What do you think?
Rate this book
The Heartbeat Thief
Haunted by a crushing fear of death, a young Victorian woman discovers the secret of eternal youth—she must surrender her life to attain it, and steal heartbeats to keep it.
In 1860 Surrey, a young woman has only one occupation: to marry. Senza Fyne is beautiful, intelligent, and lacks neither wealth nor connections. Finding a husband shouldn’t be difficult, not when she has her entire life before her.
But it’s not life that preoccupies her thoughts. It’s death—and that shadowy spectre haunts her every step.
So does Mr. Knell. Heart-thumpingly attractive, obviously eligible—he’d be her perfect match if only he wasn’t so macabre. All his talk about death, all that teasing about knowing how to avoid it…
When her mother arranges a courtship with another man, Senza is desperate for escape from a dull prescripted destiny. Impulsively, she takes Knell up on his offer. He casts a spell that frees her from the cruelty of time and the threat of death—but at a steep price. In order to maintain eternal youth, she must feed on the heartbeats of others.
It’s a little bit Jane Austen, a little bit Edgar Allen Poe, and a whole lot of stealing heartbeats in order to stay young and beautiful forever. From the posh London season to the back alleys of Whitechapel, across the Channel, across the Pond, across the seas of Time…
How far will Senza Fyne go to avoid Death?
In 1860 Surrey, a young woman has only one occupation: to marry. Senza Fyne is beautiful, intelligent, and lacks neither wealth nor connections. Finding a husband shouldn’t be difficult, not when she has her entire life before her.
But it’s not life that preoccupies her thoughts. It’s death—and that shadowy spectre haunts her every step.
So does Mr. Knell. Heart-thumpingly attractive, obviously eligible—he’d be her perfect match if only he wasn’t so macabre. All his talk about death, all that teasing about knowing how to avoid it…
When her mother arranges a courtship with another man, Senza is desperate for escape from a dull prescripted destiny. Impulsively, she takes Knell up on his offer. He casts a spell that frees her from the cruelty of time and the threat of death—but at a steep price. In order to maintain eternal youth, she must feed on the heartbeats of others.
It’s a little bit Jane Austen, a little bit Edgar Allen Poe, and a whole lot of stealing heartbeats in order to stay young and beautiful forever. From the posh London season to the back alleys of Whitechapel, across the Channel, across the Pond, across the seas of Time…
How far will Senza Fyne go to avoid Death?
329 pages, Paperback
First published June 12, 2015
15 people are currently reading
3028 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 - 30 of 84 reviews
July 20, 2015
Sensa Fyne hates death up to the point where she would sell her soul to avoid it. After living for about a hundred years and looking forever 18, she realizes that she's lived for long enough and accepts death. Thanatos then brings her back in time and she lives her life like a normal person without her fear for death.
Welp, that's the summary of this approx. 300 paged book. I thought it was a little boring and extremely slow. Nothing happened really. I was always hoping for something big to happen but nothing ever came up. Kind of disappointed. Throughout the book, I remembered that I was always searching for the inexistent plot. *sigh*
Overall, it's a book FILLED with FLUFF and please don't tell me that the importance of the book is the message that it wants to share: to live to the fullest. Because bro, I already know that. I don't have to read this book.
Verdict: don't be fooled by the summary written on the book. It's not that good.
Welp, that's the summary of this approx. 300 paged book. I thought it was a little boring and extremely slow. Nothing happened really. I was always hoping for something big to happen but nothing ever came up. Kind of disappointed. Throughout the book, I remembered that I was always searching for the inexistent plot. *sigh*
Overall, it's a book FILLED with FLUFF and please don't tell me that the importance of the book is the message that it wants to share: to live to the fullest. Because bro, I already know that. I don't have to read this book.
Verdict: don't be fooled by the summary written on the book. It's not that good.
December 14, 2016
This could have been spectacular. It missed some amazing opportunities, though, and was poorly written, and unfortunately that impacts my rating and opinion of the book. Along with the ending.
Unless it is based in some mythology or folklore I've never heard of, the author created a new kind of vampire. Dead/undead, unkillable, stealing heartbeats from others to take the place of those no longer stirring her own heart, Senza Fyne is perpetually eighteen years old. Once so afraid of death that she agreed to this still-hearted existence, now she avoids staying in one place for too long and watches as those she loves age and die.
The initial problem I have with this really terrific premise is … it simply takes too long to manifest. For nearly a third of the book (29%, thank you Kindle reading progress counter) Senza is battered by first the death of a favorite grandmother and then of a friend, and – along with her mother's constant badgering that she needs to snare a husband before her great beauty fades – that is supposed to be the reason she is so terrified of death. It doesn't work. She meets with the mysterious Mr. Knell quite some time after the second death in her life, when she seemed to be beginning to recover. If at that point she had, say, witnessed a child run over in the busy street or something of the sort, I could understand her worry blossoming into a full-blown obsession. Or if another adventure in the story had been the focus of the beginning, I would have bought into the whole plot much more readily.
The adventure I refer to there is Senza's involvement in the Jack the Ripper murders. Without spoilers, I will say that it felt wildly implausible; for one thing, there's no historical basis as far as I know that all of the Ripper's victims knew each other. I think that would have been counted as evidence. Late nineteenth century police work was primitive, but even then something like a common pimp or customer among the victims would probably have come to light. And quite simply the depiction of the victims in this book is historically inaccurate, and served to make me less than trusting of pretty much the rest of the author's research. (For one thing, the final victim was blonde.)
At least Senza didn't become a gorgeous female Forrest Gump, inserting herself into historical events at every turn, and I'm grateful for that. Her peregrinations take her out of history, which actually makes the Whitechapel events stand out even more – not in a good way.
Senza is gorgeous – stunningly gorgeous. And the reader is never allowed to forget it, not for a moment. Tight third-person perspective or no, her astonishing beauty is kept at the forefront. ("I can’t imagine you ever looking less than perfect.” She dropped her gaze. She couldn’t imagine it, either.) Oddly, it's never made out to be a burden as I've seen elsewhere; the only readon it's not an asset is that, as her mother does keep reiterating, beauty fades. But Senza has a brain as well, and reads constantly – especially Shakespeare. This should have been endearing, for me. It wasn't, merely because it all comes back, as so many things do, to "show and tell". No matter how many times I'm told that Senza is ever-so-clever and knows Hamlet by heart and can out-argue philosophers and scholars … I was never shown it. There are very occasional scenes in which she is shown reading – or, rather, sitting somewhere with a book and thinking about Mr. Knell or her troubles; she quotes Shakespeare once, to my knowledge; otherwise her dialogue and behavior show no indication of all those brains.
One major area where the unique and fascinating premise of the book is simply let down is in the way it is dealt with in the narration. By this I mean: The book is told from the point of view of Senza, the thief, whose existence is turned upside-down by this "gift", and who – at a sheltered and innocent eighteen – has to learn how to manage the new facts of her life. An incident is described from the first days of her altered state – but apart from her awareness of the need to avoid another such incident, there's not really anything here about how she avoids it (does she lock her door at night? Use a doorstop? Claim to kick and snore in order to avoid bedfellows?) The mechanics of stealing heartbeats are glossed over, but more would have been better: I would have preferred less buildup to the change and more on her learning curve. And at certain points the stolen heartbeats are described as having a flavor or weight to them – but again there is little more than that provided. Again, in a tight-perspective narrative, where POV never leaves the main character and where that character's entire existence centers around others' heartbeats, I expected there to be more color, more data. What do they taste like? How do they have weight? What are the mathematics to their being used up? How does she work out her routine of where and from whom they're stolen?
So, the idea was terrific, let down by execution – and by the writing. For example, the author has a strange disconnect with gender in her vocabulary, which perhaps will be fixed for a final draft. The mysterious Mr. Knell constantly calls Senza "bien-aimé" – the masculine form of the endearment; a man's hair is described as "blonde", commonly the feminized form of the adjective.
And then there are ... all the other problems. "The captivating woman with the eyes that never stopped." Sentence fragment - and... stopped what? "Most interesting was the fact that the fan, once the ultimate female weapon, had been replaced by the ever-useful garter belt and the secrets they concealed." What secrets, and how big is her garter belt? And how did garter belts replace fans? Are ladies waving garter belts about in public? "Exploring the costal colonies—states, she’d remind herself" – aside from the typo, Senza wasn't so old she'd be thinking of the states as colonies. This is ridiculous.
I had an issue with the idea of a love interest being named Gehring. Sorry – whatever the spelling, too many evil echoes.
And yes, I am aware that at least some of the problems I saw might have been resolved before the book's final release; this was, after all, a Netgalley ARC (thanks to them and the publisher for a free copy for review.) Things like a move to France with no mention I could find that Senza ever learned to speak French. Things like a fairly important character (the innkeeper) who is never given a name. Things like "too" and "as well" being used in the same sentence; "everyone … were"; "laying" where "lying" should have been used (this is becoming more and more common); things like part of a sentence being in the present tense and the other part in the past; things like someone "knicker"ing to a horse (which is wrong in so many ways). Et cetera, et cetera… I did a lot of highlighting. ("His heart banged like a bull"?)
Speaking of horses, the line "And she had no interest in being sold off, ridden for sport, or put out for stud" irked me deeply. She is rather unlikely to be put out to stud, no?
Speaking of horses some more: "He grasped her hand and tugged it toward him, reining her in like a yearling." What? I'm sorry, anyone who's reining in a yearling needs to be reported to the RSPCA. And … I just don’t see the simile. (It's far from the only bad simile – I just don't want to make this a ten-page review.)
And still speaking of horses and being deeply irked, "the master’s quarter horse". As with verbal anachronism, I have absolutely no patience with horse-related anachronism. The odds of someone having a quarter horse – which is a specific breed, not something more vague – in 1921 France is just short of impossible. I should just write and save a diatribe to cut and paste into reviews for books like this: it's so easy to avoid stupid mistakes like this which only serve to rile people who know a little. Research. It took me less than five minutes to confirm my strong hunch that this was totally wrong. Why did I have to?
