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A review by lattelibrarian
The Brilliant Death by A.R. Capetta
4.0
This was first described to me as an Italian mafia fantasy with magic and a nonbinary main character. So, if this intrigues you, it's probably the book for you--it's filled with deception, mafia heads, men with a vengeance, and Teo, a girl who wants to take over as the head of her family but cannot, given the fact that she's a woman.
Personally, I wouldn't go so far as to say that Teo is nonbinary as much as she's pulling a magical Mulan--posing as a man, she's able to dissect and understand further her position as a woman in this society, learning just how and why she as a woman was so often prevented from such positions of power, knowing how and why women do achieve power in her society.
There's hidden plots and rivalries, and a good, surprising amount of heated kisses behind tapestries. (Funnily enough, one of my classmates considers this a romance first and fantasy second).
Most interesting for me, however, was the discussion of magic in this book, how each strega has a different form of magic that can only be transferred to somebody else through their death. How their magic can be shifted alongside a paradigm shift. Of course, this isn't to mention the disappearance of streghe in this world, the ways streghe are used to militarize their powers, or hide them.
I think this book would be best suited for those who like more traditional fantasy, where the magic is set in a different world filled with high societies...and a single masked ball. There's a good amount of tropes, a good amount of making fun of tropes, and a good amount of having a fun time.
Review cross-listed here!
Personally, I wouldn't go so far as to say that Teo is nonbinary as much as she's pulling a magical Mulan--posing as a man, she's able to dissect and understand further her position as a woman in this society, learning just how and why she as a woman was so often prevented from such positions of power, knowing how and why women do achieve power in her society.
There's hidden plots and rivalries, and a good, surprising amount of heated kisses behind tapestries. (Funnily enough, one of my classmates considers this a romance first and fantasy second).
Most interesting for me, however, was the discussion of magic in this book, how each strega has a different form of magic that can only be transferred to somebody else through their death. How their magic can be shifted alongside a paradigm shift. Of course, this isn't to mention the disappearance of streghe in this world, the ways streghe are used to militarize their powers, or hide them.
I think this book would be best suited for those who like more traditional fantasy, where the magic is set in a different world filled with high societies...and a single masked ball. There's a good amount of tropes, a good amount of making fun of tropes, and a good amount of having a fun time.
Review cross-listed here!