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The Sibylline Chronicles #1
Woman On The Wall
Finalist, 2023 Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society Book Awards For BC
For 500 years, the once powerful order of the Sibylline has kept the identity of its future prophetess hidden in the most famous painting in the world. Amid the chaos of post-World War II France, one woman discovers their ancient secret and its ability to transform a fragmented world.
Paris & Amboise, 1945.
A brilliant, devoted, and driven paleographer ...
After 480 days as a Nazi political prisoner, Dr. Marie Guerrant returns to Paris to repatriate the Mona Lisa and find her daughter. When a British Colonel arrives claiming he needs her French Resistance connections to find the lost painting, which she helped hide seven years earlier, distrust is high. Tipped off about her daughter's involvement and the Colonel's obsessive belief that the Mona Lisa contains the identity of a modern-day Sibyl prophetess, Marie must risk her life to save her daughter and the masterpiece from men consumed by controlling destiny.
Amboise & Fontevraud, 1519.
A brave, bold, and potent prophetess ...
On the eve of rising as the Sibyl of Amboise, Aesmeh de la Rose must rely on her visions to find Leonardo da Vinci after he and the Mona Lisa disappear from his workshop at Clos Lucé. The precious painting and its creator cannot be lost or the ancient Sibylline Order faces extermination after more than 1000 years of rebuilding their powerful matriarchy. Torn between duty and love, Aesmeh must tap into an ancient alchemy in a race to keep the Order safe. But, an unspeakable betrayal forces her to make an unfathomable choice to secure the future of the Sibylline.
This rich alternate history binds two women beyond time, each fighting to restore sight to a world blinded by the power and control of men. The fate of the world rests on their courage to reclaim the ancient feminine powers of the Sibylline. Woman on the Wall is a sweeping fantastical tale of intrigue and hope for us all.
For 500 years, the once powerful order of the Sibylline has kept the identity of its future prophetess hidden in the most famous painting in the world. Amid the chaos of post-World War II France, one woman discovers their ancient secret and its ability to transform a fragmented world.
Paris & Amboise, 1945.
A brilliant, devoted, and driven paleographer ...
After 480 days as a Nazi political prisoner, Dr. Marie Guerrant returns to Paris to repatriate the Mona Lisa and find her daughter. When a British Colonel arrives claiming he needs her French Resistance connections to find the lost painting, which she helped hide seven years earlier, distrust is high. Tipped off about her daughter's involvement and the Colonel's obsessive belief that the Mona Lisa contains the identity of a modern-day Sibyl prophetess, Marie must risk her life to save her daughter and the masterpiece from men consumed by controlling destiny.
Amboise & Fontevraud, 1519.
A brave, bold, and potent prophetess ...
On the eve of rising as the Sibyl of Amboise, Aesmeh de la Rose must rely on her visions to find Leonardo da Vinci after he and the Mona Lisa disappear from his workshop at Clos Lucé. The precious painting and its creator cannot be lost or the ancient Sibylline Order faces extermination after more than 1000 years of rebuilding their powerful matriarchy. Torn between duty and love, Aesmeh must tap into an ancient alchemy in a race to keep the Order safe. But, an unspeakable betrayal forces her to make an unfathomable choice to secure the future of the Sibylline.
This rich alternate history binds two women beyond time, each fighting to restore sight to a world blinded by the power and control of men. The fate of the world rests on their courage to reclaim the ancient feminine powers of the Sibylline. Woman on the Wall is a sweeping fantastical tale of intrigue and hope for us all.
392 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 6, 2022
5 people are currently reading
2887 people want to read
About the author
Robin Rivers
1 book49 followersRobin Rivers is a writer and artist based in Vancouver, Canada. Her work has appeared in newspapers, literary journals, and galleries in North America and Europe.
Her historical fantasy Woman On The Wall, The Sibylline Chronicles Vol. 1 debuted in September, 2022. It was named a finalist for the 2023 Sunshine Coast Writers & Editors Society Book Awards for BC Authors.
Her poetry and short stories have appeared in anthologies including Ghost Stories YYC 4, Quill Keepers Press, and Skirting Around Literary Magazine as well as juried narrative art exhibitions.
When not creating, she guides young authors to discover their voices and tell their stories as the owner of Quill Academy of Creative Writing.
Her historical fantasy Woman On The Wall, The Sibylline Chronicles Vol. 1 debuted in September, 2022. It was named a finalist for the 2023 Sunshine Coast Writers & Editors Society Book Awards for BC Authors.
Her poetry and short stories have appeared in anthologies including Ghost Stories YYC 4, Quill Keepers Press, and Skirting Around Literary Magazine as well as juried narrative art exhibitions.
