This ebook was provided by NetGalley but the review is my own.

I found this book quite a fascinating idea. The ability to go back to the Italian Renaissance by the side of a young woman who is learning about an ability that places her at the very cross hairs of the authorities and those in power. Being useful to one and thought of a witch by both. Having a look at the plague at its most viral and learning about what it must have been like to actual be there trying to survive. The visceral feel of this idea kept me going even when occasionally I hit a bump in the road and gave that booklovers hmmph.

The history, the mystery of stolen church artifacts, the descriptions of the villages, people, different areas of Italy were engrossing and well done. What weighs this story down is the magical realism that becomes a character itself. Unfortunately for me, one I lost interest in. There were times it just didn't need to be the player on the stage. Pages where although our main characters are quite young and make mistakes your reaction was, not again. And although this is all backed up by a mystery that started off as a challenge it quickly lost its appeal as the most important, why, was answered almost immediately.

This is not too say the book is unreadable just that you may find yourself reading bit by bit instead of devouring it. There are a few surprises hidden in this and they are worthwhile but at the end of the day I recommend borrowing the title first to see how you feel. Good read but not on my to be kept list.

Formerly banished from 14th century Florence as a witch for her use of the hidden power of gemstones, Ginevra di Gasparo is suddenly begged to return to Florence at the height of a Plague outbreak (she is immune because of the stones). Hoping to be reinstated as a citizen and perhaps even accepted as a doctor, Ginevra returns to discover her healing skills are not required, rather, she is asked to find out who is stealing the most sacred relics of Florence so they can be restored to the city and heal its people. Which she thinks is bizarre and has no clue on how to proceed, but what can you do but try?
And this is a BAD case of plague (I looked it up - about 2/3 caught it and most died). Ginevra is wandering through a ghost city full of empty homes and businesses, with only the corpse collector as a regular on the street. Ginevra eventually finds allies, and naturally, there is far more than to the disappearing of relics than mere greed or fear. This gives a fascinating view of plague ridden Florence at street level, gruesome and horrifying. The actions of many survivors are unexpected and often bizarre. Ginevra finds herself in much more danger than even plague can bring. The story is a bit slow and meandering and fairly predictable. Ginevra is not that compelling a character, but the secondary characters are quite intriguing. The magical elements seem more a plot device than particularly interesting. More interesting for the setting than anything else.

📚🇮🇹 BOOK REVIEW! [e-ARC] 🇮🇹📚

The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche
Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Length: 368 pages
Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book. The opinions stated are my own.

Synopsis:
It is the year 1348 A.D. in the middle of the Black Plague in Italy. Ginevra di Gasparo gets a mysterious letter summoning her back to her hometown in Florence to find missing saint relics that have been stolen from several churches. She is a known healer who uses the somewhat heretical-seeming methods of using gemstones to get results, and since she is immune to contracting the disease, the local Bishop has signed her up for the job. He also has promised that the charges placed against her for being a 'witch' will be dropped if she is successful. Ginevra has nothing to lose, but she becomes aware that this quest has many obstacles, some hidden even behind the guise of the Catholic church.

Opinion:
This was easily a 5-star read for me! I absolutely loved how the author used her own knowledge and trade of being a gemologist and historian of precious stones to insert so much factual information into a tale that is compelling, heart-warming, and exciting to read! I loved how she made me really see through the eyes of the Florentine people during a terrible time in history and I found Ginevra to be a strong and heroic main character. I highly recommend this book - I think it spans interest to many different genres readers. Now I want to go to Italy even more!

