Navola

(Paperback)

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Description

'One of the amazing feats of worldbuilding which I've encountered this year, or really in the last few years.' Lev Grossman

Navola is a city built on trade.

Its palazzos and towers are conjured from its merchant wealth: barley and rice, flax and wool, iron and silver, arms, armies, lives and kingdoms are all traded here.

And presiding over it all, the Regulai bank. By guile, force of arms and the cast-iron might of their money and promises, in just three generations the Regulai family have risen far from their humble origins: merchants beg their backing, artists their patronage, princes an invitation to dine at their table. The Regulai say they are not political, but their wealth buys cities and topples kingdoms.

Soon, Davico di Regulai will take the reins of power. But the boy is not well-suited for his role. His heart is soft where it should be hard. He is credulous when he should be suspicious. He is tired of being tested and trained to inherit a legacy he is not sure he wants.

But Davico is inextricably tangled in fates net and his doubts can only summon ruin.

In the shade of Navolas colonnaded porticoes, his familys enemies gather and plot.

In the shadows of its deep catacombs, assassins sharpen their stiletto knives.

In the kingdoms of the Cerulean Peninsula, princes and despots muster their armies.

Davicos only hope rests in the heart of a girl whose own family was destroyed by the Regulai, and in a crystalline orb the size of a human head, said to be the eye of a long-dead dragon.

Reviews

Gorgeously detailed and utterly immersive, Navola must stand as one of the greatest and grandest fantasy novels of the modern era, its all-too real horrors beautifully measured. Nothing short of a masterpiece * Daily Mail *
'Steeped in poison, betrayal, and debauchery, reading Navola is like slipping into a luxurious bath full of blood.' -- Holly Black

Medici Florence meets Tony Sopranos New Jersey - with a delicious dash of high fantasy and a heavy splattering of blood. Navola is a grand feat of imagination by a storyteller at the peak of his powers.

-- Dan Jones
Bacigalupi dazzles in this addictive account of the rivalries between powerful families in a brilliantly rendered fantastical world inspired by 15th-century Florence. * Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW *
[A] masterful fantasy epic... all of the sf/f fan-favorite Bacigalupi hallmarks are here: deep character development and astounding world-building, but this time with dragons * Booklist, STARRED REVIEW *
The triumph of Navola is that so often its genuinely innovative, a fantasy novel that you didnt know you wanted to read * SFX, 5* *
A rewarding, slow-release pleasure... has real punch and power * The Herald, Book of the Month *
Very much in the George R. R. Martin style. Very readable * Bookseller's Circle *
A beautifully written book with some deep world building that draws the reader in * SF Book Reviews *
Its no wonder that readers of multivolume fantasies have grown wary of starting new series before theyre concluded. George R.R. Martins fans have waited 13 years and counting for The Winds of Winter. Patrick Rothfusss readers have been waiting just as long for the last installment of his Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy. Susanna Clarke ended Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell with a hook that portended a sequel; 20 years on, illness has prevented her from writing the intended continuation. Navola, the new fantasy novel by Paolo Bacigalupi, is a long book, the first in a series, and it comes from an author known for taking his time. It ends with questions unanswered, secrets unrevealed, fates unknown and grave wrongs unavenged. But as eager as I am to know what happens next, Navola would stand among the best of its genre even if a second volume never appeared. * Washington Post *
An absolute triumph! This has it all, ruling powers and the plots against them, corruption, betrayal, and brooding in the background the crystallised eye of what is believed to be an ancient dragon. [. . .] Powerful and exciting, Navola spins into life drawing you into its orbit, what a wondrous ride it is! * LoveReading *
Bacigalupis latest work demonstrates his mastery of epic fantasy [. . .]Dense with lore and nuance, this tale is one to savor, and I found myself disappointed to emerge from Navolas pages with sequels not already at my eager fingertips. A definite must-read for fans of Patrick Rothfuss, Cate Glass, and the historical drama Medici * Locus *
The triumph of Navola is that so often its genuinely innovative, a fantasy novel you didnt know you wanted to read. -- Lindsey B. King * 5280 *
Lots of epic fantasies get compared to Game of Thrones these days. But this sweeping literary tale of the young heir of an influential banking family who faces rebellion as he ascends to power in a world inspired by 15th-century Florence might actually deserve it. * Paste Magazine, The Most Anticipated Fantasy Books of Summer 2024 *
Bacigalupis new genre-bending fantasy is a coming-of-age tale set in a mob-like family, full of intrigue, betrayal, and the lust for power, status, and money. For readers who enjoy fantasy full of political and family intrigue, such as A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, and for those who like coming-of-age stories focusing on a young mans battles, such as The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. * Library Journal *
In Navola, Bacigalupi has constructed a detailed image of a cut-throat world which would not be at all comfortable to live in. It is a very good novel indeed * Parsec *
A multi-layered and complex narrative which is hugely entertaining * Grimdark Magazine *
Bacigalupi is one of those rare writers - think Ursula Le Guin and Patrick Rothfuss - who excel at nuanced worldbuilding * Straits Times *
One of the amazing feats of worldbuilding which I've encountered this year, or really in the last few years. -- Lev Grossman, bestselling author of THE BRIGHT SWORD
Navola is intriguing from the first line, instantly immersing the reader into this world of plots and intrigues of men and their drive for power over others... This is one of the years most stunning releases, and we are hugely relieved to learn that this will not be the end of the young di Regulais story. * British Fantasy Society *

Author Bio

Paolo Bacigalupi is an internationally bestselling author of speculative fiction. He has won the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, John W. Campbell and Locus Awards, as well as being a finalist for the National Book Award and a winner of the Micheal L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. Paolos work often focuses on questions of sustainability and the environment, most notably the impacts of climate change. He has written novels for adults, young adults, and children. He can be found online at windupstories.com.