I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this book but it certainly wasn’t Demons, Magicians and the secret of Atlantis ! Add in a somewhat discredited archaeologist who gets embroiled in a murder investigation in Venice and it really was an interesting story . There’s an evil plot, characters with their own issues and of course a romance. I just honestly found myself getting sucked in and would definitely read more from this author.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

This book is not at all what I expected but in the best way! The book begins very much like a typical police procedural, which concerned me as those are not my kind of books, but very quickly shows itself to be something very unique. The novel begins with the charismatic Italian police officer investigating a gruesome crime scene. He is told that Penelope is an expert on the writing found at the crime scene so he contacts her for help. Penelope is an expert on Atlantis, and even found a unique piece of evidence about it, but has found her reputation to be tarnished by her work. Shortly after arriving in Venice strange things start happening and before long she meets Alexis, a man that she feels a connection with, who introduces who to a world beyond even her imagination.

I felt the best part of this novel was in the middle as Penelope gets to know Alexis and his story. Along with those of his friends who are very unique and in the case of one quite amusing. Then once again the crime that brought Penelope to Venice makes itself known again. The novel ends in a way that very much sets up what I hope will be a new series. There are a lot of questions hanging at the end that I want to find out about. The author has a great cast of characters here that I would like to see again. This book is a lot of fun and a great adventure with a very unique premise. I can’t wait to read more!

What an absolutely refreshing read! Packed with adventure and intrigue this book was such a lovely reprieve to the heavier novels I have been reading. Magic, adventure, whit, and beautiful details make this book an absolutely delicious read. I will be adding Amy Kuivalainen to my list of authors to follow as I adore her style of writing. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed The Da Vinci Code or Discovery of Witches as it's magical realism is just as enticing and addictive as those novels.

I'm a fantasy gall, so when you give me a read where the main character is a badass gall? And put Atlantis in the middle? With some nice misterious guy around? Ooh boy do you have my attention on the story!

And Amy's writting? AMAZING! I didn't even see the time fly as I went along the ride discovering mysteries all around!

A 10/10 would recommend and read again!

This book is a whole lot of fun.

It starts with an idea the story will go one way, and then a twist hits you and you are off on a different direction.

The writing is compelling, and the characters are the types that grab you at the start and pull you along the whole way.

I loved it.

The lovely cover and title caught my eye, but unfortunately this fell pretty flat for me. The book was well-written enough, easy to read, and with good pacing, but the formulaic story arc along with flat characters reduced to little more than their romantic plots meant that I was never really invested in the story or the characters.

This may have been my own misunderstanding of the synopsis, but I was definitely expecting a little more detective novel and a little less fantasy romance. (I mean, chakra orgasm, really? did we have to go there?) The plot, which had promise, seemed to take a backseat to the instalove, predictable, at times slightly-cringeworthy romance between Penelope and Alexis. I've read dozens of YA novels where the romance was better-executed and I was actually invested, but here it felt heavy-handed and boring.

The other main issue I had while reading were the moments that were just impossible to believe - not the fantasy aspect, the magic, the existence of Atlantis - that was all fine, but the more mundane details that are much harder to extend one's willing suspension of disbelief. E.g., a failed academic just waltzes into a murder investigation in another country and is immediately not only let on to the case, but allowed to make speculations about the case well outside of her (dubious) area of expertise as an academic? Seven immortals are "determined to protect" Penelope, but for some reason, leave her alone and unsupervised at every other turn? These things were really jarring, leading me to hard eye-roll and have difficulty really getting fully immersed in the story.

Overall summary: well-written, interesting premise, but with some major flaws that led the book to not be for me.

My first five star review ever, brace yourselves for the glory that is this book.

‘Immortal City’ is an adult contemporary fantasy novel by Amy Kuivalainen. It’s set in Venice and tells us about Atlantis – what a delightful combination. Never having been a fan of contemporary fantasy or Atlantis, I was so pleasantly surprised!

The world is beautiful. It’s Venice but turned up to eleven. I have never been but I could vividly imagine the canals and the buildings described. The bits about Atlantis are also wonderful – full of colour and promise for next books.

The plot and the pacing is well-done. The book follows the protagonist while she solves the ritualistic serial murders happening around Venice while discovering Atlantis and engaging in a steamy romance along the way. Once this books grips you, it doesn’t let go. The twists are predictable but still satisfying, and the whole books comes with a subtle global warming warning.

I loved the strong female protagonist. Exactly what an empowered woman should be, Penelope is brave but vulnerable, smart but capable of trust and care. She is easy to like without being on the nose and her genuine interest in her job was refreshing – so many protagonists forget about what drives them as the plot swipes them away to bigger and better things.

The side characters are entertaining and there is a good mixture of banter and romance mixed with the action. Alexis is wonderful - protective but not overbearing, strong and suave but not an asshole. The book is a sterling example of finding the balance in all things to create likable characters in a colourful, realistic world.

The writing style is easy to read and polished. Ms Kuivalainen weaves Italian words well in the text to create a more authentic reading experience but I found myself reaching for Google a few times. I can’t speak Italian but I can now read it! (-ish)

Review will be posted on my website and formatted on Goodreads on 28th June.

I got into this one a little slowly. It starts with a bizarre ritualistic murder, followed by an introduction to Penelope Byrne, archaeological researcher with an obsession with Atlantis.

The story quickly picks up and I got drawn in with interest. The story is part mystery, part fantasy magic. Some of the reveals feel a little clumsy and cliffhangers at the end of chapters were a little overdone, enough to feel contrived, but I liked the author's use of smell to create associations.

I'll admit what first got me interested in this story was that it was set in Venice, Italy. I've been there once for not long enough and was looking to capture the feel of the city. In that I wasn't entirely satisfied and felt a lot of things could have used more description, especially the reactions of the characters to events or things people said to them.

I felt the writing was around average. The story drew me in, but so many plot points felt under developed! The magic was also too Harry-Potter-fantasy to fit with an otherwise historical mystery feel. It was an original take on Atlantean mythology though and deserves points for that.

As it got close to the end, I couldn't help thinking it was getting set up for a 'next book'. I did like the ending, but the set up for the next book makes me feel the story is unfinished and that's a sore point with me in this age of series mentality. I prefer stand alone stories in general so that I get a complete story without having to buy more books!

This one could have had me for the next story if it had given me that feeling of being in Venice. The characters showed distinctive personalities and apart from a little too convenient magic, it was mostly believable on a fantasy level.

When an ancient script is found at a gruesome murder scene, Inspector Marco Dandolo contacts the author of a paper written about the Atlantis Tablet, Dr. Penelope Bryne, whom he hopes can help shed some light on what the script means. Instead of providing a response via email or over the phone, she hops on a plane and flys to beautiful Venice in hopes that she can help assist on the case and learn who wrote the script and why.

However, what she didn't expect while there was to be drawn to Alexis Donato, a man who has been sabotaging her professional career for years in order keep the truth about Atlantis a secret. She also didn't expect to begin to learn the secrets of Atlantis and its survivors, who all want to help solve the ritual murders along with her and the police.

I've always found Atlantis to be an intriguing story plot because of all different avenue's an author can go down to create their story. Does it still exist? What happened? Is anything left? In The Immortal City, the author uses modern day world to begin the tale. At the beginning the book feels like a crime novel, a mystery/thriller that I found such a nice change of pace for a book in the fantasy genre. Slowly we begin to engage with the mystery and what clues they can find, but then Alexis, an Atlantean, enters and the fantasy part of the story begins to merge with the crime novel portion.

Once we meet Alexis, our exposure into the Atlantean world begins, which takes us in a new phase within the book. At that point we begin to get to know of it's culture, magical system, history, and about other Atlanteans. I will add that I found it rather disturbing once I learned the lengths they will go to protect their Atlantis secrets and I appreciated how Penelope didn't immediately trust them, although I probably would have been wary a lot longer than she was. However, the ritual murders is never forgotten in these sections of the book and the reader is brought back to the crime they are trying to solve. However, solving the crime only brings more questions that don't necessarily have answers - at least answers, yet.

Overall, I liked the story and thought it was nicely done. The middle section wasn't always my cup of tea, but in the end this series was set up very nicely for the next in the Magicians of Venice series, Book 2.

With an intriguing premise, and the promise of magic, mystery, and mischief, this book seemed right up my alley, as I’m rather fond of the likes of the Felix Castor novels and Hellblazer comics. Instead, this turned out to be more like the SyFy series, The Magicians, which I also enjoy, but differently. The book is divided into three parts, the first sets the scene, the second is trashy romance and should’ve been cut in half, and the third brings the drama to a climax. The writing was often laughably bad (tell me Penelope’s an “academic” one more time), the characters paper-thin (women are more than objects, and there’s more to life than sex and wine), and there were 20+ typographical and grammatical errors, but somehow I still enjoyed this. Not everything I read needs to be smart or deep. Sometimes I just want cheap thrills and eye rolls. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one book you do not want to pass up! It was so much better then I was even hoping for. Think Venice, Lost City of Atlantis and very hot Magicians! Yeah I know what you're thinking- because when I think of magicians, I think of those awkward magicians you see on TV and creepy clowns at like a street fair but these Magicians were definitely not those. So throw those images right out of your head! These Magicians are from another time and another place and did I say OH SO VERY HOT! I seriously had dreams about all three for days. To say the least, I was very pleasantly surprised and I'm really hoping the publisher opts to continue this as a series if they haven't already. I need more of these Immortals right now!

*I received this ARC from NetGalley and BHC Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

What an amazingly original take on the "lost city" premise. There is everything that makes an adventure story engaging: mystery, mayhem, magic, and Atlantis! This was a real page-turner.

Thank you NetGalley and BHC Press for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.

This was a really fantastic story - in every sense of the word. Kuivalainen has created a marvelous world out of the mystery of Venice, which is a magical enough place without immortals walking among us... The world-building and backstory development here are very well done and really set the stage for the mysteries, revelations, and intrigue to develop. It had a little more of a romance feel at times than I usually prefer, but the originality of the Atlanteans and the magic surrounding their enclave made up for it for me. I haven't seen any indication that this is a first-in-series, but it certainly set itself up for a continuation if the author decides to write in that direction - and I hope she does, as I found this world compelling and engaging and would really like to spend more time here!

3.5/5 Stars

This book was interesting and pretty well-written, but had a weird magical element that felt out of place in the realistic world. The crime was fine, but the realness of Atlantis felt off, as if Dan Brown suddenly decided that magic WAS real in the Da Vinci Code. I think it was fine and it would be an interesting read - but I don't think I would read another like it.

So I got this arc from Netgally in exchange for an honest review!

Okay, so, wow! This cover, right? I loved it when I saw it, and I'm so glad I read it. This one is adult fantasy and follows 35yo Dr Penelope Bryne as she helps a Venetian detective solve a murder related to her field of expertise--Atlantis. And there's magic involved! This was a solid 3/5 for me, and I can't wait for the rest to come out! Although, this one doesn't even come out until September 19th lol.

To be honest, it did take me a few chapters to get into it. Penelope felt kind of flat and depressed, which made sense(afterwards) considering academic career was being questioned and ridiculed. But once she got to Venice and threw herself into deciphering the lost language used in the sacrifices, things picked up SO much. Penelope really came out of her shell and went full academic nerd while in her element, which was really awesome to see in a character.

As for supporting characters, damn, I loved them all. Alexis was amazingly sweet to Penelope (but also very sex-eyes, which im not complaining about) and his family dynamic was my favorite kind--slightly dysfunctional, but beautifully close at the same time with a big sprinkle of drama and wit.

The beautiful descriptions of Venice and the historical research that went into this book really helped set the story for me, and I really appreciated the effort that went into it. It was a a solid read!

The Immortal City is a story of adventure and magic set in Venice. The story opens with a fairly gruesome murder which is clearly some form of ritual. The cavern in which the body is found is covered with a strange script which leads the investigating officer to contact Doctor Penelope Byrne, a much ridiculed academic who specialises in studying, and trying to locate, Atlantis. Penelope is so excited that she gets straight onto a plane and flies to Italy from her home in Australia to be at the heart of the action. She is soon appointed as an advisor to the investigation and her troubles truly begin as both the evil doers and a group of centuries old survivors from Atlantis start to take an interest in her.

Penelope is a well written heroine, she is impulsive and obsessed with finding the truth about Atlantis, but also very real. As her adventure unfolds it is impossible not to draw comparisons with Lara Croft but I can't visualise Lara stopping work so that she can meditate for a few minutes. Penelope is a strong character who knows what she wants and is not afraid to stand up to those who get in her way, even when they are on her side.

The Atlanteans are also well drawn and although very powerful are certainly neither infallible nor so far beyond the understanding of mortals as to appear godlike. They squabble, flirt and argue like any other group of people. Their story and the tragedy which struck their homeland is woven through the novel and we understand why they behave in the way that they do even though so many centuries have passed.

Although the bulk of the tale concerns Penelope and the Atlanteans the other players are not forgotten. Marco, the lead investigator as well as the various thugs and villains all have real character and are believable. The real enemy is only revealed towards the end although there are clues as to who might be responsible for the carnage. There is a sense of real menace when they finally appear and their motives, whilst evil are wholly consistent with what we know of them.

The unstated star of the story is, of course, Venice itself. The city is brought to life in the pages with the spectacle of Carnivale contrasted with the dank caverns in which the victims meet their end. It is easy to picture the various characters moving through the canals and streets as the investigation unfolds.

