It was an interesting concept but I couldn't lose myself in the story so it took a long time for me to finish. It was fun reading about the food of the time and I liked the protagonist a lot. ( )

Excellently written, very evocative, enjoyed the characters, all that, but it just kind of...ended. The climax was not very climactic. Ah well. If you enjoy tales of the Italian Renaissance, I do recommend it. ( )

http://tamaranth.blogspot.com/1999/11/stars-compel-michaela-roessner.html ( )

http://www.lonelymountain.net/books/jan09.html#roessnertsd ( )

The word for this book is rich: rich in history, rich in magic and rich in food. This is the second volume of the Stars series, the first being The Stars Dispose. The Stars Compel continues the story of Tommaso Arista, personal chef to an adolescent Caterina de’ Medici. For those familiar with the first book, the location has moved from Florence, Italy to Rome, but the intrigue, art, occult and culinary vibrancy are still present.

Caterina, order to Rome by her guardian and cousin, Pope Clement settles in with a great-aunt on the de’ Medici side of her family. Almost immediately, she is wept into deep social and political machinations, both of her own and others making. She wrestles to return to Florence, remove her cousin Alessandro de’ Medici from leader of Florence, and succeed in marrying her other cousin Ippolito, who has been made a Cardinal by Pope Clement to prevent such an event. All of this is seen through the eyes of Tommaso, who is chef, spy, advisor and friend to Caterina. As part of his training, he has been apprenticed to several artists, including Michelangelo who is also his lover. Art and cooking mix in a wonderful blend, accented by the sharp politics of 16th century Italy.

Though out this work, the opulence of the Italian Renascence is widely portrayed. From his unique position, Tommaso sees both the life of the elite and the servant class. This balances the view and shows the contrasts and similarities between these groups. He is also drawn into the magic of the story more, experiencing first hand the occult. Caterina grows stronger in her magical abilities and discovers that Tommaso is unknowingly able to augment her power. A highlight of the book is the demon summoning by a Roman Priest-Necromancer who conducts the ceremony at night in the ruins of the Coliseum. The scene is as rich as the rest of the book.

One word of warning: do not read these books while dieting. The descriptions of cooking and food are sumptuous and will certainly raise anyone appetite. They also inspire meals and Ms. Roessner assists in this by including recipes in the back of the book. And as with any good recipe, the mix of ingredients of this work made it a delight to all the senses. As Tommaso and Caterina move to France in the future volume of this series, I am looking forward to more intrigue, more magic and more dishes.
Appeared on http://www.fast-forward.tv, Nov. 2000 ( )