Tag Archives: 1500s

Review: The Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan

Book Review and Content, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,
Medici Heist Caitlin Schneiderhan

The Medici Heist
Caitlin Schneiderhan
Feiwel & Friends
Published August 6, 2024

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About The Medici Heist

Welcome to Florence, 1517, a world of intrigue, opulence, secrets, and murder. The Medici family rules the city from their seat of wealth, but the people of Florence remember the few decades they spent as a Republic, free from the Medicis and their puppet Pope, Leo X.

Sharp-witted seventeen-year-old con-woman Rosa Cellini has plans for the Pope and the Medicis – and, more specifically, the mountain of indulgence money they’ve been extorting from the people of Tuscany. To pull off the Renaissance’s greatest robbery, she’ll recruit a team of capable Sarra the tinkerer, Khalid the fighter, and Giacomo, the irrepressible master of disguise. To top it all off, and to smooth their entrance into the fortress-like Palazzo Medici, Rosa even enlists the reluctant help of famed artist and local misanthrope, Michelangelo.

Old secrets resurface and tensions in the gang flare as the authorities draw closer and the Medicis’ noose pulls tighter around Tuscany itself. What began as a robbery becomes a bid to save Florence from certain destruction – if Rosa and company don’t destroy each other first.

Get ready for an absolute swashbuckling riot, beginning with a ‘mud’ pie to the Pope’s face, and ending with a climatic heist that would give Danny Ocean a run for his money. Bursting with snark, innuendo and action, Medici Heist is your next un-put-downable obsession.

My Review

I can definitely see the comparisons to Ocean’s 11 with this book. It does have a heist in which a team of people, each with a particular area of expertise, work together to steal something, and their motives are not always what they seem. Instead of being a modern-day tale, this one is set in sixteenth-century Italy, though.

I’ve read several novels written by screenplay writers, and it’s going to sound weird, but I am starting to feel like I can tell when it happens. There are certain things that I keep running into in these books. In some scenes in The Medici Heist, I felt like what I was reading would make a cool movie scene, but it didn’t always translate well to a novel format.

For example, the opening scene begins from the perspective of a child who barely appears in the rest of the book. There is some circular storytelling, where toward the end, we reference the significance of that moment again, but it was strange to start a novel from the viewpoint of a character who never does anything important or even really appears on scene again in the book. But I could see a movie opening that way much more easily.

I like that the story has an ensemble cast (this might make it a good choice for readers who enjoyed Six of Crows) and that each character has a secret or hidden objective or motive that comes into play as the heist takes place. I also enjoyed the way that Rosa and Sarra’s relationship evolves. They were once as close as sisters and then drifted apart. They begin the story with very different feelings about the past which they have to work through. I loved how that worked out in the book and the way it impacted the overall story.

On the whole, this one started a bit slow for me, but around chapter nine or ten, I started investing more in the characters and their relationships. Readers who enjoy historical fiction or heist adventures will want to check this one out.

Content Notes for The Medici Heist

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Two characters are gay. Main characters are Italian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
A very enthusiastic kiss between husband and wife at a wedding. The observer describes them gazing at each other lustily during the ceremony. Kissing between two young men.

Spiritual Content
The Pope and a Cardinal are characters in the book, though he’s not very admirable ones. Characters visit a chapel to pray in several scenes. One worries that going against the Pope, God’s mouthpiece, means going against God, but hopes that God understands their reasons.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle violence. A fire destroys a building. Riots erupt in the streets one night.

Drug Content
Several characters are (or appear) drunk. Soldiers try to arrest two drunk men who are fighting. In the end, they’re simply escorted somewhere to sober up.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur

Book Review and Content, Historical, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

A Crane Among Wolves
June Hur
Feiwel & Friends
Published May 14, 2024

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About A Crane Among Wolves

June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history.

Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly.

1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings.

Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despite the kingdom’s turmoil. When her older sister, Suyeon, becomes the king’s latest prey, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her village, traveling through forbidden territory to reach the capital in hopes of stealing her sister back. But she soon discovers the king’s power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is to court certain death.

Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the terrifying shadow of his despicable half-brother, the king. Forced to watch King Yeonsan flaunt his predation through executions and rampant abuse of the common folk, Daehyun aches to find a way to dethrone his half-brother once and for all. When staging a coup, failure is fatal, and he’ll need help to pull it off—but there’s no way to know who he can trust.

