TEST
It was a dark and spooky book.
Divine Madness is the perfect kind of book to get into the Halloween mood. A story of a mad, evil man relentlessly pursuing a preternaturally beautiful woman – I would have gladly given it a good grade if it weren’t for its muddled first half.
When eighteen-year-old Ninon de Lenclos was sick from a fatal lung disease, a strange-looking old man paid her a visit. He offered her a choice of impossible gifts, of which she flippantly chose eternal beauty. Indeed, she did receive her gift, but, as you know, there’s always a price to pay.
The man, who may or may not have been the Devil, (I could never figure it out) perished under the hands of the protagonist of the previous book in the series (Divine Fire). But his son Saint Germain inherited his father’s evilness and for four hundred years has sought to kill Ninon in order to retrieve all his father’s gifts.
Tired of the running, Ninon goes to Mexico to seek an ancient deity that can give her powers to fight her enemy – vampire powers. She meets Miguel Stuart, an incredibly handsome man, in the town near where the god resides. There’s something nonhuman about him, and a strong physical attraction surges between them, but Ninon can’t think about that right now.
The god, Smoking Mirror, isn’t exactly a benevolent one. He’s just interested in getting a (sacrificial) pound of her flesh. When Miguel tries to rescue her, Ninon finds out to her horror that he is Smoking Mirror’s son, who has resisted drinking blood because it will transform him into a full vampire. Now the god demands that Miguel take her as his first victim, or else he will. Will Miguel kill Ninon when he takes her blood? Will Ninon become a vampire as she hopes? Will someone die trying to kill Saint Germain before he wreaks evil onto the world?
Ninon is an intriguing character – modeled after the real life Ninon de Lenclos, a 17th century Frenchwoman. Author Melanie Jackson’s subtle history lesson on Ninon was quite interesting. She was apparently an advisor to the real power behind the French throne, Cardinal Richelieu and a supporter of artists and philosophers such as Molière and Voltaire. (Check out the wikipedia entry on her.) Having lived several lifetimes over, Ninon possesses a ruthless kind of wisdom. Miguel respects that and gives her the lead in their adventures.
Miguel is an engaging and sympathetic character. The blood-hungry beast inside him has cut him off from making any deep connections to anyone, much less to any woman. There’s a well of loneliness and bleak resignation in him. His connection with Ninon elates him. Not only is he tremendously attracted to her, but he can also get close to a woman, if only because they are both monsters now.
The book is divided into two sections, the first half being “Ninon: Her Story” which is told entirely from her point of view. While I admire Ninon’s character, I didn’t admire her story, which is a complete muddle. If I didn’t have to review this book, I’d have given up after reading the first third. It is excruciating trying to piece together her backstory as she relates it, and her rendition of the current events happening to her is no better. There’s also not much romance, and it is practically set aside when the adventure subplot comes into play. Miguel might have begun to have some feelings for Ninon, but she never seems to reciprocate them; she’s too busy thinking about Saint Germain, so her tenderness toward Miguel at the end isn’t convincing.
Miguel takes up the story in the second half, “Miguel: My Story,” which is told in first person, and the glaze in my eyes finally clears. His rendition is easy to understand and engaging as he neatly lays out his backstory. His voice and their later adventures in horror make for an enjoyable read right to the end.
The first half of the book coupled with the slight development of the romance earn it a C- grade, while the second half deserves a B, so the final grade averages out a C+. Divine Madness is a tale of horror and definitely not for the squeamish. Though violent and gory, it is not overly so, relying more on some ghastly sights and suspenseful scenes. Readers looking for a “lighter” Stephen King experience might like this book.
Grade: C+
Book Type: Paranormal Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 20/10/06
Publication Date: 2006
Related Reviews
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.