Why I Love… To Write Art Historical Fiction by Laura Morelli

The first time I visited Venice as a wide­eyed teenager, I knew I was supposed to buy Murano glass, but I had no idea why. All I knew was that I was whisked to the famous “glass island” on an overcrowded, stinky boat.  I waited behind two dozen American  and  Japanese  tourists  to  pay  an  exorbitant  price  for  a  little  glass fish—what a bewildering experience!

Still, it was the artistic traditions of the world that lured me back and inspired me to study the great artists of the past.  Living in Europe and Latin America, I realized that in many places, centuries ­old craft traditions are still living traditions. So began my quest to discover craftspeople passing on a special kind of knowledge to the next generation. I never tire of the stories and the people behind the world’s most enduring  artistic  traditions—everything  from  Murano  glass  to  Limoges  porcelain, balsamic vinegar, Chinese silk and cowboy boots.

The  story  of The  Gondola Maker, my  first work  of  fiction,  germinated inside my head  while  I  was  busy  researching  another  book  called  Made  in  Italy.  The contemporary Italian artisans I interviewed, one after another, told me how important it  was  to  them to pass on the torch of tradition to the next generation. I began to wonder what would happen if the successor were not able or willing to take on that
duty. The characters of the gondola maker and his heirs began to take shape. The story intrigued me so much that I felt compelled to write about it.

Working as an art historian involves three things: teaching, researching, and writing. Doing  art  historical  research  is  a  passion  for  me,  and  I  also  love being  in  the classroom  and  sharing  the  history  of  art  with  my  students.  Writing  for  scholarly journals  takes  years  of  training  and  discipline.  I  have  great  respect  for  the craftsmanship  of  academic  writing  and  for  those  who  practice  it.  However, personally,  after  writing within the  conventions  of academic scholarship for some years, I began to feel like I was going to burst!

One  day  I  found myself  yawning  in  the  audience of a scholarly  conference, and I realized that there was something fundamentally wrong. After all, the history of art is the most fascinating topic in the world! Why do we scholars insist on making it dull and inaccessible? I realized then that, not only did I see an opportunity, I felt called to share the excitement of art history with a broader audience through my writing.

Book Synopsis:
In 16th-century Venice, the heir to a family boatyard rejects his destiny but is drawn to restore an old gondola with the dream of taking a girl for a ride.

Venice, 1581
Luca Vianello is the heir to the city’s most esteemed gondola-making family. But when an accidental tragedy strikes the boatyard, Luca believes his true calling lies elsewhere. Readers will appreciate the authentic details of gondola craftsmanship along with a captivating tale of artisanal tradition and family bonds set in one of the world’s most magnificent settings: Renaissance Venice.

Praise for The Gondola Maker:

"I'm a big fan of Venice, so I appreciate Laura Morelli's special knowledge of the city, the period, and the process of gondola-making. An especially compelling story."
--Frances Mayes, author, Under the Tuscan Sun

"Laura Morelli has done her research, or perhaps she was an Italian carpenter in another life. One can literally smell and feel the grain of finely turned wood in her hands."
--Pamela Sheldon Johns, author, Italian Food Artisans

"While a wealth of period lore and beautifully rendered setting—the city’s unique sounds, smells, and heritage—dominate her novel, Morelli creates poignantly convincing characters in this handsome coming-of-age novel about adoration, pain, and destiny."
- Publishers Weekly

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Meet the Author:

Laura Morelli earned a Ph.D. in art history from Yale University, where she was a Bass Writing Fellow and an Andrew W. Mellon Doctoral Fellow. She has taught college art history in the U.S.and at Trinity College in Rome.

She is the creator of the authentic guidebook series that includes Made in Italy, Made in France, and Made in the Southwest, published by Rizzoli. Laura is a frequent contributor to National Geographic Traveler and other national magazines and newspapers. A native of coastal Georgia, she is married and is busy raising four children. The Gondola Maker is her first work of fiction.

Connect with Laura here: www.lauramorelli.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauramorelliphd
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lauramorelliphd
about.me/lauramorelliphd

Laura Morelli, is currently on a virtual book tour. You can read the details HERE

Review: The Red Lily Crown: A Novel of Medici Florence by Elizabeth Loupas

Publication Date: April 1st, 2014
Publisher: NAL Trade
448 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0451418876

Synopsis From The Book Jacket:

Elizabeth Loupas returns with her most ambitious historical novel yet, a story of intrigue, passion, and murder in the Medici Court...

April, 1574, Florence, Italy. Grand Duke Cosimo de’ Medici lies dying. The city is paralyzed with dread, for the next man to wear the red lily crown will be Prince Francesco: despotic, dangerous, and obsessed with alchemy.

Chiara Nerini, the troubled daughter of an anti-Medici bookseller, sets out to save her starving family by selling her dead father’s rare alchemical equipment to the prince. Instead she is trapped in his household—imprisoned and forcibly initiated as a virgin acolyte in Francesco’s quest for power and immortality. Undaunted, she seizes her chance to pursue undreamed-of power of her own.

Witness to sensuous intrigues and brutal murder plots, Chiara seeks a safe path through the labyrinth of Medici tyranny and deception. Beside her walks the prince’s mysterious English alchemist Ruanno, her friend and teacher, driven by his own dark goals. Can Chiara trust him to keep her secrets…even to love her…or will he prove to be her most treacherous enemy of all?

