The Book of Blood and Shadow [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

Robin Wasserman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 10, 2012

It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up.  When the night began, Nora had two best friends and an embarrassingly storybook one true love.  When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands and an echoing scream that stopped only when the tranquilizers pierced her veins and left her in the merciful dark.

But the next morning, it was all still true: Chris was dead.  His girlfriend Adriane, Nora's best friend, was catatonic. And Max, Nora's sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also—according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone—a murderer.

Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora follows the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. It ultimately brings her to the ancient streets of Prague, where she is drawn into a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that might not even exist. For buried in a centuries-old manuscript is the secret to ultimate knowledge and communion with the divine; it is said that he who controls the Lumen Dei controls the world. Unbeknownst to her, Nora now holds the crucial key to unlocking its secrets. Her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Robin Wasserman's novel (Knopf, 2012) focuses on an intricate centuries-old mystery, taking the book's characters from New England to historical Prague. Through her friend, Chris, and his roommate Max, Nora, a high school senior, is brought in to work for "The Hoff," a professor at the denouement of his career. She is assigned the seemingly unimportant task of translating the 16th-century letters of Elizabeth Weston, the adopted daughter of alchemist Edward Kelley, to whom Elizabeth dedicated her life. The boys are assigned the more significant translations to shed light on the mysterious 16th-century Voynich Manuscript-the professor's obsession. Nora and Max begin a romantic relationship. When Chris is murdered and the manuscripts are stolen, Nora sets out to vindicate Max, who is the prime suspect , and heads to Prague. She is convinced that a mysterious secret society-the Lumen Dei-is to blame for the murder. Emily Janice Card skillfully narrates all the characters, seamlessly moving between English, Latin, Czech, and Italian. Listeners will be caught up in the twists and turns of this fast-paced thriller.-Mary Medinsky, Red Deer College, Alberta, Canada α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Review

Kirkus Reviews Best of Teen's Books 2012

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, February 13, 2012:
“Readers who enjoy fast-paced, bloody, historically inflected thrillers in the vein of Dan Brown will be riveted.”

Review, Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2011:
"Here's something refreshing—a religious-historical thriller . . . serving up shivery suspense, sans fangs or fur . . . A classy read that repays reader effort."

Review, Justine Magazine, February / March 2012:
“A must read for fans of Revolution and The DaVinci Code . . . fast-paced and vivid."

Review, A Chair, A Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy blog, SchoolLibraryJournal.com, March 28, 2012:
"I fell for The Book of Blood and Shadow at the first sentence . . . part of the wonder of The Book of Blood and Shadow is the twists and turns it takes . . .a favorite book read in 2012."

Review, The Horn Book Magazine, March 1, 2012:
"This is a thorough mixture of contemporary American adolescence, the sixteenth-century occult, and atmospheric, historical substance, all dished up with a convoluted plot in DaVinci Code mode."

“A lushly drawn mystery of manipulation and desire."
—Holly Black, author of Black Heart

"Genuinely thrilling. This is the historical conspiracy you've been waiting for."
—Maureen Johnson, author of The Name of the Star

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (April 10, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375868763
• ISBN-13: 978-0375868764
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1.4 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Slow but intriguing. Book and Audiobook Review May 7, 2012

By Reading Teen

Format:Hardcover

At a Glance:

Although the pacing was sometimes slow, I found the Book of Blood and Shadow to be intense, exciting, and intriguing. It is full of history, loaded with betrayal, and sprinkled with romance and friendship. I have never read a book like this!

The Audiobook:

Yes, yes, yes. If you're looking for a new audiobook, or you're debating between audio and hardcover, I'm going to just put my vote in for the audio. Why? Well, first of all, the reader is fantastic. She does an amazing job with voices, accents, and languages. She reads things in Latin, in Czech and of course English! :D I was seriously impressed. But the biggest reason that I would choose listening to this over reading it, is because of all the words that I didn't have to figure out or pronounce! There was a ton of Latin in this book, and Emily Card just rattles it off as if it's her second language. If I had been reading it, I would have stared at all those words and phrases, then ended up just skipping over them or mispronouncing them, so listening to the audio was perfect!

"I should probably start with the blood..."

Yeah, The Book of Blood and Shadow definitely had it's fair share of bloodiness, as you can imagine, but it wasn't nearly as bloody as I thought it might be. That's how this story begins, though, with the blood, which immediately had me fascinated. I love a good mystery, and this book was full of them. Mysteries, lies, murders and surprises at every turn. Although I had my theories, I ended up suspicious of just about everyone at one time or another! I love it when there are clues to the answer, but not such obvious ones that the hero/heroine looks like an idiot for not seeing them.

Historical Fantasy/Contemp Mystery:

Yeah, I'm a fan. Who knew? Blood and Shadow was a mix of historical fantasy and contemporary mystery. Now, I'm going to admit, I don't like a lot of detail when I'm reading. And this book had a lot of background information, details about scenery, and many internal ponderings that did slow things down quite a bit. In the middle of the book, I actually considered putting it down because it was just not moving fast enough for me. BUT, I pushed myself over that hump, and I'm SO glad I did. This story got seriously intense, and completely fascinating! I love how much it was based on historical facts, but then completely re-imagined with this entire secret society of people. I was blown away.

