A Brush with Darkness by Erastes

A Brush with Darkness Reviews

• 
  Sammy Goode

  I should begin this review as honestly as possible and tell you that I don’t like historical novels. It is true—they are normally the last type of book I would grab down off a shelf. I love history but so often historical novels have a difficult time keeping modern day from creeping in to the text and that, quite frankly, irritates me. So, I did not like historicals…until Erastes. Erastes made a liar of me. For you see, I LOVED this historical—so very much!
  
  A Brush with Darkness is that wonderful mating of sensual romance and thrilling mystery with just a hint of the paranormal. The writing style has amazingly descriptive passages and soul bearing confessions that sweep you up into the story and firmly lodge you into the center of the action. I cannot say enough about this little book! Erastes has such a thorough knowledge of the era in which she set her story that you feel as though you have stepped back into time and are there—standing shoulder to shoulder with the characters in her novel. My heart was moved by Michel’s plight and beat rapidly during his intensely erotic moments with Yuri.
  
  I highly recommend this novella to you! A Brush With Darkness earned every one of its 5 stars quite handily!
  
• 
  Ayanna

  Genius. Absolute genius. The author paints with his words, laying each layer of words as the artist laid down his paint, building the world from the ground up.
  
  The narrator comes off as unreliable. It actually reminds me of Rough Canvas. The author manages to capture part of the essence of art, the ephemeral, intangible, but immeasurably intense wisp of genius that inspires masterpieces. The difference between that and this is that the LI in Rough Canvas acted as a steadying influence. It was a point actually made in that, that Marcus served as the tether that kept Thomas grounded.
  
  In this, the LI is part of the madness. He's incorporated into the work and enhances the genius of it, even as he serves to unhinge it further.
  
  It's quite amazing, actually. When all was made clear, it wasn't the obvious. It was a revelation. It was the finishing touches being put and the final painting jumping into stark relief, that final something intangible that brings it eerily to life.
• 
  Irina Elena

  WTF? This is completely absurd. I get mysticism, mystery, preternatural love and whatnot, but this book (novella, whatever) made no sense.
  
  Let's start with the good things.
  As usual, wonderful writing and a very atmospheric, realistic setting. There were a couple of italian words with the wrong declension, which, as a native, threw me out of the story, but I can get past that.
  
  What bothered me, you ask? Well, let's see if anyone can answer these questions.
  1. The vampires. Just... something. Tell me something about them. All I know about these vampires is that they're the blood-sucking, neck-breaking, "good" version of the mafia.
  2. Who is Yuri, really? Where's he from? How old is he? What does he do with his days?
  3. What is really the relationship between him and the signora? Is she his lover, ex-lover, grandmother, mentor?
  4. Why did he trap Michel in the studio when he went to kill signor Bettano? I know, this is inconsequential and not important, but why?
  5. What was signor Bettano's business, other than spending money for the privilege of harassing artists?
  6. BUT MOST OF ALL: WHY MICHEL? WHY YURI? Love? I don't see love here. I see two guys fucking like rabbits, but no love. They didn't even talk, for fuck's sake!
  
  Excuse the rant. I get like this when something that I thought would be wonderful turns out average.
• 
  Martha H.

  Loved it! I would have liked a little more. That's my only negative.
• 
  Maureen

  Anything Erastes I always love!
• 
  Kay

  3 1/2 Stars ~ A young artist in 1875 Florence is forced to accept a patron in order to support his family. Michel knows his patron is the cause of his family's financial ruin but is unable to prove it. Taking a commission to create a portrait for the very influential Guildeccias, Michel is aware that this could be his salvation. And when Michel meets the model, a young man so beautiful he resembles an angel, Michel becomes consumed with need to paint him and with his desire for the man himself. At this time in Florence, there is a vigilante who exacts the punishments for crimes that are unpunished. As Michel becomes closer to his model, Yuri, he learns the man has a power that exceeds his beauty. Yuri comes to his aid when their affair is discovered by the patron and Michel's family is threatened with scandal.
  
  I must admit the slow start to this story had me skimming through to the middle, where I found myself enchanted with Michel and Yuri. And at the end of the story, I found myself going back to the beginning to read it all again. Though a very short story, I found Michel and Yuri wonderful characters and found myself invested in their happiness.
• 
  Jennifer Lavoie

  When I got this book, I didn't realize it had paranormal content. The description I read didn't hint at that, but I still enjoyed the book.
  
  Taking place in Florence, the main character is an artist with an arrogant patron who belittles him constantly. When he is requested to paint a mysterious man, he falls in love with him and the two are soon more than just painter and model/client.
  
  While the book has paranormal touches (think vampires), there is also mystery surrounding the death of the artist's father. Told in first person point of view, the artist is so obsessed with his model, Yuri, that I can't even remember his name well (it's Michel). It seemed as if I was obsessed with him as well in the reading.
  
  I did enjoy the way Erastes described the setting and the manner in which Bettano, the patron, treated Michel. It gives readers who are unfamiliar with the time period and lifestyles more information, making it more realistic.
  
  Fans of Erastes should enjoy this. Even though I prefer historical m/m fiction to be written in the third person, this one was not difficult to read.
  
  
• 
  Heather

  4-1/2 Stars
  This novella by Erastes has a little bit of everything I love: historical, paranormal, love, and mystery. I won't tell you just what Yuri is even though it's not much of a surprise once it's revealed, at least I was able to guess it. A well written tale that is chock full of intriguing characters, both good and bad, that had me hooked from page one. It was a little shorter than I would have liked but it is also one of those that probably would not have been any better than it already is with addition of extra pages. A great addition to both my paranormal and historical libraries.
• 
  Danni

  This was just an ok read for me, which actually makes it disappointing because it's by Erastes whose writing I absolutely adore. As always, it was written beautifully, but the plot and the characters didn't hold my interest.
  
  Even though I usually like short stories/novellas, this one didn't work for me as IMO the short length doesn't suit Erastes' style. Her beautiful use of language is something I would prefer to savour over a longer, deeper read.
• 
  Dear Deer

  I wish I could give this book a rating of 3.5 rather than 3! I have to say that I really enjoyed this short novella, but from the beginning up until the end I could not get rid of the feeling that this is just a small chunk of a story ripped out of a long good quality book.
  In my opinion this book had no beginning and no ending. No depth and no character design. And that is sad, because the story is good.
• 
  Susinok

  Beautiful language.
• 
  Debbie McGowan

  I really wish this was a novel. The prose is truly beautiful. It has left me without words.
• 
  Jessie B.

  If I have one complaint it is that this book ends just as it starts to get really interesting.
• 
  Erastes

  A reworking of "Chiaroscuro" with added scenes and plot.
• 
  Sandra

  $2.99 on Nook