So What Did I Think About The Story?:

From the very first page of The Red Lily Crown the tension and desperation dragged me in and wouldn't let go until the very end. Chiara and her family are in such dire straits when the story starts and her need to do anything to feed them was so admirable that I instantly fell in love with her as a character. She is also outspoken, stubborn and snarky and, as the story progresses, determined to grasp what power she can, making her a well rounded, relatable person. She sets out to use Grand Duke Francesco de Medici as much as he wishes to use her, helping him with his alchemical experiments in the hopes of ultimately creating the Philosopher's Stone so she can become an alchemist in her own right - something not many women could claim - as well as to heal her terrible headaches and the demon voices she had heard in her head since being kicked by a horse as a young child. This all seems like a good and manageable plan until she finds herself within the heart of the Medici family and she sees first hand just how corrupt, vicious and vindictive they really are. And that is when the fun really begins!

Every single one of the Medici family are presented as absolutely terrifying and calculating in their own way. It becomes quite clear that none can be trusted, even when they seem relatively kind if spoiled as Isabella and her cousin Dianora come across, because every one of them will turn against anyone, even each other, to save their own skin and preserve or improve their power. Imprisonment, torture, even murder are not beyond their scope and the way they proceeded with such cool superiority no matter what diabolical act they had to sanction or do themselves chilled me. The descriptions of the violence and depravity are quite vivid and I couldn't help but keep reading to see just how far they would go. Watching Chiara slowly come to realize just how much danger she is in as the glittery film around the court falls away was mesmerizing and her growth and evolution so she was able to survive amidst all the manipulation and scheming was admirable.

Another aspect I found just fascinating was how Elizabeth Loupas incorporated how the deep and long lasting damage of a bad childhood can come to affect a person as they get older. Each of our main characters - Chiara, Francesco and Ruanno - had scarring childhoods filled with abuse of one kind or another and the effects of that abuse followed them into their adulthood in some strange and horrible ways. It made me wonder what  might have been different if these people had had the opportunity to be nurtured as they needed. While some of the characters, especially Francesco's younger brother Pietro, would most likely have been mad no matter what sort of childhood they had received, it did make me think about the whole nature/nurture discussion and to think what difference a positive childhood might have made to these people individually and for history. While the reader will learn in the author notes that Chiara and Ruanno are fictional characters the Medici were very real and therefore might have been very difference given the circumstances. Although as deep as the craziness seemed to go possibly not.

Lastly, the slow, somewhat twisting yet satisfying relationship that developed between Chiara and Ruanno was very enjoyable to experience. With all the backstabbing going on you couldn't help but feel for Chiara as she tried to figure out how much she could trust Ruanno, a man who clearly hid many secrets of his own. I couldn't help but hope that Chiara would be able to find someone she could trust implicitly and whom she could count on to help her navigate through this treacherous landscape and hopefully be there for her if she was able to make it out safely. Did she find this someone? You will have to read the book to find out!

The Red Lily Crown has all the components I love in my historical fiction: historically accurate settings and people, intriguing and enigmatic characters, strong descriptions that allow me to feel like I am in the midst of the story and not reading it and, ultimately, a storyline that draws me in and holds my attention until the last page.  Having previously read and enjoyed The Last Duchess by Ms. Loupas and now having enjoyed this book so much, I am a forever fan and am so excited to have found another author to keep on my radar.

So What Did I Think About The Cover?:

My copy is an ARC with a simple cream cover with black lettering but I absolutely adore the cover of the finished book! I can't get enough of covers showcasing the main character in all their finery against a historic background that fits into the story. I love the colors, the dress...everything. This is the kind of cover that grabs me every time!

My Rating:   4.5/5.0

Voice of the Falconer by David Blixt

It's eight years after the tumultuous events of THE MASTER OF VERONA. Pietro Alaghieri has been living as an exile in Ravenna, enduring the loss of his famous father while secretly raising the bastard heir to Verona's prince.

But when word reaches him of the death of Cangrande della Scala, the master of Verona, Pietro must race back to Verona to prevent young Cesco's rivals from usurping his rightful place. With the tentative peace of Italy at stake, not to mention their lives, Pietro must act swiftly to protect them all. But young Cesco is determined not to be anyones pawn. Willful and brilliant, he defies even the stars. And far behind the scenes is a mastermind pulling the strings, one who stands to lose, or gain, the most.

Born from Shakespeare's Italian plays, in this novel we meet for the first time Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, the Nurse, as well as revisit Montague and Capulet, Petruchio and Kate, and the money-lending Shylock. From Ravenna to Verona, Mantua, and Venice, this novel explores the danger, deceit, and deviltry of early Renaissance Italy, and the terrible choices one must make just to stay alive.

On Friday I reposted my review of Master of Verona by David Blixt. There were a couple of reasons for doing so. The first was that I hadn't finished reading this book (bad blog tour participant) but another reason was that I really, really loved that book.

When I read it back in 2009, I was super excited at the prospect of a follow up book. So I waited and waited, and there was no news and then there was bad news - Voice of the Falconer wasn't going to be published. That is until David Blixt decided to self publish the whole series.

Back in January I named this book as my my most anticipated new HF release and I bought it as soon as it came out! Luckily I still managed to read this book in the year I declared that, and I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the world that David Blixt has created.

Voice of the Falconer starts 8 years after the events of the ending of Master of Verona. Pietro Alaghieri (son of the famed poet Dante) has been charged with raising the illegitimate heir to the great Cangrande, ruler of Verona. There are very few people who know of Cesco's existence and that is the way that everyone likes it. The plan is for Cangrande to name his heir officially when the boy is 15 years old, but when Cangrande appears to be be dead it is necessary to bring forward the reveal, setting in motion a chain events that twists and turns all over the place. Revealing Cesco's existence is bound to lead to questions but also danger, especially seeing there are other members of the della Scala family who are trying to position themselves to be the next ruler of the city-state of Verona.

