I've discovered Bacigalupi from his short stories of "Pump Six and other stories". I fell in love with his writing, his worlds, his characters ever since. The Windup Girl was a masterpiece, and I pre-ordered Navola the instant I knew it would be released. I read it as soon as I could load it on my Kindle and basically didn't put it down until the end.

I'm writing this review long after, and still the souvenir lingers.

Navola. What a world! What characters, what a story!

Completely different from his post-apocalyptic other worlds, this Italian-renaissance alternative world is just breathtaking from start to finish.

Bacigalupi is not nearly as famous as he should be.

Read Navola, read the Windup Girl, read Pump six, read the Ship-Breaker series...

It's a coming of age tale written from an adult perspective, but the main character grows up in a ruthless banking family that operates like the mafia. This is a really well written book and a deep profile of Renaissance Italy. It is not, however, sci fi or fantasy or about dragons. If you're reading this thinking dragons play a strong role in the story, you will be disappointed. I know I was.

I recommend reading the book anyway. It's poignant and sad and touching. The characters are vivid and expertly drawn. The writing is fantastic. I was expecting a potboiler and read art instead. Plus, the book perfectly sets up the sequel, which I can't wait to read. I expect more fantasy in the sequel. I had to take off a star, because I felt misled. I will keep thinking about this book. I will continue reading the series.

Never before has a book’s conclusion left me this heartbroken. Navola is a fantasy variant of 13th Century Italy, of a rising merchant class harnessing power and wealth against the existing nobles and clergy, politics and position wielded like swords, information and lies a currency more valuable than gold. The sole heir to his father’s banking empire, Davico di Regulai is unable to measure up despite his efforts, not ruthless enough for a world built on deceit like a mafioso consortium. The story builds like a wide spiral, each successive loop spinning you faster and tighter until everything explodes in the center like an overwound kink spring. I ventured into Navola eyes wide-shut, stumbling into every pitfall Davico did, always wanting him to succeed even as the measure of that bar grew increasingly elusive and feeble. By its end, I was crushed and outraged, any sense of a happy ending dashed. And it’s exactly that which makes Navola ultimately satisfying; not because it had the ending I wanted, but rather the ending that kept me reading for hours on end to learn the fate of Davico di Regulai, a character I genuinely felt for and wanted to see succeed no matter how hopeless his situation became. Did the final interaction between Celia and Davico reveal her truth, or another deception she used to spare herself? I will never have a satisfying answer, Navola’s end forever stuck in my thoughts like a jagged splinter.

One of the best books I have read this year, I dove in with few expectations and became quickly immersed in the world. I wouldn’t survive in a world like this one and I myself was stunned by some of the twists and turns. I loved to see the character evolve. I was so sad at points in the book that I had to put it down and go somewhere else to remove myself from this place. I loved how the ending felt full, complete, not rushed and not dragged out. The author is a masterful storyteller. I was only sad that I couldn’t stay in this world longer, but a good author knows when to put the pen (or keyboard) down. I usually hesitate to recommend fantasy to people who don’t read the genre but this book requires no caveats - I wholeheartedly recommended this to people who usually only read non-fiction or serious literature.

The most important thing I would highlight is that this is first in a series. Why do I highlight that? Because after being burned by the likes of GRR Martin and Patrick Rothfuss, I typically avoid series that aren’t completed. Also in my opinion this book doesn’t make it clear that it’s part of a series and not a standalone, so my goal is to help others avoid that mistake.

That being said, the story and writing are compelling and I would recommend it. I found it very hard to put down, although it was also quite slow at times.

To make one thing clear, this is NOT a fantasy novel. It is an alternative history, but the only thing that differs between Renaissance Italy and the novel's world is geography. There is a dragon's "eye", but it's a poorly understood fossil, and there is nothing fantastic about it at all. The first three-fourths of the read like a novelization of Machiavelli's The Prince, and the last fourth like Oedipus at Colonus. I wish the author were a little better at writing endings - the main secondary character completely disappears at the end, and we never find out what happens to her. I understand why the author made this decision, and even though I disagree, it does not distract from the overall power of the novel and, the quality of his writing. This is a book that is not to be missed.

Ugh, I wanted to like this book so bad because it sounded interesting. However, the beginning is extremely slow and keeping track of the characters/places/things is difficult. I ended up giving this book up after 100 pages because I was bored. I may try to go back and read it again at a different point, but for right now it is on a shelf.

The twist and turns that flesh out the protagonist are deep, engrossing, and realistic.

In the end, you understand the full weave of the personalities. You despair, you hope, you cheer, you love, and then you discover real misery and a path out of it that you thought lost.

The story is both fantastic and realistic, and wonderfully told.

I am not a fan of most fantasy novels, but I liked Paolo Bacigalupis’ other books so much that this seemed worth a try.

He is a master of creating different worlds in all his stories and this is no exception. His perception and imagination build an extraordinary world with a coming of age story that twists and turns to the very end. The novel cries out for a sequel.

The cadence of the writing caught me before the story did, but when it did, I was captivated. Beautifully written

After reading The Windup Girl by the same author, I bought this as soon as I saw it was out.

It's beautifully written, rich with detail. Also, prepare for a shock partway through.

The main downside is: it's obviously written as the first book in a series, setting up the deep back-story for the main character. We'll have to wait for the next book to see how the writer's imagined world evolves.

It's a slow burn this Novola, to the point where I nearly didn't finish it on several occasions. The strengths are it's rarely obvious or predictable and is written well, it's weakness is it's simply boring.

Fantastic fantasy with politics, intrigue and human nature at the fore. Beautiful world building. Can’t wait for the next one!