iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-raven/id888019240?mt=11
Synopsis
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 fine works of 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 semi-conscious when their assault is interrupted by a cacophony of growls followed by her attacker’s 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. She returns to the Uffizi, but no one recognizes her and more disturbingly, she discovers that she’s been absent an entire week. With no recollection of the events leading up to her disappearance, Raven also 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 baffled police force identifies her as its prime suspect, Raven is desperate to clear her name. She seeks out one of Florence’s wealthiest and elusive men in an attempt to uncover the truth about her disappearance. Their encounter leads Raven to a dark underworld whose inhabitants kill to keep their secrets…
Review
In The Prince, readers were introduced to a powerful vampyre who has ruled Florence’s underworld for over 800 years, seeking justice and retribution for those who openly defy him and his orders. He sees mercy as a weakness, so there is no leniency under his reign, and while that has acquired him a bevy of enemies, it has also kept him in command, allowing him more power than most can imagine. Two years ago, his dominion was under attack and he answered back forcefully, ensuring a clear message to be received to those who went and might go against him in the future.
But now, a new force has threatened him in the form of a beautiful and fearless woman, and her ability to unman him and alter his views and the course of his existence is not something the Prince was prepared for, and while the feelings she evokes are unexpected, he’s definitely not opposed to them, but unlike most things in his many years of living, she is not easily controlled, and he’ll have to open up to her and alter his perceptions if he wants to claim her for himself.
Even though Gabriel and Julianne Emerson make an appearance in the text, this is truly the Prince and Raven’s story. Throughout the tale, the Prince and Raven are both forced to deal with a multitude of issues, together and independently. Their relationship is forbidden in more ways than one, so it is a delicate line they are walking as the Prince places Raven under his protection, and Raven places her trust, although it takes quite a bit for that to occur, in a “soulless monster” who has no capacity for love, even though his actions towards Raven speak otherwise.
But The Raven is so much more than a paranormal love story. It also deals with the duplicitous nature of mankind and what happens when the thirst for power and revenge take over. In the Prince’s underworld, chaos has ensued, and it is coming from within his own coven. When it comes down to it, he has very few allies, and even they are suspect. The Prince is in an extremely unsafe position and now that he has Raven, he has to do even more to protect them both, and while he seems to be doing a good job, at the end of the book, the threats are still there, leaving everything wide open for the next part of their story.
I continue to love the blending of art history and literature that Sylvain Reynard weaves seamlessly into her texts, and The Raven continues in that tradition. Both Raven and the Prince’s connection to the art world is what binds them together after the Prince saves Raven from an untimely demise. The Prince uses Raven’s love of art to catapult their relationship to something more, and at times, it seems that he sees her as another piece of beauty to add to his collection, but as the story progresses, and they get to know each other more, Raven’s character and the multi faceted nature of her personality prove to be a huge catalyst for the changes that the Prince experiences throughout the text.
The Raven is an exquisite tale that weaves the darker paranormal aspects of the plotline intricately around the suspense, romance, and artistic world that is created above ground. The text is a fantastic start to another brilliant series from Sylvain Reynard, and I can’t wait to continue Raven and the Prince’s story in the next novel.
A complimentary copy was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 poison apples
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