Sadly, this is one of those times that upon working through my notes and beating a review into shape, my rating for the book goes down. I’m leaving it with two stars simply because the idea was so very interesting. But I'm tempted to take one away because it was just badly done.
And the ending was dreadful. What an absolutely terrible idea - almost bad enough to completely negate the original concept. Pity.
Unless it is based in some mythology or folklore I've never heard of, the author created a new kind of vampire. Dead/undead, unkillable, stealing heartbeats from others to take the place of those no longer stirring her own heart, Senza Fyne is perpetually eighteen years old. Once so afraid of death that she agreed to this still-hearted existence, now she avoids staying in one place for too long and watches as those she loves age and die.
The initial problem I have with this really terrific premise is … it simply takes too long to manifest. For nearly a third of the book (29%, thank you Kindle reading progress counter) Senza is battered by first the death of a favorite grandmother and then of a friend, and – along with her mother's constant badgering that she needs to snare a husband before her great beauty fades – that is supposed to be the reason she is so terrified of death. It doesn't work. She meets with the mysterious Mr. Knell quite some time after the second death in her life, when she seemed to be beginning to recover. If at that point she had, say, witnessed a child run over in the busy street or something of the sort, I could understand her worry blossoming into a full-blown obsession. Or if another adventure in the story had been the focus of the beginning, I would have bought into the whole plot much more readily.
The adventure I refer to there is Senza's involvement in the Jack the Ripper murders. Without spoilers, I will say that it felt wildly implausible; for one thing, there's no historical basis as far as I know that all of the Ripper's victims knew each other. I think that would have been counted as evidence. Late nineteenth century police work was primitive, but even then something like a common pimp or customer among the victims would probably have come to light. And quite simply the depiction of the victims in this book is historically inaccurate, and served to make me less than trusting of pretty much the rest of the author's research. (For one thing, the final victim was blonde.)
At least Senza didn't become a gorgeous female Forrest Gump, inserting herself into historical events at every turn, and I'm grateful for that. Her peregrinations take her out of history, which actually makes the Whitechapel events stand out even more – not in a good way.
Senza is gorgeous – stunningly gorgeous. And the reader is never allowed to forget it, not for a moment. Tight third-person perspective or no, her astonishing beauty is kept at the forefront. ("I can’t imagine you ever looking less than perfect.” She dropped her gaze. She couldn’t imagine it, either.) Oddly, it's never made out to be a burden as I've seen elsewhere; the only readon it's not an asset is that, as her mother does keep reiterating, beauty fades. But Senza has a brain as well, and reads constantly – especially Shakespeare. This should have been endearing, for me. It wasn't, merely because it all comes back, as so many things do, to "show and tell". No matter how many times I'm told that Senza is ever-so-clever and knows Hamlet by heart and can out-argue philosophers and scholars … I was never shown it. There are very occasional scenes in which she is shown reading – or, rather, sitting somewhere with a book and thinking about Mr. Knell or her troubles; she quotes Shakespeare once, to my knowledge; otherwise her dialogue and behavior show no indication of all those brains.
One major area where the unique and fascinating premise of the book is simply let down is in the way it is dealt with in the narration. By this I mean: The book is told from the point of view of Senza, the thief, whose existence is turned upside-down by this "gift", and who – at a sheltered and innocent eighteen – has to learn how to manage the new facts of her life. An incident is described from the first days of her altered state – but apart from her awareness of the need to avoid another such incident, there's not really anything here about how she avoids it (does she lock her door at night? Use a doorstop? Claim to kick and snore in order to avoid bedfellows?) The mechanics of stealing heartbeats are glossed over, but more would have been better: I would have preferred less buildup to the change and more on her learning curve. And at certain points the stolen heartbeats are described as having a flavor or weight to them – but again there is little more than that provided. Again, in a tight-perspective narrative, where POV never leaves the main character and where that character's entire existence centers around others' heartbeats, I expected there to be more color, more data. What do they taste like? How do they have weight? What are the mathematics to their being used up? How does she work out her routine of where and from whom they're stolen?
So, the idea was terrific, let down by execution – and by the writing. For example, the author has a strange disconnect with gender in her vocabulary, which perhaps will be fixed for a final draft. The mysterious Mr. Knell constantly calls Senza "bien-aimé" – the masculine form of the endearment; a man's hair is described as "blonde", commonly the feminized form of the adjective.
And then there are ... all the other problems. "The captivating woman with the eyes that never stopped." Sentence fragment - and... stopped what? "Most interesting was the fact that the fan, once the ultimate female weapon, had been replaced by the ever-useful garter belt and the secrets they concealed." What secrets, and how big is her garter belt? And how did garter belts replace fans? Are ladies waving garter belts about in public? "Exploring the costal colonies—states, she’d remind herself" – aside from the typo, Senza wasn't so old she'd be thinking of the states as colonies. This is ridiculous.
I had an issue with the idea of a love interest being named Gehring. Sorry – whatever the spelling, too many evil echoes.
And yes, I am aware that at least some of the problems I saw might have been resolved before the book's final release; this was, after all, a Netgalley ARC (thanks to them and the publisher for a free copy for review.) Things like a move to France with no mention I could find that Senza ever learned to speak French. Things like a fairly important character (the innkeeper) who is never given a name. Things like "too" and "as well" being used in the same sentence; "everyone … were"; "laying" where "lying" should have been used (this is becoming more and more common); things like part of a sentence being in the present tense and the other part in the past; things like someone "knicker"ing to a horse (which is wrong in so many ways). Et cetera, et cetera… I did a lot of highlighting. ("His heart banged like a bull"?)
Speaking of horses, the line "And she had no interest in being sold off, ridden for sport, or put out for stud" irked me deeply. She is rather unlikely to be put out to stud, no?
Speaking of horses some more: "He grasped her hand and tugged it toward him, reining her in like a yearling." What? I'm sorry, anyone who's reining in a yearling needs to be reported to the RSPCA. And … I just don’t see the simile. (It's far from the only bad simile – I just don't want to make this a ten-page review.)
And still speaking of horses and being deeply irked, "the master’s quarter horse". As with verbal anachronism, I have absolutely no patience with horse-related anachronism. The odds of someone having a quarter horse – which is a specific breed, not something more vague – in 1921 France is just short of impossible. I should just write and save a diatribe to cut and paste into reviews for books like this: it's so easy to avoid stupid mistakes like this which only serve to rile people who know a little. Research. It took me less than five minutes to confirm my strong hunch that this was totally wrong. Why did I have to?
Sadly, this is one of those times that upon working through my notes and beating a review into shape, my rating for the book goes down. I’m leaving it with two stars simply because the idea was so very interesting. But I'm tempted to take one away because it was just badly done.
And the ending was dreadful. What an absolutely terrible idea - almost bad enough to completely negate the original concept. Pity.
May 7, 2015
For some reason, when I first started reading this book, I was reminded of a favorite painting of mine. There was something about the wording, sentence structure, description...it all just came together in one masterfully written novel.
The Heartbeat Thief is a timeless tale of endless beauty, love and loss, sorrow and joy. I loved following Senza's journey through time as she learned to cope with a gift given to her by a mysterious stranger. In a lot of ways this novel reminded me of The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Not because the stories are similar, but I think they shared some of the same themes.
I highly recommend this novel to readers of all ages. You will not be disappointed!
The Heartbeat Thief is a timeless tale of endless beauty, love and loss, sorrow and joy. I loved following Senza's journey through time as she learned to cope with a gift given to her by a mysterious stranger. In a lot of ways this novel reminded me of The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Not because the stories are similar, but I think they shared some of the same themes.
I highly recommend this novel to readers of all ages. You will not be disappointed!
May 18, 2015
Find this review and others on my blog Lekeisha The Booknerd
How far would you go to avoid death? Would you make a deal with the devil himself? Drink some magical potion to live forever, never changing? Well, Senza Fyne makes one heck of a choice to avoid the thing she’s most afraid of – death. I love the amazing writing of this story. And while I enjoyed that aspect, I was somewhat disappointed in the scarceness of Death himself.
Senza Fyne is a young woman of privilege in 1860 England. Beauty is as natural to her as green is to grass. She’s about to make her debut to society, and in turn, land herself a husband who is worthy of her. Well, that’s the plan her mother has for her only daughter. But when death is taking away the people she loves the most, she becomes increasingly panicked about dying. Enter knell, the mysterious – yet handsome – stranger, and he has taken up residence in Senza’s every thought. He knows her fear, and offers her an out of sorts, in exchange for her life force. By the time she realizes that all is not as it seems, it’s too late to take it back. And so begins the life of thievery for Senza, in the stealing of heartbeats from unsuspecting folk. Her heart no longer beats, so she has to take those of another.
I really liked the mystery of Knell. He swoops in with his dark charm and takes Senza by surprise. She was a fool to fall for it. I wish there had been more of him throughout the story. Instead, we have Senza narrating her way through time, never aging, always the same. She meets some interesting people throughout the decades. I love the historical aspects, especially the time that Senza spent in Whitechapel. Hello, Jack The Ripper is running rampant and she is a young woman alone walking those dreadful streets!! And just when she makes a friend and is about to leave, death comes a knocking. Not for her, but for some very unfortunate people. I really loved that scene at the end of her stay in Whitechapel.
I really wanted this to be much darker than it was. It was dampened down by Senza’s endless monologue about what was happening, had happened, or where she was. The book spanned more than 150 years, and there was city after city, country after country. The story is rather poetic, which I loved. The ending came as a shock. I didn’t know how it would all wrap up, but I wasn’t expecting Death to be so honest about why he chose Senza to begin with. It would have been nice to have more from his character throughout. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It makes one wonder about living life and dying respectfully. Recommended!
How far would you go to avoid death? Would you make a deal with the devil himself? Drink some magical potion to live forever, never changing? Well, Senza Fyne makes one heck of a choice to avoid the thing she’s most afraid of – death. I love the amazing writing of this story. And while I enjoyed that aspect, I was somewhat disappointed in the scarceness of Death himself.
