The Spirit Ring

by Lois McMaster Bujold

Fiametta Beneforte dreamed of making beautiful and enchanted objets d'art, but alas her magician-goldsmith father was more likely to have her scrub the kiln than study magic. After all, it was a waste to train a mere daughter beyond the needs of the moment. Thur Ochs dreamed of escaping the icy mines of Bruinwald. But the letter from his brother Uri arranging his apprenticeship to Master Beneforte was not the only force that drew him over the mountains to the Duchy of Montefoglia... A betrayal at a banquet plunges Thur and Fiametta into a struggle against men who would use vile magic for vile ends. Needs of this desperate moment will require all their wits, all their talents, and all their courage, if they are to rescue both Montefoglia and the souls of those they most love.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Magic, Historical, Romance

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Lois McMaster Bujold was born in 1949, the daughter of an engineering professor at Ohio State University, from whom she picked up her early interest in science fiction. She now lives in Minneapolis, and has two grown children.

Her fantasy from HarperCollins includes the award-winning Chalion series and the Sharing Knife tetralogy; her science fiction from Baen Books features the perennially bestselling Vorkosigan Saga. Her work has been translated into over twenty languages.

Questions regarding foreign rights, film/tv subrights, and other business matters should be directed to Spectrum Literary Agency, spectrumliteraryagency.com

A listing of her awards and nominations may be seen here:

http://www.sfadb.com/Lois_McMaster_Bu...

A listing of her interviews is here:

http://vorkosigan.wikia.com/wiki/Auth...

An older fan-run site devoted to her work, The Bujold Nexus, is here:

http://www.dendarii.com/

Reviews

[Michael Battaglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was all set to treat this as you would any consistently entertaining, young adult type fantasy novel, until you get to the scene that would probably win the category (and be the only nominee) for Best Use of Stillbirth in a Fantasy Setting. I sure as heck didn't see THAT coming.

Lois Bujold gets tons of raves from the SF community (she's certainly won quite the handful of awards) and for some reason I've only read one of her Vorkosigan books, something I'll probably rectify soon. This, on the other hand, was the first fantasy novel from her and there's not too many authors that can make the crossover from one genre to the other and back again, at least not without ticking off one of your possible audiences. The SF fans probably don't want to see their books suddenly populated with dragons and the fantasy fans probably aren't looking forward to too many visits from Captain Science.

So, how'd she do? Not bad, from the looks of it. The tale itself is fairly basic from a plotting standpoint, nominally about a girl's coming of age in a time that appears to be the Middle Ages, and in the midst of a local mercenary putting the moves on her city-state by deciding it was ripe for the taking The references to real-life places is a little off-putting at first, considering how much magic is being tossed about casually, but what impressed me was how well she integrated the fantasy stuff into the realistic setting without turning it into some kind of steampunk pastiche. As her notes at the end of the book will explain, she based part of the tale on an old folk tale and our heroine's father on famous sculptor and bisexual Benvenuto Cellini and the real-life underpinnings help anchor the story because everyone just accepts thing like spirit rings and girls who can set stuff on fire as just The Way Things Are. It also seems like Bujold took the scientific approach and worked out the mechanics of magic, what it can do, what it can't do and more importantly for this time period, what role religion and the church has in it (this is a bigger deal than it would seem, since everyone in the story is fairly religious). With the ground rules set, it becomes easier to color within the lines since she's not worried about discovering the framework on the fly.

None of this is ingredients for a masterpiece, but it is the oil that greases the gears of a well-told story and if nothing else it's amazing to see how easily all the various moving parts of the story all fit together easily. There's very few loose ends, even seemingly random asides wind up becoming important, even vital later. When the heroine comments toward the end that victory was possible only because everyone worked together, she could be commenting on every aspect of the book itself. As a story it's all seamless and there's hardly any feel that you're being "told" a story as much as watching events unfold in the only logical fashion, which is at least the sign that you're in the hands of a professional.

