The Shepherdess of Siena by Linda Lafferty

The Shepherdess of Siena:  A Novel of Renaissance Tuscany is actually a saga of Renaissance Tuscany.  This epic saga of nearly 600 pages recounts the popular and scandalizing stories linked to the de' Medici royal family, the Grand Dukes of Tuscany at the beginning of their royal-ness, and how they affect their subjects, with much about one particular subject, a young shepherdess from Siena, in Tuscany. 

 

The de' Medici banking family was raised to royal status over the Tuscany Dutchy under military powerhouse Cosimo de' Medici in the 1500s.  Fictionalized versions of his children are the focus of this book, along with their interactions with artists and subjects under their reign, most importantly with Virginia, a shepherdess with many hidden talents.  Virginia is based on an historical figure, too.  Her story in this book is half fact and half fiction, as the author admits in the Author's Notes.

The de' Medici have long been favorites of historical gossips, many of whom have put the salacious inventions linked to the family down in print, giving them an authority they do not always have in historical fact.  The author makes use of these juicy stories for her novel.  And much historical research has also gone into the development of the story, which will surely please fans of historical epic novels.

There are 102 chapters divided among seven parts in The Shepherdess of Siena:

1. A de' Medici Princess and the Little Shepherdess - 1569-1574
2. The Death of Cosimo de' Medici - 1574-1576
3. Murder in Tuscany - 1576-1578
4. The Heroine of Siena - 1579-1581
5. Ferrara - 1581-1582
6. The Art of Death 1582-1586
7. The Reign of Granduca Ferdinando - 1586-1591

This sweeping saga covers romance, politics, gossip, power, patronage, crime, religion, sports, patriotism, royals, adventure, pathos...  The voice is sometimes first-person, and at other times third-person.  The text is sprinkled with Italian words.   The English is excellent and the editing expert.   

This is one for historical novel fans, those who love to be immersed in another time and place.  Italophiles with a love of Italian history should enjoy the time they can spend in Renaissance Tuscany, hobnobbing with the exciting de' Medici family.

From the book's description:

Raised by her aunt and uncle amidst the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside, young orphan Virginia Tacci has always harbored a deep love for horses—though she knows she may never have the chance to ride. As a shepherdess in sixteenth-century Italy, Virginia’s possibilities are doubly limited by her peasant class and her gender.

Yet while she tends her flock, Virginia is captivated by the daring equestrian feats of the high-spirited Isabella de’ Medici, who rides with the strength and courage of any man, much to the horror of her brother, the tyrannical Gran Duca Francesco de’ Medici.

Inspired, the young shepherdess keeps one dream close to her heart:  to race in Siena’s Palio. Twenty-six years after Florence captured Siena, Virginia’s defiance will rally the broken spirit of the Senese people and threaten the pernicious reign of the Gran Duca.

Bringing alive the rich history of one of Tuscany’s most famed cities, this lush, captivating saga draws an illuminating portrait of one girl with an unbreakable spirit.

Here is a direct link to the book at Amazon.com:

If you enjoy her historical epic style, you are in luck:  she has more novels out, each set in a different era.  Here is a link to a lovely article in The Aspen Times newspaper about their local author.

This review is by Candida Martinelli, of Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site, and the author of the cozy-murder-mystery novel AN EXTRA VIRGIN PRESSING MURDER, and the young-adult/adult mystery novel series THE VIOLET STRANGE MYSTERIES the first book of which is VIOLET'S PROBLEM.

The Contessa's Vendetta by Mirella Sichirollo Patzer

Are you in the mood for some Gothic romantic revenge fiction set in the mid sixteen hundreds in Italy?  Even if this is not your favorite genre, the author's lyrical and lovely writing style may capture your heart.  We are treated to a first-person memoirs written by a woman who has voluntarily sequestered herself in a convent after a tumultuous young life.

Now, long after my ordeal is over, I want to narrate the events of one short year; the most agonizing year in my life...