3.5/5 ⭐️
I’m sad cause I think this author’s prose is very lovely and engaging enough that I kept going even though by the end of each chapter I would be glazing over waiting for it to be over. I think its biggest downfall for me personally was its narrative style and the format the story was in.
The narration was tough because it flipped flopped. Because of the flip flopping style, I couldn’t get a sense of tone. At times I thought it’s serious and historical like Madeline Miller’s stories. Other times it’s silly like Monty python and Ella enchanted. Then there was the random head hopping. But it was also omniscient and sped through the story. Which gave it the sort of history book vibe. And because of the speed. I never connected to the character. Never cared for her.
Then the way the story was told felt weird. Like it’s marketed as a witch asked to return from exile to aid with the plague but actually it’s not to heal but to find stolen relics but actually that took up barely any of the book because we were hopping back and forth between the past and present. And to be honest, I didn’t really see why her past was important. It felt like the backstory the author writes for themself to flesh out their character.
I think this story had potential, but I think it needed to simmer on the stovetop some more before being published. I think all this was useful, but shouldn’t have been the final draft. I think it either needed to be told from beginning to end, or maybe she told the boy her story while they searched for the relics. But that means actually spending time in the front story instead of the back. Like the story was marketed one way but it felt like it was barely important.
Thank you to the NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

I was completely captivated by the opening pages. I thought I had found what would become one of my top books of the year. The writing was so strong, so evocative. The pacing was perfection. I could picture it as a movie.

Then, the record scratch moment, if you will. We go wayyyy back in time to when the main character was a child. What a disappointment. All our wonderful forward momentum stalled.

I kept reading, and I did enjoy the story. The author writes beautifully on a line level, and the sensory details and scene work are fabulous. Truly top notch.

However, the pacing dragged for me, I'm sorry to say. And that sense of seeing what the character sees and experiencing what they see -- which was so strong in the opening pages -- ultimately fell apart. There were many spots where the author was instead telling the reader instead of letting us experience what was happening through the character's viewpoint.

Wonderful descriptions and I loved the gemstone magical system.

Mainly I wish that Ginerva's history / background had been shortened or, better yet, woven into the main "current story time" narrative with (very brief!) flashbacks.

I will certainly read this author's next work, which I hope sticks to a tighter, faster pace.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin/Park Row for this e-galley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are 100% my own.

First and foremost, thank you to Anna Rasche for writing this story. Honestly, this is the first ARC in a while that I thoroughly enjoyed! Coming from more of a Romantasy background, I didn’t know what to expect with this one but was pleasantly surprised with how fast I was sucked in to the story and Anna’s writing.

I felt like Ginevra was a close friend and was honestly so comforted by her essence and character. She felt nostalgic to me in a way that I can’t properly explain. I truly love what she symbolized in her quest to defy the odds and challenge beliefs. The story itself kept me thoroughly engaged as I felt as though I never knew what to expect next. There were a ton of twists and turns and I never knew what was around the next corner.

I really loved how Anna used her knowledge of gemology and her extensive research to inform this novel. The time and care she took with her research and preparation shown brightly through this novel and was a huge factor in why I was so engaged - there was a hint of truth amidst the fantasy. This book alone has inspired me to explore historical fiction as a new favorite genre!

Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row Books/Harper Collins for providing me this copy in exchange for an honest review! <3

A very interesting premise, much of it with a factual basis, that was a bit hot and cold for me. The main character is a healing woman before the witch hunts but when women in general weren't allowed to be doctors (1348, Florence, Italy), but is called to investigate stolen relics during the Plague. The healing was interesting, the Plague descriptions horrifying but also fascinating, and I learned more about relics and their history. However, it sometimes felt like this was written by two different people - the characters' personalities weren't consistent, the pacing was off, and I wasn't gripped as I thought I would be. It felt longer than it is. The author is a gemologist and this is her first novel and I'd say it's worth a read because of the unique subject.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, which follows.

The stone magic was beautifully crafted, one of the more intriguing parts of the novel. The other parts I loved were the relationships between Ginevra, the gravedigger was genius, and their interactions at the apothecary.

There are some scenes that are beautifully touching and immersive, but where the author truly shines is her relationships with Ginevra. The author does a wonderful job of bringing me closer to how Ginevra moved at different stages in her life. I believed the responses of a curious tween, a disgruntled teen, and an elder whose hermitage was intruded upon.

