Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Rocamora by Donald Michael Platt

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Read: March 21, 2013

Vicente de Rocamora, the epitome of a young renaissance man in 17th century Spain, questions the goals of the Inquisition and the brutal means used by King Philip IV and the Roman Church to achieve them. Spain vows to eliminate the heretical influences attributed to Jews, Moors, and others who would taint the limpieza de sangre, purity of Spanish blood. At the insistence of his family, the handsome and charismatic Vicente enters the Dominican Order and is soon thrust into the scheming political hierarchy that rules Spain. As confessor to the king's sister, the Infanta Doa Mara, and assistant to Philip's chief minister, Olivares, Vicente ascends through the ranks and before long finds himself poised to attain not only the ambitious dreams of the Rocamora family but alsoif named Spain's Inquisitor Generalto bring about an end to the atrocities committed in the name of the blood purity laws. The resourceful young man must survive assassination attempts from a growing list of ruthless foes in both Church and court, solve a centuries-old riddle to quell rumors of his own impurity of blood, and above all, suppress his love for the seemingly unattainable Doa Mara. 

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To be fair Donald Michael Platt's Rocamora really comes in at about three and a half stars. I liked the story, but much like Siren of Paris, find the book something of a challenge to review.

Fair warning, there is no tiptoeing round the tulips here so the faint--hearted might want to think twice about about this one. The Inquisition was not pretty and though I appreciate the author's bold style, I can see where some readers may have difficulty with this piece.

Similarly Platt offers an astounding amount of detail in his narrative. The book is absolutely fascinating, but is without doubt heavy historic fiction and readers should be prepared for that. It is complex storytelling to say the least, but if you can get past that you are in for one heck of a ride. 

Based on the little known life of  Vicente de Rocamora, Platt offers up a thrilling tale of love, honor, revenge, romance, danger and intrigue. Notable for its sweeping historical scope, Rocamora is a meticulously well-researched novel, the story of a charismatic and determined young man who will keep you engaged from the first page to the last.

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"Revenge can redeem one's honor and remove the stain of an affront, but it never brings back the dead..."
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Check out all the stops on the historical fiction VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR of Donald Michael Platt's Rocamora and House of Rocamora. 


Monday, March 25

Review at A Book Geek (Rocamora)
Tuesday, March 26
Review at A Bookish Affair (Rocamora)
Review at Man of a Book (Rocamora)
Wednesday, March 27
Review at Flashlight Commentary (Rocamora)
Thursday, March 28
Review at Book Addict Katie (Rocamora)
Review at Words and Peace (House of Rocamora)
Friday, March 29
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews (Rocamora)
Monday, April 1
Review at Unabridged Chick (Rocamora)
Tuesday, April 2
Review at Rebel PuritAn (Rocamora)
Wednesday, April 3
Review at Book Dilettante (Rocamora)
Thursday, April 4
Review at A Bookish Affair (House of Rocamora)
Review at Flashlight Commentary (House of Rocamora)
Friday, April 5
Review at Book Dilettante (House of Rocamora)
Monday, April 8
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews (House of Rocamora)
Tuesday, April 9
Review at The Musings of a Book Junkie (Rocamora)
Wednesday, April 10
Review at Man of la Book (House of Rocamora)
Review at Unabridged Chick (House of Rocamora)
Thursday, April 11
Review at Turning the Pages (Rocamora)
Friday, April 12
Review at Broken Teepee (Rocamora)
Monday, April 15
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book! (Rocamora)
Tuesday, April 16
Review at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time (Rocamora)
Wednesday, April 17
Review at Layered Pages (Rocamora)
Thursday, April 18
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book! (House of Rocamora)
Friday, April 19
Review at Broken Teepee (House of Rocamora)
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader (Rocamora) 




2 comments:

Mystica said...

Sounds such an interesting book on an intriguing subject.

Anonymous said...

It is very interesting and also very different. Platt has a very direct writing style, wasn't sure at first but I really ended up enjoying it.