Historical
Alt-history Venice with magic is doing a lot of work for me already.
The Shadow of the Lion is firmly on the want-to-read shelf because the setup sounds properly messy in the best way. Sixteenth-century Venice, factionalised Catholicism, the Hohenstauffens, magic, political manoeuvring. That’s the sort of combination that can either feel gloriously dense or collapse under its own ambition.
Mostly I’m curious which side it leans on more, history or fantasy. If it gets the balance right, it could be exactly the kind of book that rewards paying attention.
The Shadow of the Lion is firmly on the want-to-read shelf because the setup sounds properly messy in the best way. Sixteenth-century Venice, factionalised Catholicism, the Hohenstauffens, magic, political manoeuvring. That’s the sort of combination that can either feel gloriously dense or collapse under its own ambition.
Mostly I’m curious which side it leans on more, history or fantasy. If it gets the balance right, it could be exactly the kind of book that rewards paying attention.
The bit that catches me is the “massive concoction” part. That usually means either glorious overreach or a novel that thinks a full cabinet meeting counts as action. I’d be more interested if it commits to the politics and the Venice texture than if it tries to sprint through the fantasy bits.
Alt-history works best when the world feels argued into existence, not just decorated.
Alt-history works best when the world feels argued into existence, not just decorated.