Marianne G. Petrino

Because rereading Bujold's Komarr after I recently reread her A Civil Campaign turned out to be very helpful, I decided to reread Coffee With Thunderbolts before reading this sequel. I enjoyed the first book more the second time (except for chapter 21, which still gives me the creeps).

The first book was about Elena Xharra, with her "Auntie Rem" as the most important secondary character. This book belongs to the aunt, Rosemarian Santomena-Shard, although Elena has a role. So do some of the other characters: Fatima Theodora, Bit of Nothing the cat, Chief Horus, Frange, and those whom I shall not name here.

Augustus Cavalieri, the tall, dark, rich, handsome innkeeper who can cook divinely is the second most important character this time. His looks have suffered somewhat because of a curse. The situation has Augustus letting his less attractive personality traits dominate, which amused me. Like many men who find find themselves in a fine mess, Augustus blames someone else: Rosemarian. She feels guilty, but we will learn how much of the fault is hers and how much isn't.

In chapter 24 of the first book, Augustus' Extremely Evil grandfather scolded him for not adding any sons to their house. If what we learned about what Sebastiano in that volume hadn't been enough, new details about the old monster's treatment of cousin Gennaro and his three sons -- as well as snippits about Augustus' childhood -- should make it abundantly clear why Augustus has no children. Remember what Shakespeare said about the evil men do living after them? That's true for Sebastiano. Even digging up his corpse, burning it to ashes, and drowning those ashes in holy water wouldn't get rid of it all.

After a dangerous incident, Augustus and Rosemarian travel to Cerami, Scicily to deal with the curse. Because I've read Marianne's entertaining account of her own trip to Cerami in Full Tank & No Damage, I have to give her a salute for getting two books out of one visit.

Augustus brings his I-am-a-jerk-who-demands-his-own-way act with them. I enjoyed every moment when Rosemarian gives him what for. Their mysterious hostess, La Donna, doesn't take any guff from the guy, either.

There is a silver rose involved in the quest for a cure, as well as three magical fish. There are scenes that take on an unreal or nightmare quality -- but don't dismiss them as mere fantasy or illusion. Their consequences are real enough. Some of the persons we meet can be taken at face value. Some can't. Have fun guessing which is which before they're revealed.

Rosemarian still suffers from self-esteem problems. Augustus isn't helping. If ever a romantic hero-type could use a bonk from a cosmic two-by-four labeled "Get a clue!"... Anyway, Augustus is too sure of himself to ensure their survival, so Rosemarian will have to be better than she thinks she is.

If you like paranormal/metaphysical adventures with touches of humor and romance, you should like A Star Rose in Cerami. I thank Marianne for sending me a copy. She's been kind enough to readers to include sources, both internet and print, at the end of the book for those who want to know more.… (mais)

A memoir/travelogue of a trip to Italy/Sicily, the author's ancestral land.

The best word I can find to describe this story is irregular. Some parts of the writing are poignant, eloquent, or hilarious, while others are choppy and unclear. More than once, I was not sure what happened, as transitions were missing, conversations stopped mid-topic, and suddenly the author, her husband, and her mother were in a different place from the previous location with no warning. Some of her descriptions were detailed, while others were lacking. I found myself wishing this were an interactive book, with links to photos, websites, and video (since they did take video on the trip).

But it was not all bad: the author fell in love with Sicily and with her never-before-seen relatives. The people they encountered were warm and caring for the most part, and the overall picture that was painted was appealing and made me, as a non-Italian reader, want to visit. The food sounded amazing. I was also very glad she was able to take her elderly mother to visit.

If you can put up with the style and writing problems, it is a worthwhile book; if these elements bother you, pass on this one.… (mais)

I wanted to like this book, but it seemed more of a travelogue than a story. If the characters and their relationships were expanded and the writing more descriptive, it could have been a nice book. The author does write about places she visited and some of the foods she ate, which could be used as references for a visit to Sicily. The quick introduction of characters and their rapid dismissal from the tale was a little unnerving. Some unrelated tales could have been left out. I would recommend that the author use this book as an outline and expand upon it for a more in depth tale of her trip to Sicily. I received this book as a Library Thing Member Giveaway from the author and am grateful for the chance to read her tale.… (mais)