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The Shadow ( The Florentine #2) by Sylvain Reynard-Review and Giveaway

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THE SHADOW (The Florentine #2) by Sylvain Reynard-Review and Giveaway

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THE SHADOW
The Florentine #2
by Sylvain Reynard
Genre: contemporary, adult, paranormal, romance
Release Date: February 2, 2016

 

The Shadow

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 2, 2016

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.

••••••••

REVIEW: THE SHADOW is the second full length installment in Sylvain Reynard’s contemporary, adult THE FLORENTINE dark paranormal, romance series focusing on ancient vampyre Prince William York of Florence, and Uffizi Gallery art restorer Raven Wood. Their continuing story finds the Prince and his people targeted by the human, and Vatican run Curia whose job it is to destroy the living dead. On the hunt for a betrayer within his Florentine Underground, the Prince finds himself having to chose between the woman who calls to his heart, or the vampyres he has promise to protect. There is a character crossover with the series as the Prince is also on the trail of Professor Gabriel Emerson and his wife Julianne from Reynard’s GABRIEL‘S INFERNO contemporary romance series. Emerson was in possession of some stolen art-art that once belonged to the Prince. You can find the background information in the prequel novella-The Prince. THE SHADOW should not be read as a stand alone.

Told from several third person perspectives, THE SHADOW follows the Prince as he tries to stabilize the building animosity and political instability of his vampyre ruling council-The Consilium-and the growing number of dissidents calling for the Prince’s abdication and his head. There is a betrayer in the midst, and the focus of many an investigation is on the growing number of bodies, drained of their blood, within the boundaries of the Prince’s Florentine principality. While the Prince battles his own, Raven is targeted by the man she has grown to call ‘father’- an outside influence that tears at Raven’s heart and her allegiance to a sister who denies the past. With the Prince’s attention divided, Raven becomes a pawn in a battle she cannot win. The story line ends on a cliffhanger-be forewarned.

THE SHADOW is a dark and seductive vampyre story wrapped in a blanket of old world charm that blends the Renaissance artistry and gothic nuances with modern day technology. The secretive underground of the Florentine principality is dangerous, seductive, and hauntingly dramatic. The characters are impassioned, provocative and deadly; the romance is passionate, sensual and heartbreaking. Sylvain Reynard traverses time and era; artist and artistry; the supernatural and the human world. THE SHADOW and THE FLORENTINE SERIES is a passionate exploration of the dark and forbidden world of the vampyre.

Reading Order
The Prince
The Raven
The Shadow

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

giveaway

The Reading Cafe and Sylvain’s publisher are offering a paper copy of THE SHADOW to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

10. Giveaway runs from February 4-8, 2016

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The Raven (The Florentine 1 ) by Sylvain Reynard-a review

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THE RAVEN (The Florentine #1) by Sylvain Reynard-a review

The Raven

Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 3, 2015

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: THE RAVEN is the first full length novel in Sylvain Reynard’s adult, contemporary The Florentine paranormal, romance series focusing on an ancient vampire known as ‘The Prince’ or ‘William York’, and Uffizi Gallery art restorer American Raven Wood. There is a character crossover with the series as the Prince is on the trail of Professor Gabriel Emerson and his wife Julianne from Reynard’s GABRIEL‘S INFERNO contemporary romance series. Emerson was in possession of some stolen art-art that once belonged to the Prince. You can find the background information in the prequel novella-The Prince

Told from third person point of view, the premise follows The Prince as his subjects and people continue to battle the rogue vampires who have infiltrated the Florentine Prince’s territory. An attack by the rogue vampires against a young human woman finds the Prince coming to her aid only to discover that something about the ‘Rubenesque’ woman calls to his heart and to his soul. The Prince does not do relationships; does not do love but protecting the woman known as Raven Wood becomes one of his top priorities.

The Prince is an ancient vampire; a man whose authority is final; his word is law; and a ruler who is quick to destroy anyone who questions his power. His relationship with Raven will become more complicated as the storyline develops because saving her from the rogue vampires also meant saving her from death-a death from which needed a vampire’s blood to survive. Their connection is immediate but Raven is unaware of what has transpired leaving her vulnerable and asking questions of the wrong people. When her life is threatened, the Prince offers up the only thing he can do-for Raven to become his own.

