Regular marked price: $14.00Discount Price: $4.99
Cost Savings: $9.01 (64%)Price fluctuation possible.
How soon does it ship: Normal ship time within one day
Shipping? Absolutely FREE if you qualify for Super Saver Shipping.
Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
Format: Bargain Price
Label: Berkley Trade
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 256
Printing Date: February 06, 2007
Publishing house: Berkley Trade
Sale Popularity Level: 36433
Studio: Berkley Trade
Other books you might be interested in perusing:
Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Mona Lisa has finally accepted what she really is-a Mixed-Blood of the Monre, the children of the moon. Stronger, faster, and more beautiful than any human, they are the origins of Earth's darkest legends-and Mona Lisa is their newest Queen.
Accompanied by her loyal cadre of warriors and kin, Mona Lisa is entering her territory of Louisiana for the very first time. She slowly learns the erotic and savage customs of the Monre elite-though some of her new subjects are uneasy at being ruled by a half-human. Her reign is threatened by enemies old and new, and she is ensnared in the thrall of dark forces she cannot deny. In a hidden world of animal passions and unrelenting lust, Mona Lisa soon grasps the tremendous power she must command if she is to hold her realm together-and if she is ever to come into her own.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
-
Good follow up to her very first book in the Monere series. After reading an anthology with the sequel to this I was pleased to get the background on the characters.
Rated by buyers 
-
Things haven't been easy for Mona Lisa. Her Mixed Blood has automatically earned her many enemies, as have the events that occurred in the very first book of the series, MONA LISA AWAKENING.
Mona Lisa is entering her newly acquired territory for the very first time. With her group of supporters, her Warrior Lords, and her brother in tow, Mona Lisa arrives in Louisiana. She will have to embrace her powers if she is to succeed as both old and new enemies are lurking, waiting to pounce on her slightest misstep in judgment.
The character and heart of Mona Lisa drive this series. Mona Lisa's compassion and strength are paramount to the reader caring about her, as the world of the Monere is a brutal one. Some of the customs and beliefs of the Monere are not for the faint hearted; Mona Lisa's ability to rise past these customs and show her own humanity adds a layer of depth and intensity to the series.
MONA LISA BLOSSOMING picks up after the events of MONA LISA AWAKENING. It can be read as a stand alone but there are nuances that a reader new to the series will miss, particularly in regards to the relationships. Mona Lisa's bond with her Warrior Lords and with Rosemary, Jamie, and Tersa may not be as well understood without the background and emotion that are so well conveyed in MONA LISA AWAKENING.
MONA LISA BLOSSOMING shows Mona Lisa truly coming into her role as a Mixed Blood Queen. Mona Lisa's position is a precarious one at times but she balances things well. Mona Lisa is learning how to make the tough choices, the ones that will test her determination and grit. I can't help but admire her willingness to accept the challenges thrown at her.
MONA LISA BLOSSOMING is yet another fantastic offering from Sunny. Sunny's stark but beautiful writing continues to impress as she weaves her compelling tale. MONA LISA BLOSSOMING is highly recommended for dark fantasy fans who like their books a bit on the edgier side!
COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES
Rated by buyers 
-
I have read two of these books (Awakening and Blossoming) and found that at times it felt like I was driving by a car wreck. I knew that I should look away and pay attention to the road, but I had to rubber neck.
I read some of the passages to my partner and he begged me to stop. No, he begged me to stop. The writing in these books is at times uneven and riddled (just riddled) with cliches. I am not sure who the audience is for these books. At very first I thought the author might be trying to fill the void left by Anne Rice's departure in the genre, but saying this is not fair to AR. AR is a sharp, witty writer and her books are well-researched. These book feel like a cross between teenage market books and Harlequin. The descriptions of sex are laughable...hilarious.
I bought these books at the university bookstore's "damaged" penguin sale and I think the 99 cent price (plus my 10%) discount was the right price to pay. I know this is a harsh review, but I feel that the books deserve it.
Rated by buyers -
Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
Mona Lisa has survived multiple threats against her, fought fellow Queens to defend herself and her men and her friends, and defeated a group of rogue males. She's found her orphaned brother she never knew and taken him in. That's all before the book even starts! Now Mona Lisa has come to Louisiana to take her seat as the new Queen of the territory. Little did she know her greatest battles were just beginning.
Now Mona Lisa must adapt to being a leader of hundreds, deal with the subjects who don't necessarily think they need to follow a Mixed Blood Queen, protect her family, learn the customs of her new life, and juggle her multiple lovers. When it becomes apparent she has new enemies to fight in addition to her powerful old ones, she must prove once more just how formidable an enemy she makes. Possibly even worse, her inner beast she has been fighting for years wants to be loosed and Mona Lisa is not sure she can control it. What's a Queen to do?
Mona Lisa Blossoming picks up shortly after Mona Lisa Awakening concludes. As such, keep in mind that while this book does stand alone for the most part, many references are made to events from the previous book and is easier understood having read the prior novel. And whatever you do, do NOT read the novella in the anthology On the Prowl before reading this book! I read that book before this one and as a result a huge event that occurs at the end of Mona Lisa Blossoming was completely ruined for me. Since I already knew what happened I lost out on the shock factor that makes the conclusion so important.
Once again Sunny's skill at world building is exquisite. She draws her readers into the world of the Monère so we feel as if it is real and we will run into one of Mona Lisa's people down the street. The societal interactions between "classes" plays as big of a role as the characters do since everything they do is based on where they fall in ranking.
The title of this book is quite appropriate to the story as well. For in this installment of the series, we see Mona Lisa come into her own and blossom into the powerful Queen that she is. Also, having discovered her animal form and how the change affects her, Mona Lisa is terrified of her "beast." She must come to accept her animal nature before she can assume the power and authority due to her. However, the plot does suffer here and there, with more emphasis placed on telling us what is happening rather than showing us.
Mona Lisa Blossoming is every bit as dark, sexual, and graphic as Mona Lisa Awakening, so sensitive readers may again be greatly disturbed by some of the scenes. The violence is very detailed and the sex scenes extremely explicit. Also, as hinted at earlier, the end of this book is full throttle, very shocking and very upsetting, and most definitely not a happy ending. However, intuitive readers will pick up on the fact that the conclusion may not be quite as final as you would think and may get your curiosity bubbling to the surface.
Character interaction is what I find so captivating about this series. There is so much interplay between everyone that I often wish the story wasn't told in very first person so I could get into the heads of everyone rather than just Mona Lisa. I'd love to know what some of these folks are really thinking and feeling about their arrangements. Amber and Gryphon are back, along with several more men who are oh so enticing. Best of all though, my favorite character, Prince Halcyon, gets more "screen time" here to develop his relationship with Mona Lisa. I adore his character and would love to see him grow an even more personal connection with Mona Lisa. Yet some of the other characters I love seem to fade into the background and I miss getting to see them further developed.
Mona Lisa Blossoming is another good addition to the Monère series though there is still plenty of room for improvement and further development of the story.
© Kelley A. Hartsell, October 2007. All rights reserved.
Rated by buyers -
Hurrah for Sunny! Ever since I read the very first Mona Lisa book, I could wait to read more. Mona Lisa is a great character, as are all of the members of her "family". I can hardly wait for he subsequent adventure.
Find other books like this one:
