Today I bring you a double review of The Raven and The Shadow by Sylvain Reynard. I absolutely LOVED both of these books!!
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel series comes a dark, sensual tale of romance in a city shrouded in mystery . . .
Raven Wood spends her days at Florence's Uffizi gallery restoring Renaissance art. But an innocent walk home after an evening with friends changes her life forever. When she intervenes in the senseless beating of a homeless man, his attackers turn on her, dragging her into an alley. Raven is only semiconscious when their assault is interrupted by a cacophony of growls followed by her attackers' screams. Mercifully, she blacks out, but not before catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure who whispers to her . . .
Cassita vulneratus.
When Raven awakes, she is inexplicably changed. Upon returning to the Uffizi, no one recognizes her. More disturbingly, she discovers that she's been absent an entire week. With no recollection of her disappearance, Raven learns that her absence coincides with one of the largest robberies in Uffizi history--the theft of a set of priceless Botticelli illustrations. When the police identify her as their prime suspect, Raven is desperate to clear her name. She seeks out one of Florence's wealthiest and most elusive men in an attempt to uncover the truth. Their encounter leads Raven to a dark underworld whose inhabitants kill to keep their secrets . . .
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel trilogy comes the hotly anticipated follow-up to The Raven, a sensual novel set in Florence featuring the dangerously intoxicating coupling of Raven and William…
Raven Wood’s vampyre prince has returned, pledging his love and promising justice for every wrong done to her. In the wake of their reunion, Raven is faced with a terrible decision—allow the Prince to wreak vengeance against the demons of her past, or persuade him to stay his hand. But there is far more at stake than Raven’s heart...
A shadow has fallen over the city of Florence. Ispettor Batelli will not rest until he uncovers Raven’s connection to the theft of the priceless art from the Uffizi Gallery. And while the Prince hunts a traitor who sabotages him at every turn, he finds himself the target of the vampyres’ mortal enemy.
As he wages a war on two fronts, he will need to keep his love for Raven secret, or risk exposing his greatest weakness...
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you can
probably guess that I’m not big on the paranormal. A story has to capture my
interest in a big way for me to want to read it. There are, however, some
authors that I will read anything they write regardless of the genre. Sylvain
Reynard is one of those authors. As with the Gabriel Trilogy, I laughingly
refer to these as crack books. I was curious, intrigued and could not put them
down. Raven and The Prince’s story captured me from the beginning. I needed to
know what was going on, why she had her transformations, what was The Prince’s
story. In The Raven, we meet Raven. She works for the Uffizi gallery in Florence. Once
night she encounters some not so great people and is attacked when trying to
help out a homeless man. This even changes her life in ways she never expected.
It also brings The Prince in to her life. Despite the difference between them
and the challenges they face, they soon begin to fall for each other, which
leads the Prince to do things for her that he never would have done before. In
The Shadow, we continue to watch Raven and The Prince fall in love for each
other, but there are threats that impede their relationship and threatened
their lives. The Prince must soon make a decision that will either cause him to
lose Raven or save Florence. With both The Raven and The Shadow, Sylvain
Reynard has done it again with a brilliantly spectacular series that will grab
you from the very beginning and won’t let you go until you read the ending. It
will also leave you wanting more. I definitely recommend this series, even if
you’re not a big fan of paranormal. You won’t be disappointed.
The Prince is a Gabriel's Inferno/Florentine series novella that brings the series together. It's meant to be read before The Raven. And if you haven't yet, definitely check out the Gabriel Trilogy!
I’m interested in the way literature can help us explore aspects of the human condition – particularly suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. My favourite stories are those in which a character takes a journey, either a physical journey to a new and exciting place, or a personal journey in which he or she learns something about himself/herself.
I’m also interested in how aesthetic elements such as art, architecture, and music can be used to tell a story or to illuminate the traits of a particular character. In my writing, I combine all of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of goodness.
I try to use my platform as an author to raise awareness about the following charities: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation, WorldVision, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and Covenant House.
