THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF STONES continues the stories of the Daughters of La Lune begun in last year's THE WITCH OF PAINTED SORROWS. This follow-up tale stars Sandrine's daughter, Opaline Duplessy, a jeweler with an ability to communicate messages from dead soldiers to those left behind through the talismans she creates. It's 1918 in Paris, a city known for its romance turned into a city of mourning. Opaline thinks of her ability as a curse even if it brings closure to many, and she's hesitant to explore it further.

Something different happens when Opaline creates mourning jewelry for the mother of Jean Luc, a journalist who died at the front. She starts hearing messages directed to her. Curious, Opaline explores Jean Luc's life and continues to communicate with him, developing a strong bond. Is it possible to fall in love with a ghost? Apparently the daughters of La Lune have only one true love...

La Fantasie Russie where Opaline works is run by Pavel Orloff, who left Russia before the Bolsheviks took over, but never lost the love for his home country. The story intertwines Pavel and Opaline and Paris and Russia. It might sound a little outrageous, but for the most part, it works.

M.J. Rose brings to life the pain of war-torn Paris as well as she evoked the romanticism of 1890s Paris in PAINTED SORROWS. Personally, I liked this book better: whether it's my preference for Opaline over Sandrine or a sentiment for trying to find the beauty in ruin, I'm not sure. Rose's lyrical prose brings her characters to life, Jean Luc almost more than the living characters which still amazes.

For fans of historical fiction with gothic and romantic influences, give Rose's Daughters of La Lune a try. While this book can be read as a stand-alone novel, I'm simply incapable of reading books out of order and think a series is best appreciated when read from the beginning. I look forward to the final book in the trilogy.