Margot Berwin

Scent of Darkness: A Novel I'm really at a loss as to how to explain my feelings about Scent of Darkness now that I've finished. There are so many things that I completely loved about this book, and so many others that just won't sit right in my mind. If there was one thing I could say definitely at this moment in time, it's this: Scent of Darkness is more than what it seems to be. Let me try to break it down for you.
 
First off I have to praise Margot Berwin's writing. Without a doubt, this is what really kept me reading above all else. Her sweeping prose draws the reader into a world that is rich in color, texture, and of course scents. The blood of New Orleans bleeds through this book and, even though Evangeline's grandmother isn't in it for long, her character is the embodiment of her culture. Berwin weaves a dark and mysterious tale. It's hard not to be drawn in.
 
However, despite the elegant and prosaic writing, it was the story itself that kept me wavering between utter love and total despair while reading. Evangeline is not a very well fleshed out character, and really neither are any of the rest of the people who make stops in and out of her life. I understood her well enough. A girl who isn't wanted by her mother, and looses her only mother figure, Evangeline ends up on a path to self-discovery with no one to turn to for advice. I couldn't hate her for her naivety, but I also felt like she never grew at all either.
 
Then there are the two male interests. In an effort not to give anything important away, I'll simply let you know that these two men are like night and day. Gabriel seems to be the epitome of good, Michael that of evil, and we watch as Evangeline is torn between the two. I would have been fine with this, but neither of them truly spoke to me as compatible with her. It's like they were there to simply fill space. I wanted sparks, I wanted romance, I suppose I just wanted her to feel something.
 
So, as you can see, my feelings about Scent of Darkness ended up rather conflicted. I think that this was a great premise, with wonderful writing. The execution of it all is what threw me off. For those of you who enjoy literary fiction, this might be more of a hit. I can't deny that I don't usually read books like this, so it is entirely possible I'm biased. Point being, give this a shot and decide for yourself! If nothing else you'll be allowed to dive into the beauty that is Margot Berwin's writing, and that is a treat in itself.… (més)

Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 4 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Author/Blog Tour
Reviewer: AimeeKay

I’m torn. I loved the writing in Scent of Darkness; however I hated the main character.

Berwin’s writing was amazing. Her descriptions of the world, the people, their thoughts and emotions all were absolutely stunning. The way she put her words together was moving and kept me turning the page to read more.

However, I really disliked Eva. She was selfish and she just annoyed me. Maybe if the story hadn’t been told from her point of view and I didn’t have to listen to her thoughts I would have enjoyed the book more. She just seems to let things happen to her. She complains about the things that happen to her and she says she can’t stop them from happening. But she never seems to make a real effort to change anything; she just lets herself get dragged along.

I also didn’t seem to be able to connect with any of the other characters. They were all beautifully described, but the only one that seemed to be more than just a pretty shell was Michael. The problem with Michael is he was even more self absorbed than Eva. The only difference is he is supposed to be since he was the bad guy.

The writing was so beautiful though. I think if I had been able to connect with Eva I would have given the book the Royalty award along with 5 controllers. However all the beautiful writing couldn’t save that part, so I’m giving it 4 out of 5 controllers. I would recommend picking it up for the summer; maybe another reader can connect with Eva better than I could.… (més)

Reviewed by: April
Book provided by: Publisher
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

A very unique story, Scent of Darkness is told in an abstract sort of way that almost leaves the interpretation of the story and its characters to the reader, allowing different readers to take away different ideas. This is how I felt as I read and finished the story in any case. The writing style that Margot Berwin uses in Scent of Darkness flows rather beautifully, almost like a novel in prose. Both of these aspects are what truly stand out for me and made the story unique and unlike anything else that I have read before. Was this a positive or a negative? Honestly, a bit of both. Let me explain. Overall, I enjoyed the story very much and found it to be entertaining. It was also a very quick read for me, grabbing from the beginning and intriguing me until the end. I also enjoyed the prose-like style. An example of the abstract type of prose is as follows: “Human beings are defenseless against scent. They can’t hide from it because they can’t see it, or touch it, or hold it. All by itself it crawls into their brains, and by the time they’re in love with it, or the person it’s coming from, it’s too late. They’re tied to it forever, through the long, tight leash of memory.” This is taken from the first page and sets a fairly representative tone of the entire story, I feel.

Imagine a scent that is created just for you; a scent that takes over your body, your life and changes each and every aspect forever. Scent of Darkness is Eva’s story; the story of how a few drops of scent, created just for her, by her Grandmother, creeps through every pore, every vein, and every milliliter of her body. The effect not only changes her, but all of those around her – strangers, lovers, and friends, humans and animals are captivated and obsessed by Eva. Scent of Darkness is the story of how passion blinds and can create or destroy lives.

I truly loved the way that the author uses scent and the craft of creating scent to weave her story. I found this rather fascinating to be honest. The character development was interesting and I found myself really liking Gabriel, the friend turned lover of Eva. Michael, the passionate and rather greedy artist I found to be both on the likeable side as well as the distasteful side. Eva, I simply could not attach myself to. I actually found myself wanting to smack her a few times because, to me, she seemed incredibly self-centered. Keep in mind, this is completely my own personal opinion and thoughts and others may find themselves intrigued and like Eva. I do want to say that I loved the ending and commend the author on the excellence of it.

Overall, the story was very well crafted and enjoyable. I would recommend Scent of Darkness to anyone who enjoys paranormal/mystical types of stories and is looking for something unique. Would I read this author again? Yes, I would love to compare her writing style with this work with her other works.… (més)

This novel is a unique and sensual adventure. By that I don't mean that it's an erotic book. I mean that the narrative description (as well as the characters) openly delight in the senses. Brief plot: Lila is a New York City ad executive in her thirties who meets a) Exley, a hottie at the green market who sells Lila her first exotic plant and b) Armand, an eccentric owner of a business normally associated with drab and dreariness but which he has turned into a botanical garden filled with vibrant, flourishing rare plants. The lives of these three cross in a completely unexpected way, which leads to the three of them crossing paths again in Playa Del Carmen (Mexico's Mayan Riviera). There's a criminal act, a quest of atonement, another hottie, danger, possible tragedy, a lot of scorpions, and HUGE bugs. The nine plants are each described in a lavish and loving way that almost humanizes them. Legend says that anyone who has all nine plants at one time will receive every desire known to humankind. Plant obsessives will do ANYTHING to collect all nine, hence the crime, the journey, and the possible tragedy. A mistake of Lila's causes her to be central to this world of which she, only recently, was entirely ignorant. Her complete unsuitability for this adventure is pivotal to the novel's charm. I enjoyed it tremendously!… (més)