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Cassiopeia Vitt Adventure #5
The End of Forever
Tragedy has found Cassiopeia Vitt. The woman she admires most, Esmerelda Fontana, has been brutally murdered. Then Cassiopeia’s castle rebuilding project is viciously attacked and people are hurt. Are the two incidents related? The answer comes when her old friend, Nicodème L’Etoile, is threatened and she finds herself drawn into a tangled web of revenge that leads straight to the person she loves the most.
Cotton Malone.
And his life will depend on what she does next.
From the rocky coasts of northern Spain, to a medieval building site in France, and finally into Italy and the oldest surviving republic in the world, Cassiopeia must confront a devil from her past, a man obsessed with her destruction. The choices she has to make will be the toughest she’s ever faced. Life and death decisions that force her—to the end of forever.
Cotton Malone.
And his life will depend on what she does next.
From the rocky coasts of northern Spain, to a medieval building site in France, and finally into Italy and the oldest surviving republic in the world, Cassiopeia must confront a devil from her past, a man obsessed with her destruction. The choices she has to make will be the toughest she’s ever faced. Life and death decisions that force her—to the end of forever.
111 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 13, 2021
About the author
Steve Berry
101 books6,835 followersSteve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of twenty-two novels, which include: The Last Kingdom , The Omega Factor , The Kaiser's Web, The Warsaw Protocol, The Malta Exchange, The Bishop’s Pawn, The Lost Order, The 14th Colony, The Patriot Threat, The Lincoln Myth, The King's Deception, The Columbus Affair, The Jefferson Key, The Emperor's Tomb, The Paris Vendetta, The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Venetian Betrayal, The Alexandria Link, The Templar Legacy, The Third Secret, The Romanov Prophecy, and The Amber Room. Steve has also co-written a novel with Grant Blackwood, The 9th Man (a Luke Daniels Adventure), and four novellas with M. J. Rose: The End of Forever, The House of Long Ago, The Lake of Learning, and The Museum of Mysteries, all Cassiopeia Vitt tales. His books have been translated into 41 languages with over 25,000,000 copies in 52 countries. They consistently appear in the top echelon of The New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestseller lists. Somewhere in the world, every thirty seconds, one of his novels is sold.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
January 27, 2022
The collaborative efforts of Steve Berry and M.J. Rose have produced some lovely novellas over the past few years, each of which with their own form of magic. Taking one of Berry’s secondary characters, the pair have built a larger backstory for Cassiopeia Vitt as she lives a somewhat reclusive life in France. After learning of the death of a close friend, Cassiopeia Vitt is beside herself with sorrow. She’s trying to her best to keep it together, only to have tragedy strike close at home, when someone seeks to destroy her castle. Soon thereafter, she learns that she is not the primary target, but only a pathway to her lover, Cotton Malone. Now, she will have to try warning him before he meets an equally sinister fate. Another great addition to the series that is sure to impress readers of both these established authors.
Cassiopeia Vitt is left to mourn the loss of a woman she considered a second mother, which is made worse by knowing she was murdered. Now, Vitt must try to pull herself together or risk losing it all. When someone tries attacking her castle, a 13th century fortress, she’s distraught, but wonders if someone knows a secret about her property. Approaching a longtime friend, Vitt seeks answers and is only pulled deeper into the mystery.
As she wakes up aboard a large sailing vessel, she learns that she’s been a pawn in a larger mission, one that will see her long-time lover lose his life. Cotton Malone is on official business and appears to be the target of a madman, for reasons Vitt cannot completely understand. Now, it’s up to her to stop things before they get out of hand. Trouble is, time is not on her side.
I have long enjoyed the work of Steve Berry, as he knows how to entertain like few authors I know. When he began working with M.J. Rose to extrapolate on the life and time of Cassiopeia Vitt, I was intrigued and hoped that I could learn a little more. The pair combine their unique writing styles and have come up with something a little mystical at times. With strong characters and unique plot lines, it’s a series that I have come to enjoy, particularly because I can read the novellas in a single sitting most of the time.