As for the story itself, it's fun. It's certainly not attempting to masquerade as an epic and as such probably isn't going to change your life. Fiametta is a teenager apprenticed to her famous father, who only wants the chance to do magic and find her true love. When all heck breaks loose as mercenaries take over the town and the body count starts stacking up, including people she knows, she has to learn a lot of really important things very quickly. Fortunately that true love showed up. Thur Ochs is that lad and while the story is supposed to be Fiametta's, he gets so much time devoted to his escapades that you wonder if the book is really about him after all. It hardly matters. In a tale as well told as this, you can almost submerge any hints of characterization and be able to coast on the plotting, even if none of it would be very memorable when finished. But Bujold does flesh out her characters and give them odd angles, even if these people are ultimately archetypes, they're not only inhabiting them completely but doing it very well. It's a pleasure to read about them and they're so decent that you're basically rooting for their victory and for them (although the outcome of the romance is such a given that there's hardly any sexual tension, although if that's what you came here for a fantasy novel may not have been the first place to try). In fact, all the good guys are decent folks while the villains are hissably bad. And it never becomes a problem.

This is a book you power through in a number of hours and while I want to keep docking points for simplicity, I can finding nooks and crannies in the book I didn't expect: the abbot's complex relationship with magic, the alluded to backstory of the father, the sweetness of two decent people coming together in the midst of chaos, the woman who donates her milk for a higher cause, the rules of the kobolds. There's enough raw material in here to tell a dozen stories in this setting and yet it never feels like it's skimming the surface. It's as deep as it needs to be and any complaining seems more like nitpicking after a while. So instead of looking for things it does wrong I'll point out that it does nearly everything right (except for that cover, which appears to have a giant ring with a face fleeing from the thing from "Alien") and doesn't insult our intelligence. And in a genre that often says you can't mingle if you don't have elves or a trilogy attached to your name, we should just be glad exists at all, and that it's good.

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel this book a bit underated. May not be the kind of book I'd like to reread, but it's imaginative and well done. I think it suffers from comparisons with Bujold's other books. I don't agree with those who say this is her worst book, although it comes early among her works and I think Bujold's one of those authors that got stronger over the years. Nevertheless, I like this more than say Ethan of Athos or Falling Free in her Vorkosigan series or The Hallowed Hunt in her Chalion series. But it's true that I don't find the characters in this book as vivid and complex as Miles in the Vorkosigan series or Ista of Paladin of Souls or Dag of Sharing Knife. It's also the one novel of Bujold's to date that's a standalone.

And it's the rare historical fantasy--which is a lot of what I like about it, but is a departure from the Space Opera of the Vorkosigan series or High Fantasy of Chalion--or Sharing Knife with it's feel of the American frontier of perhaps the far future. The Spirit Ring is recognizably set in late 15th century Renaissance Italy. The time of Lorenzo Medici, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Michelangelo. It's not set in Florence or Rome though but the made-up small dukedom of Montefoglia in a world where white magic is sanctioned and overseen by the Church--and black magic is a real danger. A world of mage-artisans who can make magical rings. And the heroine, 15-year-old Fiametta Beneforte, is the daughter and unofficial apprentice of such a master mage. Then the duchy is imperiled by black magic and that's where Fiametta--and the young miner Thur Ochs--must take risks to free it and those they love who are are at risk of their very souls.

It's a well-written and obviously well-researched work and I very much enjoyed the read.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bujold is a reliable read. Fantasy here. A young woman and a miner/soldier team up to stop an evil sorcerer, using a spirit ring and her father’s golden statue brought to life. Slight touch of romance.

[Athena (OneReadingNurse) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this deceptively simple fantasy. It takes a good look at how magic would have fared in the time of the church, renaissance era, with white magic crafters against dark users, necromancers and the like. How are women treated in this world? How does class limit someone's reach in life? Is Magic in Latin so that only the learned people have access?

There are lots of good themes running through this. The magic is fairly simple and I think it makes sense as far as with how the church would have tried to control it. Some of the necromancy parts get pretty dark and that's exactly what I'm looking for when I come to these types of novels.

I've heard the prose described as stiff and I can understand that, but the book is funny as all hell too and had some of the actual best moments. There's a whole sequence of Swiss Army Man but in book form. The ending had me rolling despite the sadness to it all. I think that once you get past the first two chapters introducing the main characters, it takes off and becomes quite a delightful read. Both points of view are told equally well.

A strong female lead, a miner who ends up being pretty brave after all, and even the Abbot who surprised me at the end are all great characters. I love the obstinate old horse trying to balk and eat grass while lives are at stake. The conflict is believable, the action constant, the kobolds something that you don't see every day. Oh the kobolds!

