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literallykalasin's review against another edition
2.0
I feel like this could've been okay but the lack of attention to historical detail and the dialogue just killed it for me. This could've been a murder mystery in modern times but it certainly didn't work as Renaissance Italy.
cjyu's review against another edition
4.0
Venom is a beauty of historical fiction. The writing is great, the setting was fantastic, and though I generally find historical fiction BORING, I never had that feeling with Venom. In fact, it was well written to the point where it was KILLING me with suspense. It never felt like a thick book to me, I was always hooked on what was happening- not CRAZY CRAZY hooked, but suspenseful enough to keep me interested, and in certain moments: make my heart race. Credits to Fiona Paul actually making me frantic and left me gasping in a historical fiction novel.
The reason this book is not a full five stars: Well actually two reasons.
First... Too much "happening" and not enough resulting. I feel like we get more and more exposed to the deeper and grittier part of Venice and the higher class, but at the same time... UGH NO ANSWERS. There is just NOT enough information! The story was never boring, but it certainly never advanced much due to it's lack of information.
Second. Characters. Cass was an average protagonist for me. Not hating on her, but nor was I crazy rooting for her. (I mean, I was, but you know what I mean.) She felt a little... Obedient at times, but she knows how to stand up when she's REALLY getting pushed over. She's had her misses and hits with me. Again, I get that she's portrayed as a spoiled naive character... But. I need a bit more character growth. Falco. NNOOOOOO. MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER IN THIS BOOK. D: Dissatisfying ending! Luca: I need a little more background on this guy... I'm still wayyyy too suspicious of him.
Overall, I think Venom was a good base for the second book, although I wished there's a bit more development happening (Like, you know, like telling us what the Order of Eternal Rose is :D) But if the second book delivers what is promises, I think it'll work out. I don't mind slow start to series AS long as the follow up is good, and it's worth the wait. I look forward to reading Belladonna!
P.S. OHHHH DAAAMMMN the book is gorgeous! Cover, back, binding, inside designs and the mini border-thingy every page!!! AHHHHH!!! Had me screaming in joy.
The reason this book is not a full five stars: Well actually two reasons.
First... Too much "happening" and not enough resulting. I feel like we get more and more exposed to the deeper and grittier part of Venice and the higher class, but at the same time... UGH NO ANSWERS. There is just NOT enough information! The story was never boring, but it certainly never advanced much due to it's lack of information.
Second. Characters. Cass was an average protagonist for me. Not hating on her, but nor was I crazy rooting for her. (I mean, I was, but you know what I mean.) She felt a little... Obedient at times, but she knows how to stand up when she's REALLY getting pushed over. She's had her misses and hits with me. Again, I get that she's portrayed as a spoiled naive character... But. I need a bit more character growth. Falco. NNOOOOOO. MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER IN THIS BOOK. D: Dissatisfying ending! Luca: I need a little more background on this guy... I'm still wayyyy too suspicious of him.
Overall, I think Venom was a good base for the second book, although I wished there's a bit more development happening (Like, you know, like telling us what the Order of Eternal Rose is :D) But if the second book delivers what is promises, I think it'll work out. I don't mind slow start to series AS long as the follow up is good, and it's worth the wait. I look forward to reading Belladonna!
P.S. OHHHH DAAAMMMN the book is gorgeous! Cover, back, binding, inside designs and the mini border-thingy every page!!! AHHHHH!!! Had me screaming in joy.
novelsbycaitlin's review against another edition
1.0
I was honestly super excited for this book thanks to the Renaissance Venice setting. I mean, masquerades! Courtesans! Crazy maze like canals and streets and just--Venice was a happenin' place back then and now, let me tell you. But even with a mundane plot, with a mundane, over used romantic trope(I CAN'T TELL YOU BC I NEED TO PROTECT U), love interest--everything--I still would have let it get off with 2.5 stars, even a three. The prose is nice. THe plot, oversimple maybe, but sustainable. The dialogue and characters said and did just enough to keep the pace going. But the thing that ruined this book entirely--lowered to one sad little star--is something impossible to ignore and shrug off: Cass. The God damn leading female figure.