Characters, Friendships, Love and Lies

I love the way these relationships were set up. The friendships and romances in this book were so original. There were layers and layers of complications. Just when you thought things were going to move in one direction, they would go a completely different way. It was almost like reading multiple books in one. I wasn't necessarily a fan of all the characters, or love interests, but they were definitely well-written and complex. Whether I wanted to slap them or kiss them, they all evoked pretty strong feelings from me!

A YA Da Vinci Code?

Yeah, this book reminded me a lot of the Da Vinci Code. With the rich writing, the historical detail, the old religion, and of course, the Latin! There were mysterious old documents and writings, strange religious cults, and the fascinating, yet creepy setting of Prague. But about that YA part.....I'm not so sure. I really enjoyed reading it, but I can't imagine my daughter (Kit (17)) reading it. It was just too much (too much detail, too much history, too many slow parts). I do think that some teens will enjoy it; those deeper thinkers who love excellent, detailed writing and historical fiction. But others, I'm afraid, will just find it too slow for them. I think this one might appeal more to college age and above. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!

Book Doppelganger:

The Da Vinci Code

-Andye
Readingteen.net

Content:

Profanity: Moderate
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violence: Heavy
Other Notables: Underage Drinking

For more details, check out The Book of Blood and Shadow on ParentalBookReviews.com

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars National Treasure meets the Da Vinci Code April 10, 2012

By Jessica Dennis

Format:Hardcover

I loved this book. Loved this book. I was lucky enough to get an advanced reader's copy and have been bragging about it for months. I couldn't put this book down- so much action and I was dying to know how it would end. You can read what the book is about above, I won't do a recap. What I will tell you, is this is an intelligent read that caters to both young adults and adults alike. The author did her research and I was this close to booking a trip to Prague when I finished the book. But alas, I'm just a working class shmo, so I am stuck here in Seattle. Thank God, this book was so well written and descriptive, that it helped me forget the rain outside and actually made me think about learning latin. I'm lazy- it was a fleeting thought, but hey- I had it for a quick minute. The characters were well developed and likeable- and the relationships were believable. Overall, this is in my Top 5 favorite books of all time, and definitely Top of 2012. Now, I'm going to buy her other books and a Latin Rosetta stone.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular! April 26, 2012

By Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf

Format:Hardcover

I am going to admit right from the start that I am never going to be able to give this book enough justice in this review, because it was just that spectacular. The Book of Blood and Shadow BLEW me away from start to finish. It had so many good things going for it: descriptive settings, fully developed characters, a mystery that ceaselessly twisted and turned, and smart, talented writing that puts nearly any other book to shame.

One of the things I loved about this book was how it was slow building. Normally, when a book is slow to start, I become a little put off, but Robin Wasserman made it work perfectly with the story, because not only did she take that time to truly build the characters up, but also even in the beginning the mystery was being strung together, the reader nor the characters just didn't realize it yet. This leads me to the plot.

The plot in this was kick-a##, no lie. It contained so many twists and turns and surprises that I had no idea where the book was going to end, which made me love it even more. I especially enjoyed how well developed everything was. From the mystery behind the book to the letters Nora translated to the romance she had with Max to the friendship she had with Eli, everything was just perfect to the point where I do not even want to talk about any specific point; because this is one you book you just need to experience on your own. Trust me.

The characters in this were another high point. Nora managed to win me over from the start. She was smart and quiet, yet she was daring and relentless. I loved how dedicated she was to her work with the letters as well as to her friends. Best of all, I loved how seemingly ordinary she appeared throughout, because it truly allowed me to sink even more into the story. In addition, to her character a variety of other ones were introduced a well: Chris, Eli, Max, and Adriane. The former two of the four I loved to pieces. Chris was oblivious in ways that I will not mention, and while they made me angry at times, I still adored his character. Eli was wild to tell the truth. I never knew where his character was going, but I did know one thing: he adored Nora. In addition, it did not hurt that him and Nora had great chemistry as well as tension. Max and Adriane, however, where characters I wavered between liking and not liking. They were secretive and always manipulative, but they still managed to bring a lot to the book.

Lastly, I have to say: Robin Wasserman is an INCREDIBLE author! Prior to this, I have never had the chance of reading anything by her, but boy, if her other books are anything like this one, I need to read them ASAP. I loved how descriptive her writing as, and how it managed to pull me into the settings as well as the characters heads. I especially adored how everything in this book was necessary. They were no fill even with the 400 plus pages, which was just awesome, in my opinion.

The only aspect I did not like about the book was the ending, but it was selfish on my part, because I only didn't like it because I wanted more. However, from the ending, I have a small feeling there will be more. Hopefully book #2 is on its way.

Brilliant as well as well written, The Book of Blood and Shadow was truly magnificent. It's one book I can't suggest highly enough, and come its release, I'll definitely be talking it up at every chance I get.

Grade: A+