About the book: year / 16th century, brilliant Florence. Its powerful ruler, Grand Duke Francesco de' Medici, is possessed by two passions: alchemy and women. To save her family from poverty, young Chiara, the daughter of an alchemist, decides to play one of them... From this moment on, the beauty finds herself at the center of palace intrigue. Two women are fighting for the Duke's heart: his insidious mistress Bianca and his legal wife. The outcome of the feud depends on Chiara... But will she be able to survive in the whirlpool of cruelty and betrayal??