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My Starry Rating: 5/5 Stars
Reason for Rating: I finally read a fantasy novel about magical gemstones and it was an entertaining occult mystery.
What I Learned: The light of courage will always help you to find your way in the dark…
Publication Date: October 8, 2024 by Park Row
Genres: Historical Fantasy, Occult Fiction, Witch Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
Ancient sorcery. Magic gemstones. Only one woman can save a city in ruins…
1348. As the Black Plague ravages Italy, Ginevra di Gasparo is summoned to Florence after nearly a decade of lonely exile. Ginevra has a gift—harnessing the hidden powers of gemstones, she can heal the sick. But when word spread of her unusual abilities, she was condemned as a witch and banished. Now the same men who expelled Ginevra are begging for her return. Ginevra obliges, assuming the city’s leaders are finally ready to accept her unorthodox cures amid a pandemic. But upon arrival, she is tasked with a much different she must use her collection of jewels to track down a ruthless thief who is ransacking Florence’s churches for priceless relics—the city’s only hope for protection. If she succeeds, she’ll be a recognized physician and never accused of witchcraft again. But as her investigation progresses, Ginevra discovers she’s merely a pawn in a much larger scheme than the one she’s been hired to solve. And the dangerous men behind this conspiracy won’t think twice about killing a stone witch to get what they want…
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REVIEW:
The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche is a medieval mystery featuring the magical healing powers of stones.
As the Black Plague rages on throughout Italy, Ginevra di Gasparo, an exiled stone witch, is summoned back to Florence to help heal the sick. To her surprise, once she arrives in Florence she is tasked with recovering stolen relics from the churches which are the city’s only hope in warding off the plague. Using her gift as a gemstone healer, Ginevra will need to step out of her shadows and secrets and harness her magic to save the people of Florence. Striking a deal with the inquisitor, if she is able to recover the relics, she will be recognized as a doctor and have her witchcraft accusations removed. To clear her name once and for all, Ginevra is lured into a dark conspiracy that will force her to use her power of stones to not only save the relics, but herself.
I have been wanting to read a book about gemstone magic for years, and The Stone Witch of Florence did not disappoint. The history of gemstone lore sparkles and shines throughout this book. The ancient healing properties of stones and their magical uses were straight out of centuries old lapidary texts, so much so, that this book read like a medieval manuscript. The time and place of this story, 14th century Florence, was the perfect time period and location to set a book about gemstones since this was a huge part of the belief system, superstitions, and medicine at the time. Despite a large focus on church politics, the story was well balanced with occult elements, such as alchemy, astrology, and of course gemstone magic.
The story was bejeweled with Ginevra’s stoicism, selflessness and witchy abilities which pulled me into her world making it feel as though I was there with her watching everything unfold. The hermetic and divine perspectives of gemstones were equally included in this story, with the complicated relationships between light and dark and the sacred and supernatural exploring the heretical and magical contentions of this craft.
If you enjoy historical fantasy novels, or loves crystals, this book is a must read. The author’s passion for the subject shone through, emitting warmth and light like one of Ginevra’s magical stones.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Gemologist, historian, and author of The Stone Witch of Florence. For more information visit AnnaRasche.com.
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