First line: The night I was caught with my hand in a gentleman's pocket - the night my life completely changed - it was burning cold, so bitter I'd never felt anything like it before or since.

Summary: Guiliana has spent her years since leaving the nunnery on the streets but when she is offered a job for the Magician of Florence, she cannot turn it down. The one twist is that everyone believes Guiliana is a boy. She learns codes, how to create magical talismans and sword play but when her new master is killed she has to try to stay alive long enough to save her friends, avenge his death and keep Florence from falling to the powers of Rome.

My thoughts: I have enjoyed all of Jeanne Kalogridis' historical fiction books. This one is no different. It was a very twisty historical thriller. I liked the setting as well as the time period. The characters were interesting and the plot was intriguing. The only down fall was the sex scene at the end. It seemed forced, unnecessary and more graphic than the rest of the novel. But for someone looking for a historical thriller in Renaissance Florence than I would recommend this!

This book has been on my NG queue for a long time, and I apologize for the tardiness of the review.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit and I hope that people give it a chance these many years after publication.

Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing The Orphan Of Florence by Jeanne Kalogridis within the first fifteen pages. The writing actually is pretty decent. However, I had recently read The Most Beautiful Woman In Florence by Alyssa Palombo and was doing some comparison (Palombo's work is much more up my alley). The two books are set around the same time period - with The Orphan Of Florence being set a little later. Anyways, the reason that I DNFed is that there was a scene where a six year old is crying hysterically because they come across a mother and an infant who froze to death on the streets at night. I just noped right out of that as a mother of a little one. I'm at that point in my life where I don't want to read about the deaths of little ones and their mothers. So, I'm DNFing The Orphan Of Florence. Maybe when I am out of this stage of life I will come back to this book.

"In this irresistible historical novel set in the turbulent world of the Medicis, a young woman finds herself driven from pick-pocketing to espionage when she meets a mysterious man.

Giulia has been an orphan all her life. Raised in Florence's famous Ospedale degli Innocenti, her probing questions and insubordinate behavior made her an unwelcome presence, and at the age of fifteen, she was given an awful choice: become a nun, or be married off to a man she didn't love. She chose neither, and after refusing an elderly suitor, Giulia escaped onto the streets of Florence.

Now, after spending two years as a successful pickpocket, an old man catches her about to make off with his purse, and rather than having her carted off to prison he offers her a business proposition. The man claims to be a cabalist, a student of Jewish mysticism and ritual magic, who works for the most powerful families in Florence. But his identity is secret―he is known only as "the Magician of Florence"―and he is in need of an assistant. She accepts the job and begins smuggling his talismans throughout the city.

But the talismans are not what they seem, and neither is the Magician. When Giulia's involvement with him ends with his murder, she's drawn into a treacherous web of espionage and deceit involving the forces of Rome, Naples, and a man known as Lorenzo the Magnificent. Accused of the Magician's murder, Giulia is pursued by the handsome policeman Niccolo, Lorenzo's henchmen, and foreign spies, and in order to survive, she must not only solve the mystery of the mystery of the Magician's murder, but that of her own past."

I am a sucker for the Medicis.

If you read me, you know I adore historical fiction, and one of my favorite places is Florence, Italy! I’ve been there several times and last year spent a wonderful vacation with my husband there, exploring and walking around this fascinating, beautiful, and historical place. No one can visit Florence without hearing about the Medici, and their family history is the subject of many wonderful historical novels.

This story focuses on a street urchin, Guilia, a young girl who poses as a boy to enhance her safety and the safety of the little boy she cares for. She is quick, smart, and plucky. Through a series of events, she is taken in by the “Magician of Florence”, and begins to learn his magic, especially ciphers and codes, and how it ties in to the Medici family. A series of violent and incredible events takes place, and Guilia finds herself running for her life.

I loved this story, and especially liked how it evoked vivid images of Florence/Firenze. This was a lively and intriguing read that fans of historical fiction of this period should enjoy.

Thank you for my review e-copy!