While I have no context for Rose’s work outside this collaboration, I can see where she has injected her style into the story. The narrative flows well and keeps moving along without issue. Most times, Vitt is the only recurring character, leaving it to the reader to formulate brief connections to those who grace the pages of the novella. A decent plot helps keep the story moving along and adds something that I do not usually see when Vitt finds herself in one of Berry’s stories. I will keep my eyes out for more by this pair, as these five novellas have certainly proved highly entertaining.
Kudos, Mr. Berry and Madam Rose, for another winner. I enjoy this break from the more intense Cotton Malone novels, though they, too, are top of my list to read on an annual basis.
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November 17, 2021
Well, I figured out there was another Cassiopeia Vitt novel out and I read it IMMEDIATELY. One of the wonderful things about this series is you can definitely read each one in about a day, they're not terribly long. That being said, they are still action packed and I am always wanting more!
I enjoyed this novel thoroughly and it might be my favorite of the Cassiopeia novels so far. There is even some Cotton Malone in this one! The book does have a wonderful story but everything is setup in a way that it would be highly improbable any of this would work out...I still loved it. They do say FACT is strange than FICTION so I choose to believe that stories like this just aren't even shown to the public.
Great story, great author collab, action packed and a quicker read! Read these in order if you want to understand the story thoroughly.
I enjoyed this novel thoroughly and it might be my favorite of the Cassiopeia novels so far. There is even some Cotton Malone in this one! The book does have a wonderful story but everything is setup in a way that it would be highly improbable any of this would work out...I still loved it. They do say FACT is strange than FICTION so I choose to believe that stories like this just aren't even shown to the public.
Great story, great author collab, action packed and a quicker read! Read these in order if you want to understand the story thoroughly.
April 1, 2022
The last two of these novellas make up for three very weak ones. Cassiopeia Vitt is mourning the murder of her mother's best friend and the family lawyer Esmerelda Fontana, who had been the family lawyer, and her mother's best friend, who had semi-raised her after the death of her parents. Then a bomb collapses some of the castle she is restoring and her old friend, Nicodeme L'Etoile, is threatened while she is asking him about old maps of her property. All of this is the revenge of a psychotic businessman she humbled in the last book. However, Cassiopeia, is kidnapped and imprisoned on Robert Travers's luxury yacht, and he goes off to kill Cotton Malone (and many others as collateral damage.) Of course, providence intercedes when she has no realistic hope of escape or saving Cotton and she turns the table with the help of an unexpected ally.
May 7, 2023
A strong female lead using her mind and experience making it a fun book (short story) to listen to.
December 16, 2022
This was a good story if you like castles and large ships. Steve used Cassiopeia Vitt as his main character and then used Cotton Malone as her go to person. In this story Cassiopeia Vitt starts out going to a funeral of Esmerelda Fortuna, meeting Jocasta and Pedro Fortuna stating that she will find Esmerelda's killer. In doing so she doesn't know that Robert Travers is planning to kill her and Cotton Malone because she opened a can of worms with opening the Repository in Switzerland. This story has a lot of action and is a good read that I recommend highly.
August 2, 2021
I always enjoy these little Cassiopea Vitt novellas. This way is fast paced and reads well. It is really the second half of what should be a book since it continues the story of the House of Long Ago. My main criticism is the use of repeated descriptive paragraphs from the first book to the second and the dea ex machina appearance of the French agent on the ship to save the day. Fast and fun but not a great piece of literature.
January 10, 2024
Erdstalls and San Marino!
July 14, 2021
“They’d traveled a long way fast, speeding from the Ligurian Sea off the French coast, around the boot of Italy, and up into the Adriatic, now anchored in international waters off the coast of Italy. It would have been quicker to just stay on the east side of Italy and drive across to San Marino. But that would have entailed three hours in a car, with Sanctuaire too far away. He had to be prepared for any hasty escape. Now he was just a short boat ride from shore, San Marino equally close. Any trouble and he could flee west across the Adriatic to Montenegro or Croatia, which had always offered him safe haven.”
