The year is 1527, and Rome is being attacked by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and his army of Germans, Lutherans, and Spanish soldiers. The night the city was sacked, many fled or died at the hands of the soldiers, but there was a house who welcomes the incoming attackers, the house of the courtesan Fiammetta Bianchini and her dwarf companion Bucino. They decide to flee with their jewelry to Venice, but they soon learn that Venice is even more treacherous. Can Fiammetta and Bucino survive their new city, or will this new town destroy everything that they worked so hard to create? Sarah Dunant explores the world of a courtesan in her novel, “In the Company of the Courtesan.”
This is one of those books that I found at a used bookstore. I saw that it took place during the Sack of Rome, which was intriguing to me because I have not read many novels set during this time in Italian history. I also have never read any books by Sarah Dunant, but I have heard good things about her novels, so I wanted to give them a try.
We begin with the night that Rome was attacked. While Rome was burning and people were dying, Fiammetta Bianchini, one of the most prized courtesans in all of Rome, and her “pimp” Bucino, decided that to survive the night, they would open their home to the invading soldiers. In the aftermath, they decide to swallow their remaining jewels and leave Rome for somewhere safer, Venice. It was Fiammetta’s home before she moved away to Rome, but she soon realizes that beauty is fleeting as an illness wrecks her body. It is then that the duo meets a blind, elderly healer named La Draga.
Fiammetta and Bucino must rebuild their lives in a new city, but they soon discover that a new city means new dangers. There’s a theft of a great jewel that could end their enterprise before it even begins, and a poet from the past who could spell disaster to Fiametta’s reputation. There is a book with scandalous drawings that is dangerous to own, a young lad whose puppy love could lead the Lady astray, and a Turk who has an interest in human novelties for his sultan’s court. And then, there is the case of La Draga and her true identity.
Dunant created a seedy underworld of Renaissance Venice that feels so believable, it is almost as if you can step into the pages. I enjoyed the characters of Bucino and Fiammetta, but towards the middle of the book, I was wondering how she was going to finish this novel. To me, the ending felt a bit rushed. Overall, I think this was a decent novel about Renaissance Italy. If you want a novel set in 16th-century Italy that has a darker tone, I would suggest you read “In the Company of the Courtesan” by Sarah Dunant.
Some queens throughout history surpass the history of their own countries and create legacies that would transcend centuries. One such queen was Cleopatra, Pharaoh of Egypt, who loved both Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony). She fought against her siblings and even Rome for the right to rule Egypt. There have been accusations of witchcraft and Cleopatra being a seductress, but is this a fair assessment of this Queen of Egypt? Saara El-Arifi tells her own version of Cleopatra’s story, from the queen herself, in her latest novel, “Cleopatra.”
Being a fool in any royal court can be dangerous, but being a fool in the court in King Henry VIII’s court could be deadly. While you could enjoy performing for royalty, you could also learn secrets about those close to the throne, secrets that have deadly consequences. Kronos knows this all too well. Born disabled, Kronos must navigate his way through prejudice to find his place in society. How did Kronos become the fool to King Henry VIII, and what secret threatens his life? Mary Lawrence explores what life must have been like for a fool in the tumultuous court of Henry VIII in her novel, “Fool.”
When we think about powerful queens, we tend to think about medieval and early modern rulers. However, there were queens from ancient times who rose to power and gained reputations that lasted for centuries. In ancient Babylon, there was one woman who began life as an orphan but fought her way to become the Queen of Assyria. She was known as both Semiramis and later Sammuramat, the wife of Ninus, who was known by his royal name Shamshi-Adad V. How did Semiramis become the only female ruler of the Assyrian empire? Her story and the stories of the two men she fell in love with are told in Costanza Casati’s latest novel, “Babylonia.”
When a medieval princess married, most of the time, she had to take an arduous journey to their new country. For many of these royal ladies, they had an idea that this would be their fate at a young age, but for others, it would come as a complete surprise. Take, for example, Blanca (Blanche) of Castile. She was the granddaughter of the indomitable Eleanor of Aquitaine. When it is time to create a marriage alliance between Castile and France, Blanca believes that her sister Urraca will be the one who will become Queen of France. However, Eleanor has other plans. How will the journey change Blanca and get her ready to rule a nation? Diane Zahler tells the tale of Blanca’s journey to the throne in her middle grade novel, “The Queen’s Granddaughter.”
The court of Henry VIII was a treacherous place for anyone, but especially for the Boleyn family. We all know the stories of Anne, Mary, George, and Thomas, but one figure from this illustrious family does not get enough attention: Elizabeth Boleyn, the mother of Anne, Mary, and George. What was her relationship like with her family, her husband, and most importantly, King Henry VIII? And what does a Chaucer manuscript recently discovered at Cerensthorpe Abbey have to do with Elizabeth and the Boleyns? Alxandra Walsh explores the life of Elizabeth Boleyn and the mystery of the missing Chaucer in her latest dual-timeline novel, “The Boleyn Curse.”
Lady Katherine Turner was never meant to be the Countess of Leicester, but when her brother William dies suddenly, she must take on the mantle of power. Unfortunately, with power comes responsibility, and in medieval England, women in power could not hold onto that power unless they married. That does not sit well with Katherine, who is a very independent woman. However, a choice must be made between two suitors, Lord Henry Tyrell, Earl of Dornton, and Lord James Stanford. Who will Lady Katherine Turner choose, and can she maintain her independent spirit while falling in love? Laura Johnson-Smith explores Lady Katherine’s love story in her debut novel, “The Rose Amongst the Thorns.”
Medieval England, under the reign of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, was a turbulent time. The focus tends to be on the rebellion of Henry’s sons against their father and how Eleanor sided with her sons. This story has been told, but there is a story of another woman who was caught directly in the middle of the entire ordeal. Her story is most known for her role during the reign of King John and the Magna Carta, but that was when she was an older woman. The story of Nicola de la Haye and Lincoln Castle has been told in biographies and nonfiction books, but not really in historical fiction novels. Rachel Elwiss Joyce hopes to change that with her novel, “Lady of Lincoln.”
Queen Elizabeth I has a not-so-secret infatuation with her Master of the Horse, Robert Dudley. However, there is a problem. Dudley is married to Amy Robsart Dudley, a woman who is extremely ill. She suspects that her husband wants her dead, so Elizabeth sends one of her servants, Ursula Blanchard, to reassure Amy. However, disaster strikes, and it is up to Ursula to figure out what happened to Amy Dudley and foil a plot against the queen. Can Ursula solve the case, or will she be forced to lose those she holds dear for the sake of the queen? Fiona Buckley introduces Ursula Blanchard and her Tudor world to the modern audience in her first book in the Ursula Blanchard Mystery series, “To Shield the Queen.”
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.”