9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Beginning, October 31, 2007
This story is compelling and fast paced. It propells the reader forward. My main disappointment with it is that the charactors were not given time to be fleshed out. Nor was the scenery and background complete. I was left feeling like I wanted more, which in a way is a good thing because I will be looking for more in the future. A very good start.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Paris, l'amour, la nuit....enchantee!, May 18, 2008
This review is from: City of Lights: The Trials and Triumphs of Ilyse Charpentier (Hardcover)
What fun to find a delightful debut novel that spirits you away to another time and place! That's what
City of Lights: The Trials and Triumphs of Ilyse Charpentier did for me. While there are many romantic tales of beautiful young girls in a sometimes cruel world, no heroine has enchanted me more than little Ilyse Charpentier.
Picture a young orphan responsible for her younger brother; give her a voice and stage presence that made her the toast of 1894 Paris. Draw in a wicked "benefactor" determined to have her affections, freely given or otherwise, and set them down in a wildly popular cabaret setting. Would that young girl, our Ilyse, accept the inevitable and settle for life with the hated Count as "La Petite Coquette"? No, Ilyse is made of stronger stuff and had no intention of giving in to the blandishments of cabaret life.
Now bring on an ebullient young Englishman, Ian McCarthy, and watch his face when he first sees "La Petite Coquette"--and see the same transfixed look in Ilyse's soft brown eyes. What to do with this love-struck pair?
Good news! Talented young author Melika Dannese Lux has done the creative work for us and all we have to do is find a comfy chair and fall into her delightful book. Ilyse and Ian face huge challenges but Miss Lux shepherds them with energy and style. The characters are so engaging that it's easy to forget how much hard work goes into writing a book--and doesn't every author strive for that effortless look? I think it's likely that Ilyse's grace, talent and determination are reflective of the author herself, from whom I hope to see much, much more.
Linda Bulger, 2008
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning debut novel! Riveting tale!, December 5, 2007
This new author pulled me into her stunning debut novel with the very first page! I felt like I was actually wandering the streets of Paris in the late 1800s along with the characters so vividly portrayed by this fine new talent.
Melika Dannese Lux, the author, has created not only an accurate portrayal of life in those days, she's invented some of the most lovable, sympathetic protagonists imaginable ... and her villains are true villains in every sense of the word.
I found myself crying for the poor little orphans, Ilyse and her younger brother Maurice, when fate cast them out into the cruel world, penniless frightened, and alone. But Ilyse was not only strong and clever, she was beautiful and a fine entertainer. She managed to save herself and her brother from a life of poverty and soon became "La Petite Coquette ... Diva of the Paris Stage."
It would spoil the story if I revealed how she managed that, but it wasn't without great cost to her: she lost her brother for a time and was practically a prisoner of a debauched wealthy, titled man ... a man who could get away with murder--and did.
How did Ilyse manage to get out of "bondage" to the evil Count? And what happened when she fell in love with a gentle, kind, handsome Englishman and tried to escape? And did she ever win her brother back?
Those are all questions that kept me riveted to my seat--reading page after page--until I learned the answers, as I'm sure you will be.
Ms. Lux certainly has a "way with words," and her description, dialog, and pacing are excellent, attributes found only in the best books. She's definitely an author I'd like to hear from again, so I'm pleased to learn she's now working on the first of a fantasy trilogy that will soon be released. I, personally, can't wait to read it. She's very gifted.
I highly recommend this book. - Betty Dravis, 2007
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