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Paragon #1
Masters of the Elements: Resonance
A deadly ancient secret. Six friends with an unbreakable bond. A paradigm shift shatters their perceptions.Join Lena on her journey through hidden realms in this fast-paced time-travel adventure, from modern day Florence back to the Renaissance.After a visit to Michelangelo's Statue of David, Lena's quiet existence changes in mystifying ways. While dreaming and experiencing Renaissance life through Damiano's eyes--the young model posing for the statue--she realizes she's under the influence of an extraordinary phenomenon.Struggling to unravel clues from the past, Lena calls on her friends to help. Together, they stumble upon an ancient secret--one with deadly implications. In a race against time, will they save Damiano's life--or lose their own? And if they succeed, can they live with the truth they have discovered?Resonance is the first book in the enchanting Paragon series of time-travel adventures. If you like strong characters, unwavering bonds of friendship, and journeys that transport you across time, then you'll love CC Sullivan's introduction to the Masters of the Elements.
- GenresFantasy
282 pages, Paperback
First published November 26, 2018
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
C.C. Sullivan
11 books15 followersCC Sullivan is a writer and graphic artist living in Toronto, Canada.
Originally from Burgundy, France, she spent most of her childhood moving from continent to continent with her family. She returned to Burgundy from 2007 to 2009, and it was a significant source of inspiration for her novel.
She studied the History of the Renaissance and became fascinated with the artists of that time and developed the premise for the first instalment in the series. She also drew from personal experience and from a visit to Italy to describe the Florence of her first novel.
In her most recent novel, A Shadow of Doubt from the Masters of the Elements series, she hopes to inspire her readers to discover more about Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who contributed significantly to the world of Art.
She is currently writing Book 2 and Book 3, the second novel in the Elements series, where Lena and her group of friends head to London to face more challenges in their journey to finding where they belong.
If you would like to get in touch with CC and correspond with her, please write to thewriteshelf@gmail.com
Some other tidbits about me:
Nationality: Dual: (European) French and Canadian
Places I have lived: France, Ghana, Pakistan, Singapore, Germany, and Canada
Cities I have visited: After previously listing the number of cities that I had visited in my life, I think the number was in the 60s. So I will only list a few: London, Paris, Bordeaux, Biarritz, Lyons, Lille, St. Raphael, Monte Carlo, Florence, Cortina D’ampezzo, Zagreb, Frankfurt, Munich, Geneva, Amsterdam, Islamabad, Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, Santa Clara (Cuba), New York, Boston, Nantucket, Orlando, San Jose, Santa Rosa (California)
Favourite Books: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pilsig, A Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (I will add more as I remember them…)
Favourite Movies: Hidalgo, Amélie, Boondock Saints, A Beautiful Mind, Diva, Highlander (1st), Braveheart, Man on Fire, (I will add more as I remember them…)
Smells I like the most: Vanilla, caramel
Smells I like the least: Oranges, sweet perfumes, BO
My Favourite Drink: Pina Colada, Kahlua (White Russian), Crispy Crunch (Best shot ever!)
Originally from Burgundy, France, she spent most of her childhood moving from continent to continent with her family. She returned to Burgundy from 2007 to 2009, and it was a significant source of inspiration for her novel.
She studied the History of the Renaissance and became fascinated with the artists of that time and developed the premise for the first instalment in the series. She also drew from personal experience and from a visit to Italy to describe the Florence of her first novel.
In her most recent novel, A Shadow of Doubt from the Masters of the Elements series, she hopes to inspire her readers to discover more about Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who contributed significantly to the world of Art.
She is currently writing Book 2 and Book 3, the second novel in the Elements series, where Lena and her group of friends head to London to face more challenges in their journey to finding where they belong.
If you would like to get in touch with CC and correspond with her, please write to thewriteshelf@gmail.com
Some other tidbits about me:
Nationality: Dual: (European) French and Canadian
Places I have lived: France, Ghana, Pakistan, Singapore, Germany, and Canada
Cities I have visited: After previously listing the number of cities that I had visited in my life, I think the number was in the 60s. So I will only list a few: London, Paris, Bordeaux, Biarritz, Lyons, Lille, St. Raphael, Monte Carlo, Florence, Cortina D’ampezzo, Zagreb, Frankfurt, Munich, Geneva, Amsterdam, Islamabad, Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, Santa Clara (Cuba), New York, Boston, Nantucket, Orlando, San Jose, Santa Rosa (California)
Favourite Books: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pilsig, A Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (I will add more as I remember them…)
Favourite Movies: Hidalgo, Amélie, Boondock Saints, A Beautiful Mind, Diva, Highlander (1st), Braveheart, Man on Fire, (I will add more as I remember them…)
Smells I like the most: Vanilla, caramel
Smells I like the least: Oranges, sweet perfumes, BO
My Favourite Drink: Pina Colada, Kahlua (White Russian), Crispy Crunch (Best shot ever!)
