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Immortal

Traci L. Slatton (Goodreads Author)

3.78 · Rating details · 796 ratings · 116 reviews

In an age of wonderous beauty and terrible secrets,
one man searches for his destiny...

In the majestic heart of Florence, a beautiful golden-haired boy is abandoned and subjected to cruelty beyond words. But Luca Bastardo is anything but an ordinary boy. Across two centuries of passion and intrigue, Luca will discover an astonishing gift—one that will lead him to embrace th ...more

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Paperback, 515 pages

Published January 29th 2008 by Delta (first published 2002)

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Historical Fiction - Italy

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Feb 23, 2008 Michalyn rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: historical fiction fans, those who love all things having to do with the Italian renaissance

Shelves: 2008, fiction, favorites, historical

I love historical fiction because I'm always fascinated by different times and places. Yet, it's surprisingly hard to find a historical novel with just the right mix of period detail, character development and plot intensity. I picked up Immortal and from the first page I thought "this is what I've been waiting for".

The only life Luca Bastardo has known is life on the cruel streets of Florence. He doesn't yet know that he possesses an incredible gift that gives him great longevity and eternal be I love historical fiction because I'm always fascinated by different times and places. Yet, it's surprisingly hard to find a historical novel with just the right mix of period detail, character development and plot intensity. I picked up Immortal and from the first page I thought "this is what I've been waiting for".

The only life Luca Bastardo has known is life on the cruel streets of Florence. He doesn't yet know that he possesses an incredible gift that gives him great longevity and eternal beauty. At least, it should be a gift, but for Luca who endures unimaginable suffering, his gift far too often seems like a curse.

Traci Slatton's writing is spare yet sensual and the world of Renaissance Florence really comes to life. The textures and smells and all the details become immediate through her writing, but she never makes the mistake that so many historical writers do by becoming bogged down in world building. All the major figures and painters make their appearance but the story is about Luca and the focus remains on him throughout a plot that's thrumming with tension. Remarkably for a book that spans almost two hundred years, Slatton manages to make Luca's life seem too short. I kept reading, knowing what was coming and thinking "no, not yet".

One of the things that comes through most strongly in the novel is human cruelty and human limitations but also our potential for good. I feel like part of the tragedy of Luca's story is that he'd suffered so much that he'd come to believe more in the cruelty than the kindness of humans and the divine. Perhaps if he'd been more decisive, and felt more deserving of happiness he could have changed how things turned out.

My only quibble with this book was the portrayal of female characters. Too often I felt they were more representative than three-dimensional. We're told that they're smart and brave but they seemed to be waiting to be saved more than anything else. The author also seemed to struggle at times with the topic of homosexuality and how to present it but it wasn't handled in a way that was unrealistic given the context. Overall I enjoyed Immortal immensely. A sad but also satisfying read. ...more

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Dec 07, 2018 Marcia Leben rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, renaissance-italy

This book will go straight to my list of 'favorites'. It has the exact right mix of historical fiction, magic and mystery.

The concept of being able to live for centuries is intriguing. When everyone you've ever known and loved is destined to age and die before you, it really isn't such a blessing. You can never truly settle anywhere and live in peace, because your eternal youth will always attract attention.

I love that Luca's life is intertwined with Florence and the Renaissance. He meets many ...more

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Mar 13, 2008 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2010

Set in 14th and 15th century Italy, Immortal is the story of Luca Bastardo, a striking child who grew up orphaned on the streets of Florence. Telling his story from his current predicament - in a cell, freshly tortured and awaiting execution for being a witch and an abomination - Luca recalls the last 180 years or so of his life with vivid detail. He has lived that long, and barely looks to be in his mid-twenties. Growing up without knowledge of who he is or why he ages as he does has left Luca Set in 14th and 15th century Italy, Immortal is the story of Luca Bastardo, a striking child who grew up orphaned on the streets of Florence. Telling his story from his current predicament - in a cell, freshly tortured and awaiting execution for being a witch and an abomination - Luca recalls the last 180 years or so of his life with vivid detail. He has lived that long, and barely looks to be in his mid-twenties. Growing up without knowledge of who he is or why he ages as he does has left Luca thirsty for knowledge, and truth.

