Review: Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard

To be honest, I would really like to review Gabriel's Inferno without making comparisons to a certain other title that belongs to the same genre. However, this has proven to be a somewhat difficult task as, on the surface at least, the similarities are many. Both novels tell the highly unbelievable story of a young virgin who falls hopelessly in love with incredibly wealthy men with dark pasts and kinky sexual fetishes. Both novels were originally published in niche markets before the worldwide rights were picked up by major publishing houses. Both started out as Twilight fanfictions. (Gabriel's Inferno started out as a Twilight fanfiction titled The University of Edward Masson.) Both authors use pseudonyms. Fortunately, however, this is one difference that sets Gabriel's Inferno apart from it's companion. While the tale may be highly unbelievable and, at times, misogynistic, the book itself is well written, decently researched and tells a much sweeter romantic tale, often drawing on elements of Dante's Divine Comedy in the process. The author is also very probably male, rather than female.

Gabriel's Inferno tells the story of Julia, a young woman struggling to come to terms with her past, who falls in love with her university professor, the tortured Gabriel, who has a dark past of his own. It's not difficult to see what happens thereafter, but the journey is enjoyable enough. The story is of the development of Julia and Gabriel's romance and how it changes them as people. The sexual element of the novel is incredibly well drawn, with no scene done purely for show or shock value. I would recommend this one for anyone who feels like reading a decently written (though not always believable) romance. 

Comments

Anonymous said…
Great review Kathryn. Despite it's obvious similarities with the trilogy that won't be named, the quality of the story seems to set it apart. I haven't read FSOG but I have read a lot of reviews and it hasn't tempted me the slightest. Gabriel's Inferno certainly is tempting though!
14 January 2013 at 20:45
Kathryn White said…
Thank you. The fact that Gabriel's Inferno was so well-written definitely sets it apart from that other book. It's long, but its definitely a good escapist read.
14 January 2013 at 20:52
robgirlbooks said…
I seen this book everywhere, but your review tells me exactly what I want to know.
15 January 2013 at 03:49
Kathryn White said…
Excellent! Regardless of whether you've decided to read the book or not, I'm glad that my review helped.
16 January 2013 at 20:58
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