Magician of Light: A Novel

by J Fremont

Overview

For fans of Marie Benedict, Lauren Willig, and Diana Gabaldon, comes a Gothic romance about the charming and ambitious glassmaker René Lalique, the mysterious Englishwoman he falls in love with and their haunting encounters.   

Fascinated by the occult, René feels stifled, apprenticed to a traditional jeweler. Yearning for the creative freedom to explore the mythical world in his art, he leaves Paris to study at the Crystal Palace outside London. There, he meets Lucinda Haliburton and her dysfunctional family.   

Having returned from an archaeological dig and tomb discovery in Egypt, Lucinda believes she is preyed upon by ancient spirits. Rene finds her unearthly situation both enchanting and frightening. Is it imagination, delusional, or a real ghostly encounter?   

Magician of Light illuminates the dark side of Lalique’s life while spinning a suspenseful tale of twisting fates. An enthralling love story filled with historical intrigue and overshadowed by the unknowable.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647423551
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	05/17/2022
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

J Fremont is an author and veterinarian. For more than twenty-five years she practiced small animal veterinary medicine while also serving as an adjunct professor at a local university and community college. The mother of two adult sons, she lives in Southern California with her husband of thirty years. In addition to writing, J is a passionate practitioner of the decorative arts, including gardening, jewelry making, glass fusing, photography, sewing, and other arts and crafts, and the author of multiple short stories (via her website, drjfremont.com). Magician of Light is her debut novel with She Writes Press.

Editorial Reviews

Fremont debuts with a dramatic story of lost love, family secrets, and ancient magic. Magician of Light is a memorable story of historical intrigue, jeweler René Lalique, and the relationships that inspired his art. This is a compelling, engaging tale of historical intrigue, and Fremont’s characters are immersive.” 
—Booklife Reviews by Publishers Weekly 

 “Subtle, smart, compelling, and blessed with an intelligent storyline and top-notch writing, Magician of Light transports us to European life at the end of the 19th Century. Through Fremont’s sensory descriptions, readers practically live—smell, taste, see, touch, and hear—the life and art of René Lalique.” 

—Laurie Buchanan, author of the Sean McPherson novels

“Reminiscent of Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White, Fremont weaves a gripping tale of spirits, hallucinations, insanity and betrayal to take the reader into the life of the famous Rene Lalique . . . Fremont masters incredible accuracy and detail of European dress, food, street scenes and daily life of the late 1800s to early 1900s. Magician of Light delves deep into the fascinating era and story of a unique artist of his time.”

—Lucinda Jackson, author of Just a Girl: Growing Up Female and Ambitious and Project Escape: Lessons for an Unscripted Life

“With each stroke of the pen, Dr. J Fremont gives us an in-depth view of the masterful art of René Lalique. The settings, art medium, and process Lalique used to create his art was so intricately described that it placed you into the scene of each chapter. Fremont so eloquently details the imagery of Lalique’s work in Magician of Light that it connects you as if you were an observer at a Fine Art Exhibition.”
—M. Bernard Edmonds, (BerniE.), Author, Artist, Sculptor, Song Writer

“Fremont’s detailed account of Lalique’s life takes the reader on a fascinating journey as he seeks to find his place in the world of art. She captures the atmosphere of Paris and London, where the mystical lived side by side with the rational. Reminiscent of 19th Century gothic novels, this fictional account of the artist’s life is both engaging and informative.”

—Susan Speranza, author of The City of Light, The Tale of Lucia Grandi – The Early Years and Ice Out

From the Publisher