Instant New York Times and Indie Bestseller!New York Times bestselling author Renée Ahdieh returns with a sumptuous, sultry and romantic new series set in 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight.In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans is a safe haven after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. … safe haven after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent in the middle of the carnival season, Celine is quickly enraptured by the vibrant city, from its music to its fancy soirées and even its danger. She becomes embroiled in the city’s glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group’s enigmatic leader, Sébastien Saint Germain.
When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in Sébastien’s own lair–the second dead girl to turn up in recent weeks–Celine battles her attraction to Sébastien and suspicions about his guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.
After a third murder, New Orleans becomes gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose–one who has now set Celine in his sights. As the murderer stalks her, Celine finally takes matters into her own hands, only to find herself caught in the midst of an age-old feud between the darkest creatures of the night, where the price of forbidden love is her life.
At once a sultry romance and a decadent, thrilling mystery, master storyteller Renée Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet.
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Well I finished it… I’m dissapointed. Here are ten quick thoughts I gave about the book; 2.5 stars.
1) It’s not a vampire book, a supernatural book, nor really a romance.
2) It’s a turn of the century, French Quarter, Gothic tale with a handfull of creatures, a hard headed woman, and a somewhat interesting man. Bastian was lost on thus author, she had such a great character and squandered him.
3) The author sure loves to describe everything, but doesn’t let her characters actually do anything. I got a derailed, in depth description if everything in New Orleans, but the characters didn’t actually do much of anything. What they did was talk or make dresses.
4) There is no HEA. Well maybe you might consider the epilogue. It’s two lines and effectively reverses the last 25 or so pages. You can’t have it both ways, you get one ending, you much choose!! Either way is not a HEA.
5) the title and cover don’t match the story at all. Well the creatures are called the beautiful, once.
6) The story’s action could have been told in 200 pages. That leaves 225 pages of description and non-action.
7) the ending angered me. I worked really hard to finish for that bullsh*t! I understand there us a book two, but why is that needed when half of this book was wasted time?
8) extremely slow pace, consistent, but slow.
9) the book is grand in atmosphere but not much else. The author could have developed the characters (all of them) in greater depth if not for the wasted descriptions of the room, the dress, the hair, the food, the sounds…
10) it’s nothing like I expected or was “told” from reviews. It wasn’t a waste of my time as it was a great trip through 1880’s New Orleans; it just wasn’t what I wanted nor what I would have chosen. I will look jnto book two, but only for soneone to spoil it for ne. I’m curious but not enough to read it.
Such a good book. I didn’t thought I was gonna like it because is been mix reviews about it but I end up loving it. I can wait for the second book.
Finally a book about vampires by someone who can really write! This book was a page turner! It’s got romance, creatures of the night, murder, mystery and 19th century New Orleans. It’s a little dark, a little twisted and a whole lot of fun. To top it off, it also has a main character who refuses to cower to any man or change who she is for anyone.
I was thrilled when I heard vampires were back. This story by Renée Ahdieh has a rich setting and intriguing characters that I wish we had gotten to know a little better. I do hope the next book has way more of the vampire side of things .