This is really a great little book and of course Grover Gardner adds a stunning narration. His voices are awesome and the humor or gravity radiates in his voice.

My last thought, as someone who's lost their dad recently, is that I freaking love Prospero. He meant well for Fiametta and I love that even in the afterlife he was looking out for her. I'd like to see Fiametta grieving a little more but I think she will when the shock wears off. 100% recommend

[Zara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75. This is a really sweet, fun adventure. Perfect for when you want something cosy and that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Not my typical cup of tea but I enjoyed it!

[Karen A. Wyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read every book in every series Lois McMaster Bujold has written, and finally made my way to this stand-alone fantasy. I'm glad I did, though it isn't one of my favorites of her books, and I don't greatly regret the absence of a sequel. (I would still read one, if it materialized.)

The book features a familiar Bujold trope: an under-educated, under-appreciated, more or less oppressed young woman who has absorbed much of her society's point of view, but struggles free of it and comes dramatically into her own. This was a fresher sort of character in the 1980s and 1990s, when Bujold wrote most of her books. Bujold's great gift for characterization usually keeps the books from feeling formulaic, and that's true here -- but not by as great a margin as in most. Other characters, major and secondary, were (IMHO) more fully successful.

Bujold is also terrific at pulling together plot and character threads in an unexpected and utterly satisfying way, and she does so here.

[Olgalijo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spirit Ring doesn't have the sleekness and depth of all of Bujold's later works, but it points to many of her more mature features. The strong female characters are there, and the underdog heroes too, as well as the meeting of different cultures.

[Kaia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this lighter fantasy that was fairly predictable but still fun. There were also a few moments where how the story was told was very clever and well done. Grover Gardner does an excellent job narrating the audiobook.

[Xan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quizás es el libro menos logrado de Lois McMaster Bujold, pero no por eso deja de ser un libro entretenido y con buenas ideas.

[Carly]

With this one, I've officially read all the Bujold novels. I'm a bit bereft since everything of hers has been so eminently readable and absorbing. This is definitely not as spectacular as some of her best novels but it was still a fun read! It was published in 1993, so a year before Mirror Dance in the Vorkosigan series, and was her first published fantasy novel. It's a historical fantasy set in an alt-Renaissance Italy and was somehow a bit cozier-feeling in tone for me than I would expect for something with so much destruction by fire, death/necromancy, and villainy lol. I think I just knew Bujold wouldn't do anything too terrible to the two main characters so the rest of the story was just watching how she was going to work her way to a resolution. So maybe not the most suspenseful, though there were definitely a few tense moments. It's interesting that this is the only standalone novel she's published, I do think her work shines when it's given a longer series and a larger world to inhabit.

[Baldurian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un Italia del '500 contaminata dalla magia, un tradimento durante una festa di nozze, la vendetta di una giovane maga e di un testardo fratello... come al solito la Bujold è maestra nel creare ambientazioni che stuzzicano la fantasia e che colpiscono per inventiva e dettaglio. Terra di incantesimi è un fantasy abbastanza classico: una storia di vendetta dei deboli contro i soprusi dei potenti che scorre in maniera appagante ma, purtroppo, senza molte sorprese. Manca un guizzo, un tocco particolare, un personaggio che esca un po' dai canoni; è assente quel quid in grando di far fare al romanzo un salto di qualità al di fuori di binari prevedibili.

[Ana on the Shelves]

Surprisingly entertaining!

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read this before and didn’t like it as much as I did this time. This time I loved it.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A joy to realise there's a LMB book I haven't read, and then to realise it's an alternative renaissance book with magic, and I was delighted.

[Jacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is vintage Bujold, 1992, a rare standalone published between ‘The Vor Game’ (1990) and Mirror Dance’ (1994) though in many way it feels like a much earlier work. It’s a straightforward fantasy set in a Renaissance Italy where licensed mages work white magic with the blessings (and supervision) of the church, but where the Inquisition still looms to seek out black magic. Fiametta is the daughter of master mage and metal artisan, Master Beneforte. Her barely remembered mother – about whom there seems to be some secret, never revealed – was black, making Fiametta an unusual hue for a free woman of the time. Her father’s only explanation is that her mother was a ‘Christian woman from Brindisi,’ to refute the perception of his peers that Fiametta’s mother was either Moorish, an Ethiope or possibly a Blackamoor slave. Though Master Beneforte has refused to train her in magic arts (because she’s only a girl) Fiametta is learning metal craft and is already skilled in the fine casting of jewellery pieces. She’s also learned far more about magic (and has a talent and a deeper understanding) than her father has given her credit for. As an apprentice piece she has cast herself a silver ring that will show her who her true love is. (Only her true love will be able to wear it.)