When directional elements are misstated or reversed in a novel/novella it makes me wonder if anybody proofreads any more? I know it is a small piece of information to mix up East and West, but when it happens it drives me crazy.
Story was fun. Typical Berry plot.
When directional elements are misstated or reversed in a novel/novella it makes me wonder if anybody proofreads any more? I know it is a small piece of information to mix up East and West, but when it happens it drives me crazy.
Story was fun. Typical Berry plot.
July 22, 2021
This is one of those novella stories that don't need to be expanded into a full novel. Cassiopeia Vitt has a full life outside of her relationship with Cotton Malone. In this story, she had just attended a funeral for Esmerelda Fontana, who had been the family lawyer, and her mother's best friend, who had semi-raised her after the death of her parents. Esmerelda has been brutally murdered. Cassiopeia becomes suspicious when there's an incident at her medieval castle rebuild site that injuries people and her old friend, Nicodeme L'Etoile is threatened. It is occurring because she exposed the secret of the Repository when she tried to find the original paintings left her by her grandfather. The secret exposed was becoming the downfall of Robert Travers a man used to getting his way. He plans to destroy everything dear to Cassiopeia, including killing Cotton Malone. When she stopped an attempt to hurt Nicodeme, she is kidnapped and brought to Travers's boat, where she is freed by Francesca/Anneke, a woman who has been posing as the current girlfriend but is from the Direction Generale de la Securite Exterieure ( the French equivalent to MI6 and the CIA). Of course, Cassiopeia saves the day and stops Travers who is then captured and taken away by the authorities.
March 8, 2022
This was a quick, fun read. I've enjoyed the character of Cassiopeia Vitt in the Steve Berry books, so this novella that features her is quite a treat. In fact, since discovering this book is the 5th in a series I just downloaded all the others. This book gives more insight into Cassiopeia's back story, and enlightens us on her POV.
I have to say that the fast pace of the book may have been equaled by the apparent fast pace of any editing. In chapter 13 Travers notes that "Any trouble and he could flee west across the Adriatic to Montenegro or Croatia, which had always offered him safe haven." Huh? Since when is Montenegro or Croatia west of Italy?? Other annoying glitches are the "bolder" (not boulder) inside the caves in chapter 42 and how Traver's ship "road" (not rode) smoothly.
I have to say that the fast pace of the book may have been equaled by the apparent fast pace of any editing. In chapter 13 Travers notes that "Any trouble and he could flee west across the Adriatic to Montenegro or Croatia, which had always offered him safe haven." Huh? Since when is Montenegro or Croatia west of Italy?? Other annoying glitches are the "bolder" (not boulder) inside the caves in chapter 42 and how Traver's ship "road" (not rode) smoothly.
July 30, 2021
This is the latest collaboration between best-selling author Steve Berry and M. J. Rose and as with the others in the Cassiopeia Vitt series is short, at just around 100 pages.
While not up-to-par with Berry's others books - how could it be when it's about 1/5 the length? - it's a fast-paced little thriller that can be read in one sitting with no problem, 2 if you take time out for lunch or dinner. And of course, there's the cameo appearance by Cotton Malone whose books easily run 400 or more pages.
There is a thread running through the Vitt books which, if you put them all together, would make one good-sized novel featuring the Berry heroine.
It's entertaining as you might expect and is a must read for Berry fans.
While not up-to-par with Berry's others books - how could it be when it's about 1/5 the length? - it's a fast-paced little thriller that can be read in one sitting with no problem, 2 if you take time out for lunch or dinner. And of course, there's the cameo appearance by Cotton Malone whose books easily run 400 or more pages.
There is a thread running through the Vitt books which, if you put them all together, would make one good-sized novel featuring the Berry heroine.
