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The Secrets Of Life And Death (2014)

by Rebecca Alexander(Favorite Author)

3.64 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0804140685 (ISBN13: 9780804140683)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Broadway Books

review 1: Well, this started off interesting but it just spiraled downward with the weight of its ridiculousness. It held my interest when it was dealing with symbology but when it switched over to vampirism and added a superfluous love story plot line, it lost its hold over me. If I had not received the book free in exchange for this write up, I wouldn't even have bothered finishing it. The one thing that redeemed this story was the allusions to historical figures like John Dee and Erzsébet Báthory. I had not heard of either of these people before (oddly enough, John Dee was mentioned in a TV show I was watching during the time I was reading this book) and I would be interested in reading some non-fiction accounts of their lives.This review is based on a free copy I received ... morefrom bloggingforbooks.com.
review 2: There are times when you read a masterpiece of a book and then attempt to write a review for it. Every word, description, thought, seems unable to grasp the sheer adoration you feel for the novel. This is definitely one of those times for me. I'm not sure what to write in the attempt to reflect my thoughts and feelings towards this phenomenal tour de force. I certainly won't be able to do it enough justice, so I'll say this at the beginning of my review as well as at the end: READ. THIS. BOOK. NOW. I swear you won't regret it and I sincerely hope you find it as magnificent as I did.The plot of the story is, in short, genius. The author takes some of the most intriguing and fascinating topics (in my opinion) and weaves them together to create a novel that cannot be limited by labels or genres. Some of the aspects in the book are alchemy, magic, the occult, Countess Elizabeth Bathory - and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Each of these topics is a favorite of mine - I'll usually read anything that has to do with them. But putting them all together in one story and making a mystery that travels throughout time? Epic. There was no way I could pass this one up and I'm so incredibly thankful that I didn't. The characters were all very realistic - each with their own personality traits, strengths, flaws, weaknesses, desires. I really loved the main character of the story, Jackdaw Hammond. She is a strong female lead for the book and every part of her character is alluring to me. I don't want to do any spoilers, so I'll just say that she's definitely not your ordinary main character in any way. I believe that her afflictions and obstacles that she faces throughout the book make her an entirely new kind of heroine - one that hasn't been seen before. I was able to identify with her right from the start, despite her oddities, and by the end of the book I felt as if I knew her personally. The secondary characters were also well written - both from the past and the ones from the present day. The writing is something I can't possibly try to explain or praise - you'll have to read the book for yourself to understand what I mean. The story jumps between past and present as well as around the globe. It has a fantastic flow and a quick pace that made it so easy to slide into the author's world. The intricate details and vivid imagery throughout the novel, along with the overall dark and gothic feel, was nothing short of perfection. Again, this is from my personal opinion, and I am a huge fan of all things gothic and creepy (which fits this book exactly). I understand that not everyone will feel the same way about the book as I did, which is fine - to each their own. For me, every aspect of this book - no matter how big or small - fit together so impeccably that, as a whole, created a novel of utter perfection. This is by far one of the best books I've ever read and is one that I will re-read several times over. I can't recommend this book any higher to fans of historical fiction, fantasy, paranormal fiction, or readers who like dark subjects such as the occult and magic. As I mentioned at the beginning of my review, if this book sounds appealing to you - drop everything and READ. IT. NOW. You'll be so glad that you did.Disclosure: I received a copy of the book for review through the Blogging for Books program. less

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