My rating: 4 of 5 stars
While Florentina as the Night Flyer searches for a mysterious underworld organization that has attempted to murder the woman she loves, Maddie struggles to deal with the danger Florentina is courting. Her brother, Alessandro, has become the most prominent merchant of Milan, but the Night Flyer uncovers a secret so shocking it could destroy them all.
Secrets of Milan is the second book in Edale Lane’s Night Flyer Trilogy, a tale of power, passion, and payback in Renaissance Italy.
Picking from the previous book - Merchants of Milan [ book review post linked ] , the story starts with Maddie worrying about her relationship with the Night Flyer / Florentina. It was good to see her doubts about her new love considering she is a widow and worried because of her own sense of guilt. she starts distancing herself from Florentina till Alessandro makes her see the truth in a different light. The romance and the relationship between the two ladies from that point is beautifully handled and has all the traits of a mature equal partnership between the two ladies.
The author does not lose focus of the main plot of the book which is to find who wants to kill Maddie and for what purpose, and the action scenes between the hired assassin and the Night Flyer are exciting to read. There is much improvement in the pace , the scene setting and the way the plot moves forward in this book. But what I loved reading more was the character development shown in other cast of the story - the young boy who went to war front , the fallen merchant and his family , the city sergeant etc. Everyone adds a different dimension to the story and makes this such an engaging read. Maddie's kids interactions with Florentine are such a joy to read and even learn a bit from their lovely teacher about science, history and some art.
We learn more about the Milan during this era and how war takes the attention away from things & ideas that might help humanity more. How it changes people and landscapes is easily visible through this story.
There is a secret society , a cryptic diary , more history & scenes from the beautiful European cities, Leonardo Da vinci's inventions , action , romance and above all, the desire to make a difference to the world in whatever way one choses.
I loved the second part more than the first and eagerly await the last installment.
Amazon Print Version: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Milan-Night-Flyer-Trilogy/dp/B088N8ZQPD/
About the author: Edale Lane is the author of an award-winning 2019 debut novel, Heart of Sherwood. She is the alter-ego of author Melodie Romeo, (Vlad a Novel, Terror in Time, and others) who founded Past and Prologue Press. Both identities are qualified to write historical fiction by virtue of an MA in History and 24 years spent as a teacher, along with skill and dedication in regard to research. She is a successful author who also currently drives a tractor-trailer across the United States. A native of Vicksburg, MS, Edale (or Melodie as the case may be) is also a musician who loves animals, gardening, and nature.
Official Site: https://pastandprologuepress.lpages.co/
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