I don't think that "The Spirit Ring" is the best book by Lois McMaster Bujold that I have read, yet she is so consistently good, that her "not best" is often better than many other authors'.
The Renaissance setting is very well researched - and I loved the fact that there were so many references to The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini. Thank you, dear author!
The plot rushes along (this is the kind of book that you read in one day, if you have the time), the magic system is interesting, and the main characters are sympathetic and charming. Very enjoyable :) ( )

This is standard genre fantasy rooted in alchemy and a magical version of the Italian Renaissance. In her attempt to avenge her murdered father, Fiametta Beneforte is armed only with the ability to breathe fire and a ring that will only fit her destined husband's hand. In his attempt to avenge his murdered brother, Thur Ochs has only his mining background and an affectionate relationship with rock kobolds to draw upon. They inevitably team up, and wacky hijinks -- ghosts, golems, demons, metallurgy -- ensue. The Spirit Ring is good-hearted and doesn't sugarcoat the grit and grime of its world (thus avoiding the primary pitfall of idiot high fantasy), but it's not particularly exceptional or memorable. ( )

Yet another re-read of this work for me; I’ve owned the paperback edition for many years.

An alt-hist historical fantasy set in a version of Renaissance Italy where magic is real and licenced by the church. Very charming, and a pleasure to read, it’s a pity it remains a stand-alone although I see the European elements reappearing in the World of the Five Gods. In some ways it riffs off the Lord Darcy series, and in turn is riffed off by the Heirs of Alexandria series.

It is an early work so isn’t as polished as Bujold’s later forays into fantasy but it has a freshness that overcomes the rough edges. It helped that at the time Bujold was principally known for the Vorkosigan books so this was a new venture.

The new thing I picked up on was the description of the salt cellar - of course, it’s the Cellini Saliera, and the book’s Perseus is the Cellini Perseus. This is not surprising - the heroine’s father is loosely based on Cellini, albeit without the bisexuality.

Recommended.

In an alternate Renaissance Italy where the church regulates magic and licenses magicians, fiery Fiametta Beneforte wants to be more than her goldsmith-mage father's unpaid apprentice. But when the Duchy of Montefoglia is laid under military and magical siege, she unexpectedly must join with Thur Ochs, a young Swiss miner and foundryman, to tap their skills in both metalwork and necromancy to rescue her father's soul and combat an evil sorcerer.

I'm giving this one a bit less that I normally give my favorite author but the book was not quite up to my (admittedly high) expectations. Was this an early work? ( )