Scan barcode
eyreguide's review against another edition
4.0
The Color of Light attracted my attention for a couple of reasons - I was interested in the forbidden romance nature of the story, and because Raphael is a vampire. I also love intensely romantic stories and this book did not disappoint in any of those aspects. In fact, once the story get's going it's full of this tragic, aching tension as Rafe and Tessa explore their feelings for each other and yet the rules of the school and Rafe's past keeps them apart. I felt there was a touch of Wuthering Heights in this story (and it is mentioned briefly in the book) but thankfully this is a love story (Wuthering Heights can get a little iffy in that regard) as well as a story about life.
The novel is rather epically long, and there are a lot of descriptive passages on the art and architecture of the student's works and their surroundings. It's very informative about art and possibly critical of modern art (but I totally agree with the viewpoints of the students and Rafe), however it can take time to become invested in the story and characters because of this. I think in the end, I was not as invested in Tessa's found family as much as I wanted to be, which makes me feel that there was a lot more that could have been streamlined in the story. Tessa's relationship with Lucian was also a little tedious and I just wanted to shake Tessa to get her to move on already. But Tessa's friends do have an important part to play, and this really didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story overall.
The past is important and is perfectly and thoughtfully portrayed in the scenes where we learn more about why Rafe is so troubled and haunted. The author worked in the romance of Rafe and Sofia and the terror of the Holocaust to make this novel even more intense and poignant. I sometimes felt I liked Sofia more than Tessa because Sofia felt more flawed and tragic and real, while Tessa was too perfect sometimes. But reading about the past did wonders in bringing out Rafe's Byronic nature, and I found him to be such a complex and intriguing character. The times when he exerted his magnetic influence and the times he was heartbreakingly vulnerable really brought out his character for me, and I'm a little bit in love with him, okay?
The story swept me up in it's tender melancholy, and I found the story to be very beautiful and very sad. With the relationship between a vampire and a human there are some difficult questions that are brought up, but I loved that the story really focused on just taking one day at a time. It also brought a very nice conclusion to the past that haunted Rafe. If this story has any elements that interest you, I'd recommend reading it for the intelligent take on a vampire love story.
(I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review.)
The novel is rather epically long, and there are a lot of descriptive passages on the art and architecture of the student's works and their surroundings. It's very informative about art and possibly critical of modern art (but I totally agree with the viewpoints of the students and Rafe), however it can take time to become invested in the story and characters because of this. I think in the end, I was not as invested in Tessa's found family as much as I wanted to be, which makes me feel that there was a lot more that could have been streamlined in the story. Tessa's relationship with Lucian was also a little tedious and I just wanted to shake Tessa to get her to move on already. But Tessa's friends do have an important part to play, and this really didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story overall.
The past is important and is perfectly and thoughtfully portrayed in the scenes where we learn more about why Rafe is so troubled and haunted. The author worked in the romance of Rafe and Sofia and the terror of the Holocaust to make this novel even more intense and poignant. I sometimes felt I liked Sofia more than Tessa because Sofia felt more flawed and tragic and real, while Tessa was too perfect sometimes. But reading about the past did wonders in bringing out Rafe's Byronic nature, and I found him to be such a complex and intriguing character. The times when he exerted his magnetic influence and the times he was heartbreakingly vulnerable really brought out his character for me, and I'm a little bit in love with him, okay?
The story swept me up in it's tender melancholy, and I found the story to be very beautiful and very sad. With the relationship between a vampire and a human there are some difficult questions that are brought up, but I loved that the story really focused on just taking one day at a time. It also brought a very nice conclusion to the past that haunted Rafe. If this story has any elements that interest you, I'd recommend reading it for the intelligent take on a vampire love story.
(I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review.)
nessferatu's review against another edition
3.0
Started off thinking it was dreadful, but kept going and really enjoyed it in the end.
moirwyn's review against another edition
5.0
Title: The Color of Light
Author: Helen Maryles Shankman
Publisher: Stony Creek Press
Where I Got It: TLC Book Tours
This review originally appeared here: http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2013/11/06/the-color-of-light-helen-maryles-shankman/
Tessa Moss is a young Jewish woman attending a classical art school in New York City. Her biggest project of the semester is an artistic exploration of her family’s history during the Holocaust.
The founder of the school, Raphael Sinclair, is a vampire. When Rafe walks past one of Tessa’s paintings, he sees the name “Wizotsky” written on a suitcase. This brings back painful memories of his former love Sofia Wizotsky, who was killed at Auschwitz. Tessa reminds Rafe of Sofia, and he quickly finds himself falling in love with her.
Rafe and Tessa each have their own day-to-day struggles that complicate the relationship. Tessa had been dating her boss, Lucian Swain, after nursing him through a breakdown, but Lucian doesn’t appreciate Tessa and cheats on her with a professor. Tessa is devastated, and Lucian’s new girlfriend seems to have a personal vendetta against her. And although Rafe founded the academy, half the board members hate him and wants to hire modernist professors and depart from the school’s classical mission. There’s a rule against dating students, and any involvement with Tessa could tip the scales against him.
Combining a vampire novel and a book about the Holocaust is difficult. When adding pop fantasy elements to an already horrific period in human history, one risks making light of the atrocities that occurred. Shankman did a wonderful job, treating the Holocaust with sensitivity and care. She uses the vampire story to highlight the lasting pain that the Holocaust caused. Raphael was heartbroken by Sofia’s loss, and was never able to forgive himself. Meanwhile, in 1992, Tessa’s family still hasn’t been able to get over the wounds that the Holocaust caused, and her grandfather refuses to speak of the family he lost in Poland. Tessa’s project channels those emotions and provides an opportunity for healing.
Shankman’s writing is beautiful, and filled with artistic imagery. The complex relationships between light, dark, and color are explored in the strengths and failures of each of the characters and the way they relate to each other.
The Color of Light is an impressive and ambitious novel combining art, vampires, and one of the most painful chapters in human history. It is unlike anything else I’ve ever read, and I would highly recommend it.
Author: Helen Maryles Shankman
Publisher: Stony Creek Press
Where I Got It: TLC Book Tours
This review originally appeared here: http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2013/11/06/the-color-of-light-helen-maryles-shankman/
Tessa Moss is a young Jewish woman attending a classical art school in New York City. Her biggest project of the semester is an artistic exploration of her family’s history during the Holocaust.
The founder of the school, Raphael Sinclair, is a vampire. When Rafe walks past one of Tessa’s paintings, he sees the name “Wizotsky” written on a suitcase. This brings back painful memories of his former love Sofia Wizotsky, who was killed at Auschwitz. Tessa reminds Rafe of Sofia, and he quickly finds himself falling in love with her.
Rafe and Tessa each have their own day-to-day struggles that complicate the relationship. Tessa had been dating her boss, Lucian Swain, after nursing him through a breakdown, but Lucian doesn’t appreciate Tessa and cheats on her with a professor. Tessa is devastated, and Lucian’s new girlfriend seems to have a personal vendetta against her. And although Rafe founded the academy, half the board members hate him and wants to hire modernist professors and depart from the school’s classical mission. There’s a rule against dating students, and any involvement with Tessa could tip the scales against him.
Combining a vampire novel and a book about the Holocaust is difficult. When adding pop fantasy elements to an already horrific period in human history, one risks making light of the atrocities that occurred. Shankman did a wonderful job, treating the Holocaust with sensitivity and care. She uses the vampire story to highlight the lasting pain that the Holocaust caused. Raphael was heartbroken by Sofia’s loss, and was never able to forgive himself. Meanwhile, in 1992, Tessa’s family still hasn’t been able to get over the wounds that the Holocaust caused, and her grandfather refuses to speak of the family he lost in Poland. Tessa’s project channels those emotions and provides an opportunity for healing.
Shankman’s writing is beautiful, and filled with artistic imagery. The complex relationships between light, dark, and color are explored in the strengths and failures of each of the characters and the way they relate to each other.
The Color of Light is an impressive and ambitious novel combining art, vampires, and one of the most painful chapters in human history. It is unlike anything else I’ve ever read, and I would highly recommend it.
notallwitches's review against another edition
4.0
It's surprising.
I got this book for free on my new kindle and because it was free I assumed it wouldn't be good. it surprised me. first, the cover draws you in. second, the character of Rafael is just so layered and great. third, the students at the school were a bit cheesy for me but this book is really great.combines art, history, fashion, pop culture, two love stories, and two coming of age stories. Easy read. just great!
I got this book for free on my new kindle and because it was free I assumed it wouldn't be good. it surprised me. first, the cover draws you in. second, the character of Rafael is just so layered and great. third, the students at the school were a bit cheesy for me but this book is really great.combines art, history, fashion, pop culture, two love stories, and two coming of age stories. Easy read. just great!
backonthealex's review against another edition
4.0
It is 1992 and postmodernism is the dominent art movement of the moment. Rafe Sinclair, founder of The American Academy of Classical Art in New York City, is a classicist through and through, but now he is facing grumblings from some of his board member who think other art forms should be introduced, a board that wouldn't mind removing Rafe as head of the Academy.
But his Board isn't the only problem Rafe has. First, Rafe is a vampire and is trying desperatgely to hold on to his sense of humanity even as he is forced to kill in order to live. Second, Rafe was an art student in the 1930. He had met and fallen in love with a young Jewish woman, a fellow artist, just before World War II began, and he is still in love with her, although he believes she had perished in the Holocaust.
Tessa Moss is a young art student at the Academy, talented but naive and involved in an unhealthy relationship with another artist, the very narcissistic Lucian Swain. Rafe never really noticed Tessa's work until one day when he notices a sketch she has done of a woman with a child by a suitcase that has the name Witzotsky written on it. The woman is covering the eyes of the child with her hand. Rafe begins to take a special interest in Tessa and her work.