Senza Fyne is a young woman of privilege in 1860 England. Beauty is as natural to her as green is to grass. She’s about to make her debut to society, and in turn, land herself a husband who is worthy of her. Well, that’s the plan her mother has for her only daughter. But when death is taking away the people she loves the most, she becomes increasingly panicked about dying. Enter knell, the mysterious – yet handsome – stranger, and he has taken up residence in Senza’s every thought. He knows her fear, and offers her an out of sorts, in exchange for her life force. By the time she realizes that all is not as it seems, it’s too late to take it back. And so begins the life of thievery for Senza, in the stealing of heartbeats from unsuspecting folk. Her heart no longer beats, so she has to take those of another.
I really liked the mystery of Knell. He swoops in with his dark charm and takes Senza by surprise. She was a fool to fall for it. I wish there had been more of him throughout the story. Instead, we have Senza narrating her way through time, never aging, always the same. She meets some interesting people throughout the decades. I love the historical aspects, especially the time that Senza spent in Whitechapel. Hello, Jack The Ripper is running rampant and she is a young woman alone walking those dreadful streets!! And just when she makes a friend and is about to leave, death comes a knocking. Not for her, but for some very unfortunate people. I really loved that scene at the end of her stay in Whitechapel.
I really wanted this to be much darker than it was. It was dampened down by Senza’s endless monologue about what was happening, had happened, or where she was. The book spanned more than 150 years, and there was city after city, country after country. The story is rather poetic, which I loved. The ending came as a shock. I didn’t know how it would all wrap up, but I wasn’t expecting Death to be so honest about why he chose Senza to begin with. It would have been nice to have more from his character throughout. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It makes one wonder about living life and dying respectfully. Recommended!
September 7, 2015
I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley. I really really loved this book. I enjoyed the Victorian setting and the beautifully flawed characters, as well as the premise behind the story.
The story is set in Victorian times and is about an 18 year old girl named Sezna who has everything but is absolutely terrified of death and losing her beauty. Then a beautiful stranger strikes a deal with her...he will give her the ability to stay young and beautiful forever, the catch is that she must survive off of the heartbeats of those around her.
I came into this expecting a YA paranormal book, but ended up with a story that was so much more. The story takes place across many many years (we are talking over a century here). The premise makes Sezna sound shallow and selfish, but she doesn’t come off as that way in the story. Sezna has had a number of people close to her die and this had made her terrified of the idea of death. In addition to that her mother has drilled into her over and over again that Sezna’s only worth is in her beauty. Sezna is also smart and witty but she has been brought up to believe that those traits don’t have any value.
I absolutely loved the premise of someone living off of other people’s heartbeats. It is fairly vampiric but I love the subtlety and poeticness of it all. Just a gentle brush here or there is all it takes for Sezna to steal a heartbeat.
The story is beautifully written. I love how our heroine is flawed and makes mistakes only to change her situation and make new ones. She does learn, but she learns slowly and over many many decades. It is a bittersweet story with an amazingly hopeful ending and both gothic and romantic overtones to it.
I loved how the story spanned the ages and we constantly get to see Sezna living in new times with new people and still having similar problems. The big reveal of who the mysterious young gentleman was was incredibly predictable...but that didn’t make it any less sweet.
Technically this book is being marketed as New Adult, but I didn’t really read any parts in here that weren’t YA friendly. The heroine does “age” and get older in a maturity sense, but she remains forever locked at eighteen.
Overall I absolutely loved this book. I loved the premise and the main heroine and how the story spans a vast amount of time. The book is well written and engaging and the main character is captivating both in her vulnerability and her selfishness. I would definitely recommend to fans of Victorian or gothic YA literature with a bit of a paranormal twist to it.
The story is set in Victorian times and is about an 18 year old girl named Sezna who has everything but is absolutely terrified of death and losing her beauty. Then a beautiful stranger strikes a deal with her...he will give her the ability to stay young and beautiful forever, the catch is that she must survive off of the heartbeats of those around her.
I came into this expecting a YA paranormal book, but ended up with a story that was so much more. The story takes place across many many years (we are talking over a century here). The premise makes Sezna sound shallow and selfish, but she doesn’t come off as that way in the story. Sezna has had a number of people close to her die and this had made her terrified of the idea of death. In addition to that her mother has drilled into her over and over again that Sezna’s only worth is in her beauty. Sezna is also smart and witty but she has been brought up to believe that those traits don’t have any value.
I absolutely loved the premise of someone living off of other people’s heartbeats. It is fairly vampiric but I love the subtlety and poeticness of it all. Just a gentle brush here or there is all it takes for Sezna to steal a heartbeat.
The story is beautifully written. I love how our heroine is flawed and makes mistakes only to change her situation and make new ones. She does learn, but she learns slowly and over many many decades. It is a bittersweet story with an amazingly hopeful ending and both gothic and romantic overtones to it.
I loved how the story spanned the ages and we constantly get to see Sezna living in new times with new people and still having similar problems. The big reveal of who the mysterious young gentleman was was incredibly predictable...but that didn’t make it any less sweet.
Technically this book is being marketed as New Adult, but I didn’t really read any parts in here that weren’t YA friendly. The heroine does “age” and get older in a maturity sense, but she remains forever locked at eighteen.
Overall I absolutely loved this book. I loved the premise and the main heroine and how the story spans a vast amount of time. The book is well written and engaging and the main character is captivating both in her vulnerability and her selfishness. I would definitely recommend to fans of Victorian or gothic YA literature with a bit of a paranormal twist to it.
December 6, 2015
*New Adult/Paranormal/Speculative Fiction*
Up until I got to the very end of this book, I kept thinking a good way to describe it would be a YA/NA "alternate" vampire book. Senza Fyne is young and beautiful with her whole life in front of her, but that's not enough for her. After her grandmother and later, her best friend, die, Senza becomes terrified of death. Cue mysterious stranger who offers her eternal youth. Similar to a vampire, Senza must feed, but not with fangs. In order to sustain herself, she must steal heartbeats. One here, one there, not enough to be missed, but enough to keep her going endlessly through time.
The writing in this novel was superb. The story begins in 19th century England, one of my favorite settings, and continues forward to a much more modern time in America. The only thing I wished there was more of in this novel was romance. There was one time period, fleeting as it was, where Senza finally has a real romantic interest, but I craved more. At the end of the story, some of my hard feelings toward Knell (the mysterious stranger Senza always pines for but doesn't connect with again) were greatly lessened. The reader goes through this long journey with Senza and sees how lonely it is and can't help but feel angry with him for leaving her alone year after year. I enjoyed the ending very much. Not only did you get the reasons for Knell's actions, but there's a satisfaction for how you believe Senza's storyline will ultimately play out.
Five stars, and I would definitely read something else by this author.
Up until I got to the very end of this book, I kept thinking a good way to describe it would be a YA/NA "alternate" vampire book. Senza Fyne is young and beautiful with her whole life in front of her, but that's not enough for her. After her grandmother and later, her best friend, die, Senza becomes terrified of death. Cue mysterious stranger who offers her eternal youth. Similar to a vampire, Senza must feed, but not with fangs. In order to sustain herself, she must steal heartbeats. One here, one there, not enough to be missed, but enough to keep her going endlessly through time.
The writing in this novel was superb. The story begins in 19th century England, one of my favorite settings, and continues forward to a much more modern time in America. The only thing I wished there was more of in this novel was romance. There was one time period, fleeting as it was, where Senza finally has a real romantic interest, but I craved more. At the end of the story, some of my hard feelings toward Knell (the mysterious stranger Senza always pines for but doesn't connect with again) were greatly lessened. The reader goes through this long journey with Senza and sees how lonely it is and can't help but feel angry with him for leaving her alone year after year. I enjoyed the ending very much. Not only did you get the reasons for Knell's actions, but there's a satisfaction for how you believe Senza's storyline will ultimately play out.
Five stars, and I would definitely read something else by this author.
September 8, 2015
Senza Fyne was an 18 year old who was so afraid of death that she gave her life to a complete stranger with magic so that she could live forever. That is where I had my first issue with the book. She was willing to give up her life to a man she did not know. I just had a hard time wrapping my mind around that.
So the Mr Knell tell her she has to steal heartbeats in order to keep going. She goes on and lives for 150 years. She kills Jack the ripper and kills a boy who she claims she loves with all her soul and then she gives her last heart beat to a dying man with cancer.
And after that I won't give away the ending put I will say that I was royally pissed off. Like ROYALLY PISSED! I feel like I wasted 7 hours of my life on a depressing book that could have just been happy if she would have stopped bitching about something that is inevitable.
So the Mr Knell tell her she has to steal heartbeats in order to keep going. She goes on and lives for 150 years. She kills Jack the ripper and kills a boy who she claims she loves with all her soul and then she gives her last heart beat to a dying man with cancer.
And after that I won't give away the ending put I will say that I was royally pissed off. Like ROYALLY PISSED! I feel like I wasted 7 hours of my life on a depressing book that could have just been happy if she would have stopped bitching about something that is inevitable.
June 21, 2016
Occasionally, a book is written that not only tugs at your heartstrings, but also squeezes your brain. This is one of those books. Instead of being a light fantasy, filled with frivolity and quests, this is a deep look at death, its dark doorways, never-ending paths, and painful connections. This is a book that addresses not only the fear of dying, but also the consequences of living. It is beautiful, thought-provoking, heart-ripping, and is so visceral it will stay within your own heartbeats for many years to come.
June 23, 2016
In my honest opinion, I feel like The Heartbeat Thief was written for me. It is right down my alley – a dark, historical fantasy – and it couldn’t have been more brilliantly done. The originality was outstanding, and Ash Krafton’s style added a perfect poetic feel to this novel – very reminiscent of Edgar Allen Poe.
First of all, the play on vanity in this novel is something that always fascinates me. Senza is a character perfect for today’s times. She is obsessed with staying young and beautiful forever, and her fear of growing old and dying is a widespread fear for almost anyone. Krafton did a wonderful job of forcing the reader to face their fears, while adding fantasy elements that are extremely believable. Her novel didn’t seem like it was worlds away; instead, it made me believe that the situations presented could happen to anyone. One of my favorite examples of Krafton’s poetic writing style is seen below, and it is one of the best sentences I have ever read in a piece of literature:
“Moonlight spilled down its silvery veil upon the passengers in the Fyne family carriage, adding another sheen of splendor to their finery.”
