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A stolen magical gem transforms an orphan's destiny ... a stunning and completely unputdownable romantasy novel set in an alternative historical Paris, The Kiss of the Nightingale weaves together the seduction of Bridgerton and the magic of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone series.
1890, Lutèce: In this city, Talents are everything: precious gems that gift unrivalled skills to their owners. The most coveted, Elite Talents, are claimed by the aristocracy, passed through generations by blood magic.
Cleodora dreamed of inheriting her father's Tailoring Talent, but when he died, the magic died with him. Now she's left with empty promises, a dress shop she can't keep afloat, and her bed-ridden younger sister.
But everything changes when she meets the dark-eyed Lady Dahlia Sibille. Dahlia offers Cleodora a Singing Talent — a chance to save her beloved sister and rewrite her own fate. From the first instant, Cleodora is bewitched... there's just one catch: she needs to steal an Elite Talent from the prestigious Lenoir family.
As Lutèce's nightingale, Cleodora is the star of the opera's galas and balls, worlds away from the darkness and dust of home. But the handsome yet infuriating Vicomte Lenoir is nothing like she expected.
Soon, the Vicomte's teasing smiles win her over, even as Dahlia's seductive whispers linger in her ears. Torn between Dahlia, who gave her everything, and the Vicomte, who holds the price of her freedom, is Cleodora in danger of losing it all? Or can she prove that magic isn't the only gift that counts?
"The original magic system and captivating setting are accompanied by a fast-paced narrative as the story engages with narrative as the story engages with themes of class and art." —Kirkus Reviews
"A lush fantasy infused with swooning romance and twisty turns, as enrapturing as it is fresh." —Booklist
This information about The Kiss of the Nightingale was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Adi Denner was only 13 years old when the enchanted notes of the opera La Traviata by Verdi stole her heart. She is now a professionally trained opera singer with a specialization in contemporary operas. But having too much creative energy to be contained to a single discipline, Adi also discovered painting, sculpting, wood carving, knitting, theatre, 3D art, and her burning love for writing. Her books are heavily inspired by her constant aspiration to intertwine her passions and her firm belief that art is magic.
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