All aboard the spoiler train!

The Memorist was a bit more action-oriented, but there was still plenty of navel-gazing. And what is it about a secret society that we love so much? There are two in this book and that part was sort of great. Malachi, who is revealed as a villain in the first book, has more screen time and presents himself as a fatherly figure, just trying to help. He is continually urging Meer to accept that she’s a reincarnated soul, but how would that help? Would it make the memory fugues stop? Nope. Seems stupid. No wonder she takes a scientific approach.

Another central character is FBI Agent Lucian Glass who has been investigating Malachi. At this point I thought the reasons he’d come under suspicion must have been outlined in the first book. Alas no, this comes out of nowhere and strikes me as really sloppy. And a few conveniences aside (like a blackout and so many pertinent documents showing up first among thousands) the story moves along with reasonable plausibility for the kind of book this is. The protagonists are bumbling amateurs, the villain an all-seeing manipulator and the story of the lost flute suitably romantic. The body count is high, but there is little overt cruelty or sadistic torture, which is comforting for those of us who are sick of it. ( )

A solid read about psychic and emotional connections to the past and how they affect our lives now and in the future. The Memorist is Meer's life story, a frightening childhood with loving parents getting her the help she needed; her independence and career as an adult; and painful, cryptic memories pulling her back AND forward to old and new love and loss. ( )

As was the case with the first novel in this series, I had to suspend my disbelief in order to appreciate the story. Given the subject matter, that may be difficult for a reader, so keep that in mind when picking this one up.

Having read The Reincarnationist, I had a bit of an idea about what I was getting into when I decided to continue the series. The stories themselves are not bad, I just wish there was some other sort of explanation for it. That being said, I particularly loved the flashback scenes, and I wish there had been more of those, especially the ones with Beethoven. I really felt like I was in Austria during his lifetime, and that in itself is pretty amazing.

To read the rest of my review, please click here. ( )

An OK read simply not as good IMHO as THE REINCARTIONIST. ( )

Best of the three so far. Much better plot, pacing, and characters. ( )