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preciouslittleingenue's review
Bored to tears and don’t care enough to push past for it to get better. Next.
babs_reviews's review
4.0
This was such an adventurous read. Magic, art, history, a cult and Italy, a solid combination and an excellent carry out that was so well written. Being transported through the written word is an amazing experience.
A wonderful blend of past and present, the power of forbidden but true love and the pull of it over time. Villains who will do whatever it takes to protect their secret and further the agenda. Artwork that is literally to die for.
Such a unique thriller concept! When Nick visits a famous painting in Italy, he hears a voice coming from it, his soul mate from a past life. I don't know about you, but I would think I lost my mind. Determined to get to the bottom of it and find answers Nick finds himself up against The Order, with opposite goals, who will come out victorious?
The end brings some things to the light, answering some questions and leaving more in their wake. A great first book to the series.
A wonderful blend of past and present, the power of forbidden but true love and the pull of it over time. Villains who will do whatever it takes to protect their secret and further the agenda. Artwork that is literally to die for.
Such a unique thriller concept! When Nick visits a famous painting in Italy, he hears a voice coming from it, his soul mate from a past life. I don't know about you, but I would think I lost my mind. Determined to get to the bottom of it and find answers Nick finds himself up against The Order, with opposite goals, who will come out victorious?
The end brings some things to the light, answering some questions and leaving more in their wake. A great first book to the series.
100pagesaday's review
4.0
After receiving a head injury while playing hockey Nick and his wife Julia are off to Venice for a romantic vacation and to potentially book Julia an art gallery showing. While visiting the Doge's Palace, Nick is entranced by Tintoretto's painting, Paradise. While looking at the masterpiece, Nick hears a voice of a woman speaking to him from the painting. He tries to shake the voice, but after Nick is run out of the Doge's Palace, can suddenly understand Venetian, finds that the name of the woman that he heard was a real person and is having memories of a past life, Nick can't deny the voice is real and Julia knows there is more to the painting. As Nick and Julia uncover secrets, they draw the attention of a powerful and secret Venetian Order that wants them out of the picture.
The Prisoner of Paradise is a fast-paced thriller connecting past and present through one of the largest canvas paintings, Paradise. From the beginning, I was engrossed in the story as Isabella was pulled away from her soulmate, Angelo in 1589. In the present, Nick and Julia's story took a little more time to get into as they explored Venice and introduced some of the members of the Order. I loved the vivid descriptions of Venice that were able to transport me to the colorful alleyways and canal system. I was fascinated by the Order with their combination of religions, belief in the justification of their actions, knowledge of the afterlife, and use of the painting to trap souls. The danger and suspense grew slowly throughout the story until the very end as Nick and Julia uncovered more secrets. The ending of the story left many more questions to be answered with the promise of a sequel that I will definitely be reading.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Prisoner of Paradise is a fast-paced thriller connecting past and present through one of the largest canvas paintings, Paradise. From the beginning, I was engrossed in the story as Isabella was pulled away from her soulmate, Angelo in 1589. In the present, Nick and Julia's story took a little more time to get into as they explored Venice and introduced some of the members of the Order. I loved the vivid descriptions of Venice that were able to transport me to the colorful alleyways and canal system. I was fascinated by the Order with their combination of religions, belief in the justification of their actions, knowledge of the afterlife, and use of the painting to trap souls. The danger and suspense grew slowly throughout the story until the very end as Nick and Julia uncovered more secrets. The ending of the story left many more questions to be answered with the promise of a sequel that I will definitely be reading.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
nishamody's review
5.0
I love how this book combines love, art, history, and different timelines with a rhythm that makes you want to keep reading to see what happens next. I could picture every scene and felt the tension between trying to stay grounded in reality but questioning what that even means when you are tasked to do something that has great political consequences. I felt like I was watching a Renaissance film on paper! Samborn’s writing is incredible, and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series.
samanthacleaver812's review
medium-paced
4.0
This was my first book by Rob Samborn. It took me a few chapters to get into this book, but then I couldn’t put it down. So much happened with the main characters: Nick and Julia. It ended up being a page turner! If you enjoy historical fiction, while also being action packed, then this book is for you!
finnc99's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
The Prisoner of Paradise is the first book in the Painted Souls Trilogy. An enrapturing start to what i can already tell is gonna be an epic series. It's full to the brim with twists and turns, action, and beautiful world building. Rob makes his books hard to put down, and I can't wait to see what waits for me in the next book. I definitely recommend this work of art to anyone looking for a beautiful, action packed, page turner, Angelo will not disappoint.
faithfulgirl4's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Nick is an avid hockey player. One wrong move though and he found himself sidelined with a head injury that he is in denial over. When an opportunity for the trip of a lifetime to Venice comes along, Nick and his wife Julia are excited. Julia is concerned that it might be too much for Nick though. Eventually, they make the journey where Julia has an opportunity to write for a prestigious publication but they are going to soak up as much as tourists can while on a working vacation. When they visit an art gallery and see Tintoretto's Paradise, things start to get a little interesting for Nick. He soon finds himself embroiled in a mystery that is over 400 years old with a need to release trapped souls.
This book is one that I wasn't sure I would enjoy but I wanted to give it a chance and I'm so glad that I did. Normally, I struggle with dual time-line stories but this one was written in a way that didn't affect me like others have in the past. I was engrossed in this story from word one page one. I'm super excited about other stories in this series! I love the mystery, intrigue, and the historical aspects of this adventure.
This book is one that I wasn't sure I would enjoy but I wanted to give it a chance and I'm so glad that I did. Normally, I struggle with dual time-line stories but this one was written in a way that didn't affect me like others have in the past. I was engrossed in this story from word one page one. I'm super excited about other stories in this series! I love the mystery, intrigue, and the historical aspects of this adventure.
storiedconversation's review
5.0
This one grabbed my attention and didn't let go. When I said I was going to branch out with my reading this is what I meant. The intrigue in this was more than I expected but in the best possible way. This is Rob Samborn's debut novel and I would say he knocked it out of the park.
Nick gets hit on the head and ends up not only in the 15th century but as Angelo. You can imagine how difficult this is for Nick. We find out that he has lived many lives but never remembered any of them. He wants to leave and go back to himself but little things in the past tempt him to stay. After all who wouldn't want to stay and right the wrongs done to the love of his life. Wrongs that he, himself did.
All of this throws Nick and his wife into a world of conspiracy on the Venetian canals. We are talking secret passages, antique keys, and much more. Nick has to make choices that most of us would find beyond difficult.
As I said I enjoyed this book. It is well written, well researched, and made me think of books by Ian Fleming. I can't wait for the next one to come out and see what else happens in this series.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This review was originally posted on Storied Conversation
Nick gets hit on the head and ends up not only in the 15th century but as Angelo. You can imagine how difficult this is for Nick. We find out that he has lived many lives but never remembered any of them. He wants to leave and go back to himself but little things in the past tempt him to stay. After all who wouldn't want to stay and right the wrongs done to the love of his life. Wrongs that he, himself did.
All of this throws Nick and his wife into a world of conspiracy on the Venetian canals. We are talking secret passages, antique keys, and much more. Nick has to make choices that most of us would find beyond difficult.
As I said I enjoyed this book. It is well written, well researched, and made me think of books by Ian Fleming. I can't wait for the next one to come out and see what else happens in this series.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This review was originally posted on Storied Conversation
sheska_meroba's review
I received a copy of this ebook in a Goodreads giveaway. I didn't find this story compelling enough for me although I liked the idea of a historical fiction/thriller hybrid with dual timelines, I just don't think it's for me.