Carlotta Mancini of Vicenza, Italy, was an extremely innocent woman, and dangerously wealthy, too.  She attracted cads and rakes, and one rake in particular, the sociopathic man she married.  The older Carlotta warns us of her shortsightedness along the rocky road, hinting at events to come in her tale.

Without doubt, he was the most majestic looking man I had ever encountered, and I, his late wife, still trembled in the wake of his splendor.

Carlotta offers many warnings to her female readers that they make their own messes with men, by allowing the men to abuse their emotions.

Woe the blindness of women.  With all our abilities; with all the world before us to conquer, we crumble at an abusive word or rude gesture by a man...

This is escapist fare of 370+ pages transports the reader to another world, Vicenza and Venice, Italy, in the 1600s.  We get high drama, Gothic horrors, death, ghosts, cunning plots galore, and the central vendetta is the story of extreme innocence turned to extreme hate. 

There were multiple moments when I mentally yelled at Carlotta to stop her deadly plot and turn to living life, but that was not to be.  She lost her mind early in the book because of a severe trauma, and became monomaniacal about her vendetta, not seeing the chances that were before her for a second chance at happiness.

From the book's description (some spoilers):

To be buried alive is everyone's worst nightmare, and when faced with the ultimate betrayal, a murderous vendetta is one woman's only solution.

A deadly plague is raging, killing thousands in 17th century Vicenza Italy.  Carlotta Mancini struggles to protect her family and servants, but despite her precautions, she is the one who falls prey to the deadly illness.

Her body is tossed into a coffin and swiftly buried in the underground, dank confines of her family’s vault.  But Carlotta is not dead; she is merely unconscious because of the illness.

She returns home to her beloved husband, her best friend, and her darling daughter.  But before she reveals herself to her loved ones, she learns of an endless series of lies, deceits, and betrayal.

As she unravels the labyrinth of shocking treachery, her wrath breathes life to an overwhelming need for vengeance.  Slowly, meticulously, she launches her diabolical vendetta.

The Contessa's Vendetta is a historical fiction thriller ripe with suspense from first page to last. A tale of betrayal and revenge that will hold you spellbound until the shocking ending!

The Contessa's Vendetta is a retelling of the classic novel, Vendetta by Marie Corelli.  Inspired by this epic classic novel; a new and captivating tale in a new setting, a new century, and with new plot twists while remaining faithful to key story elements.

Here is a direct link to The Contessa's Vendetta at Amazon.com:

 

This author is an established Indie author, with several quality books to her name, each with an attractive cover and book design.  Here are all her historical novels set in Italy, with direct links to the books at Amazon, through the images.

The Orphan of the Olive Tree
(click on the image to go to the book's Amazon.com page)

AWARDED THE B.R.A.G.G. MEDALLION for Indie Fiction

A compelling historical romance and family saga.  A blood oath, a dreadful curse, and the evil eye. A dark family secret that will shatter lives and the woman who must risk everything to keep it buried.

From two neighbouring villas in the heart of the Tuscan countryside to the elegance of Siena; from a world steeped in ancient superstitions to a culture where family honour is paramount comes, this multi-layered novel of the lives, loves, secrets and strivings of two women and their families in the 13th century.

The Contessa's Vendetta
(click on the image to go to the book's Amazon.com page)

The Contessa's Vendetta is a historical fiction thriller ripe with suspense from first page to last. A tale of betrayal and revenge that will hold you spellbound until the shocking ending.

The Contessa's Vendetta is a retelling of the classic novel, Vendetta by Marie Corelli. Inspired by this epic classic novel; a new and captivating tale in a new setting, a new century, and with new plot twists while remaining faithful to key story elements.




