This is a historical novel that could have been written for me- an art historian who loves Venice! I very much enjoyed the details of pigments and paint, and the atmospheric description of 16th century Venice. The love story/affair was, to be honest, much less interesting and believable, but I enjoyed the story.

The Colour Storm by Damien Dibben. Zorzo is an artist living in Venice, which sounds nice, but he’s got a lot of debt so he decides to paint some blokes side with some new paint colours. The author is an artist and yes we can tell you know lots about art. The blokes wife is an utter cow and I think I spent a lot of it just being annoyed at her. The descriptions of absolutely everything are amazing and you will want to book a holiday to Venice asap. The ending is a bit flat but that’s fine. My take away from this is don’t be shit at art.

Colourful in content, language and ideas.
So much to love about this novel -
The period
Discovery of new colours
Closeness of Artist and apprentices
Insight into great Artists of the time
A true and lasting love.
Kindness and cruelty

All of this wrapped up in a book which flows along. Basically a gifted painter with no money sense, struggling to make a living and keep his workshop going with its dependent apprentices. Zorzo meets a rich man who has access to a new colour, his wife flirts with Zorzo and intrigues him. This leads him into danger, he tries to protect the people he loves.
A surprising ending..

Giorgione 'Zorzo' Barbarelli is a talented artist but one of many in competitive Venice. His debts are mounting and he needs a valuable commission to keep his studio working. When he hears of new and amazing paint colour which has just been discovered he thinks this will be the answer to his prayers. However this brings him into contact with an incredibly rich merchant and his beautiful wife, Zorzo needs the commission but is not prepared for what else he is exposed to.
Many of the characters in this book are well-known artists as Venice at this time was a centre of the arts and so Michaelangelo and Leonardo are passing characters. Giorgione is also relatively famous but this fictionalised episode is rather overwrought at times. The depictions of Venice are great, as is the sense of looming doom as the Plague approaches but the plot is a little convoluted.

Tomorrow was a novel I loved and was curious about this new book by Damian Dibben.
It's a more traditional novel that brought to Reinassance Venice and kept me reading as I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The author is a talented storyteller and this story features interesting characters and a well researched and vivid historical background.
I enjoyed it and it's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

"The destiny of every colour is to break free of its ordinary beginnings and dazzle the world", says Caspian, known as the colour man of Europe in this brilliant historical drama which sweeps across the artistic world of renaissance Italy.
At its midst is Giorgio Barberelli (known as Zorzo) who is plodding along quite successfully alongside the other big names - Michaelangelo, Leonardo, Giotto. We are brought into the heart of his studio with a wonderful team of artists/friends and explore his ongoing work. His meeting to discover the whereabouts of a 'new fabulous colour is somewhat distracted by the wealthy Jakob Fugger and his beautiful wife Sybille.
The streets of Venice are wonderfully described, evoking amongst its glory and wealth alongside the deep undercurrents of stealth and deceit, a swirling city of suspicion. There is also the threat of plague once again lapping up on the shores of the island.
I was intrigued to follow up on the actual paintings by the artists named and to remind myself of the glorious display of art in Venice - often just tucked away in small churches hidden from view.
There is a dank, dark mystery to Venice which often links it to death. Here the novel has turned another way to the wonders of artist studios and glories of grand statues and awe inspiring canvasses.
But there is a mystery and a twist for Zorzo which sweeps the reader along from a love story to a matter of life and death.
I liked it a lot and felt I had found myself fully within this Renaissance world of inspiring creativity.

Slightly disappointing. There was a slow build-up with a lot of name dropping of famous artists. Zorzo's character seemed incredibly naïve particularly spending all his money on a dream given to him by a notorious dishonest character. Having said that, I have given the book 4* as I did read it quickly and was not tempted to a DNF.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

Venice, 1510 - and the world of painters, artists, trade, enterprise and everyone clamouring for commissions. Zorzo is a talented but struggling artist. He has a degree of fame from previous commissions but also overwhelming bills, rent and his team's salaries to pay. He urgently needs work and has to pawn his sapphire ring, the only thing he owns, of value. He hears of an amazing new colour; one that no-one has previously seen, or can imagine. This idea enthralls him and he is sure this will be the making of him and end his financial problems.
He meets a mysterious woman, the wife of a wealthy and powerful man - the man that has found the new colour, in his mines. Zorzo and she form a dangerous attachment and she decides to have her portrait painted, for her father. Zorzo knows that if their relationship is discovered, he will face death, or worse. But things aren't always as they seem...
Descriptions of Zorzo's studio , his precious pigments, day to day working and relationships, and meeting famous artists in the book is fascinating - Leonardo is a wonderful character; (Michelangelo, much less so!) Zorzo is a lovely character, loved and respected by many - you really want success and prosperity for him. A fascinating insight and interpretation of the time and an interesting story to keep you transfixed. Thoroughly enjoyed this.

