The Master Of Verona: A Novel Of Renaissance Italy

Written by David Blixt

Narrated by David Blixt

In 1314, seventeen-year-old Pietro Alighieri travels to Verona with his father, the infamous poet Dante, at the invitation of its leader, the legendary Cangrande della Scala. Cangrande is everything a man should be: Daring. Charming. Ruthless. To Pietro, he is the ideal Renaissance prince - until Pietro discovers a secret that could be Cangrande’s undoing.

A sneak attack from Padua draws Pietro into a web of intrigue involving Cangrande, his sister Katerina, and a star-crossed child. He finds refuge in his friendship with Mariotto Montecchio and Antonio Capulletto, but is torn when the pair feud over a woman. Pietro must navigate a rivalry that severs a friendship, divides a city, and sparks a feud that will produce Shakespeare’s famous star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet.

Inspired by the plays of Shakespeare, the poetry of Dante, and the events of history, The Master Of Verona is a sweeping novel of Renaissance Italy. Filled with swashbuckling adventure and unrequited love, this epic journey recalls the best of Bernard Cornwell, Sharon Kay Penman, and Dorothy Dunnett.

"A novel of intricate plot, taut narrative, sharp period detail and beautifully realized characters." - Publishers Weekly

"Intricate plotting, well-staged scenes, and colorful descriptions enhance head-spinning but lively entertainment." - Kirkus Reviews

"A delightful romp through the backstory of 'Romeo & Juliet." - Chicago Sun-Times

"Be prepared to burn the midnight oil. It's well worth it." - Historical Novel Society

"David Blixt bursts onto the historical fiction scene with this masterful tale of adventure, love, and intrigue. This is high adventure at its best." - C.W. Gortner, author of The Last Queen

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sordelet Audio
• Release date: Nov 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9781944540364

David Blixt

David Blixt's work is consistently described as "intricate," "taut," and "breathtaking." A writer of historical fiction, his novels span the Roman Empire (the COLOSSUS series, his play EVE OF IDES) to early Renaissance Italy (the STAR-CROSS'D series) through the Elizabethan era (his delightful espionage comedy HER MAJESTY'S WILL, starring Will Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe as hapless spies), to 19th Century feminism (WHAT GIRLS ARE GOOD FOR, his novel of reporter Nellie Bly). During his research, David discovered eleven novels by Bly herself that had been lost for over a century. David's stories combine a love of theatre with a deep respect for the quirks and passions of history. As the Historical Novel Society said, "Be prepared to burn the midnight oil. It's well worth it."Living in Chicago with his wife and two children, David describes himself as an "author, actor, father, husband-in reverse order."

Reviews for The Master Of Verona

[melisende-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Being already familiar with the story of Cangrande della Scala, I was keen to read this version of his life. So far, my interest has been maintained and I have not been at all disappointed with David's re-creation of this fascinating and turbulent period in Italian history.For those familiar with Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", here is the chance to read an interpretation of the "history" behind the play, and meet the real-life characters who inspired the Bard to put pen to paper.But do not be deterred into thinking this is just a medieval romance - for where would a great story be without a cast of truly interesting characters; intrigue and drama; battles a-plenty; and life, love and death.A must read - a looking forward for the next instalment in the "Star Cross'd" series.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was hard to follow. Very complicated with a lot of characters. Plus people were referred to by their name, first, last or nicknames.