To keep it short, I'll just get straight to the point: Cass is boring, bland and overall puddy. THe entire book she complains about being "a caged bird" and wanting to break free but guess waht SHE NEVER DOES. She goes from one handler to the next And if you think her "breaking free" is her sneaking around then guess again because guess who provokes her to leave in the first place? Falco (who is your typical love interest--sexual harassment and "do you know what you just said" and all). My favorite part is her constant paranoia for some murderer coming after her, and yet she pretty much wanders every other chapter alone (while jumping at every shadow).
She doesn't develop. In fact she devolves practically. You'd think she's just be like "NOPE. NOT TAKING THIS SHIT" but instead she remains fickle and acts out of character so many times that eventually I realized that she has no character. She's purely a device and how am I suppose to care for a literary device rather than a person? Even if she was your typical boring heroine, she's still would be a whole person. Instead, she's just a cursor leading us to each plot point giving us information and thoughts that we already know (because she said it over and over).
Nothing makes me more angry is reading a character who feels so fake and maneuvered by the author. Man, I really REALLY wanted to enjoy this. I tried, but eventually I knew nothing would improve.
To keep it short, I'll just get straight to the point: Cass is boring, bland and overall puddy. THe entire book she complains about being "a caged bird" and wanting to break free but guess waht SHE NEVER DOES. She goes from one handler to the next And if you think her "breaking free" is her sneaking around then guess again because guess who provokes her to leave in the first place? Falco (who is your typical love interest--sexual harassment and "do you know what you just said" and all). My favorite part is her constant paranoia for some murderer coming after her, and yet she pretty much wanders every other chapter alone (while jumping at every shadow).
She doesn't develop. In fact she devolves practically. You'd think she's just be like "NOPE. NOT TAKING THIS SHIT" but instead she remains fickle and acts out of character so many times that eventually I realized that she has no character. She's purely a device and how am I suppose to care for a literary device rather than a person? Even if she was your typical boring heroine, she's still would be a whole person. Instead, she's just a cursor leading us to each plot point giving us information and thoughts that we already know (because she said it over and over).
Nothing makes me more angry is reading a character who feels so fake and maneuvered by the author. Man, I really REALLY wanted to enjoy this. I tried, but eventually I knew nothing would improve.
raquelzc's review against another edition
3.0
Took me foreveeeeer to read this book. Amd I'm glad. It was a bit of a slow read, but overall, the story is quite good, although I did feel that ending was a bit rushed. The whole "solution" or "discovery" happened in a span of like, 10 pages and so I felt it could've been avoided.
Falco is amazing, Cass is a bit annoying but a great character and Luca turned out to be good as well.
Looking forward to the sequel!
Falco is amazing, Cass is a bit annoying but a great character and Luca turned out to be good as well.
Looking forward to the sequel!
erinarkin20's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book – it kept me turning the pages with all of the mystery and despite the fact that there wasn't really any resolution at the end; I will definitely continue reading the series.
The main character Cassandra (Cass) is living with her aunt due to death of her parents and after attending the funeral of a close friend, becomes involved in a mystery. On top of all of this, she is engaged to someone she has not seen for 3 years and potentially in love with another that she has no chance of being with due to the classes they were both brought up in.
I liked Cass. At times she did something completely stupid and irrational but other times she was pretty smart. Having been brought up in a society where women aren’t really allowed to be on their own and are “owned” by the men around them, Cass struggles with the life that has been decided for her. Enter Falco. Of course he is mysterious, likes trouble and spins Cassandra’s world upside down. Luca is the man that Cass is betrothed to – though he doesn't really make a physical appearance until about the last ¼ of the book. He too has a secret and eventually things come out between Cass and Luca – at least some of it does.