I also found that the novel’s historical elements were accurate and realistic as well, which is always important when it comes to historical fiction. Every aspect of this novel amazed me, and it opened me up to a story much different than anything I have read recently, which was refreshing. I also fell in love with the cover of this book, and I felt that it complimented the story well.
Krafton is one of those rare authors who possesses the techniques of some of our world’s great authors, and reading her novel was like reading a classic. If you are looking for a novel featuring elements of the great authors of our time, such as Jane Austen, then The Heartbeat Thief is perfect for you.
First of all, the play on vanity in this novel is something that always fascinates me. Senza is a character perfect for today’s times. She is obsessed with staying young and beautiful forever, and her fear of growing old and dying is a widespread fear for almost anyone. Krafton did a wonderful job of forcing the reader to face their fears, while adding fantasy elements that are extremely believable. Her novel didn’t seem like it was worlds away; instead, it made me believe that the situations presented could happen to anyone. One of my favorite examples of Krafton’s poetic writing style is seen below, and it is one of the best sentences I have ever read in a piece of literature:
“Moonlight spilled down its silvery veil upon the passengers in the Fyne family carriage, adding another sheen of splendor to their finery.”
I also found that the novel’s historical elements were accurate and realistic as well, which is always important when it comes to historical fiction. Every aspect of this novel amazed me, and it opened me up to a story much different than anything I have read recently, which was refreshing. I also fell in love with the cover of this book, and I felt that it complimented the story well.
Krafton is one of those rare authors who possesses the techniques of some of our world’s great authors, and reading her novel was like reading a classic. If you are looking for a novel featuring elements of the great authors of our time, such as Jane Austen, then The Heartbeat Thief is perfect for you.
February 5, 2016
The idea of taking something from a person to keep oneself animated is not a new one in the fantasy genre; vampires drink blood, demons suck souls and zombies eat brains!
The Heartbeat Thief is an original take on this idea as Ash Krafton's protagonist, Senza Fyne, pilfers heartbeats from those around her in exchange for her eternal youth.
At the beginning of AJ Krafton's new adult fantasy novel, I found it difficult to like Senza. She appears vain, conceited and uninterested. Despite this, I was still intrigued by the story, her relationship with Mr Knell and how her obsession with death leads her to immortality. As the story develops and Senza realises the consequences of her decision, including losing those that she loves and cares for, she ironically becomes more human to the reader. This is a clever move by AJ Krafton as we can now empathise with Senza's loneliness, grief, hopelessness - and her relentless hunger for the heartbeats of others.
AJ Krafton's writing is beautiful and the story flows seamlessly between historical time periods, from 1859 to the early 21st Century. AJ Krafton expertly captures these long years in Senza's life, whether by fashion, attitudes or events. Perhaps the most dramatic of these is the time Senza spends in Whitechapel in 1888. Not only is this the year of Jack the Ripper, but we witness Senza forge her first real friendship since leaving home, with the wonderful Mary Jane.
From this time, Senza's existence is filled with amazing highs and the most heart-wrenching lows, all of which lead to The Heartbeat Thief's remarkable conclusion.
I am a long standing fan of AJ Krafton, but for me her writing in The Heartbeat Thief is on another level, which makes this story totally irresistible.
The Heartbeat Thief is an original take on this idea as Ash Krafton's protagonist, Senza Fyne, pilfers heartbeats from those around her in exchange for her eternal youth.
At the beginning of AJ Krafton's new adult fantasy novel, I found it difficult to like Senza. She appears vain, conceited and uninterested. Despite this, I was still intrigued by the story, her relationship with Mr Knell and how her obsession with death leads her to immortality. As the story develops and Senza realises the consequences of her decision, including losing those that she loves and cares for, she ironically becomes more human to the reader. This is a clever move by AJ Krafton as we can now empathise with Senza's loneliness, grief, hopelessness - and her relentless hunger for the heartbeats of others.
AJ Krafton's writing is beautiful and the story flows seamlessly between historical time periods, from 1859 to the early 21st Century. AJ Krafton expertly captures these long years in Senza's life, whether by fashion, attitudes or events. Perhaps the most dramatic of these is the time Senza spends in Whitechapel in 1888. Not only is this the year of Jack the Ripper, but we witness Senza forge her first real friendship since leaving home, with the wonderful Mary Jane.
From this time, Senza's existence is filled with amazing highs and the most heart-wrenching lows, all of which lead to The Heartbeat Thief's remarkable conclusion.
I am a long standing fan of AJ Krafton, but for me her writing in The Heartbeat Thief is on another level, which makes this story totally irresistible.
June 18, 2017
A darkly beautiful tale!
Writing dark, poetic masterpieces is AJ Krafton's specialty. I was captivated by Senza's tale right from page one! But, beware, this story is not for the faint of heart. In fact, I had to put the book down for a brief time because it was so bleak! My absence didn't last long, however, since I couldn't get the characters out of my mind and I just had to know what happened next. It's a compelling, mournful story. Ms. Krafton's writing is filled with luscious detail and vivid descriptions combining to portray an emotionally haunting story. Her writing is emotionally haunting. Senza is filled with curiosity, melancholy and a driven determination to not live the life her mother has chosen for her. With the assistance of the mysterious Mr. Knell, Senza becomes what I like to call, a vampire-like creature, who feeds off the heartbeats of others to survive. It's a unique concept, which I truly enjoyed reading. And personally, I connected with Senza on her obsession with death. It may be one of the reasons I needed to step away from this book. I don't admit to many, but death lingers often in my thoughts because I lost my mother at a young age. I understand that mortality is fragile and brief and those who are left behind are the ones to suffer. If only there was a way to cheat Death, to live forever… Although, Senza's particular thoughts and actions might have been different than my own, I could definitely sympathize which made my reading this story so much more raw and heartfelt. This one is, by far, one of my most favorite and memorable books written by Ms. Krafton!
P.S. I just LOVE the artwork on this cover! It's gorgeous!
Writing dark, poetic masterpieces is AJ Krafton's specialty. I was captivated by Senza's tale right from page one! But, beware, this story is not for the faint of heart. In fact, I had to put the book down for a brief time because it was so bleak! My absence didn't last long, however, since I couldn't get the characters out of my mind and I just had to know what happened next. It's a compelling, mournful story. Ms. Krafton's writing is filled with luscious detail and vivid descriptions combining to portray an emotionally haunting story. Her writing is emotionally haunting. Senza is filled with curiosity, melancholy and a driven determination to not live the life her mother has chosen for her. With the assistance of the mysterious Mr. Knell, Senza becomes what I like to call, a vampire-like creature, who feeds off the heartbeats of others to survive. It's a unique concept, which I truly enjoyed reading. And personally, I connected with Senza on her obsession with death. It may be one of the reasons I needed to step away from this book. I don't admit to many, but death lingers often in my thoughts because I lost my mother at a young age. I understand that mortality is fragile and brief and those who are left behind are the ones to suffer. If only there was a way to cheat Death, to live forever… Although, Senza's particular thoughts and actions might have been different than my own, I could definitely sympathize which made my reading this story so much more raw and heartfelt. This one is, by far, one of my most favorite and memorable books written by Ms. Krafton!
P.S. I just LOVE the artwork on this cover! It's gorgeous!
August 2, 2016
Not sure if it's because I'm going through the ebbs and flows of finding myself after my own mother's death. But I really enjoyed this philosophical take/spin on discovering what it means to live your life to the fullest and to not be afraid of Death in the end. And have to say that the heroine more than learned about that particular lesson. Because once she achieved her "Dorian Grey-esque" dream of evading death and remaining young and beautiful forever. She realized just how even more trapped and confined she really was in her own fears. Truly a thought provoking gem for those that ponder the meaning of life and death.
March 30, 2015
I just finished reading this book ... i haven't even taken the time to reflect ... so this review is quite raw!
I very much enjoyed this story ... i felt many things for Senza throughout this literary journey. I was sad for her many times, often feeling so deeply that tears threatened and a lump formed in my throat.
The story was slightly dark but how could it not be?
The writing is brilliant and I am so glad I requested an advance copy for review.
this is not normally my kind of book but I took a chance and was rewarded greatly ...
i highly recommend it!
I very much enjoyed this story ... i felt many things for Senza throughout this literary journey. I was sad for her many times, often feeling so deeply that tears threatened and a lump formed in my throat.
The story was slightly dark but how could it not be?
The writing is brilliant and I am so glad I requested an advance copy for review.
this is not normally my kind of book but I took a chance and was rewarded greatly ...
i highly recommend it!
April 8, 2015
I love how this book gives you a piece of history with every turn of the page along with Senza's life starting in the 1800's all the way to the 80's. I couldn't imagine living that long watching everyone I know pass right before my eyes and never being able to touch someone intimately or lovingly. Never growing old or having a family of her own, I'm not sure how she endured it. This book is packed full of love, loss, and loneliness. A.J. Krafton did an excellent job bringing this book to life.
I received this book for an honest review.
I received this book for an honest review.
September 19, 2016
Okay. I really wanted to like this book but I got half way thru and I wanted to throw it across the room. Except I was reading it on my ereader and I was on a plane. If I'd had it in physical form I would have looked at the end so I could at least pretend to have finished it but I could not.
This book had so much potential and then it was ruined by the main character and the fact that 151 pages in I could find the plot.
I finally realized that I could stop reading and almost cried in relief. I need to never see this book again.
This book had so much potential and then it was ruined by the main character and the fact that 151 pages in I could find the plot.
I finally realized that I could stop reading and almost cried in relief. I need to never see this book again.
