Immortal Muse

Starred review from January 27, 2014
In this centuries-spanning historical fantasy, Leigh (Assassin’s Dawn) spins an epic tale of love and hate. It starts with French alchemist Nicolas Flamel, and his wife, Perenelle, in 1352. When Perenelle develops an elixir that bestows immortality, they find themselves unable to die. Her eternal existence is fueled by the symbiotic relationships she forms with creative types as their muse; Nicolas is driven by the need to inflict suffering and death. She wants to survive. He wants to torment her. As their paths cross time and again across numerous lifetimes, Perenelle is forced to constantly reinvent herself and take on new friends and lovers. When they meet again in modern New York City, it seems as though their war may finally be over. Leigh seamlessly inserts his two immortals into history, playing with actual people and events to deliver beautifully-rendered glimpses of different eras. Leigh strikes the perfect balance between past and present, real and imagined.

March 15, 2014

Taking as his inspiration the real-life 14th-century figures of Nicholas Flamel and wife Perenelle, Leigh (Dark Water's Embrace) tells a story of love and hate spanning centuries. Both Perenelle and Nicholas pursue alchemical secrets, but Perenelle ultimately discovers an elixir that grants immortality. It has unpredictable side effects, however, causing Perenelle to need the creativity of artists to sustain her. The story is mainly told within a modern time period when Perenelle, now known as Camille, meets a talented young photographer and becomes his muse. Interspersed are chapters detailing some of the other luminaries that Perenelle inspires through the centuries, such as Antonio Vivaldi and Gustav Klimt. But Nicholas always finds her, determined to learn the secret to re-creating the elixir. VERDICT Sweeping in scope and full of action and danger, this well-constructed historical fantasy takes an original look at the nature of creativity. If Nicholas is slightly mustache-twirly in his evilness, the compelling "immortal muse" Perenelle more than compensates.

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