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The Orphan of Florence A Novel Jeanne Kalogridis 9780312675479 Books

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The Orphan of Florence A Novel Jeanne Kalogridis 9780312675479 Books

The writing is good quality, the research was in depth and brought you into that world in that time. The pivotal event which caused the young girl, surviving as a cutpurse, to be a target for abduction by the Sorcerer of Florence, central to the plot, just didn't quite make sense. She was to take his place in a staged murder in the streets, supposedly of the Sorcerer, long in the planning. We were supposed to wonder if she was originally meant to survive, though she was assured she was only being trained to make the illusion convincing. She was not told why the seeming assassination was being planned, and the reader is just informed offhand briefly after the event, which went differently than expected, and a simple explanation was tossed out in a rather anti-climactic way. The reader should have had hints along the way that the Sorcerer felt himself to be in peril and why, thus the reason for the charade. Though people of the time believed in magic, it would seem the Sorcerer should have had to be wise to truth, that his powers were really contrived--as magicians have always known. Yet he and the girl who becomes his apprentice actually appeared to take the talismans they crafted and the spells they cast as "real magic." Their faith in the effectiveness of his spells and protective charms was jarring to this reader, they just didn't seem self-aware to the 21st Century reader--that what they sold as magic was more luck and suggestion to those who bought their wares than anything supernatural. Their failure to be aware of the real nature of the charms as insiders who fashioned them took away from the story overall for me. When a purveyor of potions and cures simply has observed or been taught that certain herbs or other substances actually have predictable results when applied properly, it is easier for a reader today to accept they are able to win a living by their knowledge due to prescribing remedies and solutions which the customers find beneficial. It gave the book an air of fantasy, rather than a solid historical novel.


Tags : The Orphan of Florence: A Novel [Jeanne Kalogridis] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>In this irresistible historical novel set in the turbulent world of the Medicis, a young woman finds herself driven from pick-pocketing to espionage when she meets a mysterious man.</b> Giulia has been an orphan all her life. Raised in Florence's famous Ospedale degli Innocenti,Jeanne Kalogridis,The Orphan of Florence: A Novel,St. Martin's Griffin,031267547X,Historical,Thrillers - Historical,Detective and mystery fiction,Florence (Italy),Historical fiction,Mystery fiction,Mystery fiction.,Orphans,Suspense fiction,Suspense fiction.,Thrillers (Fiction),060401 SMP Trade Paper-SMP Trade Paper Curr Yr,AMERICAN HISTORICAL FICTION,FICTION Historical General,FICTION Thrillers Historical,Fiction,Fiction-Thriller,FictionThrillers - Historical,GENERAL,General Adult,Italy,Thrillers Historical,United States,historical fiction; historical fiction novels; medici family; the medicis; historical fiction italy; espionage; espionage fiction; florence; italy; renaissance; italian renaissance

The Orphan of Florence A Novel Jeanne Kalogridis 9780312675479 Books Reviews

actually let me read this book. Nook was being a pain
A righteous romp thru 1400s Florence Italy where writer Jeanne Kalogridis spins a magical story. No one and nothing is who or what they appear to be. . .fine historical fiction!
I was intrigued by the blurb and was excited when it was the next in line to read. However, the writing is labored and, in parts, sophomoric.
I'll start by saying I finished the book quite quickly - it was a good read. I enjoyed it a lot at first, though about 75% of the way through I was very confident how the story was going to progress, and I was correct. No real surprises which was a bit disappointing. It kept a good pace however, and the characters were both believable and likable. It's not a particularly challenging book, but still very well written.
This book is well researched. I stayed in a hotel across from the orphanage in the same type of building before moving to an apartment. I could follow the story as I read and picture the places where she was. The conditions, the streets , the palace, the old bridge were brought to life by the author. It was a beautiful story about the girl and the magician. I have a photo of the tower and the bridge where the secret tunnel might be.
Strong novel with good pace till the end. I gave it a 4 because it peters out at the very end. I enjoyed it and can recommend it as worth your time
What’s not to love in a historical Renaissance novel with a spunky streetwise heroine, disguises, thieves, and magic?

This was a very entertaining book with enough plot twists to keep me up late at night. (Sleep is over-rated when you have a good book to lose yourself in, right?)

I hope there is a sequel—I love the plucky heroine!
The writing is good quality, the research was in depth and brought you into that world in that time. The pivotal event which caused the young girl, surviving as a cutpurse, to be a target for abduction by the Sorcerer of Florence, central to the plot, just didn't quite make sense. She was to take his place in a staged murder in the streets, supposedly of the Sorcerer, long in the planning. We were supposed to wonder if she was originally meant to survive, though she was assured she was only being trained to make the illusion convincing. She was not told why the seeming assassination was being planned, and the reader is just informed offhand briefly after the event, which went differently than expected, and a simple explanation was tossed out in a rather anti-climactic way. The reader should have had hints along the way that the Sorcerer felt himself to be in peril and why, thus the reason for the charade. Though people of the time believed in magic, it would seem the Sorcerer should have had to be wise to truth, that his powers were really contrived--as magicians have always known. Yet he and the girl who becomes his apprentice actually appeared to take the talismans they crafted and the spells they cast as "real magic." Their faith in the effectiveness of his spells and protective charms was jarring to this reader, they just didn't seem self-aware to the 21st Century reader--that what they sold as magic was more luck and suggestion to those who bought their wares than anything supernatural. Their failure to be aware of the real nature of the charms as insiders who fashioned them took away from the story overall for me. When a purveyor of potions and cures simply has observed or been taught that certain herbs or other substances actually have predictable results when applied properly, it is easier for a reader today to accept they are able to win a living by their knowledge due to prescribing remedies and solutions which the customers find beneficial. It gave the book an air of fantasy, rather than a solid historical novel.