Historical fantasy
The Stone Witch of Florence
Debut
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by Anna Rasche
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Quick Take
As the Black Plague tears through Italy, a formerly exiled healer is lured home and embroiled in a dangerous scheme.
Good to know
Feminist
International
Underdog
Witchy
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…
Why I love it
Christine Zikas
BOTM Editorial Team
Rose quartz to find love. Carnelian for courage. Amethyst to fight tumors. If you’ve ever shopped for gemstone jewelry, you will get a list of the healing properties along with that shiny new ring or dangly bracelet. If you happened to be shopping from Ginevra di Gasparo, in Florence, in 1348, you may just have gotten some truly curative accessories.
Ginevra di Gasparo has a special gift of harnessing the healing power of gemstones—and healing the sick. In secret and desperation, townspeople came to her for such remedies, until she was cast away as a witch. Now, as the Black Plague tears through Italy killing everyone in its wake, the very men who sent her into exile call her back to help. People blame the plague on a thief who is stealing holy relics, and if she ever wants to rejoin society, Ginevra must find the thief.
I love strong heroines. Smart. Practical. With everything crumbling around her head, Ginevra finds a way to save herself and the people she befriends along the way—including a suspicious priest and a young abandoned wife. This is a fun and charming read—despite the Black Plague—and I hope you enjoy reading The Stone Witch of Florence as much as I did.