I read the previous book, Tomorrow, about a ghost dog/ immortal dog searching for his owner and really loved it. This book doesn’t disappoint, it brings the Italian Renaissance to vivid life in glorious colour. It introduces struggling artists, seeking for their next commission, the one that will make them the household names we know today.
Giorgio Barbarelli, referred to as Zorzo, throughout this novel, is also a struggling painter, in fact, all Venice is full of such people. Zorzo needs commissions, he has a studio rent to pay, apprentices wages due, and to be a painter, then you need a supply of paints, brushes and canvases, and models to study. Zorzo hears of a rich German, Fugger,, newly arrived in Venice, who is seeking someone to paint an altarpiece for St. Peter’s Basilica. Zorzo determines to try and win this commission, especially when he hears that Fugger has access to a new colour, Prince Orient, an elusive and rare shade of blue, ultramarine perhaps. Zorzo offers to paint a picture of Sybille, Fugger’s wife, this will be his presentation piece to show off his talents, but then, he starts to fall in love with Sybille, and becomes involved in a conspiracy. As if that wasn’t enough to contend with, the Plague hits Venice, and everything changes.
I love the character of Zorzo, he appears honest and decent, reluctant to push himself forward, against other more famous artists. But, Zorzo is in love with colours, art for arts sake indeed. Colour was invented to stop man becoming bored with being drab and dull. Life is so much better in colour. During lockdown and illness, knitting kept me sane, I loved greeting my brightest colours each day, they excited me, held the promise of happier times, I am fully with Zorzo this time. Colour is all, mood, love, sorrow and life. A wonderful, glorious read.
My thanks go to Netgalley and the publishers, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House, for my advance digital copy, in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion. A five star read. I will post to Goodreads and Amazon.

I first heard of this book from a wonderful friend of mine, whom I met on Bookstagram but can now say is a true friend after meeting her in real life. I can’t deny that the first thing which attracted me to this book was the cover, I mean seriously, look at it. It is a work of art in its own right. But, after reading the blurb and discovering it was set in Italy, I was further drawn to it.

Anyone that knows me, knows I love all things Italian, especially the food, and the fact that this is set in a place I have always wanted to visit, Venice, made it just that much better.

The Colour Storm is set during the Italian renaissance, a time of art and creativity but also violence and treason. The main protagonist, Giorgione Barbarelli, or Zorzo to his friends is an artist trying to make a living doing what he does best, painting. But competition is rife which means his life and livelihood is often hanging on by a thread. He even resorts to pawning his relative’s ring to make ends meet.

However, he soon hears about a legend, the Prince Orient, which is supposedly a colour like no other, found in a mine owned by a wealthy businessman. If only he could get this colour, he knows his life would be set. But, when he goes to the house he meets his wife, Sybille instead, a quiet, seemingly timid woman. Once he has won a commission to paint a portrait of his wife, he thinks he is on course to acquiring the sought-after colour. Instead, he finds himself in a conspiracy of treachery, abuse and underlying currents of a bigger threat.

This book is set during the troubling times of the plague, so not only are we given an insight into renaissance Italy but also at the effect this disastrous illness caused and the path of chaos it left in its wake.

Zorzo is an interesting character, I like how passionate he is for his art and how far he is willing to go to reach his goals. However, we are shown his weaknesses which often betray him and gets him into trouble at times. He is a complex character, brought to life with monologues which at time feel almost Shakespearean in their manner and tone.

The aspect of this book which really wowed me was the description and use of colour. In many novels you may read about a red dress or a blue coat. But, in this the colour ascends simplicity and is brought to life with such stunning imagery and description. As you read the novel these colours almost jump out at you like a beautiful rainbow, which is testament to how vivid the author’s description is. I could go on so much about how exquisite the use of colour is in this book, but all I will say is that the way it is used brings everything to life in…well…. vivid colour. I will leave you with this quote to show you what I mean.

