Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

In the face of war and family destruction, a young strega fights to claim her power.For olive-skinned Teo di Sangro, daughter of a high lord of Vinalia, "family is fate." As a girl, she stands no chance at inheriting her father's title, but she protects her family from the shadows in a way neither of her brothers can. No one knows about Teo's magic, which she unleashes on anyone who dares to challenge di Sangro power. Teo longs for her father's acknowledgment, but she also yearns to control her secret abilities. When a pale-skinned, black-haired, genderfluid shape-shifter named Cielo appears in the mountains on the same day as an assassination attempt on Teo's father, she gets swept up in a dangerous plot of murder and politics. Capetta (Echo After Echo, 2017, etc.) captures readers' attention with alluring first-person prose and a protagonist who does not shy away from ruthlessness to achieve her goals. As Teo struggles with her place in her family and society, she also explores her sexuality and gender identity. Her interaction with Cielo, who contains a shifting balance of both boy and girl, helps her realize that she too may not always "fit inside the boundaries of the word girl." Through shape-shifting and in her romance with Cielo, Teo discovers the meaning of wholeness and ownership over her body.A delicious and magical intrigue too tempting not to devour. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)

School Library Journal Starred Review

Gr 9 Up-amp}mdash; Everyone in Vinalia knows that magic and the "streghe" who use it only exist in stories. No one knows that Teodora di Sangro is a "strega" who can change people into objects. For Teo and her siblings, family has always been fate, forcing them into roles they may not want. Teo is proud to belong to one of the Five Families. But she also knows that as a girl she will never truly have a place at the table. Desperate for her father's approval, Teo takes it upon herself to address any threats to the family. Instead of killing their enemies, Teo uses her secret magic to transform them into objects. When the Capo's latest bid for power leaves Teo's father poisoned and the heads of the other families dead, Teo knows she is the only one who can answer the Capo's summons to the capital and find an antidote. But first she will have to transform herself to look the part of a di Sangro heir by becoming a boy. Unable to learn this new magic alone, Teo enters into a bargain with Cielo, a mysterious strega who can easily switch between male and female forms. Teo's transformation and her journey bring her into the center of Vinalia's sinister politics as she tries to save her family. Vibrant imagery and vivid language imbue this fantasy with wonder and intrigue in a world inspired by Italian folklore. Teo explores her gender identity and what it means to be a girl (or not) in her world alongside her sexy genderfluid magic tutor Cielo, whose dry wit and charm only increases the chemistry between them. VERDICT A highly original magic system and a protagonist who is as ruthless as she is fiery make for a fast-paced adventure. Fans will be eager for the conclusion of this duology.{amp}mdash; Emma Carbone, Brooklyn Public Library

ALA Booklist

Teodora understands what it takes to protect her family. Powerful people have powerful enemies, and she will do anything to keep her family safe, even using her strega magic to transform those enemies into decorative objects. Even keeping that magic a secret from everyone, including her dearest siblings. But when the ruler of Vinalia poisons Teodora's father, along with the heads of the other four most powerful families, and demands that each family sends a son to the capital, Teodora uses her magic to take her brother's place as her family's representative. On her journey, she meets Cielo, another strega capable of transformative magic. Cielo can become man or woman, human or animal d as the two grow closer, they learn more about the depths of their powers, the secrets of their country, and the truth of their feelings for each other. This first in a duology is a luminously imagined, Italian-inspired fantasy that thoughtfully speaks to ideas of gender perception and identity. A rich world, with much left to be explored in the next volume.

Horn Book

In a magical, Italy-inspired setting, the Capo takes over Vinalia and poisons Teodora di Sangro's powerful father. Teo hatches a plan: with the help of a genderfluid strega named Cielo, Teo will shape-shift into a boy, impersonate her brother, travel to the Capo's Palazza, and find the antidote. Told in rich metaphorical language, this high fantasy offers a compelling interrogation of gender, power, and familial duty.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

In the face of war and family destruction, a young strega fights to claim her power.For olive-skinned Teo di Sangro, daughter of a high lord of Vinalia, "family is fate." As a girl, she stands no chance at inheriting her father's title, but she protects her family from the shadows in a way neither of her brothers can. No one knows about Teo's magic, which she unleashes on anyone who dares to challenge di Sangro power. Teo longs for her father's acknowledgment, but she also yearns to control her secret abilities. When a pale-skinned, black-haired, genderfluid shape-shifter named Cielo appears in the mountains on the same day as an assassination attempt on Teo's father, she gets swept up in a dangerous plot of murder and politics. Capetta (Echo After Echo, 2017, etc.) captures readers' attention with alluring first-person prose and a protagonist who does not shy away from ruthlessness to achieve her goals. As Teo struggles with her place in her family and society, she also explores her sexuality and gender identity. Her interaction with Cielo, who contains a shifting balance of both boy and girl, helps her realize that she too may not always "fit inside the boundaries of the word girl." Through shape-shifting and in her romance with Cielo, Teo discovers the meaning of wholeness and ownership over her body.A delicious and magical intrigue too tempting not to devour. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)