When not creating, she guides young authors to discover their voices and tell their stories as the owner of Quill Academy of Creative Writing.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 29, 2022
As World War II comes to an end, Dr. Marie Guerrant returns to Paris. She has spent the last 480 days as a political prisoner in Ravensbruck and now wants to focus on returning the Mona Lisa to its rightful place and hopefully find her daughter, Serah in the process. However, Marie is quickly pulled back into the belief of the Mona Lisa bearing a secret of a modern day prophetess called the Sibyl Colonel Philip Millar. Through a set of clues that Marie believes Serah left for her in DaVinci's assistants journals, Marie is sent on a chase throughout France to find the Mona Lisa, her daughter and possibly, a living Sybil. Five hundred years prior, the last living Sibyl, Aesmeh prepares to take on her role as DaVinci finishes the Mona Lisa. Before Aesmah takes her place, DaVinci and the Mona Lisa disappear. A traitor is found within the Sibylline and the Mona Lisa must be finished to hold the key to the next Sibyl 500 years in the future.
The Woman on the Wall is an amazing historical thriller surrounding the mysterious Mona Lisa. The story is told through two timelines- Marie and Philip's point of view in 1945 and Aesmeh's point of view in 1519. I was pulled in by the Orders of the Sibylline and their abilities as well as Marie's knowledge of art, history and language. The writing starts off action packed in both timelines and it did take me a few chapters to get my footing with all the characters and treachery that is happening. Once the details came together, I was amazed at the Sibylline for their planning as well as the many people who fought against them to bring them down or control them. The Nazi's were a perfectly obvious choice for a group who would want to control a woman who could see the future. I felt for Marie who was being thrown into a situation much larger than herself with no way to know who to trust. I was amazed at her ability to think straight and fight back while keeping her wits about her and remembering the end goal of finding the Mona Lisa and her daughter. With an action packed, magical and heartfelt ending, I can't wait to see what's next in the Sibylline Chronicles.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
September 20, 2022
I enjoy a dual timeline book and add in historical fiction and I am one happy reader. To make this one ever more appealing to me it involves art and Renaissance art is one of my biggest passions. So this book was certainly starting out hitting on many of my favorite topics.
After WWII finally comes to its end, Dr. Marie Guerrant is finally free of the Nazis and is working towards getting the Mona Lisa back where she belongs. But all is not going as smoothly as she would like. For there is more to the Mona Lisa than just being the painting of a woman in a chair. Or so this story goes.
In 1519 danger is lurking for a for the Sibylline Order as the current Prophetess has visions that lead her to Leonardo daVinci and his most famous of paintings, the Mona Lisa. She must find him to make sure that all is well and he goes forward as history has detailed or all could be lost for her and her order.
As the current time and the past work towards each other forces will try and keep these women from their rightful place. Read the story to delve into a world of mystery and mysticism and to keep the pages turning well into the night.
After WWII finally comes to its end, Dr. Marie Guerrant is finally free of the Nazis and is working towards getting the Mona Lisa back where she belongs. But all is not going as smoothly as she would like. For there is more to the Mona Lisa than just being the painting of a woman in a chair. Or so this story goes.
In 1519 danger is lurking for a for the Sibylline Order as the current Prophetess has visions that lead her to Leonardo daVinci and his most famous of paintings, the Mona Lisa. She must find him to make sure that all is well and he goes forward as history has detailed or all could be lost for her and her order.
As the current time and the past work towards each other forces will try and keep these women from their rightful place. Read the story to delve into a world of mystery and mysticism and to keep the pages turning well into the night.
June 18, 2022
I was incredibly lucky to receive a copy of Woman on the Wall in advance from the publisher.
What a treat!
I love history, I love mythology, I love a good story.
More than anything else, though, I love the combination of all the feminine aspects into a powerful force, more than capable of challenging the male-dominated world. Their time and space echoes our own so very well.
Seriously, read this. You'll be enchanted, entertained, and educated. Not bad for one book.
What a treat!
I love history, I love mythology, I love a good story.
More than anything else, though, I love the combination of all the feminine aspects into a powerful force, more than capable of challenging the male-dominated world. Their time and space echoes our own so very well.
Seriously, read this. You'll be enchanted, entertained, and educated. Not bad for one book.
September 18, 2022
Woman on the Wall
Book 1 The Sibylline Chronicles
Robin Rivers
Robin Rivers debut, Woman on the Wall has something for everyone, action, romance, mystery, fantasy, secret societies, strong female protagonists and betrayals. Plus it’s a fantasy series debut, historical in nature and takes place in two timelines, 1519 and 1945. Setting up a series has its own challenges, introducing main players dealing with and plots and sub-plots, plus the magical component here means there’s also world-building to contend with. Robin delivers a unique and extremely interesting take on an arcane legend an interesting marriage of alternate history, fantasy and magical realism. Her narrative is action packed and informative filled with google worthy words and phrases. Plus there are many clues so be sure to pay attention or you might miss some vital information and if it seems the story slows just a bit in the middle don’t fret it quickly picks up steam again and by the end the audience will be on the edge of their seats biting their nails. The characters are superb, you’ll get to see the genius and human side of Leonardo who shares the pages with many stars besides Marie and the fifteenth century oracle and readers will have a hard time picking favorites but will not have a hard time picking out the reprobates. Fans of historical conspiracies, fantasy, magical realism and fans of novels like The Da Vinci Code will really enjoy this debut.
Hidden in da Vinci’s masterpiece, The Mona Lisa, is a clue, a revelation of the next prophetess of the Order of the Sibylline, A lost matriarchal society that men have tried to stamp out and nearly succeeded. As Europe recovers from the ravages of WWII there is one chance and one woman who can put the order back together. She’s not a believer but there are allies of the order who will try to put her on the right path. But there’s more at stake than she could ever have imagined.
During the war renowned Paleographer Dr. Marie Guerrant was part of a team helping to keep France’s works of art out of the hands of the Nazis then she watched as they murdered her husband and took her prisoner where for over a year they tortured her and made her work for them. Now the war is over and all she wants is to return La Joconde (The Mona Lisa) back to her rightful place in the Louvre and to find her daughter Serah who she hoped managed to disappear after her capture. Then she teams up with a British officer who says he knows the whereabouts of the painting and her daughter but also believes some nonsense about a secret society associated with the Mona Lisa. All Marie wants is to find her daughter and make sure she’s safe.
In 1519 Aesmeh de la Rose, the next Sibyl of Amboise prophetess is just about to take her vows when she and the order are betrayed. Her duty now is to be sure Leonardo da Vinci puts his clue of the identification of the future Sibyl on to his painting. Then he disappears and the all the evidence is pointing at her lover being the traitor so she must rely on her foresight to learn the truth, save herself, her sisters and the order.
Book 1 The Sibylline Chronicles
Robin Rivers
Robin Rivers debut, Woman on the Wall has something for everyone, action, romance, mystery, fantasy, secret societies, strong female protagonists and betrayals. Plus it’s a fantasy series debut, historical in nature and takes place in two timelines, 1519 and 1945. Setting up a series has its own challenges, introducing main players dealing with and plots and sub-plots, plus the magical component here means there’s also world-building to contend with. Robin delivers a unique and extremely interesting take on an arcane legend an interesting marriage of alternate history, fantasy and magical realism. Her narrative is action packed and informative filled with google worthy words and phrases. Plus there are many clues so be sure to pay attention or you might miss some vital information and if it seems the story slows just a bit in the middle don’t fret it quickly picks up steam again and by the end the audience will be on the edge of their seats biting their nails. The characters are superb, you’ll get to see the genius and human side of Leonardo who shares the pages with many stars besides Marie and the fifteenth century oracle and readers will have a hard time picking favorites but will not have a hard time picking out the reprobates. Fans of historical conspiracies, fantasy, magical realism and fans of novels like The Da Vinci Code will really enjoy this debut.
Hidden in da Vinci’s masterpiece, The Mona Lisa, is a clue, a revelation of the next prophetess of the Order of the Sibylline, A lost matriarchal society that men have tried to stamp out and nearly succeeded. As Europe recovers from the ravages of WWII there is one chance and one woman who can put the order back together. She’s not a believer but there are allies of the order who will try to put her on the right path. But there’s more at stake than she could ever have imagined.
During the war renowned Paleographer Dr. Marie Guerrant was part of a team helping to keep France’s works of art out of the hands of the Nazis then she watched as they murdered her husband and took her prisoner where for over a year they tortured her and made her work for them. Now the war is over and all she wants is to return La Joconde (The Mona Lisa) back to her rightful place in the Louvre and to find her daughter Serah who she hoped managed to disappear after her capture. Then she teams up with a British officer who says he knows the whereabouts of the painting and her daughter but also believes some nonsense about a secret society associated with the Mona Lisa. All Marie wants is to find her daughter and make sure she’s safe.
