Title: THE ARCHITECT OF SONG
Author: A.G. Howard
Pub.
Date: August 15, 2016
Publisher: A.G. Howard
Pages: 425
Formats: Paperback, eBook
A lady imprisoned by
deafness, an architect imprisoned by his past, and a ghost imprisoned within
the petals of a flower - intertwine in this love story that transcends life and
death.
For most of her
life, nineteen-year-old Juliet Emerline has subsisted – isolated by deafness –
making hats in the solitude of her home. Now, she’s at risk to lose her
sanctuary to Lord Nicolas Thornton, a twenty-seven-year-old mysterious and
eccentric architect with designs on her humble estate. When she secretly
witnesses him raging beside a grave, Juliet investigates, finding the name
“Hawk” on the headstone and an unusual flower at the base. The moment Juliet
touches the petals, a young English nobleman appears in ghostly form, singing a
song only her deaf ears can hear. The ghost remembers nothing of his identity
or death, other than the one name that haunts his afterlife: Thornton.
To avenge her
ghostly companion and save her estate, Juliet pushes aside her fear of society
and travels to Lord Thornton’s secluded holiday resort, posing as a hat maker
in one of his boutiques. There, she finds herself questioning who to trust: the
architect of flesh and bones who can relate to her through romantic gestures,
heartfelt notes, and sensual touches … or the specter who serenades her with
beautiful songs and ardent words, touching her mind and soul like no other man
ever can. As sinister truths behind Lord Thornton’s interest in her estate and
his tie to Hawk come to light, Juliet is lured into a web of secrets. But it’s
too late for escape, and the tragic love taking seed in her heart will alter
her silent world forever.
International and
NYT bestselling author, A.G. Howard, brings her darkly magical and visual/visceral
storytelling to Victorian England. The Architect of Song is the first
installment in her lush and romantic Haunted Hearts Legacy series, a four book
gothic saga following the generations of one family as - haunted by both
literal and figurative ghosts - they search for self-acceptance, love, and
happiness.
New Adult:
Recommended for ages 17+.
Brooke's Review:
I was really excited to jump into this book when I got it. I love Howard's writing (and am a huge fan of her Splintered series) so I was certainly expecting to love this. And while it was totally different than what I experienced in her young adult series, I was pleasantly surprises at the tone and overall plot of this story.
I will be honest and say I didn't read the blurb to this book. I didn't really care what it was about, just that Howard wrote it! So I kind of jumped in blind. And when it started I was happy to find it had a historical theme to it. I don't often read historical books so I was interested to see where it went. And then all of a sudden there was a paranormal element and I was hooked! Just the premise of a friendship/relationship with a ghost was super intriguing to me!
Juliet is a great heroine. I really adored that her disability, her deafness, did not hold her back. She is relatable and even a bit ahead of her time in her ways of thinking. I like that she did not allow herself to be pushed around despite being a woman in the time during which this book took place.
Hawk is our ghost. Though he doesn't know this information at first. And he cannot remember anything about his life. He and Juliet are determined to find out exactly what happened to him and how he died. Along the way, they uncover many truths, including those about Lord Thornton, the gentleman who is attempting to buy her childhood home and court her at the same time!
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Hawk and Juliet bloom. I was really curious as to how Howard would make things work between them but she did find a way. However, Lord Thornton complicates things with a bit of a love triangle. And then when the relationship between Thornton and Hawk is revealed, BAM, that's really a kicker!
Howard's descriptive ability is really wonderful. It was easy for me to see each scene she painted on the page and each character she revealed with her words. Her characters developed and grew allowing me to bond with them and gain their trust. And the supporting characters really did lend so much to the story.
My only issues with this book was the pacing. I did find it slow at times. I really thought there were areas that were drawn out more than they needed to be, scenes that could have been eliminated to tighten the flow and make the story move. It made it a bit hard to see where the story was going.
Told in first person point of view, Howard paints a true picture of what it was like to be a woman in a age when men really ruled the world. A woman trying to find her place and make sure she has a place for herself when she is all she has left.
A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working
at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle
creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she
hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek
out the stories that won her heart as a child.
When she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.
Week One:
7/25/2016- Dark Faerie Tales- Guest Post-Hybrid Author
7/25/2016- Dark Faerie Tales- Guest Post-Hybrid Author
7/25/2016- a GREAT read- Review
7/26/2016- Lisa Loves Literature- Review
7/26/2016- Bookfever- Review
7/27/2016- Fiktshun- Character Interview
7/28/2016- The Reading Café- Review
7/28/2016- Adventures of a Book Junkie- Review
7/29/2016- Please Feed the bookworm- Review
7/29/2016- 21st Century Once Upon A Times- Review
Week Two:
8/1/2016- Once Upon a Twilight - Exclusive Excerpt
8/1/2016- Ramblings of a Daydreamer- Review
8/2/2016- My Friends Are Fiction- Guest Post- Fashion
8/2/2016- Sarcasm & Lemons- Review
8/3/2016- Cornerfolds- Review
8/3/2016- BookHounds YA- Review
8/4/2016- Owl Always Be Reading- Review
8/5/2016- Mundie Moms- Review
8/5/2016- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post- Playlist
Many thanks for a chance to win The Architect of Song and those lovely swag!
ReplyDeleteI love the cover !!! and the Book trailer is great :)
ReplyDeleteDo You plan to do more give always soon I'm a newer fan's I've just found the Splintered Series and cannot wait to get into this next one or for the new one to come out in January!!! So knowing I just barely missed these give always as I was reading Splintered is a real kick in the pants! Hehe
ReplyDeleteAs I'm sure it is for all her newer fans, I Instantly fell in love with the Splintered Series thanks to a great friend who recommended it to Me.. and haven't put down an A.G. Howard book ever since!!
Scarlet Vixxen