These characters kept me interested and I am very curious to see how the next book picks up based on how this book ended. I really wish something would have been resolved in this book because although we find out some of what is going on, nothing is wrapped up. The actual story is good too – Cass and Falco are somewhat thrown together and work to try to solve the mystery.
The main character Cassandra (Cass) is living with her aunt due to death of her parents and after attending the funeral of a close friend, becomes involved in a mystery. On top of all of this, she is engaged to someone she has not seen for 3 years and potentially in love with another that she has no chance of being with due to the classes they were both brought up in.
I liked Cass. At times she did something completely stupid and irrational but other times she was pretty smart. Having been brought up in a society where women aren’t really allowed to be on their own and are “owned” by the men around them, Cass struggles with the life that has been decided for her. Enter Falco. Of course he is mysterious, likes trouble and spins Cassandra’s world upside down. Luca is the man that Cass is betrothed to – though he doesn't really make a physical appearance until about the last ¼ of the book. He too has a secret and eventually things come out between Cass and Luca – at least some of it does.
These characters kept me interested and I am very curious to see how the next book picks up based on how this book ended. I really wish something would have been resolved in this book because although we find out some of what is going on, nothing is wrapped up. The actual story is good too – Cass and Falco are somewhat thrown together and work to try to solve the mystery.
sarahelainereads's review against another edition
3.0
Book Title: Venom Author: Fiona Paul
Number of Pages: 435
Genres: Fiction, Murder Mystery, Romance
Books like it: Falling Kingdoms, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century
My favorite quote:
“You should be more careful, you know."
"Careful?" she managed to croak. "You're the one who knocked me over."
"I couldn't resist," he said, and he actually had the nerve to wink at her. "It's not often I get the chance to put my hands on such a beautiful woman.”
Brief Synopsis from Goodreads:
Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.
When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?
Beauty, love, romance, and mystery weave together in a stunning novel that’s as seductive and surprising as the city of Venice itself.
My Summary:
Take a step back into the past as you enter the Renaissance Venice. Cassandra Caravello (aka Cass) is one of the richest maidens in the land, and she has the life of a dream come true, full of riches, and gowns, and jewels. But she feels like a caged bird, trapped inside a golden cage with no way out and no allowance for freedom.
“How terrible it must be to be a member of the noble class. So many rules. Such restraint. You must feel like a caged bird, battering its wings against the sides of its golden prison.”
Ever since she was a little girl, her fiancé was chosen for her: a man named Luca. Though he does have a way with words, and he does have the looks, the one thing he doesn't have is her heart. Then, something extraordinary and strange happens that changes Cass's life forever.
She finds that her late friend's coffin has been replaced by someone that is not her friend. It is a girl with an X carved across her chest. Terrified, Cass wants to go to the police, but a street painter named Falco, who runs into her at the graveyard, convinces her that the police are drunken men who cannot help and that they must do investigating on their own.
As Cass is spending more and more time with Falco, she finds herself falling in love with him, even though he is a commoner and she has already been promised to Luca. But both men have secrets that they are not telling her, and it makes her decision harder to choose the man who will have her heart forever.
As she and Falco set off on a hunt to find the killer, Cass finds out that sometimes investigating can be dangerous. Especially if the killer is determined not to be found.
I must admit, the only reason that I picked this book off the library table is because it the cover was gorgeous. After reading the first few chapters, I grew slightly bored, and the ending was a bit page turning/on the edge of your seat. This book was actually really good and was written well. I really only had two and a half problems with it, and these are them:
The first problem was that the synopsis was misleading. They say don't judge a book by it's cover, ha. Don't judge a book by it's synopsis on the back of the book, that's what I say. When I read the synopsis I thought it was going to be a thriller-chiller action packed novel, and that is why I picked it up. I was like, yes! A murder mystery! I'm not saying this isn't a murder mystery, because it is. All I'm saying is that I expected it to be A MURDER MYSTERY. Now, you're probably like, Sarah has gone nuts. Well, yes, I have gone nuts, actually, but that's not the point. Since this was a murder mystery, I expected it to be running from the crazy killer, adrenaline filled scenes. Nope. I actually thought that the whole point of this book wasn't even the mystery, it was a 15 year old girl falling in love with a guy. And we all know how much I love romance. (If you did not get that right then was sarcasm you are now allowed to slap your own forehead.)