When Master Beneforte and Fiametta go to a reception at the Duke’s palace to present a work of art (a magical salt cellar, the contents of which will always reveal and neutralise poison) on the occasion of the betrothal of the Duke’s daughter to neighbouring Lord Ferrante, they don’t expect trouble, but Lord Ferrante has brought an unusually large honour guard of fifty fighting men. When Ferrante kills the Duke, his men quickly take over the palace and the town, in the process killing Uri Ochs, the captain of the guard and a young man that Fiametta had been sweet on.

Suddenly Fiametta and her father are on the run from the invaders and though they get away, her father soon dies of a heart attack leaving Fiametta alone with his body. And it’s the body that’s the problem, for an unburied body and an unshriven soul can be used for black magical purposes by one ruthless enough to do so, and Ferrante has a magician in his retinue prepared to do just that. If he can complete the rites before Fiametta can stop him Master Beneforte’s power and knowledge will be trapped within a spirit ring and in his and Ferrante’s power.

Fiametta’s allies include an elderly warrior-turned-church-man and Thur Ochs, Uri’s younger brother who had been on his way to join the Beneforte household as an apprentice when the trouble began. Fiametta is amazed when Thur, whom she sees as nothing more than a country clod, is able to wear the ring that his brother could not put on. For better or worse, Thur is destined to be her true love. Luckily Thur is far more than he seems. Uneducated but intelligent, kind and patient (not to mention tall and strong as an ox) he has a knack of finding things that are lost, starting with Fiametta and ending with the corpse of his brother also in need to rescuing from a dark magic ritual.

This is a richly imagined book full of complications and well-drawn characters. It draws on actual artisans and their artifacts and evokes the spirit of Renaissance Italy – albeit a smaller rural Dukedom rather than Rome or Florence – yet incorporates magic in a natural manner. The ending is satisfying and the only slight quibble I have is that Fiametta never does solve the riddle of her mother except to conclude that she was Master Beneforte’s legal and much-loved wife. Though all the dark deeds are nicely tied up and Fiametta and Thur get a good resolution there’s a slight loose end and it’s easy to imagine that Bujold intended to write a sequel in which Fiametta and Thur discover the origins (and powers) of Fiametta’s mother. Sadly – after seventeen years – that sequel seems unlikely.

[Cecily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a stand-alone fantasy book set in a magical version of Renaissance Italy. It definitely has the vibe of the Chalion series, though a little bit lighter in tone (even though there is a major palace coup, death, destruction, and serious bloodshed. Not sure how she manages that lighter tone, actually, but she does.)

What I love about this book and the lore used in the Chalion series is how closely the magical rites and rituals are tied to those of religion (in this case I think it's Catholic while the Chalion series it was the very cool 5-God structure based on the seasons). I love in this book how it's the abbot who grants magician licenses and who practices magic himself.

There's a sweet little love story all up in this and the girl and the guy save each other back and forth throughout the story which moves right along at a crackling pace. LMB teaches us lots about metallurgy and it's pretty dang fascinating. Not sure how this one stayed off my LMB radar for so long, but I'm glad it finally surfaced again.

[Curlemagne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very creative historical fantasy, which blends the Renaissance Catholic Church with magic better than I've seen before. The praxis of belief and the theory of magic feel fully integrated, plausible and actually very interesting theologically, especially with regard to demons. I regret this is a standalone novel! I want to spend more time in this universe. So few authors, whether historical fiction OR fantasy, can write convincing members of the clergy and theological debates. Religion isn't a decorative gloss to treat casually for ambiance.

The characterization is fine, intriguing but no great depth of feeling or design. Bujold has an excellent eye for magical detail and visuals, but the dialogue is simply there to connect the scenes together. The bewitched snake chastity belt, for example, is a particularly great invention but it's not a focus or a Symbol, just a tool for protection that advances the story.

