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    The Secret Language of Stones
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    The Secret Language of Stones
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    The Secret Language of Stones
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Secret Language of Stones

    Written by M. J. Rose

    Narrated by Anna Bentinck

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Nestled within Paris’s historic Palais Royal is a jewelry store unlike any other. La Fantasie Russie is owned by Pavel Orloff, protégé to the famous Faberge, and is known by the city’s fashion elite as the place to find the rarest of gemstones and the most unique designs. But war has transformed Paris from a city of style and romance to a place of fear and mourning. In the summer of 1918, places where lovers used to walk, widows now wander alone. Employeed at La Fantasie Russie a girl with a special ability is sent on a dangerous journey to the darkest corners of wartime Paris.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateAug 9, 2016
    ISBN9781520002248
    Unavailable
    The Secret Language of Stones
    Author

    M. J. Rose

    New York Times bestselling author M.J. Rose grew up in New York City exploring the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum and the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park. She is the author of more than a dozen novels, the founder of the first marketing company for authors, AuthorBuzz.com and cofounder of 1001DarkNights.com She lives in Connecticut. Visit her online at MJRose.com. 

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    Reviews for The Secret Language of Stones

    4.5/5

    7 ratings8 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I am a fan of this author. I have enjoyed reading her books for years. This new series is great. Although, I have not read the first book, The Witch of Painted Sorrows. I did not feel like I missed anything by not having read the first book, yet I want to go back and read it after finishing this one. I was instantly drawn to Opal and her talent to create beautiful talisman where she is able to communicate with the dead. Besides this, I was really drawn to the story as a whole. With the time period and Opal's attraction to one particular talisman. Opal may not have a voice that speaks loud but when she does talk, she is to be heard. The ending was a great one. I finished this book in a few short hours. The Secret Language of Stones is a beautiful journey in time that you won't want to miss.
    • 4/5
      The Secret Language of Stones is the second book in The Daughters of La Lune series. I could have sworn I’d read the first book, The Witch of Painted Sorrows but apparently I hadn’t. I’ve read and enjoyed so many of Ms. Rose’s books I just assumed I’d read that one as well. It didn’t matter to my enjoyment of this book at all. I was particularly attracted to this book with it’s focus on gemstones – I do love gems and their mythology.Opaline Duplessi is a young woman with what some consider a gift but she considers a curse. She can “hear” gemstones. Or at least receive messages from the dead through them. She is a daughter of La Lune – a witch and her legacy manifests differently in each generation. Opaline wants to deny her gift but she really can’t so she decided to use it to help people grieving losses from the War. She goes to Paris and uses her skill as a jeweler to make special necklaces using the hair of the deceased – a talisman – that when she gives it to the mother or wife and holds their hands she will receive a message from their loved one. The work takes a huge emotional toll on her until she makes one for a woman and her son, a newspaper correspondent starts communicating with her. At first she questions her sanity but soon she comes to rely on his ethereal presence.The family for whom she works are Russian emigrees and are very passionate about their home country and long for the return of the Tsar. When they learn that the Bolsheviks have killed him they hear from the Dowager who is making a clandestine trip to England who wants Opaline to determine whether the rest of the family is alive or dead. She is reluctant but feels she owes the family for all they have done for her so she embarks on the dangerous mission.I did enjoy this book as I have enjoyed all of Ms. Rose’s books – although it did need a certain suspension of belief as all fantasy books do. I loved Opaline from the start – she is such a sweet thing. The story is interesting and I really enjoyed the jewelry aspects – I never made the kind of jewelry that Opaline does but reading about sparkly stones always makes me happy. I read this very quickly as it kept me turning the pages. A great summer read with some heartbreak, excitement and a love for the ages.
    • 5/5
      I love reading books by M.J. Rose. She writes with such atmosphere, and not only is there connection with the characters, there is also connection with the material world. It's like being immersed in a lovely cocoon as you read her books. Even more so with this series, The Daughters of La Lune.

      The psychic phenomena experienced by Opaline, the book's main character, is portrayed as a gift and a curse at the same time. Opaline is having difficulty coming to terms with her powers, and until she encounters someone she feels a deep connection with through her powers, she is almost ready to shut the door on them forever. This says much about the character of Opaline. She is so much of an individual that she wants to break free from the legacy of her mother, and her ancestor, La Lune...to be that individual. Yet, she recognizes the importance of this connection she has made. Opaline has depth and I love her (plus, my birthstone is opal...I loved learning about the ancient beliefs about the power of the opal). That's the true beauty of an M.J. Rose novel. You will fall in love with the characters.