The Novice (reviewed on this site)
(click on the image to go to the book's Amazon.com page)

In 10th century Naples, Saracens run rampant, annihilating villages, murdering women and children.  Death and despair is everywhere.  Alone in the world, Sara is a young novice plagued with doubts about taking her final vows to become a nun.  When her convent is attacked, she flees for her life straight into the arms of a group of Saracens who leave her to die alone in the woods.  An honorable cavaliere named Nicolo comes to her rescue and offers to take her to the safety of Naples. 

As they journey together, they are irresistibly drawn to each other.  Believing Sara to be a nun, the honorable Nicolo is torn between love and duty to respect her vows.  Heartbroken, he does what honor demands and sets her free before she can tell him the truth that she is not a nun.  In her search to reunite with Nicolo, she encounters Umberto, a dark and dangerous man who will stop at nothing in his obsession to possess her.  With her sharp intellect, and her heart, Sara must rely on her own courage and strength to escape her abuser and find the only man she will ever love.

The Betrothal
(click on the image to go to the book's Amazon.com page)

Two young lovers bound by their love for each other. A dreadful overlord who will shatter lives to possess the woman he loves, and the dark secrets that one woman will risk everything to keep buried. An absorbing novel about wicked intentions, murder, obsessive love, undisclosed secrets, unstoppable destinies, and the woman whose secret will either destroy or restore lives.

The Betrothal is a retelling of the classic novel, The Betrothed (I Promessi Sposi) by Alessandro Manzoni. Inspired by this epic Italian classic novel; a new and captivating tale in a new setting, a new century, and with new plot twists while remaining faithful to key story elements.

The Pendant
(click on the image to go to the book's Amazon.com page)

A medieval tale about a lost ancient treasure. A 100 year family feud. And a woman with a passion richer than the bloodstone pendant she wears around her neck.

This Italian historical romance novel with a Gothic flare has it all - an ancient mystery, a bloodstone pendant with a secret, murder, vengeance, and a love story to take your breath away.  An historical Gothic romance of murder, desperation, and true love.

Italian Historical Box-Set
(click on the image to go to the book's Amazon.com page)

Please visit the author's website and blog, and her historical novel review site.

This review is by Candida Martinelli, of Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site, and the author of the cozy-murder-mystery novel AN EXTRA VIRGIN PRESSING MURDER, and the young-adult/adult mystery novel series THE VIOLET STRANGE MYSTERIES the first book of which is VIOLET'S PROBLEM.

The Novice by Mirella Sichirollo Patzer

Naples, Italy, in the middle ages (the year 915):  a dukedom, a walled city, threatened by coastal raids by North Africans, and the church is the only Europe-wide authority.  Sara begins her story in a convent, a place she abhors, as a novice, someone who joins a religious order but who has not yet taken the final vows of commitment to the order. 

By the end of The Novice, Sara understands and relies on the sanctuary convents offered women in the misogynistic middle ages.  She returns more than once to the nuns' protection when things get unbearable for her.

Sara's story begins with swashbuckling adventure and real danger.  Saracen, North African, raiders attack the convent.

...the walls of a convent could not protect them against the vile Saracens who burned homes, martyred children, and sacked and fired towns.

Escaping just in time, Sara enjoys her new-found freedom.  Convent life was not for her.

She was determined to live life to its fullest and revel in the glories of joy, love, security and freedom.

Things don't go exactly as Sara hopes they will.  For the first half of The Novice, Sara experiences high romance, adventure, danger, excitement, and chivalry from the classic hero.  Nicolo is gorgeous, brave, noble, and he even has a cleft in his manly chin.

...she felt safe with Nicolo, and feared nothing.

The second half of the story turns darker, with Sara suffering at the hands of a sadistic cad.

Sara loved Nicolo's quiet affection far more than the yearning and lust she saw on Umberto's face.

The author has a lovely style of writing; it is literary without being ponderous.  She evokes the era with her descriptions.  The politics of the time is introduced into the story naturally, never overwhelming the reader.  The narration is omniscient at times, and 3rd person limited at times, alternating the mind into which we get to see. 

