Blurb
Morgan
D'Arcy is an English lord, a classical pianist, and a vampire. He has
everything except what he desires most—Isabeau. As the Angel
Gabriel he's steered her life and career choice, preparing her to
become Lady D'Arcy.
Many
forces oppose Morgan's daring plan—not the least of which is
Vampyre law.
Isabeau
Gervase is a brilliant geneticist. Though she no longer believes in
angels, she sees a ticket to a Nobel Prize in Gabriel's
secrets—secrets that have led her to a startling conclusion.
Gabriel isn't human, and she fully intends to identify the species
she named the Angel Genome. Morgan is ready to come back into
Isabeau's life, but this time as a man not an angel. Will he outsmart
his enemies, protect his beloved and escape death himself? For the
first time in eternity, the clock is ticking.
Excerpt
A
broken thing, once a man, sprawled in a congealed puddle of blood.
My body rebelled, arms and legs unresponsive to my command. I held
my breath, stifling tears. My fangs lacerated my lip. Gagging, I
clamped a hand to my mouth. The horrified paralysis broke, and I
stumbled toward my poor friend. Sorrow resonated in the marrow of my
bones. Helplessness beat at me in waves. The hall clock ticked.
Agonizing seconds. Finally, I looked at Avery. A pitiful whine
wound from my throat.
My
manservant’s neck had been savaged, the ever-present bowtie thrown
aside. Rubies of blood winked everywhere on his perfect black suit.
Countless wounds inflicted by the knife I had given him. I dropped
to my knees and lifted his head onto my lap. He was alive, but his
heart labored to pump what was left of his blood through his cold
body. His chest heaved with the effort of breathing. I whispered
his name. Dull eyes rolled open. The hope in them was unbearable,
and I strangled on guilt.
Master.
His bruised lips tried to form my name. I knew you’d come.
“Oh,
Avery, I’m sorry, so bloody sorry.” I stroked his cheek.
“You’re
crying,” he breathed. With the last of his strength, he gripped my
sleeve, blue lips quivering. Do it now, Master.
For
countless centuries, Man had searched for a way to convert base
metals to gold. This vain hope was called the Arcanum. I could save
Avery with the true Arcanum. The pale blood in my veins carried the
virus that transformed mortality to immortality, but I simply could
not. I had never performed the ritual, never intended to do so,
unless Isabeau wished to join me in eternity. The hope in his faded
eyes died. His pulse slowed, heart fluttering.
“
I
won’t allow you to die, my friend.” I bowed my head, my hair
trailing in his blood.
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Review
by Lisabet Sarai
I
don’t read many vampire novels. If you’ll pardon a pun, the genre
has really been done to death. Vampire fiction has become as
predictable and boring as a political speech. Tropes have become
clichés. Characters have degenerated into caricatures. It’s
extremely difficult to find an author who can breathe some life into
this ossified genre.
Linda
Nightingale appears to be one such author.
In
many ways, Sinner’s Opera hews to the traditions of vampire
romance. The hero, Morgan d’Arcy, is more than four centuries old.
He’s unbelievably powerful, irresistibly beautiful, seductive and
charming, as well as wealthy. Outside the ken of normal humans,
vampires have an elaborate shadow society, with formal rules and
mysterious rituals (many named in Capital Letters to reinforce their
grave import and consequences). Morgan is also a rogue, rebelling
against the laws of the vampire kind in order to seek his own
redemption.
Morgan
needs blood to survive; his powers ebb quickly if he is starved. And
like most fictional vampires, he has few qualms about taking human
lives. Though he’s not without compassion, he does not hesitate to
kill if that is required for his own survival.
Isabeau
Gervase, the heroine, is perhaps less typical than Morgan. A
celebrated geneticist, independent and a bit of a loner, she’s not
the type to moon over a man, even one as gorgeous and accomplished as
Morgan. Nevertheless, like all vampire romance heroines, she falls
under Morgan’s spell. He pull hers into his magical orbit, where
they share the Blood Bond, make intense and passionate love, and keep
the world at bay. Isabeau stops working. Night becomes her day. She’s
only full alive when she’s with Morgan.
All
this must sound boring and familiar. However, many factors save
Sinner’s Opera from being JAVR (Just Another Vampire
Romance). First of all, the characters are far more complex, and more
deeply flawed, than is typical in the genre. Morgan can be loving and
loyal, but ultimately he’s selfish, prone to lying and breaking
promises. One might hate him, if not for his absolute devotion to
Isabeau. Also, he’s an artist – a brilliant pianist – so one
has some incentive forgive his narcissism as the natural companion to
talent.
Isabeau,
we are told, is a scientific genius. Nevertheless when it comes to
Morgan, she can be hopelessly blind. On the other hand, she’s
amazingly courageous and resourceful. In one of the best scenes in
the book, she rescues a weak and powerless Morgan from the clutches
of his vampire enemies – using liquid nitrogen to temporarily
freeze and disable his guards.
Now
that’s an idea I’ve never encountered in a vampire novel!
The
secondary characters in Sinner’s Opera are equally
complicated. Two of them, Morgan’s elderly servant Avery and
Isabeau’s best friend Kirsty, play critical roles in the plot. I
had a harder time keeping track of the villains (of which there are
many). There’s a lot of back story that I’m missing, since this
is part of a series. I was sometimes confused, re-reading the same
page multiple times as I tried to figure out who people were and how
they were related.
Ms.
Nightingale writes accomplished and evocative prose that brings both
her characters and the atmospheric setting (Charleston, South
Carolina) to vivid life. Each chapter begins with a quote, often from
Oscar Wilde. Most are compellingly apt.
The
book begins in the present, with a brutal and beautiful scene of lust
and carnage, then flips back to the past. By the end of the novel, we
know why Morgan has ended up in a church, weak and close to dead with
a gaping hole in his chest. In the process, the author creates one
dramatic scene after another, replete with blood, magic, revenge,
lust and love. This is an erotic romance, and Ms. Nightingale does
not close the bedroom door. Still I think there are more sword fights
than love scenes.
Overall,
I enjoyed Sinner’s Opera, much
more than I expected, if I
can be honest. There’s a
lot of traditional vampire lore here, but Ms. Nightingale gives it an
original spin. Meanwhile, the ending was (for me) pleasingly
ambiguous. Die-hard romance fans will likely be incensed that Morgan
and Isabeau do not get a standard HEA. In fact, they are separated.
Still, they’ve both cheated death, and we know their love survives
– presumably to deepen and develop in the next book of the series.
About
the Author
She
enjoys dressing up and hosting formal dinner parties!
After
14 years in Texas, Linda just returned home to her roots. She has
seven published novels, four of which are available from Audible.com
in audio. For many years, she bred, trained and showed Andalusian
horses on their farm in Five Forks. So, she’s seen a lot of this
country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer. Our
local author has won several writing awards, including the Georgia
Romance Writers’ Magnolia Award and the SARA Merritt. She retired
from a career as a legal assistant at MD Anderson Cancer Center to
write full time.
She
has two wonderful sons—one in Texas; one in England—and four
equally marvelous grandchildren.
She
loves horses, sports cars, music, and piano.
Linda
Nightingale is giving away
a $25 Amazon/BN gift card during her tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
