The adventures and action continues in this sequel of the Verona Trilogy! Hansum continues to flourish and prosper, always remembering his adopted family - the della Cappa's -, his beloved Guilietta, & his trusted friends - Shamira, Lincoln, and , of course Pan. The Princess Beatrice is a complication. Hansum becomes more confident and less reliant on Pan. Will this self-reliance become his undoing? Will his plan to win the Podesta's acceptance of Guilietta as his betrothed instead of Beatrice?

In this sequel of the Verona Trilogy, Hansum's well-thought-out plans explodes into an unexpected "hitch". New twists evolve and life takes some bitter-sweet shifts in direction.

The reader's interest is captivated throughout the book. However, there is brief profanity and there is a large portion of very graphic violence. definitely not recommended for younger teens.

The characters are created and sustained very well. They really "come to life". The action and surrounding scenes are very descriptive and vivid. The title is very fitting and the eye-catching book cover becomes very apparent part way through the book.

I just cannot give this book a five stars review rating with the intense violence and the occasional use of bad language. I, therefore, continue rating this with a Four Stars rating.

*This book was sent too me in exchange for an honest review, of which I have given. ( )

In the second installment of The Verona Trilogy, the trio find themselves wondering what to do next since they’re stuck in the past. The reality of their situation has sunk in a bit – they truly need to figure out how to adapt to this new life and get along in a world they’re only slightly familiar with.

To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog. ( )

This book is the sequel to The Lens and the Looker: Book #1 of the Verona Series (History Camp: the Verona Trilogy) and opens with the main character, Hansum, in a dream. This is actually rather confusing, as I don't realize he is dreaming until afterwards, and it seems like a poorly-timed ploy to re-introduce the reader to what has occurred so far in the series.
Early in the book, Hansum is separated from his friends, but not before he manages to marry Guillietta in secret. What bugs me about this is how Guillietta's father still treats him like a child, even though he is certainly entitled to be treated as an adult by this time. Hansum exhibits a certain level of maturity that few seem to recognize or respect. Once Hansum is moved to a private estate, his story exchanges with the rest of his friends in alternating sections.
The drama that occurs between Shamira and the artist is quite transparent to me. I am not sure if the author intended for the reader to discern the artist's true intentions so easily, but the artist's lack of talent combined with obvious lies and an obsessive interest in the lookers made it apparent what he was really about. I can only feel sorry for Shamira in her first foray into the realm of romance.
Hansum does well at creatively avoiding an engagement to Lady Beatrice, but I had to wonder how long he would be successful at this. With Hansum's almost constant protectiveness over the genie, Pan, I also wondered how long he would really be able to keep up the ruse.
With a greater focus on the technological advancements that Hansum is introducing, and less of a focus on the relationship-building of the first book in the series, this book was better written and a more enjoyable read for me. The author's evident strengths lie in his knowledge of the technology used in the series and the history of 14th-century Verona, so when those are brought to the forefront, the writing is quite intriguing. I still feel that the author is trying to do too much with this novel and trying to appeal to a too-large audience with everything from romance, history, suspense, political intrigue, and technology, to numerous science fiction themes, but it is better written than the first book in the series. ( )

Original review here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2013/03/indie-book-review-bronze-and-brimsto...

The Bronze and The Brimstone is the second book in the Verona Trilogy. This time around we follow the gang as we see how they are successfully surviving in 14th century Italy. Hansum is seen as a genius inventor and everyone wants to pick his brain for his inventions for war. Shamira and Lincoln are also doing well and thriving. But all the success brings more than they bargain for when they start to see the ugly side of success. Not only does Hansum have to figure out a way to keep the Podesta happy, but he must keep the Master of the house happy. He loves and wants to marry his daughter, Guiletta, but neither the Podest nor the Master will accept. And to make things worse, given the time period and where they are, the Black Plague is soon to be on them. They don’t even know the beginning of horror yet.

What an amazing sequel. This was even better than the first book. It was so exciting and quite the rollercoaster. There were definitely a few tears from me. I loved the gang even more this time around. They were so immature in the first book. I love how much they have grown and accepted their situation. They could have easily gone around moping around, wanting everyone to do the work for them. In this book, we mainly follow Hansum aka Romero. I was most satisfied with his progress from the first book. He was just so spoiled. We also still have Pan. He is the chip that helps guide the group and tells them about the inventions that will help them succeed. I am so happy they had Pan. If not for him, I can not imagine how these guys would survive, mainly Hansum. With Hansum’s success, he is beginning to see the ugly side of those he works with and how easily people can turn on you if they don’t get what they want.

There were amazing plot twists in this book. The main one at the end I kind of had a feeling about. It just wouldn’t have made sense otherwise if you think about it. But there were many other things that I didn’t see coming. The Podesta is so desperate to get more of Hansum’s genius; he did something absolutely awful in this book that resulted in something even more terrible happening. This was weird for me because Hansum’s reaction to it wasn’t what it should have been. I would have done something. That was just unforgivable and it was all due to his selfishness. I don’t think the Podesta is evil per se, but he looks out for number one and that is it. There is even a story with Father Lorenzo. Oh my goodness, I could rant about him all day. I couldn’t believe him especially in the end. Wow!

This book was an exciting read from beginning to end. I was never bored and Kaufman really through a lot of incredible loops at us. Again, there were tears and laughs. I felt quite a connection with the characters. We do get a little more of the side characters in this book, but not nearly enough for me. But I still loved the book. You really won’t believe where this book goes. Highly recommend this read for those looking for a unique kind of science fiction. I love the world set in the past. I actually feel like I am there, Kaufman does such a great job bringing it to life. Definitely check this trilogy out. ( )

THE BRONZE AND THE BRIMSTONE by Lori S. Kaufman is an interesting Post-Dystopian Fiction/Time Travel/Young Adult. Book #2 of "The Verona Trilogy",but can be read as a stand alone, with re-appearing characters and a few new ones. See,"The Lens and the Looker". Three teens are trapped in 14th-century Verona, Italy,from the 24th century. What a culture shock for these teens. Follow, Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln,as their journey continues through 14th- century Italy. With danger,a blossoming love interest,a marriage offer, a fast spreading illness,what could go wrong? Plenty and everything....An interesting tale of time-travel,history,a roller coaster of a ride,twists and turns for these teens. In interesting plot with engaging and believable characters. If you enjoy travel,post dystopian,14th century Itlay, you will enjoy this interesting and exciting title. Received for an honest review from the author/publicist.

RATING: 4

HEAT RATING: SWEET

REVIEWED BY: AprilR, My Book Addiction and More/My Book Addiction Reviews ( )