The members of Cesco's adoptive 'family' are all intriguing - Pietro who struggles with his status as an ex communicant and who is doing his best to train Cesco up to fulfil his destiny, the Moor named Tharwat who has more secrets than most not the least of which is where he learned the skills that he is now passing onto Cesco, the doctor Morsicato and the young boy Detto who is Cesco's companion and friend. While they are all interesting in their own right, they are often reduced to secondary roles in the presence of Cesco who is portrayed as being superior in intellect, in wit, in horse riding skills and so much more. it is hard to believe that a child of 11 or 12 would be able to be all that, but for the role that Cesco has to play in the book it works.

This is a complicated world filled with betrayal and intrigue, cross and then double cross, family rivalries, a famous prediction yet to be fulfilled, a curse and oh so much more. It is a book that you manage to get lost in but where you also have to work a bit while you are reading because of the twists and turns in the various nefarious plots and the sheer number of characters. There are lots of Shakespearean references, some of which are more obvious than others, but even if you don't recognise them, the writing is strong enough to still carry you forward. There are also lots of battles and even though this is not my favourite thing to read, the way that Blixt describes them I can see the action as it unfolds, watch the sword swinging, the adrenalin in the battle, the blood and dust. He makes this particular aspect of the story just as readable as the rest of the book, something that doesn't always happen with some authors where it can feel somewhat more mechanical than genuine.

One of the secondary plots that makes this story interesting to read is that David Blixt is choosing to give the reader a retelling of the famous story of Romeo and Juliet, but rather than just starting with the young lovers that we are so familiar with he takes us back to where the feud started. In Master of Verona we saw where the feud began between the families we now know as the Montagues and the Capulets. In this book we see how the former friends deal with their troubled relationship and the difficulties that it causes within the context of Verona society and for those who are friends with them both, and also get to meet Romeo and Juliet as toddler and babe respectively. Blixt is choosing to retell the famous story with added depth and within the Renaissance setting and it really, really works. Even though you know how this particular aspect of the story ends, I can't wait to find out more of the details that the author has included in the next book in the series, which is already available.

I may have had to wait to read this book, but now that I have read it I do not hesitate to recommend both Master of Verona and this one to readers of historical fiction everywhere.

Rating 4.5/5

Master of Verona by David Blixt (or my blog tour failure)

Earlier this year when I was asked to name my most anticipated Historical Fiction new release for 2012, I didn't have to go too far. There were the obvious candidates (like Susanna Kearsley) but another was Voice of the Falconer by David Blixt, the follow up book to Master of Verona which I read a few years ago and really loved!

As soon as it came out I bought it, and that's as far as I got. Then I saw that Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours had a tour for David Blixt books and so I jumped on board. Ten days to go until the end of the year and I would still have read it in the year it came out. Or that was the plan anyway!

Unfortunately, life has got in the way (insert relevant excuses here) and so while I am currently reading it and really liking it, I am not going to have it read in time to post for my slot on the tour! I am so sorry Amy and David!).

So that I am not posting nothing, I thought I would repost my original review (I think this is perhaps the third time I have posted the review here, but who's counting?) and then I will be back with the review for Voice of the Falconer soon.

Synopsis

In 1314, seventeen year old Pietro Alighieri travels to Verona with his father, the infamous poet Dante, at the invitation of its leader, the legendary Francesco “Cangrande” della Scala. A sneak attack from Padua leads Pietro into his first battle, fighting alongside the charismatic Cangrande, and into a tight friendship with Mariotto Montecchio and Antonio Capulletto. Behind the scenes, repeated attempts are made against the life of a child believed to be Cangrande’s illegitimate son and possible heir.

Pietro is drawn into the web of intrigue around the child and the tension building between Mariotto and Antonio over a woman betrothed to one and in love with the other – a situation that will sever a friendship, divide a city, and ultimately lead to the events of the best known tragic romance in the world.

Inspired by the plays of Shakespeare, the poetry of Dante, and the events of history, The Master of Verona is a compelling novel of politics, loyalty, conspiracy and star-crossed romance.

Sometimes it happens that I really love a book, but I still don't get around to writing a review for it straight away (or at all, but we won't think about all those unwritten reviews just now!). This is one of those books.

My interest was initially drawn to the idea of setting a book at the time of Romeo and Juliet, but this is much more than a retelling of that famous tale. It isn't even the main action within the novel, but it is an important component.

The story is more about Pietro Alighieri, son and reluctant heir to his father, the famous and controversial poet Dante Alighieri. I say reluctant because for many years Pietro was the second son of a famous man, not really expected to do much in terms of continuing his father's legacy, but with the death of his older brother, Pietro finds himself fulfilling a role that he is ill suited for.

He is given the chance to shine when he unexpectedly gets to fight with Francesco "Cangrande" della Scala, charismatic leader of Verona. This engagement also brings him into contact with his new best friends, Mario and Antonio. The boys are friends, but they are also competitors both in the contests of the Palio and for two of them, in love. This very first fight begins with a flying leap off of a balcony onto horseback - a very telling sign of the type of swashbuckling to come throughout the book!

Blixt skilfully deals with the historical figures of Dante and Cangrande, Shakespeare's famous love story, an intriguing suspense subplot plus provides the reader with an engaging, exciting and engrossing story with a large cast of well written characters.

