Week 20 Review: The Daughter of Siena

From Goodreads:

Amid the intrigue and danger of 18th-century Italy, a young woman becomes embroiled in romance and treachery with a rider in the Palio, the breathtaking horse race set in Siena....

It's 1729, and the Palio, a white-knuckle horse race, is soon to be held in the heart of the peerless Tuscan city of Siena. But the beauty and pageantry masks the deadly rivalry that exists among the city's districts. Each ward, represented by an animal symbol, puts forth a rider to claim the winner's banner, but the contest turns citizens into tribes and men into beasts—and beautiful, headstrong, young Pia Tolomei is in love with a rider of an opposing ward, an outsider who threatens the shaky balance of intrigue and influence that rules the land.

My Review:

I liked this book. It as a historic one, and I liked how everything went in a circle, from the beginning, to the end, and how it ended nicely, with everyone with a home, and all the characters got what they wanted, not exactly what they thought they wanted, but what they truly needed in the end.

Well, at least the ones that mattered-the ones that didn't, died, which I thought was a rather good ending.

The characters were great, and Pia, I loved her strength, she endured much, betrayals, hurts, and even threats of death. And so did her soon to be mother-in-law. But I don't want to give away too much, so I leave that at that.

The plot was excellent, the setting of Siena was the sort of thing that brought the story to life, because in the plot, Siena was a vital piece, it all came together in a moving and lyrical novel.

I'd recommend this novel to anyone who likes historical romances, or any horse lovers out there, horse racing was vital, as much part of the plot as was Siena, indeed, the 2 where joined.

Author: Marina Fiorato
Read: May 18th, 2011
Source: Library
Reason Why: It sounded really great!
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: May 10th 2011

4/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars