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The Medusa Amulet  By  cover art

The Medusa Amulet

By: Robert Masello
Narrated by: David Colacci
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Publisher's summary

Benvenuto Cellini, master artisan of Renaissance Italy, once crafted a beautiful amulet prized for its unimaginable power - and untold menace. Now the quest to recover this legendary artifact depends upon one man: David Franco, a brilliant but skeptical young scholar at Chicago's world-renowned Newberry Library. What begins as a simple investigation spirals into a tale of dangerous intrigue as Franco races from the châteaux of France to the palazzos of Rome in a desperate search for the ultimate treasure and an answer to a riddle that has puzzled mankind since the beginning of time. Aided by a beautiful young Florentine harboring dark secrets, pursued by deadly assassins, and battling demons of his own, Franco must ultimately confront an evil greater than anything conjured in his worst nightmares.

©2011 Robert Masello (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Great writing and rich detail combine for a gripping read." ( Kirkus)

What listeners say about The Medusa Amulet

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great historical fiction book, fun and intriguing

This is the second book I've listened to by Robert Masello, another great historical fiction book like his other book, The Romanof Cross. I enjoyed both books and couldn't stop listening until they were done. This is a great book that goes from back in Italy around the 1500's to present day. I've been to Florence Italy so many of the artwork pieces they mention in the book, I've seen. A fun listen , however there are many swear words , so not for teens or younger children.

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58 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wonderful Characters

Would you recommend The Medusa Amulet to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes! It has wonderful characters that are endearing (except for the evil ones, this isn't a children's story) and isn't a storyline I've heard before.

My only real complaints are the repeated information, and there was way too much time spent on David's sisters illness (which didn't add to the storyline once we knew that it was a motivating issue for David). After about the 7th chapter, random information is repeated until the end. It felt like the author wrote a chapter here, and another at a different time; out of sequence, so bits of information is repeated to the end. This is annoying and distracting because it happens way too much for a book this size. I mean jez, you don't think we can remember key facts about the artist life, or unusual encounters?

That said the story is magical, and the ending very satisfying and that's why the higher overall score

What aspect of David Colacci’s performance would you have changed?

I am not sure it was his issue or the editing company, but there are only brief pauses between chapters (meaning timelines, characters, etc. run together), so it is very hard to follow if you don't have a book. Because it jumps timelines (500 years, and everything in-between), and there are a lot of characters and a few name changes, combined with the perspective in which the story is told, made listening difficult.

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50 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Gorgon Alert!

I am not a fan of this book. In my mind, it cannot be called either a "thriller" or a "mystery." I was not expecting the entire plot to rely so heavily on the occult.

This is a violent, occult fantasy. Nothing wrong with that, but I wanted a lot more history and a lot more mystery. If you like the occult and don't mind that it isn't particularly well-written, this might be worth your time, but I still don't think anyone will find it very memorable. Just be sure you know what you are getting if you choose to invest in this.

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38 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great story with all the excitement you could want!

What a fascinating suspenseful story...I never wanted to stop listening. The narrator had such a great command of the French and German languages that it increased the impact of the story! The plot was exciting and every twist and turn was so well done I loved the juxtaposition of the story as it switched from past to present.

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25 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great discovery

I read the comments on this book and decided to take it and it was a great idea this book is wonderful! It was full of action and very nice surprises! You like Dan Brown books this one is even better I recommend this book!

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23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Mixed feelings

There is a lot of violence in this book. Graphic beheadings and stuff. That said, it is an interesting story, altho frequently predicable. Except for the ending. But that is bc certain information about the Medusa amulet is withheld from the reader. (However I might have missed it as there were certain sections I probably should have reread.) I know we are allowed our artistic license, but it bothered me that Cellini, who actually existed at a certain point in time, was spun out in such a wild tale. But I liked the plots around Hitler; the picture painted shows evil at its pinnacle and reminded me that sooner or later evil gets its due. (Comforting, as I am deeply concerned about the direction in which a certain individual is taking my country.) The picture painted of Marie Antoinette is stunning in a different direction. We are reminded that she was a child, only 14 years old, when she became Queen of France. As far as the narration goes, it took some getting used to the inconsistencies. ie: not everyone in the book who is Italian speaks with an Italian accent.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Hard to follow jumping from past to present

This is definitely a book that you must pay attention to and not try to multitask. I listen to audiobooks all the time while I work and generally have no problem being able to function and still get the storyline. It took me quite a while to figure out the cast of characters and I even backed up several chapters so I could figure out what I missed. Not bad but I have heard better.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Better than I thought it was going to be

I was not sure I was going to make it through this one, but by about the 7th chapter it really hit its stride and then it was off to the races. It slips back and forth between the past and present. A very prominent jeweler who made jewelry for kings and queens created a very special amulet for himself that he used in his secret connections to the occult. It could supposedly give everlasting life if used correctly. When a present day archeologists is approached by a beautiful woman who will pay him one million dollars and the promise to save his sister who is dying from cancer, he cannot refuse. A story that was a little slow in the beginning turned out to be a suspenseful expedition with a wee bit of unexpected romance thrown in.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this book.

This was his best book yet. I couldn't have asked for a better ending. This story kept me intrigued the entire time. I love how Masello takes you somewhere different with each book. You get to be a world traveller without leaving home!

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A real gem!

This is one of the best books in my library, and my library is extensive! A must listen😊

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1 person found this helpful