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Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter
Heather Fawcett
4.3
Graceless Heart (The Spellbound History Quartet Book 1)
by Isabel Ibañez
Published Jan 13, 2026
Categories
About this book
In the shadows of Renaissance Florence, where magic is a death sentence, Ravenna Maffei lives a life of careful anonymity. A gifted sculptress with a secret, forbidden power, she ventures into the heart of the city’s most feared immortal family to save her brother. Her desperate gamble backfires, leaving her a captive of the mesmerizing and ruthless Saturnino dei Luni.
Forced to serve as a weapon for a family that views her as a prize rather than a person, Ravenna finds herself entangled in a high-stakes game of survival. Saturnino is as dangerous as he is alluring, his intentions as opaque as the stone Ravenna carves. Yet, the true peril looms outside the city walls, where the Pope’s crusade against magic threatens to consume everything.
As the war draws near, Ravenna must navigate a treacherous landscape of political intrigue and lethal secrets. She is caught between a tyrant’s obsession and an immortal’s seduction, unsure if Saturnino is her greatest protector or the architect of her destruction. To survive, she must master the very power that marks her for death, risking her heart and her soul in a city standing on the brink of collapse.
Available Formats
Audiobook: $0.00 Kindle: $15.99
What readers are saying
Amazon CustomerIbañez never disappoints.
"I was excited when I found out there was a new book by Isabel Ibañez who has quickly become a favorite of mine. The hardcover is absolutely gorgeous, by the way. So why not give it five stars, you ask? Well, I honestly can't put my finger on it but there was something that felt a bit off. But let's start with the good stuff (which there was a LOT of). Ibañez didn't disappoint with her unexpected surprises (I love being surprised in a story), the lush historical background, the perfect weaving of real historical fact with pure fantasy, a real slow burn romance, the use of Italian in the chapter titles and in parts of conversations that added an extra deliciousness and veracity to the plot. Ravenna is a great character with a lot of spunk and her relationship with Saturnino was delightful to read. And he was a great morally grey character with a wonderful character arc. Some of the side characters like the Pope, the courier, and Saturnino's siblings were all well-developed and interesting. Now for what felt a little off-sync for me. I felt that the ending was rushed. Without spoilers, the fact that Ravenna, the main character, spends chapters and chapters working on something that at the end is done in a wink felt off. The abrupt changes in attitude of Saturnino in the first half of the book also rubbed me the wrong way. I thought they should have been more subtle or started later in the story. And let's talk about the sex scenes. Ibañez is obviously uncomfortable with them even though as spice goes the plot is pretty low on that scale (which I have absolutely no problem with) and she does a good job at showcasing the emotional side of intimacy (my favorite side). That said, I felt as if some of the scenes, which are mostly concentrated in the last quarter of the book, were a bit forced. Almost as if the author felt she HAD to add them to satisfy her readers. All of this said, I couldn't put the book down and looked forward to reading it every night. So, I guess its flaws did not deter at all from the fabulous plot. Ibañez remains one of my current one-click authors. ["
February 7, 2026 Verified Purchase
JennMeh.
"The book design is gorgeous. The story is decent. There were things I didn’t see coming and then there were some I could see miles away. The writing has issues. I found a handful of typos which I feel shouldn’t make it to publishing. I had to reread certain sentences multiple times to understand because she did not use complete sentences a lot or chopped them up. For dramatic flair. Like this. It got old. Annoying. Irritating. The author also uses the same similes and metaphors over and over again which also got really annoying. (Medici lions, bruise sunsets, pond green eyes, etc) I also hated that the author compared the sunset to a bruise many times in the book. Bruises are violent and ugly, sunsets are calming and beautiful. She also used the whole “the world faded away and it was just us two” line multiple times. Using once is kinda cringe but using it like 3 times? She set it up for another book but I don’t think I’ll be reading it. ["
March 10, 2026 Verified Purchase
YasemeeGood Read but very violent
"I’ve read all of her books and this one was enjoyable but I did not enjoy all the gore and violence, I also think if you’re catholic probably just don’t read it 😅 but I enjoyed the mystery, the plot twists, the Italian essence woven throughout it so palpably (she always really does her homework and brings the cultures to life), and as always the unique blend of magic, fantasy, romance, and world building that is her trademark! ["
April 28, 2026 Verified Purchase
ValBeautiful story!
"Spellbinding! Bewitching! I had such a wonderful time reading this book. If you're a Reign fan, you'll love it, I'm sure! A historical romance book set in the Italian Renaissance with a plot filled with magic. Florence, where the Luni family live to protect the Medici, who are both in favor of magic. Volterra, where magic is banished, and people are against it. The Pope Sixtus IV, who wants to unleash war against all magic, but the one used by himself. Ravenna, a sculptress from Volterra who enters a competition held by the Luni family, in order to save her brother from death, but in a turn of events, the Luni family have other plans for her as a sculptress. Saturnino, a knight of the Luni family who hides a family secret. Lorenzo di Medici, on his own, has a surprise as well. There are glimpses of the Fae lands and their powers, "vampyres", witches and wizards, and also an amazing cat that will steal your heart. You'll also read about outstanding historical figures such as Leonardo da Vinci. You'll encounter an interesting magic system that comes with a glossary of the “Pietra Magiche” from the Fae lands (Sunspire, Seaweaver, Shadowglass, Nightflame, Moonhaze, Lodestar, and Echostone). At last, but not least, the incredible plot twists will keep you hooked until the end! Beautiful design, layout and cover! Overall, one of the best books I've read this year so far! ["
January 21, 2026 Verified Purchase