Mrs. Radcliffe brought the medieval (Gothic) romantic fiction genre to the public in the late 1700s, entrancing readers with historical romance laced with gothic and melodramatic touches.  Her bestselling books, such as A Sicilian Romance and The Mysteries of Udolfo, are now in the public domain, and available as free e-books. The books favor the picaresque style, where the reader follows the heroine on her long sequence of adventures and misadventures, ending with romance.   

The author of The Novice writes a slightly more modern version of the genre, one that includes some vulgarities, and in the case of The Novice, two explicit rape scenes (I could have done without them, to be honest).  But the picaresque style remains, along with the melodramatic and Gothic elements.

This Indie writer works hard to produce quality work and to present it to the reader with beautiful covers.  The Novice is romantic, swashbuckling, escapist fare in which one can get immersed, blocking out the real world for a while.  The reader might even come away from the story thinking that things really aren't so bad for us today, after all.  The Novice is great stuff for fans of this old yet still entertaining genre.

From the book's description:

A young woman on the verge of taking her vows to become a nun.
A desperate flight from a murderous massacre.
One honorable man comes to her rescue.
Another becomes her nemesis and captor.
And a life and death search to reunite with her one true love.

In 10th century Naples, Saracens run rampant, annihilating villages, murdering women and children. Death and despair is everywhere.  Alone in the world, Sara is a young novice plagued with doubts about taking her final vows to become a nun.  When her convent is attacked, she flees for her life straight into the arms of a group of Saracens who leave her to die alone in the woods.

An honorable cavaliere named Nicolo comes to her rescue and offers to take her to the safety of Naples.  As they journey together, they are irresistibly drawn to each other.  Believing Sara to be a nun, the honorable Nicolo is torn between love and duty to respect her vows.

Heartbroken, he does what honor demands and sets her free before she can tell him the truth that she is not a nun.  In her search to reunite with Nicolo, she encounters Umberto, a dark and dangerous man who will stop at nothing in his obsession to possess her.  With her sharp intellect, and her heart, Sara must rely on her own courage and strength to escape her abuser and find the only man she will ever love.

A story that burns with intensity, intrigue, and passion from the author of the highly successful novel, The Orphan of the Olive Tree.

Here is a direct link to The Novice at Amazon.com.

The author has these other historical romance novels.

The Orphan of the Olive Tree
(click on the image to go to the book's Amazon.com page)

AWARDED THE B.R.A.G.G. MEDALLION for Indie Fiction

A compelling historical romance and family saga.  A blood oath, a dreadful curse, and the evil eye. A dark family secret that will shatter lives and the woman who must risk everything to keep it buried.

From two neighbouring villas in the heart of the Tuscan countryside to the elegance of Siena; from a world steeped in ancient superstitions to a culture where family honour is paramount comes, this multi-layered novel of the lives, loves, secrets and strivings of two women and their families in the 13th century.

The Contessa's Vendetta
(click on the image to go to the book's Amazon.com page)

The Contessa's Vendetta is a historical fiction thriller ripe with suspense from first page to last. A tale of betrayal and revenge that will hold you spellbound until the shocking ending.

The Contessa's Vendetta is a retelling of the classic novel, Vendetta by Marie Corelli. Inspired by this epic classic novel; a new and captivating tale in a new setting, a new century, and with new plot twists while remaining faithful to key story elements.

The Betrothal
(click on the image to go to the book's Amazon.com page)

Two young lovers bound by their love for each other. A dreadful overlord who will shatter lives to possess the woman he loves, and the dark secrets that one woman will risk everything to keep buried. An absorbing novel about wicked intentions, murder, obsessive love, undisclosed secrets, unstoppable destinies, and the woman whose secret will either destroy or restore lives.

