What do readers think of The Daughter of Siena by Marina Fiorato? Write your own review.

The beautiful city of Siena in 1723 is the setting for this lush novel of beauty and violence between the nine contradas of the Sienese people of Italy.
The author creates a complex story of love and greed involving five main characters along with equine "characters," giving the reader a wonderful readable moment of time in historical Italy. A perfect book to read this summer!

I love historical fiction. I thought that the start of the book was a little flat and was waiting for something to "happen". And something did happen. It had a couple of twists that I did not anticipate. I would up enjoying the story.

This book has it all: History, intrigue,romance and a bit of a surprise that I wasn't expecting. The author did a great job spinning a tale that keeps the reader interested to the last page. After finishing it I went to the Internet to look up some of the historical characters and the city of Siena.

Readers who enjoy romance novels will love this book as it is a cut above most of the novels of this genre. The usual components of the romance novel are here, but Fiorato has done her research and is able to provide a believable storyline. Her characters are skillfully drawn.

Marina Fiorato penned a fine historical look at the 1700s in a politically charged Siena. The description of the physical city is captivating. The characters, human and equine, are intriguing. While some of the tale is predictable, on the whole it kept my interest with its unexpected twists. I thoroughly enjoy novels that pique my interest to go look up the actual history of a time, an event, etc.. In this case: contradas, the Palio, and a relook at the reviled Medicis!

The Daughter of Siena is a book I couldn't put down. Having spent my honeymoon in Tuscany with several days in Siena, I came to love this medieval city and thoroughly enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the contrade, the historic rivalries, the hatred of the Medici, the intrigue caused by the papacy and the political machinations surrounding the Palio, the horse race held twice each summer in the Piazza del Campo.

This tale involves political and family plotting and intrigue, murder, torture, love, romance, mystery, patricide, infanticide, a damsel in distress, vote rigging, allegorical artwork, an appreciation of horses and always, the city of Siena. Women in early 18th Century Italy were pawns – used to marry off for political or financial advantage and treated as chattel. But in this story we are introduced to two women of substance – Pia and Violetta – both strong and compassionate survivors; both enduring unfathomable heartache; both looking to Bruno – a farrier’s son as a savior. Was the story predictable? Yes. Did it matter? Not really. I will certainly look for other works by Marina Fiorato.

'Daughter of Siena' held my attention throughout with its history of the Palio and the vivid descriptions of Siena. While many of the twists and turns of the story were foreseeable, that did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. A very entertaining read.

I got this book on Thursday and finished it on Saturday. The plotting was just a little too pat but the story is gripping and the writing made for a very good reading experience..in other words I couldn't put it down.