With that said, this is a very compelling historical novel. No vampires or witches or anything supernatural, but it is a window into the world of Tonio, a man born into a wealthy Venetian political family who rises to stardom as a castrati singer.

The book is more about a child who is thrust into adulthood at an early age. Living as an adult while still a child, Tonio makes childish mistakes, and childish decisions. I found this an annoying character trait, but I kept forgetting that Tonio is really very young. He finds what is really important in his life, and makes adult decisions on what he needs to do to be a happy and satisfied adult.