The Betrothal is a retelling of the classic novel, The Betrothed (I Promessi Sposi) by Alessandro Manzoni. Inspired by this epic Italian classic novel; a new and captivating tale in a new setting, a new century, and with new plot twists while remaining faithful to key story elements.

The Pendant
(click on the image to go to the book's Amazon.com page)

A medieval tale about a lost ancient treasure. A 100 year family feud. And a woman with a passion richer than the bloodstone pendant she wears around her neck.

This Italian historical romance novel with a gothic flare has it all - an ancient mystery, a bloodstone pendant with a secret, murder, vengeance, and a love story to take your breath away.  An historical gothic romance of murder, desperation, and true love.

Italian Historical Box-Set
(click on the image to go to the book's Amazon.com page)

The Novice e-book is also available via Smashwords, the big on-line e-book seller that offers e-books in various format for instant download.

Direct link to The Novice at Smashwords

Please visit the author's website and blog, and her historical novel review site.

If you wish to know more about Mrs. Radcliffe, and read some of her Italy-based books, please visit my page about her on my Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site.

Direct link to the Mrs. Radcliffe page

 

 

 

This review is by Candida Martinelli, of Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site, and the author of the cozy-murder-mystery novel AN EXTRA VIRGIN PRESSING MURDER, and the young-adult/adult mystery novel series THE VIOLET STRANGE MYSTERIES the first book of which is VIOLET'S PROBLEM.

The Villa by Nora Roberts

The author of The Villa is a prolific and bestselling writer of romances for adults, with the books often tinged with suspense, mystery or fantasy.  She departs from her usual fare for the 2001 The Villa, which is promoted as a "sweeping saga" like the late Harold Robbins's books. 

Also a departure for the author is the book's length at 400+ pages, and the omniscient narrator who lets us see inside the minds of all the characters.  The narration style spoils the mystery since we see into the minds of all the sociopaths in the books, so the reader knows all along who the bad-guys are. 

The length allows for a whole "TV season" of plot twists to occur, and to give the reader lots of escapist entertainment for their buck (actually, the mass market paperbacks are available for 1 cent second-hand!).

The Villa is clearly a bid for a TV mini-series.  Actually, it resembles the storyline of an entire season of the TV series Falcon Crest, the night-time soap that followed the crimes, seductions and business of Napa Valley, California, vintners, headed by a hard-ass matriarch, and surrounded by a beautiful supporting cast.

The Villa explores the story of the crimes, seductions and business of a Napa Valley, California, vintners, headed by a hard-ass Italian matriarch, surrounded by a beautiful supporting cast of wine-loving Americans and Italian-Americans. 

 

The author's trademark romance (with euphemistically explicit sex scenes) takes center stage, with the family dramas coming in at a close second, but like so many soap-operas there are few relatable or likeable characters. 

Modern-day archetypes abound, which is probably a good things, since there are so many characters, the use of archetypes helped me keep all the characters straight in my mind:  the gold-digger, the matriarch, the butch guy ("the caveman temporarily civilized"), the hard business woman, the defeated woman, the dirty-mouthed woman, the rebellious teen, the thwarted business rival, the philandering husband...

Another trademark of the author is her short paragraphs, most only one sentence long.  Then there is her replacement of all semi-colons and colons with periods, creating a book full of sentence fragments.  Most annoying for me was her use of commas in place of the conjunction "and":

He turned her, slapped the tool in her hands.

The story moves between Venice, Italy, and Napa Valley, California, between the Giambelli family's wineries.  Three generations of strong women enjoy lots of sex and adventure throughout the book.  Italian words dots the text, some used correctly, some not.  The characters' names are an odd mix of Italian and Spanish (Tereza, Pilar, Cezare). 

Reading so many books for this site has shown me that these sorts of errors are very common.  But The Villa has an unforgivable error in Italian that sent my blood pressure upward each time I encountered it:  the direct address of the matriarch with the article!

Of course, La Signora. 

Instead of the correct:

Of course, Signora.

