I have always been drawn to mysterious male protagonists that are witty, confident and too damn sexy for their own good. Gabriel O. Emerson had me as soon as he emerged in the story. He was such a snob, stingy and arrogant bastard in the beginning and that should have been enough for me to be annoyed with his persona- yet I found myself feeling otherwise; he has his own set of demons in his closet and all the more to pique my interest on how we was going to face his shady past.

Ah, the heroine is no other than the Beatrice of the professor's heart- Julia Mitchell. A promise of forbidden loves ties between these two dynamic characters. Personally, I find myself getting pissed off several times with the female protagonist as she continuously wallows herself with self-pity and misery. I understand where she's coming from but she kept dragging the same demeanor throughout the trilogy. Furthermore, I could not comprehend why she could pretend to be in the same room with Gabriel when she recognized him from the very beginning. Professor Emerson had a great deal of excuse for the fact that he was severely muddled that ultimately clouded his better judgment for better sense at that time- what was her excuse? She felt like he rejected her, denying any affiliation in the past... but how was it possible for her to withhold her all of those pain, disappointment and frustrations? It would've been unbearable and painful to be in the same room as the professor, feigning unfamiliarity with her. 

Surprisingly, I was fine that the story was told in a third person perspective. It usually falls on the female lead but to be given a chance to interpret the situation along with their own internal monologue on display enabled the readers to get to know more both of them on a personal level. I personally enjoyed that. I've also went down memory lane when I was studying Divine Comedy during my high school paper. I have been reacquainted with one of the most famous work in Italian literature, thank you.

Nevertheless, the trilogy sent me a series of emotional turmoil. One minute I was squirming, giddy, furious and crying. Man, Gabriel and Julia- what am I going to do with you both?

Well, I've grown to love their journey towards their own destiny and there's nothing more for me to elaborate other than thanking Sylvain Reynard for this gem. Looking forward to read more books from this author!