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A review by ashesmann
Daughter of Siena by Marina Fiorato
2.0
I don't understand it, but I just couldn't connect with the story. Pia is a young woman who always knew she'd be given away in marriage, and is given to quite a brute. I think maybe part of the problem is everything seems a bit overdone. Almost every character is absolutely horrible, and for no reason I can truly discern. Greed? Yes, but a lot of people are greedy and don't go around killing people and ruining young people's lives. There just doesn't seem to be much dimension to their character.
Pia herself...the only virtue she has truly is her beauty. She certainly isn't clever, she and Riccardo know they're being set up and watched. Still kiss, Riccardo still asks to sleep with her. We're supposed to be horrified she's being watched? It was almost a relief.
Many things about the horses are written well, sometimes...well sometimes you can tell the author just had a good consultant. She gets caught in a romantic image. For example, Riccardo is given a Lipizzaner. To race with. A highly skilled, highly trained, well bred, and pricey war horse is given to be used in a local horse race? Even unrideable he would be a useful stud. Besides, only mixed breed horses are allowed to race the Palio de Siena. I don't know how old that rule is exactly, but a Lipizzaner seems far fetched. And every time a character approaches a horse, the horse whinnied, or made some noise. Some horses are more vocal that others, but in my experience most aren't noisy. They call out in excitement when it's time to be fed, in fear, or when locating their companions. Mothers rumble deep in their chest to their babies. They do not vocalize in happiness to someone an arms reach away.
Pia is obsessed with her namesake. Now I'm super nostalgic, but even I found her obsession excessive and unhealthy. Am I to understand a 190 year old pampered girl had studied Dante's Pia, because they share a name? A girl who's only training would have been in household management?
Leocornos death is tragic. The author tries to spin it as this peaceful death. Try to spin it all you like, he ran in terror and would have died in a panic. That is no peaceful release from a last great heroic act.
All in all it was okay.
Pia herself...the only virtue she has truly is her beauty. She certainly isn't clever, she and Riccardo know they're being set up and watched. Still kiss, Riccardo still asks to sleep with her. We're supposed to be horrified she's being watched? It was almost a relief.
Many things about the horses are written well, sometimes...well sometimes you can tell the author just had a good consultant. She gets caught in a romantic image. For example, Riccardo is given a Lipizzaner. To race with. A highly skilled, highly trained, well bred, and pricey war horse is given to be used in a local horse race? Even unrideable he would be a useful stud. Besides, only mixed breed horses are allowed to race the Palio de Siena. I don't know how old that rule is exactly, but a Lipizzaner seems far fetched. And every time a character approaches a horse, the horse whinnied, or made some noise. Some horses are more vocal that others, but in my experience most aren't noisy. They call out in excitement when it's time to be fed, in fear, or when locating their companions. Mothers rumble deep in their chest to their babies. They do not vocalize in happiness to someone an arms reach away.
Pia is obsessed with her namesake. Now I'm super nostalgic, but even I found her obsession excessive and unhealthy. Am I to understand a 190 year old pampered girl had studied Dante's Pia, because they share a name? A girl who's only training would have been in household management?
Leocornos death is tragic. The author tries to spin it as this peaceful death. Try to spin it all you like, he ran in terror and would have died in a panic. That is no peaceful release from a last great heroic act.
All in all it was okay.