I didn’t love some of the head hopping that occurred. For example, we see Ginevra entering a home and thinking to cure it’s inhabitant, and then for a page we go into the sick woman’s head, which was confusing, distracting, and pulled away from the experience. The times later that we jumped in Lucia’s head again were random and too sparse in the context of the entire story. I would have rather stayed with Ginevra or had an alternating POV.

Some reviews on the more negative side were taken out of the time because of the language used. I felt the reading sometimes was more modern, but I also am a reader that has no issue with avoiding medieval writing - to me it would have been obnoxious if the author would have tried it, and I would have DNF’d it. (Not throwing shade, thee doeth thee if that’s your thing).

The story started to slow down about midpoint, but like the rest of the novel, it goes in waves. I’d find myself pretty into scene and then we’d get quiet and introspective, and I’d take a break from reading. Some things I couldn’t quite resolve were why Ginevra was meant to find the missing relics? To cure the city, I get it… but… that piece of the plot didn’t come together until a bit later than I liked.

All that said, I was satisfied with the ending and the story was pleasant. The Author’s note made me really want to cheer for the author. This debut is a good promise for this author’s future stories.

What a beautifully written book full of history and fantasy. This book captures the lore of the magical powers of certain stones. I was entranced from the first page and kept reading late into a few nights. Ginevra is a fascinating character who grows and changes into a strong woman while trying to protect mankind. This is a well researched book and it shows in the writing. Very highly recommended!

I received a copy of the book from Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions in my review are entirely my own.

ThThe Stone Witch is an excellent blend of historical fiction and fantasy. When Ginerva, the witch, is summoned back to Florence, the city in which she was branded a heretic and witch, she returns. Given the task of finding the holy relics stolen from the churches, she is thrust into a mystery. She sees the dead and dying and tries to intervene at the risk of being pronounced a heretic again.
e Stone Witch is an excellent blend of historical fiction and fantasy. When Ginerva, the witch, is summoned back to Florence, the city in which she was branded a heretic and witch, she returns. Given the task of finding the holy relics stolen from the churches, she is thrust into a mystery. She sees the dead and dying and tries to intervene at the risk of being pronounced a heretic again.

A young woman in medieval Florence is cast out when her simple cures are taken as witchcraft. As soon as the Black Plague finds its way to Florence she is welcomed back with open arms. Her cures consist of working with gemstones and are effective but soon she is caught up in something she isn't prepared for - catching a thief who is stealing relics out of the churches. Once again she is cast as a villain when all she wants is to be admitted to the medical guild. Horrific conditions, superstitions and the politics of the church told through the eyes of a colorful cast of characters and one woman's quest to belong in a man's world. Wonderful storytelling that fans of Ariana Franklin's MISTRESS IN THE ART OF DEATH will love. Thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

This book just didn't pull me in the way I'd hoped. It was ok but not gripping. I guess I just didn't like the MC. Other readers may enjoy it.

This was a very interesting work of historical fiction - set in an era I know little about ( the Middle Ages- Black plague) in my favorite city Florence Italy. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.
I loved Ginevra as a heroine. She had a gift for healing and has especially been learning to use stones/ gems. When the reader meets her she has endured many difficulties and was exiled from Florence and her lover. She is called back by the city leaders for help with dealing with the plague outbreak and specifically the theft of religious relics in the city.
The first part of the story was paced slowly with little happening. There are many flashbacks to the earlier parts of her life that brought her to the point of returning to Florence. The pace then escalated to a frenetic thriller.
It intrigued me how the writing style really seemed to fit the times written about and one could almost believe they were there in the story. I loved the description of the landmarks of Florence. I also learned more about the whole concept of religious relics and how the Catholic Church operated in this time period.
This is a book with unforgettable characters, an interesting plot and a very unique premise.
Looking forward to more from this author!

I like the premise of the book, but the execution was lacking. It seemed liked satire at times because the characters were so one dimensional.

