Wow, wow, wow. I didn’t think a book could take me back to the experience of reading Assassin’s Apprentice for the first time, but Paolo Bacigalupi’s Navola did just that. Set in a sort of Renaissance Italy steeped in political intrigue, the novel’s reluctant protagonist is Davico, a young man whose father practically owns the city-state of Navola due to his machinations and ample wealth. But Davico is different than his father–he’s smart, but no political genius. But he’s also the only one that senses something strange from the ancient fossilized dragon’s eye that sits on his father’s desk.

This is a lush, politically dense fantasy told from the POV of a teenager (thus, if you dislike LOTS of scene-setting and teenage boy navel gazing, this might not be the book for you). But wow, it was utterly immersive. It’s rare a book will keep me glued to it, but this one absolutely did. I can’t wait for more people to read it so we can discuss it!

This is a captivating story, although tough to initially get into. It has some whimsical features (like the dragon's eye) but also some elements of old world Italy, it almost feels like historical fiction at times. I think if you like stories such as Game of Thrones you will like the world of Navola. Stick with it.

This was a slow build, slow paced book, with very little happening until nearly the end. The world building was excellent, the background impeccable.... but I just kept waiting for the story to get going... and waiting and waiting.
I enjoyed the almost Italian/Renaissance feeling of the setting, the political machinations of the di Regulai family, I never felt truly immersed in the world and story.

While this one wasn't for me, I'll give other by Bacigalupi, based on how much I've enjoyed his other titles.

Thank you to NetGalley or the e-ARC

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of this book to review! Navola is outside of what I usually read, but I was excited for a change of pace! This review is based on my own opinions as a reader.

Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi is a captivating fantasy novel that transports readers to a richly detailed world reminiscent of Renaissance Italy. The author's exceptional world-building prowess is on full display, painting a vivid picture of the bustling city-state dominated by powerful merchant families. The introduction of the protagonist, Davico di Regulai, and the challenges he faces as the reluctant heir to his family's legacy is both compelling and well-executed.

The blending of historical fiction and epic fantasy elements, with echoes of The Godfather and Game of Thrones, makes for an engaging read. The pacing of the narrative is generally brisk, drawing the reader deeper into the intricate web of political machinations and family dynamics.

However, the lack of emphasis on the more fantastical elements, such as the fossilized dragon eye and its potential significance, was somewhat disappointing. Readers expecting a more overt magical or supernatural focus may feel let down. Additionally, the portrayal of violence, while adding depth to the narrative, can at times feel excessive and unnecessary.

Overall, Navola is a well-crafted novel that will captivate fans of intricate world-building and political intrigue. The richly imagined setting and the compelling character arcs make for an enjoyable reading experience, despite the occasional shortcomings in the representation of fantastical elements and the handling of violent content.

Everything you know and love about this author continues in this adult fantasy book! I love that Young adult authors are breaking out and writing at a new level! This was so good!

A story of the Italian Renaissance and the Medici - and a dragon’s eye that saves the life of a young man. I would like more!

Paolo Bacigalupi brings incredibly intricate worldbuilding, a harrowing tale of greed, revenge, and entirely too much longing after one's own (forcibly) adopted sister to the table with Navola. Davico is our hero in this story, and he is the heir to the great di Regulai merchant family, famed for their fairness, ruthlessness, and ability to run intellectual circles around the other great families that so envy their wealth and place in society. Unfortunately for little Davico, he feels fully eclipsed by his great father, and while trying to learn how to run an empire also must contend with finding a path for himself as he grows older and prepares to take the reins. However, unbeknownst to this great family, there are murmurs of discontent, scheming, and blades being drawn in the shadows against them, and Davico will need to muster all his strength just to survive the coming storm.

A truly great world is something I love to find in a book, and this epic fantasy provides a glimpse into a kind of fantasy Italy run by merchant princes, mercenaries, and backroom dealings. Things get derailed for me shortly after Davico's friendship with his adopted sister goes to a weird place, which becomes a truly destructive obsession for him for a majority of the rest of the book. I would have liked to see some of this cut in favor of the luscious descriptions, palace intrigue, and worldbuilding that I loved in this story.