September 20, 2015
This story was simply breathtaking. Having read quite a bit of Edgar Allen Poe in high school and in college, I really appreciated the author's nod to his work, and the way she used so much imagery to allow Senza's growing fears of death to take on such a demanding physical presence as if it is truly a threat that lies in wait to capture unwilling victims without hesitation or even mercy. It's amazing to me that the author was able to take this fear of death and allow that internal conflict to carry the entire story. It affected every relationship Senza could have or would have had. Though it would be easy to dislike Senza for her childish vanity where her beauty and youth are concerned-these vanities are some underlying reasons behind not just her fear of death but her fear of growing older-it is obvious that her upbringing and the importance her mother placed on her daughters beauty is something we must fault the mother in and not the daughter. And even though Senza finally comes to understand the irrational fear of growing old and dying it is understandable that she might find the idea horrifying considering her worth was sacrifided upon the alter of all things superficial in nature. It helps the reader join in that journey of discovery on Senza's part though she spends much of it fleeing from a happiness that might have been all consuming.
I noticed a reviewer described the author's writing as boring and mediocre. I think this reviewer must not have been the right audience for this book, and simply wasn't interested in the subject matter because the writing is anything but mediocre or boring. Besides it being technically flawless in every way it holds so much symbolism within the prose as it gives a nod to Poe and the style of writing that requires a little digging within ourselves to pick out the message and theme interwoven within the lines of this truly poetic narrative. It's meant to not only entertain, but to give the reader a little food for thought which is something I loved about the literature I read in college. Thought provoking material that stretches you just a little should never be dubbed mediocre simply because a particular reader might have been looking for something light and fluffy.
Senza's development was memorable. She went from debilitating fear in the presence of death to complete acceptance of it when she had the opportunity to give everything she had to someone who was going to die either way. Such a selfless and self-sacrificing gesture she never would have considered previously, and though it took her quite some time to mature, her progress was obvious and measurable in a way that was both compelling and engrossing.
The secondary characters were beautifully weaved into the story, and I find it incredible that I was able to fall in love with every one of them even though many of them were only part of the narrative for a short time. It's the mark of a talented writer who allows us to care for so many characters in one book, especially when they play such minor roles, Mary, Piotr, that young man she finally opened her heart to...all of these people added to Senza's moment of discovery and helped to teach her some important life lessons. I was delighted with the author's take on Jack the Ripper as well. Clever to weave that in, and so on point with the dark theme of the story. It was also a wonderful moment for Senza's courageous spirit and loving heart to shine through as she took care of Mary and then faced off with the Ripper. Good stuff, that.
I'll admit to wishing that more had happened between her and Mr. Knell in the end, but I think it ended exactly how it was meant to with a full life of love awaiting her and even more love to follow in death. I was pretty much rooting for Mr. Knell all along, never once believing he might be the villain he seemed simply because of his actions where Senza's well-being was concerned, and in the end he gave her one of the most precious gifts of all, that of perspective. An immortal life lived in fear shut off from the world around you can never be better than a mortal life filled with love, family and those every day activities that might not seem like much at the time, but collectively are so precious to everyone in the end. Basically, Mr. Knell is my new book boyfriend, and I kind of want a whole book devoted to him getting his own happily ever after even if it is dark in nature. I think his story would be the most fascinating one of all.
I loved this book, the author's voice and style and the author's mastery of such a difficult topic as death and what awaits us on the other side. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a thought provoking fantasy with some wickedly entertaining paranormal elements.
I noticed a reviewer described the author's writing as boring and mediocre. I think this reviewer must not have been the right audience for this book, and simply wasn't interested in the subject matter because the writing is anything but mediocre or boring. Besides it being technically flawless in every way it holds so much symbolism within the prose as it gives a nod to Poe and the style of writing that requires a little digging within ourselves to pick out the message and theme interwoven within the lines of this truly poetic narrative. It's meant to not only entertain, but to give the reader a little food for thought which is something I loved about the literature I read in college. Thought provoking material that stretches you just a little should never be dubbed mediocre simply because a particular reader might have been looking for something light and fluffy.
Senza's development was memorable. She went from debilitating fear in the presence of death to complete acceptance of it when she had the opportunity to give everything she had to someone who was going to die either way. Such a selfless and self-sacrificing gesture she never would have considered previously, and though it took her quite some time to mature, her progress was obvious and measurable in a way that was both compelling and engrossing.
The secondary characters were beautifully weaved into the story, and I find it incredible that I was able to fall in love with every one of them even though many of them were only part of the narrative for a short time. It's the mark of a talented writer who allows us to care for so many characters in one book, especially when they play such minor roles, Mary, Piotr, that young man she finally opened her heart to...all of these people added to Senza's moment of discovery and helped to teach her some important life lessons. I was delighted with the author's take on Jack the Ripper as well. Clever to weave that in, and so on point with the dark theme of the story. It was also a wonderful moment for Senza's courageous spirit and loving heart to shine through as she took care of Mary and then faced off with the Ripper. Good stuff, that.
I'll admit to wishing that more had happened between her and Mr. Knell in the end, but I think it ended exactly how it was meant to with a full life of love awaiting her and even more love to follow in death. I was pretty much rooting for Mr. Knell all along, never once believing he might be the villain he seemed simply because of his actions where Senza's well-being was concerned, and in the end he gave her one of the most precious gifts of all, that of perspective. An immortal life lived in fear shut off from the world around you can never be better than a mortal life filled with love, family and those every day activities that might not seem like much at the time, but collectively are so precious to everyone in the end. Basically, Mr. Knell is my new book boyfriend, and I kind of want a whole book devoted to him getting his own happily ever after even if it is dark in nature. I think his story would be the most fascinating one of all.
I loved this book, the author's voice and style and the author's mastery of such a difficult topic as death and what awaits us on the other side. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a thought provoking fantasy with some wickedly entertaining paranormal elements.
September 22, 2015
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
The Heartbeat Thief by A.J. Krafton is a new adult supernatural standalone that was uniquely different than anything else I have read this year. First, can we just gush over the cover for a moment? Holy cow, it is just so ethereally beautiful. I love the colors, I love the background choices- everything is just perfection in my opinion. The Heartbeat Thief , though classified as new adult, but completely clean and would be appropriate for young adult readers as well, but the character is ageless, and the writing has a literary feel, that is also very assessable, so I can just as easily see this appealing to adults.
The idea behind the Heartbeat Thief intrigued me to no end. Before I started reading, I thought Senza (the main character) was some kind of farrier of death, that she would actually steal hearts out of people. I don't know why I thought that exactly, because the hint is in the title of the book. She steals heartbeats. Just a simple swipe of her hands on a wrist, a neck, a hand, and she can grab a pulse and take a heart beat or two. How different does that sound? The heartbeats keep her eternally young. She wasn't always this way, something happens in the story that put her on this path.
It wasn't until I was about halfway through the book, and saw Senza traveling through the ages of Europe and America that it hit me that Senza reminded me of Adeline from the Age of Adeline. Classy and timeless. I loved Senza. I thought she was a beautiful person. I know she was described once as arrogant, and I couldn't disagree more. I do not recall a single arrogant moment from her. Not one. I found her to be kind, and sensible, and as the book went on, very wise. The book takes us on a journey of Senza's life, sometimes meandering, sometimes the course is uncertain, and some periods were less exciting than others, but the book comes together at the end.
I liked that the Heartbeat Thief is a standalone. The ending was perfect. It was surprising, but nicely wrapped up, very satisfying, and just a hint of something else that left you pondering. It was not open ended, but there is a sliver of light under the closed door that leaves you with the possibility of a different twist on the story. I love it when authors are able to do that. It is not an easy thing to accomplish.
P.S. I have thoughts on other characters that I would just love to discuss. Like Mr. Knell! This was senza's story so I didn't get into him too much. But if you have read this book, please please let me know and we can chat!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
The Heartbeat Thief by A.J. Krafton is a new adult supernatural standalone that was uniquely different than anything else I have read this year. First, can we just gush over the cover for a moment? Holy cow, it is just so ethereally beautiful. I love the colors, I love the background choices- everything is just perfection in my opinion. The Heartbeat Thief , though classified as new adult, but completely clean and would be appropriate for young adult readers as well, but the character is ageless, and the writing has a literary feel, that is also very assessable, so I can just as easily see this appealing to adults.
The idea behind the Heartbeat Thief intrigued me to no end. Before I started reading, I thought Senza (the main character) was some kind of farrier of death, that she would actually steal hearts out of people. I don't know why I thought that exactly, because the hint is in the title of the book. She steals heartbeats. Just a simple swipe of her hands on a wrist, a neck, a hand, and she can grab a pulse and take a heart beat or two. How different does that sound? The heartbeats keep her eternally young. She wasn't always this way, something happens in the story that put her on this path.
It wasn't until I was about halfway through the book, and saw Senza traveling through the ages of Europe and America that it hit me that Senza reminded me of Adeline from the Age of Adeline. Classy and timeless. I loved Senza. I thought she was a beautiful person. I know she was described once as arrogant, and I couldn't disagree more. I do not recall a single arrogant moment from her. Not one. I found her to be kind, and sensible, and as the book went on, very wise. The book takes us on a journey of Senza's life, sometimes meandering, sometimes the course is uncertain, and some periods were less exciting than others, but the book comes together at the end.
I liked that the Heartbeat Thief is a standalone. The ending was perfect. It was surprising, but nicely wrapped up, very satisfying, and just a hint of something else that left you pondering. It was not open ended, but there is a sliver of light under the closed door that leaves you with the possibility of a different twist on the story. I love it when authors are able to do that. It is not an easy thing to accomplish.
P.S. I have thoughts on other characters that I would just love to discuss. Like Mr. Knell! This was senza's story so I didn't get into him too much. But if you have read this book, please please let me know and we can chat!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
October 24, 2015
I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Deliciously poetic and hauntingly dark – The Heartbeat Thief by A. J. Krafton takes you on a journey through time and an extremely long life to show you the real nature of Death.
There is a period in everyone’s childhood when we are afraid of dying. That fear is so palpable, so real that even the mere possibility prevents you from sleep… because what if you never wake up again? This dread passes eventually as we accept that death is part of life and we move on knowing we can’t stare Death in the face every passing moment.
