Seduction

by M.J. Rose

[kimbacaffeinate]

Rose splits our time between the past with the famous French poet Victor Hugo and present day mythologist Jac L’Etoile. Victor wrote such fine works as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Miserables. His story focuses on the death of his daughter and his exploration into séances as a means to communicate but he may just invite something else into his home. Jac is recovering from her trip to Paris, when she is invited by an old teenage friend to explore the Isle of Jersey and its Celtic roots. When she arrives she discovers Theo wants her help in recovering the lost conversations Victor had with someone referred to as the Shadow of the Sepulcher. Lyrically written this suspenseful tale lured me in as it weaved past and present together into a captivated tale.

Rose has an amazing gift for bringing characters to life. She skillfully reveals their flaws and strengths and while you might not like all of their traits you understand their motives, desires and fears. I met Jac in the previous novel and she is complex, intelligent, gifted, curious and afraid of her own abilities. Scent triggers memories from the past, giving her glimpses into the past. The smell triggers it and she finds herself transported to a scene, a time or a place. These events both frighten and intrigue her. Jac is a skeptic and likes to deals in facts. She stars and produces a show that debunks mythology. Her plan was to show people how one kernel of truth morphed into outlandish tales, but instead people took that kernel and believed. Theo is obsessed with finding the lost letters; he is troubled and suffers from depression and anxiety. Overall, I found him to be interesting. We met Malachai in previous books; he is a therapist and expert in reincarnation and repressed lives. He treated both Theo and Jac as teens and fears for Jac safety when she travels to Jersey. We do not get a lot of face time with him as much of his interaction is done over the phone. Owain a druid priest seeks help from the gods and is given a horrific task. Other characters both past and present help drive the suspense.

Rose delivered a gothic tale that was both suspenseful and detailed. My personal favorite was Victor Hugo’s thread and I found her attention to detail regarding his life astounding. The tale is filled with séances; ancient druid ceremonies, reincarnation and spiritualism. Jac’s hallucinations help thread the mysteries and characters together. Jac comes from a family of perfumers and her ability to smell and extract scents was fascinating. We learn details about the techniques and I enjoyed them. The tale is dark, filled with danger but has a hint of romance. While the pacing can be slow at times the tale continually increased in suspense keeping me locked in its grip. Wrapped into this dark and atmospheric tale there is a profound sadness that you cannot help but feel and connect to. I loved all of the details regarding the Celtic ruins and mythology and appreciated the author’s skilled world building. Her writing is both beautiful, and dark. She brings images, places and emotions to life. I have always been fascinated by reincarnation and found myself spellbound. Rose brought all the threads together and even managed to surprise me. I felt it had great closure and look forward to the next book.
ARC provided in exchange for unbiased review
Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer