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namelikescrabble's review against another edition
3.0
A nicely researched fling in the world of medieval Italy. Hoffman brings us on a whirlwind tour of the world of painting in pre-Renaissance Italy, coupled with a dramatic dash of murder, poisonings and mayhem.
Not as prone to the emotional punches of Hoffman's Stravaganza series (which I adored), this book was none the less very entertaining.
A good place for younger (12+ it is a bit gory at times) readers with an interest in history to start.
Not as prone to the emotional punches of Hoffman's Stravaganza series (which I adored), this book was none the less very entertaining.
A good place for younger (12+ it is a bit gory at times) readers with an interest in history to start.
annanaz's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
x_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
A historical mystery. Not exactly Agatha Christie, but certainly a fun read.
iceangel32's review against another edition
2.0
It was okay...a good story but I did not find it special. It did not suck me in. If i had something better to do I would have put the book down and it would have taken longer to read and get back into.
aggressive_nostalgia's review against another edition
Really quite good. The history was well-researched; the characters were likable and realistic; the plot was gripping and diverse enough to keep me hooked. Some of the twists were admittedly a bit predictable, particularly towards the end of the story (although i'm not sure they weren't meant to be) and some of them most definitely were not! It was written in such a way as to drop the reader hints all the way through without out-and-out giving the culprits away. The budding romance between Chiara and Silvano was cute (and I must say I'm thrilled he didn't end up with Angelica). An interesting, entertaining, and all-around highly likable novel.
annecarts's review against another edition
2.0
DNF
It's too simplistic and the characters aren't very well developed.
It's too simplistic and the characters aren't very well developed.
bookwyrmjulia's review against another edition
3.0
It was a pretty fun read. Not gonna lie, the ending was kinda unsatisfactory, but I really enjoyed the book anyway!
dearestdorian's review against another edition
1.0
It's a relief to be done with this book.
Why did I dislike it?
- It's written in third person omniscient, yet has frequent page breaks to skip between people's heads. There seems to be little point to these breaks, because even in Chiara's head, we can see Silvano's thoughts.
- The writing style is basic and not at all beautiful. It's dull, and there's a fair bit of telling going on, without much showing.
- The answer to the mystery is obvious, at least for part of it. As for the rest, it comes down to a dull motive. Yawn.
I started skimming at about the halfway point, because it couldn't hold my full attention. A book should demand complete focus but this one couldn't make a case as to why I should choose it over any other preoccupation.
Why did I dislike it?
- It's written in third person omniscient, yet has frequent page breaks to skip between people's heads. There seems to be little point to these breaks, because even in Chiara's head, we can see Silvano's thoughts.
- The writing style is basic and not at all beautiful. It's dull, and there's a fair bit of telling going on, without much showing.
- The answer to the mystery is obvious, at least for part of it. As for the rest, it comes down to a dull motive.
Spoiler
Brother Fazio is jealous of Brother Anselmo's success, has been affected by lead and arsenic from the pigments he makes, and decides to off random people to frame him.I started skimming at about the halfway point, because it couldn't hold my full attention. A book should demand complete focus but this one couldn't make a case as to why I should choose it over any other preoccupation.
lakesbecky's review against another edition
3.0
Murder mystery in an Italian monastery in 14th century. Lots of twists and details.