There is lots of action in the pages between the battles and the pageantry associated with medieval Italy. For me, the highlight of the book is definitely the day of the Palio. The colour, the spectacle and the pageantry are incredibly detailed but also very readable with the naming of the new knights, the speech of the oracle where it is declared that "Verona will always be remembered for love" and the crazy midnight foot race where the participants all run naked through the streets coming to life vividly through the words on the page!

This is an excellent historical fiction debut, and I for one, am very much looking forward to reading the next book from David Blixt, which will pick up where the action of this book left off!

When it comes to grading books I think that I am an easy grader when it comes to 4/5 books, but very, very hard when it comes to 5/5 books. This book is one of only three 5/5 books so far this year! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read historical fiction
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Originally posted 2009

Tour Details

Link to Tour Schedule: http://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/2012/11/david-blixt-virtual-book-tour-december.html
Twitter Hashtag: #DavidBlixtVirtualTour

About the Author


Author and playwright David Blixt's work is consistently described as "intricate," "taut," and "breathtaking." A writer of Historical Fiction, his novels span the early Roman Empire (the COLOSSUS series, his play EVE OF IDES) to early Renaissance Italy (the STAR-CROSS'D series, including THE MASTER OF VERONA, VOICE OF THE FALCONER, and FORTUNE'S FOOL) up through the Elizabethan era (his delightful espionage comedy HER MAJESTY'S WILL, starring Will Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe as inept spies). His novels combine a love of the theatre with a deep respect for the quirks and passions of history. As the Historical Novel Society said, "Be prepared to burn the midnight oil. It's well worth it."

Living in Chicago with his wife and two children, David describes himself as "actor, author, father, husband. In reverse order."

For more about David and his novels, visit www.davidblixt.com.

The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

The majestic and haunting beauty of the Italian Alps is the setting of the first meeting of Enza, a practical beauty, and Ciro, a strapping mountain boy, who meet as teenagers, despite growing up in villages just a few miles apart. At the turn of the last century, when Ciro catches the local priest in a scandal, he is banished from his village and sent to hide in America as an apprentice to a shoemaker in Little Italy. Without explanation, he leaves a bereft Enza behind. Soon, Enza's family faces disaster and she, too, is forced to go to America with her father to secure their future.

Unbeknownst to one another, they both build fledgling lives in America, Ciro masters shoemaking and Enza takes a factory job in Hoboken until fate intervenes and reunites them. But it is too late: Ciro has volunteered to serve in World War I and Enza, determined to forge a life without him, begins her impressive career as a seamstress at the Metropolitan Opera House that will sweep her into the glamorous salons of Manhattan and into the life of the international singing sensation, Enrico Caruso.

From the stately mansions of Carnegie Hill, to the cobblestone streets of Little Italy, over the perilous cliffs of northern Italy, to the white-capped lakes of northern Minnesota, these star-crossed lovers meet and separate, until, finally, the power of their love changes both of their lives forever.

Lush and evocative, told in tantalizing detail and enriched with lovable, unforgettable characters, The Shoemaker's Wife is a portrait of the times, the places and the people who defined the immigrant experience, claiming their portion of the American dream with ambition and resolve, cutting it to fit their needs like the finest Italian silk.

This riveting historical epic of love and family, war and loss, risk and destiny is the novel Adriana Trigiani was born to write, one inspired by her own family history and the love of tradition that has propelled her body of bestselling novels to international acclaim. Like Lucia, Lucia, The Shoemaker's Wife defines an era with clarity and splendor, with operatic scope and a vivid cast of characters who will live on in the imaginations of readers for years to come.

For years I have been hearing how good Adriana Trigiani is. Some of my favourite bloggers are big fans and there are always lots of really enthusiastic reviews for her books. I did read another book by her last year and I liked it, but after reading The Shoemaker's Wife I get it....I really get it!

The Shoemaker's Wife was inspired by the author's grandparents story, and you can really see that she is invested in the story that she is telling.

Our story starts when we meet Ciro and his brother Eduardo. Their mother is taking them to a convent in small town in the Alps in Northern Italy. Their father has died (they think) in a mining accident in America and she can no longer provide for them and so she takes them to the nuns to be educated and nurtured into adulthood. Whilst both boys miss their parents terribly, they are cared for well by the nuns. Eduardo is more sombre and studious whereas Ciro is a much more physical presence.

Ciro is asked to go up to another small town further up the mountain to dig a grave, and at that time he meets Enza. There is an instant connection between the two of them, and who knows, if fate hadn't conspired against them, the story might have begun and ended right there. However, like all star-crossed lovers nothing is as simple as that.

As a result of an issue that Ciro has with the local priest he is sent away to start a new life in America and Eduardo joins the church. Ciro is sent to a relative of one of the nuns to learn a trade. He is to become a shoemaker's apprentice.

Enza also makes her way to America, travelling with her father to try and earn enough money to send back to her family in Italy so that they can build their house and business up. Enza's father goes on to work in other states, leaving Enza to make her own way in life. After a rough start, Enza makes friends with Laura and the two girls become each other's support and strength and they soon  manage to get to New York, find somewhere to live and jobs working in the Metropolitan Opera. They are exposed to the glamour of the opera and to get to know many of the stars including the amazing Enrico Caruso.

