Some reviews pointed out that this book turned out to be much 'darker' than expected. I had completely opposite expectations for this book. I wanted this book to be dark, sinister, and packed with mysteries. I ignored the cover and the title and got intrigued by the blurb. I just focused on Paris, abandoned abbey, and gargoyles. 

Your story takes place in nineteenth century Paris - the main characters live next to an abbey & rectory watched over by gargoyles/chimeras - there have been people disappearing and unsolved murders, and you want me to focus on how the romance(s) unfolds? Reading about teenagers running around in Paris?

What made this book go down the drain for me:

- One of the main characters, Ingrid, acted purposefully stupid and put herself in danger to further the plot.
- The forbidden love trope between Ingrid and Luc. And the subsequent 'you don't understand I'm a monster' trope. It had a Twilight-ish vibe to it. Really I should have known better, the clue was in the title. Also Luc and Ingrid share a connection based on 'her smell and pale skin' and 'something in his eyes' .
- The romance subplots and love triangles. In plural.
- Everyone (especially the guys) in this book is beautiful/attractive/hot etc.
- The various factions. The Dispossessed, the Alliance, the Order, the demons. A small group of youngsters running around fighting demons. It has already been done. 
- Also Ingrid is not only special, she's the very rare, almost extinct special snowflake. This is also familiar. This last point was the book's complete downfall in my opinion. 

I thought this book crammed with YA clichés. And plotlines that has been overdone already.

On a side note: what I knew about gargoyles so far before reading this book was that 'les gargouilles' have the function to carry rainwater from the roof/gutter and as far away from the wall, they are the precursors of today's drainpipe and are fixated horizontally to walls of a cathedral/castle/church etc. Those are not the ones the author is talking about. It's about the mythology and folklore surrounding the grotesques .

Lastly I prefer this cover or even this but it doesn't quite match the feeling I had while reading. The U.S. cover is pretty accurate: it's all about pink, romance, fluff, and a lots of boredom. You have the setting, Paris in 1899 and the premise, people disappearing and found dismembered, and still the author succeeded in making a boring and slow-paced mess out of it.

Gargoyles and nineteenth century Paris could have turned the book in something original but they rather felt like some random addition. The setting wasn't fully used to its advantage. Just naming some popular places in Paris is not enough for me. This book could have been so much better. I felt indifferent to it all.

This is the first book i've heard done via audio.

 

I'm still on the fence about audio books, i think i'll need to try another to see if i like it, but it's a nice way to crew though some more of my tbr list :]

 

overall i liked this book, it was slow at times, but the action parts lasted for awhile, which is always a good thing.

 

the characters were perfectly written for the era. i loved the idea and the way it was played out.

 

i just got confused with all the different names thrown at me.

 

 

Angels, demons, hellhounds and gargoyles. Loved this book!

Ingrid and Gabrielle arrive in Paris with there mother to find Ingrid's twin brother has gone missing, while young girls are disappearing and being found in pieces.

While searching for their brother, the girls discover there is more to the world than humans. 

Gargoyles are charged with keeping humans safe while hunting demons and work with the Alliance, humans who hunt demons.

This book has it all, is an amazing adventure and I am currently looking into how to get myself a gargoyle named Luc!

Reading books will always be my favorite way to spend the day, but it’s especially true during the colder months. Endless hours of darkness to sit by a fire or a nice warm lamp, curled up in a comfy chair or wrapped in a blanket, a warm mug filled with a nice hot beverage in one hand and a book in the other.

 

With these warm thoughts in mind during the cold months, it’s time to look into some winter-themed Middle Grade and Young Adult books that will melt your heart and freeze your spine. The cold, dark months may be a melancholy time for some (I cannot express how often I re-read Jane Eyre in the winter), but it can also be a time of exciting adventures or bone-chilling ghost stories.

 

 

Image via We Heart It

 

At the first snowfall, begin your winter story time journey with Let It Snow. A freak blizzard hits a small town and disrupts everyone’s Christmas plans. Three different sets of characters, all in some way known to one another, tell their 24-hour story of what they did that stormy day.

 

After you’ve taken a break to go sledding, pick up Breadcrumbs. Forge a friendship with Jack and Hazel and help Hazel find her friend after he’s captured by the Snow Queen. Dive further into the lighter reading with The Mysterious Howling. Touch base with your inner canine at Ashton Place and wreck havoc on your home -- figuratively, of course.

 

As night falls, immerse in the chilling ghost story, The Dead of Winter. Explore a haunted mansion owned by a tormented master, and help young Michael solve the mystery of the mistress’s death in the frozen moat. Look out for the ghosts in The Poisoned House, and guide Abi on her quest to discover who exactly poisoned her mother. Be sure to have all lights turned on for this evening!

 

The next morning, grab your sword and prepare for a magical battle in Witchlanders. Beware who you trust, the young farm boy destined to save his village or the powerful warrior destined to find his second half. Continue your adventure in Icefall, and discover the traitor in the midst that prevents everyone from leaving the claustrophobic fortress of ice.

 

Take a trip back in time to turn-of-the-century Paris, inside a cold abbey guarded by gargoyles in The Beautiful and the Cursed. Fight demons, discover inner powers, learn of the protective instincts of gargoyles, and experience the presence of angels like never before with Ingrid and Gabby. Fast forward to Cold War Russia in The Boy on the Bridge. Fall in love and question the motives of everyone around you.

 

After your whirlwind adventure through time, pick up that beloved, worn copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and cry tears of happiness when Harry discovers he does indeed have a true, loving family. The cold stones and warm hearths of Hogwarts will always be there for those who seek it.

 

---

 

Laura Crockett is a graduate student, bookseller, Anglophile, tea devotee, musician, and book hoarder. Everything good in her boils down to her Midwestern upbringing. Follow her Downton Abbey obsessions on Twitter (@LECrockett) and book interests on her blog http://scribblesandwanderlust.wordpress.com

This book is very different than anything I've ever read! It was truly fantastic. I LOVED the world and being immersed in it was such a great experience. The characters are very like-able and I really enjoyed reading about Ingrid. I loved the setting in 1899 Paris, very cool! I can't even explain this book though because it is so unique. If you like crazy paranormal/fantasy books, you should like this one! Some new elements, creatures and ideas I have never even thought about are present in this story, which made me love it more! The only thing I had a problem with is that it was a little slow for me in the beginning and for some reason I wasn't completely sucked into the story, but still overall had a blast reading it! Also, I really liked all of the romance subplots that were going on. Being from both Gabby's and Ingrid's POVs, there's a lot of love drama! I can't wait for the next one ;D