REVIEW: The Stars Compel by Michaela Roessner

The Stars Compel by Michaela Roessner
Format: Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Tor Books (Sep 2000)
ISBN-10: 0812550153
ISBN-13: 978-0812550153
Reviewer: Cara
Copy: Bought secondhand

From the back of the book:
Set in Renaissance Florence and Rome, this fantasy retelling of the life of Catherine de' Medici is as beautiful and as richly magical as the works of the great artists who people its pages.

Tommaso Arista has been named the personal chef to the Duchessina Catherine de' Medici, the only legitimate heir of the staggering Medici fortune and titles. Tommaso, both a chef and an artist, is from a family bound to the Dukes of Florence by centuries of both service and blood, family in all but name.

Together they leave Florence when her uncle, Pope Clement, calls her to Rome to use her and her dowry in his political manoeuverings with the crowns of Europe. But Catherine has other plans for her future, and they do not include marriage to the younger son of the King of France.

**This review contains spoilers for The Stars Dispose**

The Stars Compel continues the story of Tommaso and Catherine de Medici (known as Caterina here), though in this book the location moves from Florence to Rome. My view is that it is essential to read the first book, The Stars Dispose, before this one, as it places the relationship between Caterina and her servant and confidante, Tommaso in context. Read my review here. With hindsight, I should have reviewed both books together as they are so closely linked. Having read them in direct succession, my feeling is that they could easily be combined into one, albeit large, book. I have read online that Michaela Roessner is working on a third book in the series, but as The Stars Compel was published 10 years ago, this may not be correct. However, if she does, I will be first in the queue to read it!

What sets The Stars Compel apart from other historical novels dealing with the early life of Catherine de Medici is twofold. As Tommaso, the central character from whose viewpoint the story is written, is a chef, food is a major feature of his life. He is also from a family of strega (Italian witches) so magic plays a significant role and places the book firmly in the realm of speculative fiction. Caterina wears a protective amulet, infused with the spirit of Tomasso's sister Ginevra, who speaks to Caterina from beyond the grave.

If you love food, then your mouth will be watering as you read this book. Tomasso is now Caterina's personal chef and the descriptions of the food he prepares and banquets he attends are so vivid you can almost taste them. Michaela Roessner's research into what Renaissance Italians ate is extensive, as most of the dishes are not what we today consider typical Italian fare, given that tomatoes, potatoes and chilli peppers, for example, were 'New World' plants and thus not available to the chefs of the day. The following describes a midmorning repast for a small gathering of 4 or 5 in Caterina's rooms:

"... buffet of veal sweetbread pastries, smoked mussels, a timbal of cod tripe, a salad of bitter greens garnished in the Tuscan style with olive oil and ciocavallo cheese, grilled squares of buckwheat polenta shot through and through with tender leeks, and that Milanese sweet, panettone."

Tommaso is also an artist, apprenticed to Il Tribolino in Florence and then the great Michelangelo (also his lover) in Rome. While he learns to sculpt marble, he is also applying his artistic techniques to his food. In one important scene, he has created a classical Greek scene, with landscape, temple and astrological statues, all made from pastry, a variety of forms of sugar, herbs and the like. Throughout The Stars Compel, food and art are inextricably linked, just as in the character of Tommaso. His relationship with Michelangelo, while maintained in secret, adds a further dimension. Whether such relationships were commonplace in the Renaissance or not, it is hard to tell from the book, but certainly, young as Tommaso is, he has no misgivings about being involved in a homosexual relationship despite the predominance of the Church (and fear of hell and damnation) in all aspects of daily life.

Caterina is a young girl, legitimate heir to the Medici titles and fortune, but a pawn in the political game played by her uncle, Pope Clement VII. Being female, she has no control in who she is to be married to - that is decided by her (male) legal guardian. Pope Clement is determined to marry her into the French royal family to strengthen his political alliances. Caterina, on the other hand, is equally determined that this political marriage will not take place, preferring instead to marry her distant cousin, Ippolito de Medici, who at the beginning of the book has been made a cardinal against his wishes. As anyone who knows even the littlest amount about Caterina in history is aware, she is destined to be a notorious Queen of France. What becomes clear is that she is politically astute from an early age and while reading The Stars Compel, I often forgot how young she was, being only eleven in the opening chapter.

The magic (and fantastical element) of The Stars Compel centres around the witchcraft of the hereditary strega. The Kitchen Goddess is the principle deity, and Tomasso's mother invokes her power to protect Caterina, using her deceased daughter's spirit. Cats, too play a significant role here. Although the magic is hidden and takes place behind the scenes for the most part, it underpins much of the book. The story of Caterina is but a chapter in the grand war between the forces of good and evil, and, like the role of food in the overall tale, is an additional dimension to a fascinating piece of history.

Plot: 9
Characters: 9
Style: 9

Overall rating 9/10