A book set in an alternate Renaissance Italy-type setting, Navola follows the story of Davico, who we are introduced to as a small child learning his father's business of investing and trade at the knee of his father's top advisor in addition to learning medicine and fighting from others in his father's large compound. They are a wealthy family, and a very significant portion of the book is background about the politics, the setting, and introducing all the characters. (Sometimes even characters with a very small role get a significant introduction with more background than necessary.) Between all his lessons, Davico romps with his dog, Lazy, and runs around with his adopted sister, who is a bit of a troublemaker. All this background makes for a very slow start to the book. It's a very interesting world-building, but really makes you feel like you're making a serious commitment, and works better when you have a significant amount of time to sit and dedicate to the book. This is not a book for light reading since the story doesn't really get going until well over halfway in.

Overall, I have enjoyed the author's writing and would be interested to read more, but it's best to go into it knowing what to expect.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this eARC in advance!

3.5-3.75 stars....first off thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC. Okay, I'm not gonna lie it took me a while to push through this book. It was heavy on the political intrigue, and set in an ancient Roman city-states kind of place and just found the mmc kind of obtuse....that is until the end where he finally grows a backbone. I would classify it as mostly historical fiction with a dash of fantasy(because of the dragon eye) but the first half of the book felt like a history lesson and getting the lay of the land and how this one family runs it. It wasn't until I was over halfway through that the plot thickened, and things started to get interesting. I've read books from this author before and liked them. This one just fell a little flat for me, and it was longer than it needed to be, I think. I would recommend it if you are into the historical/political fiction vibe.

Navola masterfully blends intricate world-building with a gripping narrative, immersing readers in an Italy-esque city-state brimming with power struggles and hidden dangers. The setting, reminiscent of Renaissance Italy, adds authenticity and creates a world that is both familiar and unique.

The story’s gradual pacing allows for deep immersion into the world of Navola. This slow build mirrors Davico's journey, drawing readers into the intricacies of political machinations and personal revelations. As the plot accelerates, both Davico and the reader are plunged into a whirlwind of intrigue, betrayal, and suspense.

The cast of characters is well-developed, each operating with their own hidden motivations and agendas. The dynamics of power, family loyalty, and ambition are explored with nuance, adding richness to the narrative.

Navola is a remarkable literary fantasy, offering a captivating blend of world-building, character development, and plot complexity. It is deeply engaging and thought-provoking, making it a must read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was way too long. The idea is hood and do are the characters. It dragged in a lot of places. I found myself skimming a lot. It took me a long, long time to get through the book. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

At first, the descriptive writing style was engaging and lovely.

But then...It doesn't stop. I made 40% through this massive book, and nothing was happening.

DNF. So much potential, no delivery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an arc to read and review voluntarily.

I’m not sure I’d call this book historical fantasy so much as maybe political fantasy?

I got excited about the dragons, I mean there’s an eye on the cover. But this book is 90% politics. Not in a bad way, just not quite what I expected. The plot moved a little slow, but was still enough to keep my attention. And it picked up a good bit at the end. I’m curious enough to read the next one, but I can’t say I recommend this one to everyone. Maybe only read it if you like *dense* books. The writing is excellent though, which makes up for a bit of the dense.

I received an advance copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own and a review was not required.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. I liked this book. I love the premise of a fantasy Medici family and the Renaissance themes in the book. It took me a hit minute to get into the story but once I did it was good read. Mad props to the author for the world building and the creativity, and as a historian I appreciated all the nods to Renaissance Italy. This was the first book I've read by this author and I'll now try others by this author. Looking forward to whenever the next book comes out and finding out what the main character does next.

The early reviews have it right. This really is a Medici like family with mafia vibes set in a fantasy world. However, it is also so much more than that. There's so much history and culture with the setting of Navola alone that the glimpses and tastes of the larger world outside of the city-state left me salivating over the possibilities Bacigalupi has with this new world. Yet, this book still stands on its own with an incredibly well written slow burn plot line that will make you feel comfortable one second and with the next sentence, jolt you up, make you feel as if nothing is safe, and you don't know where Bacigalupi will be taking you next. My only complaint is that I wanted this nearly 600-page novel to be even longer. I hope a sequel is in store because I absolutely need more of this world and its characters.

I hate to leave an early galley unfinished but this one is simply not striking my fancy. I’m 25% of the way through this long novel and it’s still just in the setup phase. I keep falling asleep. Paolo Bacigalupi has given the reader lots to learn about the people of this world…their history, their politics, their language, and their beliefs. There were some conversations and a few low-stress or quickly remedied situations, but they only served to set the stage/get to know the characters rather than advance a plot. What I had been expecting, based on other books I’ve read by Bacigalupi, was action. I expected to be quickly pulled into an exciting story with intriguing characters. Instead, this is some sort of Italian Renaissance world where, I imagine, there is an impending power struggle. But I don’t particularly care enough about the main character to continue skimming through the relentless descriptions and lessons.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the opportunity to read this novel ahead of its July 9, 2024 release. I'm sorry it wasn't the book for me.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi takes us to what seems like very early Italy and tells the story of Davico. He is the son of wealthy bankers and is not inclined to follow in his father’s footsteps but is trained to take over anyway. Thus intrigue/suspicion develops among the other clans.

The beginning of the book is setting the stage for the rest of the story. The latter part of the book is very interesting and fast moving. It’s more of a historical fiction read with a touch of fantasy involving the dragons eye. I’m guessing there will be more involvement with the dragons eye if there is a sequel. Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for letting me read this story in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi in exchange for an honest review. This was a really cool book, even though it seemed quite slow at times. It was well-written, but seemed to be a very expanisive world-building book and I definitely think that this was the start. I support it was a sort of Game of Thrones with a Renaissance Italy flair, but the detailed description was a bit tedious. The di Regulai family was interesting and I enjoyed the scheming, but I wanted way more magic and less misogyny!

This started off very interesting but ended up being so disappointing! The fake Italian really irked me! The info dumps didn’t flow with the story, it was just kind of placed there and then you move back to the plot.

I was so excited about Navola, but I ended up giving up a bit into the book. The beginning was so, so slow that I just didn't have any desire to keep reading. I will admit that I am not the most patient reader and I could see the threads being pulled and twisted for narrative momentum to come, but I just couldn't get there. The prose was excellent, however, and I'm certain that readers who gravitate more towards historical fiction and literary fantasy will appreciate this one.

This is a story to be savored slowly to allow time to absorb the intricate world building: architecture, flora and fauna, mythology, politics, names. In an Italianate/Renaissance fantasy world follow young Davico di Regulai, heir to a family of powerful merchant bankers, into dangerously complex games of power. Fans of Game of Thrones should find the ruthless intrigues of powerful families appealing, while readers who have enjoyed Guy Gavriel Kay’s historical fantasies will also find much to like here.

The Regulai name is legendary. Davico di Regulai’s ancestors include warriors, politicians, and bankers who shape not just the city of Navola but the world around them. Davico was raised to be the perfect heir to his master manipulator father, but Paolo Bacigalupi’s engrossing new novel Navola is a tale of what happens to people who get caught up in the webs of those who practice to deceive.

We meet Davico as a young man, scarcely ten years old, at his accounting lessons. His tutors are doing their best to drill finances, contracts, law, and the fine art of faccioscuro—hiding one’s emotions behind a deceptive or unreadable face—so that he can take over his father’s many schemes. He’s a privileged young man. In his spare time, he can roam the palazzo, the city, and the nearby countryside with his dog and his pony. In the background, however, we can see that his father, his tutors, and his father’s consort are worried that Davico is too naive and too kind to truly take his father’s place. Even after Davico sees ample evidence of his father’s willingness to use violence and coercion when guile fails, he can’t see the potential consequences of forcing an entire city and its neighbors to bend to the di Regulai will.

