I'm a big fan of Bacigalupi's work, especially The Windup Girl, and when I first heard about Navola's upcoming release and that it was an epic fantasy, I had a strong feeling it would be incredible. I was wrong—it's far beyond incredible and is truly sublime. This is easily one of my new all-time favorite fantasy books and I can't stop thinking about it. To my knowledge, this is Bacigalupi's first foray into fantasy of this nature–though he's no stranger to the speculative fiction genre–and I dearly hope it won’t be his last. This is pitched as a "literary fantasy," and I feel this story fits that well, though I would also say you might enjoy it if you like historical fiction as well, as it's not heavy on the fantasy aspects (outside of a different world, though one still like our own).

Navola follows Davico di Regulai, a young boy in a Renaissance Italy-inspired fantasy world, who belongs to a high influential merchant banker family. The Navolese are known for being especially cunning, treating everything as a game of chess (or cartalegge, perhaps), and must carefully navigate and who you can and cannot trust. Throughout the tumultuous events of this novel, Davico's own loyalties and values are tested as he must navigate this labyrinthine-like world of political machinations and determine his own place in it.

Bacigalupi’s portrayal of and ability to capture and convey Davico's emotions is on another level. I consistently felt the intricate complexities of Davico’s feelings toward the people and environment he was surrounded by as if I were in his place. I experienced his frustrations, anger, triumphs, and anxieties; Bacigalupi captured it all so well that I’m just in awe thinking about it. It was easy to feel emotionally connected to the story because of how effortless it was to understand and relate to Davico at every turn. There were only a couple moments when I felt frustrated with him and thought he was being stubborn, but even then, it felt fitting.

Davico feels inadequate and is unsure if he has what it takes to be a wealthy, influential Navolese businessman like his father, and that anxiety and pressure weighs on him every day. He’s a bit naive and more good-hearted than those around him, and this is gradually challenged more and more as time goes on. I really enjoyed getting to explore this world and the myriad of complicated characters through Davico's eyes. I'm also not usually drawn to revenge stories (and Navola is not one!), but the events that occur in Navole, as well as Davico's reactions to them, are crafted so well that I felt such a deep connection to Davico's feelings and could understand in such details the mixed myriad of emotions he experienced that I could definitely understand a deep desire for revenge.

There is an exceptional cast of characters to support Davico and I was drawn into Bacigalupi's vivid portrayals of each one. Celia, Davico's adopted sister, is a bold and outspoken girl whose interactions with those around her were also interesting to observe. Additionally, we have Davico's father who is viweed by Davico as a sort of master in his own right and someone who is always making plans and moves that are calculated and essentially does not mess up. I also really loved getting to know characters like Cazzetta, Furia, Lugo, and so many more who all had distinct personalities and brought something compelling to the story in their own way.

The depth of the political intrigue in Navola is exactly what I love. All the subterfuge, secrets, and plotting reminded me a bit of the style in Kushiel's Dart where everyone's clever and duplicitous, but it feels quite subtle–until it's not, of course. Everything is also very intense, in a way that kept me hooked and desperate to find out what was going to happen next. This also applies to the no-holds-barred approach to some of the more graphic moments. I appreciated that none of the violence or intense scenes felt over the top or done for shock value, but rather I think they fit seamlessly into the story and added emphasis where it mattered most. The world-building also bolsters the political intrigue by providing us with enough glimpses into the world outside of Navola, but doesn't delve too deeply into any other location just yet, though I'm holding out hope that we'll get to explore more of this rather harsh world in a future book.

Additionally, I loved how incredibly consistent the pacing and writing style were. We follow Davico's first person POV and there's no jumping between characters, huge leaps in time, and chapters often pick up right where the last one left off. This may not sound like a big deal, but it kept me from feeling fatigued the usual jumps and shifts in time that are in so many fantasy novels these days. (And don't get me wrong, I don't dislike multiple POVs and time jumps at all--some of my favorite books have them--but sometimes you just want something more straightforward). I didn’t have to constantly be on my toes to remember where everyone was or what time period we were in, and it made the world feel that much more vivid and alive.