There are a couple of other meet ups between Ciro and Enza along the way, and each time the connection is clear and strong, but again, fate and also World War I, get in the way of our young couple. Ciro is something of a ladies man, and Enza doesn't sit waiting for Ciro to come to his senses. As a result, the scene where finally all the stars align is both dramatic and poignant.

The next part of the book brings a move to another new location when Enza and Ciro move to Minnesota. Ciro builds up his business with the help of his business partner and friend, and also with the active involvement of Enza who uses her skills as a dressmaker and her natural affinity for people to help the family to settle into their new home and to thrive.

Structurally, the book is divided into three clear parts and each part has a different feel in a way. What connects the three parts are the strong characters, the strong sense of location whether it be Italy, New York or Minnesota, and the way that Trigiani is able to bring the senses to life with her descriptions of food, of fabrics, of music and of flora.

Whilst this book is sad (yes, I cried on the train in public again at the end of this book) there is also an overriding sense of joy. The author manages to evoke the emotions without having the book become maudlin even as the events of World War I come back to haunt the family in ways that could never be expected.

If there was a small criticism, I am not sure that we really needed the final chapters. It was nice to see what happened, but the book wouldn't have necessarily been a lesser read without those chapters being there.

I gave this book a rating of 4.5/5. This book counts for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge and for the War Through the Generations challenge.

I thought for a bit of fun I might see if I could find a video of Enrico Caruso who plays such an important part in the life of Enza in particular. I lucked out when I found a clip of both his voice, and also images of New York at around the time that Enza would have been living there! I actually wasn't sure that I would know the song that was used in the clip, until it started and I realised that it was a song that is used in a TV ad for a pasta sauce brand here. See, I am more cultured than I realised!

Cross posted at The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader

Thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for the review copy

The King's Agent by Donna Russo Morin

"Russo Morin skillfully blends historical fiction and fantasy in surprising ways. She draws effortlessly upon influences ranging from Dante to Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the authority of her presentation makes the world she’s created come alive. A wonderfully action-packed ride through the lush landscape of Renaissance Italy." Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

The King’s Agent is based loosely on the life of Battista della Palla-a patriotic plunderer, a religious rogue-of the 16th century, a lifelong friend to the great Michelangelo.

As the cloistered ward of the Marquess of Mantua, Lady Aurelia is a woman with a profound duty, and a longing for adventure. In search of a relic intended for the King of France, Battista and Aurelia cross the breathtaking landscape of Renaissance Italy. Clues hide in great works of art, political forces collide, secret societies and enemies abound, and danger lurks in every challenge, those that mirror the passages of Dante's Divine Comedy. It is an adventurous quest with undercurrents of the supernatural, powers that could change the balance of supremacy throughout Europe.

Battista della Palla was a real figure from history. He was an art thief, a wheeler dealer, a lifelong friend of Michelangelo, a man of many different facets. He is also the central character in this book. He leads a group of men who all bring their particular skills to finding and acquiring treasures, and also in interpreting the symbolism that is so often hidden in many of the paintings of the time. Generally when he steals, any gain goes towards the cause of freeing Florence - a cause close to his heart.

Battista is a man who loves a challenges. He plans each of his thefts in meticulous detail, not afraid to take the chances he needs to take in order to meet his goal, but also not prepared to put his men, and his own life at any greater risk than he needs to. His interest is piqued when he receives an unusual missive but he has no idea that he is about to begin a quest unlike any other. He infiltrates the home of the Marquess of Mantua thinking that he will find the target item there. Instead, what he finds is a cryptic clue on a parchment, hidden in a room that looks innocent enough but in actual fact is booby trapped. He only escapes thanks to the help of Lady Aurelia.

She is the ward of the Marquess of Mantua, and lives a very sheltered life. What she longs for is adventure and for her, Battista is the key to adventure!

The parchment provides a small clue and that sets Battista and his men, and the Lady Aurelia, on the trail of an obscure triptych. The thing that becomes clear though is that the three pieces are held separately, and that each of the pieces is held in places where there are very dangerous and complex protections in place to stop anyone from finding it. If you are thinking Indiana Jones style quests at this point, then you are on the right track.

Battista and Aurelia must work together to solve the clues, both those in the paintings themselves and those held within the pages of the works of Dante's Divine Comedy. They must face symbolic Hell, Purgatory and Heaven, solve the clues, and find the pieces. In the process we meet some famous faces from history like Michelangelo and Pope Clement, visit some famous places like the Sistine Chapel, face danger,  and deal with their growing attachment to each other.

The biggest dilemma for Battista though is can he trust Aurelia? She is a woman with secrets and he knows that she is not being honest with him, but who is she really, and why is she so determined to be involved in the search for the three parts of the triptych? As a reader, I liked Aurelia, but despite the fact that I only finished the book a few hours ago, don't ask me to explain what her big secret role was.

When I was offered this book, I looked through the blurb and mentally ticked off several boxes for things I like in a book! Renaissance setting - check! Art History - check! Dante - check! (One of my favourite HF reads of the last few years has a Dante connection so I was happy to revisit this). Throw in secret brotherhoods (check) and I would be a happy reader. Sounds all good, right?

Unfortunately, there were a few things that would have made me rethink that if I had of known them at the time. This book is really a cross between a novel and the expanded story behind a computer game. The author freely admits this in the notes where she talks about her love for the game Princess Zelda. The quest that our characters go on therefore consists of find a clue, travel to a distant location, follow the path, find the key to open the gate/door, follow the path, dodge the shooting flames/rolling giant marbles/find your way through the maze etc etc before the final test to determine your worthiness to claim the prize and then barely escape. Rinse and repeat.

