The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche is a rather entertaining historical fantasy. Ginevra di Gasparo wants nothing more than to be a licensed doctor who is able to use her skills with stone magic to openly heal people instead of having to do it furtively and in secret. A decade after being banished from the city of Florence for being a witch, the bishop sends a letter summoning her back to help the city during the ongoing plague crisis. Since this is the same bishop who exiled her a decade ago she is both suspicious and reluctant but with the promise of a potential sponsorship to be a doctor she returns. However, it is only upon her arrival that she learns there is more going on in Florence than just the plague. Someone has been stealing the various saints’ holy relics from throughout the city and the bishop will only allow her back if she is willing to investigate the thefts. Not really sure what else to do, Ginevra agrees to the deal and starts investigating what is going on even though she really has no idea where to start doing so.
I thought this was actually a rather good book but I also had a hard time getting into it at first. It really only drew me in after I was about halfway through so it had a bit of a slow build in my opinion. The story was still really interesting though as it dealt with a rather intriguing topic. I’ve read several books that deal with the Black Plague in Europe, even this specific occurrence in the 14th century, but never one that also dealt with a woman using stone magic or jewel magic to potentially cure it. Mind you, that might be because I have read very few books that deal with stone magic in the first place. In terms of the history and time period, the book does seem to be pretty accurate from what I already know of this time and these events. The depiction of the plague and people’s reaction to it seem very realistic but I will also admit that I highly doubt anybody actually stole relics during it so that was created for the story. Basically, treat specific events as fictional but the depiction of the time period as pretty accurate overall. The character of Ginevra was interesting as well as she was ambitious and rather outspoken which was not unknown but would have been slightly unusual for a woman of the time period. While I didn’t always like her, she did come across as being slightly arrogant at times, I can admit that she was still a well done and highly fleshed out character. Overall, this was a pretty good story and one that I did end up enjoying even if it took me a bit to get into. I am happy giving this book four out of five stars.
I would honestly classify this book as historical fantasy and would think it would hold the most appeal to readers who enjoy either fantasy or historical fiction, especially books about either magic and witches or about medieval Europe. Considering the underlying theme of the Black Plague there is some considerable dark content and it does occasionally get gruesome. There are also hints at adult content but nothing overly explicit in that regard. The book is aimed at adults but I would also feel comfortable saying that older teens can read it as well and be just fine. There is not any questionable or worrisome content in my opinion. If it sounds like something you might enjoy, consider trying it out. If you do, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.