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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Lovely marriage of intrigue-filled medieval Italy and magic. Great read for those who like historical fiction for the rich settings.
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A lovely, undemanding, enjoyable read
Entertaining. The magic system was interesting. The story drew me in. I really enjoyed listening to this.
I read this book a while ago. I honestly don't remember much of it. However, I keep being reminded by it so I know I enjoyed it. I will be reading this again. I highly recommend it.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
For some odd reason I thought this was the start to Bujold's fantasy series. It wasn't. And I am pretty sure I already read it. The book was, however, lots of fun. The magic was good, the conflicts were interesting and all turned out right in the end. What more could I ask for?
I will say, that I still like Miles best of all Bujold's characters.
I will say, that I still like Miles best of all Bujold's characters.
A really interesting historical fantasy set in 16th century Italy with lots of ghosts and magic as well as facts about goldsmithing and casting bronze. I really enjoyed this one.
This is a alternate reality fantasy set in a Renaissance Italy. In a world where magic is real and highly regulated by the Church, what happens when a young woman needs to practice unlicensed magic to save her city and her father?
In many ways, this book is frustrating in the ways that 90s fantasy often is. There's a strong female protagonist... whose first major spell is a love spell. She often falls back to needing to be saved by men. She's the woman character who is more than a token. But if you take into account both that this book is set in Renaissance Italy and that it was written in the 90s, a time more different than today than even those of use who lived through them sometimes realize, then it's possible to take this for what it is: a fast paced fantasy with an interesting world and story.
In many ways, this book is frustrating in the ways that 90s fantasy often is. There's a strong female protagonist... whose first major spell is a love spell. She often falls back to needing to be saved by men. She's the woman character who is more than a token. But if you take into account both that this book is set in Renaissance Italy and that it was written in the 90s, a time more different than today than even those of use who lived through them sometimes realize, then it's possible to take this for what it is: a fast paced fantasy with an interesting world and story.
Bujold has a bad habit of structuring her stories in such a way that the tension is resolved well before the plot reaches its conclusion, and this book does a good job averting that. It's a fun read, one with decent characters and a solid climax, even if it occasionally leans too heavily into camp.