It's not really a technique that I enjoy at the best of times, and it really didn't work for me in this book. On of the other things that didn't really work for me was the reliance on the knowledge of Dante's work. Whilst I vaguely know enough, I wasn't familiar enough to see the clues. If you are more familiar with the Divine Comedy you may find it more interesting to follow the clues.

I am not sure if it was these factors that made this a very slow read for me, but it felt like it took me forever to get through it. It really was only a few days, but I could have sworn it was longer.

I must mention the author's notes which I thought were excellent. Donna Russo Morin gives us information about the real people in the book, about her inspiration, about the art in the book and more and the book also included a reading guide.

Ultimately, this book didn't work for me on many levels. If you check the reviews on places like Goodreads you will see that there are plenty of people who loved it, and you can check out other reviews from bloggers who participated on the blog tour by clicking on the links below.

Rating 2/5

Tour Information

Link to tour schedule:http://hfvirtualbooktours.blogspot.com/2011/11/donna-russo-morin-on-tour-for-kings.html
Links for author Donna Russo Morin: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
Twitter Event Hashtag: #KingsAgentVirtualBookTour

A Venetian Affair by Andrea di Robilant

Giustiniana Wynne meets Andrea Memmo when she is only sixteen, and he is not much older. They fall passionately in love, but are prevented from openly pursuing the ordinary course of love and marriage by her mother, his family, and the rigid social structure in which they live. But these are no ordinary teenagers. Tenacious, talented, and philosophical, they try for years to engineer various plans intended to bring them together in spite of class differences, governmental opposition, and prolonged separation. All their efforts fail in conventional terms, but they succeed in remaining lifelong friends. Their correspondence, which was necessarily secret in their lifetimes, is now public and is a literary achievement perhaps more enthralling than any novel, because of its historical truth.

When Andrea di Robilant's father found a stash of letters in the old family Palazzo in Venice a journey of discovery began. The discovery of an 18th century doomed love affair between their ancestor Andrea Memmo and Giustiniana Wynne, a half English young woman.

This book is the compilation of those letters with di Robilants explanations and contextualisation of the period and the political incidents and social customs of the time. As a love story I must confess that reading some of the letters made me feel somewhat like a voyeur. The intimacy that they share was obviously for their eyes only, the letters were written in code by the way, and makes sense only to them.

But they do tell a lot more of Venetian society in the last decades of the Republic. Andrea and Giustiniana are of such different stations in society that a marriage between them is deemed impossible for most of the book and when considered is destroyed by rumours and revelations of the past. We realise that Venetian society was ruled by an old, unbreakable code that forbade marriages outside the oldest families for its sons and daughters, and that the old customs were maintained and enforced by a group of Inquisitors. The Republic also had strict rules about who was allowed to enter and reside in Venice not to mention that society eventually accepted or excluded the ones that were different or did not behave according to the norm.

To continue their affair the lovers plan was to marry Giustiniana off to some old man as married ladies had much more freedom of movements. That never happened and eventually Giustianiana leaves Venice but they never cease corresponding, maintaining their love and describing their lives. I found their life story a bit sad, they had to conform to the society they lived in and in doing so some of their actions are less than correct and certainly brought them no happiness. In the end, I felt that what stayed with me was the larger picture of Venice's story during the 18th century.

I found this an interesting story but better read as a work of nonfiction. It may be a bit too dry for historical fiction lovers.

Grade 4/5

The Stone Virgin by Barry Unsworth

When conservationist Simon Raikes goes to Venice to restore a statue of the Madonna, he is unprepared for the effect this stone virgin's strange, seductive beauty and mysterious past will have on his life.

The Stone Virgin is set in Venice in 3 different periods in time, the 1400s, the 1700s and in present day. The story opens in the 15th century with the artist facing his accusers on a murder charge but most of the novel is set present day where Simon Raikes is restoring a statue of a Madonna, a Virgin Mary, and while he works on it he is intrigued by who made the statue and what happened to the statue over the years.

I thought it interesting that there 3 stories in 3 different periods all directly related with the statue, or the men interest in the statue. All of them seem to focus on the sexual relationships the men had with the women in their life and the feelings, good and bad, that those evoked. I was expecting to find more interesting desciptions of Venice in those different periods and I didn't for which I'm sorry. I do understand that art appeals to the senses but lately it seems that most of the art related books I read are more than sensual, they are downright erotic, I think that's okay in a story well told but I'm starting to wonder if this is a pattern in today's art related literature...

I did like the mystery approach, who made the statue? What happened to him? Especially after that intriguing start. But Raikes affair and indeed his interactions with his colleagues take too much space and I kept wishing we got back to mystery.

As I mentioned in my review of Dunant's The Birth of Venus maybe it's just that these are not my type of books. I will definitely have to think twice before picking up another such as these.

Grade: 3.5/5

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

Alessandra is not quite fifteen when her prosperous merchant father brings a young painter back with him from Holland to adorn the walls of the new family chapel. She is fascinated by his talents and envious of his abilities and opportunities to paint to the glory of God. Soon her love of art and her lively independence are luring her into closer involvement with all sorts of taboo areas of life. On excursions into the streets of night-time Florence she observes a terrible evil stalking the city and witnesses the rise of the fiery young priest, Savanarola, who has set out to rid the city of vice, richness, even art itself. Alessandra must make crucial decisions about the shape of her adult life, as Florence itself must choose between the old ways of the luxury-loving Medicis and the asceticism of Savanorola. And through it all, there is the painter, whose love will change everything.

I am starting to feel that maybe I have a problem with art related books, I always feel like I should like them more than I actually do. This has happened in the past and it happened again with this The Birth of Venus.

The book opens with the death of a nun and the sisters discovering that she had a shocking tattoo. The story then moves back to the late 15th century where Alessandra Cecchi is a young girl from a wealthy family in Florence. She is interested in art and resents the lack of freedom women have. While part of the story is her fascination with painting and her relationship with a painter her parents hired, most of it is her desire for more freedom which she believes she will find in her marriage to an older man, her relationship with her husband which is not as she believed him to be and the historical turmoil surrounding Savonarola and the invasion of Florence by the French.

I'm afraid I found myself more interested in those political aspects than in Alessandra, who didn't really appeal to me as character, or her artistic worries. In fact most of the characters didn't seem to be fully explored. I do understand that art was Alessandra's way to freedom, her revolt against the world who did not let her be who she wanted to be and who did not let women be more than inferior beings. However I'm afraid she failed to hold my interest enough to make me explore all the undercurrents and symbolism of the novel.

But it might be just me, if you like your historical fiction with a feminist perspective and lots of symbolic images this might be for you.

Grade: 3.5/5

Guest Post by Lezlie - Madonna of The Seven Hills

"In a castle in the mountains outside Rome, Lucrezia Borgia is born into history's most notorious family. Her father, who is to become Pope Alexander VI, receives his daughter warmly, and her brothers, Cesare and Giovanni, are devoted to her. But on the corrupt and violent streets of the capital it is a very different story: the Borgia family is feared, and Lucrezia's father lives up to his reputation as 'the most carnal man of his age'." (From the cover of the Arrow Books edition.)

I was gushing just the other day about the ability to get Jean Plaidy reprints from Book Depository. Madonna of the Seven Hills was my first purchase from there, and I'm so glad I took the plunge! I've read Jean Plaidy a couple of times before, and I still feel that she is great for that dose of "history lite" that I find I so often want. The stories tend to move quickly but highlight the important people and events.

One of the best parts of reading this version of Lucrezia Borgia's life is that my memories of The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis are so fresh in my mind. It was fascinating to compare how the two authors took the same set of facts and approached them in vastly different ways. For example, Kalogridis took the Borgia incest rumors head on, while Plaidy chose to portray the family as simply weirdly affectionate. They both agreed on the brutality of Cesare and Giovanni Boria and the corruption of Pope Alexander VI, but Plaidy hinted at it much more than blatantly showing their actions. Lucrezia's first pregnancy is told very differently in each book, but I believe the same man dies for it. (I can't check my Kalogridis book right now because a friend has it. Sorry!) Sanchia of Aragon, the heroine of The Borgia Bride, has a wildly different persona in Madonna of the Seven Hills. Both authors, however, cut Lucrezia some serious slack regarding her evil image. Now I'm wondering if she really was as bad as I've heard! Don't worry. I'll keep seeing what I can find out. :-)

Plaidy has split Lucrezia's story into two books, and I have Light on Lucrezia sitting right here to get to very, very soon. I already know how it ends, but it will be so much fun finding out how Ms. Plaidy gets there!

***

Lezlie can usually be found blogging at Books 'N Border Collies/

Signora da Vinci by Robin Maxwell

Stirring Portrait of Renascence Italy

Historical records tell us very little about Leonardo Da Vinci's mother, Caterina. All that is really know is that she had Leonardo out of wedlock and that he was taken from her by his father's family and raise by them

.

Robin Maxwell tries to fill in the blanks and the remarkable work of historical fiction. Caterenia grew up in a small village with her father, Ernesto, an apothecary. Her mother died when Caterina was very young. Ernesto was a true believer in education and educated Caterina even though it was almost unheard of for a woman to have an education. He also taught her how to be an apothecary.

One day Caterenia was gathering plants for the apothecary when she happened to meet Piero, the son of the richest family in the village. After that they met regularly until he finally propose marriage. With the promise of marriage, they consummated their love for each other.

Piero went home to tell his family about his future wife and he was forbidden to see her again, let alone marry her. A couple months after that, Caterina realized she was pregnant. After she gives birth, is when the story really spices up!

Caterina was an intelligent, kind, caring mother who would do anything for her son, even at great personal risk to herself and her identity.

Robin Maxwell writes a very colourful story of Caterina and her relationship with her son. She captures the essence of the Italian Renascence with vivid prose and includes details of real people such as Leonardo da Vinci and Lorenzo de’Medici.

Maxwell did make one mistake, when Leonardo was almost 16 years old, Caterina was 21. She was 15 when she had him. The math does not add up at all. LOL!  Despite that, Maxwell wrote a stirring portrait of Renascence Italy and Leonardo da Vinci's mother. Highly recommended!

4/5

Master of Verona by David Blixt

In 1314, seventeen year old Pietro Alighieri travels to Verona with his father, the infamous poet Dante, at the invitation of its leader, the legendary Francesco “Cangrande” della Scala. A sneak attack from Padua leads Pietro into his first battle, fighting alongside the charismatic Cangrande, and into a tight friendship with Mariotto Montecchio and Antonio Capulletto. Behind the scenes, repeated attempts are made against the life of a child believed to be Cangrande’s illegitimate son and possible heir.

Pietro is drawn into the web of intrigue around the child and the tension building between Mariotto and Antonio over a woman betrothed to one and in love with the other – a situation that will sever a friendship, divide a city, and ultimately lead to the events of the best known tragic romance in the world.

