This book was a fun enough read but it didn't really live up to the great premise.
The magic was intriguing and there were some great characters. Sadly, Penelope - the main character - ruined it for me.

The reader is constantly reminded that she is an academic and therefor works on the scientific side of the mystery of Atlantis... it is greatly in the way of developing any spark of sympathy for her, at least in my opinion.

I would have loved this story but I could not really get into it, there was something missing that I just can't name.

Still, thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read this ARC!

I'll admit, I was hesitant going into this book. There were so many things that could go wrong with this premise, but I really ended up liking it. It's a little bit murder mystery and snarky academia meets the magic of Atlantis. See, even as I write that, it feels kind of bonkers. But alas! This is a really fun, solid read. I cannot wait until the next book comes out. There's going to be a sequel, isn't there, Ms. Kuivalainen?

I really enjoyed this book. I am not sure what genre it was supposed to be in...I put it in with YA and Fantasy, but it was quick-paced, exciting and had multiple characters that you could sink your teeth into. For once, I don't mind that it was part one of a trilogy. I look forward to reading the rest of the set.

First, let me preface this review by pointing out how gorgeous the cover is. It fits the tone of the book nicely. Unfortunately, The Immortal City is not something to write home about. It reads as an average book, which is why I give it three stars. The pacing is fast with only a few hiccups in between where I felt the author could have added more detail. The characters skirt the line between authentic and cardboard cutouts, and the dialogue borders on cheesy and cliche. I wasn't too thrilled to read another paranormal romance between an "average" mortal woman, and a "hot" tall, dark, and handsome immortal man, but that is just my opinion. I did, however, take issue with the main character, Penelope. We are told over and over how smart and wonderful she is by most of the other characters, but we don't actually see this intelligence come into play very often. I just felt like the other characters were there only to serve her purpose, and not have a purpose of their own. All in all, it is not a terrible book, only average. I would recommend it to those who want a quick, fun fantasy read.

This book was really good. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It was very quick paste, interesting well-developed characters and a little bit of murder thrown in to solve. The main protagonist is Penelope, who is being made a laughing stock out of her academic work after being a self-professed expert in an Atlantean history. She is out to help decipher some tablets at a murder sacrificial site in Venice. This takes her on a super wild adventure where she's been attempted to be murdered twice and is rescued by a very attractive, very strong individual.

Penelope is no individual that needs saving on her own though this is not a Damsel in Distress It's hard to go further into the book without giving away the plot which I really don't want to do.

It's a great book with interesting characters, different personalities. It's filled with magic plots to destroy Venice and Atlantis, and a bunch of hot people, lol. Since its marked book one, I'm assuming this is going to be a series. I look forward to the next book.

I would like to thank the author/ publisher/netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Magic. Mystery. The Lost City of Atlantis. What more could you want?

I will admit I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but I actually really enjoyed my time reading it. The story was intriguing, the magic system was unique, and I loved the murder mystery aspect. This story reads at a quick pace, I could barely set it down.

The story follows Penelope Brynn an archaeologist and scholar of ancient languages and cultures. From a young age, Penelope becomes deeply drawn to the lost city of Atlantis. After finding a piece of a tablet with Atlantean writing, she seeks funding to further her research. This backfires and instead, she is ridiculed and her career is ruined. When a sacrificial murder takes place in Venice with writing that mimics the tablet she is called in as a consultant. Once Penelope arrives in Venice she is swept up into a world of magic, ancient history, and the occult.

“If this is a dream, it is a fascinating one. If this is real, then I’m being given the opportunity to brush against true mystery, and hopefully, find the answers that have plagued me since my childhood.”

Amy Kuivalainen has truly impressed me with the amount of research that went into this book. Her approach to explaining the theory of Atlantis is unique and captivating. She includes a rich amount of detail, but it doesn’t feel boring or overdone.

The characters are well developed. I did feel the romance aspect leaned toward the cliche side, but it was still enjoyable. The character banter added the perfect amount of humor to a rather dark situation.

“You only want me for my books,” he said, sighing dramatically. “I should’ve known.”

The conclusion to the story was perfect and wrapped up the main story well. It does leave more to be pursued in follow up books, but it feels like a complete story. I am impressed and will certainly be picking up more books in this series.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, ancient cultures, or thrilling mysteries.

I would like to thank both BHC Press and NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book! I devoured it in two days and am super grateful for the ARC.

The book was fast-paced so I was unable to become bored with any part of the plot. Although I am typically not a romance person, the relationship between Penelope and Alexis was not overdone at all in my opinion, and I actually wanted it to happen. The characters were well-developed and we are even given some backstory for minor characters, which I really enjoyed. I was SUPER upset at the end with the way the plot was going, and it was saved for me within the last few pages of the book! This was a fantastic read.

I really hope there is a sequel or else I will be delving into other books by this author for sure.

I began this book and the gore of the first murder turned my stomach but the premise sounded good and I hoped to get past the gory details. Unfortunately the disrespectful language and gratuitous profanity made me stop reading.

I was so pleasantly surprised and blown out of the water by this one! I honestly wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this up but I wanted so badly to love it. A professor's quest to find the lost city of Atlantis and gets wrapped up in an ancient manuscript and a not so ancient murder in Venice. I cannot recommend this book enough. The storytelling was magical and the plot was inspired. Truly well done.

What a book. This novel has just about everything a fantasy reader could want. It has murder and mystery, lost cities, immortals, magical beings, and of course a touch of romance. I have to admit the aspect that drew me into this novel was the murders and the mystery that ensued. The murders that occurred were gruesome, bloody, and down right horrible. The use of animals and the desecration of the victims was horrendous and yet I was intrigued by everything surrounding the murders (especially the ancient writing in blood).
The romance in the Immortal City was a okay. I personally am not a fan of fast developing romances. It seemed to me that the romance blossomed to quickly, but I can overlook that one issue, because I found Alexis to be very charming and very interesting.
The magic of the this book was the hunt for Atlantis. I loved the mystery surrounding the city and its lost secrets. When I was younger I loved the story of Atlantis and that love was all due to the animated movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire. What can I say except this book invoked the old love and passion I had for Atlantis and all of its hidden secrets.
I would recommend this book to any reader looking for a fantasy novel with a large dose of mystery. I will say that if you don't gruesome murder descriptions this book is probably not for you. Overall this was an amazing book.

A fast paced story with mystery and fantasy. Strong characters mixed with magic and love. Throw in the mystery of Atlantis and you have quite a story!! It left me wanting more!! Thank you for the early copy!

Magicians from the lost city of Atlantis in modern-day Venezia? Talk about an unusual premise, and I was immediately intrigued. THE IMMORTAL CITY is a page-turner from the beginning when archaeologist Penelope finds herself consultant to detectives at a murder scene, then swept up into a fascinating underground world of immortal magicians and demons.

I did find myself at times wondering if this was a book meant for new adult/YA as the relationship between Penelope and the magician Alexis (who looks like a Turkish corsair) was so heavy-handed, in a way that felt I remember being so swept away by in books when I was young.

Overall, a fun read and I look forward to reading the next books in the trilogy.

This book is amazing. It got me hooked from the very first page. Author perfectly mixed science, mythology and fantasy in this action packed book.

Opened with a crime scene, we will wonder at first just what this book about, but then come Penelope, our heroine, with her name smudged due to her findings of Atlantis, acting as consultant of the said crime scene. Next thing we know, we will go deeper into Atlantean mythology.

However the character of Alexis, might remind some of Edward Cullen minus the mind reading and sparkle. The broody yet protective immortals. Alexis character is what I think the weakness of this book. Fortunately it's the only weakness for me.

Thank you netgalley for providing the arc.

Crikey, what a book! From the first page I was hooked and I inhaled this book in one sitting (with a quick pasta break in the middle!).

The blurb of the book intrigued me and I thought I would enjoy it but I had no idea I would find a fast paced plot with incredibly well rounded characters. So much happens in a relatively short book (for its genre) and even though there is a number of characters every one of them felt fleshed out and believable. I also greatly appreciate well written female characters with a conscious nod to bitchy/bossy qualities sometimes being surface level and not painting women with the same brush throughout the whole book – it is not a glaringly obvious addition but something that makes a difference to my reading experience.

One small gripe is the overuse of Italian words in English sentences. This mostly happens towards the start of the book and tapers off towards the end but is something that I find frustrating in all media and is definitely not enough to put me off reading more. I am very much looking forward to book two in this series to find out what happens next.

If you are hesitating to read this then please take my – and other reviewers’ – word and give it a go, you will not regret it.

*I received this ARC in exchange for a honest review*

This book was amazing. I loved every bit of it, Amazing women, great plot, intriguing and impossible to put down. Amy Kuivalainen is an author to look out for.

I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book. Like the protagonist, Penelope, I have always been fascinated by the Lost City of Atlantis. There are so many different takes on the myth but I thought this one was particularly fun. Magicians, a living language, demon followers and ritual sacrifices? Heck yeah. Penelope is brave and smart and bold. Alexis is powerful and brilliant and their chemistry together is amazing. I enjoyed the other members of the magical household as well, especially Phaidros and Aelia. The mystery aspect starts off interesring, but is solved relatively quickly. Some of the plot points are pretty predictable, but I didn't mind that in the least. Even the Venetian police that Penelope are working with are great characters that I wanted to see more of. The overall feel and some aspects do remind me quite a lot of A Discovery of Witches, which was a good thing for me. The only upset I had was realizing there had to be a sequel and I was going to have to wait for it!

• Title: The Immortal City
• Author: Amy Kuivalainen
• Series: The Magicians of Venice Book 1
• Pages: 324
• Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Magical Realism
• Rating Out of 5 Stars: 4


My Thoughts:
Archaeologist gets caught up in an unusual excavation, just maybe finding the lost city of Atlantis and perhaps an ancient blood cult on top of it. Sign me up!

