What do readers think of The Daughter of Siena by Marina Fiorato? Write your own review.

I found the book slow and uninteresting. The characters were underdeveloped. I thought my opinion was harsh so I passed the book to a friend. She read half the book and still couldn't figure out what the point was. I do like historical novels but this was not written up to my standards. I would not recommend it at any time.

I found The Daughter of Siena to be a very enjoyable read and good story - perfect for summer beach reading or a book club! I must preface my comments by saying that I am a sucker for romantic historical fiction or any novel set in Italy, especially Tuscany or Umbria! The author does a great job of weaving the Palio race and its rivalries, the city of Siena and its history and art with romance and intrigue. Definitely a quick, worthwhile, and enjoyable read!

Being an avid reader of historical fiction I was pleased to receive this book for review and was not disappointed. Though at first glance it may appear to be just another historical romance, Ms. Fiorato brings much more depth to the novel. The 18th century life in Siena is vividly recreated with careful attention to historical accuracy and detail. I so enjoy being educated in the history and culture of the time and this book enlightened me immensely. I had no prior knowledge of this time and place and now I am intrigued by the history and hope to learn more from this author. The characters are richly drawn and believable. She skillfully moves through the active plot leading the reader into the world of the Siena of 1723 full of the culture of class distinction and family pride. I highly recommend this as an excellent example of very readable historical fiction and look forward to reading more by this author.

This book was a pleasure but not a page turner and a tad bit slow. It wasn't as deeply emotionally satisfying as I had hoped for, however, it was well researched and held my interest. It's more of a romance novel than historical fiction and it fell a little short in both catagories for me. I really enjoyed the historical facts surrounding Sienna and horsemanship. I did learn a lot about that area of Italy in that time period. I liked the characters but felt they could have been more developed. It was enjoyable and I I would recommend it as a beach read but I'm not one for "beach reading". I like a lot more meat and substance in the shade.

This book started a bit slow for me but quickly got my attention. I enjoyed the historical aspects of the book enough to look some facts up on line. While the author did a good job of making the city of Sienna come alive to me, I found that the story was somewhat predictable. If the characters had been more multi-dimensional, it would have allowed for some more interesting plot twists. It was a quick and enjoyable read, but I did not find myself thinking about it much after I was finished.

Overall I enjoyed the book very much. It took a little bit to get going and really capture my attention. Once the story started to develop it was hard to put down. At times a bit predictable – I caught myself hoping for a less foreseeable outcome. It is not a deep story but if you are looking for something light to read this is a great book

Average story with some interesting twists. Would like to have seen more in depth character development.

This novel got off to a slow start, not because of a lack of plot elements, but because it took me a long time to gain sympathy for any of the characters. I found the sections on the history of Siena interesting, but otherwise the story did not draw me in. I also found the publisher's choice of printing the first section of each chapter in italics detracted from my reading enjoyment. Italics is not easy to read, and in many cases the first sections went on for several pages -- all in italics, which I found annoying.

All in all the book was okay. Nothing special in my opinion.