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

REVIEW: The Stars Dispose by Michaela Roessner

The Stars Dispose by Michaela Roessner

Paperback: 416 pages

Publisher: Tor Books (28 Dec 1998)

ISBN-10: 0812550145

ISBN-13: 978-0812550146

Copy: Bought secondhand

Reviewer: Cara

From the back of the book:

Here is the tale of young Tommaso de Befanini, whose family has practiced the secret magics of the kitchen and hearth through many generations of the Medici dynasty. Trained in the culinary arts, befriended by the great Michelangelo himself, Tommaso seems destined for a life as a master chef. But when war and intrigue threaten the city's future, Tommaso finds himself playing a crucial role in a grand and intricate mystical design.

The Stars Dispose is more than just an historical novel set in Florence in the early 16th century; it has at it's heart the magic of the strega, Italian witches. This, combined with alchemy, underpins the events detailed in the novel; the political machinations of the de Medici and their enemies, plague and the siege of the city. Michaela Roessner's research is impeccable, mixing fact with the lives of her characters and producing a novel that is, in my view compelling reading.

Tommaso de Befanini is the central character, son of the head chef of the Ruggiero family, he is already in training to follow in his father's footsteps. His mother's family have run the kitchens of the de Medici for generations and they are strega, hearth witches with considerable power. Thoughout the book, their attention is focussed on the safekeeping of young Caterina, the heir to the Medici family and Tommaso's mother, Piera, plays a leading role in ensuring the safety of the young girl. Tommaso plays a central role in the protection of Caterina and although only 11 at the start of the book, he shows a maturity beyond his years. Childhood is short in Renaissance Italy and Tommaso accepts his responsibilities with good grace. At times I forgot how young he was, given that he had considerable culinary skills which he put to good use when apprenticed to Il Tribolino, the sculptor. He was also the lover of Michelangelo, creator of the Cistine Chapel ceiling fresco in the Vatican and the statue of David, which to our modern day morality is abhorrent but was acceptable behaviour in Florence at that time. Certainly Tommaso was a willing participant in the affair and this subject is dealt with sensitively and without prejudice. Whatever we may think of this relationship, it was not unusual at that time and indeed, at no point is it portrayed as abusive or exploitative. 

Food too plays a significant role in The Stars Dispose, which, given that most of the central characters work in the kitchens of Florence's leading families, is appropriate. I have often wondered what Italian food was like before the introduction of the tomato from the Americas. Well, now I know! Meals are lovingly and skillfully prepared by Tommaso's family and Michaela Roessner even provides us with several recipes at the end of the  book.

The magic intrigued me from the outset. Piera is a highly adept witch and she uses her skills in the protection of the young Caterina de Medici. We see her perform blood magic rituals to ensure the young girl's safety during the dark times facing Florence. She is part of a network of witches within the city, all of whom co-operate behind the scenes. Piera also communicates with higher powers, using astral projection to converse with these mysterious magical beings. Her employer, Ruggiero is an alchemist and occultist; he casts horoscopes and scrys the future, using his own magical skills. The focus of all this magic is ensuring that Caterina, and indeed the city of Florence, is protected from the political machinations of the Pope in Rome. Dark shadows abound in Florence, most notably in the form of Alessandro, the illegimate son of the Pope and another member of the Medici family. When plague comes to the city, Tommaso sees dark spectres in the streets, instruments of a dark power intent on destroying Florence and the de Medici. He also sees them when the city is besieged by Charles, the Holy Roman Emperor and ally of the Pope. They are portents of what might be should the magic of Piera and her strega coven fail.

I enjoy historical fiction and The Stars Dispose is a particularly well written and researched novel. The addition of magic enhances the atmosphere and tension throughout the book and personally I was fascinated by it. Roessner's writing draws the reader into the world of Renaissance Italy, a place where the magic of the strega is part of the life of the city. The intrigue and politics are complex and dark, with both sides manipulating situations with magic and occult arts which go well beyond the bounds of superstition. It is the acceptance of magic as the norm that places this book firmly in the realm of speculative fiction. It also lifts this book from a good historical novel to an excellent one. 

The sequel, The Stars Compel continues with the entwined story of Tommaso and the young Caterina, now infamous in French history as Catherine de Medici.

Plot: 9

Characters: 9

Style: 9

Overall rating 9/10