Tracing a life of forced child prostitution, a friendship with a dying alchemist, training to be a physic with a Jewish family, fleeing Florence and then returning to be the childhood tutor of Leonardo da Vinci, aiding the mighty de Medici family control the city and, finally, falling in love with the beautiful Maddalena - it is a rich life Luca shares with us, one of art and alchemy, beauty and ugliness, horror and passion; and yet it is an empty and lonely life for the most part. In his travels and hunt for his parents, he questions God and faith, meets a wide host of historical figures who impart their wisdom to him, and wonders whether he really is an abomination. He makes lifelong enemies and close friends, but lives only for Maddalena.

This is an enjoyable premise and certainly a great way to delve into the art and history of 14th and 15th century Florence. It's an ambitious novel, and for the most part pulls it off. It did take me the entire month of May to read, though; mostly because my interest would wane. The problem is Luca himself. He narrates, and for someone who has lived as long as he has and seen and done the things he has, he comes across as immature, whiny, sulky, uncontrolled - a perpetual teenager. The overuse of exclamation marks in the dialogue, Luca's dialogue, only emphasises this. I would have expected to see greater character growth, especially considering all the different occupations he's had, the people he's met, the places he's seen. There is a period of several decades, skimmed over in the novel, when he is adventuring because of enemies in Florence - but he hasn't changed, when we meet up with him again.

If Luca isn't a strong narrator, he is still a sympathetic character. If at times I was irritated with his peevish ways, his demanding manner, I still kept reading because I, too, wanted to finally meet this special woman he saw in a vision, the woman he was destined to fall in love with. And to be fair, Luca isn't the only annoying character. He comes off better when in the company of the young Leonardo, whose precociousness and smarty-pants ways was rather sickening. I know Leonardo is considered a genius, a visionary, an immensely talented artist and inventor - but was he really that much of a little shit as a kid? His charm, which we are told he has, doesn't come across; a different kind of personality does, but not the one intended. Still, it was fun, and I felt sad for Leonardo, whose own great love was Luca himself - a man he could never have.

The characters discuss several big philosophical questions of the day, namely the meaning of life, love and religion; but everyone was just a bit too smug, a bit too "Oh Luca, you twit, you just don't get it - when you're our age..." I guess I like people who know doubt, who don't sound so self-righteous and pleased with themselves. And the ones who knew the truth about Luca's origins and existence, but wouldn't tell him - it wasn't long before I simply didn't care anymore. The tension, the suspense, the wanting to know, had been scoured from the pages.

For a visit to 14th century Florence, it's an interesting story. There's some great detail that brings it alive, but Luca's narration doesn't get flowery; on the downside, the simplistic descriptions failed to really bring the city to life for me.

Overall, there're good things and not so good things about this novel; and since, at the very very end, I did cry for Luca, I guess that's evidence that I really did sympathise with him, and empathise too. It may have been a somewhat disappointing read, for me, but I won't forget Luca and his incredible story. ...more

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Jun 27, 2010 Karen rated it did not like it

Hated it. You have to be immortal just to read it.

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Jan 02, 2014 Emma Iadanza rated it it was ok

This was not at all what I expected it to be. Here are some points which I would like to make for when you're thinking about reading it.

1) There are lots of good Dante references near the beginning.
2) There are lots of good Petrarch references near the beginning.
3) There are lots of good Boccaccio references near the beginning.
4) Giotto's cool
5) Nobody calls him 'Alessandro di Mariano Filpepi'; everyone called him Botticelli
6) Lorenzo was not that idiotic
7) Savonarola was eviller
8) Ludovico is n ...more

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Jun 25, 2008 Savannah rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: Nobody

Recommended to Savannah by: Nobody

This book was shaped like a U: In other words, a great beginning and a stirring ending (when everything FINALLY gets revealed and tied together), but a sagging middle.

I picked up this book on a scan of the first couple of chapters, expecting a neat story of a homeless ragamuffin sold into slavery who eventually discovers alchemy and becomes, as the title suggests, Immortal.

However, I was shocked to find this a dull read, the literary equivalent of slogging uphill through mud. It was a Da Vinci C ...more

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Mar 13, 2008 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2008

I picked this book up on impulse, mostly becuase I liked the cover, and I'm so glad I did. This was an interesting read, full of compelling characters, both good and bad. There were times I could hardly put it down. The plot and characters are well-rounded and well developed.

The story of one man's journey of personal discovery and the quest for what is really important in life. There were some interesting points on morality, and what cost and individual is willing to pay for what they hold most ...more

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May 07, 2019 Annette rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction-1300s

Florence, 1330: Luca the Bastard is nine years old. He is homeless, but he has a thirst for learning, and remembers whatever he hears.

What gives him even more strength are stranger’s words. “We Florentines have great souls. We’re imaginative, creative, spirited; we make the best artists and merchants. That’s why we’re famous for our sharp wit and intelligence, our ingegno. You have it, too, or you wouldn’t survive on the streets! (…) When you’re faced with superior strength and numbers, when yo ...more

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Jul 01, 2009 Clay Kallam rated it did not like it

Shelves: sf-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Traci L. Slatton’s ‘Immortal’ (Delta, $14, 515 pages) can be found in Target – and not to disparage one of my wife’s favorite stores, there’s a reason.

‘Immortal’ is a mass market, little-bit-of-everything product that, though somewhat satisfying, is well below elite status. It’s mostly historical fiction, with some elements of fantasy, periodic philosophical byplay (musings on the nature of god) and a semi-love story. In short, it tries to do too much and winds up doing not quite enough.

We are i Traci L. Slatton’s ‘Immortal’ (Delta, $14, 515 pages) can be found in Target – and not to disparage one of my wife’s favorite stores, there’s a reason.

‘Immortal’ is a mass market, little-bit-of-everything product that, though somewhat satisfying, is well below elite status. It’s mostly historical fiction, with some elements of fantasy, periodic philosophical byplay (musings on the nature of god) and a semi-love story. In short, it tries to do too much and winds up doing not quite enough.

We are introduced to Luca Bastardo as a street urchin in Florence in 1324. He is a beautiful boy and is soon hauled off to a brothel where he is trapped for years. There, it is discovered that he does not age as others do, and that he is immune to sickness and heals very quickly.

As it turns out, Luca lives for 180 years, always wondering why he does so, and where his parents are. He encounters a few other long-lived folks who don’t really help him on his quest, and the magical moments in the book are left hanging, and their consequences are unexplored.

In the same way, the historical tour of Renaissance Florence is more surface than substance. The painter Giotto shows up early, Petrach has a few lines, Boccaccio even fewer, and even though Cosimo de Medici gets more space, his character is barely developed. Leonardo da Vinci is Luca’s student for a while, and though he is given the most attention by Slatton, he is more sideshow than center stage.

The discussion of God and his role in human life also doesn’t go quite deep enough. Luca doesn’t think much of how God runs the world, and the Albigensian heresy, promulgated by a group called the Cathars, is given some examination. There is the obligatory Jewish connection (I think it’s a rule in publishing houses that every historical fiction novel must have a Jewish family, almost always with beautiful daughters), and there is persecution and horror.

In the end (don’t read the next three paragraphs if you don’t want to learn the plot), Luca’s great love is given short shrift, and he winds up as one of the victims of religious zealot Savanarola. He is burned at the stake, finally, having found a deus ex machina peace in the last pages.

The reader, however, is left to ponder exactly what has just transpired. Was this a book about historical Florence? Perhaps, but it is hardly complete. Was it a fantasy? Not really, though magic was a consistent theme. Was it about the nature of God? Again, not really, as the deathbed conversion seemed forced, especially as it was the supposed agents of God who tortured and burned the hero. Though I seldom feel books should be longer, Slatton’s many themes might have been better served by two or three books, so she could have developed them enough to justify their inclusion. As it is, ‘Immortal’ is disappointing, for a book that doesn’t dig deep has a hard time offsetting so much pain and suffering.

