Sharing my 5-Star review in entirety, posted at Amazon for ‘The Artist’ by Lyra Shanti:

A Masterpiece!

From this reader’s perspective of ‘The Artist,’ one must reserve judgment until the “stormy” conclusion. Prior to, I felt shortchanged that the book was not anchored by at least one historical date or reference. I had bemoaned the fact there were no thumbnail sketches of Vienna and Venice as befitting the 18th century based on reader deduction for the time setting. However, the lack thereof, totally justified, gob smacked me when I reached the end of my journey. In retrospect, the author “had” to write it this way, for reasons you’ll understand.

This novel is a masterpiece—incorporating Shanti’s deft brushstrokes for storytelling and interspersing poetry. She touches upon delicate subjects through the inner conflicts manifested by Apollo Antonius Vidali (call him Paul): parental pressure, child abuse, double standards, censorship, infidelity, self-loathing, and redemption.

I highly recommend this novel whose main character walks the fine line between genius and madness.