A historical fantasy reimagining the life of the real Renaissance friar Girolamo Savonarola, who can see and banish demons in 1490s Florence — until he discovers he is trapped in a time loop, reliving his rise and execution again and again.
Books mentioned in Lent (14)
The Mandrake by Niccolò Machiavelli: Epigraph: "Niccolò Machiavelli, The Mandrake, 1518"
Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes: Epigraph: "Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, 1651"
Phaedo by Plato: “he dies with his hands folded over the stone on his breast, with Pico reading to him from Plato's Phaedo”
The City of God by Augustine of Hippo: Discussed as the alternative to Plato's and Aristotle's political models: "there's the other possibility Plato couldn't imagine. The City of God." He later "preached two sermons on the City of God."
Nine Hundred Theses by Pico della Mirandola: “The Count's Nine Hundred Theses might indeed be riddled with error and far too much Plato and Origen”
Life of Alexander by Plutarch: “He has San Marco's copy of Plutarch's Life of Alexander copied for her”
Art of Love by Ovid: “Among the pornographic books considered for the bonfire: "the printed copy of Ovid's Art of Love"”
The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio: “He hesitates over Boccaccio's Decameron, and a volume of Angelo's sonnets”
Inferno by Dante Alighieri: “"a quotation from Dante: ABANDON HOPE" (also: "The Fourth Circle of Hell, in Dante" and "Circle Seven of Hell, according to Dante")”
The Triumph of the Cross by Girolamo Savonarola: “begins to write a book to encourage the practice of pure Christianity everywhere, which he intends to call The Triumph of the Cross”
Enneads by Plotinus: “"a copy of Ficino's translation of Plotinus" among a dead friend's papers”
History of Alexander by Quintus Curtius Rufus: “"Do you have the writings of Quintus Curtius?" in a letter exchange about a biography of Alexander”
Corpus Hermeticum: “Remember how he found things in the Hermetic corpus he thought might be relevant?”
The Rule of St Benedict by Benedict of Nursia: “"We each read a book every year, as the Rule of St Benedict dictates," she replies. Also raised in discussion of ideal governance: "By the Rule of St Benedict?" Valori asks.”