[A quick note: I kept hearing about this book, and after seeing it so much on bookstagram I figured Iโd give it a go. I wanted to squeeze in some Halloween-type reads in October to set the mood, and the dark streets of New Orleans seemed a good fit. It was definitely a fun story to get you in the Halloween mood.]
โ๐ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ณ๐๐น, ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฟ...๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ฎ ๐บ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ.โ โRenee Ahdieh
Itโs 1872 and New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead, the La Cour Des Lions. But this makes it the perfect refuge for Celine, who flees France in search of a new start. A dangerous string of murders quickly exposes her into the glitzy underworld and the enigmatic Bastien Saint Germain. But some secrets wonโt stay hidden for long, especially when sheโs forced to take matters into her own hands.
This story was a pleasant surprise. Mysterious characters, a morally gray protagonist, and a tantalizing but forbidden romance. Ahdiehโs world building was rich and descriptive. I immediately fell in love with the version of New Orleans she created. Better still, just when I thought I had figured out who the storyโs villain was, I was tricked! I love a story that catches you by surprise and keeps you guessing.
โ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ. ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ.โ
Celine was a character I admired. She found courage in spite of danger. She stood up for herself despite her struggles. And she never let social norms dictate her beliefs or decisions. For a woman of her time, she was a very modern girl. I think the setting of New Orleans encouraged this, allowed her to flourish. Especially her friend Odette. I LOVED Odette. And Pippa.
The other thing I really liked about this book was the dialogue. Dialogue can make or break a story, and I have infinite appreciation for good dialogue, the kind you read, and within the first few pages, you know itโs going to be excellent! The phrases characters used swept me into the past. Ahdieh did a great job with it.
The plot itself was familiar, with a slight twist. A battle ground for ancient rivals, an age old feud between dark creatures, a forbidden love trope. These ideas were captured beautifully in a fresh way, with a slightly unexpected difference that I appreciated. I liked all the vampiric parallels woven throughout the story. It was everything I expect when reading a vampiric novel. Definitely a must read for paranormal and vampire lovers, especially those who like historical aspects in their stories. ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ก๐: ๐ฐ/๐ฑโญ๏ธ
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