There are two serious icky bits that run through The Villa that I have to mention, since they ruined the major romantic story for me.  The Tyler MacMillan-Sophia Giambelli romance, one of those overused fight-until-they-have-sex-then-they-are-passionately-in-love plotlines, is between two people who grew up together as siblings!  No, they don't share the same blood.  But, yes, they were brought up since childhood as siblings.  I'm cringing even as I write this!

Here is a sample of the author's classic man-woman interplay:

"Don't worry, MacMillan, you're not my type."  Big, rough, elemental.  "Usually."

"You're not mine."  Sharp, slick, dangerous.  "Ever."

The second icky bit is Tyler MacMillan's relationship with a fourteen-year-old girl.  I'll leave that as is, because just his having a relationship with a fourteen-year-old girl is enough icky-ness in itself.

The awkward parts don't stop with the above.  I was stopped short when I read:

...her system shivered at the scrape of his teeth on her throat.

All I could think when I read that was that it was physically impossible unless I had mistakenly picked up a paranormal book, and the man's teeth could somehow reach down into the woman's throat and scrape it, like a strep-throat-examiner. 

Okay, throat can be used to denote the very front part of the neck, but it really is better for a writer to use neck when they mean the outside (i.e. necklace around her neck), and to use throat when they mean the inside (i.e. sore throat, deep throat).

I thought the sex scenes were awkwardly written.  The euphemisms the author uses while trying to avoid the medical terms for the sex parts, which seems to be taboo in her novels, were at times laughable, and at other times repulsive.  For example, at one point, Sophia is described so, when in a clinch with Tyler:

...her hips pistoned.

I'm not even sure that is a verb, but it transported me out of the lovers' bedroom to inside a V8 engine, which I don't find remotely romantic.  I'm not sure why the author bothered with the euphemisms, actually, when she peppered the text with many, many f-word vulgarities.

The ending is contrived and seemingly inspired by The Long Hot Summer, a 1958 Paul Newman film based on William Faulkner stories:  a raging fire, women being strong and loving and forgiving, men being less so.  Some Amazon reviewers deemed the ending amoral.  I found the whole romance between Tyler and Sophia icky-ly amoral, and Tyler's relationship with the teenaged girl amoral, and ... oh, well, so much more, but the so-much-more was intended to be amoral, and the main romantic storyline was not intended to be.  I believe the author erred seriously with that bit.   

From the book's description:

PR executive Sophia Giambelli loves her job and has never worried about competition.  For three generations, her family’s wines have been world-renowned for their quality.  But things are about to change at Villa Giambelli.

Tereza, the matriarch, has announced a merger with the MacMillan family’s winery—and Sophia will be assuming a new role.  As a savvy businesswoman, she knows she must be prepared for anything…but she isn’t prepared for Tyler MacMillan.

They’ve been ordered to work together very closely, to facilitate the merger.  Sophia must teach Ty the finer points of marketing—and Ty, in turn, shows her how to get down and dirty, to use the sun, rain, and earth to coax the sweetest grapes from the vineyard.

As they toil together, both in and out of the fields, Sophia is torn between a powerful attraction and a professional rivalry.  At the end of the season, the course of the company’s future—and the legacy of the villa—may take an entirely new direction.  And when acts of sabotage threaten both the family business and the family itself, Sophia’s quest will be not only for dominance, but also for survival.

Here are direct links to the book at Amazon.com, where you can find .01 cent copies of the mass market paperback from 3rd party sellers, and a new paperback edition, a Kindle e-book, and an audio book:

Here is an interview with the author Nora Roberts by Borders Books:

 

Please visit the author's website and Facebook page.

This review is by Candida Martinelli, of Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site, and the author of the cozy-murder-mystery novel AN EXTRA VIRGIN PRESSING MURDER, and the young-adult/adult mystery novel series THE VIOLET STRANGE MYSTERIES the first book of which is VIOLET'S PROBLEM.