Dec. 14, 2025 - Chicago-area author Camille J. Severino has seen her debut fantasy book, Secrets of the Jeweled Flask, which is peppered with Italian seasoning, get some great coverage among Italian press.

The latest coverage comes from Ambassador, a magazine of the the National Italian American Foundation. The review states, in part:

"The book is filled with wonderful unforced plot twists and perfectly drawn characters. Those include a variation on the weird sisters of Macbeth, who don’t make a witch’s brew but serve Vito pasta fagioli in another of Chicago’s Little Italys.

"This is a true page-turner, and once you finish the book you’ll surely have the urge to wander through Arrigo Park and end up at Al’s Beef for a sandwich with hot giardiniera and a side of fries."

She had previously received a write-up in Fra Noi, a magazine billing itself as “Chicagoland’s Italian American Voice.”

Meanwhile, Jeyran Main of Review Tales gave a glowing review of the book on the website in October.

Among the good things the reviewer said were:

"The brilliance of Severino’s narrative lies not only in its fantastical elements but in the emotionally grounded, deeply symbolic voyage [the protagonist] Vito undertakes."

Severino’s prose is both lyrical and playful, deftly weaving humor, heartache, and wonder.

"A whimsical, thought-provoking journey of magical realism, psychological reckoning, and emotional transformation."

See the entire review by clicking here.