PRO CONNECT
Fabio Scalini was born and raised in Ravenna, Italy, where he has been working on the Mordraud project for over a decade. He is a classically trained musician and earned his university degree in Design and Communications. Scalini’s career path before, during, and after his studies has been multifaceted; he toured throughout Italy and Europe as a professional bassoonist, served as a factory shift worker and was employed as longshoreman fueling fishing vessels. He wrote the screenplay for the short movie based on his first novel, as well as he composed and played the soundtrack. Sometimes, he writes music for creating the perfect soundscape for the situations he wants to describe.
“Peculiar protagonists in a winding, worthwhile story.”
– Kirkus Reviews
From author Scalini (Mordraud Book 2, 2015) comes a fantasy novel—the first of four in a translation from Italian—about three brothers in a time of war.
When readers first meet Varno, he’s in the uncomfortable position of being pinned to a tree thanks to an enemy’s lance. Though the blow didn’t kill him, Varno’s end certainly seems near. As a Khartian, Varno admits that his people “love fighting wars,” though his experience has hardly been positive: “He was about to die for nothing, he realised.” After escaping the battlefield, Varno is miraculously nursed back to health by Eglade, an Aelian who has always been taught to despise Khartians. Eglade is, by Varno’s assessment, “gorgeous, yet strange,” and the two develop a relationship beyond convalescence. They learn to love each other as they discuss the differences between their cultures and the state of the ongoing conflict, until a sudden violent encounter forces them to flee together. After years of wandering and struggle, the two are eventually able to start a family, with three boys—Dunwich, Mordraud, and Gwern—born from this unlikely union. What will the world make of these half-Aelian, half-Khartian siblings and their three distinct personalities? Dunwich is eventually sent away to learn Arcane chanting, while Mordraud takes a liking to swordplay, and Gwern proves his capacity for learning. The stage is thus set for an adventure that meanders through the realm of Cambria. Though the story contains its share of combat—as when Dunwich observes a battlefield: “Bits of metal, crumpled shields and broken blades were scattered about”—it is first and foremost about the development of these three young men. The complex worldbuilding is often lengthy on explanations—there is much to be said about the chanting Dunwich studies, for instance—yet the agile storytelling nevertheless avoids many banalities of the genre. Some readers may be less enthralled by the voluminous Cambrian history, e.g., “to secure control, the Empire had had to depose the historic family ruling those lands for generations: the Rinns, who were the oldest and most extensive lineage in the whole of the east.” But readers happy to engage with such passages will find a nuanced exploration of a troubled time.
Peculiar protagonists in a winding, worthwhile story.
Pub Date: June 10, 2014
ISBN: 978-8-89-906900-1
Page count: 518pp
Publisher: RAMPART DI GORI MARIA ALICE & C. S.A.S
Review Posted Online: Oct. 3, 2015
Mordraud, the Movie
Favorite author
Jorge Luis Borges
Hometown
Ravenna, Italy
Passion in life
Music
Unexpected skill or talent
former classical musician, screenplayer
Interview - author of Mordraud and Director of the short movie, 2014
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.