Fortune's Fool (Star-Cross'd) - Softcover

Blixt, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0615783163 ISBN 13: 9780615783161

Publisher: Sordelet Ink, 2013

Synopsis

Editor's Choice - Historical Novel Society

Italy, 1326. While the brilliant and wily Cesco is schooled in his new duties at the hand of a hard master, Pietro Alaghieri travels to Avignon, current seat of the Papacy, to fight his excommunication. He doesn't know an old foe has been waiting to ruin his life and seize control of Verona itself.

Back in Verona, separated from everyone he trusts, Cesco must confront his ambitious cousin, a mysterious young killer, and the Holy Roman Emperor himself. A harrowing series of adventures reveal a secret long hidden, one that threatens Cesco's only chance for true happiness.

The third novel in Blixt's acclaimed Star-Cross'd series, Fortune's Fool combines Shakespeare's Italian plays, the poetry of Dante and Petrarch, and the brutal intrigue of Renaissance Italy to create a story of heartbreaking adventure, exploring the capricious whims of lady Fortune, who has her favorites - and her fools.

"This is one of the most exciting, and satisfying, reads that I have immersed myself in for a long time... masterfully written entertainment. David Blixt is a gem of a writer." - Helen Hollick, Pendragon’s Banner and Shadow Of The King

"For anyone who has not yet read one or more of David’s novels, you are about to hit the literary lottery. Yes, he is that good. In his hands, history comes to bright, blazing life." - Sharon Kay Penman, The Sunne In Splendour and Here Be Dragons

Praise for the Star-Cross'd Series:

"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

"Shakespearean actor David Blixt traces the genesis of the famous feud between the Montagues and Capulets in this sharp, arresting novel that is completely impossible to put down." - Michelle Moran, Nefertiti and Madame Tussaud

"David Blixt bursts onto the historical fiction scene with this masterful tale of adventure, love, and intrigue -- this is high adventure at its best, an epic novel filled with the breathtaking feats and evanescent beauty of the early Renaissance." - C.W. Gortner, The Last Queen and The Tudor Conspiracy

"Dante's Italy and the internecine, blood-feuding struggle of the dominant families of the northern city states. This story of corruption and the quest for power is as compelling as Mario Puzo’s Godfather and as thrilling as any of Rafael Sabatini's historical adventures." - Peter Tremayne, The Chalice Of Blood

About this title

About the Author

Author and playwright David Blixt's work is consistently described as 'intricate, ' 'taut, ' and 'breathtaking.' A writer of Historical Fiction, his novels span the early Roman Empire (the COLOSSUS series, his play EVE OF IDES) to early Renaissance Italy (the STAR-CROSS'D series, including THE MASTER OF VERONA, VOICE OF THE FALCONER, and FORTUNE'S FOOL) up through the Elizabethan era (his delightful espionage comedy HER MAJESTY'S WILL, starring Will Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe as inept spies). His novels combine a love of the 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 'actor, author, father, husband. In reverse order.' For more about David and his novels, visit www.davidblixt.com.

From the Inside Flap

Based on the plays of William Shakespeare, the poetry of Dante, and the history of Italy, the Star-Cross'd Series is a tale of wars won, friendships lost, and conspiracies both mortal and stellar, an epic journey into the birth of the Renaissance that recalls the best of Bernard Cornwell and Dorothy Dunnett.

Edition details

• Publisher: Sordelet Ink
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0615783163
• ISBN 13: 9780615783161
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 524