What do you think?
Rate this book
The Immortal's Secret
Imagine finding a mystical book that offers the gift of everlasting life. Would you look inside?
In The Immortal’s Secret, art merges with magic to explore the seductive allure of eternal life. Dr. Benjamin Mann, a Canadian curator at the Louvre who is recovering from cancer, is thrust into an unexpected adventure when his eccentric grandfather, Josiah Mann, vanishes.
Desperate for clues, Benjamin turns to Josiah’s treasured a portrait called The Immortal, painted by the Renaissance master Andrea Sartore. In a violent rage, Benjamin rips The Immortal from her frame and finds a golden book—a treasure Josiah has been searching for since his youth.
The discovery leads Benjamin on a journey from Toronto to Paris, Venice, and ultimately to the Sinai Desert, where he encounters a host of mysterious characters who hold clues about what happened to Josiah. As Benjamin delves deeper into Josiah’s history, the identity of The Immortal, and the secret embedded in her golden book, his journey becomes a crucible, forcing him to confront his life decisions, vulnerabilities, and regrets.
In The Immortal’s Secret, art merges with magic to explore the seductive allure of eternal life. Dr. Benjamin Mann, a Canadian curator at the Louvre who is recovering from cancer, is thrust into an unexpected adventure when his eccentric grandfather, Josiah Mann, vanishes.
Desperate for clues, Benjamin turns to Josiah’s treasured a portrait called The Immortal, painted by the Renaissance master Andrea Sartore. In a violent rage, Benjamin rips The Immortal from her frame and finds a golden book—a treasure Josiah has been searching for since his youth.
The discovery leads Benjamin on a journey from Toronto to Paris, Venice, and ultimately to the Sinai Desert, where he encounters a host of mysterious characters who hold clues about what happened to Josiah. As Benjamin delves deeper into Josiah’s history, the identity of The Immortal, and the secret embedded in her golden book, his journey becomes a crucible, forcing him to confront his life decisions, vulnerabilities, and regrets.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2024
2 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 20, 2024
I was of mixed mind about this book, though attracted to the blurb and cover art.
Here's my review of "The Immortal's Secret": it has a very interesting plot and characters, but the present tense writing is *very* distracting and it feels almost like a book that has been translated to English, or one written by a person for whom English is a second language. It does not flow because of that, so it is a bit of a push to read. I can imagine this as a spoken tale, in which case it might be more engaging, but again, it would hardly be told in present tense... stories tend to be told in past tense.
That complaint aside, it is an original idea, and the crossover of magic and reality, the concept of curses and immortality, are all wonderful rabbits to chase in a fantasy tale. There was a bit much emphasis on the religious aspects, which might be off-putting to some readers. I am rounding up a 3.5 to a 4 here because I can tell that a lot of work went into this, but I think it deserves a good editing to make it shine.
Here's my review of "The Immortal's Secret": it has a very interesting plot and characters, but the present tense writing is *very* distracting and it feels almost like a book that has been translated to English, or one written by a person for whom English is a second language. It does not flow because of that, so it is a bit of a push to read. I can imagine this as a spoken tale, in which case it might be more engaging, but again, it would hardly be told in present tense... stories tend to be told in past tense.
That complaint aside, it is an original idea, and the crossover of magic and reality, the concept of curses and immortality, are all wonderful rabbits to chase in a fantasy tale. There was a bit much emphasis on the religious aspects, which might be off-putting to some readers. I am rounding up a 3.5 to a 4 here because I can tell that a lot of work went into this, but I think it deserves a good editing to make it shine.
December 29, 2024
This mystical mystery and adventure story reminded me of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code sprinkled with the magical goodness of C. S. Lewis.
Alexandra’s narrative caught my curiosity at the onset and kept me captivated to the end. She adeptly took me to familiar Paris sights, created a desire to visit places I’ve yet to experience and transported me to ancient times we can only dream about. Amid rich scenery, she introduced me to many multi-dimensional, often flawed but always compelling characters.
I found the present tense point of view effectively intensified the pace and urgency, making it tough to put down.
Alexandra’s narrative caught my curiosity at the onset and kept me captivated to the end. She adeptly took me to familiar Paris sights, created a desire to visit places I’ve yet to experience and transported me to ancient times we can only dream about. Amid rich scenery, she introduced me to many multi-dimensional, often flawed but always compelling characters.
I found the present tense point of view effectively intensified the pace and urgency, making it tough to put down.
November 12, 2024
A wonderful read about a cancer survivor finding a book which may lead to an eternal life. He will lead you on an adventure which you will find difficult to put down. There will be so many obstacles he will need to face before he gets to the final destination
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and love the adventure he went on
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and love the adventure he went on
November 24, 2025
I don't usually write reviews but this was a unique book. would recommend it for the character development and heart!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews