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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Big thanks to Netgalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for an ARC copy. All opinions are my own.
It has been longer than I care to admit where a historical fantasy novel caught and held my attention. Navola did that within the first few chapters and I was hooked from the start to the finish (especially from halfway on!!). This was a total breath of fresh air for me to read as it was incredibly unique and well-written. There is only a small portion of fantasy elements which I honestly didn’t mind in the slightest.
The full scope of Novola’s world is astoundingly large, but the plot always remains intimate and detailed for the reader. I never felt overwhelmed at the different developments occurring or the large cast of character. This story follows Davico from childhood all through adulthood. I liked how the book was split up between not only chapters but larger sections depicting Davico’s age. It helped create space for the reader and allow for good pacing while still devouring the plot. There was rich character development throughout the story and many noteworthy scenes and quotes that struck me. There are portions of a secondary language which was delightful and kept the reader immersed in the overall Italian vibe.
Speaking of the vibe, I had no idea that I needed a story to be set in Renaissance Italy?! This was incredibly unique and continuously eye-catching for me. I loved the language, the scenery and the representation of power. There were some lulls in chapters, but I felt the pace was perfect. Of course, the second half presents much more action, but I loved the incredible strong world building in the first half. I was happy to see that it did not slow in the second half but only took a backseat. As you might expect there were a lot of plot twists and surprising parts. I always felt on edge trying to discern what could happen next. There isn’t much spice, but with everything else going on it didn’t feel like a drawback. I mentioned earlier that the fantasy themes are very nondescript, and I do think it’s important to note. This story is more of the whims of men and their struggle to obtain power. It is very human in nature, which is extremely refreshing. It leaves off in a cliffhanger with an open door to future adventures, which I truly hope we will get to see more of.
It has been longer than I care to admit where a historical fantasy novel caught and held my attention. Navola did that within the first few chapters and I was hooked from the start to the finish (especially from halfway on!!). This was a total breath of fresh air for me to read as it was incredibly unique and well-written. There is only a small portion of fantasy elements which I honestly didn’t mind in the slightest.
The full scope of Novola’s world is astoundingly large, but the plot always remains intimate and detailed for the reader. I never felt overwhelmed at the different developments occurring or the large cast of character. This story follows Davico from childhood all through adulthood. I liked how the book was split up between not only chapters but larger sections depicting Davico’s age. It helped create space for the reader and allow for good pacing while still devouring the plot. There was rich character development throughout the story and many noteworthy scenes and quotes that struck me. There are portions of a secondary language which was delightful and kept the reader immersed in the overall Italian vibe.
Speaking of the vibe, I had no idea that I needed a story to be set in Renaissance Italy?! This was incredibly unique and continuously eye-catching for me. I loved the language, the scenery and the representation of power. There were some lulls in chapters, but I felt the pace was perfect. Of course, the second half presents much more action, but I loved the incredible strong world building in the first half. I was happy to see that it did not slow in the second half but only took a backseat. As you might expect there were a lot of plot twists and surprising parts. I always felt on edge trying to discern what could happen next. There isn’t much spice, but with everything else going on it didn’t feel like a drawback. I mentioned earlier that the fantasy themes are very nondescript, and I do think it’s important to note. This story is more of the whims of men and their struggle to obtain power. It is very human in nature, which is extremely refreshing. It leaves off in a cliffhanger with an open door to future adventures, which I truly hope we will get to see more of.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's very well-written and the world building is incredibly deep and detailed. But I want my fantasy novels to actually have magic and fantasy and this one barely does. Bacigalupi seemingly just wanted to build a world to explore his ideas about the complicated machinations of power. He is not really interested in magic.
The pace and tone of the book is deliberately uneven to mimic the protagonist's coming of age, but I found the sudden shift to a much darker tone in the last third of the book upsetting and unrelentingly bleak. Also, while various women are complex characters we still really only see them through the lens of men's sexual desire.
Overall, not to my taste.
The pace and tone of the book is deliberately uneven to mimic the protagonist's coming of age, but I found the sudden shift to a much darker tone in the last third of the book upsetting and unrelentingly bleak. Also, while various women are complex characters we still really only see them through the lens of men's sexual desire.
Overall, not to my taste.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
slow-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Slow burn coming of age story set in a secondary fantasy world that is reminiscent of renaissance Italy full of Machiavellian plotting and political intrigue.
The slow considered start gives Bacigalupi the opportunity for really deep and meaningful world building. Navola feels very real and genuinely itself with smattered faux italian throughout as well as in world legends and texts between some chapters. It also gives you a chance to really get to know our POV character and see the world through his eyes. I know some other reviews found the start following our main character's childhood too long or that we only get the "boring" character's POV but I think the twists and trials wouldn't have been as shocking or impactful if we'd had multiple POVs. Bacigalupi also references back to childhood events when things ramp up (and when they ramp up they really ramp up!) and the question of our fates being down to luck or due to our choices, either unknowingly or because of careful planning and plotting, giving the reader the opportunity to reflect back on Davico's life and come to your own conclusions.
Besides the world building, what makes this such a stand out book to me is how Bacigalupi plays with typical coming of age beats and then turns some of them on their head throwing your expectations. Genuinely great read in its own right but there are some unanswered questions and I can't wait to see what comes next!
The slow considered start gives Bacigalupi the opportunity for really deep and meaningful world building. Navola feels very real and genuinely itself with smattered faux italian throughout as well as in world legends and texts between some chapters. It also gives you a chance to really get to know our POV character and see the world through his eyes. I know some other reviews found the start following our main character's childhood too long or that we only get the "boring" character's POV but I think the twists and trials wouldn't have been as shocking or impactful if we'd had multiple POVs. Bacigalupi also references back to childhood events when things ramp up (and when they ramp up they really ramp up!) and the question of our fates being down to luck or due to our choices, either unknowingly or because of careful planning and plotting, giving the reader the opportunity to reflect back on Davico's life and come to your own conclusions.
Besides the world building, what makes this such a stand out book to me is how Bacigalupi plays with typical coming of age beats and then turns some of them on their head throwing your expectations. Genuinely great read in its own right but there are some unanswered questions and I can't wait to see what comes next!
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was... something. Reviews called it a mix of Game of Thrones and the Godfather. I've never seen the Godfather but I can say this book was the political fantasy of Game of Thrones ramped up to eleven.
Without the fantasy element.
Sure, there's a dragon eyebut it spends like 95% of the book just sitting there. That's it. It's fantasy Italy with politics and a lot, lot, lot of Italian and Latins words. Like an unnecessary amount.
Beyond that, this book is very slow. Action shows up in the middle of the book and then goes away and we're back to slow. Part four is where most of the action happens and it's roughly only one hundred of the five hundred pages of this book. I almost gave up but I wanted to know what happens with Celiaand the answer is, she just disappears. So who knows what happened to her.
Whether I pick up the sequel remains to be seen. If it's as long as this one, probably not.
Without the fantasy element.
Sure, there's a dragon eye
Beyond that, this book is very slow. Action shows up in the middle of the book and then goes away and we're back to slow. Part four is where most of the action happens and it's roughly only one hundred of the five hundred pages of this book. I almost gave up but I wanted to know what happens with Celia
Whether I pick up the sequel remains to be seen. If it's as long as this one, probably not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Violence
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes