Customer Reviews

City of Lights: The Trials and Triumphs of Ilyse Charpentier

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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

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

This is a short novel (139 pages), but it is also an intriguing character study.

This is a novel depicting the arc of the life of Ilyse Charpentier, known as "La Petite Coquette de la Perle de Paris." She was, in short, a chanteuse in an establishment featuring theater, singing, and masses of people. To "make it," she had come under the not altogether happy sponsorship of Count Sergei Rakmonovich. Thus, she was not in full control of her life.

One evening, an Englishman, Ian McCarthy, happened to attend one of her performances. They fell in love at their first meeting, producing a threat to her livelihood (the Count would not be amused by his lady falling for another man).

This work is focused on how the events outlined above resolve themselves. Much is at stake here, including Ilyse's estrangement from her brother, how she escapes the clutches of the Count, the outcome of her passion for McCarthy.

The pleasure in this slender volume is how these various issues work themselves out. The novel ends with the thoughts of Ilyse who had always (Page 139) "believed in the magic of her 'City of Lights.'"

The characters might have been developed in a bit more detail (139 pages isn't a lot of space!); the verbal interactions among characters sometimes did not ring fully true. Nonetheless, this is an enchanting little work, and one wonders at what might follow, as there are hints of future works with these characters. Worth taking a look at!

Ilyse Charpentier all but gave up on happiness in her life. In order to save her brother and herself from a life of poverty, she pursued a job at a cabaret, La Perle de Paris, and quickly rose to stardom. However, it estranged her from her brother and put her under the power of the Count. Just when she thought there was nothing left for her, she met Ian McCarthy who offered a chance of happiness, redemption, and a new life. But can she break away from the grasp of the lustful and manipulative Count?

As stated in the title, I loved this book so much that I read it twice! That is very strange for me because I only rarely read a book more than once. I loved the characters so much (especially Reny, the feisty waiter), save for a few such as the Count. A lot of times I find myself feeling sorry for the villain of a story and I find myself hoping they will succeed. However, the Count was pure evil and by the end of the book I was hoping for his downfall.

I loved the gothic parts of the book, too. I am a huge fan of gothic novels and I thought I knew all the things that could happen, however this book brought out new situations and aspects.

I am very impressed with this talented new author, and I am excited to see what she comes out with next!

This book was supposed to be a quick read, but I found myself slowing down to enjoy the descriptions and the feeling of walking in France myself. I felt as if I were there. A dream I have had since a very young girl. And the fact that I could see a bit of myself in the main character also drew my attention. This may be a new author but she is a woman of great description and excellent writing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to those that follow.

I highly recommend this book and give it 5 stars.

City of Lights is a period piece set in fin-de-siecle Paris, where the Moulin Rouge and other cabaret nightclubs dominate the evening culture just as the newly finished Tour de Eiffel dominates the skyline. This short novel is reminiscent of adventures serialized in magazines of the time, and the mood and plot remind me of an opulently-costumed silent film extravaganza.

Ms. Lux populates her novel with characters one might expect to see in a turn-of-the-century melodrama: Ilyse Charpentier, the 21-year old French diva, Ian McCarthy, the penniless Brit who falls in love with her, Maurice, her brother, the struggling artist, and of course, Count Sergei Rakmanovich, the evil Russian patron who has trapped poor Ilyse in his clutches. The settings vary from La Perle, the glittering nightclub where Ilyse performs -- to the airy heights of the new Eiffel Tower -- to the dark and gargoyle-infested manor house which harbors the Count's dangerous obsession. Imagining City of Lights as a classic silent film, I had no trouble at all picturing Mary Pickford or Lillian Gish batting large, expressive eyes as the damsel-in-distress Ilyse, while the part of the cape-swirling villain Count Sergei would be aptly filled by Bela Lugosi. There would even be a small part for Charlie Chaplin in the role of comic relief as Renault, the French waiter.

Ms. Lux's first novel is a return to an earlier time of drama, danger (think Perils of Pauline), and romance in the City of Lights.

City of Lights, The Trials and Triumphs of Ilyse Charpentier, is a triumph for its young author. You are immediately pulled into this novel and held there by the breathtaking pace set by Miss Lux. It is the story of a chanteuse, who has had more heartache than a 21-year old should have to bear: the death of her parents in a ship accident; abuse at the hand of her guardian; and estrangement from her beloved brother because of a misunderstanding. Lifted out of poverty by her patron, Count Sergei Rakmanovich, she becomes the darling of the 1894 Parisian cabaret scene, but the count's patronage comes with a price: his desire to possess her, mind, body and soul.

At the heart of the story is the love between Ilyse and Englishman, Ian McCarthy. The two fall in love within hours of their meeting. It is the magical kind of love unique to the very young whose thoughts for the future extend no further than midnight. Ilyse naively believes that she can walk away form the evil count, and Ian is ill-prepared to deal with a man who is willing to kill to keep his "Pure Dove" from being with anyone else.

This novel will be especially appealing to young adult readers who enjoy an engaging love story set in one of the most exciting cities in the world, a city where Toulouse Lautrec wanders the streets of Montmarte and the five-year old Eiffel Tower dominates the Parisian skyline. This is a remarkable debut, especially when you consider that the novelist is very near to the age of her heroine. Her broad knowledge of history and the arts is evident, and her enthusiasm for her subject leaps off of every page.

"City of Lights" is a quick and exciting read set in colorful late 19th century Paris. Ilyse Charpentier is a young woman who, because of her circumstances, is forced to become entangled with the sinister Count Rakmanovich. Not only does he control her, he attempts to control the path of her future.

Ilyse stars as "La Petite Coquette" at a prominent Parisian cabaret, but even though she is well-loved, she cannot enjoy her career due to the Count's obsessive hold over her.

Ilyse falls in love with an Englishmen, Ian, and they fight to have a life together.

I can't wait to read a sequel and see what happens to the characters next!

Ilyse Charpentier's world changes forever the day her parents leave on their boat trip that Ilyse and her brother Maurice surprised them with for their 20th anniversary. Her parents' lawyer notifies them that while at sea, the ship has exploded and everyone on board was killed.

So Ilyse and her brother are sent to live with their uncle, Emile. Emile is an evil man, and the two children witness him murdering one of the house staff. Fearing for their lives, the two run away and try to return to Paris. Upon their return, they are told that their lawyer friend has been murdered and all their money has been cleared out from the bank.

Trying to honor her mother's last words to her before they boarded the ship, Ilyse takes it upon herself to protect Maurice and keep the two of them together. Relying on her beauty and her voice, she eventually talks her way into the hottest cabaret in Paris. There, she receives the unwanted advances of Count Rakmanovich. He will do anything he can to possess her. Her young brother believes him to be evil and wants nothing to do with Ilyse if her plans to survive include the generosity of the Count's money.

For five years, Ilyse misses her brother but is at the mercy of the Count. She fears him and dreads seeing his face in the crowd at the cabaret at night. But one fateful evening, an outgoing British man, Ian McCarthy, stumbles into the cabaret and catches a glimpse of lovely Ilyse. The two meet, and an instant connection is formed.

Before Ilyse can even imagine a life of love with Ian, she must face her fears and her oppression by the Count.

Ms. Lux writes a lovely period piece taking place in 1894 Paris. The scenery is beautifully described, and the wonder of the City of Love is expertly detailed. Ilyse is a strong character that faces her fears for true love.

Reviewed by: Jaglvr