Set in Renaissance Florence, Florenzer explores the lives of three men who made mark on Florence’s history: an artist, a priest, and a banker.

Leonardo da Vinci, a child of twelve, dreams of becoming an artist while his father wants him to become notary like him. Francesco Salviati, also a bastard as Leonardo, dedicates himself to the Catholic Church. And Lorenzo de’ Medici, a young son of one of the most influential families of its time, soon to be ruling over Florence.

This richly depicted historical drama explores the pursuits of three men who become distinguished in their endeavors. Also, bringing to surface the time when gay men such as Leonardo were often persecuted.

This character-driven story takes time in vivid depiction, giving the reader the front seat to the events. The characters are complex and fascinating revealing their vulnerable side. Thus, as result, touching upon human emotions.

The passion for the subject and the eloquence of the language are evident in this storytelling.

Florenzer is a richly atmospheric novel that brings renaissance Florence to life through the lives of Leonardo da Vinci, Lorenzo de' Medici, and Francesco Salviati. Loosely based on real events, it’s a detailed reimagining packed with art, politics, and drama.

Melanson’s writing is so vivid. His descriptions feel like they’re jumping off the page. His prose is poetic, especially when he;s writing about art or the internal conflict of the characters.

The story rotates between the three aforementioned characters but it has an omniscient voice which is interesting since there’s no shift in tone between each POV. This was sometimes difficult to keep track of but also a clearly intentional narrative decision.

Leonardo’s chapters stood out the most maybe due to my own familiarity with him as a historical figure compared to the others. I really appreciated the character list because there is a huge case of characters and it helps to have something to refer to.

If you're into renaissance history (or loved The Marriage Portrait), this one’s for you.

Thank you to the author and publisher for giving me a free arc in exchange for a review.

“Sodomy exists anywhere there are men with cocks and men with holes. Which is everywhere, really, except for the convents—and there the nuns have their own methods.”

This was so good I’m actually losing it. I have always been a fan of historical reimagines like this, and I loved the way the author wove the 3 men’s lives together. My favorite was definitely Leonardo, but all 3 narratives were compelling and I never wanted to skip any of them. The descriptions were extremely lush too. I loved the way the art was described, and that expanded to the setting. 100% a must read for fans of Medici (2016) or o’farrells the marriage portrait. Despite being 400 pages it didn’t drag and i couldn’t put it down.

5 stars!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest rating.

Florenzer by Phil Melanson is intricately crafted and well written, but this is unfortunately not for me. I had much trouble connecting with the characters and setting myself in the story. I'm disappointed this wasn't for me but this will hit for a lot of people. I DNFed it somewhere in the first third and continuing it will only lessen my enjoyment, so I'm stopping.

This was one of the most beautifully descriptive books i have read in a long time. It was full of intricate details that made it feel like you had been transported to another world. I found the story incredibly captivating one of those books you just cant put down. My one gripe was with how hard i found it to keep up with the timing i wish there had been more dates throughout the book so i could better keep up with when events were happening. Overall one of the best books l've read so far this year

got this arc from netgalley, i love honesty, consider this a disclaimer!

ok so. i think this is my pro-gay bias talking (lol), but i found the leonardo chapters much more captivating than salviati's or lorenzo's. actually, i also really enjoyed salviati because the man is just so, so tortured, and i love to see it. lorenzo was a much more boring character, but i think that's because watching a rich boy destroy the financial empire handed to him when he was too young and egomaniacal to be reasonable about it is kind of boring? it's obvious. maybe that's part of the point, actually. i don't know.

but leonardo? extremely complex compelling. also extremely tortured. my favourite type of character.

i devoured this book. it is beautifully written to my tastes. it seems very historically grounded to me, although i will have to admit i don't know enough about the actual history to know if i am lying about that. it feels very human, and i admire that. i hope phil melanson keeps writing, because i would love to see what else he can do. i don't have a long, analytical review because i don't have anything to nitpick and i don't know how to compliment books beyond recommending them to people. i already told my dad to read this when he comes out. that's how good my opinion is. so, absolutely do recommend, would read again, etc.

This book is beautifully descriptive. You can almost smell and taste on each page how Italy was at that time! However, it was too dense for me with so many characters to keep track of! It is not a “light weekend” read! You will need to spend a lot of time with this story! 3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️!

Florenzer by Phil Melanson was a departure from my usual reading choices, but I was intrigued by the premise—a novel set in Renaissance-era Florence, weaving together the lives of a banker, a priest, and a young Leonardo da Vinci. When I first picked it up, I thought, Oh, gay 1400s Italy? Sounds fun! However, I quickly realized that the combination of intricate historical detail and dense storytelling required more focus than I had anticipated.

I initially struggled to get into the book, as Melanson’s writing style felt more like a movie script—highly visual and descriptive, but not always immersive for me. That being said, his ability to paint vivid scenes is undeniable. His passion for the subject matter is evident on every page, and I appreciated the meticulous care he put into crafting this world.

The novel picked up for me in the second half as the action intensified. While I wasn’t particularly invested in Francesco Salviati or Lorenzo de’ Medici’s chapters—likely due to my limited prior knowledge of their historical significance—I was completely captivated by every chapter featuring Leonardo. If the book had focused more on him, with Salviati and Medici serving as secondary characters, I think I would have been more engaged from the start. But, of course, that wasn’t Melanson’s vision, and I respect the creative choices he made.

One aspect I truly appreciated was how the novel encouraged me to research historical events and figures. I found myself pausing my reading to look up biographical details, which ultimately deepened my understanding of the time period. My only critique is that the chapter headings, marked only with Roman numerals, made it difficult at times to discern whose perspective I was following. Including character names at the beginning of chapters would have helped with clarity, especially for readers unfamiliar with all three historical figures.

Overall, while Florenzer wasn’t entirely within my comfort zone, I found it to be a beautifully written novel. Melanson is an incredibly talented writer, and it’s clear that this book was a labor of love. I look forward to seeing what he writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company | Liveright for the advanced copy.

Florenzer covers topics that interest me a lot. The daily lives of Leonardo DaVinci and Lorenzo deMedici could make for some fascinating reading. Unfortunately, author Phil Melanson finds himself consumed with minutiae, detailing the smallest things. 400 pages is a lot to wade through when you find yourself buried in trivia. I was unable to maintain my interest and gave up. Perhaps in the hands of a different author or better editor this book might have enthralled me.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.