Witzotsky is a familiar name to Rafe and it turns out that Tessa has sketched a picture depicting a relative of hers named Sofia Witzotsky. And, in fact, Sofia is the very same woman that Rafe was involved with, the same woman he thought he had lost in the Holocaust. Or had he? After all, he never really knew what Sofia's fate had actually been? Before long, Tessa and Rafe are involved with each other, which is against school rules and just the kind of infraction the board could use to remove Rafe from his position as head of the Academy. But if Tessa can help Rafe discover what really happened to Sofia, maybe it was worth the risk.
Helen Mayles Shankman has written a long, complicated book encompassing two time periods, and a fair amount of different characters. It is very well written, engaging, compelling and I actually enjoyed the intricacies of the plot twists and turns. Rafe and Tessa are believable (well, except for the vampire part), well defined, likable characters, each carrying a lot of baggage that goes back to the Holocaust: Rafe may have lost the love of his life, and Tessa has lost one whole family line on her father's side.
The Color of Light is a novel that will definitely please your romantic sensibilities, and your penchant for historical fiction and has all the elements of a good mystery novel all in one long (574 pages) story. Shankman has a MFA in painting, so her art/artistic descriptions are pretty spot on and you will have no trouble picturing works of art that don't really exist.
My vampire fan days are long behind me and vampires are certainly not something I expected to read about when I started this blog. And yet, I have certainly read my share of fantasy and science fiction here, so why not vampires? But the fact that Rafe Sinclair is a vampire is only a plot device allowing the narrative its dual time frame with him in both time periods as a man his age and it worked.
And generally the YA/Adult books I review here are of the cozy type, but variety is the spice of life and The Color of Life is a spicy novel that could be classified as New Adult/Adult. What I mean is that it has more sexual content than most of the YA/Adult I review.
My friend Zohar over at Man of La Book recommended The Color of Light to me and I am so glad he did. And I am paying it forward.
This book is recommended for mature readers age 15+
This book was sent to me by the author
This review was orginally posted on The Children's War
But his Board isn't the only problem Rafe has. First, Rafe is a vampire and is trying desperatgely to hold on to his sense of humanity even as he is forced to kill in order to live. Second, Rafe was an art student in the 1930. He had met and fallen in love with a young Jewish woman, a fellow artist, just before World War II began, and he is still in love with her, although he believes she had perished in the Holocaust.
Tessa Moss is a young art student at the Academy, talented but naive and involved in an unhealthy relationship with another artist, the very narcissistic Lucian Swain. Rafe never really noticed Tessa's work until one day when he notices a sketch she has done of a woman with a child by a suitcase that has the name Witzotsky written on it. The woman is covering the eyes of the child with her hand. Rafe begins to take a special interest in Tessa and her work.
Witzotsky is a familiar name to Rafe and it turns out that Tessa has sketched a picture depicting a relative of hers named Sofia Witzotsky. And, in fact, Sofia is the very same woman that Rafe was involved with, the same woman he thought he had lost in the Holocaust. Or had he? After all, he never really knew what Sofia's fate had actually been? Before long, Tessa and Rafe are involved with each other, which is against school rules and just the kind of infraction the board could use to remove Rafe from his position as head of the Academy. But if Tessa can help Rafe discover what really happened to Sofia, maybe it was worth the risk.
Helen Mayles Shankman has written a long, complicated book encompassing two time periods, and a fair amount of different characters. It is very well written, engaging, compelling and I actually enjoyed the intricacies of the plot twists and turns. Rafe and Tessa are believable (well, except for the vampire part), well defined, likable characters, each carrying a lot of baggage that goes back to the Holocaust: Rafe may have lost the love of his life, and Tessa has lost one whole family line on her father's side.
The Color of Light is a novel that will definitely please your romantic sensibilities, and your penchant for historical fiction and has all the elements of a good mystery novel all in one long (574 pages) story. Shankman has a MFA in painting, so her art/artistic descriptions are pretty spot on and you will have no trouble picturing works of art that don't really exist.
My vampire fan days are long behind me and vampires are certainly not something I expected to read about when I started this blog. And yet, I have certainly read my share of fantasy and science fiction here, so why not vampires? But the fact that Rafe Sinclair is a vampire is only a plot device allowing the narrative its dual time frame with him in both time periods as a man his age and it worked.
And generally the YA/Adult books I review here are of the cozy type, but variety is the spice of life and The Color of Life is a spicy novel that could be classified as New Adult/Adult. What I mean is that it has more sexual content than most of the YA/Adult I review.
My friend Zohar over at Man of La Book recommended The Color of Light to me and I am so glad he did. And I am paying it forward.
This book is recommended for mature readers age 15+
This book was sent to me by the author
This review was orginally posted on The Children's War
nikkil521's review against another edition
5.0
Loved the backstory of Raphael, loved the story with Tessa.
Loved the history. Wish there was more!
Loved the history. Wish there was more!
bookishrach's review against another edition
1.0
I have a terrible habit of not being able to stop reading a book once I start it, even if I don’t like it. I did not like this book. The boring writing, lack of timeline continuity, and repeated misogyny just kept annoying me and I essentially hate read the book just to finish it (although hate is a strong word. I was supremely annoyed). Blech. It had potential but it just failed to live up to it.
More...