In 1533, an Italian orphan with an uncanny knack for creating fragrance is plucked from poverty to become Catherine de Medici’s perfumer. If you love history, France, and the haunting world of perfumes and fragrances, you won’t want to miss its message on what real love is all about. VERDICT: The Collector of Dying Breaths is a smart and unforgettable mix of historical fiction, suspense, and fantasy, with a touch of romance. Did you know that a famous American had his final breath collected, and that you can even go see it in a museum? You will have to try it for yourself, it’s really worth the trip.Īnd if things like collecting dying breaths to reanimate them seem to you over the top, I highly suggest you read this awesome Q & A with the author. There’s so much going on in this book, but giving you more would reveal too much. and ultimately its last message about love.the down to earth character of Griffin, the necessary anchor to put things in perspective and lead you to the real meaning of life and love.the totally gothicambiance of the chateau in the Fontainebleau forest, close to Paris, with her creepy inhabitants.
the suspenseelements, in the lives of René back in taly, and of Jac and her brother Robbie.the historical background around the formidable Catherine de Medici, and the religious conflicts of the time between Catholics and Protestants.It makes for a very sensual writing at times. the amazing description of perfumes, all the research behind the secret and sometimes quite mysterious ingredients.As such, I thoroughly enjoyed the following: She feels called to take over her brother’s very special mission, and that will lead her somehow to René and to relive some most exciting pages of French history, in a creepy old castle.Īs in previous books, Jac has a special gift of connecting with the past, her’s and other people’s, thanks to fragrances. His quest was to capture a person’s last elusive exhilaration, to collect his dying breath, then to release it into another living body and reanimate that soul. As such, he will escape death and his life of misery, to join her in France, where he will launch into a very particular endeavor: That will make him become Catherine de Medici’s famous personal perfumer. The bridge is perfume: René le Florentine, trained by the monk Serapino, learns all the secrets of herbs, perfumes, and poisons. Like in the previous books, you accompany the heroin Jac l’Etoile both in her current life and in the past, here the 16th century, in Italy and France. This book counts for the following Reading Challenges:Įven though The Collector of Dying Breaths is the 6th in the Reincarnationistseries, it is a perfect standalone.
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