Finally, it is interesting that Slatton leaves Luca when she does, with Savanarola in command of Florence, and the powers of religious fundamentalists in full bloom. Historically, Savanarola’s time in power was brief, and he too was tortured and burned at the stake – but Slatton, reflecting the concerns of the present day, emphasizes the inescapable power of religious conservatives rather than any hope of redemption.
...more

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Jul 26, 2008 Simmonsmry rated it really liked it

Shelves: bookpleasures-reviews

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live to be 180 years old? If given the chance to experience such longevity, would your ambitions, goals and pursuits change or would your priorities remain the same? Does a long life necessarily mean it will be richer, happier and more fulfilling?
These questions and more are addressed in the historical novel, 'Immortal,' by first-time author Traci L. Slatton as she explores the city of Florence in the 14th and 15th centuries through the eyes and v ...more

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Feb 15, 2010 Julie Lovisa rated it it was amazing

This is an amazing debut novel! The story of Luca Bastardo who is born of parents he can't remember and sold into prostitution by his best friend, takes place in renaissance Italy. Luca inexplicably discovers that he has a much longer than average life span and wanders through the years searching for the woman he has seen in a vision and who will be his soul's mate. Along the way, he befriends Giotto and DaVinci, works for the de'Medici family, becomes a physician, and learns of his Cathar herit ...more

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Dec 23, 2008 Kelly rated it liked it

I found this book a little hard to get into in the beginning. However, once I reached the middle I was starting to become intrigued by what would happen next and the struggles that the main character faced while being faced with a "freakish" condition that was very misunderstood among his peers. All he longs for is his one true love, but he seems to lose just about everything else along the way. I don't want to spoil it for anyone else who may want to read this, but this books seems to really ma ...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Mitzi rated it did not like it

The same person who referred me to The Help and Cutting for Stone told me I HAD to read this book. She warned that I would hate it at first, but that it would get better and better. I kept waiting for it to get better, and it never did. I didn't care about the main character, Luca, a decendent from Seth who inheriets an extra-long life span. Despite living for almost 2 centuries, he never seems to learn anything. He has special powers and yet he hardly ever uses them for anything other than kill ...more

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May 08, 2008 Meredith Galman rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy

Dull, episodic travelogue through Renaissance Florence complete with name-dropping and heavy doses of theology and Neoplatonic philosophy, with a light dusting of unsatisfying fantasy on top. Leonardo da Vinci comes across as a kid with ADD; Lorenzo de' Medici is an inexplicable choice of antagonist; and our hero Luca, despite his strange longevity and unearthly beauty, lacks wisdom and charm. When at the end he asks whether he brought his tragedy on himself, it's impossible not to scream: "Well ...more

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Mar 03, 2008 Leila rated it did not like it

The start of this book had potential, but the author dropped the ball about 150 pages into the story. The middle part of this novel is the portion of the story where Statton introduces Florentine artists and philsophers to the story, and it's ridiculous. Her portrayal of the great Renaissance artists and thinkers was embarassingly dull and elementary. How could someone portray Da Vinci, Botticelli, Lorenzo Medici, and Boccaccio in such a trivial manner? ...more

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Feb 19, 2018 Jennifer rated it it was ok

Florence - 13th century - beautiful setting, but I think the author got tired of writing. The main character lives for over a hundred years and part of the story is that he doesn't age and is often accused of sorcery. But the author would skip entire decades of his life as if nothing ever happened, so that he's always recalling the same two or three people from his past. What's the point of an immortal character if you're going to write on only a few years and not even use the others for backgro ...more

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Jul 09, 2017 Anna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

We follow the story of Luca Bastardo through his extremely long and unbelievably fascinating life. He lived for over one hundred and eighty years. He was a homeless thief, a slave in a pleasure house, a gravedigger. He lived through plagues and wars, was taught secrets of the alchemy, worked as a doctor and was a captain of the pirate ship. He met and befriended the most amazing people, was a teacher (albeit a reluctant one) of Leonardo da Vinci, provided help for the Medici household.
He endure ...more

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Sep 09, 2020 Cindy Williams rated it it was ok

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 03, 2018 Lexi rated it it was ok

This book had so much potential and just got lost. The author was strangely detailed about things that didn't matter and then just flew right by important historical events and characters. A lot of this feels like the author picked up an annotated art history book and threw in whatever facts were highlighted. The paragraph on Donatellos David is the perfect example. This story should have been so interesting, but it took me 4 times to read. ...more

