The Firebird (The Scottish series, 2)

I've purchased this book because I have enjoyed Susanna Kearsley previous books. Still being my favorites Mariana and The Winter Sea, to my surprise this is a new book that also follow up with the beloved characters of The Winter Sea!! One of the main characters is also a dear one (all grown up now) from The Shadowy Horses.Nicola works for a respectable art dealer in London who specializes in Russian art. She also posses the gift (a curse in her opinion) of psychometry. Thanks to her abilities she decides to help a woman who is in great need to sell an old wooden crave figure of a Firebird. She told Nicola that the Firebird has been in her family for generations and was given to her ancestor by Catherine I of Russia. Since its impossible to prove the real value of the crave figure, Nicola starts a quest to find the true story of the Firebird with the hope to prove the value of the piece. She doubts her abilities and is afraid to use them, therefore she decided to ask for the help of Rob (an ex boyfriend), who is highly gifted in the paranormal.During their quest we met Anna, a lovely girl from the past that grown up as a very likeable and strong woman. She is one of the leading characters of the book and is the daughter of Sophia and John Moray. By a leap of faith she became the ward of Vice Admiral Gordon who was commissioned in Russia by Peter the Great.It continues the story of the Jacobites who fled to Russia and lived and served their King from the Russian Courts. New characters, new romance, new intrigues and more history, of course.Nicola exhausted my patience for moments during length of the story; until she is finally able to embrace who she is. Rob is adorable, but we already knew his character from The Shadowy Horses.A book that will be greatly enjoyed for those already familiar with the author and her work and new ones alike. Beware that you wont be able to put the book down until the very end... **SPOILER ALERT*** You'll find out what happened to Sophia and John Moray!! But is not my tale to tell, you must read the book!

I have enjoyed every novel of Susanna Kearsley's that I've read. She has a talent for writing romantic suspense set in two different timelines. In The Firebird, we have Nicola and Rob traveling first to Belgium and then to Russia in the present day in an attempt to authenticate Margaret Ross's heirloom. The second timeline involves the little girl that the wooden bird was given to-- a time shortly after the death of Peter the Great, a time when a Stuart was trying to retake the throne of England, a time when the English were doing everything in their power to prevent that from happening.The present day timeline is a good one. Nicola and Rob are two strong, fascinating characters whom you want to see getting together. Nicola has always been afraid of her gift and hasn't really explored how far she can go with it. Rob on the other hand is the "old hand" (and the old soul) whose patience and steadiness are exactly what Nicola needs. But as strong as their story is, it's not the heart of this book.No, the heart of the book belongs to young Anna Logan, who spent the first years of her life unaware that she was living with a foster family. When the political situation takes a deadly turn, Anna is told a portion of the truth of her heritage, and she's spirited away to a convent in Belgium before finding herself in St. Petersburg. This girl will steal your heart. She's smart, she's observant, and she's incredibly brave. She may be old beyond her years, but she's still a little girl whose naivete has dire consequences. After all she's been through, you just want things to go right for Anna.Kearsley put me right smack in the middle of that Belgian convent and before I knew it, I found myself in Russia. Anna Logan's story is compelling, and Kearsley does an excellent job of showing what happened to so many of the Jacobites who fought on the losing side. If I have any quibble about The Firebird it's that this historical storyline is so strong that the one in the present day pales by comparison. I really liked the characters of Nicola and Rob, so I do wish their story had been beefed up a bit. But that is a very small quibble indeed because each time I picked up this book, I lost myself in Kearsley's marvelous story.