In 1519 Aesmeh de la Rose, the next Sibyl of Amboise prophetess is just about to take her vows when she and the order are betrayed. Her duty now is to be sure Leonardo da Vinci puts his clue of the identification of the future Sibyl on to his painting. Then he disappears and the all the evidence is pointing at her lover being the traitor so she must rely on her foresight to learn the truth, save herself, her sisters and the order.
August 31, 2022
Woman on the Wall is engaging and enchanting from start to finish. Full of mystery, magic, and plenty of action, it’s a historical thriller you won’t want to miss!
I devoured my advanced copy in no time, leaving me rather impatient for the next volume of the Sibylline Chronicles.
I devoured my advanced copy in no time, leaving me rather impatient for the next volume of the Sibylline Chronicles.
November 27, 2022
The Sibyllines! Ring a bell? If not, they should -- powerful women throughout history who have guided kings and countries as oracles ( Michelangelo painted five of the Sybilline women on the Sistine Chaptel for a good reason). Robin Rivers takes the historical facts of the Sibyllines and of the Second World War and then creates a dual time-line epic thriller with a brilliant protogonist and a tie in with the Mona Lisa (why would Da Vinci never part with it?!). I look forward to the sequel!
September 16, 2022
Couldn't resist this one! What a cool concept and I adore the cover.
For 500 years, the once powerful Order of the Sibylline has kept the identity of its future prophetess hidden in the most famous painting in the world. One woman will discover their ancient secret. This woman is named Marie Guerrant. It is 1945 and she has survived being a prisoner by the Nazis. She returns to Paris and will risk her life to save her daughter and the masterpiece from men consumed by controlling destiny. In 1519, another woman will be putting her life on the line. Aesmeh de la Rose must rely on her visions to find Leonardo da Vinci and the Mona Lisa after they disappear from his workshop. The fate of the world rests on them.
Immediately hooked! I literally didn't want to put this down. Grrrrr dumb work and dumb sleep time.
We have two timelines being told at the same time. One is Aesmeh in 1519 and the other is Marie in 1945. It was so refreshing! Normally authors go the route of modern (21st century) and some other time in the past. It was interesting seeing two completely different time periods here and how they are tied together.
I felt so bad for Marie. She gets out of one hell and is tossed into a mystery larger than herself. All she wants to do is have a normal life and find her daughter. Poor thing has gone through so much. And then there is Aesmeh. Felt bad for her too. She is on the eve of rising as the Sibyl of Amboise. She finds herself torn in two. But I applaud them and want to be them when I grow up! So brave and smart. I don't think I would want visions like Aesmeh....that seems like too much.
I honestly had no idea what was going to happen and how everything was going to be resolved.
The ending was good. There was a tiny bit of a cliffhanger though. You can tell there will be more and I am excited about another one. There is for sure more story to tell. The author has left me wanting more!
In the end, I was hooked from page 1! This was certainly an adventure and I hope there will be a book 2 soon. There is more story to tell! Art, mystery, action, and magic. This was a lot of fun and I can see this being a good book club book. 5 stars from me.
For 500 years, the once powerful Order of the Sibylline has kept the identity of its future prophetess hidden in the most famous painting in the world. One woman will discover their ancient secret. This woman is named Marie Guerrant. It is 1945 and she has survived being a prisoner by the Nazis. She returns to Paris and will risk her life to save her daughter and the masterpiece from men consumed by controlling destiny. In 1519, another woman will be putting her life on the line. Aesmeh de la Rose must rely on her visions to find Leonardo da Vinci and the Mona Lisa after they disappear from his workshop. The fate of the world rests on them.
Immediately hooked! I literally didn't want to put this down. Grrrrr dumb work and dumb sleep time.
We have two timelines being told at the same time. One is Aesmeh in 1519 and the other is Marie in 1945. It was so refreshing! Normally authors go the route of modern (21st century) and some other time in the past. It was interesting seeing two completely different time periods here and how they are tied together.
I felt so bad for Marie. She gets out of one hell and is tossed into a mystery larger than herself. All she wants to do is have a normal life and find her daughter. Poor thing has gone through so much. And then there is Aesmeh. Felt bad for her too. She is on the eve of rising as the Sibyl of Amboise. She finds herself torn in two. But I applaud them and want to be them when I grow up! So brave and smart. I don't think I would want visions like Aesmeh....that seems like too much.
I honestly had no idea what was going to happen and how everything was going to be resolved.
The ending was good. There was a tiny bit of a cliffhanger though. You can tell there will be more and I am excited about another one. There is for sure more story to tell. The author has left me wanting more!
In the end, I was hooked from page 1! This was certainly an adventure and I hope there will be a book 2 soon. There is more story to tell! Art, mystery, action, and magic. This was a lot of fun and I can see this being a good book club book. 5 stars from me.
