Children of the Mists

A Sardinian Saga

Romance - Historical
318 Pages
Reviewed on 05/25/2016
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

Author Biography

Lexa Dudley is a freelance writer and a poet. She fell in love with the island of Sardinia in 1972 when visiting for the first time with her family; and became intrigued with the island’s unique culture.
She has always enjoyed writing, but with a large family to look after and helping her husband run his business, it was a part time hobby.
Her first book‘The Whispering Wind’ is a romantic story which gives us a glimpse into the closed world of the Sardinians and reflects her love for the island and its people. This book won three awards in the US in 2014
Her latest, also set in Sardinia, but in 1855 is 'Children of the Mists' a story of honour, revenge but most of all love.
This book was a winner in Canada in 2016
Lexa has returned to Sardinia every year since her first visit and travelled extensively over the island to see the many interesting sites and monuments and to visit numerous friends.
She gave an interview on Radio Sardegna in 1978 about her love for the island and enjoyed a close friendship with the late notable Sardinian author Marcello Serra and his family. She also gave an interview on Radio Suffolk in 2013
Lexa lives in Suffolk with her husband, three dogs and two horses and enjoys her four sons and eight grandchildren. She is busy working on her next novel which is also set in Sardinia and England

    Book Review

Reviewed by Lorena Sanqui for Readers' Favorite

Raffaella and Antonio were childhood friends. As children they were always together, did everything with each other, and shared their secrets with one another. As they grew up, their friendship eventually turned into the passionate, all-consuming love they now feel. They were planning their wedding even before they had the permission of their parents. They wed by themselves in the church near where they live. That was how much they believed that they would be together. It was supposed to be a happy ever after for them, but Raffaella’s brother, Orlando, had other ideas. Consumed by his greed and desire to be of a higher social standing, Orlando promises his sister to a doctor in training, Luigi, whom Raffaella doesn’t love and can’t even stand. How will Raffaella and Antonio be together in Children of the Mists by Lexa Dudley?

Children of the Mists by Lexa Dudley is a historical love story for all ages. It might have been full of strife, but it is proof that love conquers all. The story was written well, the plot developed nicely, and was easy to understand. It is set in the 1800s in Sardinia, an island in the Mediterranean Sea, which, judging from the book, seems to be an exquisite place. The characters were lovable, even Orlando, except for Luigi who was baleful. Raffaella and Antonio were both likable characters, and I was rooting for them throughout the book. Their love was strong and you can really feel their anguish through the pages. It was a story rife with death, betrayal, ill omens, and curses, but also contains love, honor and loyalty.

Katelyn Hensel

Two families, bound by a debt of gratitude, work peacefully as neighbors. The Sanna and Canu families have lived and thrived alongside one another through the years. Salvatore Sanna and Gestinu Canu even paired their children to be married, so all would appear to be perfect in paradise. Only, the eldest Sanna son is in love with Rafaella Canu and must go against her father and older brother's wishes if he wants to be with his love. In a series of moves reminiscent of a medieval political drama, the two families are shaken apart by vendettas and petty grudges and then pieced back together again by the bond of love.

In Children of the Mists, Lexa Dudley paints a beautiful picture of love, family, and the struggle to do what is right. As exotic landscapes and settings go, you really don't often get to see off the beaten path places like Sardinia. I'm glad that Lexa Dudley resurrected it from the annals of time, because the countryside of the late 1800s can be a beautiful and romantic place - as Dudley's expert writing describes for us. I admit I got swept away with the romance of the settings and two pairings. The names alone were deliciously foreign and cast a hearty glow over the story, really transplanting me into the heart of the novel and holding me there so that I wanted to keep reading long after my eyelids were drooping closed at night. Children of the Mists is a must-read for those who love family dramas, historical fiction, or simply romance.

Valerie Rouse

Children of the Mists, set in the 1800s in Sardinia, is a delightful story about the enduring love that Raffaella Sanna and Antonio have for each other. They live in the countryside with their immediate families. As childhood sweethearts, they matured into adults still caring for each other the same way. Unfortunately, Raffaella’s greedy brother Orlando wants her to get married to Luigi, a doctor from Sassari. Orlando believed that he would obtain a huge fortune if Raffaella became Luigi’s wife. He felt that he would have access to Raffaella’s land and sell the trees on the land and become rich. This plan was interrupted as Luigi’s jealousy intervened and he tried to dispose of Antonio. Antonio survived the ordeal. Will Antonio and Raffaella's love survive?