From light and burnt ochre , magenta, lead white and a touch of cerulean blue, he mixes a series of skin tones and starts applying them to the canvas, in blocks that mark the facets of her form where the light strikes them…

If you are interested in books set in the Venice renaissance and enjoy your art you will love this book. It was a joy reading about the greats including the incredible Leonardo Da Vinci. If you are an art fan, check this out!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – a beautifully descriptive read with prosaic monologues and exquisite imagery.

Damian Dibben’s previous novel, Tomorrow, was a fascinating and unusual story of an immortal dog searching for his master across two centuries (it was better than it sounds, honestly!). I was curious to see what his next book, The Colour Storm, would be like, but it turns out that it’s a much more conventional historical novel this time. It's also a very good one!

The Colour Storm is the story of the Italian painter Giorgio Barbarelli, who lived and worked in Venice during the Renaissance. He was a real person, as are many of the other characters in the novel, and you may already be familiar with his paintings – if not, you can easily find images online of some of the pieces attributed to him which will give you an idea of the quality of his work.

At the beginning of the novel, Barbarelli – or ‘Zorzo’ as he is called throughout the book – is finding life difficult. Work is becoming hard to find, the competition from other artists is fierce and Zorzo’s debts are increasing. He’s responsible not only for himself, but also for his team of young apprentices and assistants, so he urgently needs to find some way of gaining commissions from rich clients. An opportunity arises when a wealthy German merchant, Jakob Fugger, arrives in Venice and is said to be looking for an artist to paint an altarpiece for St Peter’s Basilica. When Zorzo hears that Fugger also possesses a new colour, a pigment known as ‘prince orient’, he becomes even more determined to bring himself to the merchant’s attention.

In an attempt to win Fugger’s favour, Zorzo agrees to paint a portrait of his wife, Sybille – but as he becomes closer to Sybille, he finds that he has become involved in a conspiracy which could have huge implications for the people of Europe. And then, while Zorzo is still considering his next move, a new threat arrives in Venice…the plague!

The plague plays a part in the later stages of the novel, but before that we follow the story of Zorzo’s search for the prince orient and his entanglement with Jakob and Sybille (also real historical figures). We are given some insights into the workings of an artist’s studio in Renaissance Venice and there are appearances by other famous names from the art world, including Bellini, Titian, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. By focusing on the dark side of life in 16th century Venice, Dibben creates plenty of atmosphere, and although the parts of the book that concentrate on Zorzo’s relationship with Sybille interested me less, I found this an enjoyable read overall.

Set in Renaissance Venice, this is a story of the artist Giorgione 'Zorzo' Barberelli, who after hearing gossip from a colour pigment seller develops an obsession with a unknown colour pigment known only as Prince Orient.
Beautifully written with atmospheric descriptions that will have you believing you're there following in the footsteps of Zorzo.
With a few twists and turns you don't see coming and an ending that gets you right in the feels. I loved this
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC

Book Review - The Colour Storm by Damian Dibben.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the ARC.

Set in Renaissance Venice, we follow artist Giorgione 'Zorzo' Barberelli, who has heard whisper of a new, mysterious and otherworldly pigment - the Prince Orient. Said to be in the possession of the richest man in Europe, who just so happens to be moving to Venice, Zorzo sets about winning a commission from him so that he might get sight of this illusive colour. But no path is simple, and Zorzo will need to decide if murder is a price he is willing to pay.

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Initially I found this to be a slow-burning, atmospheric deep-dive into Michelangelo's Venice. This is another historical fiction, built on actual people / events and I loved the characterisation of Zorzo - Damian really brings him (and others) to life.

This was going to be a solid 4/5, but the last 20% of the book - wow! I gasped, I hoped, I cried (and cried and cried some more). There is just some beautiful writing and unexpected twists which really made this book stand out to me.

I really enjoyed this book, well written with an interesting premise and well developed characters that were intriguing and engaging. I haven't read many books that involve the art world but when I have it always seems to be a really ruthless and seedy world, and I am totally there for it.
The story in this book was so twisty and unpredictable as well as being almost gothic in its dark atmosphere. I think fans of historical fiction will love it, I know I did.