The Witch of Painted Sorrows, 1 (Daughters of La Lune, #1)

by M.J. Rose

Paris, 1894. Sandrine Salome flees New York and her treacherous husband to find shelter in Paris with her grandmother, but as she settles in and pursues new passions, it's unclear whether she or an infamous ancestral witch is driving the changes.

"Possession. Power. Passion. New York Times bestselling novelist M. J. Rose creates her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet in this gothic novel set against the lavish spectacle of 1890s Belle Époque Paris. 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"--

• ISBN10: 147677806X
• ISBN13: 9781476778068
• Publish Date: 17 March 2015
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Imprint: Atria Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

Fond Of

A fantastical plot that grabs you from the get go and made for a very quick read.

It reminded me a little of The Wizard of Oz. The Ruby necklace Sandrine constantly wore attached itself to her like Dorthy's rubber slippers, with sparks flying whenever there was a risk of separating. I thought this added apprehension to the plot and worked well.

Besides being magical The Witch of Painted Sorrows had many Gothic undertones to it. An example being Sandrine's lover Julien having a complication in his romantic position that was very reminiscent of the wives of Mr. Rochester or Maximillian de Winter. Whether that was intentional I'm not sure but enjoyed the comparison.

While at times it was a little provocative (which was the point) I really liked the details that were given to art as it added a new dimension to the novel.

Sandrine's double persona led to a creepy, suspenseful plot and just had to learn more especially with a ending that screams sequel.

Not Fond Of

I'm not going to lie, it was a bit trashy but not one you would be embarrassed to say you were reading.

This is more of a generalized critique but I really don't understand why men and women can't just be friends in novels as half the time the book could end with the same result. I do think Sandrine being in a relationship reflected the whole "finding herself" thing but there may have been other ways to go about that.

Final Thoughts

The plot was a little odd and when I described it to someone they didn't know what to make of it. Yet somehow it works, while The Witch of Painted Sorrows could be seen as a bit of lite reading it has a spellbinding plot that hooks you in. I look forward to the rest of The Daughters of La Lune Trilogy.

[elysium]

This is the second book I’ve read from the author and it seems that she manages to make me love books about subjects I know nothing about. I don’t know a first thing about art but this was really interesting.

When we first meet Sandrine she’s insecure woman who is still grieving for her father, running from her husband and her old life. She’s very likeable and you cannot but feel sorry for her. We see Sandrine become more sure of herself and falling passionately in love. After becoming possessed she starts slowly changing, and not always for the better.

Old family secrets starts to unravel and it seems Sandrine’s grandmother knows more than she tells. Why she warns Sandrine to never fall in love? Even though her grandmother is a courtesan, Sandrine has lived very proper life and grandmother isn’t very happy when Sandrine starts to find her sexuality.

Very enjoyable and gripping read that kept me wanting to know what happens next.

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

I was excited to receive a copy of The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose from Atria for review. I fell under Ms. Rose’s enchantments after zooming through the first four books in The Reincarnationist series a few years ago. I discovered that her books often combine the paranormal with mysticism and historical fiction. She is deft at sharing history and creating suspense that keeps me turning the pages.

Sadly, I was disappointed upon finishing The Witch of Painted Sorrows. The elements that I love about Ms. Rose’s books were there, but it just didn’t quite come together. I felt Rose was holding something back. The history of La Lune, her power and her connection to the occult were never quite revealed. It was hiding there in the shadows and it became quite frustrating waiting and wondering when it would all spill out. Because things were not revealed and did not quite come together, the ending was muddled, rushed, confusing and unsatisfying.

I loved Sandrine’s passion and desire to become her own person in a time when women were not necessarily allowed to do so. I admired her bravery to stand up to her husband and escape an abusive relationship. The downside to Sandrine’s character is that it was hard to figure out whether her decisions (after her arrival in Paris) were her own or were due to the influence of La Lune. I believe that Sandrine naturally possessed some of those characteristics. However, she’s influenced by La Lune so quickly, you do not get to know much about Sandrine alone to know which actions are hers versus those of La Lune.

Despite my love for past books by M.J. Rose, I was not impressed with this latest release. The story fell short by not revealing enough and what was revealed led to a messy, stalker-ish ending that made my skin crawl (and not in a good way). The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose receives a thumbs down.

After Thoughts
After finishing the novel, one part continues to bother me. Sandrine attended the opera where Charlotte was performing. Her date for the evening guides her to an underground safe spot within the opera house. How the hell did Sandrine get out of there?

I received this book for free in exchange for a honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews.