chelsea_jack's review against another edition
5.0
It took me a while to get into Collector of Dying Breaths, but once I did, this was a world I didn't want to leave. The prose is so luscious and evocative, it's beautiful in and of its own right. Add in a pair of main characters - modern day Jac and the sixteenth century perfumer Rene - whom I was rooting for from the very beginning of the book, and add a compelling mystery about dying breaths.... You end up with a book that is difficult to put down.
I didn't realize this book was the latest in a long series when I started to read it - so I did feel a little behind the ball when references were made to past events, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book at all. I really just thought the author had created a rich backstory and was only referring to it obliquely as it related to the story being told in this book.
Truly, a great read. I happily recommend it.
Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't realize this book was the latest in a long series when I started to read it - so I did feel a little behind the ball when references were made to past events, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book at all. I really just thought the author had created a rich backstory and was only referring to it obliquely as it related to the story being told in this book.
Truly, a great read. I happily recommend it.
Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
truebookaddict's review against another edition
4.0
In The Collector of Dying Breaths, we are taken to 16th Century France where a monk believes he has created a formula to collect a person's dying breath and supplant that breath into a living body, reigniting that soul. And so, the author approaches reincarnation from a different angle and it's brilliant.
Jaq, our recurring heroine in the series, has experienced a great loss and so the concept of capturing someone's dying breath intrigues her, while she is wary at first. She encounters an heiress who has her own reasons for wanting to know the secret, but Jaq has an agenda of her own.
Intertwined with the modern day story, we have the apprentice of the now deceased monk working closely with Catherine de Medici herself, not only as a scent maker, but as a creator of the deadly poisons with which Catherine is known to have dispatched her enemies. As usual, the author seamlessly moves back and forth from one era to the other and instead of feeling like two separate stories, they play off and compliment each other. As the reader, we never feel like we're in one time or the other, but made a part of both times.
I always look forward to a new book in this series because each book can really be read as a stand alone. The reason for this is that the author always connects the present, continuing characters and their lives to a certain era in the past and it works beautifully. I look forward to where and when the author will take us to next.
Jaq, our recurring heroine in the series, has experienced a great loss and so the concept of capturing someone's dying breath intrigues her, while she is wary at first. She encounters an heiress who has her own reasons for wanting to know the secret, but Jaq has an agenda of her own.
Intertwined with the modern day story, we have the apprentice of the now deceased monk working closely with Catherine de Medici herself, not only as a scent maker, but as a creator of the deadly poisons with which Catherine is known to have dispatched her enemies. As usual, the author seamlessly moves back and forth from one era to the other and instead of feeling like two separate stories, they play off and compliment each other. As the reader, we never feel like we're in one time or the other, but made a part of both times.
I always look forward to a new book in this series because each book can really be read as a stand alone. The reason for this is that the author always connects the present, continuing characters and their lives to a certain era in the past and it works beautifully. I look forward to where and when the author will take us to next.
shai3d's review against another edition
5.0
I know that I haven't posted a book review in a while. It wasn't because I have stopped reading, never that. Instead I was savoring a book.
THE COLLECTOR OF DYING BREATHS isn't a book that one rushes through. This book was so rich and lush that I was reading it in small bites so that I could truly savor it. The characters are so multidimensional that they seem to step right off the pages.
Ms. Rose moves her readers from the present day back to fifteen century France with a grace to be envied. I was able to pick up the sights and, more importantly, the fragrances of both time periods. I fell in love with Jac and Rene's characters. I felt sorry for Serge and felt a chill when his stepsister entered the room.
THE COLLECTOR OF DYING BREATHS is truly a remarkable book and I plan on picking up the rest of the catalogue of this series. I recommend it to any of my readers who enjoy their romance and suspense with an otherwordly twist.
THE COLLECTOR OF DYING BREATHS isn't a book that one rushes through. This book was so rich and lush that I was reading it in small bites so that I could truly savor it. The characters are so multidimensional that they seem to step right off the pages.
Ms. Rose moves her readers from the present day back to fifteen century France with a grace to be envied. I was able to pick up the sights and, more importantly, the fragrances of both time periods. I fell in love with Jac and Rene's characters. I felt sorry for Serge and felt a chill when his stepsister entered the room.
THE COLLECTOR OF DYING BREATHS is truly a remarkable book and I plan on picking up the rest of the catalogue of this series. I recommend it to any of my readers who enjoy their romance and suspense with an otherwordly twist.
autumnjy's review
Meh
Super melodramatic at points,and kind of anti-climactic ending, but otherwise an interesting read. Not as good as her earlier books, but still good
Super melodramatic at points,and kind of anti-climactic ending, but otherwise an interesting read. Not as good as her earlier books, but still good
ciska's review against another edition
3.0
*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book on on a book tour in return for an honest review*
Author
M.J. Rose, is the international bestselling author of 13 novels. Rose is also the co-author with Angela Adair Hoy of How to Publish and Promote Online and with Randy Susan Meyers of What to Do Before Your Book Lauch.
She is a founding member and board member of International Thriller Writers and the founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz.com. She runs the popular blog; Buzz, Balls & Hype.
Getting published has been an adventure for Rose who self-published Lip Service late in 1998 after several traditional publishers turned it down. Editors had loved it, but didn’t know how to position it or market it since it didn’t fit into any one genre. Frustrated, but curious and convinced that there was a readership for her work, she set up a web site where readers could download her book for $9.95 and began to seriously
market the novel on the Internet.
After selling over 2500 copies (in both electronic and trade paper format) Lip Service became the first e-book and the first self-published novel chosen by the LiteraryGuild/Doubleday Book Club as well as being the first e-book to go on to be published by a mainstream New York publishing house.
Rose has been profiled in Time magazine, Forbes, The New York Times, Business 2.0, Working Woman, Newsweek and New York Magazine.
Rose has appeared on The Today Show, Fox News, The Jim Lehrer NewsHour, and features on her have appeared in dozens of magazines and newspapers in the U.S. and abroad, including USAToday, Stern, L’Official, Poets and Writers and Publishers Weekly.
Rose graduated from Syracuse University and spent the ’80s in advertising. She was the Creative Director of Rosenfeld Sirowitz and Lawson and she has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.
She lives in Connecticut with Doug Scofield, a composer, and their very spoiled dog, Winka.
Review
The title of this book gave me the chills. Why would one want to collect the last breath of a dying person? All books in this series have brilliant looking covers and The Collector of Dying Breaths is not different. Combined it is easy to get me to read a book.
The atmosphere is set from page one. The two stories have their own sound and feeling. As a reader I am easily distracted when stories mix and fail to connect to the story and the characters. Not in this book though.
I like both Jac and René a lot. Jac is having a hard time after the death of her brother and her vulnerability is clear in the pages and the way she is reacting. I did have some trouble with a few of the decisions she makes though in a way they make sense combined with her state of mind. I did not read earlier books in this series and though there are some remarks to Jac her qualities and things form her past this did not disturb me. I really enjoyed René his story. I could have read a whole book on his life only. I liked his way of thinking and there are some very interesting parts on his work and customers.
Author
M.J. Rose, is the international bestselling author of 13 novels. Rose is also the co-author with Angela Adair Hoy of How to Publish and Promote Online and with Randy Susan Meyers of What to Do Before Your Book Lauch.
She is a founding member and board member of International Thriller Writers and the founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz.com. She runs the popular blog; Buzz, Balls & Hype.
Getting published has been an adventure for Rose who self-published Lip Service late in 1998 after several traditional publishers turned it down. Editors had loved it, but didn’t know how to position it or market it since it didn’t fit into any one genre. Frustrated, but curious and convinced that there was a readership for her work, she set up a web site where readers could download her book for $9.95 and began to seriously
market the novel on the Internet.
After selling over 2500 copies (in both electronic and trade paper format) Lip Service became the first e-book and the first self-published novel chosen by the LiteraryGuild/Doubleday Book Club as well as being the first e-book to go on to be published by a mainstream New York publishing house.
Rose has been profiled in Time magazine, Forbes, The New York Times, Business 2.0, Working Woman, Newsweek and New York Magazine.
Rose has appeared on The Today Show, Fox News, The Jim Lehrer NewsHour, and features on her have appeared in dozens of magazines and newspapers in the U.S. and abroad, including USAToday, Stern, L’Official, Poets and Writers and Publishers Weekly.
Rose graduated from Syracuse University and spent the ’80s in advertising. She was the Creative Director of Rosenfeld Sirowitz and Lawson and she has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.