I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to get with this title but I am so thrilled that I had the opportunity to read it. The Immortal City is well-written, witty, charming, atmospheric and left me wanting the next book all ready in my hands.

This was such an interesting take on the Atlantian legend. I appreciated the amount of research that had to have gone into this. Its got its hooks into me early and I couldn't put it down. As much as I enjoyed the story, the characters really drove this particular book.

Penelope, our quasi laughing stock of the historical archaeological community, has a drive that doesn’t quit. When she gets called by the Venetian police to come and take a look at some Runes at a ritual murder site that match ones she found before she cant help but go. But she gets more than she bargains for. When things take an unexpected turn you’d think she would go safely home. Her need to find the truth won’t let her give up so easily. While it gets her into some amazing places like the Palazzo (Mercy where do I get one of my own?) with a group of ancient magicians it also gets her right into the sights of their rival and their dark deity with the Cult of Thevetat. While some of the encounters really made me question her level of academia and alleged creative deduction abilities...they moved at a good enough clip to not be more than a minor irritation.

We have a pretty varied crew all with their own quirks and habits. Our Magical Motley Crew consists of Alexis, Nereus, Phaidros, Lyca, Aelia & Zo.
Mostly we focus on Alexis. He is the main defender and love interest of Penelope. He tends to hold the role of Leader among the group just below Nereus. He becomes a love interest to Penelope rather quickly and sometimes the relationship feels like a forced point to move the story forward but I still found myself routing for them. The are so much better together then they are apart.
Phaidros is that flirtatious, lovable and obnoxiously endearing little brother that you would do anything for and have no doubt he would do the same for those he cares about in return. He works in the Palazzo library as an understudy of sorts to Nereus and a proverbial pain in the behind to Aelia.
Aelia is a both a priestess and Princess of the former lost city. She is drop dead gorgeous, knows it and still has a heart of gold.
Lyca, is the strong silent type. She is a fighter and has no problem letting the group know just how little she wants to deal with all the problems Penelope poses.
Zo, How I adored this character! His lines had me laughing out loud more than once. Especially when they were discussing certain historical figures. The man goes on rants like I do and I admire the hell out of him. I wish he had been more present in the story.
Nereus is the resident Healer, historian and general leader of the group. As the elder everyone defers to her. She either likes you, or she doesn't. She has a no-nonsense attitude about what she’ll tolerate and if the woman ever wanted another helper for that library I volunteer. The library was easily my favorite setting in the story for reasons I wont spoil because its a treat every historian and book lover will appreciate without a heads up.
We do focus on one other character outside of the magicians that the team works with. Marco, who is the local police contact working with them on the cases, is a tolerable character. I personally didn’t find him to be more then a bridge between the everyday world and the magical world but he made for a decent balance to Alexis.

As far as our settings; you’re in Venice during Carnival. You’re also in Atlantis in the past, and where ever the Palazzo has set you up as a personal sanctuary when there. Its lush and dreamy and sometimes absolutely terrifying. As much beauty as we get with the magicians, we see all the gory macabre that the Cult of Thevetat can create. When I mean gory. I mean gory.
The settings of the ritual murders do not shy away from the details. If you have a weak stomach please bear that in mind when picking this title up.
The followers of Thevetat are such an unforgiving group. What makes them all the more horrifying is that cause that they give for justifying everything that they do is really not a bad reason.
When I came to the end of it I was so disappointed. I didn’t want to leave the world yet. I cannot wait to see what happens with the next installment. This really was an unexpected pleasure to read.

EARC was kindly provided by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars.

This book was really enjoyable and I loved all the myth and arts woven within. The characters were lovable and the lore was interesting. The romance was a slow burn too which was a bonus for me.

The story is about Penelope, an academic, who goes to Venice to help solve a murder but things doesn't seem as it is. The murders turn out to be sacrifices for a demon god. She later meets Alexis who's actually a magician and finds out that Atlantis used to exist and is full of magic.

Things felt somewhat rushed in the end and the story has it's cliches but nevertheless it was very entertaining. The gang had the vibes of secret heroes and the whole Palazzo the hideout. Can't wait for the sequel!




Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The author delivers a rapid-paced, suspenseful, gripping, well-written and perfectly executed fictional fantasy/ thrilling murder mystery.

Overall tells an interesting narrative with a complex main character and interesting surrounding characters. Most of the characters featured in the narrative are well fleshed out and have their own personality rather than just being the side-kick or bad guy

An escapist read that would be perfect for a summer camping trip, or in September when fall is just creeping into the edges of the season.

The premise to this story sounded intriguing. The story had mystery and magic set in alluring Venice. However, the novel was not executed well. The story had on a undeveloped romance rather than on the world-building or mystery. The characters were one-dimensional. The bad guys were typical with no complexities. The historical aspect could have been more detailed and developed. Overall, this novel suffered the most from telling and not showing. This novel had the potential to be the next Da Vinci Code, but sadly it did not deliver. I recommend this for fans of The Fortune Teller and The Lost Sisterhood.