Inspired by the plays of Shakespeare, the poetry of Dante, and the events of history, The Master of Verona is a compelling novel of politics, loyalty, conspiracy and star-crossed romance.

Sometimes it happens that I really love a book, but I still don't get around to writing a review for it straight away (or at all, but we won't think about all those unwritten reviews just now!). This is one of those books.

My interest was initially drawn to the idea of setting a book at the time of Romeo and Juliet, but this is much more than a retelling of that famous tale. It isn't even the main action within the novel, but it is an important component.

The story is more about Pietro Alighieri, son and reluctant heir to his father, the famous and controversial poet Dante Alighieri. I say reluctant because for many years Pietro was the second son of a famous man, not really expected to do much in terms of continuing his father's legacy, but with the death of his older brother, Pietro finds himself fulfilling a role that he is ill suited for.

He is given the chance to shine when he unexpectedly gets to fight with Francesco "Cangrande" della Scala, charismatic leader of Verona. This engagement also brings him into contact with his new best friends, Mario and Antonio. The boys are friends, but they are also competitors both in the contests of the Palio and for two of them, in love. This very first fight begins with a flying leap off of a balcony onto horseback - a very telling sign of the type of swashbuckling to come throughout the book!

Blixt skilfully deals with the historical figures of Dante and Cangrande, Shakespeare's famous love story, an intriguing suspense subplot plus provides the reader with an engaging, exciting and engrossing story with a large cast of well written characters.

There is lots of action in the pages between the battles and the pageantry associated with medieval Italy. For me, the highlight of the book is definitely the day of the Palio. The colour, the spectacle and the pageantry are incredibly detailed but also very readable with the naming of the new knights, the speech of the oracle where it is declared that "Verona will always be remembered for love" and the crazy midnight foot race where the participants all run naked through the streets coming to life vividly through the words on the page!

This is an excellent historical fiction debut, and I for one, am very much looking forward to reading the next book from David Blixt, which will pick up where the action of this book left off!

When it comes to grading books I think that I am an easy grader when it comes to 4/5 books, but very, very hard when it comes to 5/5 books. This book is one of only three 5/5 books so far this year! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read historical fiction.

The Food Taster by Peter Elbling

When Ugo DiFonte and his teenaged daughter Miranda are snatched from their farm and spirited away to Duke Federico Basillione DiVincelli’s estate, Ugo thinks life can’t get any worse… until he is forced to replace the recently de-tongued royal food taster. Now Ugo must stay alive - a difficult prospect considering the prince’s myriad of enemies and their poisons - to protect Miranda from her suitors and desires, and somehow hold the unruly court together.
A bestseller in ten countries, in this novel of gastronomical delight and brilliant wit Peter Elbling remarkably captures the sights, sounds, and tastes of sixteenth-century Italy with the story of a peasant rising to extraordinary and death-defying acts of grace.”

I’ve recently read somewhere that Peter Elbling is a screenwriter. While reading the book I didn’t know that but I noticed immediately how he has a beautifully descriptive way of write that makes it very easy for the reader to “see” the action taking place. In fact, now that I know that, I can’t help thinking how easy it would be to adapt the story for the movies and how well it would work.

Unfortunately, as a fiction book I thought it had too many plot twists, too much action if you will, and after a while I found my attention wondering in other directions.

The book is written as a memoir by the fictional Ugo, food taster to the mighty Duke Federico, and its set in Italy in the 16th century. Ugo has had a hard life before being caught by Federico’s guards. He was abused by his father and brother, saw his mother hang herself, got married only to see his wife dying in childbirth and leaving him with a baby. His daughter Miranda soon becomes the center of his life and when he becomes Duke Federico’s food taster she goes with him to the castle.

Duke’s Federico court is full of intrigues; he is an autocratic ruler, loud and violent. He hates his wife and his mother in law, keeps mistresses and plans orgies of food and entertainment which often ends with someone dead or humiliated. There is a real fear of poison and of being killed by the Duke in a fit of rage, Ugo soon tries to find allies to prevent both situations but he can never find peace. He falls in love with Agnese, a washer woman from the Palace but she is killed, his daughter grows and attracts the attention of Federico’s main cook which displeases Ugo, a spurt of plague leads him to send Miranda away for her own safety, eventually she returns but she is not the same and soon falls under the spell of Ugo’s brother who reappears practicing some sort of witchcraft...

I can see the appeal of reading something different and bringing some freshness to the genre but I felt that there were too many things going on, like everything was rushed, and since Ugo is not particularly likeable it was a struggle to keep reading his life’s story. The author also resorts to crude language very often for effect but after a while it feels like an obvious device and it’s annoying rather than effective.

Grade: 3/5

Lucrezia Borgia - John Faunce

I'm always very interested in books about the Borgias and I couldn't resist to pick this one up. The book is written in the first person by Lucrezia telling about the adventures her family gets involved in and the circumstances of her life.

She comes across more like a pawn in her father and brother's hands than like the bad person some historians have led us to believe. A lot of the book is dedicated to her three marriages which were negotiated to make political alliances and give more power to the Borgia family. None of what is told is really new and although I wasn't expecting new I think I needed a bit more depth. Maybe more contextualization and less of Lucrezia's marriages.

Besides that, I had a big problem with this book, the tone is very modern. It didn't feel like we were in the Renaissance at all. While it may be of interest to readers new to the Borgia's story or interested in that particular theme I think it will be a bit of a disappointed if you're looking for a nice story with a true feel of the period.