I have read quite a few books by this author and have enjoyed all of them. This one may be one of my favorites. The author always uses some sort of ESP (Extrasensory perception or sixth sense) to go back in time and in this story it is mainly through Psychometry, (to see something from having touching an object) and it also involves some other forms of ESP. The story althought encompasses other characters from previous books she has written : Anna, from Winter Sea and Rob, from Shadowy Horses. You do not have to have read those books to read and enjoy this story, although they are very worth reading and I think you will wish you had.This Story goes between present day England, Scotland, Belgium and then Russia and also those same places back in the 1700's. A lot of research of Scottish and Russian history went into the making of this story and many of the characters are true to history, throwing in fictitious ones to create a fabulous story. Nicola Marter, a young woman who works for a Russian art gallery in London, who while there one day, meets an older woman who brings in a small bird sculpture called a firebird, supposedly given to her ancestors by the Empress Catherine of Russia, but she had no paper work to prove it. When Nicola touches the bird, she sees a fleeting image of (a young girl, Anna and the Empress in a conversation). and since she is going to Russia for an art show, decides to see what she can discover about the bird and the two women she saw in her image. Knowing that her abilities are not as strong as she would like, she goes to see her old love interest , Rob McMorran (from Shadowy Horses) who lives in Scotland and who has a very well developed sense of ESP. This is a great story of their reunion and being able to use their abilities together to delve into the past and bring this story to life. Well written, with a lot of great descriptions of the scenes, people and places they see and go to.The author says this about her type of stories: "I write modern gothic novels that blend historical adventure and modern-day suspense with romance and a touch of something spooky, so they don't fit neatly into any category, really...but they're fun to write!" Normally the word Gothic novel would have kept me from reading her books, but the ESP part attracted me and I am so glad I discovered her work and look forward to her next one.

The Winter Sea was the first book I read by Susanna Kearsley, and my first romance. It's still one of my favorite books of all time. I've since read every other book she's written that's available in e-book form, the last being The Firebird, another great read.I loved the character Anna, who at the beginning of the story finds out the family she lives with is not actually her own, and soon finds she's in terrible danger. Her story, which takes place during the Jacobite Rebellion in the early 1700s, is told through the visions of two modern day people who, by holding an object (in this case beginning with the Firebird, a centuries-old wooden sculpture) can see the events in the past that were connected to that object. The modern characters have a romantic history together, and as they try to solve the mystery of the origin of the Firebird, their attraction to each other grows.All Susanna Kearsley books have well-developed, strong characters, beautifully described scenery (in this book it's in Scotland and Russia mainly), and well-researched historical detail. In The Firebird, many of the supporting characters were real people who lived during the Jacobite Rebellion.The dialogue is witty, and the romance is touching and beautiful and not the least bit trashy.In order to not spoil the suspense of The Winter Sea, I would suggest reading The Winter Sea first since The Firebird continues the story of some characters from that novel; although, The Firebird can stand on its own.I bought the Audible version at a discount after buying the Kindle version, and I would highly recommend it. The narrator does a wonderful job of switching between English, Scottish, and Russian accents as well as male, female, young and old.I highly recommend The Firebird and all other Susanna Kearsley novels.

Oh, this was such a terrific story! The part about adult Anna is absolutely superb, it's so enjoyable to read about a protagonist who is intelligent and clever and assertive, all while still fitting realistically within the time period. The twist was also excellent for Winter Sea fans, and please do be sure to read that one first.I adored that rascal Edmund and his sense of humor, and every scene between him and Anna was just sparkling with chemistry. Each step in the evolution of their relationship was so thrilling, her poor Mr. Taylor didn't stand a chance. Kearsley has a real knack for extracting the most perfectly satisfying emotional connections while everyone is fully clothed and generally chaste, that's a talent!The story of Nicola and Rob was generally forgettable, really just a device to track Anna on her travels. Rob was a good guy, but compared to Edmund he was like a grateful little puppy following Nicola around, and he might have been more interesting with a bit more spine. Nicola was not my cup of tea.So, compared to my favorite Kearsley book, The Winter Sea: the romance of the Firebird I actually enjoyed more than TWS, which I would have thought impossible to do because who doesn't love John Moray, BUT the scenes between Anna and Edmund are a bit more light-hearted and fun. Overall though, TWS was far more successful at merging the two timelines, while the Firebird seemed a bit clunky in the back-and-forth. Still, it was a very fun read!