But there is a girl who can’t let go. Senza Fyne meets Death sitting by her grandmother’s bed at the tender age of 17 and from that day on, she is followed by a dark shadow. When a strange but captivating young man offers to free her from the fate every living thing is bound to meet in the end, she is eager to accept the new life he promises to give her. And so the endless days begin.
I adore Edgar Allan Poe and his short story The Masque of the Red Death, so when I read this book has something to do with it I felt I should give myself a favour and read it.
The atmosphere of this novel was truly amazing. Very heavy, very dense, yes – death takes center stage here after all –, but very effective at the same time. I’m not sure I could have read The Heartbeat Thief in one sitting, even if I had the time, because of its weighty subject, but then again, I don’t think it’s a book one has to read hastily. There is a lot to savour, a lot to contemplate while going through it.
The heroine is more and more likable as the story grows, she definitely becomes wiser and more mature as the plot plays out. However, she makes mistakes all the time, no matter how old she is and by her imperfectness the human nature is emphasized – we all tend to make mistakes and it wouldn’t change even if we lived through centuries. I think this is a beautiful thought.
The side characters are also well written and interesting, each a milestone in Senza’s journey, since each conveys a lesson Senza has to learn. Every meeting and every goodbye has its reason here, you can see the nicely built structure of this book as you read it.
I have to say I didn’t expect the ending, although I should have. It was so obvious, really. But I’m glad I didn’t, because it was more of a surprise and I like surprises.
I love stories that are set in different time periods and this novel was certainly a treat for me. I’d recommend it to lovers of historical fiction and gothic literature.
December 9, 2015
This an ‘arc” copy eBook supplied by Netgalley. I am not receiving any monetary benefit or any kickback for this review. I received this arc for an honest review. This review is cross-posted on Amazon, Goodreads and given directly to the publisher.
This book caused me to have a book hangover. I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. The heartbeat thief just hooks you in and doesn’t let you go until the last sentence has been said. The theme is well expressed and constant throughout the book. The theme is about death, and how you cannot escape for you will always be his. You cannot run from him; and in the end he will welcome you in his embrace like an old friend. AJ Krafton writes very masterfully with her descriptions, sentences and plot structure. She also has a very poetic turn of phrase. She is new to the New Adult scene, but not around crafting a heart wrenching tale. The heartbeat thief has a gothic romance inspired premise with a deep soul touching lesson. But this tale is mostly exposition with little action. It follows the main character through strife and shows how she grows. I could not put this book down!
The Heartbeat Thief is told in first person focusing on the main character Senza Fyne. Senza is captivating, and charming young woman of wealth and privilege in the 1860’s. The only thing that Senza worries about and fears is death. She has witness many of her family and friends die. So Senza hopes to find a way to hide from death. She turns to a mysterious man named Mr. Knell who has evaded her and she says she loves. He picks at her defenses until she agrees to his plan. His plan that would keep her from ever dying. She would never die and her body would never change. The consequence would be that she would have to steal other’s people heartbeats to live for hers would stop beating. Which She can steal with just a touch. This book takes you on a journey with Senza as she learns from hard lessons and heartbreak. There is interesting history in each segment of the book. AJ Krafton touches on the Jack the Ripper, the changes in fashion styles and the wars. She even has the main character travel different countries. It adds a certain allure to the story. I love that character grows and evolve, even as she stays the same.
The twist at the end will shock you and satisfy you at the same time. I figured out who Mr. Knell was in about the middle of the story. He gave her plenty of clues, if Senza would have just put them to together. But the end is emotionally haunting. Krafton wraps it up neatly into a standalone. She does it with such flair that you can’t help, but love this book. It has mild violence and sex insinuated. So you can consider this a mild read. I give this debut New Adult 5 out of 5 stars.
This book caused me to have a book hangover. I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. The heartbeat thief just hooks you in and doesn’t let you go until the last sentence has been said. The theme is well expressed and constant throughout the book. The theme is about death, and how you cannot escape for you will always be his. You cannot run from him; and in the end he will welcome you in his embrace like an old friend. AJ Krafton writes very masterfully with her descriptions, sentences and plot structure. She also has a very poetic turn of phrase. She is new to the New Adult scene, but not around crafting a heart wrenching tale. The heartbeat thief has a gothic romance inspired premise with a deep soul touching lesson. But this tale is mostly exposition with little action. It follows the main character through strife and shows how she grows. I could not put this book down!
The Heartbeat Thief is told in first person focusing on the main character Senza Fyne. Senza is captivating, and charming young woman of wealth and privilege in the 1860’s. The only thing that Senza worries about and fears is death. She has witness many of her family and friends die. So Senza hopes to find a way to hide from death. She turns to a mysterious man named Mr. Knell who has evaded her and she says she loves. He picks at her defenses until she agrees to his plan. His plan that would keep her from ever dying. She would never die and her body would never change. The consequence would be that she would have to steal other’s people heartbeats to live for hers would stop beating. Which She can steal with just a touch. This book takes you on a journey with Senza as she learns from hard lessons and heartbreak. There is interesting history in each segment of the book. AJ Krafton touches on the Jack the Ripper, the changes in fashion styles and the wars. She even has the main character travel different countries. It adds a certain allure to the story. I love that character grows and evolve, even as she stays the same.
The twist at the end will shock you and satisfy you at the same time. I figured out who Mr. Knell was in about the middle of the story. He gave her plenty of clues, if Senza would have just put them to together. But the end is emotionally haunting. Krafton wraps it up neatly into a standalone. She does it with such flair that you can’t help, but love this book. It has mild violence and sex insinuated. So you can consider this a mild read. I give this debut New Adult 5 out of 5 stars.
November 16, 2018
I received this book for free from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Strangely enough, I enjoyed The Heartbeat Thief. Senza is the most perfect character I've ever met – she's flawless, admired, wealthy, loved, intelligent. She knows it, but she doesn't want to flaunt it, which is what I really liked about Senza as a character. She hates going to parties and balls, and she dreads getting married off to a man that she doesn't want. I think I have a thing for characters who have an inner rebel in them.
Senza seems to have a perfect life until her grandmother dies. After that, she seems lost and obviously wants to carve her own path in life instead of letting her mother take the reins from her. Her discovery of eternal life is almost like a deal with a devil. She has to sacrifice her life to become immortal and keep her looks forever, but she has to carefully steal the heartbeats of another if she wants to keep her immortality. If she's not careful, those around her would be able to find out about her and accuse of witchcraft or something equally sinister.
Krafton's latest novel is a book I'm just interested in how the story will play out. Senza doesn't really come across as a selfish person in general until she decides to play with the strings of fate. As time goes by, she has to disguise herself from those around her so they don't find out what she did. Senza goes from place to place and she meets all kinds of people from all walks of life throughout the book. There's not exactly a clear plot going on here, and I almost expected a tragic ending where karma decided to finally bite back at Senza.
The Heartbeat Thief is a book with a unique storyline where one eventually realizes just what kind of price is really paid when death is defied. It's nicely done for a book where there's a character who doesn't have any flaws whatsoever.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
Strangely enough, I enjoyed The Heartbeat Thief. Senza is the most perfect character I've ever met – she's flawless, admired, wealthy, loved, intelligent. She knows it, but she doesn't want to flaunt it, which is what I really liked about Senza as a character. She hates going to parties and balls, and she dreads getting married off to a man that she doesn't want. I think I have a thing for characters who have an inner rebel in them.
Senza seems to have a perfect life until her grandmother dies. After that, she seems lost and obviously wants to carve her own path in life instead of letting her mother take the reins from her. Her discovery of eternal life is almost like a deal with a devil. She has to sacrifice her life to become immortal and keep her looks forever, but she has to carefully steal the heartbeats of another if she wants to keep her immortality. If she's not careful, those around her would be able to find out about her and accuse of witchcraft or something equally sinister.
Your spell must be fed, one heartbeat at a time. You must learn to steal them from the living. One here, one there. A person will not notice a skipped beat, and they must never know it is you who is making them skip. And you must do it, or the spell will fade and die.
Krafton's latest novel is a book I'm just interested in how the story will play out. Senza doesn't really come across as a selfish person in general until she decides to play with the strings of fate. As time goes by, she has to disguise herself from those around her so they don't find out what she did. Senza goes from place to place and she meets all kinds of people from all walks of life throughout the book. There's not exactly a clear plot going on here, and I almost expected a tragic ending where karma decided to finally bite back at Senza.
The Heartbeat Thief is a book with a unique storyline where one eventually realizes just what kind of price is really paid when death is defied. It's nicely done for a book where there's a character who doesn't have any flaws whatsoever.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
September 27, 2015
****Reviewed for Reader's Favourite*****
Krafton's The Heartbeat Thief was not at all the book I expected. Now, that can be a good thing or a bad thing. In this case, it was a very good thing. It is a story of the greatest of loves, of sacrifice, and of lessons harshly learned. It is a story of the dangers of letting one's fears guide one's choices, and of learning to face those fears.
Senza Fyne is a young lady of Victorian society who suffers two devastating losses shortly after making her debut into society. The losses are a terrifying brush with death that mar her transition from child to adult, and spark a phobia that ends with Senza making a deal to have her life essence taken. This freezes her body at the age of eighteen, ensuring that she will not die. There's a catch though. She must steal heartbeats from others in order to survive. Little snatches of life essence that others won't miss.
Though Senza gains a freedom from the thing she fears most, she enters a lonely existence where she must remain aloof from others. She really must adopt Mycroft's dubious advice to his younger brother in the BBC's modernised Sherlock- 'All lives end. All hearts are broken. Caring is not an advantage.' Senza endures, but must watch family, friends, and even ways of life fall to the inevitable eddies and currents of time. Senza, whose birth name is Constance, becomes just that. A constant point fixed beyond time.
Senza spends lifetimes, wandering from place, to place, provided for by Knell, the granter of her Unlife. Knell, her 'dark seducer', who granted her desire, and in doing so, had to remain forever just beyond her reach. Knell allows Senza time to realise that the thing she feared the most need not be feared at all. She learned the truth of my favourite quote, from the song Key to Twilight- 'Auguries of destruction be a lullaby for rebirth.'
