Author: Tinney S. Heath
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Fireship Press
Publish Date: October 31, 2012
Source: HF Virtual Book Tours
Why You're Reading This Book:
- You're a historical fiction fan.
From Goodreads.com: "In 1216 the noble families of Florence hold great power, but they do not share it easily. Tensions simmer just below the surface. When a Jester's prank-for-hire sets off a brawl, those tensions erupt violently, dividing Florence into hostile factions. A marriage is brokered to make peace, but that fragile alliance crumbles under the pressure of a woman's interference, a scorned bride, and an outraged cry for revenge.
At the center of the conflict is Corrado, the Jester, whose prank began it and who is now pressed into unwilling service by both sides. It will take all his wit and ingenuity to keep himself alive, to protect those dear to him, and to prevent the unbridled ambitions of the nobles from destroying the city in a brutal civil war."
My Two Cents:
In the beginning of the 13th century, Florence was ruled by a couple of super powerful families who took their rivalries to a whole other level. Each family wants to be on top and the slightest issue can turn the balance of the city entirely on its head. The stakes are very high and it seems like just about any little thing could set either family off! "A Thing Done" explores in great historical detail what happens when these families fight over a slight by one onto the other. It is most definitely not a pretty picture.
What's so fascinating about this book is that instead of focusing on one of the members of these families, but instead, it is told from the perspective of a fool, a jester, who in the eyes of both families is simply expendable. I loved that it was Corrado, the fool, who told the story. You get a good sense of just how crazy everyone outside of the families thinks the families are. Corrado is thrown in the mix when he is asked to play a trick on one family over the other side of the family so he's right in the mix. I thought that it was fascinating to have this book told from the fool's perspective. He's looked down by both families but in the end, I think he ends up being smarter than many of the other people who play a part in this story.
I loved reading about Florence during this time period. It was really such a fascinating place with all of the different politics going on. This book probably takes place earlier than any other book that I have read about Florence before. Heath most definitely gives readers a lot of information to digest about the city. Sometimes the information and detail bogged down the story but on the whole, it was very good detail.
As a history lover, I also appreciated the extensive real history behind the story of "A Thing Done" in the back of the book. I am always interested about the historical details behind the historical fiction story and this section talks about a lot of different things in the book. It's really awesome stuff!
Follow the Rest of the Tour:
Monday, January 14
Review & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books
Author Interview & Giveaway at The Maiden’s Court
Tuesday, January 15
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews
Wednesday, January 16
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee
Thursday, January 17
Review at The Book Garden
Friday, January 18
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader
Author Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Libraria
Monday, January 21
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages
Tuesday, January 22
Review at A Book Geek
Review at Judith Starkston’s Blog
Wednesday, January 23
Review & Giveaway at A Chick Who Reads
Thursday, January 24
Review at A Bookish Affair
Friday, January 25
Author Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair
I really enjoyed this one too. I love reading books set in Florence.
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