Skip to main content

The Orphan of Florence by Jeanne Kalogridis: A Book Review



The Orphan of Florence
Author: Jeanne Kalogridis
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: 2017
Pages: 336
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Synopsis: 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.

     Giulia has been an orphan all her life. Raised in Florence's famous Ospedale degli Innocenti, her probing questions and insubordinate behavior made her an unwelcome presence, and at the age of fifteen, she was given an awful choice: become a nun, or be married off to a man she didn't love. She chose neither, and after refusing an elderly suitor, Giulia escaped onto the streets of Florence.


     Now, after spending two years as a successful pickpocket, an old man catches her about to make off with his purse, and rather than having her carted off to prison he offers her a business proposition. The man claims to be a cabalist, a student of Jewish mysticism and ritual magic, who works for the most powerful families in Florence. But his identity is secret―he is known only as "the Magician of Florence"―and he is in need of an assistant. She accepts the job and begins smuggling his talismans throughout the city.


     But the talismans are not what they seem, and neither is the Magician. When Giulia's involvement with him ends with his murder, she's drawn into a treacherous web of espionage and deceit involving the forces of Rome, Naples, and a man known as Lorenzo the Magnificent. Accused of the Magician's murder, Giulia is pursued by the handsome policeman Niccolo, Lorenzo's henchmen, and foreign spies, and in order to survive, she must not only solve the mystery of the mystery of the Magician's murder, but that of her own past.


     My Review: Giulia is an orphan of Florence. Her only choice as a woman of Florence is to marry or become a nun. Giulia believes that neither option works for her. So, she cuts her hair, dresses as a man, and becomes a thief to make a living. When she is caught red-handed pickpocketing a magician, Giulia is forced to become the magician’s apprentice. Giulia learns that the magician is more than what he seems to be. Soon, she finds herself in the midst of murder, secrets, magic, and conspiracies. Florence has turned into a dangerous playground of violence. Can Giulia survive the dark underground of Florence and save her city?

   Giulia was a very fun character. I liked her immediately. She reminded me of Katniss Everdeen. She is feisty, stubborn, and a bit sarcastic at times. I also like how she was very loyal to her city and was willing to risk her life to save it. I loved Giulia’s father-daughter relationship with the magician. At first, she distrusts him. However, she realizes the magician’s kindness and learns to care for him as a father. When he is murdered, he is still Giulia’s ray of light in the darkness. He gives her the hope to carry on and survive. Therefore, the relationship between Giulia and the magician was very touching and plays a crucial part in this novel.

Overall, The Orphan of Florence is about love, trust, and believing. Even though the romance was not fully developed in the novel, the characters were realistic and all played an important role in the story. The ending was a bit rushed, but I enjoyed the novel so much that I hope there is a sequel. I thought that because of Giulia’s age and voice, The Orphan of Florence would have worked better as a teen book rather than adult fiction. Still, this novel is a fast-paced fantastical adventure that is full of mystery, suspense, and action! It sucks you in from the very first sentence and is unwilling to let you go even after you have read the last page! I have Mrs. Kalogridis’s novels and loved them. I, Mona Lisa is one of my favorite novels of all time, and this latest work by Mrs. Kalogridis proves that she is still one of the queens of historical fiction! Bravissima!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Potiphar's Wife (The Egyptian Chronicles #1) by Mesu Andrews: A Book Review

  Potiphar’s Wife (The Egyptian Chronicles #1) Author: Mesu Andrews Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian, Biblical Fiction Publisher: WaterBrook Release Date: May 24, 2022 Pages: 453 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: One of the Bible’s most notorious women longs for a love she cannot have in this captivating novel from the award-winning author of Isaiah’s Legacy .       Before she is Potiphar’s wife, Zuleika is the daughter of a king and the wife of a prince. She rules the isle of Crete alongside her mother in the absence of their seafaring husbands. But when tragedy nearly destroys Crete, Zuleika must sacrifice her future to save the Minoan people she loves.       Zuleika’s father believes his robust trade with Egypt will ensure Pharaoh’s obligation to marry his daughter, including a bride price hefty enough to save Crete. But Pharaoh refuses and gives her instead to Potiphar, the captain...

The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across The AncientWorld by Adrienne Mayor: A Book Review

The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across The Ancient World Author:  Adrienne Mayor Genre: Nonfiction, History Publisher: Princeton University Press Release Date: 2014 Pages: 530 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Amazons—fierce warrior women dwelling on the fringes of the known world—were the mythic archenemies of the ancient Greeks. Heracles and Achilles displayed their valor in duels with Amazon queens, and the Athenians reveled in their victory over a powerful Amazon army. In historical times, Cyrus of Persia, Alexander the Great, and the Roman general Pompey tangled with Amazons.      But just who were these bold barbarian archers on horseback who gloried in fighting, hunting, and sexual freedom? Were Amazons real? In this deeply researched, wide-ranging, and lavishly illustrated book, National Book Award finalist Adrienne Mayor presents the Amazons as they have never been seen before. This is the first comprehensive account of warrio...

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn: A Book Review

The Rose Code Author: Kate Quinn Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Harper Collins Release Date: 2021 Pages: 635 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: 1940, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.        Three very different women are recruited to the mysterious Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.       Vivacious debutante Osla has the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses – but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, working to translate decoded enemy secrets. Self-made Mab masters the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and the poverty of her East-End London upbringing. And shy local girl Beth is the outsider who trains as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts.       1947, London.        Seven years after they first meet, on the eve of the roya...