Thank you Bloomsbury India for sending me a copy of this book for review 🙂
Jessica Day George crafts a captivating tale of two cousins – Lou and Dacia – who, under the pretense of a family gathering, are made aware of a dark family secret. The infamous Florescus have been keeping their real identity under wraps, while they strut about in Romania as a rather influential family. Since the cousins have come of age, their dictator like grandmother Lady Ioana calls upon the entire family to set forth in motion, the supposed life purpose of the Florescus. Gradually, the cousins realize that as the head of the family Lady Ioana may lead the Florescus to partake in a horrible mission – one that could mean the end of all that is just and natural. No longer the vacation they had intended, their time in Romania shrinks into a battle between past alliances and those with the will to protect the future of Europe. Silver in The Blood seeks to unveil the depravity of society by pitting metaphysical beings against the monstrous intentions of others.
This book was a delight from the start. The very first chapter succeeded in keeping me hooked to the story. In part it was all because of the fluid and smooth writing style of the author, wherein chapters melt into one another seamlessly and you feel spellbound to what’s happening on the pages. Precisely, it is unputdownable. Lou and Dacia share a lovely bond and the strength of their relationship furthered the plot, in addition to all that they encountered. In fact their personalities aren’t very much like the 19th century women or atleast how those women were expected to be. Lou and Dacia surpass all such expectations by growing into strong women, able to lead and defend their family. Lady Ioana’s character is extremely detestable. She is so infuriating, I often wondered how the rest of the family tolerated her. One other thing that irked me about the story is how little Lou and Dacia’s parents intervened in what they were being subject to. I found that to be very odd.
The cover of the book and the title were clear indicators of what the secret could be. And even though I had guessed it from the start, it worked in no way as a spoiler because the story is about much more than what their family was hiding. In fact it has so much to do with how the characters in the book react to it. Theo and Lord Johnny play a crucial role in the book. Apart from their purpose in the larger scheme of things, their intended equation with the girls was also predictable. This book is so riveting that I barely had any complaints. Moreover, we are exposed to some Romanian fashion and traditions. I loved the fact that the setting of the book was in the late 1800s and it also alludes to Stoker’s Dracula. Those who enjoy genres like fantasy, historical fiction and mystery should definitely give this one a try. It is absolutely wonderful!
Ratings – 4 stars on 5.
Meera
The Life Stories 