Giulia is an orphan of Florence. Her only choice as a woman of Florence is to marry or become a nun. Giulia believes that neither option works for her. So, she cuts her hair, dresses as a man, and becomes a thief to make a living. When she is caught red-handed pickpocketing a magician, Giulia is forced to become the magician’s apprentice. Giulia learns that the magician is more than what he seems to be. Soon, she finds herself in the midst of murder, secrets, magic, and conspiracies. Florence has turned into a dangerous playground of violence. Can Giulia survive the dark underground of Florence and save her city?

Giulia was a very fun character. I liked her immediately. She reminded me of Katniss Everdeen. She is feisty, stubborn, and a bit sarcastic at times. I also like how she was very loyal to her city and was willing to risk her life to save it. I loved Giulia’s father-daughter relationship with the magician. At first, she distrusts him. However, she realizes the magician’s kindness and learns to care for him as a father. When he is murdered, he is still Giulia’s ray of light in the darkness. He gives her the hope to carry on and survive. Therefore, the relationship between Giulia and the magician was very touching and plays a crucial part in this novel.

Overall, The Orphan of Florence is about love, trust, and believing. Even though the romance was not fully developed in the novel, the characters were realistic and all played an important role in the story. The ending was a bit rushed, but I enjoyed the novel so much that I hope there is a sequel. I thought that because of Giulia’s age and voice, The Orphan of Florence would have worked better as a teen book rather than adult fiction. Still, this novel is a fast-paced fantastical adventure that is full of mystery, suspense, and action.It sucks you in from the very first sentence and is unwilling to let you go even after you have read the last page! I have Mrs. Kalogridis’s novels and loved them. I, Mona Lisa is one of my favorite novels of all time, and this latest work by Mrs. Kalogridis proves that she is still one of the queens of historical fiction! Bravissima!

Beautiful tale. I loved the writing and characters.

This is about two kids that live on the street. They pick pocket to make ends meet. The story is very fast paced. they meet the wrong person and trust him and get separated.

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to read and review this title before it was archived.

I actually downloaded this book on accident. I was completely unaware that I was requesting it.
That being said, it was a lovely story. Great read!
The characters were strong, the plot well developed and the cover marvelous!
I highly recommend this story to anyone browsing for a new favorite book.

This fast-paced, imaginative story marks a return for Jeanne Kalogridis. I have waited years for her next novel to be released and now I've finally read it! I enjoyed the creativity in her story telling: a woman living as a man in Renaissance Italy? Yes, please!

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Giulia, a 15 yr old orphan, is told she will marry an elderly tanner or become a nun. She does neither and goes to the streets as Giuliano, a young man. She took with her 6 yr old Tommaso and together they survive as pick pockets. But, one evening they prey on the kindness of the wrong person and both of their lives are irreversibly changed forever as they are separated.

Reminiscent of the DiVinci stories, this is a fast paced story set in 1478 Florence, Italy. There were some descripive parts that kind of dragged, and I couldn't get totally caught up in the characters. Overall, an okay read.

3☆

I had a hard time getting into this book. It seemed to move extremely slowly. Something simple like running through an alley took pages rather than a sentence. I just couldn't stand the tedium. Since I did not finish the book, I do not intend to publish a review.

I liked the concept of the story, it had a great start. Utvlost a but if steam about halfway through and had a rather thrown together tidy happy ending. Also not a fan of the insta-love between Guilia and Niccolo. They had one major moment of sexual tension and suddenly they're in love at the end.

This book is perfect for lovers of historical fiction and fantasy. This tells the story of Guilia, a young orphan, who ends up at the mercy of a great magician of Italy. In a time and country where magic was seen as something of the devil, she's put in a position where she must decide if she can trust the magician and his claims that his magic is actually a gift from god and is for protection. How will the fateful night where she attempted to pickpocket an elderly man change her life forever? And what will the secrets she's lived with all of her life reveal? The Orphan of Florence is a page turner and while I'm normally not the biggest fan of fantasy type topics like magic, this one wasn't too far fetched to lose my interest.