[msjessie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you were to create a sweeping historical novel set in 14th century Verona with prophecy, jealousy, conspiracy, deception, murder, betrayal and star-crossed love, The Master of Verona is what you would get. It's a long novel, a dense one as well, that packs in a multitude of players, ideas, themes, and carries them from place to place in convoluted, intricately-woven plot of destiny and desire. Taking favorite novels like Romeo and Juliet, and authors of Italian classics like Dante himself, and reinterpreting/re-humanizing them in a new way, David Blixt has set quite a standard with just the first in his Star-Cross'd series. With a keen eye for period and setting detail as well as for crafting a diverse, interesting cast of engaging heroes (and anti-heroes), Blixt has proven himself a more than capable storyteller with talent to burn.As the author acknowledges in his (extremely readable and interesting) afterward, certain details from historical record have been hedged or completely changed to suit the version of the story he wanted to create. It's all to the benefit of the story, as the immense detail and description provided do more than enough to create a real feel for both characters and the Italian city-state they fight for, and defend, so staunchly. The place as character is really worth mentioning - it's as top notch as the brisk battle scenes, and as alive as the eponymous master of Verona himself, Francesco "Cangrande" della Scala, himself. So much about The Master of Verona is epic in scope - the characters, the plot - and the setting(s) of the novel are no different. Each time the narrative jumps from one place to another, be it Antonia in Florence or a battle in Padua, each scene set in an Italian city is remarkably vibrant, down to the clothes the characters are wearing. Verona especially receives the time and attention of this detail-orientated author, and it is ever more to the benefit of his readers. Seeing the disparate parts of a war-like and divided Italy recreated by such an able author was endlessly fascinating, from Venice to Verona to Padua.With new twists on famous people, either fictional (Romeo, Juliet) or factual (Cangrande, Dante), Blixt breathes life into his characters. Main character and chief protagonist Pietro Alaghieri (formerly Alighieri) is one of those most interesting characters, but it is the titular Master of Verona, Cangrande himself, that looms larger than life in this debut novel. His actions affect everyone around him, set the plot in motion, and engage the reader. He's more distant than 3rd-person narrator of Pietro, but he commands a lot of attention from the page he is introduced. As Pietro is drawn ever closer to the Great Hound of Italy, plots and conspiracies grow ever more dangerous. The beginning is the hardest go get a sure grasp on the cast, and their respective agendas - the complicated and multiple names, alliances, marriages, cousins - of each character can make it hard to differentiate between multiple people. While the dramatis personae and supporting characters listed at the front of the novel do help, soon nough Blixt grants each character more than enough time, dialogue and action to distinguish themselves from their compatriots (or enemies, in the case of minor antagonist Marsilio de Carrara), but none more than the illustrious and charmed Capitane of Verona.Clocking in at a hefty and respectable 592 pages, reading The Master of Verona is no mean feat, or an easy commitment. The daunting page count, the impressive cast of characters, the innumerable plots and subplots can be daunting when starting out on such a detailed, intricate journey. I did find this a rewarding, engaging read -- for the most part. The tendency to wax poetic and get rather longwinded is one of the few faults I found while racing through this novel over a two day period. Obviously the digressions and occasional repetitions were not egregious enough to put me off my read entirely, but certain sections of the novel do seem worthy of editing down a page or five, and kept this from a 5/5 rating for me, personally. It was so close to perfect, but I couldn't completely sign off on the last chapters of this epic novel. The last 150 pages, barring the final 10, were the hardest for me to get through patiently. I was eager to get to the bottom of everything that had come to pass, and it all seemed just a little bit too drawn out - with escapade after escapade coming quickly.With complicated characters, a truly ingenious plot full of unforeseen - and gamechanging! - twists, Blixt is an author who certainly knows how to subvert expectations skillfully. The ending events and revelations that come at the denouement of The Master of Verona are, without doubt, one hell of a doozy. It was one that managed to take me completely by surprise, due to the actions of characters with even more hidden agendas than I had figured out/assumed. Not afraid to toy with preconceptions or previous hints, Blixt ably and succinctly pulled some very deft maneuvering that felt both natural, as well as remarkable. The revelations are creative, clever, and a smart way to ensure continued readership for the next book in Blixt's series, Voice of the Falconer.I had a lot of fun with this book. I love when authors aren't afraid to try for a lot, or something new, and Blixt does both here, in a debut, no less! I was impressed by the subtlety of the plot, the complexity of the characters and their motivations, and by the ease with which he re-imagined such pop culture favorites (the new Capulletes and Montecchio's and how complelxly their feud evolved had me more invested in a R&J retelling than any I've read before). Fourteenth century Italy has never been more intriguing, or dangerous, than when penned by this promising and talented author. I can't wait to see what is in store for the final two volumes of the Star-Cross'd series.

[allisonmacias · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pietro Alaghieri travels with his exiled father, Dante Alighieri, to Verona to meet the poet's new patron, Francesco "Cangrande" Della Scalla. Cangrande is rumored to be Il Vetro or the Greyhound, a man prophesied about to turn Italy on her head. Pietro, with his two new best friends, Romeo Mariotto Montecchio and Antonio Capulleto, ride out with Cangrande to battle Padua. Pietro saves Cangrande's life and becomes his right hand man and confidante. Following Cangrande on a secret mission to bring his heir to Verona, Pietro becomes intertwined in the private life of the ruler of Verona. Cesco, the boy, is raised by Cangrande's loving sister who believes in the prophecy. Pietro bonds with the boy and becomes his rescuer and champion. Pietro must also continue his battle with Padua and it's champion knight. When a peace treaty leaves his best friends rivals in love, Pietro is torn. Thought the stars may determine a man's fate, it is up to him to determine how they will guide his life.Pietro starts out as a boy living in the shadow of his famous father and deceased elder brother. But his bravery and honor soon make a name for Pietro, who almost eclipses his father. For this story, he does. Pietro serves Cangrande, a true Renaissance man who loves battle, clever conversation, wine and women. The eclectic cast of this book is completed by a rival on the battlefield, two lovers, a heartbroken friend, a devoted sister, a brilliant poet, a doctor, a Moor and a barren wife. The plot is always thick with love, lust, honor, treachery and twists. While the book is large, the story is larger than life. This is a wonderful read!!

[stewartry · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A few pages into Master of Verona one of the two characters who opens the book jumps out of the path of an oncoming horde, off a bridge and feet first into a river. That's pretty much how that first chapter runs for the reader, as well - straight into it, and swept off with the current. And the action never really lets up. Before long, the main point of view settles firmly behind the eyes of Pietro, eldest son (eldest surviving, that is) of Dante Alaghieri. (Alaghieri, the poet insists, not Alighieri: the pronunciation has a point to it.) Seventeen-year-old Pietro, his little brother Jacopo (Poco), and their illustrious father have just arrived in Verona, and almost immediately Pietro is swept from a wedding celebration into a wild ride straight into battle – his first – at the heels of Cangrande, the Scaliger, the Greyhound. Or is he? There is a prophecy about the Greyhound, which Cangrande has grown up believing applies to him ... but ... there is another candidate. This adds a whole new layer to the story: a man's life is shaped by his belief in what his destiny is supposed to be. Change the destiny, mute it down from the phenomenal to the merely great, and there will be repercussions. As another reviewer somewhere in there pointed out, there are a number of typos in the Kindle edition (stray apostrophes, "laying" instead of "lying") (how ironic is it that I initially misspelled "typos"?), but not so very many – not, I think, enough to turn me away from any but an otherwise very bad book. In an otherwise very good book, they are mere blips. My familiarity with Dante is, I regret to say, mainly through second- and third-hand sources. I will certainly need to address that. It was wonderful fun reading David Blixt's version of the working poet. It was around the time of the first battle against Padua that this began to remind me – in all good ways – of Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana. There is something about Pietro being swept off his feet so by the charismatic and irresistible Cangrande that chimed in harmony with Devin's similar sweeping away by Alessan. Just a boy, if a rather extraordinary boy, caught up in the powerful wake of one of those men around whom history reshapes itself, a man who attracts the sort of loyalty it's hard to maintain in this age of jaded cynicism. That's huge. Cangrande is magnificent, a man born at exactly the right time. Today … there is no one to follow with the sort of fierce devotion Cangrande inspires. Today he might begin a meteoric rise in politics, only to be brought down by an illegitimate child or a temper too fully expressed; the standards are more stringent today. But give the man a sword and a horse (or a bottle and a mule) and stand back: something spectacular is going to happen. The Scaliger in his own time and place is something glorious – a leader, the embodiment of a Cause, someone and something to fight for – and fight beside, to sacrifice for and sacrifice to, unto one's own life. The book as a whole has a general feel which is reminiscent of Tigana. The setting of Master of Verona is, of course, Italy, in the 14th century, but there is for me a strong flavor of fantasy – it feels like as much a fantasy Italy as the Hand in Tigana. This Italy is a feral place where a poet is revered as a rock star. It is a setting of feuds and battles, swords and, if not sorcery, then soothsayers, and astrology and fate and destiny taken very, very seriously – and it's all seen largely through this young man's fresh eyes, with excitement and wonder. There is a battle near the end of Tigana which, the first time I read it, might as well have been happening around me. My heart pounded, my breathing was short and fast, and internally I was ducking and dodging and parrying. I've never had an experience like it while reading … till now. Blixt hasn't stressed my blood pressure to quite the same levels, but the duel … Whoof. It's clear from the flurry of words surrounding this book that it has something to do with the tale of Romeo and Juliet. This idea is a minefield, I think; like any delving into Shakespearean topics it could go drastically badly or beautifully well. Blixt already proved to me that he knows Shakespeare; I loved Her Majesty's Will as much as anything I read this year. I was inclined to trust him on this one. I was right. By the time a friend of Pietro reveals that his actual Christian name is Romeo (threatening his friends with death if they ever use it), the setup had seen to it that I cared about these characters and the announcement gave me a sinking feeling. No, I thought, dammit, not these guys. And I just realized: that feeling is what I read for. That level of investment in the story and its people - that is the goal. There are lots (and lots) of bad books out there; there are plenty of mediocre books and even good books that are fun to read without engaging the emotions to any great extent. There are even quite a few books which do cause laughter and tears and all that. But this - this is near the pinnacle of the reading experience in my book (so to speak). This is being made to care, very very much indeed, about what happens to the people who live and breathe through the words - made, without ever feeling manipulated. At this level, this is pretty rare.

[dougbq · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I found this book unreadable. Maybe it was because I had just finished two of Blixt's books immediately before. I think the book was going to end up being about Dante. However, there were so many people and so much going on that I just got lost. I am sorry that I can't recommend it. Maybe others will have more success.

[majkia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Political intrigue Shakespearean style.What’s a boy to do if his father is the poet Dante? Pietro wanted only to be a scholar, but instead, due to his elder brother’s death, finds himself drawn out of school to attend his father in his exile from Florence. He arrives in Verona and finds himself immediately drawn into the intrigue as he falls under the influence of the Greyhound, the Master of Verona, and the Greyhound’s sister, who not only captures Pietro’s loyalty but his heart, even if she is far older than he and married.Pietro finds himself drawn into wars, and intrigue involving warring factions not only within Verona but in other major city-states of Italy.All the while, Pietro remains in awe of his patron, until, well, I’ll let you find out what’s going on.If you love complex, intelligent characters, well-drawn and intricate plots, battles and prophecies, I think you’ll love this book.

[vernefan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

*Standing Ovation Please*I wont reiterate all the fine praise that all the other reviewers have input here, all the reviews state exactly how I feel. I just feel the need to say Bravo Mr. Blixt! This debut IS, a literary masterpiece. Clap clap clap, let's all give a standing ovation. Historial fiction does not get any better than this. The reader is immediately pulled in and the author does not let you go until you close that last page almost 600 pages later. A reader picking up this novel will get everything a novel has to offer. Action, adventure, murder, mystery, romance, family feuds, battles, duels, politics, kidnapping, humor and real people who lived at this time of the 1300s Renaissance Italy. Jammed packed with all you could ask for and I doubt that any reader would be disappointed. Sensational!! I am eagerly awaiting a second book.

[amark1-467316 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found the book to be incredibly engaging, particularly the action-packed battle scenes and meetings of political intrigue, which I never thought I would enjoy to begin with. I was not impressed with the love story thrown into the middle, feeling very hastily executed and with an unsettled ending. But the characterizations were brilliant, particularly Pietro and Cangrande, and despite other faults in the story I kept reading to discover their ends. I'd be interested to see more from Blixt, but he might want to stick to stories of political intrigue and keep his head out of romance.