The Luna Legacy is the third historical thriller in The Torcal Trilogy. Each book is a stand-alone story. However, if you want to enjoy reading in the correct order, this is the series order: The award-winning The Grotto’s Secret, The Sacred Symbol and The Luna Legacy.In 1492, masquerading as Cristóbal Colon’s trusted envoy, Ana-María de Carbonela is in a dangerous predicament. Living as a man … trusted envoy, Ana-María de Carbonela is in a dangerous predicament. Living as a man and pregnant with Christopher Columbus’s child, she is given a secret mission by Queen Isabella to find and protect an ancient secret. But Ana-Maria is not alone in searching for this secret. Will she be able to stand up to the might of the leaders of Aragón and their powerful hidden agents? Or will this ancient secret fall into dangerous hands?
In the present day, Nina Monterossa races across Europe to help Skye Coventina find out the truth about her father’s strange death, linked to the mysterious birthmark Nina and Skye’s father share. After discovering she is the last Luna, Nina is hunted from rural Spain to Cork and across Egypt by a man who will do anything to get his hands on an ancient and powerful Luna relic. Can she save the world’s heritage – The Luna Legacy?
Visit Paula Wynne’s website to get a download of the series prequel: Elixa.
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There have been several aspects that have made this series stand out: firstly there are the characters who are very well drawn and believable, the ‘baddies’ are really bad, but there is sufficient back-story about them to explain why they are so evil, and the good characters are portrayed as human enough that they are relatable, and likeable.
Secondly, there is the historical accuracy, the stories are woven seamlessly around real events back in the late 1400s.
Thirdly there are the brilliant descriptions of the locations that the action takes place in, I know a lot more about the Alhambra than I did before,Then there is the tension and excitement, and finally there is the way that present day events are intertwined with the historical part of the story.
This third book continues the standard set in the first two, and draws together a lot of the questions that have been raised in the series.
If I do have a criticism, it is that is rather long, and despite the great descriptive narrative, it does move rather slowly at times, so maybe it could be little tighter, but it is still a superb read, and worthy of the five stars that I have given it.
I received an advance copy of the book from the author, but have voluntarily written this honest review, based on my own opinions.
“Since the beginning of time, people have searched for something superior to themselves. Is it water all around us? Is it God?”
“Always remember this, María,…the treasures are inside us. The Chalice is all about divine love within each of us…{about} a change that comes from the search…{as} we all have a deep spiritual longing. Our Chalice is opening up and receiving a love that conquers all.”
The search for the Chalice, the Holy Grail, runs from the time of Christ’s last supper, down to this day. This trilogy of books explores a set of searches running from the end of the 12th century down to our modern day. The above quotations are words of wisdom given to Mariá, our heroine in the 15th century, but just as apt today. Our stories in this, the third book:
SETTING 1–1492: Ana-María de Carbonela, having warned Christopher Columbus (modern spelling) of impending mutiny, gained his trust and his attention. This resulted in a mission to hide important papers in an old abbey (which he promised to come for upon his return) and a child that Mariá is now carrying. Having watched her mother die at the hands of soldiers of the Inquisition, you can imagine her terror when one of Queen Isabella’s ladies in waiting comes searching for the young man Mariá had posed as on her journey from Christopher Columbus to the old abbey. Nothing will save the Abbey, and the precious papers, but that Mariá again don man’s clothing with padding and a long doublet to conceal the infant pregnancy, and again assume her male identity. Off she rides into the den of snakes that is Queen Isabella’s court, posing as the barely shaving young ‘Monte Rossa’. This storyline from the prior books is the fulcrum around which this novel is balanced.
SETTING 2-Modern times: The modern Monterossa family has been bedeviled by corporations, greedy people and sudden deaths under suspicious circumstances, in the 2 previous books. Once again, Ms. Wynne has artfully woven these threads into a fascinating story. In this book, we find Nina Monterossa learns secrets about her birth and the precious family legacy that she has been handed. She learns of the search performed by her father and aunt (both of whom died in book 2), and accepts the task of unraveling the final secrets after her uncle gives her the family books to read. These give the history of the legacy as her family experienced it, and learned it, then recorded it for the next generation.
Suddenly, the mysteries her family has experienced with healing are found to be shared by other places in the world. We learn about the event thought to connect them, but not exactly WHY or HOW the healing occurs. The journey of Nina’s discoveries draws us into a modern deadly plot, just as murderous as that faced by Mariá in 1492, and is just as risky as was Columbus’ sailing across an unknown ocean and finding an unknown land. And just when I thought “Ah-Hah! Now all the pieces will come together and the mysteries will be solved”, the hook is placed that will-no doubt-pull me into the next book! Will Nina be able to resume her friendship with Dan, and perhaps allow it to grow? Will Nina ever learn what happened to Mariá after she returned to the abbey? And is Mariá related to the Monterossa family?
CRITIQUE: Well crafted story, that has successfully carried the main storylines through 3 books without breaking the threads, a sign of the author’s skill. The description of the Alhambra, the attention to historical details of society and life at the end of the 15th century show the preparatory work done by the author to lend authenticity to the story, which readers with knowledge of that era will appreciate.
I received an ARC of this book. I have voluntarily reviewed it.
If you love a mystery combined with some historical friction this is a book for you. Reading the first book I had a bit of a problem following the time lines in the beginning but the switching back and forth in this book went very smoothly. If you ever visited Alhambra and the surrounding towns in Spain the vivid description will wish you are back there to absorb it all over again. This is a great ending of the trilogy but it also left some openings for a new series. I for one like to hear more of the adventures of Monte a woman trying to survive presenting herself as a man in the late fourteen hundreds. Not an easy task by any means. Present day Nina might also have a place in a continued series. Will she be able to keep herself and family safe? I highly recommend this series.
A great ending to a wonderful trilogy. Reminiscent of Dan Brown, The Luna Legacy combines history, mystery, and thriller to capture you from the first chapter and eagerly keep you turning pages.
The storyline is intriguing, the characters well-developed, and the writing flows well with rich detail. This was a book I couldn’t put down, and I am saddened this wonderful tale has ended.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, and I liked it so much I also bought a copy of the book.
This is a very fitting ending to a great trilogy. All three books could be read as stand-alone novels, but to get the full impact, it is best to read the entire trilogy. These books are well-written, with good character development. This book, like the others, contains a long story, so it is not one that can be easily read in a single sitting, even though you hate to put it down. I enjoyed the delivery mode of alternating between the historical background and the present-day events. There are many twists and turns that keep you guessing throughout the story. You get to see where and why an item of interest gets hidden, then you see how the item gets discovered and what happens as a result of that discovery. I feel that the story ended with the major issues and questions resolved, but there are certainly opportunities for side stories and for following the present-day characters in continuing adventures. I highly recommend this trilogy if you enjoy historical fiction. I’m looking forward to reading more of Ms. Wynne’s writing.