September 16, 2022
Title: Woman on the Wall
Author: Robin Rivers
Release Date: September 6th, 2022
Page Count: 376
Start Date: September 5th, 2022
Finish Date: September 15th, 2022
Review:
Story: Wow! I'm so impressed with this book! It's such an intense book! I didn't want to stop reading. This takes place in two different times in history. I've never read anything like it if I'm being honest. I felt like I was immersed in this story through every page. I get lost in books all the time. This is different though. I wish I could explain it better without giving every single detail away. I hope this gets adapted into a television series. I'm also really excited to read the second book when it's released!
Characters: Let's talk about the names. There were so many unique names. Take Aesmeh. Maybe it's not TOTALLY unique, but it's unique to me and I love it. I also loved the name Serah. So beautiful. The only thing that would have made this book better is to have been able to see more "flashbacks" of Marie. I loved her point of view the best.
Critiques: None that aren't really personal.
Final Thoughts: I am a sucker for historical books. History is one of my favorite things. Aside from reading of course. I'm also never going to be the one to judge historical accuracies of a fictional novel. That's just now how I am. If I want to get weird about accuracies, I'll do that with nonfiction novels. I'm rambling. I really loved this book very much. I fully recommend it. I can't wait to see the rest of the series. I also look forward to seeing other works by this author as well.
Author: Robin Rivers
Release Date: September 6th, 2022
Page Count: 376
Start Date: September 5th, 2022
Finish Date: September 15th, 2022
Review:
Story: Wow! I'm so impressed with this book! It's such an intense book! I didn't want to stop reading. This takes place in two different times in history. I've never read anything like it if I'm being honest. I felt like I was immersed in this story through every page. I get lost in books all the time. This is different though. I wish I could explain it better without giving every single detail away. I hope this gets adapted into a television series. I'm also really excited to read the second book when it's released!
Characters: Let's talk about the names. There were so many unique names. Take Aesmeh. Maybe it's not TOTALLY unique, but it's unique to me and I love it. I also loved the name Serah. So beautiful. The only thing that would have made this book better is to have been able to see more "flashbacks" of Marie. I loved her point of view the best.
Critiques: None that aren't really personal.
Final Thoughts: I am a sucker for historical books. History is one of my favorite things. Aside from reading of course. I'm also never going to be the one to judge historical accuracies of a fictional novel. That's just now how I am. If I want to get weird about accuracies, I'll do that with nonfiction novels. I'm rambling. I really loved this book very much. I fully recommend it. I can't wait to see the rest of the series. I also look forward to seeing other works by this author as well.
September 25, 2022
Five Star Review for Woman on the Wall by Robin Rivers! I took this book everywhere I went over the past few days—doctors office, my Dad’s, to the park! It was sooo good that I didn’t want to put it down. I wasn’t able to read it before bed though, as it is one of the most sophisticated novels I have read—there are two timelines and three points of view. There is history and fantasy and intense vocabulary! My mind worked very hard, which I love, to keep up with the story. I completely fell in love with the two main characters, Dr. Marie Guerrant and Aesmeh de La Rose, as well as several other characters that were equally intriguing. One of the most fascinating things about this book is that Rivers does a brilliant job of enveloping the reader into the complete experience. I felt Marie’s suffering from her unimaginable time in a concentration camp; I felt her singular drive to find her daughter; and, I felt her frustration at being caught up in a mystery that is close to her heart yet impeding her ability to find her daughter. I absolutely love art, the Mona Lisa in particular, and mysticism, feminine divine power in particular, so it almost felt like she wrote the book for me. I imagine many readers will share this experience. I can’t wait to read the next in her trilogy, due out in fall 2023.
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November 9, 2022Wow - this one's a thinking person's book! French resistance movement, Leonardo DaVinci, King Francois, the Mona Lisa, Nazi Germany, the Sibylline order...
The book is written in two different time eras with chapters moving back and forth - 1519 and 1945 in the same geographic area of Paris and surrounding areas. Both eras are heavily female dominant and both eras are cloaked in mystery and good v. evil. Both storylines surround the Sybilline Order and how it is related to the Mona Lisa, which, by the way, is in hiding during WWII and part of the mystery is in finding her and attempting to bring her back safely to the Louvre.
Some base knowledge in some or all of these areas will make the book an easier read. If you're not brushed up on these subjects, do not fear; you'll either learn a LOT and/or research a LOT!
For a debut novel, Rivers really had a story to tell. I'm sure the subsequent novels will be just as educational. I look forward to digging into some of these topics in more detail to continue my education and prepare for the next installment.
