Reviewed by: BigAl
Genre: Paranormal/Contemporary
Fiction/Historical Fiction
Approximate word count: 120-125,000 words
Availability
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on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or
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Author:
VM Gauthier
is a pen name of an author who has written other books in different genres.
While she (or is it he?) is keeping quiet about his (or is it her?) identity,
I’ve been led to believe that I have read one of her (his?) other books. But
I’m not sure. Maybe someday we’ll find out who this is. In the meantime you can
visit his/her website where you’ll find out more about this book and the real
person who was the basis for the fictional protagonist, but not much more about
the author.
Description:
“The 19th
century’s most infamous party-girl is undead and on the loose in the Big Apple.
When 23
year-old Parisian courtesan, Marie Duplessis succumbed to consumption in 1847,
Charles Dickens showed up for the funeral and reported the city mourned as
though Joan of Arc had fallen. Marie was not only a celebrity in in her own
right, but her list of lovers included Franz Liszt – the first international
music superstar, and Alexandre Dumas fils, son of the creator of The Three
Musketeers. Dumas fils wrote the novel The Lady of the Camellias based on their
time together. The book became a play, and the play became the opera La
Traviata. Later came the film versions, and the legend never died.
But what if
when offered the chance for eternal life and youth, Marie grabbed it, even when
the price was the regular death of mortals at her lovely hand?
In 2014,
Marie wonders if perhaps nearly two centuries of murder, mayhem, and debauchery
is enough, especially when she falls hard for a rising star she believes may be
the reincarnation of the only man she ever truly loved. But is it too late for
her to change? Can a soul be redeemed like a diamond necklace in hock? And even
if it can, have men evolved since the 1800′s? Or does a girl’s past still mark
her?”
Appraisal:
Fictional
vampires have run the gambit from the garlic-dodging bloodsuckers who don’t
come out in sunlight to handsome and sparkly creatures, hanging out on the Olympic
Peninsula. Blood Diva gives us yet
another twist on vampire mythology.
The story
starts with the protagonist, a real-life historical figure, Marie Duplessis, on
her deathbed in Paris. While some may be familiar with Duplessis and her
history (which might give the story even more appeal), other than the little I
picked up before reading this book I wasn’t, and didn’t feel as though it
mattered. Mostly set in the modern day, predominately New York City, the little
touches and details the author integrates in the story are likely to resonate
with fans of the art world and opera, yet I’m neither and still found much to
enjoy.
Beyond
being an excellent story with some hot sex scenes, for those who like that, a
clever and entertaining take on the vampire myth, and a love story, for those
who look beyond the surface there is more. What does it mean to be human? Are
some of the Earth’s creatures more important than others? (Put another way, if
it is okay for us humans to kill “lower” animals for nourishment, would the
same logic justify “higher” creatures killing us for the same reason?) If you
could live forever, would that be a good thing and what would you be willing to
give up to do so? Marie grappled with all of these questions. After you read Blood Diva, maybe your answers will be
the same. Or maybe not.
FYI:
Adult
language and a lot of adult content.
Format/Typo Issues:
No
significant issues
Rating: ***** Five Stars
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