Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Review of Venom by Fiona Paul

Summary
Cassandra Caravello has everything a girl could desire: elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, invitations to the best parties, and a handsome, wealthy fiancĂ©—yet she longs for something more. Ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.

When Cass stumbles upon the body of a murdered woman—with a bloody X carved across her heart—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of secret societies, courtesans, and killers. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a poor artist with a mischievous grin . . . and a habit of getting into trouble. Will Cassandra find the murderer before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancĂ© or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

Beauty, romance, and mystery weave together in a novel that’s as seductive and stunning as the city of Venice itself.

My Opinion
   
    Fiona Paul's Venom was beyond what I expected. Originally, since there was so much hype, I was unsure if Venom could actually hold my interest. There was so much buzz surrounding it, that when I stumbled across a copy I just had to read it. I'm not really one to read period pieces but the plot summary was interesting enough to pull me in and it was Venom's main character, Cass, that kept me reading.   

     On the very first page, there was a quote encased in black. It was the perfect way to start an unconventional murder mystery. The quote was intricate enough to peak my interest but didn't give anything away. As I continued reading the quotes became more entwined with the story and I can't help but think they have something to do with the end of the series. 

   As the plot and characters evolved, I just couldn't stop reading. It was one of those novels that you read until you fall asleep exhausted with the book still open on your chest. Needless to say I loved it. The characters, although they were from a different period, were extremely relatable. I especially loved Paul's creation of a villain that was just as wounded as the other characters.   

    There wasn't too much or too little of any aspect in this book. There were hot boy vying for the attention of a kick-ass female lead, a fight scene that made my heart leap into my throat, and an inner dialogue of a teenage girl going through thee same issues that modern day girls are plagued with. I got action, romance and angst in just the right doses. Paul's balanced out characters and plot just continued to surprise me.     

   Fiona Paul created a magical world that placed me right in the center. Paul managed to keep the story steeped in tradition, while making the concepts modern enough to make today's readers fall in love. Venom is the perfect book for anyone looking for love, action and a city filled to the brim with secrets.
  
 Giveaway  - To celebrate the launch of my blog I will be giving away an ARC of venom. Check it out below. Next book up will be Black City by Elizabeth Richards.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


 
 

6 comments:

  1. Congrats on your launch :)

    This might be my most favorite review ever :)

    I would love to either sign this ARC for your winner or provide some signed bookmarks to go along with your giveaway. (I am looking into bookplates, but don't currently have any). Email me and let me know if you'd like for me to do either of those things, okay? And thanks for taking the time to write such a lovely review!

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  2. Hey! New follower! I came across your blog. Looks like lots of great stuff. I'm TOTALLY pysched for it to come out! And it looks like you LOVED it so I just can't wait anymore! lol.

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  3. Yay for new blogs! I am so super rediculously excited for Venom... Thanks for the giveaway and congrats on the blog launch!

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  4. Thanks for the review! I've definitely been looking forward to reading this book!

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  5. Thanks for posting a great review, I've been looking forward to this book and this just makes me more excited! :)

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  6. Thanks for the giveaway. That was a great review! :D

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