I'm ashamed to admit that I'd had this book sitting around in my TBR pile for more than a year. I began to read it that year-plus time ago but kept putting the book aside in order to read something else. This was unusual for me since I'm a longtime Kearsley reader and fan.I've now managed to read the complete book and have to say my first impression of the present-day protagonists, which was what turned me off this book, held to the very end. I still didn't like them very much, especially Nicola, who has that woo-woo ability to see into the past that all Kearsley's modern-day heroines have but is reluctant to use her abilities, and this reluctance was alienating her love interest Rob, who was the little boy with supernatural abilities in The Shadowy Horses. In general, I'm not big on supernatural elements in my novels but I have never been bothered by it in Kearsley's work...until this one.However, I've decided to round up my 3.5 stars to 4 anyway because the historical portion of this book, the story of 1700s Anna, daughter of Sophia and John Moray of The Winter Sea was very compelling. I very much appreciated the way Kearsley integrated real characters and events from the period into her fictional story. Do read the section "About the Characters" at the end of the book to learn more about them and the times.This is an interesting and well written tale about 1700s Jacobites, spies and double dealers, and St. Petersburg during the time of Tzar Peter and Tzarina Catherine. Many characters from THE WINTER SEA make their appearance here to great advantage. I only wish that Kearsley had decided this time around to do without the supernatural element and had just written a straight historical fiction work, without the present-day supernatural tie-in.

Are you looking for a book to sweep you away? This is a very engaging story with a contemporary romance, loads of history (including a mystery and another love story) and paranormal elements of clairvoyance that can cross time periods. The first book of this loosely tied series was set in Scotland at Slains Castle in contemporary time and at the time of the Jacobites. Our mystery begins when a Scottish woman brings a carving of what she says is a firebird for appraisal to Claire’s firm. Her family legend is that it was given to an ancestor named Anna by the Tsarina Catherine. The historic portion of this book follows closely in time as it tracks the life of Anna, the daughter of the historic couple in book one. It is still dangerous to be a Jacobite. This story does not stay in Scotland though. It follows Anna as a child in hiding and in exile across Europe to Russia with different protectors. The history of the period is so closely woven into the story that its presence enriches the story instead of bogging it down with unnecessary details. The writing is very skillful as the author moves gracefully between the two time periods and the different sets of characters. The romance is romantic, but chaste. There are emotional moments that are moving. This book is the second in a series and it makes sense to read them in order even though the story would in its main part stand alone. Reading the first book would give you the foundation of the history of the Jacobites, and the story of Anna’s parents and why they gave her up to a foster family. If you have read the first book, the finale of the second is more emotionally powerful. Bottom line: loved it.

I didn't think that I would ever feel this way about any of Kearsley's books, but I just didn't care for this one as much. I "sort of" liked it - but not until the very end. Before that, this was a bit of a struggle, and I was disappointed. I found myself struggling to come back to the book.I don't think I would have understood half of what was happening without knowing the details of Winter Sea - and there were several (the references to the pawn, the farewell scene when Sophia gives up her daughter at a very young age, the lock of hair, the chess piece, etc). There was so much emotion attached to these references that I don't think I would have felt had I not read the first book. I think readers should be aware that this is truly a sequel, and not a stand-alone.Like Kearsley's other books, there are dual story lines - one in modern day and one historical. I guess what disappointed me most in this book was the modern day story line. The modern day "romance" felt very rushed. Rob and Nicola have some "history," and one day, very spontaneously, she seeks him out to help her solve a mystery. They both have telepathic/psychic talents of sorts, his being far more developed than hers. He is a small town police officer, and yet is able to drop everything - walk away from his job with no notice - to drive all over Scotland and then Europe to help her "travel" telepathically to the past. Just didn't seem realistic, and felt very convenient. And a lot to expect of someone you haven't seen in a few years.Rob and Nicola "speak" telepathically to each other, and this irked me. Many conversations were conducted in their heads, as Robbie was easily able to read Nicola's thoughts - any time. I couldn't help but wonder at the creepiness of this, and I didn't find it romantic or intriguing. Just weird, and very invasive. They also spend much of their time together "traveling" to the past- which seemed to consist of finding a spot that felt familiar (a building, a street), closing their eyes and visualizing extensive episodes as Anna may have experienced them. I couldn't help but wonder what passers-by must have thought, seeing these two in an extended trance......it seemed a bit ridiculous. Rob and Nicola's romance develops over this time period, but I couldn't understand why, as much of their time together was spent in trances.......The historical story was much more interesting, following the life of Anna, the daughter of John and Sophia Moray from The Winter Sea. After reading that book, who wouldn't want to know what happened to her? It was almost a relief to be able to see the trajectory of her life. I was enthralled with the story of how her family kept her existence a secret so that she would not be used as a "pawn" (there it is again) by the British government in an effort to flush out John Moray, a Jacobite supporter and purposed spy. This was heartbreaking, and her story was a courageous one. Her relationship with Edmund O'Connor was true Kearsley love story, and this part did NOT disappoint. But this is why I gave 3 stars instead of 2.Kearsley always interjects a twist or two you never see coming- which is one reason I love her books. Unfortunately, I figured out the twists fairly easily, which was a bit of a disappointment (not the twists - just that I figured it out).I will no doubt continue to read everything Kearsley writes - she is a phenomenal author, and certainly does her research. I love her paranormal elements- for the most part, they are done in a very believable way and add a fascinating touch to her stories. The romantic parts of her books are more love story than romance in the stereotypical sense, and that takes great talent. Perhaps my expectation of Kearsley's work is higher now that I have read her other books- she is truly remarkable. But this one was not my favorite.