Lastly, I should mention the fantasy elements—beyond the world itself—particularly the dragon eye that features prominently on the cover. I can’t say much without giving away spoilers, but it's one of the most intriguing aspects of the story, despite the fact that it doesn't technically play an overly large role through much of the story (and don't take that to mean the rest of the story isn't intriguing, the eye is just really cool to me). While the entire book fascinated me, this eye grabbed me from the start, hinting at much deeper layers of mystery and power in the world than I could have predicted. Bacigalupi has crafted something that feels equally mysterious, dark, and full of unknown potential.

Overall, I think it's very clear that I loved Navola, and it is of course getting five stars from me. If you like historical fiction or thoughtfully written fantasy full of intrigue and strong characters, then you must give this one a read.

Let me start off with I'm rating this book 3.5 stars but I am rounding up to 4 stars. When I first read the premise of this book I was instantly intrigued. As I started reading the book though I was quickly losing interest. The pacing of the book was definitely one of the biggest reasons I was losing interest in reading the book. The pacing was obnoxiously slow for the first 3/4 of the book and the last 1/4 it really picked up and went too quickly. I felt as if I was continually reading and waiting for something to happen and being disappointed until the very end when things did happen.

The plot lost me at some points as well. I did love the political intrigue and all of the character dynamics. But I think too much time was spent on Davico's upbringing which took up more than half the book. There were many scenes that in my opinion did not offer anything to the running plot and seemed to be more filler scenes. I was also disappointed as I was expecting this to be a book with dragons and the dragons would be a big part of the book and they weren't. That may have been my fault as I did not read the description closely and got excited when I saw the word dragon. The political world does give Medici Family history and like I said before I liked that aspect but Davico was just not a character a cared to see navigate that type of dog eat dog world with warring famlies.

All in all I did enjoy reading this book but I don't think I'd pick it up again. This book is a standalone but the way it ends does leave it open to continue the story. If the story were to continue I'm not sure if I'd continue with it.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for this ARC Copy!

This book is not really what I expected going into a dragon book but I was pleasantly surprised. It is more of a Literary Historical Fiction that is heavy on the political intrigue. I also really enjoyed the renaissance Italy type of setting, it made for a really fun and immersivity detailed world.

Wow, what a ride! I went in thinking Game of Thrones but this is so much more than that. Bacigalupi has given us a world of violence, family, war, betrayal, dragons, love, and treachery. This is a coming-of-age story that absolutely delivers.

Davico is a young boy growing up in a wealthy banking family, lending money and writing contracts - and basically owning people. His father is a no-nonsense and fearful man who is trying his best to raise his son to take over the business. But Davico, although very knowledgeable in contracts and deals, does not know all of the secrecy that surrounds him. And he does not want to take over as heir. He would love nothing more than to be in the gardens or riding his horse in the fields. But his name day is coming fast and this brings to light all of the traitorous people and dealings that are hiding in the shadows. And did I mention the dragon eye? The one on the cover? This eye becomes a tether that connects Davico to a side of him nobody else can see. A magic that only Davico can sense, but one that leads him to all he is to become.

His father's guards are sent to "take care" of a family one night and they bring back one of the daughters as hostage. Celia becomes like a sister to Davico and they grow up together - eventually becoming something Davico cannot seem to live without. With Celia he believes he can handle anything thrown at him, but the reality of the situation his family is in becomes too much, and life explodes around them. This story has so many layers and I am not lying when I say I literally gasped out loud and covered my mouth in shock at one point. I may even have teared up and the ending just floored me. I could read this over and over.

This story is beautifully written and gives us so much detail. I admit there are parts that are a little too much detail and were on the slow side, but I loved it so much. This has a lot of violence and a little sex, but it only added to the story for me. Fantastic story!