The second problem with this book was that I had heard it all before. I mean, seriously. Forbidden romance. Love triangle. Commoner loves noble. Does that sound familiar? Love triangles are everywhere, and forbidden romance? Twilight. Matched. Delirium. Take your pick. And of course every where we look it is princess and the pauper. Fine, I will say that this book was unique because it combined murder and love, which is not a common combination. But Falco, most of all, bugged me because he was such a suck up Romeo. He was constantly telling Cass how beautiful she was. And flirting with her. I hate characters like that who go after women by hitting on them. So, Falco was my half problem of the two and a half problems with this book. Basically, I was rooting for Luca the whole book even though we didn't meet him until almost the very end.
Examples of Falco's attempt at charm:
“I know you want this as much as I do," he said. "You aren't going to report me. And even if you did, I'm inclined to think a night with you might well be worth imprisonment.”
“Come on," Falco said. "I'll see you safely home to your fancy sheets. I'd say you need your beauty sleep, but it looks like you've been getting plenty.”
Yes, I know what you are thinking, my favorite quote was one of those attempts at charm. But I laughed aloud at that one, and it still makes me laugh, and is therefore my favorite quote.
I am making this book sound terrible, but it was a pretty good read and I enjoyed it. My favorite character was Luca, and I am very excited to learn more about him in Belladonna, which is coming out next month. This was an average read but it had some good parts and even though I was very disappointed that it wasn't a thriller, I think that it was okay in the end and the mystery still had some good twists. I just really hope that Falco never appears in the series ever again.
Overall Review: 3 stars
Cautions for Parents: There are murders in this book, and some scenes that might be a little scary for some younger children. The kissing scenes are intense sometimes.
sugaryskulls's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bookishnicole's review against another edition
4.0
I'm sorry to say that this book didn't grab me at the beginning. I wanted to like, but, but at first I didn't. It took me a few days to get into it. By the time I got to page 80, the book had sufficiently grabbed me to make me want to finish the book.
I think my biggest problem with the beginning was that while I loved the whole world of Renaissance Italy, and the glitz and the glamour, there was so much description, and I felt that it just dragged on forever. Don't get me wrong, it was a totally beautiful world that had a lot of details, but there were a lot of details in the beginning that I started to get bored.
Enter Falco and the mystery. Now the book really had my attention, Falco was pretty sexy, but suspicious, I wasn't really sure of his intentions as he and Cass tried to figure out who was killing all of these people. As the book progressed, I still didn't trust him, there were a few too many things that seemed off about him.
I wasn't a huge fan of Cass. She seemed to play the poor bored rich girl who didn't think her fiance was good enough, whether that is an accurate characterization of her, I'm not sure, but she irked me. She also irked me because of her inability to make a decision concerning the love triangle she found herself in with her fiance and Falco. Both of them had their redeeming qualities, but not sure how I feel about them because they both had their secrets.
One thing this book was not short of was mysteries, and I love that they all (mostly) got tied up at the end along with a super fancy wedding. I am still excited to get to read the second book and find out what is going to happen next with Cass, Falco and Luca.
I think my biggest problem with the beginning was that while I loved the whole world of Renaissance Italy, and the glitz and the glamour, there was so much description, and I felt that it just dragged on forever. Don't get me wrong, it was a totally beautiful world that had a lot of details, but there were a lot of details in the beginning that I started to get bored.
Enter Falco and the mystery. Now the book really had my attention, Falco was pretty sexy, but suspicious, I wasn't really sure of his intentions as he and Cass tried to figure out who was killing all of these people. As the book progressed, I still didn't trust him, there were a few too many things that seemed off about him.
