Title: The Firebird
By: Susanna Kearsley
Publisher: Touchstone
Publication Date: April 30, 2013 (Canada Release Date)
ISBN: 9781451673821
Pages: 480
Nicola Marter was born with a gift. When she touches an object, she sometimes sees images; glimpses of those who have owned it before. It’s never been a gift she wants, and she keeps it a secret from most people, including her practical boss Sebastian, one of London’s premier dealers in Russian art.
But when a woman offers Sebastian a small wooden carving for sale, claiming it belonged to Russia’s Empress Catherine, it’s a problem. There’s no proof. Sebastian believes that the plain carving—known as “The Firebird”—is worthless. But Nicola’s held it, and she knows the woman is telling the truth, and is in desperate need of the money the sale of the heirloom could bring.
Compelled to help, Nicola turns to a man she once left, and still loves: Rob McMorran, whose own psychic gifts are far greater than hers. With Rob to help her “see” the past, she follows a young girl named Anna from Scotland to Belgium and on into Russia. There, in St. Petersburg—the once-glittering capital of Peter the Great’s Russia—Nicola and Rob unearth a tale of love and sacrifice, of courage and redemption…an old story that seems personal and small, perhaps, against the greater backdrops of the Jacobite and Russian courts, but one that will forever change their lives.
MY REVIEW
It is the mark of a
good author when they manage to make you love characters you already
know are dead. This story is two stories in one. You get to follow a
truly unforgettable character through a time 300 years ago while also
following a lovely young woman in a quest to help another woman and
forcing her to use an ability she thinks of more as a curse. Nicola
and Rob are beautiful if sometimes wonderfully frustrating characters
told in the present time and seeking proof of Anna's existence in
connection with an Empress. Anna is one character that cannot be
outshone…yet lived 300 years ago.
I enjoyed this story a great deal and had the pleasure of spending a
beautiful rainy day enjoying it… but it is not for everyone. If
you love historical facts and enjoy a little paranormal with that as
well, you will greatly enjoy this book, as I have. If it is action
and lively adventure you seek in your reading, this will not be the
book for you. The pace is relaxing and slow, rich in descriptions
and emotion. I have read many historical romances to varying degrees
of care. This book keeps true to the accents and language for each
character and time period which is great to see as I sincerely hate
it when characters use some old language and some new. There is a
great deal of accent in this book so if you haven't had a bit of
experience hearing or reading Scottish or Irish accents you may
struggle a little with pronunciation but once you get the hang of it,
you will find it really brings the characters to life.
I can greatly
recommend this book. I enjoyed reading it.
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Firebird at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
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