She lives in Connecticut with Doug Scofield, a composer, and their very spoiled dog, Winka.
Review
The title of this book gave me the chills. Why would one want to collect the last breath of a dying person? All books in this series have brilliant looking covers and The Collector of Dying Breaths is not different. Combined it is easy to get me to read a book.
The atmosphere is set from page one. The two stories have their own sound and feeling. As a reader I am easily distracted when stories mix and fail to connect to the story and the characters. Not in this book though.
I like both Jac and René a lot. Jac is having a hard time after the death of her brother and her vulnerability is clear in the pages and the way she is reacting. I did have some trouble with a few of the decisions she makes though in a way they make sense combined with her state of mind. I did not read earlier books in this series and though there are some remarks to Jac her qualities and things form her past this did not disturb me. I really enjoyed René his story. I could have read a whole book on his life only. I liked his way of thinking and there are some very interesting parts on his work and customers.
bkmorales's review against another edition
2.0
Disappointing. It started out as an intriguing historical mystery, interlaced with scenes in the present day. About two-thirds of the way through, I started to lose interest. Unfortunately, it devolved into a gothic romance, with a fairly predictable ending for the villain of the book. I really wanted to like it, but in the end it was unremarkable.
endlessmidnight's review against another edition
2.0
I was more confused than anything else. This book was good at completely baffling me that by the end I had no idea what was going on.
I wasn’t kidding. I really had no idea what was going on. The plot threads in my opinion had been really weak with no follow through. And no clear idea just where it was heading.
And the ending was almost just as baffling. Just what had been the clear follow through from the series. It had been nice to learn about his family. But it was confusing. I didn’t understand just what was the point of all that. And how the story seemed to be a lot on introspection. I liked the way it worked but felt underwhelmed at how little happened.
Overall this did have the potential to be interesting, amazing and mystical. But it just never made it.
I wasn’t kidding. I really had no idea what was going on. The plot threads in my opinion had been really weak with no follow through. And no clear idea just where it was heading.
And the ending was almost just as baffling. Just what had been the clear follow through from the series. It had been nice to learn about his family. But it was confusing. I didn’t understand just what was the point of all that. And how the story seemed to be a lot on introspection. I liked the way it worked but felt underwhelmed at how little happened.
Overall this did have the potential to be interesting, amazing and mystical. But it just never made it.
scrappymags's review against another edition
1.0
3 words: Not. For. Me. First I would classify this as more romance-y historical fiction, sort of. It involves mystery but in an awkward, uninteresting plot. The plot (read above) revolves around the capturing of one's last breath and then attempting to reanimate someone using that breath. Dumb. Ok so did I stumble onto a new Frankenstein? At least that made SOME scientific sense though.
The alternating points of view would be enjoyable if they weren't so predictable and ultimately for me, boring. The character I liked the most was the perfumer Rene from the 16th century. I absolutely hated the protagonist Jac who came across as a dim-witted simp. I always hate when billed smart girls do dumb things. Oh like see the guy who broke your heart and whoops - fall into bed and (magic fairy dust) he's divorced and everything (more fairy dust) works out! Yay! I don't know anyone in real life where things work that way. Rene is the one who discovers what karma truly is, and that was the only enjoyable story for me. It's incredibly thin on history, just mild mentionings of historical people and places but nothing that added to historical knowledge.
The alternating points of view would be enjoyable if they weren't so predictable and ultimately for me, boring. The character I liked the most was the perfumer Rene from the 16th century. I absolutely hated the protagonist Jac who came across as a dim-witted simp. I always hate when billed smart girls do dumb things. Oh like see the guy who broke your heart and whoops - fall into bed and (magic fairy dust) he's divorced and everything (more fairy dust) works out! Yay! I don't know anyone in real life where things work that way. Rene is the one who discovers what karma truly is, and that was the only enjoyable story for me. It's incredibly thin on history, just mild mentionings of historical people and places but nothing that added to historical knowledge.
amalyndb's review against another edition
4.0
Perfume and alchemy are addictive for me. I adored and luxuriated in this novel. But felt slightly let down when i read other work by the author available via my public library.
So, the big draw for me for this novel is the intertwining of perfumery and alchemy. Will reread again at some point to more properly evaluate.
So, the big draw for me for this novel is the intertwining of perfumery and alchemy. Will reread again at some point to more properly evaluate.