4.5 stars

Anna Rasche’s The Stone Witch of Florence is a captivating historical novel that expertly blends magic, mystery, and medieval intrigue. Set against the backdrop of the Black Plague in 1348 Florence, the story follows Ginevra di Gasparo, a healer with a unique gift for harnessing the powers of gemstones. Banished for her abilities and now called back to a city in desperate need, Ginevra faces an unexpected challenge: tracking down a thief targeting sacred relics.

Rasche’s portrayal of Ginevra is both compelling and nuanced. Her struggle with societal rejection and her quest for redemption are portrayed with depth, making her journey through the plague-ridden city all the more engaging. The intrigue surrounding the theft of sacred relics adds a thrilling layer to the narrative, as Ginevra navigates a web of deception and danger.

The rich historical setting is vividly brought to life, and the blend of magical elements with historical detail creates an immersive reading experience. The novel’s pacing and suspense keep the reader hooked, with well-developed characters and a plot full of twists.

While the resolution may feel a bit predictable, The Stone Witch of Florence is a standout in historical fantasy, offering an enchanting and gripping tale.

The Stone Witch of Florence is beautifully written. The characters are complex and fully realized and the imagery is outstanding. I felt like I was in the midst of the plague. I also loved the blending of magical realism and historical fiction. Magical stones and a protagonist who is adept at feeling what is needed. What the plague caused different characters to do felt very real, particularly when Rasche describes the corruption of higher officials in the Church of Rome, but still manages to make an Inquisitor a sympathetic character!

There is also the centuries old condemnation of heretics and witches. The protagonist, Ginevra, was banished at the hands of powerful men who claimed she was a witch despite the fact she was healing the citizens of Florence. Rasche weaves her past and present story together to give us a complete story from child to adult. Fortunately, Ginevra never loses her compassion and works hard to temper it with wisdom.

Called back to Florence to help the Bishop and Inquisitor discover who is stealing relics from the city’s churches, Ginevra befriends Lucia, who has been abandoned by her husband, and the Inquisitor, Michele, who is terrified of contracting the plague. Both Lucia and Michele and later, a couple of other friends play a crucial role in helping Ginevra conquer her past while helping the citizens of Florence. Rasche also gives us a villain who isn’t a true villain, adding to the overall story, and main plot line.

Reviewers Note: The Author’s Note is definitely worth reading! The amount of research Rasche did for this book is truly inspiring and her job as a gemologist and jewelry historian greatly add to the authenticity of the story.

Ginevra is a healer and we follow her in 1300s, Italy.
Plot 3.5
Characterisation 4.5 (oh, the humour)
Prose 4
Mood 4.5
Quite engaging, witty, fun and ironically modern.

The setting of this historical fiction novel is the Middle Ages in Florence and Genoa during the bubonic plague. The protagonist is a woman, Ginevra, who has magical healing talents. The antagonists are men in power, superstitions and the plague.

Ginevra is a plucky, interesting character who is tasked with finding the culprit who has stolen relics that have healing powers from the churches. If she succeeds she is promised that her banishment (because she is accused of being a witch) will be lifted but most importantly she will be allowed to join the society of doctors and grocers.

But of course there are dangerous power seeking men, nobles and church officials who wish to use the present circumstances to enhance their wealth and influence. Mayhem ensues.

The special attraction of this book is the abundance of information about what was thought to be the healing power of stones, the dangers of society toward women, who had no power and no voice, and the rich description of the effects of the plague. (bodies, smells, vomit everywhere).

I appreciated the depth of research that went into this story, the complexity of the characters and the fast pace of the story telling.

This was a great read! I enjoyed the writing style, the characters and the rich history throughout. The magic was believable and you can tell the author did a lot of research to make this book the beauty that it is. Would definitely recommend!

The Stone Witch is set in medieval Florence with actual magic. Ginevra wants to clear her name and return to the city she loved. She tries to uncover the mystery of the missing relics and along the way changes people's lives as well as her own.

I enjoyed the book. The medieval feel was well written and the characters full of life. There's laughter and tears as Ginevra goes through life in the old city. I hope Rasche writes more stories is this old city.