I wasn't a huge fan of Cass. She seemed to play the poor bored rich girl who didn't think her fiance was good enough, whether that is an accurate characterization of her, I'm not sure, but she irked me. She also irked me because of her inability to make a decision concerning the love triangle she found herself in with her fiance and Falco. Both of them had their redeeming qualities, but not sure how I feel about them because they both had their secrets.
One thing this book was not short of was mysteries, and I love that they all (mostly) got tied up at the end along with a super fancy wedding. I am still excited to get to read the second book and find out what is going to happen next with Cass, Falco and Luca.
novelheartbeat's review against another edition
3.0
Evil flows silently among us like venom.
This is a very tough review to write for me, and this book was hard to rate (you can see that my overall assessment ratings are all over the place). First of all, I've been wanting to read this for a long time because 1) I love the author. She's one of the most friendly and sweetest authors I've ever had the privilege to talk to; and 2) because all of my Merp Squadders loved it. It's no secret that I'm not a fan of historical, and I was worried about whether I'd like this one or not. Honestly, I was a little nervous to read it.
[What I knew about Venom before I picked it up: 1) All my bloggy BFFs loved it. 2) It's historical. 3) Falco]
I'm not even sure how to describe my feelings about this book. There were things that irked me, but at the same time it was still a fairly enjoyable read. I really enjoyed the dark mystery aspect - this book was very ominous and I loved that! Kudos to Fiona for bringing out the sinister side of Venice!
I thought that the historical aspect of this would bug me (I pretty much hate anything historical), but surprisingly I hardly noticed it. The magical Italian setting helped to take the focus off of the historical feel!
I'm not sure how I felt about Cass. She was very naive and flighty, almost to the point of irritation. She was constantly coming up with crazy and colorful scenarios with her overactive imagination, and at times it was a bit ridiculous. After the first few, I found myself rolling my eyes.
Briefly, he touched his lips to the skin above her fingers. His mouth was cold - too cold. The image of a vampire, its fangs wet with blood, flashed briefly into Cass's head.
This was it. She would never leave her room again. She would die here, an old maid, her flesh picked apart by spiders.
After hearing so much about Falco, I was hoping that I could fall in love with him. While he was swoony (albeit a bit broody), I couldn't get into the romance and was never fully invested because it felt too rushed and instalovey to me. There was talk of love before even the halfway point of the novel, and Cass got upset because someone told Falco "she cannot be your bride." They barely even knew each other, and she was disappointed because she couldn't marry him?!
"You know I would never hurt anyone."
"I don't know that. I don't know anything about you. And what I do know, who can say if it's real or a lie?"
So even she admits she doesn't know him or anything about him. And she wanted to spend her life with him?! And then the NEXT page (seriously) she says she fell in love with him. YOU CAN'T LOVE SOMEONE YOU JUST MET AND DON'T EVEN KNOW. Argh!! That was my main complaint about this book. I can't stand instalove!
"You know that I care about you, Cass."
"But it doesn't mean anything. Because it can't lead to anything more."
"You're wrong. It means everything. You mean everything."
"Your beauty lights up the darkest night."
I loved those lines, but sadly they happened much too soon. I did like the idea of the forbidden love, and if the romance had been a little more fleshed out and had time to develop, I probably would have loved it. I wasn't a fan of the love triangle, but it wasn't as bad as some. I was impressed with Fiona's prose, though, and will definitely be trying more of her work in the future!
Favorite quotes:
"The human form, it's a symphony. Tiny interlocking movements that join together in song."
"Don't fall into the trap of letting others do everything for you. It's noble to accept help when you need it, lazy to accept it when you don't."
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Plot: 3.5/5
Premise: 3.5/5
Writing style: 4.5/5
Originality: 4/5
Characters: 2/5
Pace: 4/5
Feels: 1/5
Cover: 3.5/5