Mozart's Blood by Louise Marley

This book took me in a multimedia journey using my own memories and the author's words to perceive the marvelous world of Teresa/Octavia, Ughetto/Ugo, Wolfgang, Zdenka, Massimo, Domenico, and the Elders.

The curse and the blessing of Mozart's Blood accrues the suspense throughout the book, and kept me turning pages frantically. The main characters were granted the gift of immortality without choice, and become the target of evil beings who want the same power, and would stop at nothing in order to get it.

Never before a book had me recollecting other books I read, movies I watched, or music I heard. Particularly the music. Some parts of Mozart's Blood are exquisite in its beauty and details, like when Octavia discovers the most exciting of her gifts. While others are painfully to the point of tears, like the beauty of the opera darkened by the cruel fate of the castrati. Which made me ponder about the many times `the end justified the means' to achieve glorious music.

Ugo's story touched me the most, from the young Ughetto sold by his family to be made a castrato, to when he becomes Octavia's protective companion.

Even though Teresa/Octavia is the main character, I couldn't sympathize with her as I did with Ughetto/Ugo. However, I enjoyed Teresa's past. Except her obsession with Mozart. Really? Yes, her groupie attitude drove nuts a couple of times.

I would have liked more romance in the book. Still, I understand this book is about the love for the music, the camaraderie between two lonely and suffering souls, immortality, and of course, Mozart's Blood.

About the Elders, well, they are monsters, but at some point I found them pitiful and tender, like if they were harmless children. I even felt they deserve to have what they craved.

In spite of being a 422 pages book, I read it swiftly, when it came to its end I was like, what? It's over? I want a sequel, yeah, there is so much I want to see happening to these characters.

I love the ending. Just perfect. The author managed a complete punishment for the villain.