The book is written in two different time eras with chapters moving back and forth - 1519 and 1945 in the same geographic area of Paris and surrounding areas. Both eras are heavily female dominant and both eras are cloaked in mystery and good v. evil. Both storylines surround the Sybilline Order and how it is related to the Mona Lisa, which, by the way, is in hiding during WWII and part of the mystery is in finding her and attempting to bring her back safely to the Louvre.
Some base knowledge in some or all of these areas will make the book an easier read. If you're not brushed up on these subjects, do not fear; you'll either learn a LOT and/or research a LOT!
For a debut novel, Rivers really had a story to tell. I'm sure the subsequent novels will be just as educational. I look forward to digging into some of these topics in more detail to continue my education and prepare for the next installment.
September 23, 2022
The Woman on the Wall is a wonderful historical fiction story full of mystery, magic and action! It's told through two timelines and each one starts with plenty of action. It was also interesting to see how the timelines connected. The characters were done wonderfully. It's a book that won't be able to put down or turn the pages fast enough and will have you at the edge of your seat! There are a lot of clues so keep an eye out for them. The ending was a little bit of a cliffhanger so hopefully we won't have long to wait! Thank you Bookouture and Robin Rivers for sharing this book with me!
September 23, 2022
This book was a wild ride between Marie in 1945 searching for her daughter, Sarah after being imprisoned for years by the Nazis to 1519 where we meet Aemess the chosen Sibylline who is trying to guard her place in the heirochy. Both women have much at stake and many obstacles in their way. However, both are fierce and determined to get what they want.
This story was very original and I loved both protagonists, along with their many helpers along the way. The writing was very detailed and the connection I felt to the story was incredible. I couldn't put this novel down.
This story was very original and I loved both protagonists, along with their many helpers along the way. The writing was very detailed and the connection I felt to the story was incredible. I couldn't put this novel down.
November 25, 2022
Woman on the Wall by Robin Rivers is the first book of The Sibylline Chronicles, and is the author's debut novel. Admittedly, this is a completely new genre for me, and I was unsure if it would grip me in any significant way, but the short chapters and dual timeline soon captured my imagination and I found myself fully engaged in the narrative.
The Order of the Sibylline has kept the identity of its future prophetess hidden in the most famous painting in the world for over 500 years. Through dual timelines, the lives of two women, Marie, living in Paris in 1945, and Aesmeh, in Amboise, in 1519, are inextricably bound in a fantastical tale that will have them each fighting against the power and control of men.
If you are intrigued by historical fiction that blends seamlessly with the fantastical, you will do yourself a service to add this most impressive debut to your TBR.
Many thanks to author Robin Rivers for an ARC of this title.
The Order of the Sibylline has kept the identity of its future prophetess hidden in the most famous painting in the world for over 500 years. Through dual timelines, the lives of two women, Marie, living in Paris in 1945, and Aesmeh, in Amboise, in 1519, are inextricably bound in a fantastical tale that will have them each fighting against the power and control of men.
If you are intrigued by historical fiction that blends seamlessly with the fantastical, you will do yourself a service to add this most impressive debut to your TBR.
Many thanks to author Robin Rivers for an ARC of this title.
October 30, 2022
I was immersed from the moment I started reading and I selfishly read this one slowly because I didn’t want it to end. What a wonderful historical fiction full of mystery and intrigue. I loved Marie for her strength and wits. A book you can get lose yourself in.
September 26, 2022
A historical fantasy that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
You may struggle like me in the beginning to keep the characters and their motivations/storylines straight, but hang in there. As always, I enjoy a book with shorter chapters to keep me entertained.
This was a interesting storyline that took place in both post world war 2 France as well as 1519 France. I have been intrigued by the Mona Lisa and Da Vinci and this book served my curiosity.
Marie is such a strong character and strong woman. She’s endured so much from being in a Nazi camp to the adrenaline of trying to find her daughter and the Mona Lisa. Who does she trust? Robin did a excellent job of weaving the two timelines together.
If you are a fan of fantasy and world war 2 era, I think you would enjoy this book.
Thank you to the publisher and author Robin Rivers for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
You may struggle like me in the beginning to keep the characters and their motivations/storylines straight, but hang in there. As always, I enjoy a book with shorter chapters to keep me entertained.
This was a interesting storyline that took place in both post world war 2 France as well as 1519 France. I have been intrigued by the Mona Lisa and Da Vinci and this book served my curiosity.
Marie is such a strong character and strong woman. She’s endured so much from being in a Nazi camp to the adrenaline of trying to find her daughter and the Mona Lisa. Who does she trust? Robin did a excellent job of weaving the two timelines together.
If you are a fan of fantasy and world war 2 era, I think you would enjoy this book.
Thank you to the publisher and author Robin Rivers for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
September 26, 2022
An elegantly told story rich with intrigue, mystery and adventure. There are secret caves, intricate codes, complex betrayals, traumatic deaths and narrow escapes from death.
From the war torn streets of Paris to the not-so-peaceful French countryside, this story is riveting all the way through.
The main characters are strong and well developed, which makes you really care about them. This is a book I'll read again and I look forward to the next one in the series.
From the war torn streets of Paris to the not-so-peaceful French countryside, this story is riveting all the way through.
The main characters are strong and well developed, which makes you really care about them. This is a book I'll read again and I look forward to the next one in the series.
April 24, 2023
There are a lot of really cool things about this book. First of all, who doesn’t love the idea of a powerful all-female group of magical prophetess-protectors? I mean, yes, please. There should be more of that in reading and in the world in general. I love the idea of women as the protectors. These women are also healers and can take care of their own in various ways, which I loved. It’s always interesting when a group has all the internal resources they need to not only succeed but thrive and solve problems when they arrive. Here is one of my first complaints, though. The author writes about the Sibylline as if this were a thing we all know about. And maybe everyone but me knows what a Sibyl is, but I personally did not and I kept hoping that more would be explained. I even looked it up, thinking that maybe I was missing something, but the actual definition was just a prophetess, so that wasn’t so helpful. I'm thinking this particular group of Sibylline and how they function is something the author made up? If so, I would have liked to know more about it because the idea is so cool!
This book is a time hop book between 1945 and 1519 when apparently DaVinci’s “The Mona Lisa,” which is the key to the next Sibyl (this was all a little confusing), was lost. The 1519 chapters were written in first person, and the 1945 chapters were third person between a few rotating characters. I don’t know why the author used this was the style, but I didn’t find it particularly effective. The first person didn’t feel more intimate or give us more insight into the Sibylline, which is what I would hope to get from a first-person account.
The story was, without a doubt, fast-paced. There was a lot of running around, shooting at people, running up and down hills, running through hidden chambers, hiding in various places, etc. If you like books like “The DaVinci Code” where there is lots of action like that, this is totally your book. For me, I found it somewhat confusing sometimes. I was trying to follow the fights and flees and such, but it was confusing at times. Also, the characters were always switching sides, betraying each other, or trying to tell each other that they’re not, etc., etc. It was confusing. There were a ton of twists and turns and it seemed to go on forever.
The other thing that I found somewhat confusing was that it was supposed to take place in an “alternate history,” which I think was that maybe WWII ended in favor of the Nazis? I was never quite sure about this. Nazis were still bad, and we could always tell who they were by the smell of ersatz soap (boy was that mentioned a lot), but other than that, I’m not quite sure of how it all went.
The prose in this book is good, and it was easy to read. The author is obviously an accomplished one, but I felt like maybe this was her first foray into this kind of writing—a longer book with a longer story arch. Also, there were a lot of moving parts that didn’t necessarily all come together in a cohesive whole. There were a lot of questions. The characters in this book weren’t very well-developed, and we didn’t know much about them. There were some really interesting characters, too, that I would have liked to know more about. Truthfully, I wish this book was just about the Sibylline. I think it would have made for a really great historical novel, and there was a lot to explore there. Plus, the idea of a group of prophetesses with magical powers is a fun one.
That being said, if you are a person who loves “The DaVinci Code,” or “National Treasure,” or any other stories like that, I think you would like this book, especially because it’s so fun to have female protagonists who are so strong and smart! They really do run circles around the men in this book.
Read my full review here: https://www.readingforsanity.com/2023...
This book is a time hop book between 1945 and 1519 when apparently DaVinci’s “The Mona Lisa,” which is the key to the next Sibyl (this was all a little confusing), was lost. The 1519 chapters were written in first person, and the 1945 chapters were third person between a few rotating characters. I don’t know why the author used this was the style, but I didn’t find it particularly effective. The first person didn’t feel more intimate or give us more insight into the Sibylline, which is what I would hope to get from a first-person account.
The story was, without a doubt, fast-paced. There was a lot of running around, shooting at people, running up and down hills, running through hidden chambers, hiding in various places, etc. If you like books like “The DaVinci Code” where there is lots of action like that, this is totally your book. For me, I found it somewhat confusing sometimes. I was trying to follow the fights and flees and such, but it was confusing at times. Also, the characters were always switching sides, betraying each other, or trying to tell each other that they’re not, etc., etc. It was confusing. There were a ton of twists and turns and it seemed to go on forever.