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 31, 2019
This is the first time that I have read anything from this author and I am pleased that I chose to read this story.
This is definately a time travel story that shifts between Florence present day to Florence of the 1500's. Of course there is the 2 mysterious and controversial figures of Michaelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci which figure heavily in the story.
There is the intrigue when we read about the twins Damian and Dante from the 1500's and their adventures.
This story contains portals, mysterious Knights (think of the Knights Templar) and probably Druids.
Overall the story has an interesting plot which leaves you wondering what is going to happen next.
On a side note, it does end with a cliffhanger so I am waiting to read the next one in the series.
A++
This is definately a time travel story that shifts between Florence present day to Florence of the 1500's. Of course there is the 2 mysterious and controversial figures of Michaelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci which figure heavily in the story.
There is the intrigue when we read about the twins Damian and Dante from the 1500's and their adventures.
This story contains portals, mysterious Knights (think of the Knights Templar) and probably Druids.
Overall the story has an interesting plot which leaves you wondering what is going to happen next.
On a side note, it does end with a cliffhanger so I am waiting to read the next one in the series.
A++
April 1, 2019
Lena, an American of Italian descent, goes to Florence to study art. While there, she starts seeing and feeling strange things that she cannot explain. For instance, when looking upon Michelangelo's David, she thinks she sees its feet move! She starts to have dreams about the Renaissance that become more and more real. She sees the model for David, Damiano, as he poses for the great artist. Damiano also has visions of her as the story weaves between Renaissance and modern-day Florence. Past and present interact, first in dreams and visions, and then via a portal between them. Lena has friends in whom she confides all these mysterious happenings. They are all caught up in something greater than they can understand.
The author has painted the worlds of Renaissance and contemporary Florence with such reality that I felt like I was walking the streets with Lena or sat with Damiano as he posed. The author also has a clear love of the art and cultural history of Florence, as well as those Renaissance artists who created it. Historical people, like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, are given life in complex storylines that creatively bridge magical fantasy and reality. I loved experiencing "history" in this immediate way.
I received a free reader copy, but this did not affect my review.
The author has painted the worlds of Renaissance and contemporary Florence with such reality that I felt like I was walking the streets with Lena or sat with Damiano as he posed. The author also has a clear love of the art and cultural history of Florence, as well as those Renaissance artists who created it. Historical people, like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, are given life in complex storylines that creatively bridge magical fantasy and reality. I loved experiencing "history" in this immediate way.
I received a free reader copy, but this did not affect my review.
December 28, 2018
Wow this is gonna be a great series. It has me after first few pages.I love the plot
December 28, 2018
Really enjoyed this book it was a fantastic read i loved how the storyline was written and the characters where great this is a new author to me but i defintly like to read more of her work
December 9, 2019
I must say the genre of this book is not what I usually read but I never shy from reading out of my comfort zone, especially if from the Insta family. :) The story is very original and quite daring in depicting Florence with little enough detail to make it come to life both in the present and in the past. Not all characters though have a great depth and I think there are too many, leaving little space to dive in and get closer. The plot is intriguing and this is what makes it worthwhile. Two things I would have changed: (1) make the beginning less vague and use it expand more on themes and characters so that readers do not drop the book before it gets interesting; and (2) rebalance some of the action from the end to the rest of the book for a more enjoyable experience. Still, a promising series. I wonder what happens next.
October 13, 2020
This is one of those books that leaves me feeling more cultured just for having read it. Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo both appear as Lena explores the past and present in a surprising new way.
Lena is not alone. A survivor of a damaged past, she starts off afraid to share details with even those closest to her. But through the passing of time, she opens up and blooms.
The host of characters are all well-written; I felt like I knew each of them and kept wanting to discover more. OMG Dante & Damian!
Secrets are slowly revealed, and the group must learn to adapt.
Florence is a beautiful backdrop to the dramatic events. I felt like I was there, walking through the streets.
Action, adventure, time travel and intrigue in Florence - an easy recommend to a friend.
I can't wait for the next book!!
