Tinney Sue Heath

3.5 Stars

Hired to entertain guests at a banquet following a knighting ceremony, Corrado the jester is asked to play a simple prank on one of the high-born attendees, the knight Boundelmonte. But the prank goes horribly wrong and, when Buondelmonte injures a knight from a rival family, a feud that could threaten the stability of Florence is started. Forced to act as a messenger for both sides, Corrado is unwillingly drawn into Florentine intrigues. In an effort to end the feud Boundelmonte agrees to marry the niece of his rival, but soon after schemes with another family and secretly arranges a different marriage. Corrado, who is privy to Boundelmonte's deception and unable to share his knowledge without putting his own life at risk, can only stand by and watch as Boundelmonte's peace-brokered bride, Selvaggia, is publicly jilted by him on what is supposed to be their wedding day. The result is a reigniting of hostilities and the potential imposition of a vendetta against Boundelmonte by those, including Selvaggia, who want revenge. Will Corrado, whose prank started this whole mess in the first place, emerge from it unscathed?

A Thing Done provides an intimate look at the feuds and rivalries between noble families that were a hallmark of early 13th century Florentine politics. It is apparent that a great deal of research went into the writing of this novel, as it showcases some of the customs and conventions associated with various religious practices, life within a noble home, and the everyday activities of those who weren't part of the ruling elite. Even though it sometimes proved difficult, especially in the opening chapters, to keep track of the novel's various characters and their relationships to one another, the narrative does move relatively quickly. The reader's interest is maintained throughout given that it is not apparent how the story will end. While Corrado makes for an interesting protagonist, many of the novel's secondary characters prove to be equally compelling, especially Selvaggia. Unfortunately, given the story is told from Corrado's perspective, not enough time is devoted to fleshing out these intriguing secondary characters.

Recommended to readers who enjoy historical fiction set in Italy, as well as to those looking to read something a little out of the ordinary.

Note: I was provided with a copy of this novel as part of the author's virtual book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.… (mais)

Fascinating time and place--13th century Florence--a loose retelling of the Guelph/Ghibelline conflict. I enjoyed this novel very much. It started slowly, maybe partly because of the unfamiliar names and my not knowing who was aligned with whom, but it gained momentum as the novel progressed. The first line is a classic worthy of Sabatini:

"It was a fool that began it, but it took a woman to turn it murderous."

So begins this tale of duplicity and vengeance, set in Renaissance Florence. The jester, Corrado, one of a troupe of entertainers, at a 'knighting' banquet is hired by Oddo to throw a platter of food at Buondelmonte, his enemy. A man is hurt. This inflames the hatred between two noble Houses. A rift had existed already, just waiting to be opened wider. Then a bride is left at the altar and she seeks revenge on the man who jilted her. Corrado is forced to help each family but is tireless in trying to preserve his own life, while 'walking a tightrope' between the two noble families. A secret meeting is held in which vendetta is declared against the noble Buondelmonte, and one of Oddo's retinue calls for his death. Then in another meeting, plans are laid for how the death will be carried out. Will Corrado be able to warn Buondelmonte in time to prevent it?

This novel was very well written, and with many details about the life of all strata of society in that era. The characterizations and dialogue were very good. The author's note was most informative on all aspects of that period.… (mais)

I absolutely inhaled this book. The setting (early 13c Florence) was what compelled me to pick up the book, but from the first page, I was hooked. The narrative voice is wonderful, perfectly suited to a wry performer like the Fool, and more than once I laughed out loud.

But the subject matter is grim, and the eye-for-an-eye (or maybe, death-for-an-eye) world of warring families and vendettas was wonderfully rendered. The historical detail was just right, enough to bring you into the world and make it seem real and familiar, and the mystery was excellent. I had to read "just one more chapter" and stayed up way past my bedtime to see what happened to these characters I had become so fond of. Highly enjoyable, a wonderful read!… (mais)

Venturing into the fertile field of medieval Italy, Tinney Sue Heath's novel is a careful and detailed look at one of the most famous feuds and vendettas, hailing from the city of Florence. For my taste, I thought A Thing Done could be a little too focused on minor details, like clothes or the set up of a nobleman's room, and occasionally came off a bit flat in the narration. However, overall, this was a solid historical fiction effort that kept my attention. It certainly doesn't hurt that the plot of the novel is fascinating, and based on historical fact, as are the majority of the characters. Focused on the beginnings of the infamous and long-lasting Guelph/Ghibelline struggle in Italy, A Thing Done is a novel about love, vendettas, and history.

I could tell from the great first line of the novel ("It was a fool that began it, but it took a woman to turn it murderous") that the narrator of the novel was going to be one I liked. Corrado is a fool, both for his profession and also in some of the things he does over the course of the novel. He was smart, likeable and forthright, all the while making being manipulated into tense situations and bad decisions. It's easy to root for the little guy, and in A Thing Done, it doesn't get smaller than Corrado. Heath does a good job of presenting a nicely flawed main character with the Fool; he may have to juggle the machinations of two great lords without the other knowing, but his personality was well-defined from the start. An unwilling participant in the feud between Great Families, this working-class peasant is in an untenable situation from the first page and his journey to be free of "the people with surnames" (as he calls the nobility) and their endless scheming is both tense and engaging.

The beginning was admittedly the toughest part for me to get involved in. There are a lot of families, names, factions and agendas flying around Corrado and his friends; sorting out who is who and who wants what can take some time. By about 75ish pages in, I had adjusted to Corrado's sometimes dry attention to detail and figured out the main plotlines and characters at play. For those reasons, it's a bit slow at the start, but the rest of the novel is more than worth the time it takes to get a grip on the various Donatis, Buondelmontis, Ubertis, Fifantis, and Amideis running rampant with plots and maneuvers. Corrado's role as unwilling accomplice to each (unknowing) party makes for an itneresting back and forth between the two major factions, and helps to illustrate how much this minor insult turned a city on its head and instigated a major feud.

Tinney Sue Heath has more than proven she knows her history very well with this novel. Replete with a large cast and detailed plot, A Thing Done goes to lengths to provide a fulfilling, if short, glimpse into Florentine life in 13th century Italy. It may not be the asiest novel to get into, but the journey and end payoff are more than worth the few hundred pages it takes to conclude. The denouement was a bit abrupt, but serves adequately to wrap up the lives and tales of the story's most prominent, surviving, characters.… (mais)