It's entertaining as you might expect and is a must read for Berry fans.
March 11, 2022
A solid follow up to the previous short story "The House of Long Ago" - so much so, that I wonder why they didn't combine them into a novel outright. At least it wrapped up the loose ends of the previous short story and I liked this one more. There were still the fantastical and farcical moments that have become the M.O. of this Vitt series, but they are still entertaining and fast moving, so you kind of forgive the reaching the authors take. Like the previous story featuring little known Andorra, this one focuses on San Moreno. That focus makes the reader intrigued in those locations. Worth the quick read.
January 27, 2022
Number five in the Cassiopeia Vitt series. Longer novella about 120 pages long. Takes place not too long after number four in the series, The House of Long Ago, with Cassiopeia’s adversary from the forth installment looking for revenge. I give this one four stars because it is a solid story, but mostly because their isn’t the mystical element that past installments had. No time travel, magical perfumes, or whatever else which isn’t my cup of tea. Just a decent story with some action and intrigue.
July 15, 2021
The End of Forever will grab you from the beginning as Cassiopeia begins her journey to find the villian who brutally murdered her best friend and who is attacking her project by endangering the lives of her employees.
Evil is lurking in the shadows waiting for the perfect opportunity to get his revenge on Cassiopeia and Cotton.
Action packed drama, mystery and suspense that will keep you intrigued till the very end.
Evil is lurking in the shadows waiting for the perfect opportunity to get his revenge on Cassiopeia and Cotton.
Action packed drama, mystery and suspense that will keep you intrigued till the very end.
July 20, 2021
The End of Forever. Steve Berry. M.J. Rose
Cassiopeia Witt has just suffered a tremendous loss. Her childhood best friends mother. Murdered only because of her connection to Cassiopeia. Now Cotton Malone and another dear friend are next. A billionaire who Cassiopeia caused financial embarrassment to is seeking revenge. This is an action filled fast moving novella which I enjoyed immensely!!
Cassiopeia Witt has just suffered a tremendous loss. Her childhood best friends mother. Murdered only because of her connection to Cassiopeia. Now Cotton Malone and another dear friend are next. A billionaire who Cassiopeia caused financial embarrassment to is seeking revenge. This is an action filled fast moving novella which I enjoyed immensely!!
August 15, 2021
Once more Cassiopeia is in a battle to the death with the man whose depository she destroyed, Robert Travers wants to destroy her. He begins by murdering an ole family friend, lawyer and second mother to Cassiopeia. Cotton Malone is to be part of a ceremony in the tiny country of San Marino and Travers threatens him. The End of Forever has twists and turns, edge of your seat, action the way only MJ Rose and Steve Berry can present it.
March 20, 2022
The End of Forever is the fourth book in the Cassiopeia Vitt novella series by Steve Berry and M.J. Rose. It is part of the Cotton Malone universe of books. I recommend reading the other three books before you start this one. They are very short and will give you a good context for what is happening in this one.
No mystery this time. We know exactly who and why someone is after Cassiopeia Vitt. It has to do with something that happened in a previous book, hence my recommendation to read them all. This is pure thriller with a side of history, a genre Berry excels at.
No mystery this time. We know exactly who and why someone is after Cassiopeia Vitt. It has to do with something that happened in a previous book, hence my recommendation to read them all. This is pure thriller with a side of history, a genre Berry excels at.
September 25, 2023
"Tragedy has found Cassiopeia Vitt. The woman she admires most, Esmerelda Fontana, has been brutally murdered. Then Cassiopeia’s castle rebuilding project is viciously attacked and people are hurt. Are the two incidents related? The answer comes when her old friend, Nicodème L’Etoile, is threatened and she finds herself drawn into a tangled web of revenge that leads straight to the person she loves the most.
Cotton Malone.
And his life will depend on what she does next."
Cotton Malone.
And his life will depend on what she does next."
November 9, 2023
I struggled through most of the book tiring of Cassiopeia’s thoughts about Cotton Malone. Having read the previous books in this series and the Cotton Malone series it struck me as the makings of a trashy romance novel. Finishing the book I realized it was probably intentional to make this more of a stand alone book, but it caused me to seriously consider not finishing. Because of the finish, I upped my rating to three stars (barely).
July 31, 2021
Choices show character
Berry plus Rose is a combination not to be missed. I enjoy each separately and together. Wrap the story around C Vitt and it is a must read. Interesting local and a villain to be hated make this a fun adventure. Why only a 4? A little something missing but hard to put finger on what.
Berry plus Rose is a combination not to be missed. I enjoy each separately and together. Wrap the story around C Vitt and it is a must read. Interesting local and a villain to be hated make this a fun adventure. Why only a 4? A little something missing but hard to put finger on what.
August 2, 2021
The End of Forever by Steve Berry is short book with Cassiopeia Vitt as the main character. I like Steve Berry's books and have been waiting for his next book which is why I read The End of Forever, but at just 98 pages, it left a lot to be desired. Learned a lesson. I want a fully developed book and characters.
September 2, 2021
A nice finish to a previous story. So short.
I'll admit that I don't enjoy short stories. But this is almost getting insulting. As I've said before if Ms. Rose would write a book about these characters I'd buy it. But paying for three instalments is not going to happen with this reader ever again. Very disappointing.
I'll admit that I don't enjoy short stories. But this is almost getting insulting. As I've said before if Ms. Rose would write a book about these characters I'd buy it. But paying for three instalments is not going to happen with this reader ever again. Very disappointing.
April 8, 2022
Always a good read
Rose and Berry never disappoint. This is another riveting thriller, with plenty of action and danger. I’ve really come to like the Cassiopeia Vitt character. I’d feel comfortable sitting outside a Paris cafe with her, sipping coffee, and listen with fascination as she recounts her many exploits.
Rose and Berry never disappoint. This is another riveting thriller, with plenty of action and danger. I’ve really come to like the Cassiopeia Vitt character. I’d feel comfortable sitting outside a Paris cafe with her, sipping coffee, and listen with fascination as she recounts her many exploits.
July 18, 2021
Best novella
Definitely recommend as always...love Cassiopeia Vitt series.. Cotton Malone..another favorite series..can't wait for the next Cotton Malone book..when is the next novella?
Definitely recommend as always...love Cassiopeia Vitt series.. Cotton Malone..another favorite series..can't wait for the next Cotton Malone book..when is the next novella?
July 27, 2021
C for effort
Not sure if it is the shortened format, or because Vitt is the main character, but the novella is far from the quality we've come to expect from Cotton's adventures. Predictable and weak......
Not sure if it is the shortened format, or because Vitt is the main character, but the novella is far from the quality we've come to expect from Cotton's adventures. Predictable and weak......
July 29, 2021
Liked it
It was a bit predictable but entertaining. It is great to have a strong, smart woman as the main character. Travers was truly despicable so nice to have a happy ending, except for the death of Esmeralda.
It was a bit predictable but entertaining. It is great to have a strong, smart woman as the main character. Travers was truly despicable so nice to have a happy ending, except for the death of Esmeralda.
August 30, 2021
I liked it. Lots of running around though....I had completely forgotten this and didn’t even remember it. As soon as I started it again I told myself I had read it already. Don’t think I remembered too much.
September 7, 2021
This is an excellent book that is well thought out and very entertaining. One can aways count on Mr. Berry to conduct extensive research into any story in which he writes. I have read many of his books and aways finish learning a great deal.
May 3, 2022
Pretty good Cassiopeia story with a guest appearance by Cotton. Picks up where the last short book left off with the owner of the Directory attempting to take revenge on her for ruining his business.
August 2, 2022
Interesting connection between this book and the previous book. Seemed a little rushed in my opinion. I get it was a short story, but still it happened real fast. Still entertaining, but not the best.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews