The Brilliant Death
Amy Rose Capetta Viking Press
October 30, 2018 Publication date
Synopsis:
For Teodora DiSangro, a mafia don’s daughter, family is fate.
All her life, Teodora has hidden the fact that she secretly turns her family’s enemies into music boxes, mirrors, and other decorative objects. After all, everyone in Vinalia knows that stregas—wielders of magic—are figures out of fairytales. Nobody believes they’re real.
Then the Capo, the land’s new ruler, sends poisoned letters to the heads of the Five Families that have long controlled Vinalia. Four lie dead and Teo’s beloved father is gravely ill. To save him, Teo must travel to the capital as a DiSangro son—not merely disguised as a boy, but transformed into one.
What I liked:
This story was brave; it boldly painted broad strokes in magic and gender bending simultaneously. Teo is as strong a heroine as Joan of Arc or any of the characters in the Godfather combined. She is fearless, with her quest, and fearless in expressing her love naturally as it develops with Cielo, are they both boys, are they both girls, are they one of each; who cares is the point! They are characters that the reader wants to see more of in a future book because love is love and they will triumph and prevail. I loved the generous description of the Italian landscape the beauty and architecture the reader wants to book travel plans and see what the author sees first hand and paint their own words across a page. Ms Capetta is an inspiration for writers of modern fairytales;she has taken aspects of Italian folklore and truly made her own masterpiece of unique qualities. Each page is a nod to antique classics with page outlines,and graphic detail that render each page with a rich luster that the reader hopes will lend to future collectible editions with gold or edged pages imprinted to be a special edition destined to stand out in a library.
What could have made it a five star read.
This book was in my top ten faves of 2018. I enjoyed it,but passages tended to lag and meander and lose focus. I would have liked more dialogue between Cielo and Teo, maybe more day to day interaction building their relationship. The dynamic was a little one sided, and I would have liked more of Cielo's perceptions and thoughts as the story progressed. I liked the aspect that she didn't kill her enemies , but maybe more of her evil brothers story would have balanced the reasons she decided to change him to an owl that would ultimately lead to her brother Luca's demise. Dreams don't need to die upon waking ;they can live brightly in the sunlight . The author has a brillant future in writing waiting, but to write brilliantly we must be awake to all the possibilities.
Amy Rose Capetta Viking Press
October 30, 2018 Publication date
Synopsis:
For Teodora DiSangro, a mafia don’s daughter, family is fate.
All her life, Teodora has hidden the fact that she secretly turns her family’s enemies into music boxes, mirrors, and other decorative objects. After all, everyone in Vinalia knows that stregas—wielders of magic—are figures out of fairytales. Nobody believes they’re real.
Then the Capo, the land’s new ruler, sends poisoned letters to the heads of the Five Families that have long controlled Vinalia. Four lie dead and Teo’s beloved father is gravely ill. To save him, Teo must travel to the capital as a DiSangro son—not merely disguised as a boy, but transformed into one.
What I liked:
This story was brave; it boldly painted broad strokes in magic and gender bending simultaneously. Teo is as strong a heroine as Joan of Arc or any of the characters in the Godfather combined. She is fearless, with her quest, and fearless in expressing her love naturally as it develops with Cielo, are they both boys, are they both girls, are they one of each; who cares is the point! They are characters that the reader wants to see more of in a future book because love is love and they will triumph and prevail. I loved the generous description of the Italian landscape the beauty and architecture the reader wants to book travel plans and see what the author sees first hand and paint their own words across a page. Ms Capetta is an inspiration for writers of modern fairytales;she has taken aspects of Italian folklore and truly made her own masterpiece of unique qualities. Each page is a nod to antique classics with page outlines,and graphic detail that render each page with a rich luster that the reader hopes will lend to future collectible editions with gold or edged pages imprinted to be a special edition destined to stand out in a library.
What could have made it a five star read.
This book was in my top ten faves of 2018. I enjoyed it,but passages tended to lag and meander and lose focus. I would have liked more dialogue between Cielo and Teo, maybe more day to day interaction building their relationship. The dynamic was a little one sided, and I would have liked more of Cielo's perceptions and thoughts as the story progressed. I liked the aspect that she didn't kill her enemies , but maybe more of her evil brothers story would have balanced the reasons she decided to change him to an owl that would ultimately lead to her brother Luca's demise. Dreams don't need to die upon waking ;they can live brightly in the sunlight . The author has a brillant future in writing waiting, but to write brilliantly we must be awake to all the possibilities.