Breakaway Books

Authored by Paolo Bacigalupi; Published July 2024; Fantasy

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️🏖️

I didn’t know that Navola was meant to be the first book in a series, but I should have guessed. The author has strewn nuggets throughout the novel, enough loose threads that were left untugged, that it calls out for a sequel.

Navola was a slow burn, with a creeping sense of doom approaching from the first chapter. It follows the story of the extremely prosperous family di Regulai as they attempt to maintain political and economic control of the land of Navola. As I became more familiar with its world and the family di Regulai, it was impossible to avoid the feeling that it would all burn down in the end. I can’t say I was surprised by any of the major plot events—but the author masterfully built up the tension leading to all of them.

What I was most impressed by, though, was the author’s keen depiction of the inner monologue of the narrator, Davico. The chosen successor to his father’s empire, Davico was plagued with doubts about his ability to assume his father’s place which felt so very realistic; his purity of heart, poorly matched to a career as a de facto business mogul, was both obvious and at times painful to read.

The world that the author built is so rich, with a complex and deep set of characters. They are not really heroes, not any of them. Engaging in a meticulous web of political intrigue, they do not precisely endear themselves to the reader, but I was invested by the end (and thoroughly depressed).

Magic was used sparingly but powerfully by the author. I look forward to seeing how it is developed in later novels.

If you don’t mind gore or depressingly realistic politics, you should dive into the world of Navola.