Fantastic Fiction Firsts #75

Tue, 07/24/2007 - 5:55pm by muffy

Alright, I haven't read it yet but the critics are heaping high praise on David Blixt's debut novel The Master of Verona.

This first-time novelist+actor of the Michigan Shakespeare Festival has deep roots in the Ann Arbor Community (see the A2News interview), and will be at Borders Downtown on Wednesday, July 25th at 7 p.m. for a reading and signing.

Set in the Italian Renaissance and populated with such luminaries as Dante (Inferno) and the reimagined Montagues and Capulets, this historical is narrated by Pietro Alighieri, the 17 year-old son of Dante. Amidst the excitement of war between Padua and Verona and the drama of the Paduan court, Pietro witnesses his two best friends, Mariotto and Antonio being pushed to the edge of rekindling an ancient blood feud by their joint love of the same woman.

"Intricate plotting, well-staged scenes and colorful descriptions enhance head-spinning but lively entertainment" ~Kirkus.

"The precipitous ending, marked with dizzying revelations by the protagonists, do nothing to mar a novel of intricate plot, taut narrative, sharp period detail and beautifully realized characters." ~Publishers Weekly