When Iseul’s and Daehyun’s fates collide, their contempt for each other is transcended only by their mutual hate for the king. Armed with Iseul’s family connections and Daehyun’s royal access, they reluctantly join forces to launch the riskiest gamble the kingdom has ever

Save her sister. Free the people. Destroy a tyrant.

My Review

I enjoyed this book a lot. The story balances the character relationships and the larger political plot with its murder investigation and coup preparations really well. I felt like I truly got to know Prince Daehyun and Iseul, so it was easy to root for them to achieve their goals.

I love sister stories, so I couldn’t help investing in Iseul’s desperate mission to rescue her sister. Though the girls weren’t close before her sister was kidnapped, losing her made Iseul realize how much she appreciates and needs her sister. It makes her realize how much her sister protected her, and she wants to protect her sister now, too. I love that.

Another thing I really enjoyed is the enemies-to-lovers slow-burn romance between Iseul and Daehyun. I giggled through the moments where they would be like, hmmm, I can’t stop thinking about [the other person] for some reason.

The author’s note at the end clarifies some of the story elements that depart from the historical account and why those changes were made. This is the first book by June Hur that I’ve ever read, but I definitely want to read more. I liked this a lot. Readers who enjoyed Descendant of the Crane by Joan He should check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Characters are Korean.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few instances of mild profanity. One f-bomb.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to rape (not depicted on scene). Some men (minor characters) treat women like property to be traded or collected.

A girl who was sent to the king (for sex) appears dissociated and traumatized afterward.

Spiritual Content
Someone predicted that the prince would die in the year the story takes place.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some brief battle scenes. References to rape and suicide (not depicted). Some descriptions of murder scenes. The king uses his position to force people to do cruel, terrible things, such as kill others. He beats and abuses people. He kidnaps women.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of A Crane Among Wolves in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

Night of the Witch
Sara Raasch and Beth Revis
Sourcebooks Fire
Published October 3, 2023

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About Night of the Witch

A witch and a hunter. Vengeance is their mission. Love is their destiny.

Fritzi is a witch. A survivor of a brutal attack on her coven, she’s determined to find her only surviving family member and bring the hexenjägers—zealot witch hunters—to justice for the lives they ended. To do this, she will need to take down their leader—Kommandant Dieter Kirch.

Otto is a hexenjäger and a captain, the second in command to Dieter Kirch—but that’s just his cover. Years ago, the hexenjägers burned his innocent mother alive, and since then, he has been planning a move against the witch hunters that tore his family apart. And now, the time has come for them to pay for what they’ve done.

When Fritzi and Otto are unexpectedly thrown together, neither is sure they can trust the other despite their common enemy. But all they have is one another, and they both crave revenge. As truths come to light and trust shifts, Fritzi and Otto uncover a far more horrifying plot at the center of the hexenjäger attacks . . . but their own growing feelings for each other may be the most powerful magic of all.

My Review

The story alternates points of view between Fritzi and Otto. Fritzi is the daughter of a powerful witch, but she doubts her own power because of a mysterious voice in her head she’s been taught not to trust. Otto also doubts the authorities in his life. First, because his father was cruel and then because he doesn’t even believe witches exist. He is sure the people the soldiers burn are innocent. And he’s determined to save as many as he can.

I really enjoyed the way the story is anchored both in history and folklore. It felt very immersive. I also liked that Otto separated his trust in the church from his own personal faith. It allowed the story to explore ideas about faith as something separate from an institution. I really liked how the narrative explored that theme with both Fritzi and Otto.

Something about the story reminded me a lot of the duology that starts with GIVE THE DARK MY LOVE by Beth Revis. Plotwise, the two have very little in common. The fact that both stories contain a strong, magic-oriented heroine alongside a politically strong/savvy hero might be why I kept making that connection.

The story is also a bit dark– delving pretty unflinchingly into the history of the witch trials in Europe. It’s got a pretty fiery romance in it, too, so it’s not all grim.

In any case, I think fans of that duology or of European history in the late 1500s will find this an engrossing story. I am really glad I read it, and I think if there’s a follow-up book, I’ll be sure to read that, too.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are German.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two girls. In one scene, two characters have sex in a bathing pool.