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Jan 07, 2018 Williamaye Jones rated it really liked it

A sad tale full of wonderful wisdom and beautiful prose, spanning two decades of the most glorious time in Italy's history--il Rinascimento. Following along with young Luca as he met some of Italy's most renowned artists and rulers in his quest to find his parents was fascinating as well as intriguing. My only pause was that I found it a bit heavy on philosophy and religion. ...more

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Aug 28, 2020 Shirley rated it it was ok

The tale contradicts itself in an insipid manner - a man born to Immortals professes to want only love and peace and lives his life committing every sin he despises in others. He knows every famous person of the centuries he occupies but learns from none of them.

Vapid.

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May 06, 2017 Joe Whitney rated it liked it

I didn't actually finish this one . Somewhere in the middle of the book the story got bogged down. I put it down and never got back to it. I might go back to it at a later time. ...more

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Jan 16, 2018 Laszlo rated it it was amazing

The second time, it's better than at first ! Amazing span of history painted through pages of enjoyment, balming my hart!
Thanks Laszlo ...more

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Mar 27, 2018 Elizabeth rated it it was ok

Not my favorite historical fiction. The first third of the book was riveting and then things started to drag to much for me.
The ending was pretty much a given.

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Jul 20, 2019 D marked it as dnf

I attempted to read this book twice and failed. I just can't. Too boring and too depressing. ...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"Immortal" is the story of Luca Bastardo, or Luca the bastard, a man living in the 14th-15th century. Takes place in Florence, Italy. Luca tells the story himself, writing his memoirs as he prepares to die. What he produces is a pleasant, if protracted, trip into an important era in Western civilization. Filled with the art, philosophy, and political intrigue of the day.

Luca's reminiscences begin when he is nine years old and a homeless orphan scrambling to live on the streets. "I never know wh "Immortal" is the story of Luca Bastardo, or Luca the bastard, a man living in the 14th-15th century. Takes place in Florence, Italy. Luca tells the story himself, writing his memoirs as he prepares to die. What he produces is a pleasant, if protracted, trip into an important era in Western civilization. Filled with the art, philosophy, and political intrigue of the day.

Luca's reminiscences begin when he is nine years old and a homeless orphan scrambling to live on the streets. "I never know where I came from. It was as if I woke up on the streets of Florence in 1330, a boy already grown nine years". Although he is a street urchin, people remark on his beauty and assure him he must have been well-bred. He hears tales of a noblewoman, with hair the same rare red as his, looking for a lost child. He also hears of a letter, written by a cleric, that will condemn him should it ever reach the hands of the Catholic church.

What follows are Luca's trials as he grows older more slowly than those around him, and his search for his family. He lives through several rounds of the bubonic plague and befriends prominent figures of the time, such as Leonardo Da Vinci and the Medeci family. His first artist friend is Giotto, who tells him something he remembers the rest of his life: "God laughs." For a long time, Luca takes this to be mean-spirited laughter, and he comes up with a theory of two Gods: one good and one evil.

Luca's idea about two Gods is not unique: it is a concept of a heretical Christian group called the Cathars, something to which author Traci Slatton refers many times. The Cathars believed that the God of the Old Testament was an evil God who created the physical world, and a good God created the human soul, which is trapped in the body. The goal of life for the Cathars was to liberate the soul from the body by living a pure life: no killing, no eating meat, and no sex. Those who didn't achieve purity in this life reincarnated until they did. The Catholic Church perceived the Cathar movement to be a serious, threat, and Pope Innocent the third proclaimed a cursade against them.

The Cathars were important to Luca because the rumor about noblemen looking for a lost child included that these people traveled in the company of the Cathars. The Cathar practice of laying on of hands known as the consolamentum, which they used as a baptismal right, also plays a large part for Luca, who discovers it's power on his own.

Another group that tantalizes Luca are the Sethians. Sethianism is a Gnostic pre-Christian sect named after Seth, the third son of Adam. They saw Seth as a divine incarnation of his direct descendents as a superior select group. In "Immortal" Sethians are accompanied and protected by Cathars.