A bit of mystery, a bit of history and a bit of psychic. I really enjoy mystery books that go back in time. This one is set in today but has episodes in historical Russia and Scotland. I found it a lovely read. I would definitely read more by this author.

First of a continuation. She's😀 a great author and combined some history with fiction. I loved this book.

I am glad I followed some others’ recommendations regarding the order of stories where characters already known, get somehow together in this tremendously entertaining story. Loved it!

I was quite astonished when I learned that Rob McMorran (the shadowy horses) was one of the leading characters. The shadowy horses is by all means my fav book and altough I was hoping to find a hint how Davy and Verity are doing in the future I loved to see how the little boy with the sixth sense had turned out.And after settling in with the first pages I could not stop reading. When you also read Sophia's secret you will be even more captivated... The characters are well drawn and easily loved by the reader. Romance is an impotant part of the book but never too gooey. the historical part is more than well carved out, giving a lot of background knowledge. Places of the plot are always described thouroughly so sometimes you feel like being inside the book yourself, witnessing the story. I even had tears in my eyes at some point...if you aim to read the book, you mighf think about starting with the shadowy horses and sophia's secret, as you will see the book through different eyes...

I have never read one of Kearsley's books before and I am so glad that I chose to read The Firebird.The story flits between present day with Nicola Marter and Rob, two psychics with an interlinked history, who chase down a wooden carving called the Firebird on a journey that takes them into the past circa the time of the Jacobites and across countries to unravel the tale.In previous reviews I have seen people state that there was too much detail, that they flicked through to reach the present day story and that they couldn't continue to read this book. Well, in my opinion, those people are missing out! All of the detail was necessary to build up a rich and vivid picture of landscapes, both past and present, and the author brilliantly intertwined the two stories along the way.I do agree (ever so slightly!) that towards the end of the book the story of the present day felt a bit left behind and wasn't visited so frequently until, all of a sudden, we were back in present day and the events that had built up nicely along the way reached a sudden climax. Although this was not a bad thing, I personally would have liked to have been eased back into the present day story after being in the past for a fair few pages, just to re-jog my memory and strengthen the attachments I had made with the present day characters. However, I was so enjoying the characters in the past that I didn't feel sad we had stayed with them for so long, either!I think a great novel grips you and you form bonds with the characters and for an author to illicit this feeling in both the past and present sections of the book I believe it shows a great talent. The story was wrapped up nicely and there were no loose ends- it was a very satisfying finish to the novel!In reading the author's note at the end of the book I must also comment on how well researched and detailed this story is and I couldn't believe so much was based on true historical facts and people. A lot of time, effort, research and love went into the making of this book and I will 100% read more from this author- I look forward to doing so immensely!