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kjanie's review against another edition
2.0
2.5/5 stars
I REALLY wanted to love this book and am honestly so devastated that I didn't. I was looking for a good queer fantasy romance, and this is also about mafia in power and magic, so honestly thought I would love it. I felt like nothing was really developed as well as I wanted them to. The world, plot and magic in particular felt so lacking. Like the whole book felt like when you first start a book and don't know what's happening and are just waiting for things to be developed and explained....but they never were. The entire two stars that I gave this book was for the romance. While this also felt a bit rushed, I was also total trash for it (so nothing's new). I loved Teo and Cielo individually, but together they completed each other. The queer rep was fantastically handled and I honestly just loved all the scenes in which they were together. Yes, like the rest of the book some parts didn't really make sense and the relationship wasn't fully developed emotionally, but honestly I overlooked all of this. I just loved them so much. So I guess sense I was looking for a good queer romance, technically I got everything I asked for.
I REALLY wanted to love this book and am honestly so devastated that I didn't. I was looking for a good queer fantasy romance, and this is also about mafia in power and magic, so honestly thought I would love it. I felt like nothing was really developed as well as I wanted them to. The world, plot and magic in particular felt so lacking. Like the whole book felt like when you first start a book and don't know what's happening and are just waiting for things to be developed and explained....but they never were. The entire two stars that I gave this book was for the romance. While this also felt a bit rushed, I was also total trash for it (so nothing's new). I loved Teo and Cielo individually, but together they completed each other. The queer rep was fantastically handled and I honestly just loved all the scenes in which they were together. Yes, like the rest of the book some parts didn't really make sense and the relationship wasn't fully developed emotionally, but honestly I overlooked all of this. I just loved them so much. So I guess sense I was looking for a good queer romance, technically I got everything I asked for.
wildflowerz76's review against another edition
3.0
I received a digital ARC of this title from Edelweiss for an honest review.
Teodora is a daughter of one of the Five Families that controls the land. In a time when everything is male-dominated and magic is forbidden, Teo has a secret: she's been turning her Father's enemies into harmless objects. When her father receives a letter from the ruler, Capo, sends letters to the heads of the five families, suddenly Teo's dad is gravely ill while the other heads are all dead and the new head of their families must journey to meet with the Capo.
Gender fluidity is taken to a quite literal level in this YA fantasy novel. It's done quite brilliantly, weaving directly into the story.
I'm not sure quite what didn't work for me personally in this story, but I found myself a bit bored. I think it might just be me.
Teodora is a daughter of one of the Five Families that controls the land. In a time when everything is male-dominated and magic is forbidden, Teo has a secret: she's been turning her Father's enemies into harmless objects. When her father receives a letter from the ruler, Capo, sends letters to the heads of the five families, suddenly Teo's dad is gravely ill while the other heads are all dead and the new head of their families must journey to meet with the Capo.
Gender fluidity is taken to a quite literal level in this YA fantasy novel. It's done quite brilliantly, weaving directly into the story.
I'm not sure quite what didn't work for me personally in this story, but I found myself a bit bored. I think it might just be me.
sambee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
emmacatereads's review
4.0
I can't believe I somehow missed this inspiring queer fantasy when it debuted in 2018! Theodora, or Teo, has never felt comfortable in a woman's body but is perceived as the second daughter to a powerful landowner in an Italian inspired fantasy world. Desperate to prove themselves to their father and help their house, they begin take matters into their own hands by using the secret magic to turn men conspiring against their family into household objects. This magic catapults them down a road that leads to an assassination attempt, mistaken identities, and a beautiful love story between two genderqueer protagonists who can switch between male and female presenting bodies at will.
More than anything, this novel reminded me of a spiritual companion to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, exploring and bending ideas of gender and sexuality alongside politicking leaders, dramatic cases of mistaken identity, and murderous familial drama set against a faux-italian countryside. While the plot couldn't be more different, this novel takes the implicit themes from Shakespeare's masterwork and makes them explicit, pushing up against stereotypes and expectations of gender to allow its protagonist to freely explore their identity. I wish the magic system had been beefed up a bit more and the pacing felt harried at times, but overall this was thematically original and romantic as hell.
More than anything, this novel reminded me of a spiritual companion to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, exploring and bending ideas of gender and sexuality alongside politicking leaders, dramatic cases of mistaken identity, and murderous familial drama set against a faux-italian countryside. While the plot couldn't be more different, this novel takes the implicit themes from Shakespeare's masterwork and makes them explicit, pushing up against stereotypes and expectations of gender to allow its protagonist to freely explore their identity. I wish the magic system had been beefed up a bit more and the pacing felt harried at times, but overall this was thematically original and romantic as hell.
lnluck13's review
4.0
Read as an audiobook (I always say the VA was great, so maybe I don't know what makes a good VA, but the VA was also great for this)
Review to come!
4☆ Highly recommended
Review to come!
4☆ Highly recommended
ejpass's review
5.0
5/5 stars
Recommended for people who like: court intrigue, LGBTQ+ rep, magic, fantasy, assassination plots
Ooh, where to start with this one.
Teodora di Sangro, our leading Lady, is the third-born, second daughter of the patriarch of the di Sangro family, one of the five prominent families of the land. In the very first scene, we see her father kill someone and Teo uses magic to stay hidden, making her a magic-user or 'strega.' From there, the story flashes forward to 'present day' and we see Teo using her magic to transform her family's enemies into pretty objects. Teo is an interesting character, partially sympathetic to some of the people she turns into objects and partially ruthless in her desire to protect her family. It is the ruthless side that tends to win out. But for all her ruthlessness, Teo isn't nearly as ruthless or cruel as her older brother, Beniamo, who delights in torturing his younger siblings--with Teo's magic and strong protective stance, Benny-boy doesn't stay human for too long.
