The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

The Book of Blood and Shadow

by Robin Wasserman

It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up.

When the night began, Nora had two best friends and a boyfriend she adored. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands. Chris was dead. Adriane couldn't speak. And Max, Nora's sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also-according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone-a murderer.

Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora's determined to follow the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. But Chris's murder is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

Reviewed by Angie on

3 of 5 stars

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The Book of Blood and Shadow was so weird. It's some mash up of Mystery, Historical Fiction, Thriller, Paranormal, and true events. I never had any idea what direction this story was going, and that ending? What in the world?! I don't even know. I did not see that coming. It's definitely a fascinating read, and the only reason I didn't rate it higher was because it felt really long and drawn out, since I simply didn't care about Nora's romantic troubles or proving her boyfriend's innocence. I was much more intrigued by Elizabeth, the writer of the 400 year old letters which leads Nora on this perilous journey.

The Book of Blood and Shadow is centered around the Voynich manuscript, which is real, and apparently still no one has been able to read it. Nora is part of an internship team who is working on cracking the code, but she's designated to translating the letters of the daughter of the one man who has come close to deciphering this mysterious tome. Of course, these letters wind up holding the most important information, including clues to a strange device with unimaginable powers. Nora is skeptical, but then her best friend is brutally murdered, and her boyfriend is the prime suspect. Now it's up to her to prove his innocence, by finding all of the pieces Elizabeth left behind.

I was totally into Elizabeth's letters, as was Nora. She couldn't help but draw parallels to her own life, but I just thought she had an interesting story. All of this talk of clockwork bugs, alchemy, and reaching God had me completely drawn in. She seemed to have a fascinating life, and I would have loved to read more about her! Nora kind of bored me, actually. I didn't really believe her relationship with Max to begin with, so I found it hard to believe she'd go through all of the trouble to save him. Obviously, The Book of Blood and Shadow turned into much more than that, but I wanted to remain in 1600 with Elizabeth and her secrets.

In the end, I did like The Book of Blood and Shadow. I do wish the pacing had been quicker, since I found myself bored in several places. There's a lot of history (some real, some fantasy), and while it's probably interesting to History buffs, I am not one and wanted to get on with the mystery. I also just don't know what to think about that ending, although I'm sure that's the point. It was a great ending though, and really makes you wonder what's really possible.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

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  • Started reading
  • 16 September, 2014: Finished reading
  • 16 September, 2014: Reviewed