Small spoiler, perhaps, if you haven't read the others—or the third one, yet.
Eagerly awaiting book 4, 13 April 2009 By paranormal noakes (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Paris Immortal: Absolutions (Paperback)
Absolutions is the 3rd book in the ever attractive Paris Immortal series. To be honest I'm shocked to find a bad review even exists about it - I suppose the stories are not everyone's cup of tea (or glass or blood) but I can unequivocally say that Sherry Roit has made this the finest parnomal romance/horror/drama that I have ever read.
Her first-person POV writing style is engaging, and gives a lot of insight into the character and personality of whomever is thinking at the time. I find that it endears you to the characters (almost all of which you can genuinely feel for - with the notable exception of P.K, who's character has not yet been delved into in depth) very quickly.
This is obviously just my own opinion, but I very find it very easy to emote with the characters of Paris Immortal - particularly Trey - and I can honestly say that this book had me in tears: Not once but at least 5 times! I found it impossible not to get swept up in Trey's viewpoint in certain of the scenes, as his terror, loss, and even shock come across so beautifully with the writing style.
The little details that the characters notice help to give you a mental picture of almost every scene, bringing you closer to the the author's impression of what's going on - something that I find is missing from a lot of novels. The majority of the time with a book, your visual idea of the characters or surroundings turns out to be vastly different from someone elses, and the full moment that the author was trying to capture is lost. Hopefully that is not the case here.
For those that crave non-stop action and heat this is probably not your kind of series. There are indeed moments of pure violent or sexual tension, but the rollercoaster here is purely emotional. The focus is squarely on the characters themselves and their struggles to cope with the horrors in their own past. If, like me, you enjoy a book that gets you under the skin of the people involved, and leaves you not waiting for the nice explosion but rather rooting for the characters to survive the tortures within their own minds, then this is the book for you. Don't fret though horror-hounds: People still get eviserated. *winks*
The sexual tension runs tantilisingly high through Paris Immortal and Paris Immortal Awakenings, but in Absolutions finally emerges into a couple of very nicely handled sex scenes that you find you've been almost as desperate to see realised as the characters involved! I can't fault the writing there either - It likely won't appeal to those who prefer the intimate detail of other fine authors such as J.R Ward, but the subtlety in itself keeps the moments tender and allies this firmly with the 'romance' part of 'paranormal romance.' For someone that has read and enjoyed a lot of arguably 'hotter' books, this approach was a welcome change. After the initial sexual output in this 3rd book you will find that the sexual tension all but vanishes, but you are left with a more than adequate impression of the love felt by the parties involved throughout the rest of the book: Again, something that can too often be sacrificed by other authors so they can fit in a couple more bestselling sizzling chapters.
If you're potentially baulking at reading these books for fear of reading something that you'd consider TMI in the way of homosexual passion: don't. Read the books. Even if you're one of those people who finds homoeroticism a little twitchy in book, I doubt that you'll be offended. Hopefully you'll simply be left touched by the aforementioned love between the main characters. On the other hand, if homoeroticism in your book choice really isn't something that you feel comfortable with, avoid Paris Immortal like the plague as virtually all of the characters are either gay or bi.
Last but certainly not least, the desciptions of Paris itself are superb. With every book and every chapter the author takes you on a tour of the sights and streets, and you are left marvelling at the wonders, beauty, and history of this most famous of cities. If it does wonders for Parisian tourism, I wouldn't be surprised.
Overall, I thoroughly recommend this series to anyone who's looking to try something new in the way of paranormal romance. Any book that by turns makes me cry (and feel genuine heartache for a fictional character), laugh out loud, grin, and sit rivetted to my seat turning pages to find out what happens, I certainly consider worth the read.
Not to mention a gloriously unassuming and elegant cover design, that will sit with pride on any shelf.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I.
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