      Another aspect of this book I enjoyed was the incorporation of history. The horrors of WWI were heartbreakingly described by those who were experiencing it on the homefront in France. We're shone that war is tragic for all involved...those fighting and those keeping things together at home. Also, the inclusion of the subject of the assassination of the Romanov family was an interesting element, as that is a story that endlessly fascinates me.

      I'm always excited when a M.J. Rose releases as new book. Truthfully, The Witch of Painted Sorrows (book one of the La Lune series), and this book can very easily be read as stand alone novels. However, to me it is so much the better for us readers that we can continue to experience these stories via the series. I can't recommend this book enough. You need to read it!

      (I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
    • 4/5
      Opaline, a talented jeweler, works in Paris for a protégée of Faberge. She has a special gift, the ability to connect with the spirit of the recently departed. However, one ghost seems to linger, and she can’t get him out of her mind. As rumors fly about the Romanov family, Opaline is pulled into Russia intrigue, putting herself in danger.Well written and engaging, this book flowed smoothly. It did seem to be too descriptive at times, leaving little to the imagination. The book combined interesting characters with an intriguing plot, keeping me reading until long into the night.
    • 5/5
      A gifted storyteller M.J. Rose takes us back to Paris during World War I in The Secret Language of Stones, the second book in The Daughters of La Lune series. Melding historical fiction, romance, and paranormal/occult gifts, Ms. Rose has created a world with multi-faceted characters, intriguing mysteries and an almost fantasy like romance. Although this book can be read on its own, to really enjoy the book I personally recommend reading The Witch of Painted Sorrows first. Ms. Rose does a wonderful job introducing the primary character, Opaline Duplessi, right from the start. An apprentice jeweler, Opaline has inherited a rare gift from her mother, a form of lithomancy/necromancy. Able to receive messages from the precious stones she works with, Opaline uses her talents to pass on messages from the dead to their loved ones, and she’s got plenty to work with living in Paris during World War I. I really liked Opaline’s character right from the start, she’s determined not to make the same mistakes with the gifts she’s inherited from her mother, Sandrine (the main character in The Witch of Painted Sorrows) and works to make sure her gift doesn’t drag her into the darkness. The secondary characters are also well developed and I really enjoyed getting to know Monsieur Orloff, the master jeweler Opaline goes to work for, his wife Anna and their son Grigori. Russian ex-patriots living in Paris, they secretly work to gather funds, and whatever else they can, to free the Russian Royal Family from the Bolsheviks and restore the Russian monarchy so they can go home. I enjoyed the occasional glimpses we got of Sandrine, Opaline’s mother, and her continued attempts to get Opaline to embrace and build on her gifts from La Lune. Using the darkness of World War I, and the political, social and emotional upheaval it caused, Ms. Rose makes you feel as if you are in Paris through one if it’s most difficult periods. Air raids, food shortages, severely wounded soldiers, and the fear of the unknown, all become a part of daily life. Still, this is Paris and Ms. Rose reminds us of its beauty and charm, a beauty and charm that no war can fully destroy. The story’s pace is fairly even, though there are some points that were a little slow, and Ms. Rose’s voice as an author is well established and highly enjoyable.The romantic aspect of the story is different and interesting because Opaline has several relationships throughout the book. And not all of them are with flesh and blood characters – and that’s all I’ll say about that because I don’t want to give away too much. I will say that the story has a really great ending and that the epilogue really brought things together. Will Opaline learn to embrace all of her gift or will she only dabble with the “magick” she has inherited from her family? Will she become an accidental victim of the political machinations of her friends and mentor? And will she find the love she’s looking for? You’ll have to read The Secret Language of Stones to find out. I really enjoyed this installment in the La Lune series and hope we get to read about both Opaline and Sandrine’s future.
    • 3/5
