The Visconti ruled Milan for generations. Now the last Visconti duke is dying
without a legitimate heir. The Sforza, another noble family related to the Visconti, are
waiting to be invited to rule the city. The city fathers don't like
it, but the other choice is annihilation when Sforza attacks the
city.
The old duke,
however, is not childless. He has a son, Niccolo, by a noble woman.
The child is only a baby and the duke fears that his enemies will
have the child killed, so he entrusts the boy to Archdeacon Onorio.
Unbeknownst to the duke, Onorio is a secret Druid. The Druids made
their home in Milan many years before. They worship their goddess,
Bellsama, who later evolves into the Virgin Mary, in a temple
constructed near the foundation of the cathedral that is being
constructed.
Niccolo grows up
wanting to be a sculpture, and succeeds in becoming an artist. His
closest friend is Lorenzo, a young commoner, who is a paid killer for
the Sforza. Lorenzo's sister Maria becomes the mistress of an
aristocrat, but is then abandoned. Niccolo falls in love with
Angelica, but it is another doomed relationship because she, too, is
a commoner, and he is a noble. The lives of these characters growing
up form the basis of the story.
I enjoyed the amount
of historical detail in the book. I hadn't realized that the Druids
had so much influence in Italy. The descriptions of their rites and
their study of alchemy and magic are fascinating, but this much
detail detracts from the plot. The story moves back and forth in
time, which also tends to be confusing.
I recommend this
book if you enjoy historical novels and have an interest in
renaissance Italy. If you like lots of detail you'll enjoy this book,
but if you're looking for a briskly moving plot, you'll be
disappointed.
I reviewed this book
for Net Galley.
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