**Thank you, Netgalley and publisher, for giving me an electronic ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

I wish there was a glossary or footnotes that explained the latin and Italian words. While some of them were explained, I found myself googling more than reading. I was waiting for this book to be more fantasy as it was marketed however it wasn't like that all in my opinion. It was hard to get past the first couple of chapters that were just explaining the politics of the world.

This Italian-renaissance-adjacent-world fantasy is a rich, finely crafted and expertly built story. Davico di Regulai, the son of the Bull, Devonaci di Regulai, grows up under the enormous weight of responsibility that is the di Regulai house. Don’t expect this book to be high fantasy with elves and non-human characters. Navola is, as many other reviewers have pointed out, more of a historical fiction; however, the dragon eye and bits and pieces of the world Davico inhabits hints at magical roots. These roots send out tendrils and shoots into Navola, but seem to exist outside such a Cambios-centric (man-ordered) place. Davico learns to be worldwise at the hands of his father’s tutors, but it is from Maestro Dellacavallo that Davico learns more of the natural world and Firmos, just the opposite of Cambios.

The story is narrated by Davico, who relates events from his past with much nostalgia and sadness. He recognizes that he was a weak link in the tragedies that eventually befell him. Don’t worry, I’m not giving away anything you don’t read about within the first few chapters. I like this type of narration, and was not put off by a lack of tangible magic because I understand that the world-building is critical to the reader’s understanding of why things eventually happen the way they do. I also relish fiction that, while graphic, depicts the horror and reality of betrayal – read any history book to find similar tales.

If you liked Game of Thrones or The Fifth Season, you’ll enjoy this book. I am looking forward to the next stage in Davico’s journey.

Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for access to the ARC. All opinions stated here are my own, and I don’t receive any remuneration for my review.

I was disappointed in this effort from Bacigalupi. Half the book is spent world-building and introducing a host of characters. The amount of cruelty, violence and sexual references seems over the top for what was needed to establish that this is a world that runs on money, power and violence. If you are looking for a Renaissance Italy based historical "fantasy" featuring a dragon, look elsewhere. The relic of a dead dragon's eye is the only dragon you'll meet here. Judicious editing would have made this a better read; as it was, I slogged through to the end, hoping that something magical would finally happen after all of the cruelty and violence but sadly, it ends with even more violence and a "hint" letter from the main character that leads me to believe that there is a sequel planned? I don't think I'll invest another 10 hours of reading if the sequel is anything like the first volume.

I love the worldbuilding, and faux-Renaissance fantasy is always a favorite. It got really dark, though, as in I wasn't sure I wanted to keep reading, but I took a break and then plowed on. Although there is hope at the end, it's so tempered with darkness at the protagonist's elbow (as he would himself admit), that while I'm interested to see how this world plays out, I'm so worried it will all end miserably. But I know I'll pick up the next book the second I can!

Paolo Bacigalupi is an author that hit big while I was in a reading hiatus. I missed the boat, but I’ve been meaning to circle back around and try his stuff. And while I don’t read quite as many big, fat fantasies as I used to, I still have a soft spot for them. So when I saw he was releasing an intricate historical fantasy with plenty of backstabbing and politics, I thought Navola was a great opportunity to give his work a try. 

Navola takes place in a heavily Italian-inspired fantasy world and follows the son of a powerful banking family as he struggles to live up to the cunning intelligence of his father and grandfather. It’s a slow build, following the lead from childhood into adolescence and early adulthood, and though the dragon eye on the cover is more than just window dressing, the story leans much more to the historical fantasy than to the magical. This is without a doubt a book for fans of politics and scheming. 

As perhaps should be unsurprising, Navola starts laying the groundwork for the political plots very quickly, but it takes a long time for the lead or the reader to really grasp the shape of things. The lead is long on empathy and short on ambition, and though he tries to be a dutiful son, none of the political maneuvering really comes naturally. And so we see his adolescence—the lessons, the friendships, the horniness, the doubts about his chosen path, all of it. And while it may not be clear exactly where the story is going during that time, it’s clear enough that it is indeed going somewhere, and the quality of the prose is high enough that reading never feels like a chore, even when the plot is opaque. 

