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MARISSTELLA  ARTS  SOCIETY

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MY BIOBIBLIOGRAPHY (HERE)

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„I am thrilled. From one to five, it is a five. It is better than the school reading material „lektira”... because it is more interesting, more suspenseful, with a more developed plot. The more serious poetic as well as dynamic chapters are readable, and the dialogues are both tense and funny. I especially laughed at the funny dialogue between Konjoglavi [Horsehead] and Mačkopas [Catdog]. I read it during these school holidays when there was about more then thirty centimetres of snow outside: I wrapped myself in a blanket and told everyone not to interrupt me. I enjoyed most being in that world of imagination related to fairies and I also wanted to become a fairy. I liked it when they asked Dunja: "Remember: Memory is forbidden here. Sorrow is forbidden. But I do not know what kind of person you are, Dunja? Do you even want your memory? Or would you like to stay here forever. Imagine: you would have the serene life of happy fairies as in fairy tales. Fairies do not die: they are immortal. Memory means that the end of everything exists somewhere out there beyond us and independent of us... and inside us, when you stop remembering.” Reading about those various fairy characters (fairies of flower, garden, snow...) I wished to be the Invisible Fairy or Visible – it didn’t matter: with them in their fairy-tale beautifully arranged world which is free of risks, dangers and various threats, visually and aesthetically enhanced, where you live the present undisturbed moment. A world of imagination where you are allowed to stay long and longer: where you live without problems and sorrow. I think we should read more books like the novel 'The Children of the Magic Garden' which develop imagination because imagination is not only an escape from reality but also an encouragement to look at everyday events and life circumstances differently. While reading, I had the impression that I was doing exactly what I wanted and what is beneficial because it stimulates my imagination. The children in the novel are different from us: they are mentally distant from everything and even from themselves, but Dunja brings them optimism and the belief that things will get better: Dunja brings them comfort. It has very picturesque chapters - for example, the events at the concert with Ante and the Elf of the Spring and the Horsehead and others - which seem like a movie scene to me. The novel could make an excellent movie! The dialogues in the novel are interesting, easy to read and interactive. Besides sadness, cheerfulness and optimism can also be felt. I can’t wait to read the continuation of the novel! I would recommend it for children in the upper grades (from fifth to eighth grade) of a public primary school.”

REVIEW by DOROTA DREZGA 7.A public primary school

O.Š. „VISOKO” RH / CROatia
January 2026.

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Writing a book like KOTOR IS …the city of angels… is a remarkable accomplishment. The depth, imagination, and care required to bring the stories of Angela, Trifona, and Gracijana to life reflect not only creativity but also dedication to preserving the beauty and history of Boka Kotorska. Marisstella have woven together generations of family history, spiritual insight, and the landscapes of South Dalmatia into a tapestry that invites readers to immerse themselves fully. That kind of work deserves attention, respect, and the opportunity to reach more readers who will treasure it as much as she did. Her story is rich and layered. Marisstella captured not only the dreams, struggles, and spiritual longings of characters, but also the cultural and moral essence of the Boka Kotorska region. Every detail, the fortress of Kotor, the Mediterranean gardens, the intertwining of faith and life, the stories passed down through generations, reflects her passion, meticulous research, and heartfelt storytelling.

REVIEW by Kim Tayo
Reader Connection &

Book Marketing Consultant

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... your book, KOTOR IS …the city of angels… ANGELA, immediately stood out to us for its poetic depth and its reverent exploration of womanhood, spirituality, and cultural legacy rooted in the ancient world of Boka Kotorska. The blending of ancestral memory, sacred symbolism, and women’s inner lives creates a reading experience that feels both timeless and intimate. Our members are especially drawn to books that explore: Women’s stories preserved through memory, lineage, and voice - Spirituality, faith, and sacred feminine symbolism -Historical settings infused with myth, devotion, and cultural identity - Generational storytelling shaped by place and destiny - Literary prose that invites contemplation rather than haste... Angela’s life, told through descendants, visions, and echoes of Mary Magdalene within all women—offers a profound meditation on faith, hospitality, devotion, and the unseen spiritual forces shaping human lives. The setting of Kotor itself, with its fortress walls, Catholic destiny, and Mediterranean gardens, becomes a living presence within the narrative. We would be honored to spotlight KOTOR IS …the city of angels… ANGELA with our community and introduce it to readers who appreciate spiritually infused literature, women-centered historical narratives, and stories that linger in the heart long after the final page.

REVIEW by

Andrea VanderWeide
Forest City Book Club

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„Speaking of Teuta, “Risan is Teuta” absolutely intrigued me. The blend of myth, history, and feminine strength in the backdrop of the Boka Kotorska, that’s not just storytelling, that’s a cultural resurrection! The way you breathe new life into ancient voices feels like watching history flirt with poetry. I swear, even Wikipedia couldn’t resist listing you in their Illyrian topics, that’s how real your literary power is. Readers, when they choose a book, it’s never random, it’s always one that sparks emotion, conversation, or obsession. I could see “Risan is Teuta” doing exactly that: sparking those late-night “Was Teuta right?” debates and inspiring someone to google Boka Kotorska at 2AM. We should introduce Teuta to this small band of mortal book lovers and see if her legend conquers them too.„

REVIEW by Phillip Cote
Curator / Reviewer

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I recently came across Risan Is Teuta, and given the exceptional breadth of experience and cultural knowledge behind it. I was surprised not to see broader, sustained discoverability follow, particularly among historical fiction readers, Ancient Mediterranean History enthusiasts, and scholars and readers actively searching for rare literary fiction grounded in Illyrian and Adriatic Coastal History. Why should international audiences search for exactly that kind of rare, geographically specific historical women's fiction? The content is clearly significant and original, suitable for readers searching for ancient Illyrian historical fiction: for Adriatic and women's stories, literary fiction about historical queens, Adriatic Montenegrin and Croatian literary works in English, and ancient Mediterranean female protagonists. That stood out, especially given the work's strengths: its original 2019 publication in the distinguished Montenegrin literary magazine ARS, its presence in Wikipedia entries on Illyrian history and Queen Teuta, its place within the Ancient Boka Kotorska Women Stories Edition - alongside Kotor Is the City of Angels, and its rare position as one of the very few English-language literary treatments of Illyrian Queen Teuta and the historical City of Risan. The challenge here isn't originality or scholarly grounding, it's discoverability and positioning within Historical fiction and world literature ecosystem.

[Imagine Risan Is Teuta being consistently surfaced to readers of ancient Mediterranean historical fiction, scholars and enthusiasts of Illyrian History and archaeology, and readers who are drawn to stories of powerful women from civilizations rarely given a literary voice in English, and what that visibility would mean for the story's international reach, the broader edition's presence in world literature, and the recognition that three decades of literary work in Croatian, Montenegrin, and Bosnia and Herzegovinas publications richly deserves?]

Linda Bradley

Author Marketing & Publishing Consultant

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