Page 6 of 9
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 28 Jun 2018, 13:55
by Bonnie Shelby
bookowlie wrote: ↑28 Jun 2018, 13:05
greenstripedgiraffe wrote: ↑28 Jun 2018, 06:34
Bonnie Shelby wrote: ↑19 Jun 2018, 09:17
I was fine with the paranormal elements, I just wished it wasn't used to solve the mystery. Alex was supposed to be an art detective, yet he didn't seem to do any detecting. There could've been more suspense and intrigue if the whole plot didn't rely on Angela's visions alone.
HA! you're right, actually... I hadn't thought of that yet.
So, Angela needed Alex to protect her, but Alex, the famed art detective, needed Angela to solve the mystery. hmm.
What a great way to describe their roles in the story! The more we have been discussed the duo, I wonder if their respective roles will stay the same in Book #2. It would be nice to see more actual detective work as well as Angela being able to stand on her own two feet - I mean that figuratively and literally since she was lying unconscious half the time.
Haha, so true! Maybe we'll also get a better villain in book #2. Did you think Scordato read like a common movie criminal? Whenever his name came up in this story, I pictured him sitting behind a large desk in a dingy room, hands clasped, cackling maniacally at his own evil genius.
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 28 Jun 2018, 14:25
by bookowlie
Bonnie Shelby - Hopefully, the next book won't have the same formula, with a stereotypical villain on their tail.
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 28 Jun 2018, 14:31
by kfwilson6
Bonnie Shelby wrote: ↑28 Jun 2018, 13:55
Haha, so true! Maybe we'll also get a better villain in book #2. Did you think Scordato read like a common movie criminal? Whenever his name came up in this story, I pictured him sitting behind a large desk in a dingy room, hands clasped, cackling maniacally at his own evil genius.
Haha, I kept thinking of a mob boss. Everything stays in the family and the cousins always get stuck doing the dirty work. He wasn't a very well-developed bad guy. He also bought into all the paranormal stuff way too quickly and easily. Geez if he wanted to undermine Angela and any claims she might make against him, all he had to do was show the board videos of her talking to herself and say she's nuts.
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 28 Jun 2018, 14:49
by bookowlie
kfwilson6 wrote: ↑28 Jun 2018, 14:31
Bonnie Shelby wrote: ↑28 Jun 2018, 13:55
Haha, so true! Maybe we'll also get a better villain in book #2. Did you think Scordato read like a common movie criminal? Whenever his name came up in this story, I pictured him sitting behind a large desk in a dingy room, hands clasped, cackling maniacally at his own evil genius.
Haha, I kept thinking of a mob boss. Everything stays in the family and the cousins always get stuck doing the dirty work. He wasn't a very well-developed bad guy. He also bought into all the paranormal stuff way too quickly and easily. Geez if he wanted to undermine Angela and any claims she might make against him, all he had to do was show the board videos of her talking to herself and say she's nuts.
Scordato seemed too bumbling to be a mob boss. I agree he wasn't well developed. In fact, he wasn't even mentioned for long stretches of the story. As a result, there wasn't much suspense without that sense of danger from someone being on their tail.
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 28 Jun 2018, 14:53
by kfwilson6
bookowlie wrote: ↑28 Jun 2018, 14:49
kfwilson6 wrote: ↑28 Jun 2018, 14:31
Bonnie Shelby wrote: ↑28 Jun 2018, 13:55
Haha, so true! Maybe we'll also get a better villain in book #2. Did you think Scordato read like a common movie criminal? Whenever his name came up in this story, I pictured him sitting behind a large desk in a dingy room, hands clasped, cackling maniacally at his own evil genius.
Haha, I kept thinking of a mob boss. Everything stays in the family and the cousins always get stuck doing the dirty work. He wasn't a very well-developed bad guy. He also bought into all the paranormal stuff way too quickly and easily. Geez if he wanted to undermine Angela and any claims she might make against him, all he had to do was show the board videos of her talking to herself and say she's nuts.
Scordato seemed too bumbling to be a mob boss. I agree he wasn't well developed. In fact, he wasn't even mentioned for long stretches of the story. As a result, there wasn't much suspense without that sense of danger from someone being on their tail.
Until they all of a sudden started trying to kill people! Scordato really got in the game at the end.
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 28 Jun 2018, 16:08
by P Reefer
greenstripedgiraffe wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 14:33
kfwilson6 wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 13:54
Bookmermaid wrote: ↑14 Jun 2018, 12:12
I understand your desire for more of Fioretta and Giuliano, they need a novel of their own.
Except we already know their ending and it wasn't a happy one
Other than that, I would have liked to have read so much more about them. Especially if Ami could have delved more into Leonardo da Vinci.
More about Leonardo da Vinci would have been great! I agree with that whole-heartedly! Be fascinating to know more of the relationship with him and Fioretti, also. I wonder if that part was true, historically...
I think it would certainly be fascinating as well
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 28 Jun 2018, 21:59
by scratchcat318
I honestly really like the supernatural elements in this book! It gives the story a sense of mystery and wonder to the otherwise bland main story. I really enjoyed the tie-ins between the three time periods and how they play into Alex and Angela's lives in the present day.
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 28 Jun 2018, 22:14
by kfwilson6
Bookmermaid wrote: ↑28 Jun 2018, 16:08
greenstripedgiraffe wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 14:33
kfwilson6 wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 13:54
Except we already know their ending and it wasn't a happy one
Other than that, I would have liked to have read so much more about them. Especially if Ami could have delved more into Leonardo da Vinci.
More about Leonardo da Vinci would have been great! I agree with that whole-heartedly! Be fascinating to know more of the relationship with him and Fioretti, also. I wonder if that part was true, historically...
I think it would certainly be fascinating as well
I'm starting to wish I'd taken an art history class at some point. Might be time to do some googling.
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 01 Jul 2018, 20:30
by LV2R
Angela's blackouts, trances, visions, and dreams all were a way to connect the past to the present. Even though, Angela believes Fioretta and Sophia were her in past lives, the book also eludes to the possibility that Angela has a gift. This was a creative way to bring in the long ago characters and make them relevant to the present story. It also made the story suspenseful and more dangerous.
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 02 Jul 2018, 15:22
by uyky
When paranormal elements are worked into book well it can make the experience better. It can also be there just for the sake of itself, so not disturbing but not missing if it is not there. I haven't read this book for now, but I noticed that many people complimented that aspect of the book. I might give it a try because of that.
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 02 Jul 2018, 23:19
by Kat Berg
I actually really enjoy paranormal stories, although they are not all created equal. For me, it added to the book, made it a little different than other books of the same style and I like the mix of genres, historical romance/mystery/urban fantasy (although it is not quite enough to be the typical urban fantasy), when authors blend these things it can work quite well. In this book, it works ok.
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 03 Jul 2018, 13:52
by SparklesonPages
While I can say that I appreciated the uniqueness of the paranormal elements, the book could have also done well without them. Essentially they allowed the author to transition more easily but were really not necessary for the story to be interesting.
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 05 Jul 2018, 14:54
by onixpam
I enjoyed every aspect of the book. The paranormal elements give it a good start point.
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 10 Jul 2018, 02:44
by Lu_rire
I found it a little difficult to swallow how easily Scordata accepted the paranormal idea that Angela was tied to the painting.
Although the plot could have been structured to do without the paranormal, the writing doesn't suffer for it either.
Re: Paranormal Elements
Posted: 12 Jul 2018, 23:38
by LaurenHaupt
I like anything paranormal so it's definitely a easy read for me.