The Stars Compel

Rating:
Summary: Historical fantasy or cookbook - you decide
Review: This is not a stand alone novel, so I advise you to read "The Stars Dispose" before tackling this one. I regretted not having the first novel on hand to refer to, since the plotting of this story and constant references to the earlier book left me a little adrift. Roessner's development of Caterina and Tomasso was a pleasure, but the entire cast was more than a little confusing. When reading of Tomasso's family roots, take notes, or even fill out a family tree, because it gets complicated. The settings and description were just as rich as in "Dispose;" it makes your mouth water to envision all the food. The pacing was not as enjoyable, however, and it felt like a lot of the description of Tomasso's life was filling to pad between the action sequences. It was well written filling, but not attention-grabbing. I only really felt that clenching in my heart at the very end of this novel, but I was on the edge of my seat the whole time with "Dispose." Roessner really brings that historical era alive, and I'm looking forward to researching Caterina's real life. Despite my complaints, I'm also looking forward to the next book in the series.