House Aretoli by K. M. Butler

Overall Rating: ***** (5 stars)

House Aretoli is an historical novel which paints a vivid picture of the early Italian Renaissance. Our scene is the Venetian Republic, a city where merchant families rather than warrior-aristocrats rule, yet the schemes for power and influence are no less deadly.

In the summer of 1363, Niccolo Aretoli is a young man serving on the military staff of Leonardo Dandolo, the Venetian governor of Crete. When a sudden rebellion takes place among the native population, Niccolo soon earns a reputation as a military hero. He saves the governor’s life, and assists in the evolution of Venetian citizens from the island.

Alas, when the Venetian exiles return home, Niccolo soon finds his new reputation small consolation. His beloved fiancé has married in his absence – to his own brother, no less – and the family soon suffers a terrible loss at the hands of a rival house’s schemes. Niccolo is forced to plot and struggle for his rights, opposing even members of his own family. In the process, he uncovers a plot against the Venetian state itself.

In Mr. Butler’s previous historical novels, he’s shown a gift for writing stories that fit into the interstices of what little is known today about a given period. House Aretoli is a particularly good example. The titular family and its struggles are fictional, but utterly plausible for the late medieval world. Documented events from the period are woven into the narrative. On the other hand, the resolution of the story is tied up in one of the era’s minor mysteries; the events of the climax aren’t documented, but are surprisingly credible given what little we do know.

Once again, Mr. Butler brings history to vivid life, including the differences between the cultural values of the past era and our own. Character motivations make sense, even when they feel very alien to a modern audience.

The flow of the narrative here is smooth and easy to follow. The story occasionally leaves Niccolo’s viewpoint, but sections told from other perspectives are cleanly labeled and never confusing. Necessary exposition is delivered through character dialogue or internal reflection, and it’s never a distraction. The story’s political intrigues are easy to grasp, even when they become a little convoluted.

The only serious complaint I had about House Aretoli was in the mechanics of prose style. Mr. Butler’s past novels have been quite clean, but this one had enough copy- and line-editing stumbles that I found myself distracted more than once. This was never quite enough to overcome my commitment to Niccolo’s tale, but a less engaging story might have lost me.

As with Mr. Butler’s previous efforts, I thoroughly enjoyed House Aretoli, and I’m certainly looking forward to his further work. Very highly recommended.