eyed boy -- a state hero, now -- has not come home and has instead run off into the blue with some nobody and isn't coming back? Really? Won't the government have some questions to ask about this, having found a reliable agent? And will the two of them really live happily ever after, based on one reluctant sentence from Saliel? Or will they get their wires crossed once, more, given Saliel's shame at her background. Will they ever get to the colonies anyway? And why wouldn't there be more espionage-related stuff? -- You don't get a feel of "forgive and forget" from the enemy. And surely Saliel should be more than just a nothing -- surely she should turn out to be a princess in the end? Come, this is fairy-tale!

The other thing I didn't like were the brothel scenes. Why have these? They add nothing to the novel. They may be minimal, but they don't make the hero look very good, sitting there with his plonker out in someone else's hands. I just don't want such stuff on my shelves. Fortunately it WAS minimal, or I'd have tossed the book out.

But all three Emily Gee novels are of an excellent standard, and I look forward to her producing many more.
One person found this helpful
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Paul Tapner
4.0 out of 5 stars Saliel's secrets
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 12, 2013
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A fantasy novel. It runs for four hundred and ten pages and is divided into eighty chapters.

It's complete and self contained and not part of a trilogy or the start of a series.

It's the story of life in a mighty citadel in a realm called Corhonase. A country that seeks to conquer. But where nearby realm Laurentine has embedded several spies, in order to find out what Corhonase is up to.

Amongst these spies is Saliel. A girl of a poverty stricken past. Who has a secret ability. And Arhan. A man of noble birth.

The spies do not know the identities of other Laurentine spys. They are controlled by a mysterious guardian. Saliel's time in the job is almost up. But when an unexpected event happens, and then a ruthless spycatcher arrives in the citadel, both she and Arhan have a fight on their hands if they wish to survive.

Saliel and Arhan are both viewpoint characters, and the chapters jump back and forth between them. The setting could well be historical of a few centuries back. The only fantasy elements here are the kingdoms themselves and the fact that some characters do have special abilities. Something which is viewed with fear and loathing by the majority of the populace. But that approach does work quite well when it comes to the narrative.

The prose is very readable. And early on you do get to realise what one major plot development will be before any of the characters do. This results in quite a neat narrative approach that does hook the reader.

Saliel and Arhan do feel a bit generic as characters to begin with, but over the course of the novel you do get used to them and you should find yourself caring about their fate. As there is a decent level of jeopardy throughout, which does leave the outcome in doubt right to the end.

This is a decent character drama and a good escapist read, and the pages do turn very nicely. It's nothing exceptional, but it's a good escapist read and well worth a look if you like this kind of thing.

It does contain some scenes of an adult nature and some violence.
2 people found this helpful
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lou
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 20, 2018
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great story
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