The Stars Dispose

Set in Renaissance Florence, 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.
When Catherine was born, she was the sole legitimate heir to a great fortune and great power. But her father had died before she was born, and her mother died only a few weeks afterward, leaving the child to the guardianship of the pope and the fosterage of servants.
From this beginning, Roessner tells an intimate story, of the servant families of the Medici who practice the secret magics of the kitchen and hearth. The Befanini family is bound to the Medici by blood and oaths, through children born on the wrong side of the blanket, recognized but not legitimate. Thomas, the son of Catherine's foster mother, is bound particularly to Catherine by magic and love, for he is destined to become Catherine's chef, and to that end he is not only taught the arts of the kitchen but is apprenticed out to a sculptor, and befriended by the great Michelangelo. But war intervenes in the charted courses of these children, and in the struggles between the pope and the German emperor and the city of Florence itself, their futures - and their very lives - are set at risk.

Renaissance fantasy set in Florence in the late 1520s, from the author of Vanishing Point (1993). The narrative revolves around young Tommaso Arista, apprentice chef and sculptor, who's the son of master chef Gentile and occultist Piera; by tradition the Aristas are servants of the Ruggieros, a family of magicians who in turn serve the ruling Medicis. Food and its preparation frequently dominate the proceedings. While the plot follows the major historical events of the times--the deposing of the Medicis in favor of a republic, and their eventual restoration; the advent of the Black Death; and the intrusion of the armies of the Holy Roman Empire--Roessner represents these events as stages in an arcane struggle on the astral plane, where forces and creatures from other realities and dimensions attempt to influence matters in this world. These occult conflicts, in which the Ruggieros and Piera Arista figure prominently, are intricate, abstruse, and almost impossible to follow. Somehow, Confessions of a Florentine Foodie collided with The Young Sorcerer's Guide to the Occult, producing a rich but indigestible stew. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

In astrological parlance, the stars dispose one to certain ends rather than fixing them firmly. Roessner's new novel takes on the richness of its Renaissance Florentine setting and the endless intrigues of the Medici family and their rivals. As Roessner unfolds her story, the Medicis were as consumed by the pleasures of the table as by politics. The novel's protagonist, a young cook, shows his skills both at the table and in the world of high art; he even has an affair with Michelangelo. Fictional characters mix with historical personages to tell the story of Catherine de Medici's ascent to power through the complexities of sixteenth-century history. To help readers keep track of all the Tuscan names, Roessner provides a table distinguishing the real from the fanciful. She also appends recipes and a glossary of Florentine food terminology for those curious to re-create some of the book's less common dishes. Mark Knoblauch

Set in Renaissance Florence, this historical fantasy features Catherine de Medici, her astrologer, and her chef. The book abounds in colorful descriptions of the city and its people, but the focal point is food and its preparation; there are even recipes and a food glossary. Highly recommended for fantasy collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.