I loved the cover. It was one of the major attractions for me. I also enjoy stories set in the Victorian era, no matter the genre. In Senza, Krafton gives a nice twist to the tired old trope of the vampire. Though never once called such, Senza is a psychic vampire, drawing as she does the life-force of others to sustain her own existence.
If you are looking for a captivating read that will draw you in and leave you breathless, look no further than The Heartbeat Thief. I devoured this book in a single day. I couldn't go to bed but that I had finished it.
Krafton's The Heartbeat Thief was not at all the book I expected. Now, that can be a good thing or a bad thing. In this case, it was a very good thing. It is a story of the greatest of loves, of sacrifice, and of lessons harshly learned. It is a story of the dangers of letting one's fears guide one's choices, and of learning to face those fears.
Senza Fyne is a young lady of Victorian society who suffers two devastating losses shortly after making her debut into society. The losses are a terrifying brush with death that mar her transition from child to adult, and spark a phobia that ends with Senza making a deal to have her life essence taken. This freezes her body at the age of eighteen, ensuring that she will not die. There's a catch though. She must steal heartbeats from others in order to survive. Little snatches of life essence that others won't miss.
Though Senza gains a freedom from the thing she fears most, she enters a lonely existence where she must remain aloof from others. She really must adopt Mycroft's dubious advice to his younger brother in the BBC's modernised Sherlock- 'All lives end. All hearts are broken. Caring is not an advantage.' Senza endures, but must watch family, friends, and even ways of life fall to the inevitable eddies and currents of time. Senza, whose birth name is Constance, becomes just that. A constant point fixed beyond time.
Senza spends lifetimes, wandering from place, to place, provided for by Knell, the granter of her Unlife. Knell, her 'dark seducer', who granted her desire, and in doing so, had to remain forever just beyond her reach. Knell allows Senza time to realise that the thing she feared the most need not be feared at all. She learned the truth of my favourite quote, from the song Key to Twilight- 'Auguries of destruction be a lullaby for rebirth.'
I loved the cover. It was one of the major attractions for me. I also enjoy stories set in the Victorian era, no matter the genre. In Senza, Krafton gives a nice twist to the tired old trope of the vampire. Though never once called such, Senza is a psychic vampire, drawing as she does the life-force of others to sustain her own existence.
If you are looking for a captivating read that will draw you in and leave you breathless, look no further than The Heartbeat Thief. I devoured this book in a single day. I couldn't go to bed but that I had finished it.
August 9, 2015
Originally posted on Powder & Page
This was a darkly beautiful novel that really explored death in a way that I’ve never seen done before. I found it to be relevant to readers without being cliché, though Death ended up being a rather handsome fellow. That’s totally not a spoiler, right? I knew immediately that Mr. Knell (I see what you did there!) was Death, or a related entity, so I’m going to assume that most anyone that reads this will pick up on it too. This book, to me, was elegantly done and Senza Fyne was written remarkably well. Did I mention that the cover is also beautiful?
Senza Fyne is a stunning young lady born to wealthy and loving parents in 1860’s England. Her otherwise enviable life is plagued with the deaths of her loved ones, beginning with her grandmother. This has given her a terrible fear of death that haunts her every moment… that is until she meets Mr. Knell. Handsome and mysterious, Senza is drawn to Mr. Knell, but never quite seems to be able to draw close to him until one day he offers her an escape she has always longed for- an escape from death itself. She quickly agrees to his proposition and begins a life eternal, always stealing heartbeats from those around her to sustain her never-ending life. Staying young and beautiful forever isn’t always a dream come true…
Senza’s unnaturally long life held a number of sad memories along the way. She saw what it was like to outlive every member of her family- she feared death for herself, but had to sit with her family as they died and she remained young and unblemished. To me that would be a far worse fate than death- to hold the memories of those you loved and to know that you were alone in the world. She also learned that you cannot control who lives or dies, the consequences of loving a mortal, and what it’s like to be recognized by a relative that resents you. My oh my, AJ Krafton really thought about the repercussions of living for an eternity and I commend her for this! I was pleasantly surprised at all the details she included and the situations she addressed. The ending was spectacular- I was extremely moved by the conclusion, which was well played and quite happy.
I would like to note that I received this book via NetGalley and the publisher. Thank You!
This was a darkly beautiful novel that really explored death in a way that I’ve never seen done before. I found it to be relevant to readers without being cliché, though Death ended up being a rather handsome fellow. That’s totally not a spoiler, right? I knew immediately that Mr. Knell (I see what you did there!) was Death, or a related entity, so I’m going to assume that most anyone that reads this will pick up on it too. This book, to me, was elegantly done and Senza Fyne was written remarkably well. Did I mention that the cover is also beautiful?
Senza Fyne is a stunning young lady born to wealthy and loving parents in 1860’s England. Her otherwise enviable life is plagued with the deaths of her loved ones, beginning with her grandmother. This has given her a terrible fear of death that haunts her every moment… that is until she meets Mr. Knell. Handsome and mysterious, Senza is drawn to Mr. Knell, but never quite seems to be able to draw close to him until one day he offers her an escape she has always longed for- an escape from death itself. She quickly agrees to his proposition and begins a life eternal, always stealing heartbeats from those around her to sustain her never-ending life. Staying young and beautiful forever isn’t always a dream come true…
Senza’s unnaturally long life held a number of sad memories along the way. She saw what it was like to outlive every member of her family- she feared death for herself, but had to sit with her family as they died and she remained young and unblemished. To me that would be a far worse fate than death- to hold the memories of those you loved and to know that you were alone in the world. She also learned that you cannot control who lives or dies, the consequences of loving a mortal, and what it’s like to be recognized by a relative that resents you. My oh my, AJ Krafton really thought about the repercussions of living for an eternity and I commend her for this! I was pleasantly surprised at all the details she included and the situations she addressed. The ending was spectacular- I was extremely moved by the conclusion, which was well played and quite happy.
I would like to note that I received this book via NetGalley and the publisher. Thank You!
June 12, 2015
Austenesque with Wilde Overtones that hit all the right notes...Senza Fyne is a privileged young beauty living in mid-1800’s England. Like all young women of her ilk, her only purpose in life appears to be to land a suitable husband in order to make a successful marriage. Given Senza’s unsurpassed beauty, her coming out ball is an unparalelled success as all the young men are smitten with her and her prospects for the successful marriage her mother is determined to orchestrate for her are within reach. However, Senza isn’t interesting in the young suitors that are thrust upon her because her preoccupation of late is with death – thanks to the passing of her beloved grandmother followed not long thereafter by the untimely demise of her best friend. Senza also has another preoccupation – thinking about the handsome yet mysterious stranger who seems to flit in and out of her life, eventually identifying himself quite ironically as “Knell”.
The Heartbeat Thief has many wonderful elements in it like its history, the mystery and the dark quality that hit all the right notes. Most importantly, however, it has incredibly good writing that has almost a ‘Jane Austenesque’ feel to it which is perfect for this genre of book. On some level, the character of Senza Fyne is even reminiscent of Oscar Wilde’s character Dorian Gray in the novel, The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Both characters have obsessions which eat away at their souls – Dorian, with his compulsive need to maintain the beauty with which he was born and Senza, with her all consuming fear of death and her determination to avoid it at all costs. Both characters eventually sell their souls in order to get what they want – but as with all transactions of this nature, there is always a very high cost to pay in the end. Great story, interesting characters and historical charm - a truly wonderful read from start to finish!
The Heartbeat Thief has many wonderful elements in it like its history, the mystery and the dark quality that hit all the right notes. Most importantly, however, it has incredibly good writing that has almost a ‘Jane Austenesque’ feel to it which is perfect for this genre of book. On some level, the character of Senza Fyne is even reminiscent of Oscar Wilde’s character Dorian Gray in the novel, The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Both characters have obsessions which eat away at their souls – Dorian, with his compulsive need to maintain the beauty with which he was born and Senza, with her all consuming fear of death and her determination to avoid it at all costs. Both characters eventually sell their souls in order to get what they want – but as with all transactions of this nature, there is always a very high cost to pay in the end. Great story, interesting characters and historical charm - a truly wonderful read from start to finish!
August 22, 2015
4 Stars
Dark and Poetic, Our main Character Senza Fyne, terrified of death would sell her soul for eternal life. And thats exactly what she does without a second thought. We see what it really means when people say be careful what you wish for..
General Comments
This book was an interesting read and an interesting take on death and becoming immortal. We follow senza’s path and watch her figure out immortality might not be all what its cracked up to be. For the most part I enjoyed this book I liked the writers take on death and becoming immortal, it was a version I never read before.
Characters
Senza Fyne the girl who acts without thinking. She annoyed me in the fact that she was naive (but what 17 year old isn't really) and that she was so scared of death she jumped at the chance to stay young and beautiful without thinking of the consequences. She assumed to much and had to deal with everything that followed. I think she was well written we see her age mentally and come to terms with how her life will be. Yet theres still that 17 year old girl in there at times.
World Building
The world building was really cool, we get to grow old with Senza and travel through time with her. We are taken to some familiar historical locations and we get to live through the famous events that had taken place.
I felt the inspirations that were taken from Edgar Allen Poe it had a very creepy poetic feel to it at some points.
In the end I think a message from this book would be live life everyday as it comes and enjoy it, don’t be scared of something that is just apart of life.
I received this book as an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Dark and Poetic, Our main Character Senza Fyne, terrified of death would sell her soul for eternal life. And thats exactly what she does without a second thought. We see what it really means when people say be careful what you wish for..
General Comments
This book was an interesting read and an interesting take on death and becoming immortal. We follow senza’s path and watch her figure out immortality might not be all what its cracked up to be. For the most part I enjoyed this book I liked the writers take on death and becoming immortal, it was a version I never read before.