And when the big seeds of plotting come due, they do so in a rush of blood and thunder that makes the book almost impossible to put down. There are times where the reader may see twists coming before the naive narrator does, but not so early that it spoils the tension or prevents those big moments from being utterly engrossing. 

For readers in search of sympathetic characters, there aren’t many. The lead’s empathy makes him one of the likeliest, but his adolescence shows off as much or more self-centeredness as you’d expect from a teenager, and the world is desperate to shape him into a manipulator who trusts no one and loves no one outside his own family. Make no mistake, this is a book written for those seeking a tale that’s short on goodness and trust and long on manipulation and violence. It gets dark—there’s backstabbing, torture, sexual violence—but it’s certainly entertaining always waiting to see which twist is happening next. 

Navola also isn’t an end to the story. In many ways, this is a book focused on shaping the main character to be what he needs to be for the rest of the series. A lot happens from a plot perspective, but it’s not a book that ends on a hero having accomplished his primary goal. There are significant character and plot arcs that more than justify Navola being its own book and not a mere piece of another book, but it’s absolutely designed as a series-starter. 

So should you read this book? Well, it depends on what you’re after. Thematically, it has plenty to say on how the hunger for power and wealth creates a world of violence and mistrust, but those aren’t exactly observations you can’t find explored just as well elsewhere. Really, this depends on what kind of fantasy you enjoy. If you’re a fan of dark, gritty political fantasy and don’t mind buckling up for a slow-building series of doorstoppers, step right up. That’s what Bacigalupi is going for, and his writing quality is on full display. But if that isn’t your style, this probably isn’t a book that’s going to change your mind. It does an excellent job of being what it wants to be, but it’s not out to transform a subgenre. Perhaps there’s a shift with the sequels–it certainly wouldn’t be the first series that started playing firmly within the existing expectations and branched out as the series progressed–but Navola as a novel is one for the fans of darkness and intrigue. 

Recommended if you like: historical fantasy, schemes and politics, books with no clear heroes. 

Overall rating: 17 of Tar Vol’s 20. Five stars on Goodreads.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
I enjoyed this book but it is definitely more of a historical fiction with a touch of fantasy. The world is reminiscent of Renaissance Italy. Davico is the only son of a prominent banker and we watch the many facets of his coming of age with all of the political intrigues and dangers. He is a bit of a whiner but it is understandable since he is young and has all of the pressures of being the only heir of men that are/were considered to be brilliant, brave and cunning. The story gets very dark toward the end, and I was pleasantly surprised with the finish.

This is a slow-paced coming of age tale, set in a world reminiscent of Renaissance Italy with its merchants, myriad competing political entities, and--of course--bloody feuds. The main character is terminally naive but does a good job of narrating the exciting events that happen around him and his mystical connection to a dead dragon's eye insert a plot-critical dash of fantasy into a well-build world.

Sadly, this wasn’t the book for me and I did not finish the book. This was marketed as an epic fantasy but it is not, with only mentions of a dragon’s eye. If you’re one who is interested in historical fiction with heavy political themes, this is the book for you.

Overall, the book is very slow paced and I really wish there was a glossary so I could follow what I assume is Italian or Latin phrases, which were partly explained, and go back for reference. I wanted to keep going to keep trying to give the book more and more of a chance, but I sadly couldn’t stick with this one. It’s very hard for me to not finish a book so i was disappointed.

There wasn’t anything at the beginning that happened to truly draw me in and feel connected to Davico as the main character. I don’t empathize or relate to him. There is a lot of information thrown at you so it was a little hard for me to follow along. I believe a glossary and a map could help with that.

I haven’t read very many first person books in a while and it was refreshing to see, especially as there are parts where Davico is talking to us, the reader. Davico starts the story off as a young boy who looks up to his father, a man with strong political power. There are time jumps over several chapters that disrupt the flow of the story and quite frankly reading the chapter where he hit puberty made me uncomfortable. It could have been the way it was written or how I am as a person but that was a no go for me. I can understand and am all for curiosity, but that’s not the way to do it and made me feel even more disconnected from the character. He became someone I didn’t want to root for. Celia is probably the most interesting character here due to what has happened to her and how she’s choosing to survive but not a lot is going on to further drive me to finish either of their stories.

I received an eARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An engrossing saga of a family dynasty set in a fantasy world reminiscent of early modern Italy. Notably original setting and large cast of characters make the book compelling.

If you are a fan of Bacigalupi's other books, I think you will enjoy this. Sounds like there will be a follow up book.

I have been provided with a review copy of Navola from NetGalley for an impartial review. Oh my gosh this story was just epic. I just couldn’t put this story down and I was just captivated by everything that was taking place. The author truly outdid themselves with this story. This story just had my emotions all over the place and I am so sad to see this book end. I just can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

It's hard to review this book without giving spoilers, but I'm going to do my best!

"Navola" feels like two separate novels, each of which has clear flaws that are only enhanced by the contrast between them. For the first two-thirds, it is a slow-burn political thriller with witty dialogue, faux-Italian insults, and a background sense of foreboding. Even as the characters meet with few consequences and the author spends more time exploring the four corners of his rich world than moving the action forward, I found myself interested and entertained, and looked forward to the inevitable twist when all the barely-seen political intrigue came to a head. Unfortunately, once it did, the book took a sharp turn into becoming luridly grimdark fantasy, with dozens of pages of on-screen torture and violence that felt notably out of place after the first half of the book. The world of Navola didn't lack nasty punishments for those run afoul of the nobles' intrigue, or harsh fates for side characters and enemies, but the actual acts were kept mostly off-screen and the tone was light enough to make this seem like a novel where the most upsetting events would be political (or maybe romantic), rather than the physical and mental devastation of the back half. Maybe with a bit more warning I would have found myself willing to accept the book's turn, but I was mostly disappointed. I'm...not happy, but willing...to read grimdark political fantasy in service of interesting moral questions (Seth Dickinson's "The Traitor Baru Cormorant" remains one of my favorite books of all time), and certainly the author's other work has featured plenty of on-page sex and violence. However, the payoff here was lacking. Maybe a sequel will eventually redeem this choice, but having felt my trust breached I'm not sure I'll take the chance. As much as I want to give the book two stars, political fantasy is enough of my thing, and the book does it well enough especially in the first half, to earn itself a 2.6-rounded-up-to-3.

In the city of Navola the di Regulai name is feared with a vast reach over not just there but across the world. The family runs the largest bank with much influence in a city where lies come easily and Davicio di Regulai is not so certain that he is the best to take on the weight of this family legacy. Tensions continue to rise in the city as his father continues to exert more power eventually resulting in the fall of another family and the taking in of their eldest daughter Celia to be raised alongside Davicio in their palazzo as siblings. All the while Davicio begins to develop a unique connection to the mysterious dragon's eye that sits upon his father's death.

This book is a wonderful story of a Renaissance Florentine world with the hints of a fantasy element with the dragons. The first few chapters do give you a lot of information to get you introduced to the politics, scheming, and the power players of the city. For much of the first half of the story we follow Davicio through his childhood learning the trade of being a di Regulai, something he does not think he fits into quite as well. This I found a bit weaker as he does complain a lot and it goes on for a larger portion of the book. Then we descend into the start of what I can see the rest of this series becoming with gore, bloodshed and vengeance.

The characters around Davicio in his life all twisty and well crafted. His relationship with the group who were set to train him was one of my favorites especially Cazetta, his father's assassin. I really hope to see more Filippo, Celia and Sia Furia in the rest of the series as this feels like only the very start of Davicio's story.

I would recommend this to fantasy fans who have an appreciation of Italian history, grimdark fantasy, and can handle a book that feels more historical fiction of a fantasy world. It feels as though it is likely to appeal to Dune or Name of the Wind fans. Really hoping to see a nice long series that I will savor reading.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher for providing me with an arc to read and review.