In the Italian states during the 15th century, a time of war coexisted with a period of art flourishing. But what if magic was thrown into the fray? Sculptress Ravenna Maffei desires nothing more than to create art and to protect her family while keeping her own magical powers a secret. To protect those she holds dear, Ravenna enters an art contest, hosted by the immortal family of Florence, the Luni. Ravenna is taken by the family to complete an important task, but if she fails, she will be killed by the heir of the family, Saturnino Luni. Unfortunately, the greatest danger lurks outside of Florence as the pope is waging war against magic itself. Can Ravenna uncover the secrets of the Luni family and finish their difficult task before war engulfs all of Florence? Ravenna’s story is told in Isabel Ibanez’s latest historical fantasy novel, “Graceless Heart.”
This was a spontaneous buy for me. It was really the cover that caught my eye, and then I read the description. I realized that this was a historical fantasy novel, a genre that I have not dabbled in much, but one that I have heard of before. I decided to go on a whim and give it a shot to see how well she could blend magical elements with historical figures and settings.
Ravenna has always had a gift for art, especially sculpting, but when she was younger and exploring a quarry with her aunt, she soon discovered that she has a darker talent, one that she has to keep secret from the rest of the world. We then jump to Volterra in 1478, Ravenna’s hometown, where she is on a mission to save her brother. She decides to enter a sculpting competition, where the prize is anything she asks for. Obviously, she wins the contest and can release her brother from his prison, but the Luni family, the immortal family of Florence, has decided to use Ravenna’s talent for magic for their own goals. They want her to free five mystic stones from marble, which is more difficult than it sounds. The entire family keeps an eye on her, but her biggest threat is the heir to the family, Saturnino.
While Ravenna believes Saturnino and the Luni family are her enemies, she will soon learn that her greatest threat is Pope Sixtus IV who is wanting to wage a war against the Luni family and magic itself. It was nice to see Leonardo da Vinci, Lorenzo de’ Medici, and Federico da Montefeltro the Duke of Milan featured in this novel. It was a nice touch to add depth to the story and give it a foundation in the past.
The story itself was engaging, so much so that I ended up binge reading quite a bit of it. It was a delightful blend of history and fantasy with a dash of romance. I didn’t know what to expect when it came to reading a historical fantasy, but I had so much fun and I can’t wait to see what Ibanez will write next. If you are someone who enjoys stories set in the Italian Renaissance but you want to dabble in historical fantasy, I think you will enjoy “Graceless Heart” by Isabel Ibanez.
The story of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine is legendary. The queen of France decided to divorce her first husband and marry the young upstart Henry Plantagenet. But things turned disastrous for the couple when Eleanor sided with their sons in a revolt against Henry later in life. At this time, Henry took a mistress named Rosamund Clifford, but when Rosamund was found dead in her tower, it is believed that Eleanor exacted her revenge on the poor woman. It is now up to Adelia Aguilar to solve the case before another civil war breaks out. This is the premise of book two in the Mistress of the Art of Death series by Ariana Franklin, which is entitled “The Serpent’s Tale.”
Have you ever wondered what the Tudors might be like in the modern day? What kind of life would they live, and would they all survive? What if King Henry VIII were a billionaire and most of his wives were still alive, including Anne Boleyn? Anne Boleyn is living but is in hiding from the rest of the Tudor clan and is separated from her daughter. When her daughter is kidnapped, Anne has to come back to her old life and team up with Henry’s latest wife to save her daughter. Can they save Anne’s daughter before it’s too late? Karen E. Olson brings the Tudors to the modern age in her latest novel, “A Defiant Woman.”
15th-century Estonia was at the edge of Christendom. It also just finished facing off against the notable Victual Brothers, a band of brigands and pirates who wreaked havoc across the land. In the town of Tallinn, St. Olaf’s Church is being constructed, but nefarious dealings are coming to the surface. A serial killer is turning this once peaceful town, which is finding its identity on its head. Now, an apothecary named Melchior Wakenstede must help the magistrate solve the case before anyone else is killed. This is the premise for the first Apothecary Melchior Mystery by Indrek Hargla, entitled “The Secret of Saint Olaf’s Church.”
The year is 1540, and King Henry VIII is looking for a wife. He has been a widower for over three years, and his councilor Thomas Cromwell believes that a foreign alliance will be the best path forward for England, so he arranges a marriage between Henry and Anne of Cleves. In theory, it should be a good match, but it falls apart quickly. To top it all off, one of Anne of Cleves’ Maid of Honour brought her own drama to court that ended with a murder. Can Will Somers, the King’s Fool, navigate the drama at court while dealing with his own love life, or will the mystery of the missing body prove too much for him to handle? This is the premise of the next book in the King’s Fool Mysteries series called “Devil’s Gambit.”
Have you ever believed in something or someone so much that you were willing to do anything to be with them? What if it meant isolating yourself from everyone and everything you loved? Aleys knows this all too well. Born near Bruges during the 13th century, Aleys believes that she is destined for great things and has religious visions. Can this young woman survive both religious and political challenges to make her aspirations of being closer to God a reality, or will she fly too close to the sun and lose everything? Janet Rich Edwards tells Alleys’ tale in her debut novel, “Canticle.”
The year is 1535, and Henry VIII is growing bored with his current wife, Anne Boleyn. His eyes are wandering yet again, and this time his sights are set on Jane Seymour. Anne Boleyn had failed to give him his desired son, so Henry decided that it was only fitting for his right-hand man, Thomas Cromwell, to take down a queen. It’s Cromwell’s biggest challenge yet, but it could also become Cromwell’s defining moment. Hilary Mantel explores the pivotal months that pitted Cromwell against the Boleyns in her second book in the Wolf Hall trilogy, called “Bring Up the Bodies.”
Have you ever looked at a painting and wondered what it must have been like for the artist to paint it? Have you ever wondered what their lives might have been like when they were painting these images that have sparked discussion and intrigue? Usually, we tend to focus on the male artists and their lives, but there has been a trend in recent years to tell the stories of women artists. Take, for example, the story of Maria van Oosterwijk and her maid Geertje Pieters Wyntges. Can these two women find their own successes during Amsterdam’s Golden Age through their art while navigating their own feelings towards each other? Victoria Redel explores the lives of these two women in her latest novel, “I Am You.”
When we think of Elizabethan England, we tend to think of the Golden Age of England. A time of discoveries and for the arts to flourish under the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I. However, there is a darker side. It was also a time of espionage, fears of invasions from other countries, and the hatred between Catholics and Protestants. The dangers of the Elizabethan underworld have reached the queen, as there is an attempt on her life. Can Jack, the son of a crime boss, change his life and find the culprit before they find him, or will he be betrayed by those he calls his friends? Amie McNee explores the seedy underworld of Elizabethan England in her novel, “To Kill a Queen.”
Adventures of a Tudor Nerd 