This book is amazing. I did not know much about the French revolution and this book brought it to life for me. The details were written beautifully and I felt like I was right there in the action. Loved the story of the four main characters and how they became interconnected. This is definitely a must read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Random House Publishing Group - Random House and netgalley for this ARC.

The Pataki's have succeeded in writing a fresh, unique, and stimulating novel about the revolution. I loved the personal stories all converging into a explosive finale.

The era of the French Revolution is not my normal choice for historical fiction, so this book definitely took me by surprise! The groundwork and research that went into this novel is fascinating and I absolutely loved reading something I haven't really read more of in the past. The characters are well written and the story develops and intertwines quite nicely throughout the book. Where the Light Falls is a fantastic work of historical fiction in a book world where we see a lot of WWII novels. I highly recommend picking this one up.

Allison Pataki has joined with Owen Pataki to write another spellbinding historical fiction novel. The authors combine fact and fiction to write a story that is both informative and entertaining. The characters are colorful and fully developed and the plot is intriguing and keeps you wanting to read more. Ms. Pataki has made a slight change for this novel. In her previous novels, the main characters are real and she writes the stories around them. For this tale, the main characters are fictional and she weaves them into the events of the French Revolution.

The story begins in 1792, with the haunting narrative of the beheading of French citizens whose only crimes were to be wealthy. This sets the stage to introduce our four main characters. Jean-Luc S. Clair and his wife Marie, a poor young lawyer who wants to make a difference for the common people caught in the revolution and his wife, who has a secret of her own. On the other end of the spectrum is Captain Andre Valiere and Sophie de Vincennes both from noble families who could lose their heads by just a small accusation. The characters are thrown together in these turbulent times. They come to realize that gallantry is not limited to class, neither is cruelty.

This story can be read by teen to adult readers. Although there is some violence, it is not extremely graphic. If you are a fan of Allison Pataki, you will definitely want to pick up this book. Once again, she has written a story that is both education and diverting.

I have requested from and reviewed this book for NetGalley.

What a book! Really enjoyed! Highly recommend. Perfect book club pick!

My review will be posted in late June 2017.

Three years have past since the Bastille was stormed, and in Paris we meet two young men, one a lawyer and one a soldier. Jean-Luc St. Clair and his wife Marie have come from Marseille so that Jean-Luc may work as a lawyer for the Republic. Jean-Luc toils away as a government employee, cataloguing the personal effects of the clergy and nobility, both prime targets for revenge by the new regime. Andre Valiere is the son of an executed nobleman. Now serving in the army with his brother Remy, Andre falls in love with a beautiful widow, Sophie, who happens to be the niece of his family's enemy General Murat. Both Jean-Luc and Andre watch as the revolution pivots from trying to better the lives of the poor and starving to massacring anyone of noble blood and anyone who dares to criticize the new government's lust for blood and power. When General Murat accuses General Kellermann, the hero of the Battle of Valmy, of actions against the Republic, Jean-Luc is the only lawyer that will come to his defense. His bold stance earns him many powerful enemies, and when Andre's relationship with Sophie threatens Murat, Andre too is accused. Jean-Luc, Andre, Sophie, and Marie struggle to survive as Napoleon rises to power and those who overthrew a king eventually embrace an emperor.
The main characters are fictional but (as the authors explain in a lengthy authors' note) are composites of historical individuals. Robespierre, Napoleon, and the father of Alexandre Dumas appear, albeit peripherally. The story sticks closely to the historical narrative and therefore provides an excellent view of events from less well known vantage points. So much history is covered, in fact, that it feels like the characters are forced in wherever possible, leaving the characters and plot arc a bit flat. The history is worth experiencing and the Patakis give us first row seats, but the characters themselves seem to be only loose connectors between major plot points.

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for my review.

I would like to thank NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a review. Set in Paris in the years after the revolution, Allison and Owen Pataki have written a story that reflects the chaos and terror of the time. Opening with the last days of aristocrat Alexandre de Valiere, they take you from his prison cell to La Place de la Revolution where the guillotine awaits. Andre Valiere, son of the doomed aristocrat, has renounced his title and lands and serves in the army, hoping that this will save him from the same fate. After falling for the niece of an influential general who bears resentment toward him and his family, even his military service may not save him.

Jean-Luc St Clair is a young lawyer from the south of France who has left his position in his father-in-law's firm to do his part for the new government in Paris. While his wife struggles with food shortages and caring for their young son, he is assigned to inventory the contents of estates seized from condemned nobles. Hoping to advance, he makes connections with a powerful lawyer. As his own influence grows, so do the dangers facing him and his family.

This is a fascinating look at an important part of French history. Although there are small changes in the timeline of events, the narrative gives the reader the ability to experience these events and their effects on the people of France. From the war with the Prussians to the rise of Napoleon and his Battle of the Pyramids, it was a turbulent time that has been beautifully portrayed by the authors.

4 and 1 / 2 stars

Our book starts out in 1792 three years after the citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille. The French Revolution is underway and times are treacherous. Three young people are central to our story and they are searching not only for a place in their city, but they also seek to survive the rampant violence and distrust that reigns in Paris.

Jean-Luc St. Clair is an attorney who moved with wife and young son from countryside. He is working mostly for free with the downtrodden of Paris. He meets the important people in the government – even Robespierre and Murat.

Other famous people have cameos as well such as Alexandre Dumas, King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and Napoleon.

Andre Valiere is a Captain in the French army who removed the “de” from his name to hide his noble birth. His brother Remy is also in the army as an artillery expert. Battling the Prussians and Austrians they win a victory and keep the warring soldiers from sacking Paris. At home on leave he meets Sophie de Vincennes. She is the widowed wife of a noble who meets Andre at a party. She is the niece of a General in the Army who repudiated his noble birth some time before the revolution.

In France the ordinary citizens – and the new government – are fighting for “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.” Whether they can achieve this during this time of strife, starvation and violence is another matter.

I want to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group – Random House/Dial Press for forwarding to me a copy of this informational and instructional book to read.