Thursday, May 1, 2014

Blog Tour (Review): The Collector of Dying Breaths by M.J. Rose


The Collector of Dying Breaths Tour Schedule

Welcome to my stop on international-bestselling author M.J. Rose's virtual tour for The Collector of Dying Breaths that is running from March 3 – May 30.



Title: The Collector of Dying Breaths (The Reincarnationist #6)
Author:
M.J. Rose
Publisher: Atria Books (Simon & Schuster)
Acquired Via: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
Release Date: April 8, 2014

From the internationally bestselling author, a lush and imaginative novel that crisscrosses time as passion and obsessions collide.

Florence, Italy—1533:

An orphan named René le Florentin is plucked from poverty to become Catherine de Medici’s perfumer. Traveling with the young duchessina from Italy to France, René brings with him a cache of secret documents from the monastery where he was trained: recipes for exotic fra­grances and potent medicines—and a formula for an alchemic process said to have the poten­tial to reanimate the dead.

In France, René becomes not only the greatest perfumer in the country, but also the most dangerous, creating deadly poisons for his Queen to use against her rivals. But while mixing herbs and essences under the light of flickering candles, René doesn’t begin to imag­ine the tragic and personal consequences for which his lethal potions will be responsible.

Paris, France—The Present:

A renowned mythologist, Jac L’Etoile—trying to recover from personal heartache by throw­ing herself into her work—learns of the sixteenth-century perfumer who may have been working on an elixir that would unlock the secret to immortality. She becomes obsessed with René le Florentin’s work—particularly when she discovers the dying breaths he had collected during his lifetime.

Jac’s efforts put her in the path of her estranged lover, Griffin North, a linguist who has already begun translating René le Flo­rentin’s mysterious formula. Together they confront an eccentric heiress in possession of a world-class art collection, a woman who has her own dark purpose for the elixir . . . for which she believes the ends will justify her deadly means.

This mesmerizing gothic tale zigzags from the violent days of Catherine de Medici’s court to twenty-first-century France. Fiery and lush, set against deep, wild forests and dimly lit cha­teaus, The Collector of Dying Breaths illuminates the true path to immortality: the legacies we leave behind.


My Review

One of the first review books that I ever received was The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose (you can read my review HERE), which was a wonderful read because it is so uniquely written. The Collector of Dying Breaths has the same lovely writing style and carries on with the characters I liked so well in the previous books. (Seduction falls between The Book of Lost Fragrances and The Collector of Dying Breaths, though each can be read as standalones.)

The Collector of Dying Breaths is written in a way that is half historical fiction and half contemporary thriller, with just a smidge of paranormal for effect. Jac L'Etoile has been the main character for the past three books (I haven't read the first three in this series) and is just as strange and unique as the writing style of these books. She is both strong and independent, yet fragile and wholly reliant upon her inner circle. Her life is thrown for a loop when she loses one of those people that she depends on for so much. I don't want to spoil the other books, so I won't tell you who died, but this death also made me a bit sad because I liked that character a lot. Anywho, this death is what starts the events of the book and is central to the story.

As the series title implies, everything revolves around reincarnation and past lives. The Collector of Dying Breaths goes back and forth between René le Flo­rentin, a perfumer from the 1500s, trying to perfect the formula of capturing eternal life through a person's final breath, and Jac in the present day getting dragged into René's work. There is a lot of tension and suspense, and it's hard to talk about them without spoilers. Let's just say there is a lot of food for thought surrounding these well-developed characters.

The Collector of Dying Breaths is a beautifully written addition to a series that I enjoy very much and plan to continue reading. It is always refreshing to read adult fiction, and anything by M.J. Rose is a special treat. If you read historical fiction, you should definitely give these books a try.

- 4/5 Stars -

Buy Links
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble



About the Author

M.J. Rose is the international best-selling author of fourteen novels and two non-fiction books on marketing. Her fiction and non-fiction has appeared in many magazines and reviews including Oprah Magazine. She has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, 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 Renincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and runs the blog- Buzz, Balls & Hype. She is also the co-founder of Peroozal.com and BookTrib.com.

Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.

Find M.J. Online
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received a copy of the book for reviewing purposes through Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. The book was likely provided to the tour by the publisher or author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

2 comments:

  1. I have not heard of this series, thanks for bringing it to my attention. I love the cover :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This series is really good. If I had time, I would go back and read the first three books. I love Rose's writing style.

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You are going to put words in my box?! *squeezes you* Now I shall stalk YOUR blog!