Florence, Italy—1533: A young apprentice, René le Florentin, is saved from execution by Catherine de Medici after he'd been accused of poisoning his master. He travels with her to France where he becomes her favored perfumer. Not only does René know the art of mixing the most lavish and irresistible fragrances, but he also knows a formula that has the potential to reanimate the dead. In France, René finds his fortune and learns the price of his freedom. Catherine has many enemies and rivals, and René must create deadly poisons for his Queen. Holding both life and death in his hands, René can't foresee the very tragic and personal consequences of his art.

Paris, France—The Present: Jac L'Etoile is trying to recover from the death of her brother by finishing the project Robbie had started before he fell ill. Her work as a mythologist and with a family history as an exclusive, high- end perfumers gives her the perfect tools to unlock the mystery behind René le Florentin's work into reanimating a dying breath. Her path leads her to Griffin North, a linguist who was translating René's formula for Robbie. Griffin is the only man Jac has every loved and the one man she can never be with because she knows she'll bring him death.

THE COLLECTOR OF DYING BREATHS by M.J. Rose delves into the treacherous court life of Catherine de Medici and the opulent world of the wealthy who will stop at nothing to gain immortality. Let me say first how much I absolutely love the title and cover for this novel. The title evokes pain, love, compassion, grief, and ambition. It is the perfect title for René's part of the story. The cover is simply gorgeous bringing to mind seduction, death, and opulence.

Unfortunately, the plot doesn't quite live up to the title. Let me backtrack a little. The chapters told from René's point of view are exceptional and compelling. The narrative carries the sense of dread which increases the suspense and conflict because René begins at the end. He's at his most desperate moment and then reflects on how he came to this point in his life where he must find the answer to reanimating the dying breaths. His story is the perfect balance of dread, hope, love, grief, and conflict. I would have been perfectly happy just to have read his story.

Jac's chapters did not live up to either the title or René's amazing story. For me, her character had nothing at the core to create a driving force. She's an intelligent woman who directs her own cable series searching for myths and their origins, yet we see none of that strength or intelligence in her decision making. Her actions and responses are all tied to emotional intuitiveness. Being emotionally intuitive is not a bad thing, but here it makes Jac a static character. Her character doesn't feel like an active part of the story, but rather one who is being swept up into the stories of other, stronger characters.

THE COLLECTOR OF DYING BREATHS by M.J. Rose is part of her Reincarnationist series. It can be read as a stand-alone, which is how I read it. Maybe if I'd read the "The Book of Lost Fragrances," also starring Jac and Griffin, Jac's character would have seemed more rounded, and I would have understood her character better and her relationship with Griffin. Part of my disappointment could be explained by the hopes I'd built based solely upon the fantastic title.

THE COLLECTOR OF DYING BREATHS by M.J. Rose is an unbalanced tale of grief, love, and ambition told from a perspective of the powerful and elite of the past and the present. M.J. Rose's prose is as always beautiful and evocative, and I will continue to read more from her. I just don't recommend THE COLLECTOR OF DYING BREATHS be your first.