The crux of the story begins when Teo's father is poisoned, as the synopsis says, and Teo and her younger brother, Luca, have to flee their family home to get to the capital before Beniamo finds out that basically everyone in the family plotted to put Luca in charge instead of him. Only issue is? For all Benny-boy's bloodthirstiness and desire to be the family's next patriarch, Luca desires just the opposite and would rather go to university. This is really where the second main strega, genderfluid Cielo, comes into the picture for real. He finds the two of them traveling on the road and offers to teach Teo how to shift forms between man and woman so she can go to the capital as the di Sangro heir instead of Luca, leaving Luca free to go wherever he desires.
With Cielo along, the second part of the plot comes into play: finding out what happened to Cielo's mother. Cielo's urge to do just that, and Teo's decision to help him, also works to push along the goal of Teo learning more about magic and the various ways strega can use it. Combined with the court intrigue once Teo and Cielo finally reach court, and the assassination plots around virtually every corner, Capetta paints and interesting story line to follow. She weaves the pieces--the strega, Cielo's heritage, Teo, the new ruler--together so well that I didn't see some of the twists coming, yet found they made sense in the story line once they'd occurred.
I also appreciate Capetta's writing of the romance between Cielo and Teo. Both had their own goals for being in the capital and the danger of being strega in a country that wasn't fond of them, but both were also willing to part with things to keep the other safe. Further, Capetta wrote a romance between two genderfluid people who could switch their bodies to match their mood, had both of them be bi, and had scenes for each scenario--Teo as a girl and Cielo as a guy, Teo as a guy and Cielo as a girl, both as girls, both as guys. Beyond that, once some of the other peers found out that Teo could switch between genders, they took it in stride and accepted it. Capetta also wrote in that, while men and women, especially those in powerful positions, are still expected to marry in the books, it was not uncommon for two men or two women to be together romantically.
In all, Capetta wrote a book thick in mystery, magic, and intrigue, with interesting characters and scenery to go along with it. The ending was nicely wrapped up so that it could function as a stand-alone or with a sequel (please let there be a sequel).
Recommended for people who like: court intrigue, LGBTQ+ rep, magic, fantasy, assassination plots
Ooh, where to start with this one.
Teodora di Sangro, our leading Lady, is the third-born, second daughter of the patriarch of the di Sangro family, one of the five prominent families of the land. In the very first scene, we see her father kill someone and Teo uses magic to stay hidden, making her a magic-user or 'strega.' From there, the story flashes forward to 'present day' and we see Teo using her magic to transform her family's enemies into pretty objects. Teo is an interesting character, partially sympathetic to some of the people she turns into objects and partially ruthless in her desire to protect her family. It is the ruthless side that tends to win out. But for all her ruthlessness, Teo isn't nearly as ruthless or cruel as her older brother, Beniamo, who delights in torturing his younger siblings--with Teo's magic and strong protective stance, Benny-boy doesn't stay human for too long.
The crux of the story begins when Teo's father is poisoned, as the synopsis says, and Teo and her younger brother, Luca, have to flee their family home to get to the capital before Beniamo finds out that basically everyone in the family plotted to put Luca in charge instead of him. Only issue is? For all Benny-boy's bloodthirstiness and desire to be the family's next patriarch, Luca desires just the opposite and would rather go to university. This is really where the second main strega, genderfluid Cielo, comes into the picture for real. He finds the two of them traveling on the road and offers to teach Teo how to shift forms between man and woman so she can go to the capital as the di Sangro heir instead of Luca, leaving Luca free to go wherever he desires.
With Cielo along, the second part of the plot comes into play: finding out what happened to Cielo's mother. Cielo's urge to do just that, and Teo's decision to help him, also works to push along the goal of Teo learning more about magic and the various ways strega can use it. Combined with the court intrigue once Teo and Cielo finally reach court, and the assassination plots around virtually every corner, Capetta paints and interesting story line to follow. She weaves the pieces--the strega, Cielo's heritage, Teo, the new ruler--together so well that I didn't see some of the twists coming, yet found they made sense in the story line once they'd occurred.
I also appreciate Capetta's writing of the romance between Cielo and Teo. Both had their own goals for being in the capital and the danger of being strega in a country that wasn't fond of them, but both were also willing to part with things to keep the other safe. Further, Capetta wrote a romance between two genderfluid people who could switch their bodies to match their mood, had both of them be bi, and had scenes for each scenario--Teo as a girl and Cielo as a guy, Teo as a guy and Cielo as a girl, both as girls, both as guys. Beyond that, once some of the other peers found out that Teo could switch between genders, they took it in stride and accepted it. Capetta also wrote in that, while men and women, especially those in powerful positions, are still expected to marry in the books, it was not uncommon for two men or two women to be together romantically.
In all, Capetta wrote a book thick in mystery, magic, and intrigue, with interesting characters and scenery to go along with it. The ending was nicely wrapped up so that it could function as a stand-alone or with a sequel (please let there be a sequel).
qwordyq's review
4.0
Going into this I didn’t know much and I’m glad I didn’t because it made the world, story, and characters so much more exciting and unpredictable. I love the gender fluid representation that occurs and the relationship that unfolds. This book shook me and made me so invested in the characters. I desperately need the next book. Teo is exactly that strong lead character I’ve needed for a while and Cielo really compliments her. I love the conflict that’s presented in believable and dramatic means. Just a beautiful written fantasy I think should be more popular.
marleywrites's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Torture, and Murder
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Infidelity
smashley_rr's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was written beautifully. It took me a little while to get pulled in, but the writing itself made me audibly sigh, laugh, or "mmm" often. The way gender is approached is also VERY well done, and the love story is sweet. The magic system also intrigued me!