Lena is not alone. A survivor of a damaged past, she starts off afraid to share details with even those closest to her. But through the passing of time, she opens up and blooms.
The host of characters are all well-written; I felt like I knew each of them and kept wanting to discover more. OMG Dante & Damian!
Secrets are slowly revealed, and the group must learn to adapt.
Florence is a beautiful backdrop to the dramatic events. I felt like I was there, walking through the streets.
Action, adventure, time travel and intrigue in Florence - an easy recommend to a friend.
I can't wait for the next book!!
February 5, 2020
I easily recommend this book to fans of time travel and fantasy...going back to the days of Michelangelo and DaVinci, in and around the city of Florence, Italy...with a plot that would make sense of some things in history and have a unique take through the imagination of Ms. Sullivan.
CC Sullivan has quite a few books to her credit, but this is her first book of fiction. My favorite part was aligning with the heroines and heroes involved and CC did not disappoint with her interesting characters and her overall character development, etc.: which is basically my favorite bit of any novel aka story.
Happy Reading All.
CC Sullivan has quite a few books to her credit, but this is her first book of fiction. My favorite part was aligning with the heroines and heroes involved and CC did not disappoint with her interesting characters and her overall character development, etc.: which is basically my favorite bit of any novel aka story.
Happy Reading All.
April 1, 2019
Masters of the Elements: Resonance by CC SULLIVAN is a wonderful story to read. This si book number one in this wonderful start to a new series and a brand new author for me to read. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about mystery and adventure in their stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 8, 2019
So, I was asked by the author to take a look into her book and leave a review once reading it. This is a book about a girl who has dreams and ravels back in time to experience life through Damiano's life; Damiano who is the model posing for Michaelangelo's Statue of David.
By reading the synopsis alone, this book intrigued me. I don't think I've heard of anything quite similar so I loved the idea behind the story.
Overall, reading this book, I did enjoy the message and the overall plot. As I said before, the idea behind this novel was one filled with as the synopsis suggests: mystery, intrigue, and adventure.
However, it was a book that was very difficult to read and hence why I'm giving it the rating it is now, 3/5*. The writing style to me seemed a bit choppy and not fully developed. It was difficult to connect with the characters and empathize with them because of the writing style. One out of several examples would be where Portia was telling us of her mother and her experiences, but then never actually finished the story. The author did this with several other characters and it was frustrating because I wanted to know more. The writing just seemed to feel rushed, like, oh we mention this real quick and then we move on to this real quick and therefore there were a lot of missing holes and gaps that made this read not as enjoyable as I would've liked.
Furthermore, I was confused at the beginning of when Lena was having strange experiences because the writing made it sound like she knew she was having these abilities, but then she didn't seem to know what was happening so I was confused a lot through this book. Also, another part of confusion was not knowing who everyone was or knowing when a new character was speaking - like there were moments and chapters where the readers were reading someone else's experiences and I didn't find out until later in the read that it was not Lena's perspective anymore.
With all that being said, I really do think that if the author takes time and care into the writing and fully develops all the pieces more, it would make this a MUCH better read and would live up to its full potential.
By reading the synopsis alone, this book intrigued me. I don't think I've heard of anything quite similar so I loved the idea behind the story.
Overall, reading this book, I did enjoy the message and the overall plot. As I said before, the idea behind this novel was one filled with as the synopsis suggests: mystery, intrigue, and adventure.
However, it was a book that was very difficult to read and hence why I'm giving it the rating it is now, 3/5*. The writing style to me seemed a bit choppy and not fully developed. It was difficult to connect with the characters and empathize with them because of the writing style. One out of several examples would be where Portia was telling us of her mother and her experiences, but then never actually finished the story. The author did this with several other characters and it was frustrating because I wanted to know more. The writing just seemed to feel rushed, like, oh we mention this real quick and then we move on to this real quick and therefore there were a lot of missing holes and gaps that made this read not as enjoyable as I would've liked.
Furthermore, I was confused at the beginning of when Lena was having strange experiences because the writing made it sound like she knew she was having these abilities, but then she didn't seem to know what was happening so I was confused a lot through this book. Also, another part of confusion was not knowing who everyone was or knowing when a new character was speaking - like there were moments and chapters where the readers were reading someone else's experiences and I didn't find out until later in the read that it was not Lena's perspective anymore.
With all that being said, I really do think that if the author takes time and care into the writing and fully develops all the pieces more, it would make this a MUCH better read and would live up to its full potential.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews