Title:  The Stone Witch of Florence  
Author:   Anna Rasche       
Genre:  Fantasy, historical fiction   
Rating: 4 out of 5

Ancient sorcery. Magic gemstones. Only one woman can save a city in ruins…

1348. As the Black Plague ravages Italy, Ginevra di Gasparo is summoned to Florence after nearly a decade of lonely exile. Ginevra has a gift—harnessing the hidden powers of gemstones, she can heal the sick. But when word spread of her unusual abilities, she was condemned as a witch and banished. Now the same men who expelled Ginevra are begging for her return. Ginevra obliges, assuming the city’s leaders are finally ready to accept her unorthodox cures amid a pandemic. But upon arrival, she is tasked with a much different she must use her collection of jewels to track down a ruthless thief who is ransacking Florence’s churches for priceless relics—the city’s only hope for protection. If she succeeds, she’ll be a recognized physician and never accused of witchcraft again. But as her investigation progresses, Ginevra discovers she’s merely a pawn in a much larger scheme than the one she’s been hired to solve. And the dangerous men behind this conspiracy won’t think twice about killing a stone witch to get what they want…

This was a tiny bit slow at first, but it grew on me quickly. Pretty depressing setting, unfortunately—I mean everyone is dying horrifically of the plague—but it’s well-done. Ginevra is an interesting character, if a bit naïve, but I enjoyed reading both of her timelines and seeing what made her the way she was. A solid historical fiction read.

Anna Rasche lives in Brooklyn. The Stone Witch of Florence is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Park Row in exchange for an honest review.)

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