The relationship is slow to develop as the Prince is focused on a possible traitor who has left his territory exposed. Raven is a woman whose background is plagued with heartbreak, emotional and physical abuse, as well as a lifetime of low self esteem and issues of physical inadequacy and beauty. The Prince is drawn to Raven like a moth to a flame and in this Raven, quite possibly, is his downfall. Convincing Raven to leave Florence is difficult- Italy is now her home

There is an ‘old world’ charm to the world building as Sylvain Reynard takes the reader through classical Florence Italy and the dramatic underworld darkness of vampires and death. Their dangerous existence is ruled by a political infrastructure not unlike many Principalities where the head of state is the final authority on all matters concerning the law. Raven’s knowledge of art restoration along with the Prince’s intimacy with many famous paintings and artists lends to the captivating and picturesque beauty of the early Renaissance era, once again invoking an historical feel to the contemporary story.

The secondary and supporting characters include the members of the ruling vampire house of Florence-the Consilium-the governing body of all things supernatural and vampiric in the Prince’s territory. We are introduced to Raven’s friends, coworkers and an assortment of legal professionals who are also on the hunt for a possible serial killer and some missing art from the Uffizi Gallery.

Sylvain Reynard’s dark and mysterious world of The Florentine and its’ vampires is sensual, passionate and deadly. The phenomenal amount of detail with regard to early Renaissance painters and art adds an historical flavor to a paranormal storyline that is addicting and intense; a contemporary love story wrapped in a blanket of old world drama and destruction. A story that crosses the centuries in a contemporary time line.

Reading order
1. The Prince
2. The Raven

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Prince (The Florentine .5 / Gabriel’s Inferno) by Sylvain Reynard-a review

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The Prince (The Florentine .5/ Gabriel’s Inferno) by Sylvain Reynard-a review

The Prince

Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 20, 2015

The unveiling of a set of priceless illustrations of Dante’s Divine Comedy at the Uffizi Gallery exposes the unsuspecting Professor Gabriel Emerson and his beloved wife, Julianne, to a mysterious and dangerous enemy.

Unbeknownst to the Professor, the illustrations he secretly acquired years ago were stolen a century earlier from the ruler of Florence’s underworld. Now one of the most dangerous beings in Italy is determined to reclaim his prized artwork and exact revenge on the Emersons, but not before he uncovers something disturbing about Julianne …

Set in the city of Florence, “The Prince” is a prequel novella to “The Raven,” which is the first book in the new Florentine Series Trilogy by Sylvain Reynard.

“The Prince” can be read as a standalone but readers of The Gabriel Series may be curious about the connection between The Professor’s world and the dark, secret underworld of “The Prince.”

••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW:  THE PRINCE is the prequel novella in Sylvain Reynard’s adult, contemporary The Florentine paranormal series-with a character cross over from the author’s best selling Gabriel’s Inferno series that bridges between the two. If you are a fan of Gabriel’s Inferno by Sylvain Reynard, you will be pleased to know that Professor Gabriel Emerson and his wife Julianne play a significant if not unwitting role throughout the introductory novella.

The premise follows the true Prince of Florence (or Master as he is also known); a supernatural being; the ruler of the underworld and a man set on vengeance against the Professor for an act of betrayal.

Approximately 140 years earlier the Prince was in possession of a set of priceless illustrations of Dante’s Divine Comedy that fell into the hands of thief of unknown name and origin. Fast forward to present day and the Prince will take his revenge on the current owners-Gabriel and Julianne Emerson. While the Prince follows the lovers home, he will encounter a group of assassins, not unlike himself, who have been ordered to take down the Prince and end his life. An attack against the Prince finds heads rolling; the security team on the defense; and his people preparing for war with the Venetians.

We are witness to Gabriel and Julianne’s explicit and continuing romantic love affair; a voyeur along with the Prince at every encounter as Gabriel claims his wife. Their highly sexualized relationship continues to grow stronger but there are warnings on the horizon that not all is well with Gabriel’s wife.

THE PRINCE is a revealing, fast paced, introductory storyline that sets the premise for Reynard’s The Florentine paranormal series. The Italian imagery is breathtaking; the Uffizi Gallery a work of art; the Underworld is mysterious, dark and dangerous.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

Reviewed by Sandy

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