I really enjoyed this book. Loved the world of Navola and the characters that resided there. Loved all the plot twists. I love it when an author keeps me guessing. Would love to read more about Navola.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I made it 165/560 pages, and there just wasn’t enough that felt compelling. I’m sure there are people who would like or love this — the prose is beautiful and he’s building great characters — but the pace was too slow and the focus was too political/historical for my taste.

Navola offers a richly detailed, Italianate fantasy world that is as evocative as it is frustrating. The novel's setting, reminiscent of a city-state Italy with its intricate politics and vivid descriptions, is intriguing, yet the execution falls short. The protagonist, Davico, is a deeply unremarkable character whose internal struggles and lack of agency make the first half of the book a slow and laborious read. While Bacigalupi's prose is smooth and his world-building impressive, the story's slow pace and limited fantasy elements—highlighted by the barely utilized dragon's eye—make it a mixed experience. The latter parts of the book hold promise and are more engaging, but the lengthy buildup makes it hard to fully appreciate the payoff. Despite its shortcomings, Bacigalupi's skill as a writer keeps the door open for potential improvement in future installments.

This wasn't what I was expecting but interesting. Too involved with world building to flesh out the story to immerse you which was necessary but at the same time wearying. I love historical stories real or fictional, but the length and amount of detail is why I much prefer watching sagas rather than reading them.


Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor | Knopf for providing this eARC for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I was not able to finish reading this book before the archive date, and therefore will not be leaving feedback on this title.
Star rating to match average.

This was my first time reading a book by Paolo Bacigalupi, so I had no expectations about what this story would be like other than thinking it may be similar to the style of Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings--both of which I have enjoyed. Navola is definitely written in the style of an epic fantasy, which I enjoyed. The author did a good job of developing and creating this complex world. There was way more focus on the political and social aspect of the world than on anything mythical, magical or dragon-related, which was a disappointment since that was a large part of ny interest in this story. Having assassins was helpful and kept the story somewhat interesting. There's a lot of description, which definitely affected the pacing of the story as well and, at times, I found myself struggling to stay interested in what was going on. Overall, I enjoyed aspects of this book and it is a solid 3.5 stars.

I really don't have a lot to say about this book. When I first read the synopsis, it sounded interesting to me. And then when I was finally getting around to actually reading it, it sounded less interesting and I wondered why I would even request to read this book. But, I made a commitment so I was going to read it.

There really wasn't anything wrong with this book other than me. I don't think I was the intended audience which made reading this book nearly impossible. I got a few chapters in before I realized I wouldn't be able to finish it because it just wasn't that interesting to me and I felt like it took a lot of brain power to read.

There was a lot of world-building and history in this book. It was a slow read and I didn't get to any action before I gave up. You would probably like this book if you like Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, etc. but be warned that it doesn't have mythical beings in it like other series do. It's like those books but without dragons, elves, dwarves, etc.

I decided to give it two stars because I feel like 1 stars are reserved for my worst-of-the-worst that I can't finish because they are so bad. And 3 stars are ones that I didn't necessarily love but didn't hate but also that I actually finished. I know a 2-star rating doesn't seem fair because it's my fault for picking up a book that I might not like, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

I am a longtime fan of Paolo Bacigalupi. Pump Six, The windup Girl and The Water Knife are favorite reads. He also writes YA fiction like Ship Breaker that, though well written, is less appealing as I am definitely not a young adult. Navola will go into that category. If YA is something you love, then read this book. I got through enough of it to recognize the qualities that are characteristic of the author.