Spiritual Content
Fritzi hears a voice telling her to sever her connection with the Well, which she has always been taught represents good magic, and draw from wild magic, which she’s been taught is evil. Fritzi and her coven worship three goddesses: the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone. Otto is part of a witch-hunting unit of soldiers under the Catholic church.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Witches and suspected witches are burned at the stake. Most scenes reference this without describing it, but there are brief, graphic descriptions in a couple of places. Graphic descriptions of torture. One scene describes a boy torturing and killing a kitten. Battle scenes.

Drug Content
Characters drink beer as a part of their meals.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of NIGHT OF THE WITCH in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Secret of the Moon Conch by David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall

Book Review and Content, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

The Secret of the Moon Conch
David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall
Bloomsbury
Published June 6, 2023

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About The Secret of the Moon Conch

Award-winning authors David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall join forces to craft a sweeping fantasy romance about falling in love despite all odds.

In modern-day Mexico, Sitlali has no family left and has caught the attention of a dangerous gang leader. She has no choice but to make the perilous trip to the US border and track down her long-absent father. The night before her journey, she finds a beautiful conch shell detailed with ancient markings.

In 1521, Calizto is an Aztec young warrior in Tenochtitlan, fighting desperately to save his city from Spanish imperialists. With his family dead and the horrors of war surrounding him, Calizto asks a sacred moon conch for guidance.

Connected by the magical conch, Sitlali and Calizto can communicate across centuries, finding comfort in each other as they fight to survive. With each conversation, they fall deeper in love, but will they be able to find a way to each other?

My Review

I loved the romance in this story and the connection forged between Sitlali and Calizto. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about Mexican history, so a lot of the details about Calizto’s timeline were unfamiliar to me. I knew the broad strokes of colonialism, but it was cool to get to see some (fictionalized) snapshots from history and think about how those moments affected the ordinary people living them.

The story shows firsthand the dangers that Sitlali faces, especially those which prompt her to flee her home in Mexico to the United States, where her only surviving relatives, her father, and godmother, live. It also paints a stark, terrible picture of what life in the US is like for the undocumented: few opportunities, wages below legal limits, and constant fear of discovery and deportation, all without any legal protection. We also encounter scenes of prisoners kept in inhumane conditions in ICE custody.

Pairing sixteenth-century Mexican history from the perspective of indigenous people with the experiences of a young undocumented immigrant to the United States was a powerful choice. I feel like I’m still processing some of my thoughts about it.

Above all, though, THE SECRET OF THE MOON CONCH is a spiritual story. It’s about the connection between two people whose love and humanity transcend time. It’s about their journey of discovering the power they have through the conch shell and through their love for one another and their people. And it’s about how to use that power to help others, even when they know some moments of history are already decided.

All in all, this was a truly unexpected story. I tend to really like faith-positive stories because I believe faith can be a positive, powerful part of our lives. So I enjoyed the ways in which both Sitlali and Calizto’s faith guided them and helped them along their paths. I think readers who enjoyed SKY BREAKER by Addie Thorley will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Both Sitlali and Calizto are Mexican. She lives in 2019, and he lives in 1521.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
A gang member pursues Sitlali, determined to possess her. In one scene, he grabs her and forces a kiss on her. Later, consensual kissing between a boy and a girl. In one scene, he puts his hand under her shirt, and she stops the interaction from going further, fearing they’re moving too fast. She asks for privacy from him when changing or bathing and offers him the same.

In one scene, a married couple undress in front of one another, and the scene ends as we assume they consummate their love.

Spiritual Content
Sitlali and Calizto are connected by a conch shell that belonged to the Moon Goddess. As the phases of the moon progress toward a full moon, their connection to one another increases. They discuss the faith and spirituality of their people and how it has changed over the past 500 years. Sitlali prays to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Calizto prays to the Moon Goddess, whom his mother served.

Sitlali sees and interacts with the ghosts of her grandmother and her mother, as well as other ancestors.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Gang members surround Sitlali, and one tries to force her to agree to marry him. A coyote attacks a young woman. A man shoots another man. A young woman stabs someone and shoots them. Calizto fights in many battles. Several scenes describe combat and gruesome injuries.

Some scenes show inhumane conditions inside an ICE detention center. A mother begs for medical care for her young child. Guards perform an illegal body cavity search on a prisoner kept in isolation.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE SECRET OF THE MOON CONCH in exchange for my honest review.