Incredibly disjointed and uneven in tone, this book is, frankly, unreadable. Not only is the plot all over the place, but the prose is akward with so many ludicrous word choices (like using fisted as a verb for the clenching of one's hand or engorged to mean stabbed). Ugh. ( )

How to sum up a book such as The King's Agent with mere words? The book has all the elements of what I consider to be great fiction. Adventure, mystery, love, and mysticism. And to speak of my opinions without giving the story away will be quite a feat in itself, but I shall attempt to do it justice without revealing too much.

Set in the 16th cenury, in the twilight of the Renaissance, The King's Agent tells the story of a quest for an object of power that would be at the heart of the demise of mankind. Battista, who is loyal to his benefactor, King Francois I of France, and also to his beloved home of Florence, embarks on this quest with a clear idea of the outcome. But he is soon to learn that there is no clear outcome and the circumstances surrounding the obtaining of this object are shrouded in danger and mystery. As I was reading the sections where dangerous obstacles had to be overcome for Battista to reach his goal, my mind kept going to the Indiana Jones films. That is the kind of adventure the reader experiences in The King's Agent. Talk about a thrill!

To add to the mystery, we have the character of Aurelia who is an enigma, to be sure. Everyone who encounters her can feel that there is something different about her, but her mystery is kept secret, thankfully, until the very end. What is present in the character of Aurelia is a resolve to complete her destiny, a destiny not of her making. She is a brave woman who accepts her fate and ultimately sacrifices her own happiness for the good of all.

Finally, I must touch on the historical aspects of this book. Wonderful was the introduction of the stories of Dante and the presence of Michelangelo himself in the story. The historical detail is so well researched and interesting. I found myself on Google several times while reading, wanting right then and there to learn more about the people and places I was reading about. I must say that Ms. Morin is a talent in the historical fiction genre. I have To Serve a King is on my review pile and so I must get to reading it soon, as well as her other titles. Her books will remain a sought after commodity for my home library.

In conclusion, I must not forget the love story between Battista and Aurelia. Their love is inspiring and breathtaking. The sacrifice they have to make and their reconciliation to the fact speaks of a very true love indeed. So I leave you with a favorite passage from Dante which Battista whispers to Aurelia, " 'lady, you in whom my hope gains strength, you who, for my salvation, have allowed your footsteps to be left in Hell, in all the things that I have seen, I recognize the grace and benefit that I, depending upon your power and goodness, have received.' " ( )

I really wanted to like this book. I liked the setting and the idea to use real people. I also liked the mystery that unfolded. But the author failed in one of the essential obligations of writing fiction; she didn’t make me believe it. Also, her gushing about the work of Michelangelo grew tiresome. ( )

What went wrong? Well in a way that is easy to explain; frankly I was bored. I wanted to skim, I wanted to get it over with. I just could not connect. I did like one part of the book though..after page 300 it grew interested and there was a new mystery that caught my attention. But even if that was good in the end I just did not get one thing, which I can't tell you about.

The book was a bit heavy and it's not straight up historical fiction. It has a bit of "paranormal" in it that shows up later. Not much but there is something and truth be told as I was bored in the beginning I did not get the whole thing in the end. There is an adventure, a mystery, a hidden painting, war between France and Spain, worries in the city states of Italy, a woman that wants more from life and an art thief that is real pretty. That sums it up.

Sure it's well written but this time it was not the book for me. I wanted to like it, it had promise, but the beginning was so heavy and I just never connected (well ok at page 300 but if I did not have to review this one I would have given up before that).

It was a good story, but for me, it was a boring story. ( )

I received this book as a Goodreads ARC giveaway. This was a great book and I really enjoy it. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and this book did not disappoint ( )