This was a fantastic book, I greatly enjoyed reading it. The story follows Davico di Regulai as he prepares to take over Navola upon his father’s death. Davico doesn’t seem to be well-suited to be in the position of ruler, he doesn’t share the same level of political planning and cunning as his father and grandfather before him. He always seems to be a step or two behind everyone else. Nevertheless, he will soon be expected to navigate the plots of Navola, having to decide who to trust while looking for hidden plots in every corner. Davico isn’t totally alone however, he leans greatly on the help of his adopted sister Celia di Balcosi, whose family came to ruin at the hands of Davico’s. His father also holds a powerful relic in his possession, the eye of a dragon. Davico will be tested sooner than he thinks, and his fate will depend upon his ability to navigate the twisted realm of Navola, how his sister Celia truly feels about him and the di Regulai family, and the power of the dragon’s eye.
I thought this was a fresh, unique story full of political intrigue and plots similar to Game of Thrones. Only, I liked this story better. The author makes use of adding in words and phrases in Italian, or what seems like Italian, throughout the book. I thought this really helped to immerse myself into the world of Navola, and as I am a language person, I loved the integration of another language in the book. The words and phrases are easy enough to understand through context, so no worries on being confused. With the twists and turns that this plot takes, it kept me guessing until the very end. There were quite a few things that I really thought were going to turn out differently, or that characters would make comebacks that never happened. I liked being surprised in that way. To me, a story is no good if you can figure it out before it’s over. I only gave this one 4 stars because I still had quite a few questions at the end, so I’m hoping there may be another tale of Navola coming to answer some of those for me. That being said, the ending is NOT a cliffhanger, and it is still a satisfying end.

Navola is a novel written in the style of an epic fantasy, with the slightly stilted-seeming use of language often used in such novels. It's a complicated and detailed story, set in what appears to be a pseudo-Italy, complete with a spattering of Italian words. It is the story of Davico di Regulai, the youngest scion of a powerful family, one that controls its environment through finances.

I wanted to like this novel. It has many of the components novels I enjoy have: interesting characters, a rising plot, a good backstory, and so on. But somehow, my interest in this story never really gelled, and I had to force myself to finish it. I don't think it's an issue with the book itself; it just didn't catch my attention. It's labeled as a fantasy, and there is a dragon's eye that plays a pivotal role in the plot, but for the most part, this is a pseudo-historical/political fiction novel, based on society I'm simply not interested in. There is some beautiful imagery, and some interesting plot twists, but the basic story is one betrayal after another, and many of the things that happen seem less like the machinations of world builders and more akin to the emotional manipulations of middle school students; many characters assign their motivations to a need for revenge based on slights that appear to have been blown out of proportion. I imagine that there are quite a few people this novel would appeal to, but I am not one of them. Recommended for older teens and adults; not suitable for younger readers.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Navola is a city that is mostly controlled by the di Regulai family, bankers with so much fortune over the generations that they have influence far and wide. Their powerful patriarch is an expert at reading people - called "faccioscuro" - discerning lies and reading hidden intentions. His son Davico is more of a reluctant heir, he would rather be a physician recognizing plants, or spending time with his pony and dog. He is uneasy at what is expected of him to lead this empire and way too trusting of those around him. Will he learn to lead, or will his enemies take advantage of him? It feels as if you are immersed in the Italian Renaissance with this book, especially with the fake Italian words throughout, and I can definitely see why it is compared to a mashup of the Godfather and Game of Thrones. There are similarities to Dune as well.

This book is much more about politics and world building than anything mythical or dragon related, despite the dragon eye that enters the story. Just know going in not to expect magic, but more of a historical novel with assassins and intrigue. It was an interesting study of people and their natures. We follow the son's viewpoint the whole time, and I spent the book right alongside Davico trying to figure out who could be trusted and who could not. Despite all his training, he is often naive and slow on the uptake, but his character does develop as the book goes on. The beginning has a few scenes with a lot of information and family background thrown at the reader, but once Davico approaches his nameday halfway through the action starts to pick up more. I would say there are beautifully written scenes, parts where nothing happens, and some pretty gory violence.

I recommend this book if you enjoy politics, schemes, and books that contain a lot of description without constant action. It is not a quick read, but it is well written. I am guessing more books will be added to this story, and I would definitely read them. I feel invested in the characters and would enjoy seeing where it goes from here. There are some dark and violent scenes included. I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley for my opinions.