      It is 1918, and Opaline Duplessi has been working in Paris for three years in the jewelry shop of her Russian friends Pavel and Anna Orloff. Opaline specializes in making talismans for mothers whose sons died in the war. The descendant of a witch, Opaline practices “a combination of psychometry and lithomancy.. . ” This means that when she combines personal items, such as locks of hair, with gemstones, she can receive messages from beyond the grave, and pass them on to grieving loved ones.Everything changes when Opaline receives a visit from the mother of Jean Luc Forêt, lost on the front. Jean Luc was a journalist and author of the “Ma Cher” columns in the paper - weekly columns to a fictional, unnamed fiancée. As Jean Luc’s mother explains, every woman imagined that she was “Ma Cher.”To Opaline’s shock, Jean Luc begins to speak directly to her through the talisman. Thus Opaline can’t resist keeping the actual talisman of Jean Luc, substituting a replica for his mother. She then begins to have a relationship with a ghost. And this is no tepid relationship either.Moreover, there is some background intrigue regarding the changing government in Russia, and several of the characters are put in grave danger.Discussion: I found this book to be very reminiscent of Susanna Kearsley’s book The Firebird, with its mix of the paranormal skill of psychometry, emphasis on arts and artifacts, and Russian history (albeit set some 150 years later). But this book has an emphasis on “paranormal sex,” which to me seemed more than a bit over the top. In addition, I didn’t find either the twist or the ending unexpected at all.Evaluation: This was a fairly enjoyable read, at least for the parts about the history of WWI Paris and the information about gemstones. I suspect many women will appreciate the erotica, but for me, it was a turn-off, so to speak. Other reviewers enjoyed it more, however.
    • 4/5
      The Secret Language of Stones is the second book in The Daughters of La Lune series. I could have sworn I’d read the first book, The Witch of Painted Sorrows but apparently I hadn’t. I’ve read and enjoyed so many of Ms. Rose’s books I just assumed I’d read that one as well. It didn’t matter to my enjoyment of this book at all. I was particularly attracted to this book with it’s focus on gemstones – I do love gems and their mythology.Opaline Duplessi is a young woman with what some consider a gift but she considers a curse. She can “hear” gemstones. Or at least receive messages from the dead through them. She is a daughter of La Lune – a witch and her legacy manifests differently in each generation. Opaline wants to deny her gift but she really can’t so she decided to use it to help people grieving losses from the War. She goes to Paris and uses her skill as a jeweler to make special necklaces using the hair of the deceased – a talisman – that when she gives it to the mother or wife and holds their hands she will receive a message from their loved one. The work takes a huge emotional toll on her until she makes one for a woman and her son, a newspaper correspondent starts communicating with her. At first she questions her sanity but soon she comes to rely on his ethereal presence.The family for whom she works are Russian emigrees and are very passionate about their home country and long for the return of the Tsar. When they learn that the Bolsheviks have killed him they hear from the Dowager who is making a clandestine trip to England who wants Opaline to determine whether the rest of the family is alive or dead. She is reluctant but feels she owes the family for all they have done for her so she embarks on the dangerous mission.I did enjoy this book as I have enjoyed all of Ms. Rose’s books – although it did need a certain suspension of belief as all fantasy books do. I loved Opaline from the start – she is such a sweet thing. The story is interesting and I really enjoyed the jewelry aspects – I never made the kind of jewelry that Opaline does but reading about sparkly stones always makes me happy. I read this very quickly as it kept me turning the pages. A great summer read with some heartbreak, excitement and a love for the ages.
    • 4/5
      I have been a huge fan of M.J Rose for a few years now. Her writing is just magic…yes that is a play on words. The novels I have read by her are about the dark arts or about mystical realms. Not usually my genre, however M.J. Rose keeps me captivated. The way she takes me through many experiences with interwoven history is pure enchantment. Opaline is a jeweler in WWI. She takes stones, personalizes them, makes amulets then hears messages from the dead soldiers. Until the one soldier who becomes a part of her world.The characters are so real for me in this novel (even the ghost). Opaline’s fears, loves, and excitements all charmed me and just made the image of her so complete. The setting is another magical arena. Opaline helps many a grieving woman with these amulets. When she helps a Russian aristocrat, it opens her eyes about many things! I wanted to hear more about Russian Revolution, maybe in the next novel. The story takes some weird turns for me. This is the only reason for the 4 stars. Most people who read fantasy would not think it is weird. It was a turn off for me but, like I said earlier, I was so wrapped up in the characters and the setting, it was just a bump in the road! I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.