A review by sienamystic
The Oracle Glass by Judith Merkle Riley

5.0

I love all of Riley's books, but in my mind this is the best showcase of all her strengths as a writer: wit, excellent characterization, and most of all a real immersion in a historical setting that keeps the characters sympathetic and engaging without turning them into modern people plunked down into the past. This is the story of a royal court and the undercurrents that exist, with people seeking power and influence through whatever means possible, including witchcraft and poison. Based on a real story (the historical details can be read about in the book "The Affair of the Poisons" by Anne Somerset), the story follows a young woman as she escapes her old life and reinvents herself under the tutelage of the Queen of the Witches of Paris.