Literaria: In love with The Witch of Painted Sorrows + giveaway

With a spellbinding title and the marvellous style of author M. J. Rose, this book has been in my mind since I heard about it. Finally, I had the chance to read it. And wow.

THE WITCH OF PAINTED SORROWS

(Daughters of La Lune #1)

by M.J. Rose

Gothic Historical Fantasy

Published by Atria Books on March 17^th, 2015

MY OPINION

What an enchanting, ghostly, beautifully sad and arousing storyline.

I've read another great book by this author before, and it also possessed me until the very end. With this story, I was quickly ensnared by the beauty of Paris as introduced by two women equally fascinating. A dashing courtesan who opens her arms and her tea afternoons to her granddaughter as the young woman flees from terrible events in New York.

It was Sandrine herself who soon triggered an absolutely mesmerizing chain of events. A rich tapestry of art, mystery and esoteric secrets that unfold in unexpected, ever deeper circles. There is so much enclosed in this poetic tale: mystic art, bohemian Paris, the awakening of the flesh and of an ancient, hungry power. The sensuality of the narrative appeals to the imagination as much as Sandrine's journey of dangerous and voluptuous discoveries.

With an evocative, lavish writing style, the passionate characters come to life. It was exhilarating to watch Sandrine's transformation from demure lady trapped by society's conventions into a force of nature, free of mind and body. Though she's also drunk on the giddy side effects, and she descends into a world of dark visions and foreboding.

Beautiful and haunting, the story merges a dark, prophetic past with the most passionate depiction of art, a woman falling willing victim to a curse that both empowers and endangers her, and a display of sensuality that tingles the senses.

I'm not ashamed to confess that I fell in love with this novel. It's beautifully told and masterfully builds up into a frenzy of murder, dark possession, jealousy, inspiring art, atmospheric history, fear, and above all a hunger for life's offerings that knows no boundaries.

The more I read, the more I wanted to read, to surround myself with the sinister legend of La Lune, with the enlightening way that Sandrine learns to paint, and with the poignant beauty of her love for Julien.

With a heavy heart, I finished reading this book which fascinated me as much as it left me a little bereft as I contemplated that bittersweet ending. The whole of me thrills on the idea that it has a continuation. How can it not?

Favourite quotes:

The cool blood that used to run through my veins was always hot now.

Between my legs I felt the first stirrings of desire gathering... growing... as if my want was picking flowers... adding one and then another, until all the single stems were one huge fragrant bouquet of lust.

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.

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Praise for The Witch of Painted Sorrows

“This belle époque thriller is a haunting tale of obsessive passions.” —People Magazine

“Provocative, erotic, and spellbindingly haunting…will have the reader totally mesmerized cover-to-cover….a ‘must-have’ novel.” —Suspense Magazine

“A haunting tale of erotic love…. M.J. Rose seamlessly weaves historical events throughout this story filled with distinctive characters that will keep the reader captivated to the end.” —Examiner.com

“Rose has a talent for compelling writing, and this time she has outdone herself. Fear, desire, lust and raw emotion ooze off the page.” —Associated Press

“Haunting tale of possession.” —Publishers Weekly

“Rose’s new series offers her specialty, a unique and captivating supernatural angle, set in an intriguing belle epoque Paris — lush descriptions, intricate plot and mesmerizing storytelling. Sensual, evocative, mysterious and haunting.” —Kirkus

“Mixes reality and illusion, darkness and light, mystery and romance into an adult fairy tale. [Rose] stirs her readers curiosities and imaginations, opening their eyes to the cultural, intellectual and artistic excitement that marked the Belle Epoque period. Unforgettable, full-bodied characters and richly detailed narrative result in an entrancing read that will be long savored.” —Library Journal (Starred Review)

“An elegant tale of rare depth and beauty, as brilliantly crafted as it is wondrously told….melds the normal and paranormal in the kind of seamless fashion reserved for such classic ghost stories as Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw.” —Providence Journal

ABOUT THE MASTERMIND

New York Times Bestseller, M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice… books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it. Rose’s work has appeared in many magazines including Oprah Magazine and she has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, WSJ, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio.

Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the ’80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors – Authorbuzz.com. The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose’s novels in the Reincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and currently serves, with Lee Child, as the organization’s co-president. Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.