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Book Review: The Violins Played before Junstan: The Prequel (Celwyn Book 1)

Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆ 3.5/5

Title: The Violins Played before Junstan: The Prequel (Celwyn Book 1)

Author: Lou Kemp

Publication Date: June 15, 2021

Genre: Historical Mystery, Magical Realism

Cover:

The cover of The Violins Played before Junstan is quite attractive with its bright background and shadowy figures. If I had seen this in a bookstore, I would have picked it up out of pure curiosity.

Premise

Set in the 1860s, Jonas Celwyn is an immortal magician who becomes entangled in a fight over a discovery that Professor Xiau Kang has made. This discovery has great potential to both help and harm humanity. As the two embark on their adventures, they add an array of characters to their ranks. An American heiress intent on evading her aunt who wishes to marry her off, a scholar who serves as a protector despite being somewhat superstitious about magic, and even two orphans who are rescued along the way. Evil forces also exist that wish to cause great pain to Celwyn by harming the people he holds most dear.

Why I chose this book:

Author Lou Kemp requested this review. The original request was for the second book in the series, The Raven and the Pig; however, I wanted to start with the first book to appreciate the story in its entirety. The second book will be reviewed at a future date.

First Impression:

The initial scenes in the book are full of action, and as exciting as they are, I felt as though they were over rather quickly. However, this did not dissuade me from continuing the story, as I enjoyed the characters and initial plotline.

What I loved:

Kemp uses magic in such amusing ways throughout the book that the reader cannot help but like Celwyn and appreciate the magician’s sense of humor and mischievous side. This contrasts with the more serious and even melancholy aspect of his personality. For example, at one point, he conjures a swarm of bees to chase someone away from beating another person. Another time he creates the illusion of ballerinas dancing across the ceiling to Bach. These playful moments help to balance Celwyn’s more aggressive and brutal side. Ultimately, this provides depth to his character. And as the story continues, the reader finds that Celwyn has a strong sense of right versus wrong, which drives him to action in many instances.

I also enjoyed how the story physically moved to a variety of locations. This gave the story a sense of adventure and allowed the characters to experience new people and places. It also allowed Kemp to introduce new characters in a natural way that fit the story.

Additional Thoughts:

Grammatical and formatting errors were noted throughout the book. While some were minor, others were significant. A picture of a train schedule was also included in the middle of a chapter. I found this unusual and even out of place as it was difficult to read due to size and did not contribute to the story in a meaningful way. Also, without giving away any spoilers, I anticipated the capture of a certain character to be a more climatic experience than what it was. The actual capture was not portrayed, and it left me wondering about the details and how the book so quickly moved from “here” to “there.” These were factors in assigning the star rating.

Quotable Quotes:

• “Sometimes beauty is a distraction from the quality within.” (Page 22)
• “Even before that, a fine mist had grown between us. I suspected she was already a sun in someone else’s sky.” (Page 23)
• Logic wasn’t an ideal response to magic. (Page 189)
• “I fear I saw love again—and it terrifies me.” (Page 247)

Who might enjoy this book:

The Violins Played before Junstan is ideal for those readers who enjoy historical fiction mixed with a strong dose of magical elements.

Overall Impression:

Three and a half stars. The Violins Played before Junstan is a captivating action-adventure story fueled by the magic of Jonas Celwyn. Combining a realistic historical setting with vampires, magicians, and witches is quite appealing and unique. Kemp does an excellent job of bringing together a cast of unlikely characters that feel more like family than strangers thrown together by fate. Kemp maintains the story’s pace with a steady stream of meaningful and endearing interactions between characters peppered with just the right amount of adventure. I look forward to reading the second book in the series.

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