By implying a relationship with heretical religious
movements, "Immortal" provides an explanation for Luca's long life. Because Luca was separated from his parents, there is conflict, mystery, and a journey. This driving idea feels secondary, however, "Immortal" is an extremely long narrative only loosely bound by Luca's search for his parents. Large sections of this book simply describe Luca's life in Florence and the different avenues he pursues during his long life, including medicine and alchemy. Since Luca is writing a memoir, he starts off by telling the reader he might have lived forever were he not being put to death by the inquisition, and he often tells the importance of the situation before he recounts it, thus reducing the suspense of the story to near nothing.

Regardless, "Immortal" is a fantastic read. Many nasty things happen in the book, but they are not discussed in gory detail, Slattons interest being more in their emotional effect on Luca than on literal depiction of medieval horrors. Luca lives in a fascinating epoch, comes into contact with interesting philosophical and religious ideas, and befriends intriguing people. His story should be of interest to anyone who likes historical fiction and art history. ...more

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Jul 28, 2008 Niama rated it it was amazing

SLATTON
Niama L. Williams
Copyright 2008
508 words

It is a good book, Father Mine, earthly father and Heavenly Originator, that makes one want to knock the author a good one halfway through for delaying the love story almost past this indulgent reader’s patience. And then, when the beloved finally reappears, she is in a state further forbidding consummation of what we as readers have known as a one-sided passion. I nearly summoned my earthly father from the next room to tell him, “Papa, see whom you SLATTON
Niama L. Williams
Copyright 2008
508 words

It is a good book, Father Mine, earthly father and Heavenly Originator, that makes one want to knock the author a good one halfway through for delaying the love story almost past this indulgent reader’s patience. And then, when the beloved finally reappears, she is in a state further forbidding consummation of what we as readers have known as a one-sided passion. I nearly summoned my earthly father from the next room to tell him, “Papa, see whom you can find from your days in South Philly. We got to take this Slatton bitch out.”

But I kept reading. I kept reading because even though the seemingly endless stretch of characters kept expanding, some of them famous historical figures, some of them not; even though Slatton delayed and delayed and delayed the bringing onstage of a condition of love I know so well—unrequited—the delaying tactics were nothing this intellectual, this spiritual intellectual, could gloss over.

Buried in Renaissance discussions of sometimes forbidden ideas about God and space; physics and time; alchemy, Cathars and a possibly immortal red-blond people descended from Biblical Adam’s son Seth is a long, rambling tale of a pain-filled life eventually graced by a great love but pockmarked by what our hero, Luca Bastardo, perceives as cosmic jokes perpetrated by a divided God, one good, one evil. What befalls Luca is indeed so relentlessly nefarious I became angry at every mention that without one of many great tragedies he would never have met his great love.

I met my great love on an ordinary afternoon and would have marked it as no extraordinary occurrence if not for my complete inability to speak upon sight of him. Those who know me even slightly know the fluidity of both my pen and tongue, the easygoing grace of my engaging extrovert personality. Speechlessness had never before visited my countenance, not even on Christmas morning as I contemplated an unusually welcome gift.

The future of my great love still hangs in the balance, and it is the mark of Slatton’s skill that as she ends the novel in Bastardo’s ultimate sorrow, two deaths that drive him mad, I am touched from Immortal’s pages by the fiery deep and abiding love he finally feels from God, and understand that in the end we must all be what we are, my important question answered: do your business, girl; focus on that company you’ve built; his arms and financial freedom not long now.

It is an exceptional book that irritates and annoys us, wears us out and angers us, makes us snappish and yet ultimately communicates that to be all of who you are—even amidst danger—is the finest wine, the headiest elixir.

Immortal is a long, exhausting, irritating, ennobling read. I still want to knock Slatton a good one for grieving her character so, but then I want to look deep in her eyes and see what of her soul glistens and shines, indicating wing.

### ...more

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Oct 14, 2008 Darlene rated it liked it

Immortal is a historical fiction novel that is rich in language and detail. It takes place in Florence during the Italian Renaissance. Throughout the novel we encounter actual historical people like Leonardo da Vinci, the Medicis and so on. In addition we are taken through historical events such as The Inquisition and The Black Death.

This isn't an easy book to read-it is quite dark really. In the beginning we are introduced to the main character, Luca Bastardo, who had been abandoned as a young Immortal is a historical fiction novel that is rich in language and detail. It takes place in Florence during the Italian Renaissance. Throughout the novel we encounter actual historical people like Leonardo da Vinci, the Medicis and so on. In addition we are taken through historical events such as The Inquisition and The Black Death.

This isn't an easy book to read-it is quite dark really. In the beginning we are introduced to the main character, Luca Bastardo, who had been abandoned as a young boy. He survives on the street, scrounging up food, begging and sleeping under bridges. One fateful day he is kidnapped by Silvano and introduced to a life as a child prostitute in a brothel. This was a very hard part of the novel for me to read-just the thought of the horrors Luca suffered there was enough to almost make me turn away from the book. I moved quickly through this part and a few shorter ones like it. Finally Luca escapes the brothel and ends up meeting a wonderful Jewish man who takes him in and teaches him to be a physico-a doctor. He also feels his first taste of what love and a normal sexual relationship can be with Rachel, the physico's daughter. At this time also Luca is introduced to alchemy and healing and seeing into his future.

This novel is full of supernatural elements and of course immortality. Luca's life spans over 180 years. From the beginning we know that Luca will come to a bad end but the book itself is his journey through all of these years. He is looking for the meaning to his life-why was he abandoned, who his parents were or are and why does he possess an ageless beauty. While the world and people around him are aging, Luca is staying the same. He is also looking for his one true love; the one promised him in a vision when he chose this one true love over an endless life. Finally through all the darknesss Luca finally meets Maddelena, his true love and he has several years of happiness. However, as seems to happen in Luca's life, this comes to a bad end too.

I liked Luca's character, I was drawn to him from the beginning and through all of his hardships in life. I enjoyed meeting all the people he met, famous or not. Hearing about the art and the history of Florence was enjoyable and I loved the supernatural elements. The sections on alchemy dragged on and I wasn't too keen on those. I think the book wrapped up in the end in a way that left us satisfied.

Travelling this journey with Luca was an interesting adventure. I did like the book except for the brothel part which I could have done without. I think the book was longer than it needed to be but for the most part a good book. There is talk of a sequel to Immortal and I would be curious to read it.

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Jul 24, 2014 Amber rated it liked it

I will say first that I don't usually read historical fiction, but the setting seemed really interesting. Come on, art, alchemy and Italy? Score! Plus the whole immortality thing was a neat premise - I could dig the whole Forrest Gump in Italy rump. For that, I think it was interesting.

As for the main character, I didn't care for him. I suspect a lot of that is just from bad writing. The story was interesting, but the execution was lacking. Near the middle, the story felt a little dry. First th ...more

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Sep 29, 2008 Shana rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2008, fiction, historical-fiction, italy, florence, tuscany, 15th-century, renaissance, plague, alchemy

I went into Immortal thinking it was going to be pretty straight-forward historical fiction. It is so much more than that (which should have been obvious from the title.) There is a mystical, supernatural element to Traci Slatton's debut novel and it flirts with time travel, too. While both require a certain suspension of belief on the part of the reader, I enjoyed the extra dimension they added to the story.

Luca, the 'immortal' main character was extremely well-developed. He was forgiveably fla ...more

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About Traci L. Slatton

Traci L. Slatton

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Traci L. Slatton, author of FALLEN and COLD LIGHT, is a graduate of Yale and Columbia. She lives in Manhattan, and her love for Renaissance Italy inspired her historical novel IMMORTAL and her contemporary vampire art history mystery THE BOTTICELLI AFFAIR. FALLEN is the first in a romantic trilogy set during the end times; COLD LIGHT and FAR SHORE further the dystopian tale. DANCING IN THE TABERNA ...more

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Quotes from Immortal

“Boy, the solid things you can hold in your hands are never all you've got. They're the least of what belong to you. The qualities inside you, those are what you've really got to defend yourself with.” — 20 likes

“Don't men read books and take from them what is already in their own hearts?” — 3 likes

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