I was sure I was going to love this book then the main character talks about her major in Early Renaissance that she chose because there was not giant like Leonardo or Michelangelo, Raffaello missing in action.
Nobody cares about Early Renaissance because there's nothing new to investigate. It was very informative as i discovered that Piero della Francesca, , Antonello da Messina and Carpaccio weren't giants and everything was already discovered about their art.
I do remember some discussions about the symbolism in The Flagellation and The Brera Madonna. i also knew that Piero and the others were considered giants but maybe I'm wrong and Early Renassaince is a different historical time.
That said I wasn't the biggest fan of Ann as I found her a bit passive, Early Renaissance masters apart.
I found the part about the Cloisters and the Tarots interesting.
It's very slow paced, it takes quite a long time before things start moving and a lot happens in the last part.
I think I hated most of the characters and found the relationships toxic.
That said I think that the author is a good storyteller and delivered a story that kept me hooked even if I felt that “del vino attoscato” would have improved the characters.
It's a book that requires to be patient and not expect a gothic-dark-academia-etc. It's a mix of elements and not easy to define.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine