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A review by missprint_
The Brilliant Death by A.R. Capetta
4.0
Everyone in Vinalia knows that magic and the streghe who use it only exist in stories. Or they did before Vinalia's unification under the Capo and rumors that magic has returned to Vinalia.
No one knows that Teodora di Sangro is a strega who can change people into objects. For Teo and her siblings family has always been fate, forcing them into roles they may not want. Teo is proud to belong to one of the Five Families. But she also knows that as a girl she will never truly have a place at the table the way her brothers do.
Desperate for her father's approval, Teo takes it upon herself to address any threats to the family. Instead of killing their enemies, Teo uses her secret strega magic to transform them into objects like music boxes or mirrors that decorate her room.
When the Capo's latest bid for power leaves Teo's father poisoned and the heads of the other families dead, Teo knows she is the only one who can answer the Capo's summons to the capital and find an antidote. But first she will have to transform herself to look the part of a di Sangro heir by becoming a boy.
Unable to learn this new magic alone, Teo enters into a bargain with Cielo, a mysterious strega who can switch between male and female forms as easily as opening a book. Teo's transformation and her journey bring her into the center of Vinalia's sinister politics as she tries to save her family in The Brilliant Death (2018) by Amy Rose Capetta.
The Brilliant Death is the first book in Capetta's latest fantasy duology.
Vibrant imagery and vivid language imbue The Brilliant Death with wonder and intrigue in a world inspired by Italian folklore. In addition to unraveling plots and facing dangerous enemies, Teo explores her gender identity and what it means to be a girl (or not) in her world alongside her sexy genderfluid magic tutor Cielo whose dry wit and charm only increases the chemistry between them.
A highly original magic system and a protagonist who is as ruthless as she is fiery make for a fast-paced adventure. Fans will be eager for the conclusion of this duology.
Possible Pairings: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao, Rule by Ellen Goodlett, The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green, For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig, Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte, Kingdom of Ash and Briars by Hannah West
*A more condensed version of this review was published in an of School Library Journal as a starred review*
No one knows that Teodora di Sangro is a strega who can change people into objects. For Teo and her siblings family has always been fate, forcing them into roles they may not want. Teo is proud to belong to one of the Five Families. But she also knows that as a girl she will never truly have a place at the table the way her brothers do.
Desperate for her father's approval, Teo takes it upon herself to address any threats to the family. Instead of killing their enemies, Teo uses her secret strega magic to transform them into objects like music boxes or mirrors that decorate her room.
When the Capo's latest bid for power leaves Teo's father poisoned and the heads of the other families dead, Teo knows she is the only one who can answer the Capo's summons to the capital and find an antidote. But first she will have to transform herself to look the part of a di Sangro heir by becoming a boy.
Unable to learn this new magic alone, Teo enters into a bargain with Cielo, a mysterious strega who can switch between male and female forms as easily as opening a book. Teo's transformation and her journey bring her into the center of Vinalia's sinister politics as she tries to save her family in The Brilliant Death (2018) by Amy Rose Capetta.
The Brilliant Death is the first book in Capetta's latest fantasy duology.
Vibrant imagery and vivid language imbue The Brilliant Death with wonder and intrigue in a world inspired by Italian folklore. In addition to unraveling plots and facing dangerous enemies, Teo explores her gender identity and what it means to be a girl (or not) in her world alongside her sexy genderfluid magic tutor Cielo whose dry wit and charm only increases the chemistry between them.
A highly original magic system and a protagonist who is as ruthless as she is fiery make for a fast-paced adventure. Fans will be eager for the conclusion of this duology.
Possible Pairings: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao, Rule by Ellen Goodlett, The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green, For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig, Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte, Kingdom of Ash and Briars by Hannah West
*A more condensed version of this review was published in an of School Library Journal as a starred review*