Another author might have explored Fiametta and Thur's inner worlds more deeply, but this is a plot-focused fantasy novel, and at that it more than succeeds.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think that "The Spirit Ring" is the best book by Lois McMaster Bujold that I have read, yet she is so consistently good, that her "not best" is often better than many other authors'.
The Renaissance setting is very well researched - and I loved the fact that there were so many references to The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini. Thank you, dear author!
The plot rushes along (this is the kind of book that you read in one day, if you have the time), the magic system is interesting, and the main characters are very sympathetic and charming. Very enjoyable :)

[Akiva ꙮ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I admit it: I probably would have rated this book a star or so higher if I hadn't gone into it with such high expectations. I adore Bujold's Vorkosigan series, and I was expecting to really like this. But... eh. It never captured me, and while I grew to appreciate the world she created, it never excited or intrigued me. I fully predicted a handful of the major plot points.

The plot is original, and while the characters never spring to life, they aren't obnoxious. In the end, though, I just didn't really enjoy reading it. (It did make me want to go back and reread all the Vorkosigan books from start to finish, though!)

[MB (What she read) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
A historical fantasy set in Renaissance Italy with necromancy, kobolds, and metal-working. Includes a sweet romance. Very action-packed and a good creative plot, but the tone is more muted than in her other books. Enjoyable and well worth your time....

Btw, it helped me to have some knowledge of Renaissance art. That way I was able to picture the salt-cellar (google Cellini, saltcellar), and the statue to be cast (google Cellini, Perseus & Medusa), and even Fiametta's hairstyle and Thur's clothes. (Later: I see I was right and she credits Cellini as the inspiration for Fiametta's father in the author's note.)

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first of Bujold's fantasies, but not connected to any other series she has done. Set in medieval Italy, with all the attending political issues. Fiametta's father is a magician licensed by the church. She hopes to become one as well. All those hopes are dashed by the murder of the local duke by a rival. The city is thrown into chaos, and it is up to Fiametts and her wits to save the day. Typical of Bujold. Well-drawn, interesting characters, a lively plot, and "graceful use of the English language" (the quote is from the Booklist review excerpted on the back cover).
Another read. Same review. Apparently I really like this book.

[Dane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, Lois McMaster Bujold is one of my favorite authors, & whose books I have no hesitation buying in hardback the day they come out. She is talented and her books are uniformly superb.

With this one exception.

In fairness, this was her first fantasy novel, and I don't think she had a full handle on the genre yet. The bulk of her work was Science Fiction in her early years, and has been mostly Fantasy the last 7 or 8 years.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure about this book to start with, but it grew on me. I am constantly amazed at Lois's range: so many different settings and themes. I was, however puzzled by her English in places: "But he had not strode half the length of the garden..." - most versions of English would have "had stridden"; and then there is "She touched her chest. Yes, the ring hung mere, under her linen and velvet" - this seems to be a strange use of "mere" to me, and I'm not totally sure what it means. Still, all in all, an enjoyable book.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit rough— you can tell it's an early work— but delightfully full of adventure and mayhem. By the end of the book it was like EVERYTHING had been thrown into the plot pot. Invasions! Reformed warrior bishops! Metallurgy! Kolbods! Revenge! Black magic! Ghosts! Statues! Shriving!

I had fun.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A medieval world of the Italian nation-states and with magic sanctioned by the church (and necromancy that isn’t.) 3.5 stars

[La Nave Invisible]

La fantasía medieval, en literatura o en videojuegos (por decir dos canales), está viviendo tiempos convulsos. Ya sea porque se está convirtiendo en un campo de minas neonazi o porque, al contrario, hay nuevas narrativas que quieren airear la fantasía, el caso es que últimamente nos encontramos cada vez más debates sobre el tema. Mucha de esta polémica viene de aquellos que usan el rigor histórico para justificar su propia agenda política, obviando que lo que ellos defienden como histórico tiene poco de riguroso. ¿Es necesario que la fantasía sea realista? ¡Por supuesto que no! Pero el usar patrones y lugares comunes con la idea de darle una pátina de credibilidad no deja de ser una práctica habitual en este género. No vengo aquí a explayarme mucho sobre esto, o estaríamos debatiendo hasta mañana, sino a ofrecer un ejemplo de obra bien ambientada históricamente y que, según mi punto de vista, no cae en los estereotipos de siempre. Es más, creo que por no hacerlo, esta novela tiene un toque fresco que es lo que la hace especial.