Children of the Mists is an intriguing tale with a historical slant. Author Lexa Dudley did an excellent job in presenting her enchanting plot. The language used is colloquial and is quite easy to understand. I love the way in which the author intertwined the elements of ethnicity, clan rivalry and romance in her story. The author also thoroughly explored the pervasive theme of good versus evil in a dramatic yet effective manner. I enjoyed the camaraderie between the family members. This denotes a sense of loyalty which is lacking in our society today. It is akin to a breath of fresh air in a balmy summer. Nowadays, many societies have embraced a selfish mentality and the author’s emphasis on close knit communities is quite refreshing. The pace of the story is a bit slow at first, however, it picks up as the plot unfolds. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Children of the Mists. I recommend it to all lovers of historical romance, and romance in general.

Rabia Tanveer

Children of the Mists by Lexa Dudley is a story of honor, love, revenge and honesty of emotions. When Salvatore Sanna saved the life of his neighbor Gestinu Canu, Canu promised Sanna that he would marry off his son Orlando to Sanna's daughter Victoria. The two neighbors are living in harmony and happiness, with a cordial friendship, and Orlando and Victoria truly love one another.

However, Victoria’s brother Antonello loves Orlando’s sister Rafaella. The two lovers want to be together, but the Canu family has big plans for Rafaella and they will not let her settle for someone who is not meant for her and her worth. What are these two lovers going to do? Will Orlando and Victoria’s love survive this conflict? Will Rafaella and Antonello be able to enjoy a life together filled with love? Will Canu and Sanna's friendship survive after this drawback? Will honor allow love to prevail or make it perish?

Lexa Dudley has done a brilliant job with Children of the Mists. The story was the perfect combination of love, revenge, and, of course, honor. The historically correct aspects of the story will take you back in time and allow you to appreciate the characters so much more. You will be transported back to 1855 and you will fall in love with Sardinia, the amazing country of the Canu and Sanna family. It was indeed a great story, one I would like to read again. The novel was great and I enjoyed it immensely. The story had just the right amount of thrills and love to make it perfect. This novel is not to be missed.

Mamta Madhavan

Children of the Mists by Lexa Dudley is a love story set in Sardinia in 1855. While Salvatore Sanna worked hard all his life to gain his land, his neighbor Gestinu Canu got it pretty easy through marriage. Both of them are going to be related soon as Victoria, Salvatore's daughter, is getting married to Orlando Canu. It is a match fixed as a bond of honor to return Salvatore's gesture of saving Gestinu's life earlier. They also love each other. Salvatore's son, Antonello Sanna, loves Rafaella, Gestinu Canu's daughter. Rafaella's father and brother have other plans for her. It's an engrossing story of love, revenge, desire and honor.

The story is engaging with its romance, revenge, twists and turns that keep readers guessing about what is going to follow. The characters are well portrayed and the book also gives a peek into the Sard society that existed in 1855, and the wildness of the place before the unification of the Italian States took place. The narration is descriptive and detailed, and captures the beauty of the land, making the scenes and story very visual. There is a raw passion and sensuality in the romantic scenes which make it very tangible to readers. Readers will soak up the beauty of Sardinia as the story captures the essence of the place. The author's love for Sardinia is evident as the story progresses. On the whole, it is a love story that will win the hearts of readers with its many dimensions.

Cheryl E. Rodriguez

Lexa Dudley writes a striking historic rendition of life on the island of Sardinia. Children of the Mists is a story of enduring love. Set in the 1800s, life on Sardinia had barely changed since the time of the Caesars. Two families, the Sannas and the Canus, are united by friendship and adversity. Love and laughter, joy and promises, omens and superstitions, youth and experience transcend generations. However, for Raefella and Antonio, their passionate love becomes entangled with revenge. Death changes devotion. Promises are forgotten. Vendettas cannot be ignored. Ambition clouds judgments. Antonio and Raefella were promised to each other, nothing would keep them apart, not even family. Committed to each other, they fight for their love against all odds.

Children of the Mists by Lexa Dudley captures your heart and takes you back in time. A time lost in tradition and love. A time long past, but not easily forgotten. Dudley is an endearing storyteller. Her writing technique is full of illustrious scenes, depicting the beautiful sights, aromatic scents and the echoing sounds of Sardinia. Every word portrays her devotion to the ancient culture of the untamed island. The Sardinian traditions and language are skillfully woven throughout the narrative’s plot. The characters are strong, wild, and at times, illicitly ambitious. Yet, also tender, traditional and passionate, conveying a well-rounded cast. The plot develops graciously, steadily reaching the climax. Then it tumbles down with a few unexpected turns of events, causing the reader to be engulfed in this story of unbridled love and retribution.