∎ [PDF] Free Marco and the Devil Bargain The Spanish Brand Series Book 2 Carla Kelly 9781603812290 Books

Marco and the Devil Bargain The Spanish Brand Series Book 2 Carla Kelly 9781603812290 Books

Download As PDF : Marco and the Devil Bargain The Spanish Brand Series Book 2 Carla Kelly 9781603812290 Books

Marco and the Devil Bargain The Spanish Brand Series Book 2 Carla Kelly 9781603812290 Books

Sequel to the Double Cross continuing the exploits of the early Spanish colonial frontier of Arizona/New Mexico and their violent interactions with the native peoples of the southwest. This novel features a gruesome aspect of frontier life both among colonialists and the native pueblo, apache, and Comanche peoples of the Arizona/New Mexico area--the horrible threat of smallpox which before modern vaccination was discovered decimated populations everywhere it occurred. It was virulent among European colonists but even more so among the native peoples. The novel highlighted the historical development in the early treatment of this dread disease of inoculation (with live virus from someone already infected with smallpox) which was the only hope for developing immunity without contracting the disease in full. But even so many became violently ill and some still died. Vaccination (which uses no live virus) prevents infection, but was not discovered until the century after this novel was set. So aside from the interesting characters and progression of the romance, the medical aspects add unusual flavor and seriousness to the story. There is also an exploration of the different lifestyles and outlook of the European colonists and the native peoples that adds depth to the novel. Altogether fascinating, if somewhat gruesome. Not your usual historical romance.


Tags : Marco and the Devil's Bargain (The Spanish Brand Series Book 2) [Carla Kelly] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The year is 1782. Marco Mondragón, brand inspector in Spanish New Mexico, and his wife Paloma Vega have settled happily into married life on the Double Cross. And yet Paloma is convinced their joy will not be complete until she has a child. She longs to give her husband a baby to soothe his grief over the death from cholera of his first wife and twin sons. Marco’s land grant stands at the edge of the most dangerous region in the Southwest: Comanchería. Both Paloma and Marco have suffered at the hands of the fierce Comanche,Carla Kelly,Marco and the Devil's Bargain (The Spanish Brand Series Book 2),Camel Press,1603812296,Epidemics;Fiction.,Love stories.,Married people;Fiction.,Romance Historical Romance,18th century,FICTION Romance Historical General,FICTION Romance Western,Fiction,Fiction - Romance,FictionLiterary,FictionRomance - Western,Historical fiction,Historical romance,History,Literary,Love stories,New Mexico,Romance - Historical - General,Romance - Western,Romance: Historical,brand inspector; Comanche; historical; New Mexico; ranchero; romance; Spanish colony,FIC027100,HIS036020

Marco and the Devil Bargain The Spanish Brand Series Book 2 Carla Kelly 9781603812290 Books Reviews

This has been a very good series. I have read all three and I wish Carla Kelly would go on with it.
I can't decide if the best parts of Kelly's books are her complex characters (so realistic) or her details of historical periods, or her well-planned and well-laced plots. It all works!
My one complaint about this book is that it is incredibly brutal and graphic. Some of the descriptions are beyond comprehension, no matter how historically correct they may be.
I've read a lot of Carla Kelly's books. This series just hasn't held my interest as much as most of the other books. This is 3rd in the set and of course I wanted to complete the series, but it's a bit dry.
Oh My! This book represents the quality of writing which causes me to be a close follower of Carla Kelly. In the first book in this series - The Double Cross (The Spanish Brand Series Book 1), we had the story of how Marco and Paloma met and married. In this second book, they have been married for a little over a year and although they desperately want a baby, unfortunately Paloma has been unable to get pregnant. When a ragged Englishman - Dr. Anthony Gill, stumbles into their happy lives with the announcement the terrible Dark Wind, la viruela - the Smallpox virus - is on its way from the East, Marco is nearly undone. Having lost his first wife and twin sons to cholera, he is mortified to think he might lose his lovely Paloma to the deadly Smallpox virus.

Marco's father had the foresight to have Marco and his sister inoculated against Smallpox when they were children, but he knows Paloma hasn't been inoculated because she doesn't have the scars from the inoculation. When the "less-than-lovable" Dr. Gill explains that he has some of the Smallpox virus available for inoculation, Marco feels as though he can breathe once again. However, Dr. Gill refuses to inoculate Paloma until Marco agrees to do a huge favor for him. It seems Dr. Gill is on a mission to find his missing daughter who was purchased by the Comanches a few years back when she was four years of age and he would have Marco take him deep into Comanche territory to the Staked Plains, the Comanche stronghold to the east, in Texas in order to find the child. Marco, who is nothing if not honorable to the extreme, is furious because he doesn't believe a physician could/would actually barter for Paloma's life, plus, it's obvious Dr. Gill has no idea what he is asking of Marco. However, Marco can't take the chance of losing Paloma, so agrees to Gill's demands.

The storyline focuses briefly on Marco's efforts to get as many people in the surrounding area inoculated as possible before heading into the Staked Plains. The rest of the story dwells on the journey there and the time spent with the Comanche people. Paloma refuses to be left behind, so there are four on this trip - Marco, Paloma, Dr. Gill and the ever present Toshua, Comanche warrior who Paloma rescued from slavery and near death in "The Double Cross," and who now considers himself to be Paloma's protector.

Carla Kelly does not disappoint her readers in this book. I was committed, dialed in, scarcely took my eyes off the pages of my from the time I began reading the story. As usual, there are some ugly happenings and we are not spared the gory details. Although I am of the opinion that some of the parts of the book related to the time in the camp of the Comanches was somewhat fanciful - for lack of a better term - I still loved the story. Marco and Paloma, their unique life, their hopes and dreams, their lovely marital relationship is engaging and truly amazing. I hope there will be more books in this series.
All of her books are keepers, no matter what time period she is writing about! I have almost all of her older books in paperback. Now I have to have them in eBook form for my .
I loved The Double Cross, which is the story preceding this story, in which the H and h meet and marry. Carla Kelly can lead you into a period, face you with horrible situations, and make you glory in the marvel of the human spirit, and be humorous about it. She takes quite a lot of poetic licence with these people and their history, but she makes such an enjoyable job of it.
I would suggest you pick up The Double Cross before you read this one, just because it makes sense to read the story from the beginning. Both books are superb.
Sequel to the Double Cross continuing the exploits of the early Spanish colonial frontier of Arizona/New Mexico and their violent interactions with the native peoples of the southwest. This novel features a gruesome aspect of frontier life both among colonialists and the native pueblo, apache, and Comanche peoples of the Arizona/New Mexico area--the horrible threat of smallpox which before modern vaccination was discovered decimated populations everywhere it occurred. It was virulent among European colonists but even more so among the native peoples. The novel highlighted the historical development in the early treatment of this dread disease of inoculation (with live virus from someone already infected with smallpox) which was the only hope for developing immunity without contracting the disease in full. But even so many became violently ill and some still died. Vaccination (which uses no live virus) prevents infection, but was not discovered until the century after this novel was set. So aside from the interesting characters and progression of the romance, the medical aspects add unusual flavor and seriousness to the story. There is also an exploration of the different lifestyles and outlook of the European colonists and the native peoples that adds depth to the novel. Altogether fascinating, if somewhat gruesome. Not your usual historical romance.