I'm a sucker for historical novels about streetwise urchins and those about young women who need to disguise themselves as male. The narrator of "The Orphan of Florence" is a streetwise young woman disguising herself as a young man, so I expected to love it. Unfortunately I didn't. In some ways the story was overly obvious (we get it, she really does care about the people close to her, not matter how much she declares otherwise); at other times it was overly convoluted. Similarly, the attitude toward magic was contradictory: The swerve toward magical realism near the end was too abrupt. And the narrator herself, for all that she was touted as being so clever, did some pretty stupid things. Renaissance Florence was well evoked, however, and the story did fly by. Maybe my teenage self would have loved this book much more than my adult self.

I admit, as a writer in the same genre, I'm a bit biased toward books set in Renaissance Italy. But it also means I'm probably a bit more critical as I know the era so well. And about The Orphan of Florence, I loved it. I adored the characters, cheered them on and railed against the bad guys. I loved Giulio/a so much and just could not put the book down--I had to know what was going to happen to her. Kalogridis took some liberties with the Medici history but it was all in the sense of a good rollicking tale. I know that this book will sit with me for weeks to come.

The Orphan of Florence gives the reader a good glimpse into the life and politics in the active city of Florence in the late 1400's when the Medici family was at war with Rome and Pope Sixtus. There is plenty of well-written atmosphere and drama.

Guiliana, the main character, was raised in The Hospital of the Innocents from birth until age 15. Due to her intelligence and feisty, mocking spirit, the Mother Superior was only too happy to see Guiliana reach the age where she would have to either become a nun, or marry whoever the Mother Superior presented as a suitable match for her. Not liking either choice, Guiliana bolts into the city, where she disguises herself as a young boy and survives by picking pockets. A young boy, Tommaso, was refused entrance to the orphanage, and Guiliana takes him under her care. Acting together as a team, they become quite adept at their skill until one day, they pick the wrong target. Guiliana is captured, while Tomasso manages to escape.

Here we come into the mystical, fantasy part of the story as we learn that the kidnapper is the Magician of Florence. Loyal to the Medici's, he is looking for someone to help him as a courier and to serve as his apprentice. Little do we (or Guiliana) know, but he has been searching for her for years and has worked his magic to draw her to him. Of course, he, as does everyone else, believes her to be a boy named Guiliano. Much treason, spying, and betrayals are afoot.

I don't want to give away spoilers so what I can say is limited. This book drew me in and I felt as if I were in Florence myself. I think the cover is misleading, since for 80% of the book's active story Giuliana presented herself as a boy. I did not care for the romantic twist the author inserted; it was not believable and out of character for Guiliana and her strong feelings. I also thought the first 2/3 of the book were well paced and well-written, but the last third seemed a hurried jumble, and the end unsatisfying. Still, if you're a fan of historical fiction/fantasy, this is a good escape from your everyday life.

Many thanks to Netgalley and publisher St. Martin's Griffin for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Orphan of Florence is engaging, entertaining, full of great characters and lots of twists and turns! It's historical fiction in it's setting, but not in its characters which are richly drawn from the writers imagination!

Giulia and her young sidekick Tommaso are orphans on the streets of Florence, who survive by picking pockets, but in a most sophisticated way. Giulia is dresses as a boy for safety, and Tommaso is so adorable he's the ultimate distraction. Then one night Giulia is caught in the act by what seems to be an old, decrepit gentleman, who makes her an incredible offer...the offer of a job. Although not trusting the old man, Giulia takes the job and enters a whole new world. but nothing is what it seems, or what's expected, and Giulia finds herself drawn into something that could kill her or...help her find the answers about her own mysterious past.

Although unlike Jeanne Kalogridis' previous books in topic, The Orphan of Florence quickly grabs your attention and ropes you into the lives of the characters. You will wonder, along with Giulia, who to trust? Who is as they say they are, and who is friend vs. foe? I don't know if the intention is that this become a series, but I can see a set of books that follow Giulia on subsequent adventures...and if Jeanne Kalogridis writes more books with Giulia and her sidekicks, I want to be among the first to read them! I really enjoyed this book!

Giulia was an orphan an in order to survive on the streets she pretended to be a boy. Her life becomes very interesting when she makes the wrong choice. She was brought into the world of magic and every minute she survives is a good one.
You will be brought into a book where every turn of the page keeps you on your feet. The action and suspense is delightful.



** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**