History Corner: Realms of Gold by Terry Stanfil (Book Review and Giveaway)

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from the author,via Bostick Communications, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

“The Arthurian legend is so ancient, and yet it has been one of the most enduring interests in Western civilization,” she says. “It’s exciting to think that after all of these centuries, we have a case for  a real Camelot.” Synopsis:  In 1953 archaeologists near Châtillon-sur-Seine., France discovered a massive bronze krater in the grave of a Celtic woman. Although the Krater was discovered in Burgundy, it was cast in Southern Italy circa 510 B.C. and made its way to Vix, a village at the foot Mont Lassois, once Latisco, an important Celtic trading citadel. Bianca Evans Caldwell, a writer for a New York art magazine, came upon the Krater accidentally and becomes obsessed with the great vessel and with the princess-priestess buried with it. Since then, Bianca has returned to the museum in Châtillon-sur-Seine six times to admire the Krater of Vix.

It is July, 2007, and Bianca finds herself in Venice for a family wedding, where she meets Giovanni de Serlo, an Italian archaeologist. Neither Bianca nor Giovanni wanted to attend the wedding but they both felt a family obligation to be there and soon become friends. After the weekend Bianca returns to New York City, Giovanni to Puglia, where he is working on an excavation.

When Bianca enters her apartment she finds it has been ransacked, although nothing seems to have been stolen. She finds a strange symbol written on a scrap of paper in her kitchen, and learns that it might be a Mafia warning. After more frightening and puzzling occurrences Bianca decides she must leave New York. She flees to Italy to visit Giovanni, who had promised to drive her to Calabria to see the site of the no longer existing Sybaris, in ancient times a city notorious for its wealth and luxurious living. At Sybaris, Giovanni shows her his secret find in an old farmhouse, a discovery which startles Bianca.

Giovanni and Bianca learn that they might now be in danger if they remain, and decide that they will make the journey from Sybaris to Châtillon-sur-Seine, Burgundy, following the ancient route of the Krater.

As the story unfolds Bianca begins to write about the Krater, how, why and with whom it made its journey from the south of Italy to be buried in the earth of Vix. 

When they arrive in Châtillon-sur-Seine they learn of yet another remarkable recent discovery atop Mont Lassois. Bianca's intuitive conclusion of what the Krater meant to the ancient Celts, and its connection and significance to Arthurian legend is bonds the two together in a romance that will be forever.


Review:  This is sort of a odd duck of a book- the idea that the Krater made in Italy and transported to France could be the source of the Camelot legend is intriguing, and the author gives you a LOT of historical reference, terminology and history, so that by the end of the book, you can see the connection and support it. But it is the story of Giovanni and Bianca that is just odd. For the first two thirds of the book you feel like they are using each other, have hidden agendas (that are kept from the reader as well), and are not acting as they normally do. Then suddenly they change characters and all is well, and normal. Frankly I didn't really like either character.

I'm not sure if different editing would have solved that issue- either making the characters more rounded out, or if the book needed to be longer and less of a steam roll. To me the book felt like one that had been translated from another language, and some of the nuances were missing, that might have made a big difference to the reader. As it was I found myself reading on to the 'vision' images and history sections, as those flowed better and made the book. If you're interested in history, you will find the Arthur in France concept intriguing, and the book is worth reading for that!

About the Author:  Terry Stanfill holds a degree in English literature with a minor in medieval history. She is an Overseer of the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. An enthusiastic preservationist, she was decorated by the president of Italy with the Ordine alMerito, Cavaliere della Repubblica Italiana, and more recently as Commendatore, for her fundraising efforts for the restoration of San Pietro di Castello, the ancient cathedral of Venice. She is a former international representative for Christie’s auction house and former director of Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, Calif. Realms of Gold: Ritual to Romance is her third novel. Her first two are The Blood Remembers and A Tale of the Fortuny Gown. Stanfill is married to Dennis Stanfill, former CEO of 20^th Century Fox and MGM Studios, and lives in Pasadena, CA.


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