by Alyssa Palombo
GENRE: #Historical-mystery-romance
My rating: ★★★★★
A resounding 5 stars!
This historical novel is a real page-turner, blending mystery, secrets, murder, romance, passion, political games, and friendship against the rich backdrop of 16th-century Venice. Absolutely captivating!
___THE PLOT IN A NUTSHELL:
Venice, 1538.
Valentina Riccardi is a woman of beauty, intellect, and deadly skill. As a celebrated courtesan in Venice, she's in the perfect position to charm, dominate, and eliminate influential men. Spies? Traitors? It doesn't matter. All that matters to her is that these men are enemies of the Council of Ten, the shadowy and all-powerful group that governs the Republic, and therefore potentially dangerous to the people of Venice.
Venice is her beloved home, and having once lost everything to an invading army, she's willing to do anything to protect it, because nothing is more precious to her.
Valentina enjoys her profession and is happy to spend her evenings and nights with several attractive and handsome lovers. However, Bastiano Bragadin, the third son of a noble family (one of Venice's wealthy families), is the one who has truly captured her heart, and he loves her back with genuine passion. Unfortunately, their different social standings make marriage impossible.
Bastiano also works for the Council of Ten, but this is not the only secret between them; a far more significant connection unites them.
One day, Valentina receives the order to kill an enemy of the Ten: Bastiano. If she refuses, those she cares about will pay the price...
Could Bastiano be a traitor? Or is there a conspiracy brewing, where the lines between good and evil are blurred, and where the interests of the Venetian people are not the priority, but rather the ambition of men hungry for power?
How can Valentina possibly choose between love and duty?
MY TAKE:
As I mentioned earlier, this novel is a complex tapestry, where fiction is expertly woven into the historical fabric of Renaissance Venice, a powerful commercial republic and a vital hub for trade between Europe and the East.
On one side, Venice gleamed with its riches, its magnificent palaces, its silks, its spices, its glasswork, its art, its festivals, its culture... on the other, it was a breeding ground for spies and political schemes, where even the walls had ears and trust was a rare commodity.
When you add a passionate love story and compelling characters, skillfully brought to life by the author, you'll understand why I was completely enthralled from the very first page.
___ THE CHARACTERS ____
_____ VALENTINA is a strong, bright, and spirited heroine, skilled in both the arts of seduction and assassination.
She is prepared to do anything to protect her freedom, her wealth, and the ones she loves.
The story is narrated by Valentina herself, in the first person and present tense, as the events unfold.
From time to time, we get glimpses into our courtesan's past, when she was still a young girl from a wealthy family in another city. We learn about her past and her wounds, and what led her to make certain choices in her life.
I didn't exactly *like* her being a killer, but considering the limited options for women back then, I can understand why many chose the life of a courtesan; it was often the only way for women to have some control over their own lives.
---> Throughout the narrative, I wasn't able to fully get behind her character as some other readers did.
This wasn't because she was a killer (which the book justifies by saying she was eliminating traitors who would bring only war and ruin to the Venetian people), but because her painful past had made her so cynical that she almost always put herself first.
More than that, despite her feelings for Bastiano, she not only did her job by sleeping with other men, but she clearly relished it. I mean, for her, it wasn't just a job, it was also a pleasure.
She enjoyed the physical intimacy and and emotional complicity with some of her clients immensely, from the dinners and private conversations to the parties and, ultimately, every single moment of the sexual act. It seemed to me that she was at least a little infatuated with others as well, and I perceived this as a sort of emotional betrayal of Bastiano.
I can accept the physical infidelity in this situation because it was part of her job, but the emotional betrayal is unacceptable if we're talking about true love for Bastiano.
What's more, I didn't feel particularly moved by the chapters detailing her painful past.
I was more bothered by the pity she felt for herself than the pain she experienced due to the horrific deaths of others. Ambition and self-centeredness have been part of her character from the start.
Looking at it objectively, it's clear that the protagonist had to be tough and ruthless; she couldn't have survived in her profession otherwise. However, this made me follow the story with curiosity and complete fascination, rooting for Bastiano instead of her.
_____ BASTIANO is a charming, intelligent and handsome young man. He enjoys playing the part of the carefree charmer who seduces women with just his knowing smile, but deep down, he's a good soul, kind, devoted, and protective.
While he could have many lovers, he doesn't. He is jealous of the other men, and it hurts him to see them with Valentina and to know that she'll share a bed with them, but he never becomes possessive. He expresses his jealousy in a healthy way and wants to share his life with her, even though the customs of the time only allowed firstborn sons to marry and produce heirs.
You might think that a man who accepts this kind of relationship is weak, but that's not true. It is his strength of character that allows him to stay by her side even when things get difficult and everything seems dark and uncertain.
He's willing to sacrifice his life to save the woman he loves.
I was worried about him right up until the end, because the story takes so many unexpected turns, and it's hard to guess what the author will do with this character, who became the one I cared about most in the whole book.
As the story unfolds, we also meet some of Valentina's clients, other courtesans (including a very close friend), and, naturally, the "villain" of the moment.
Each character has well-defined personality traits, which made them either likable (making me fear for their safety) or loathsome, and which skillfully added depth to the picture of Valentina's life, thus lending meaning to her choices and her mistakes.
__ THE MYSTERY PART ___
The mystery is compelling and kept me guessing until the very end, though I have to admit there were a couple of somewhat predictable moments.
The most fascinating parts of the book are the characters and the way they navigate blackmail and try to expose a dangerous plot. The intriguing setting of Venice is equally important, acting as a third main character: glittering, powerful, decadent, and perilous.
Moreover, the author's writing style is perfectly balanced, never too wordy, never too brief, always managing to intrigue and engage you, making you feel like you're right there with the characters.
_____ HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ____
While the story of Valentina and Bastiano is fictional, the author presents the real world of courtesans, the "honest courtesans," with considerable skill. These women distinguished themselves from ordinary prostitutes through their extensive education, refinement, and comfortable way of life.
Since women of "patrician families" weren't allowed to read or study, wealthy and noble men turned to courtesans not only for sexual gratification but also for companionship at events and parties, and to have someone they could converse with as equals. The politics of the era and the system of government in the Republic of Venice, the famous Serenissima, are also explained clearly and concisely, which greatly helps the reader understand the roles of certain characters and the kind of power they possessed or sought.
You can find additional information in the author's fascinating HISTORICAL NOTES at the end of the book.
___ WHO SHOULD READ THIS? ___
Although it touches on themes of sex and murder, this is actually a "clean" read, with CLEAN LANGUAGE and NO GRUESOME DESCRIPTIONS.
The intimate scenes are always depicted elegantly and never descend into vulgarity.
If you enjoy historical settings that are true to life and want something different from the usual stories set in England or America, if you want a romance that's not just about romance but also filled with intrigue and dark secrets... then this book is for you.
----> I found the ending satisfying, although I would have preferred a more traditional happily-ever-after. However, I realize that would have felt unrealistic and improbable. Don't worry, it's still a positive ending.
This is the first book I've read by this author, but it definitely won't be the last. I'm eager to explore her other novels!!
Thank you my friends for reding my opinion, I hope this helps you choose your next read!
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