Author: M.J. Rose
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: March 17, 2015
Source: HF Virtual Book Tours
What's the Story?:
From Goodreads.com: "Sandrine Salome flees New York for her grandmother’s Paris mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds there is even more menacing. The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insists it’s dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground and Sandrine’s deepest desires.
Among the bohemians and the demi-monde, Sandrine discovers her erotic nature as a lover and painter. Then darker influences threaten—her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She’s become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend, and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse.
This is Sandrine’s “wild night of the soul,” her odyssey in the magnificent city of Paris, of art, love, and witchery."
My Two Cents:
"The Witch of Painted Sorrows" is the latest book from M.J. Rose. This book is a historical fiction set in 1890s Paris with a magical bend to it, which I absolutely loved. In this book, we meet Sandrine, a young woman who is running away from her life in New York to explore the magic of Paris. This is the first book in what promises to be a very exciting planned series.
Magical realism is definitely one of my favorite elements in any book. As with some of the other books that I've read by M.J. Rose, this author definitely knows how to weave in the magic so that it feels really real. This book almost has a fantasy feel to it. This made for some very exciting reading for m!
I loved Sandrine's character. She has had a very difficult life with very horrible husband that she left behind in America. When she comes to Paris, she realizes that there's a lot more out of life that she wants that she was ever going to be able to have staying in New York. As the book goes on, Sandrine quickly learns that Paris is not as safe as it first seems even with her grandmother trying to protect her. She is overtaken by the spirit of la Lune, a ghostly spirit. At first, Sandrine is attracted to the spirit but she quickly realizes that her life may be in danger.
If you like your historical fiction dark and mysterious, this may be a great pick for you. At the deft hands of M.J. Rose, you will find yourself enraptured by the setting of Bella epic Paris. This book is only the opening of the series so I am hopeful that more will be fleshed out in future books but in some places, it feels like the author is setting up a lot for the future stories, which proved a little frustrating in some parts. I am anxious to see what the other books in the series bring.
Follow the Rest of the Tour:
Monday, February 16
Review at Unshelfish
Review at The Mad Reviewer
Tuesday, February 17
Spotlight at Let them Read Books
Spotlight at Flashlight Commentary
Wednesday, February 18
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession
Friday, February 20
Spotlight at The Never-Ending Book
Monday, February 23
Review & Guest Post at Bookish
Review at The Novel Life
Tuesday, February 24
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Wednesday, February 25
Review at Just One More Chapter
Friday, February 27
Review at Broken Teepee
Guest Post at The Novel Life
Monday, March 2
Review at A Dream Within a Dream
Interview at Reading Lark
Spotlight at Literary Chanteuse
Tuesday, March 3
Review at Book Babe
Wednesday, March 4
Review at Peeking Between the Pages
Thursday, March 5
Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Friday, March 6
Review at Book Lovers Paradise
Review & Interview at Mina’s Bookshelf
Monday, March 9
Review at A Book Geek
Tuesday, March 10
Review at Based on a True Story
Thursday, March 12
Spotlight at Historical Readings & Reviews
Friday, March 13
Guest Post at What Is That Book About
Monday, March 16
Review at 100 Pages a Day
Review at Quirky Book Reviews
Tuesday, March 17
Review at This, That, and the Other Thing
Wednesday, March 18
Review at A Literary Vacation
Thursday, March 19
Review & Guest Post at Mari Reads
Friday, March 20
Spotlight & Guest Post at Between the Cracks
Monday, March 23
Review at Book Drunkard
Review at Boom Baby Reviews
Review & Guest Post at Drey’s Library
Tuesday, March 24
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective
Wednesday, March 25
Review & Guest Post at Bookshelf Fantasies
Friday, March 27
Spotlight at Book Nerd
Guest Post at Historical Fiction Connection
Tuesday, March 31
Review at Dab of Darkness
Wednesday, April 1
Review at Genre Queen
Interview at Dab of Darkness
Monday, April 6
Review at Bibliophilia, Please
Tuesday, April 7
Guest Post at The Lit Bitch
Wednesday, April 8
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Monday, April 13
Review at Lita’s Book Blog
Review at She is Too Fond of Books
Tuesday, April 14
Review at The True Book Addict
Wednesday, April 15
Review at A Novel Review
Monday, April 20
Review at Read, Love, Blog
Thursday, April 30
Review at One Book At a Time
Enjoyed your review
ReplyDeleteI liked the magical realism as well, I thought it added a unique twist to the story. I also agree that there was set-up for future novels in the series -- especially the ending! Nice review.
ReplyDelete