My one criticism would be that some of the dialogue is a little inconsistent. For example I can't see a ten thousand year old magician saying 'if only you would have come from...' Although they have adapted to the changing world over their long lives this felt a step too far, almost as though the author was so excited in the writing of her tale that she didn't keep control over her characters and let them get away with some unlikely colloquialisms. This is a very minor point though and did not detract in any way from my enjoyment of the story.

At one point Penelope has her chakras balanced by one of the Atlanteans. My wife is a reiki master and has balanced my chakras and energies many times but never ever with the effect it has on our heroine. If ever I meet an Atlantean sorceress I am definitely going to ask them to make sure I am balanced!

This is an exciting and page turning novel which draws from many influences to create a new take on the Legend of Atlantis. The conclusion is satisfying but this book is clearly the start of a series and I look forward to reading what happens next.

Dr. Penelope Bryne's academic career has be belittled since her quest to find the remnants of Atlantis became a joke. But when an ancient and mysterious script is found at a murder site in Venice, she flies there, determined to help the police. Penelope has spent her entire life trying to ignore the magical history of Atlantis, but when she meets the Alexis Donato and his fellow magicians, everything she thinks she knows will be challenged. As Alexis draws her into the darkly, seductive world of magic and history, Penelope will have to use her heart as well as her head if she is to find the answers she seeks.
Venice seems to be the perfect setting for a group magicians from Atlantis. As the first in a series, it did a good job of setting things up for future volumes. Plotting was solid and well paced until the end which seemed a little rushed. Character backgrounds were well developed although too many of them were too attractive.
Overall, a good, solid opener. I will be looking forward to the next in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dr. Penelope Bryne was publicly disgraced when she went public with research that claimed the legends of Atlantis were based on a real place, a la Troy, even though that struck this reader as a perfectly logical academic argument for her to make, and the whole "she's saying magic is real" assessment of the academic community was a giant non sequitur cause she never even implied that. When a woman is ritualistically murdered in Venice, with strange symbols scrawled around her, Penelope ends up heading to La Serenissima to consult with the police.

This book was . . . bland. After the first few paragraphs, I decided this would probably be a breezy fantasy-laden murder mystery---light, but fun. Well, light this certainly was, but the fun part ended up being nowhere to be found. The plot didn't just fail to grab me; things happen that are clearly meant to be major plot points, and all I could think while reading was "I am bored to tears". The plot feels like it has no stakes, even where it clearly should have stakes, and quite a few parts were, honestly, just very badly written. The author's sense of pacing was pretty nonexistent.

There is a certain sameness to the characters, a thinness, a superficiality; I didn't care what happened to them, and their dialog always sort of clunked against the ear. Everyone spoke in the same way, with the same voice, and that voice was . . . not like how people actually speak. The magical elements were handled in a weirdly pedestrian way, which . . . sounds pretentious, I know, but I'm not sure how else to describe it. Magic just sort of plops woodenly into the plot. There was no magic to the magic. I felt like I was reading about a billing argument in a dentist's office, not an ancient magical feud.

Overall, I'd say this was definitely a clunker. Not recommended.

The publisher provided me with the opportunity to read this in exchange for providing feedback. (via NetGalley)

Review somewhere between 3.75-4 stars. The author writes well and this was an easy read.

I found the story to immediately hook me in and wanted to keep reading, the idea of a forgotten language and god suddenly arising after thousands of years was fascinating. I also thoroughly enjoyed the idea of magicians existing in the world for thousands of years hidden from mankind but one human has managed to get through to them and that person is Dr Penelope Bryne.

Penelope has always loved the mystery of Atlantis and even though people make fun of her she never gives up trying to find it and prove that it exists. I loved her drive and passion in the book, she is a massively strong character but also has her weaknesses but she knows how to control this using her yoga and meditation practises. I have never had much time for yoga but reading this book has made me want to try it again.

The setting of the book was beautifully chosen, what better place to choose than Venice? I would love to visit Venice because it always strikes me as a magical place especially when Carnivale is taking place. I hope in the next books Venice will feature heavily and we get to see more of the catacombs and hidden parts of Venice.

The seven magicians were brilliant as they all have their own individual characters which comes through their magic. So each magician engages their magic differently depending on how their magic is formed and created. They all reminded me of Greek Gods and by their descriptions they look like Greek Gods as well. Although they also seem like teenagers when left unattended by a responsible person for too long. All in all it seems like a fun place to be when they are all playing around.

I loved this book so much I have actually pre-ordered the hardback of the book to read again and hopefully one day will have a hardback sequel to add to the collection. I highly recommend this book to fantasy and history lovers.