The other thing that I found somewhat confusing was that it was supposed to take place in an “alternate history,” which I think was that maybe WWII ended in favor of the Nazis? I was never quite sure about this. Nazis were still bad, and we could always tell who they were by the smell of ersatz soap (boy was that mentioned a lot), but other than that, I’m not quite sure of how it all went.
The prose in this book is good, and it was easy to read. The author is obviously an accomplished one, but I felt like maybe this was her first foray into this kind of writing—a longer book with a longer story arch. Also, there were a lot of moving parts that didn’t necessarily all come together in a cohesive whole. There were a lot of questions. The characters in this book weren’t very well-developed, and we didn’t know much about them. There were some really interesting characters, too, that I would have liked to know more about. Truthfully, I wish this book was just about the Sibylline. I think it would have made for a really great historical novel, and there was a lot to explore there. Plus, the idea of a group of prophetesses with magical powers is a fun one.
That being said, if you are a person who loves “The DaVinci Code,” or “National Treasure,” or any other stories like that, I think you would like this book, especially because it’s so fun to have female protagonists who are so strong and smart! They really do run circles around the men in this book.
Read my full review here: https://www.readingforsanity.com/2023...
September 19, 2022
As I read the book blurb, I was instantly intrigued by this historical fantasy and the promise of an alternative timeline. The cover was beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed the dual timelines/dual perspectives of the two characters.
This book contains a little bit of all my favorite things in a book. There were secret societies, action, mystery, fantasy and romance. Not to mention great examples of strong female characters. I was both inspired by their strength/bravery and felt empathetic to their individual struggles.
I also really love books that include characters that are based on real people, real art and/or really historical stories. I think it creates more depth and interest in the plot that it includes Leonardo Da Vinci and the Mona Lisa as a large part of the storyline.
The end of the book leaves the reader with a smallish cliffhanger, which tells me that more of this story is possible! I can’t wait to see what comes next.
This book contains a little bit of all my favorite things in a book. There were secret societies, action, mystery, fantasy and romance. Not to mention great examples of strong female characters. I was both inspired by their strength/bravery and felt empathetic to their individual struggles.
I also really love books that include characters that are based on real people, real art and/or really historical stories. I think it creates more depth and interest in the plot that it includes Leonardo Da Vinci and the Mona Lisa as a large part of the storyline.
The end of the book leaves the reader with a smallish cliffhanger, which tells me that more of this story is possible! I can’t wait to see what comes next.
June 30, 2024
The paragraph-by-paragraph writing in this novel is really good, and these people sound French. So this book has its charms.
Unfortunately, there's almost no scene-setting in the book, which means on a moment-by-moment basis, you don't know where the characters are, or what anything looks like, and allies and villains alike seem to abruptly appear out of nowhere, all the time, whenever it's narratively convenient.
For that reason, I had quite a bit of trouble following the plot, and thus I found it really easy to put the book down. (I think I bought this novel about two months ago, and I only just finished it. I read several other novels in the meanwhile.)
So in summary: Nice sentence-by-sentence writing, but I didn't find the storytelling persuasive.
Unfortunately, there's almost no scene-setting in the book, which means on a moment-by-moment basis, you don't know where the characters are, or what anything looks like, and allies and villains alike seem to abruptly appear out of nowhere, all the time, whenever it's narratively convenient.
For that reason, I had quite a bit of trouble following the plot, and thus I found it really easy to put the book down. (I think I bought this novel about two months ago, and I only just finished it. I read several other novels in the meanwhile.)
So in summary: Nice sentence-by-sentence writing, but I didn't find the storytelling persuasive.
January 14, 2023
Vivid, intricate and compelling. I felt like I was living in the story along with the characters. Looking forward to the next book!
January 15, 2023
I follow Robin on social media and I am such a fan of her adventures. I know Robin loves visiting historical sites. Reading this novel, I can see how all her travel and research have contributed to the worldbuilding of the Sibylline Chronicles. It's a tale which weaves the familiar and unfamiliar. I loved the 1945 France wartime setting and I've read lots of work set in this time and place before. The novel offers new perspectives on things I recognise (like wartime France) and introduces me to lots of concepts and ideas that were previously unfamiliar to me (like Renaissance artwork -- and I've added 'sfumato' to my lexicon: thank you!) A really interesting read. I could see this working well as a film. (Side note: I wonder if Robin has ever written narrative non-fiction? I would certainly be up for a Rivers travelogue or history.)
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