From the author of the New York Times
bestsellers Gabriel’s Rapture and Gabriel’s Inferno comes the epic conclusion
to the captivating romantic trilogy.
Professor Gabriel Emerson has left
his position at the University of Toronto to embark on a new life with his
beloved Julianne. Together, he’s confident that they can face any
challenge. And he’s eager to become a father.
But Julianne’s
graduate program threatens Gabriel’s plans, as the pressures of being a
student become all consuming. When she is given the honor of presenting an
academic lecture at Oxford, Gabriel is forced to confront Julianne about the
subject of her presentation—research that conflicts with his own. And in Oxford,
several individuals from their past appear, including an old nemesis intent on
humiliating Julia and exposing one of Gabriel’s darkest secrets.
I'm
interested in the way literature can help us explore aspects of the human
condition - particularly suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. My
favourite stories are those in which a character takes a journey, either a
physical journey to a new and exciting place, or a personal journey in which he
or she learns something about himself/herself.
I'm also interested in how aesthetic
elements such as art, architecture, and music can be used to tell a story or to
illuminate the traits of a particular character. In my writing, I combine all
of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the
transformative power of goodness.
I try to use my platform as an author
to raise awareness about the following charities: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
Foundation, WorldVision, Alex's Lemonade Stand, and Covenant House. For more
information, see my Twitter account.
We want to start this interview for saying thank you for sitting down to chat with us. All three of us are huge fans of yours and Gabriel's.
Hello Book Boyfriends. It’s a pleasure to be with you and your readers.
So let's get started...
Was it important to you to get the readers to fully understand Dante and Beatrice’s relationship to compare the Professor and Julia’s relationship?
Although Dante and Beatrice provide the inspiration for the relationship between the Professor and Julia I didn’t expect readers to know the back-story. I made reference to some of the key elements, but it isn’t necessary to know the history. Certainly, the Professor and Julia’s relationship differs significantly from that of Dante and Beatrice. But I’m always gratified when a reader writes to me to tell me that he or she has discovered Dante for the first time because of my books.
What inspired you to write such a deep, but awesome book?
Thank you. Much of my inspiration was derived from the city of Florence, which is my favourite city. When you visit it, you’re confronted by history. Dante is difficult to avoid in the city and so my interest in Florence brought about an interest in Dante and Beatrice. I wanted to share their story with a wider audience.
Reading this book I had to research some on Dante’s Inferno, did you hope that readers would look further into the story?
I hoped the back-story would pique readers’ interests and encourage them to do further reading.
How much would you say that Gabriel has grown from the first book to the second?
He changes quite a bit. But I think we can all agree that he needed to change in some respects …
When writing, I know you become close to your characters, but did you find it that you became even more emotionally involved?
For me, it was a mixed reaction. On the one hand, since I’m writing the story the characters and their actions don’t surprise me. But there were specific scenes that resonated with me strongly.
Was it important for you for the sex scene to be prolonged further into the series and quite honestly completely emotional scene I might add?
In real life, Beatrice and Dante never consummated their relationship. So of course, I was departing from history when I wrote a love scene between the two main characters. But I’ve always thought that anticipation is tremendously erotic and so it was important for me to take the time to build anticipation prior to their physical consummation.
Can we expect more of a darker or lighter Gabriel in the third book?
Part of Gabriel’s journey toward redemption is recognition of the fact that he needs redemption. So you’ll find a mixture of both in the third book. There’s a scene, however, in which Julia talks about it and without offering a spoiler, I think readers will be surprised by what she says.
Did you think that readers would find it too dark? Although I absolutely loved how he was consumed in darkness but was making his way towards lightness.
I would hope that readers recognize that my novels are never dark to the point of despair and hopelessness. Hope, forgiveness, grace, and redemption are core themes in my novels. I don’t write darkness solely for the sake of darkness.
Can we expect more of the Professor and Julia or is this it?
Thank you for asking. As I recently revealed on my website, my new series begins with the novel “The Raven,” which is a paranormal love story. In it, the Professor and Julianne will have a cameo appearance. After that? Readers will have to wait and see, but they can read more about “The Raven” here:http://www.sylvainreynard.com/
What is your favorite characteristic about Gabriel?
Gabriel is courageous and he’s also honest about himself and his own shortcomings. These are two very important character qualities that I admire a great deal.
**Thank you Sylvian for taking the time to sit down and chat with us !!**
I was/am enamored with Professor Emerson. He was dark and conflicted but shows that love can change all those things. That right person can bring the light out in you and make you want to be a better person. Julia is this person to the Professor. Watching the way the evolve was erotic and beautiful. I was fully satisfied with the way the second book ended. I was happy and knew that they would challenge one another and help each other grow. When I heard there was to be a third book, I was excited.
Receiving the ARC on my kindle I dove right in. I got to about 24% and had to put it down for days. Why you ask? I don't know if I'm jaded or maybe at that time wasn't feeling the story. Days and 5 books later I re picked it back up Sylvian writes beautifully as ever, I just didn't/couldn't get into this book as I did the first two. I tried, I struggled and kept at it like the little engine that could, but to no avail.
I understood where both the characters were coming from. I saw and understood why they both felt the way they did. Julia finally is coming into her own. It's hard to be married to a Professor who is so well known in the Dante community. She needed this time to prove to herself as much as anyone else that she is not in the Professors shadow or riding his coat tails but is his equal and can stand next to him with her head held high. She does accomplish this. I was beaming and proud of her for that.
I liked that certain characters were brought back in and I know what happens to them. I was irritated by Paul. Him saying such things as he hopes Gabriel isn't doing BDSM with Julia really got to me, I get that he cares but seriously what a married man and woman do is nobody's business and he needed to accept that and move on. I mean if Julia is into that and likes it nobody has a say so.
I guess in the end I felt that this story could have been summed up in a novella. There was too much filler for me. While the authors writing is romantic and beautiful I just felt it was too much. I do love the story of Dante and Beatrice and the author wrote these books to where I felt I wanted to re read Dante (I read The Divine Comedy in High School).
I rated this book
3.5/5 hearts
Let me begin by saying how much I love the professor. I adore
him and Julia. These two are a force to be reckoned with. They are more in love
than before but have some issues arrive. It always comes to something right?
This book was full of dramatics and reoccurring people. It
did have the chain of events that is stated in the prologue. It’s so hard not
to tell all of you what the struggle was this time without giving the entire
book away. I can’t though. Know this that Gabriel is still as sexy as he was in
the first two books. Julia is still a hard worker with her school studies but
still attentive to her man. I love how Gabriel’s and Julia’s relationship is so
strong yet so fragile at the same time. I love how the story coincides with
Dante and Beatrice and how it is shown from going into the darkness back into
the light.
Now saying all of that, in my opinion the series could have
stopped at the second book. I am not saying this book was bad but it seemed to
drag it out a little more than needed to be. It will give you more of all the
characters you have missed. It does also go more into detail of Gabriel’s
biological parents as well. I am going to give this book 3.5 hearts. Like I
said I loved all the characters I just feel like this book was a little more
forced.
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