When things turn for Davico and the di Regulai family, they turn spectacularly. The last third of this book is dark. Fans of the politics in George R.R. Martin’s books will devour Navola. I loved how Bacigalupi was able to create a wonderfully realistic character such as Davico at the same time as he builds a complex, Italian Renaissance-inspired world up around Davico. Savvy readers will probably be able to spot the downfall of the di Regulai from the clues that Davico’s innocent nature simply doesn’t see. From the beginning of the novel, there are scenes between Davico’s father and the leaders of Navola that made me wonder if there was someone plotting revenge against the di Regulai’s scheming. People will only take so much before they snap.

I don’t know if Bacigalupi has plans for a sequel to Navola. He leaves the door open for one and, even though parts of this book are absolutely harrowing, I would love to return to this world and its characters. I want to know if the wheel of Fortune will bring the di Regulai name back to power.

This book. I have such mixed feelings about this book. I want to love it, but I can't. I want to hate it, but I can't.

First off, this book starts out slow. And I mean like snail pace slow. It took me four days to get through the first 150 pages because it was so slow that I kept falling asleep. I almost DNFed it. However, it started to pick up a little after that but still didn't really grip my interest until about 250 pages in. The amount of backstory written is excessive, in my opinion. Yes, some backstory is always nice, but the first third of the book is mainly backstory. I found this to be highly unnecessary since no intense world building was required. I think if that would have been condensed, I would have like the story so much more.

The characters in this book are all atrocious. Everyone is a liar. Everyone is prone to betrayal. Everyone only looks out for their best interest. Then you have poor Davico. I don't know how he came to be as a person in such a wretched land, but he is so gentle and innocent compared to those around him. I feel really bad and completely understand why he was tempted by the evil fossil sitting on the desk. It may be evil, but at least it's honest about it's intentions.

Once it finally got going, the plot was intriguing. Not as much fantasy as I would like to see in a fantasy novel, but the second half was still worth the read and did incorporate more of the fantasy elements I was looking for.

Feels more like historical fiction than fantasy - this is an Italian Renaissance inspired tale of warring families led by greed and a lust for power. It is a story of one son who has been groomed to inherit a banking empire if he can survive. Through assassins, allies and backroom deals with enemies Davico learns how to be master of his empire if he can learn who to trust. An odd artifact of his father's, a dragon's eye, will unleash a powerful ally if Davico can learn to control it. This is a vibrant world the author has created that will appeal to GAME OF THRONES and MEDICI fans. The ending leaves us to believe there will be more to come. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

I ended up taking this a bit slower than I personally expected, but I honestly don't mind that it took me longer to read, as it ended up sitting more and more in the back of my head a la the dragon eye that you see on the cover design. This is a fantasy of an Italy where there is absolutely magic and dragons, but it is rooted primarily in the political plays from the point of view of the son who never quite lived up to what his father's vision for him was. This builds amazingly as the plot goes on, though we are admittedly limited to this being a male POV (I legit wanted to know more about Asha and Celia throughout the story). If you want a fantasy Medici Italy and all the political maneuverings therein, it's definitely worth your read when this comes out this summer.

I've loved every book of his that I've read, and this is no exception. It reads more like historical fiction, set in an area of nation states like medieval Italy. Our Hero is the scion of the city of Navola's most powerful family - the bankers. Rich prose with deeply drawn characters and amazing world building, plus a large dose of political intrigue and hidden agendas. I usually have trouble with long books, but this one sped by - looking at my percentage complete slowly creeping up my reaction was more 'oh boy, lots to go' than 'am I only x% through after all this reading'! His other books that I've read are much more in the science fiction genre, this is literary fiction with just a touch of fantasy. Other reviews thought the main character rather weak minded and easily led. True but realistic. He's the spoiled only son of a powerful leader and has never had to think for himself. He's spent his entire life being groomed to take over the family business, and it does not come naturally to him - or at all, really. He does finally grow a spine, but it takes most of the book. My only slight issue was that the penultimate act is really drawn out and painful, way more than needed to get the idea across. Then the ending felt a bit rushed in comparison. I hope Bacigalupi writes a sequel, I'd love to spend more time in this world, with these characters!