Characters
Senza Fyne the girl who acts without thinking. She annoyed me in the fact that she was naive (but what 17 year old isn't really) and that she was so scared of death she jumped at the chance to stay young and beautiful without thinking of the consequences. She assumed to much and had to deal with everything that followed. I think she was well written we see her age mentally and come to terms with how her life will be. Yet theres still that 17 year old girl in there at times.
World Building
The world building was really cool, we get to grow old with Senza and travel through time with her. We are taken to some familiar historical locations and we get to live through the famous events that had taken place.
I felt the inspirations that were taken from Edgar Allen Poe it had a very creepy poetic feel to it at some points.
In the end I think a message from this book would be live life everyday as it comes and enjoy it, don’t be scared of something that is just apart of life.
I received this book as an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 23, 2015
This is described as being for "new adults". Apparently there is a new genre for those in their late teen and twenties. This novel follows the adventures of Senza, who appears to be 17 years old, and in the mid Victorian period, because of her wealth, she is about to "come out" into society. She is beautiful, and her mother wants her to be successfully married, for that is the only significant objective for a young woman of the time. However, shortly her grandmother dies, and Senza becomes somewhat morbid about death. It is then she meets Mr Knell, who with magic, offers her a deal: she can have eternal life and remain her beautiful self for eternity. There is only one catch, which she finds out as she becomes committed: she prolongs her life by stealing increments from others, in the form of what are described as "heartbeats". (She does not need to steal a beat for every time her heart beats, but they are consumables.) The story then follows Senza as she experiences immortality, at the price of stealing life from others. Each day, as she wakes up, she is exactly the same as the previous waking. If she cuts her hair, it is uncut. If she was wounded, she is repaired.
The book is well-written, its style is restrained, although the descriptions are somewhat lush. However, the descriptions of death, and of Senza's watching all her friends age and die, are compelling. Senza knows she cannot marry, as she cannot inflict her youth on a husband, and she cannot have children, because she returns to yesterday's self each morning. The book offers social commentary of the period from mid Victorian to close to the present, and makes some points for those who want to think about what they have read. Well done.
The book is well-written, its style is restrained, although the descriptions are somewhat lush. However, the descriptions of death, and of Senza's watching all her friends age and die, are compelling. Senza knows she cannot marry, as she cannot inflict her youth on a husband, and she cannot have children, because she returns to yesterday's self each morning. The book offers social commentary of the period from mid Victorian to close to the present, and makes some points for those who want to think about what they have read. Well done.
October 8, 2015
AJ Krafton in my opinion after reading this book a genius. I started reading this book believing it would be a carbon copy of almost every other young adult book. I know that technically this book is NA Spec. Fic. I wasn’t sure how much different young adult and New adult would be but regardless I could not put this book down. I was surprised every step of the way. The imagination that brought this book alive was intense. I am fairly positive a few heartbeats reading this book, a price I was willing to pay.
I can tell you anyone looking for a step up from the usual this novel is unusual, without being non-relatable. You feel for the characters, especially Senza Fyne, after being there for her grandmother’s death and shortly after her best friend’s death it is completely understandable to fear such an end. Any person who has experienced many deaths of those important in their lives can understand her fear. Honestly many people fear death without experiencing others. This fear leads her too make a life ending choice, removing the life from her being and surviving off stolen heartbeats, for a life that can go on forever. The idea of stealing a heartbeat rather than the more common and more gruesome choice of blood is an inspiring choice.
I could write a great deal more but I would rather the reader experience time with Senza as she learns how important it is to live a full life and how important the end can be. At some point everything ends it is how it should be. (Of course I wish this book had not ended)
I can tell you anyone looking for a step up from the usual this novel is unusual, without being non-relatable. You feel for the characters, especially Senza Fyne, after being there for her grandmother’s death and shortly after her best friend’s death it is completely understandable to fear such an end. Any person who has experienced many deaths of those important in their lives can understand her fear. Honestly many people fear death without experiencing others. This fear leads her too make a life ending choice, removing the life from her being and surviving off stolen heartbeats, for a life that can go on forever. The idea of stealing a heartbeat rather than the more common and more gruesome choice of blood is an inspiring choice.
I could write a great deal more but I would rather the reader experience time with Senza as she learns how important it is to live a full life and how important the end can be. At some point everything ends it is how it should be. (Of course I wish this book had not ended)
December 17, 2015
This book surprised me. I was a bit weary when I first received the copy because it was New Adult and the only New Adult books I have read were contemporary romances. So, I wasn't really sure on how The Heartbeat Thief was going to go. But I ended up really enjoying this one. And it could easily be read by Young Adults for sure. It didn't have the same vibe as some of the other NA books that I have read.
This book is set in Victorian Times and reminds me of all the classic Gothics like Edgar Allan Poe, The Picture of Dorian Gray, etc. mixed with Jane Austen. Now, I love Jane Austen and I love EAP. So when someone mixes them together to create a fantastical, beautifully written story, I am definitely down to read it.
The characters are flawed and I like that because it makes them more relateable. I really enjoyed the premise of this story because it is sort of vampiric because instead of Senza stealing people's blood, she steals their heartbeats. So, I thought that was very unique and interesting. I really liked Senza as a character. Some have said that she could come off as shallow and selfish and I can see how they think that, but I thought that she was very justified with everything.
If you're in the mood for a great paranormal, I would recommend this book because it is so unique and beautiful. It has historical, Gothic, and paranormal elements within and I really enjoyed this one!
This book is set in Victorian Times and reminds me of all the classic Gothics like Edgar Allan Poe, The Picture of Dorian Gray, etc. mixed with Jane Austen. Now, I love Jane Austen and I love EAP. So when someone mixes them together to create a fantastical, beautifully written story, I am definitely down to read it.
The characters are flawed and I like that because it makes them more relateable. I really enjoyed the premise of this story because it is sort of vampiric because instead of Senza stealing people's blood, she steals their heartbeats. So, I thought that was very unique and interesting. I really liked Senza as a character. Some have said that she could come off as shallow and selfish and I can see how they think that, but I thought that she was very justified with everything.
If you're in the mood for a great paranormal, I would recommend this book because it is so unique and beautiful. It has historical, Gothic, and paranormal elements within and I really enjoyed this one!
August 18, 2015
Senza Fyne is the belle of the ball, but she has an irrational fear of Death. It haunts her waking hours and strolls through her dreams. When she meets Mr. Knell, her heart is lost to the devastating handsome man who teases her that there is a way to cheat Death. With each fleeting meeting they have, Senza is drawn to him until she can stand it no longer and asks him for the secret. What she doesn't realize is that the wish she wants may not be what she thinks it is.
The is an wonderful and intriguing book. The author writes very well and I was drawn into the story one heartbeat at a time. Senza's emotions are painted with such vibrancy that I felt I knew her well. The middle of the book dragged a bit as Senza gives much exposition without much action, but it didn't stop me from reading although that is the reason why I've rated it a 4 star instead of a 5 star book. There was an unexpected ending which I really enjoyed and felt was perfect for the story. Fans of young adult stories will definitely enjoy this book. Recommended.
I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The is an wonderful and intriguing book. The author writes very well and I was drawn into the story one heartbeat at a time. Senza's emotions are painted with such vibrancy that I felt I knew her well. The middle of the book dragged a bit as Senza gives much exposition without much action, but it didn't stop me from reading although that is the reason why I've rated it a 4 star instead of a 5 star book. There was an unexpected ending which I really enjoyed and felt was perfect for the story. Fans of young adult stories will definitely enjoy this book. Recommended.
I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
September 17, 2015
Rating – B + ( 8.5/10 )
Big thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for sending me this ARC via Netgallery
I liked the idea of this book, but it is not what I expected to some extent, I didn’t really expect the life story kind like this because usual YA books are maybe a year or more span story for one book, I wasn’t used to the whole 150 year story and I actually liked that.
The ending however, I wasn’t a fan of, I understand that she’s going to really live and has a new chance to restart over but it seems like Knell had a part in her decision to become “immortal”, like noooo -
It would make sense to me that they should be together at the end of the book, like “oh I’ll wait for you”, nooo...
Besides that, this book was overall pretty great, I liked the traveling side of it and the bits of Edgar Allen Poe put in between the lifetime dividers.
Would I recommend it? Yes, like I said, I overall enjoyed this, really glad I got a chance to read this.
Big thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for sending me this ARC via Netgallery
I liked the idea of this book, but it is not what I expected to some extent, I didn’t really expect the life story kind like this because usual YA books are maybe a year or more span story for one book, I wasn’t used to the whole 150 year story and I actually liked that.
The ending however, I wasn’t a fan of, I understand that she’s going to really live and has a new chance to restart over but it seems like Knell had a part in her decision to become “immortal”, like noooo -
It would make sense to me that they should be together at the end of the book, like “oh I’ll wait for you”, nooo...
Besides that, this book was overall pretty great, I liked the traveling side of it and the bits of Edgar Allen Poe put in between the lifetime dividers.
Would I recommend it? Yes, like I said, I overall enjoyed this, really glad I got a chance to read this.
September 21, 2015
This was a tricky book to get into - mainly because I couldn't 'relate' to Senza at the beginning. For all she was 'cream of the crop', I mainly thought her to be self-centred. As the story progresses, she does change as she faces certain realisations and events. Once you do get into the story, you will be turning the pages with interest as she goes through different experiences and meets with various people who make impacts upon her life.
Now, this may sound wrong, but I absolutely loved the last few chapters! Not because it was nearly the end, but the caring and compassion that Senza shows, the twist that is revealed (although it wasn't really a twist), and a new chance that is unveiled.
If you like historical novels with a twist, and lots of Edgar Allen Poe quotes, then I can definitely recommend this. I am glad that I stuck with it and gave the story a chance.
* I received this book from Xpresso Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Now, this may sound wrong, but I absolutely loved the last few chapters! Not because it was nearly the end, but the caring and compassion that Senza shows, the twist that is revealed (although it wasn't really a twist), and a new chance that is unveiled.
If you like historical novels with a twist, and lots of Edgar Allen Poe quotes, then I can definitely recommend this. I am glad that I stuck with it and gave the story a chance.
* I received this book from Xpresso Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews