(The Secrets of the Eternal Rose Series) Venom [Review]

 Venom

Book 1 of The Secrets of the Eternal Rose series

By Fiona Paul

Cassandra Caravello might as well be dead. Her life is already predetermined for her; how she should behave, the man she will marry, the person she will become. Every expectation is as narrow as the canals, and as stifling as the coffins in the graveyard next door. But everything that Cass thought she knew about herself, and the city of Venice, begins to change the night she finds the body of a murdered woman. With the help of a handsome young stranger named Falco, Cass sets out to discover the truth. From running around the city at night to wearing disguises and sneaking into dangerous places; the more time Cass spends with Falco, the more she notices a change in herself. While she finds that she is falling for Falco she is burdened by the weight of her engagement to a man she hasn't seen in three years, and how both men might react if they found out about the other. But Falco has secrets of his own, and Cass soon begins to wonder not only if she can trust him, but also if he might have some kind of involvement in the murder they're investigating. Emotions run high, corruption runs deep, and like the waters of the city, evil flows silently among them like venom. 

Violence Rating: PG17 (Murder)

Romance Rating: PG 17 (Non-descriptive sex, Courtesans doing what they do best)

Comments:

This book should have been subtitled "Keep Calm and What Would Matteo Think?" because the only thing Cass' Aunt Agnese seems to care about is what her nephew Matteo, who even we the readers have yet to see or hear from, would think of any and everything that Cass does. Mystery nephew aside, I LOVED this book! I think fans of The Infernal Devices series would enjoy it as well, both because it is set during the same time period, and because of the similarities between leading men Falco da Padova and Will Herondale. Cass starts out as a proper lady, born into nobility and forced to live a life predetermined for her, down to the person she'll marry. Cass has always stood out as not being like other girls of her station, but it isn't until she meets Falco that she starts to discover who she really is. I love watching her grow more and more with each obstacle that she faces, in confidence and in acceptance. I feel like this story could be very encouraging for anyone, young women especially, who might be too scared to step out of their comfort zone in pursuit of what they really want out of life. I love how in the end Cass sits down with her journal and literally writes out every unanswered question that the reader could possibly have. I feel like this acknowledges that the story is unfinished and that more books are to come. Cass was faced with a very tough decision at the end of the book and I'm anxious to read the next one and see what direction her choice will send her in.


I also learned a lot of new things (and a lot of colorful language, mostly Italian) from reading this book.

 

molte scuse: many apologies
mi dispiace: I'm sorry
silenzio: hush
bella: beautiful
ciao: hello
a presto: see you soon
signorina: Ms, miss
idiota: idiot
caspita: good heavens
accidempoli: dammit
mannaggia: damn
fondamenta delle tette: street of tits
palazzo: building
sveglia: wake up
faites attention (french): be careful
bonjjour ma cherie (french): hello darling

Favorite Quotes: This book was filled with lots of funny quotes, but there were several beautiful and thought-provoking ones as well.

"She might as well be dead; her life was spread in front of her, a series of high walls and predetermined paths, rules, and expectations, all as narrow as the canals, as stifling as a coffin."

"How terrible it must be to be a member of the noble class. So many rules. Such restraint. You must feel like a caged bird, battering it's wings against the sides of it's golden prison." -Falco

"His mouth hovered in the air, a parchment's width away from hers. Eternities came and went."

"She felt truly warm for the first time. Like she'd been living her whole life in a block of ice and had finally escaped into the sun."

"The human form, it's a symphony. Tiny interlocking movements that join together in a song." -Falco

"She had spent her whole life depending on others. Maybe now was the time for her to start depending on herself."

Falco: "Why can't you just be who you are?"

Cass: Because I don't know who that is anymore. "You're changing me. I see everything differently now."

Siena: "Cass, you know how your aunt dislikes the whole world staring at you."
Cass: "They're not staring at me, Siena. They're too busy living."

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Falco: "So, did I interrupt something? A sordid little tryst, perhaps?"
Cass: "You must be joking." Cass was in no mood for humor. Besides, the closest she'd ever been to a tryst was when he'd fallen on top of her in the street earlier that day.
...
Cass: "Is that why you're here? Looking for a date?" Cass gestured toward a row of pointed head-stones. "I do believe you're in luck. I see some ladies who won't be able to refuse you."

Falco: "Not safe? ... I feel quite safe. In fact, I was just settling in to do some reading."
Cass: "Reading?"
Falco wagged her journal in front of her.
Cass: "Give it back!"
He opened the leather-bound book to a random page and cleared his throat. Clutching a hand to his chest, he pretended to read aloud in a high-pitched voice.
Falco: "Oh, how I love the way his fingers explore my soft flesh. The way his eyes see into my very soul."
Cass: "That is not what it says."

"What had she walked in on? The people were having sex, obviously, but Cass had never dreamed it could be so... naked."