This was a hefty doorstop of a book, just over nine hundred pages. It went fast, though. In an alternate version of Renaissance Venice where magic actually works, something evil is trying to destroy the city. This being a fantasy novel, that�s not a big surprise. However, the cast of characters trying to stop said evil is large, diverse, and very interesting. The connections between the various groups of characters are as twisty and convoluted as Venice�s canals. There are several different factions of the church, good pagan magicians, feuding Venetian families, and other denizens of Italian politics. It�s a bit confusing, but worth the effort to figure out.

Not surprisingly, the key to stopping the evil is a good hearted, poor boy who rises to power and turns out to be nobility in the end. It�s a plot that has been used before, but it�s executed well here. The fact that the reader knows who Marco really is for the entire book instead of having it revealed at the end as so often is the case helps the device not to seem to overdone. I liked Marco, though. The authors did a good job of showing his kind-heartedness without going overboard, and his sweet nature contrasted nicely with the nastiness of the Venetian political scene.

One of the most fascinating things about this book for me was the way the magical system was set up, and the attitudes of various characters about magic. What would the Church�s response have been to a world where magic actually functioned? It couldn�t have simply ignored such a powerful force. And so, of course, the Church in this novel has sanctioned priest-mages, and officially declared the use of magic by any others to be �black magic.� However, there are several characters who aren�t so adamant about that, and recognize that there are pagan mages who are fighting the same evil as the Church. I was a bit leery, when I first read the back of this book, that all of the Christians were going to be close minded meanies. That seems to be the trend in fantasy novels I�ve read where there are both Christians and pagans. Maybe I�m reading the wrong novels� maybe I�m over-reacting to what I perceive as a societal perception of the religion I ascribe to as close-minded and intolerant. Who knows. Whichever it is, I was pleasantly surprised. Several of the priests in this book were smart, tolerant, understanding human beings, and well rounded characters. (Of course, some of them weren�t, but that was to set up contrast, I believe�)

All in all, a fun read with far too many loose ends that I�m sure will be answered in the sequel, This Rough Magic, which I haven�t got my hands on yet.