No se trata de una obra de rabiosa actualidad, pues El anillo del espíritu fue publicada originalmente en 1993 y traducida al castellano en 2007 por Marian Tobalina Salgado. Tampoco me atrevería a decir que es la mejor obra de Lois McMaster Bujold, pero a pesar de eso la narración engancha y el mundo que construye está bien detallado. La autora ambienta la historia en una ciudad ficticia, Montefoglia, en la Italia del Renacimiento (no es 100% medieval, pero tampoco nos vamos a poner puntillosos). Allí vive Fiametta, hija del orfebre y hechicero Próspero Beneforte, que tras la invasión de su ciudad por un señor rival, Ferrante, perderá a su padre y verá cómo intentan usar su espíritu. Su camino se cruzará con el del joven Thur Ochs, minero que emigra a Montefoglia para unirse a su hermano, justo en el peor momento posible. Ambos acabarán luchando contra la magia negra del señor Ferrante con la ayuda de la magia blanca del abad Monreale.

Los personajes
Tal vez quien destaque más de los personajes principales sea Fiametta, la joven hija de hechicero que también hace sus pinitos con la magia y, según se nos describe, es mestiza. Aun así, este último no es un rasgo que se comente demasiado por parte del resto de los personajes. La naturalidad con la que se trata a Fiametta nos habla de una sociedad en la que la diversidad puede estar más o menos aceptada, pero es una realidad. Porque aunque el resto de personajes de vez en cuando noten su cierto “exotismo” y hablen de los orígenes de su madre (de Brindisi), en realidad no lo ven como algo extremadamente extraño. Y ese es uno de los puntos fuertes de Bujold, tratar la presencia de personajes de color como algo normal y frecuente. Es más, cuando se habla de la madre de Fiametta, preocupa más si era cristiana o no, algo que se alinea más con la mentalidad de la época sin ninguna duda. Estamos tan acostumbrados a que la mayoría de personajes de este tipo de novelas sean blancos que, cuando alguno no lo es, hay fanfarria a su alrededor, cosa que lo convierte en algo artificioso. Personalmente, echo en falta algo más de información sobre su madre, ya que parece que la magia que practica Fiametta (pirokinesis) tiene algo que ver con ella; pero la autora no acaba de aclararlo y queda como una oportunidad perdida.

Continúa en... https://lanaveinvisible.com/2018/10/2...

[Borislava Todorova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Първият ми "сблъсък" с Бюджолд дойде с тетралогията "Споделящият нож". Години по-късно се срещнах с Пенрик и очарователната Дездемона, които пък ми открехнаха вратите към Света на петимата богове.

Определено харесвам стила на писане на авторката. Впечатляват ме женските образи, които се учат да отстояват съществуването си, да се чува гласът им и да изненадват с уменеята си.

Историята на "Оковният пръстен" не ми стана толкова любима, колкото другите книги на Бюджолд, които съм чела, но успя да ме потопи в света си. Беше удоволствие да се запозная с опърничавата Фиамета и добродушния Тур. Бяха интересна компания.

[Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve re-read this book since “sixteen” was “impossibly grown up and mature” rather than “impossibly young and naive,” but it holds up incredibly well. The characters are vivid and charming, and the story builds it plot and setting wonderfully. A great example of good, solid fantasy and the pleasures thereof, without the implied burdens/expectations of a series.

[Amy N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last Bujold I hadn't read yet. I enjoyed it, of course. Unlike her others, it takes place in a world very like the real Italian Renaissance, just with magic. That was an interesting concept, and she did it very well. The characters are wonderful, the love story flows well. Still, I'm not sure it has the same place in my heart as her other books. This is her only stand-alone.

[Kathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5/10
I can’t say I was disappointed exactly, but this book was rather unexceptional, especially from this author. I liked the creativity of investing magic into objects which could then be used by non-mages. Fiametta and Thur were likable main characters, but the overall story arc was somewhat predictable.