ebook, 320 pages
Published July 19th
2016 by Atria Books
As World War I rages and the Romanov dynasty reaches its
sudden, brutal end, a young jewelry maker discovers love, passion, and her own
healing powers in this rich and romantic ghost story, the perfect follow-up to M.J.
Rose’s “brilliantly crafted” (Providence Journal) novel The Witch of Painted Sorrows.
Set in Paris at the height of World War
I, New York Times bestselling author M.J. ROSE’s THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF STONES (Atria
Books, On Sale July 19, 2016; $25.00) follows the dangerous
and sensual journey of Opaline Duplessi, who has the power
to communicate with the dead.
Nestled within Paris’
historic Palais Royal is a jewelry store unlike any other. La Fantasie Russie
is owned by Pavel Orloff, protégé to the famous Faberge, and is known
by the city’s fashion elite as the place to
find the rarest of gemstones and the most unique
designs. But war has transformed Paris from a city of style and
romance to a place of fear and mourning.
In the summer of 1918, places where lovers used to walk,
widows now wander alone.
So it is from La Fantasie
Russie’s workshop that Opaline Duplessi now spends her time making trench
watches for soldiers at the front, as well as mourning jewelry
for the mothers, wives, and lovers of those who have
fallen. People say that Opaline’s creations are magical. But magic is a word
Opaline would rather not use. The concept is too closely associated
with her mother Sandrine, who practices the dark arts passed down
from their ancestor La Lune, one of sixteenth century Paris’ most
famous courtesans.
Opaline does have a rare
gift even she can’t deny. It’s a form of lithomancy that allows
her to translate the energy emanating from stones. Certain
gemstones, combined with a personal item, such as a lock of hair,
enable her to receive messages from beyond the grave. In her mind,
she is no mystic, but merely a messenger, giving voice to soldiers who died
before they were able to properly express themselves to loved ones. Until one
day, one of these fallen soldiers communicates a message—directly to
her.
So begins a dangerous
journey that will take Opaline into the darkest
corners of wartime Paris and across the English Channel,
where the exiled Romanov dowager empress is waiting to
discover the fate of her family. Full of romance,
seduction, and a love so powerful it reaches beyond the grave, THE SECRETLANGUAGE OF STONES is
yet another “spellbindingly haunting” (Suspense Magazine), “entrancing
read that will long be savored” (Library Journal, starred review).
My Thoughts…
I read book one in this
series, The Wiches of Painted Sorrow (CHECK OUT MY REVIEW HERE) , and
felt the same way about it as I do about The Secret Language of Stones. It starts slow but is full of history and
background that is necessary to truly understand and appreciate the story. The picture that M.J. Rose portrays of Paris
during the time of war and how the people are affected is amazing and
vivid. I could hear the raid sirens
and picture the underground areas where they took cover. I could picture the jewelry store that
Opaline works in and the people that she worked with.
This story has a ghost
twist that I loved! I loved seeing
Opaline interact with the different ghosts and help the wives and mothers of
soldiers lost to war. This is a great
part of the story with so much heart and sorrow. I loved that there was only one ghost… one
love…
The Secret Language of
Stones is a sequel to The Witches of Painted Sorrow yet this book could be read
without reading the first one. As with
most series they are better read in order but each could be read in any
order. Either way I recommend picking
up both books and reading them.
Book Links
M.J. ROSE grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother's favorite books before she was allowed. She is the author of more than a dozen novels, the co-president and founding board member ofInternational Thriller Writers, and the founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz.com. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Learn more about MJ Rose
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THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF STONES is the second
novel in a stunning new trilogy from M.J. that showcases her extraordinary
gifts as a first-rate historical novelist and an expert on the visual
arts and the occult. In Book One, The Witch of Painted
Sorrows, we met Sandrine Salome, a woman seduced by themany
pleasures to be found in Belle Epoque Paris; her gift for painting allowed her
entry into the Ecole des Beaux-Arts (forbidden to women
at the time) and a mentor in Gustave Moreau.
BELOVED BY BOOKSELLERS,
READERS, AND CRITICS ALIKE: The Witch of Painted
Sorrows was Rose’s 7th Indie Next pick in a row and
a Library Reads pick. It received a starred review from Library
Journal, as well as prime coverage in People, the Associated
Press, Huffington Post, Providence Journal, Suspense
Magazine, and the Boston Globe. Anne Rice called M.J.
an "elegant writer with fine style."
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