I reallt enjoyed this new world by Bacigalupi. The world building and rich history was superb. Once the story reallt got rolling I couldnt put this book down.

Navola is the first title I've read by Paolo Bacigalupi. It's a historical fantasy, with the blurb comparing the political scheming to Game of Thrones and The Godfather. I found the world building interesting, if a bit dry. That was more or less the way I felt about Navola as a whole. It was interesting and there was the germ of something there but I feel like it took too long to develop into anything, something many books of its ilk suffer from. This felt comparable to Leigh Bardugo's The Familiar. It tried to have a rich setting but the story suffered for it.

Bacigalupi crafts an immersive novel with incredible world building. It is breathtaking in its lyrical flow as it creates the story of a young man growing up in a rich and powerful family that dominates the local city state via banking and commerce. He is the central character as the author portrays his growth as a young man, uncertain about his future and how he fits into the expectations of his family and community. The novel is to be savored as the world is built and its history revealed. Slow and steady undercurrents of unrest and betrayal develop as hidden agendas are revealed, building to quick and intense crescendos as the characters rise, fall and rise again. This historical fantasy novel is not be missed!

I had very high hopes for this book. I went into this expecting a coming of age high fantasy with some level of dragons. Unfortunately, this book was just not for me.

The story started off very slow and it felt like it took a very long time for it to feel like the story was going anywhere. Once things did start to happen, it became very violent and had sexual scenes that were just not my cup of tea. I do not mind violence or spice in my books, but this was just too over the top for me and it did not feel like it added anything to the story.

I also could not connect with the main character. It was supposed to be a coming of age story so I expected him to advance and grow as a character. He felt incredibly naïve throughout the entire book and I think I may have enjoyed this more if it was written from a different character’s POV.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

***Thank you to Knopf for providing a copy of Navola via NetGalley. My review, however, is based on my experience listening to the audiobook and contains my honest thoughts and feelings.***

I was so excited to read Navola. Unfortunately, so many things about the book just did not work for me. I lost count of the number of times I fell asleep while listening to the audiobook. The first half of the book was so boring. I considered DNFing it multiple times because I just did not care about the characters or what was happening to them. The second half of the story did pick up and held my interest a bit more. However, many of the problems I had with the first parts remained. I did enjoy the style of the writing, though, which is one of the main things that kept me going.

One of my biggest gripes about Navola was the lack of world-building. I was looking forward to learning about a world inspired by Renaissance Italy. There just wasn't much depth to the world-building. I never got a good sense of what the city of Navola was like or how it differed from the other cities. I was also so excited to learn about the dragon's eye. Frustratingly, it ended up being nothing more than a glorified paperweight for most of the story. In general, I just didn't find the world very interesting, which was a big disappointment.

Navola also promised lots of political scheming with the comparisons to Game of Thrones. It managed to disappoint on that front, too. There was plenty of scheming in the story. The reader just didn't get to see any of it take place. There was only one POV in this entire novel, and he was nothing but a pawn of the real major players. So, we ended up seeing the results of all the political maneuvering without getting to experience any of it firsthand. It left me very frustrated with the story at times, and I often wished there had been at least one other POV.

It didn't help that I felt absolutely nothing for Davico other than mild annoyance. The story focused so intensely on his coming-of-age and the mundanities of his life, especially in the first half. I found him to be spoiled, naïve, and extremely ungrateful for his privileges. I wish I could say my opinion of him changed by the end, especially given how dramatically his entire life fell apart. However, I still could not make myself root for him. I did love his dog, though.

Overall, Navola was just a miss for me. There were two major problems that kept this book from meeting my expectations: the lack of depth to the world-building and the singular POV being outside the political action. It didn't help that the main character was just not someone I cared about. All of those factors coalesced into an extremely slow, and often boring, tragedy that I had no stake in. Therefore, I rate Navola 3 out of 5 stars, which is frankly me being generous.