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booklvrkat's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
San Francisco, 1906, before the earthquake. Gemma, a soprano vying for her space in the opera, Suling, determined to escape an arranged marriage. The women are as different as night and day, but one man, set upon having what isn’t his, and making the world his oyster, throws them together in this spell-binding story. The story takes us all the way to Paris to solve the mystery behind The Phoenix Crown, and the willpower of women.
Absolutely will be a favorite read for this month. I love stories of women overcoming obstacles, and men who deem it necessary to do their worst. The way the authors wrapped the real around the fiction made this story so easy to read and wanting more. I loved the bigger-than-life side characters, the desperation felt by Gemma and Suling to change their lives, and the romance that came out from under the rubble. A fast historical fiction read, I’d recommend this story to anyone trying to break a reading slump, or just needing something different.
P.S. The author’s note at the end of the story made me so happy. They state the only way to keep everything straight within the story, including characters, was lots and lots of spreadsheets.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Kidnapping, and Violence
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