lauren_miller 's review for:

The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche

3.75

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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this is very historical fiction forward, followed by religion heavy, and finally minutely magical. yes, magic is central to the plot, but no, the story itself is more about the plague and the religious relics that, supposedly capable of healing those afflicted by and warding off the black plague, are slowly being stolen out of Florence's churches. the use of flashbacks was nice, but they continued through till nearly 50%, at which point the real story actually started (i.e., trying to figure out the thief's identity); as a result, the pacing felt really slow. also, there were a few convenient happenings that, no, not even magic could make up for. I did enjoy the author's note at the end regarding all the research that went into the book; I do very much appreciate her efforts! Overall, I did enjoy my listening experience and while I tend to avoid historical fiction, I'm glad this one slipped through the cracks. it was a nice palate cleanser.

3.75 out of 5, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️