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Book Summary and Reviews of The Library of Light and Shadow by M. J. Rose

The Library of Light and Shadow by M. J. Rose

The Library of Light and Shadow

A Daughters of La Lune Novel

by M. J. Rose

  • Critics' Consensus (0):
  • Published:
  • Jul 2017, 368 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A talented young artist flees New York for the South of France after one of her scandalous drawings reveals a dark secret - and triggers a terrible tragedy.

In the wake of a dark and brutal World War, the glitz and glamour of 1925 Manhattan shine like a beacon for the high society set, desperate to keep their gaze firmly fixed to the future. But Delphine Duplessi sees more than most. At a time in her career when she could easily be unknown and penniless, like so many of her classmates from L'École des Beaux Arts, in America she has gained notoriety for her stunning "shadow portraits" that frequently expose her subjects' most scandalous secrets. Most nights Delphine doesn't mind that her gift has become mere entertainment - a party trick - for the fashionable crowd.

Then, on a snowy night in February, in a penthouse high above Fifth Avenue, Delphine's mystical talent leads to a tragedy between two brothers. Devastated and disconsolate, Delphine renounces her gift and returns to her old life in the south of France where Picasso, Matisse, and the Fitzgeralds are summering. There, Delphine is thrust into recapturing the past. First by her charismatic twin brother and business manager Sebastian who attempts to cajole her back to work and into co-dependence, then by the world famous opera singer Emma Calvé, who is obsessed with the writings of the fourteenth-century alchemist Nicolas Flamel. And finally by her ex-lover Mathieu, who is determined to lure her back into his arms, unaware of the danger that led Delphine to flee Paris for New York five years before.

Trapped in an ancient chateau where hidden knowledge lurks in the shadows, Delphine questions everything and everyone she loves the most - her art, her magick, her family, and Mathieu - in an effort to accept them as the gifts they are. Only there can she shed her fear of loving and living with her eyes wide open.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. The sophisticated and finely detailed narrative and exquisite storytelling draws readers into an esoteric post-World War I, art deco era. Yet it's the compassionate and articulate narrator who brings this heartbreaking but hopeful story to life. Unforgettable." - Library Journal

"Possibly her best yet. A sensuous, sumptuous, and spellbinding novel." - Kirkus

"Engaging ... the supernatural blends smoothly with the realistic action." - Publishers Weekly

"Adventure, romance, and otherworldly powers intermix in this satisfying, enchanting work of paranormal historical fiction." - Booklist

This information about The Library of Light and Shadow was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

M. J. Rose Author Biography

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 is a New York Times, Wall St. Journal and USAToday bestseller as well as an international best seller. She has published more than nineteen novels and 3 books on marketing. She has been published in more than 30 countries and sold over 1.5 million books. The Fox TV show Past Lives was based on Rose's novel, The Reincarnationist.

Rose is a founding member of International ...

... Full Biography
Link to M. J. Rose's Website

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