Some stories are part of a grand narrative. Some are small, insular, intimate. But no less deserving to be told.
Collected here are three short stories from the world outside Verona's walls - Vicenza, Padua, and Avignon. These pieces of Blixt's Star-Cross'd series, taken together, form a tapestry of life, love, and longing in early Renaissance Italy. From a midnight attack on an enemy city to the promises of a pope to maskers invading a wedding, these stories all have at their heart the false faces people wear to hide their true selves. Like the Venetian masks, they are hardened, often grotesque, Varnished Faces.
Before he was famous, he was a fugitive. Before he wrote of humanity, he lived it. Before he was the Bard of Avon, he was a spy.
A very poor spy.
England, 1586. Swept up in the skirts of a mysterious stranger, Will Shakespeare becomes entangled in a deadly and hilarious misadventure as he accidentally uncovers the Babington Plot, an attempt to murder Queen Elizabeth herself. Aided by the mercurial wit of Kit Marlowe, Will enters London for the first time, chased by rebels, spies, his own government, his past, and a bear.
Through it all he demonstrates his loyalty and genius, proving himself to be - HER MAJESTY'S WILL.
So now that the books are launched, here's the next phase - raising the money for publicity! I'm teaming with my dear friend, the amazingly talented Rick Sordelet, to help launch his new media company Sordelet Ink. We're starting small, underwriting and supplementing the publicity already lined up for the novels, while looking at ways to translate them into new media. But this is only the first step in the building of a group to sheperd writers to greater heights. I'm honored to be the one Rick's chosen to kick off this new effort.
I've kept the prices on the books low - very low - to make them as accessible to as wide an audience as possible. So if, after buy all five novels for the grand total of $15 on Kindle, you can spare an extra $10 to help us reach more readers like you, I would be eternally grateful. You can visit the Kickstarter campaign HERE.
Judea, 66 AD. A Roman legion suffers a smashing and catastrophic defeat at the hands of an angry band of Hebrews armed with only slings and spears. Knowing Emperor Nero's revenge will be swift and merciless, they must decide how to defend their land against the Roman invasion.
Caught up in the tumult is the mason Judah, inadvertant hero of Beth Horon, who now finds himself rubbing shoulders with priests, revolutionaries, generals, and nobles, drafted to help defend the land of Galilee.
Denied the chance to marry where he will, he turns all his energy into defending the beseiged city of Jotapata. But with a general suffering delusions of grandeur, friends falling each day, and the Roman menace at the walls, Judah must brave a nightmare to save those he loves and preserve his honor.
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 and plead for Cesco's legitimacy. But an old foe has been waiting for this moment to ruin Pietro’s life and seize control of Verona for himself.
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.
Inspired by Shakespeare, Dante, and Petrarch, this Renaissance novel of intrigue and passion reflects the heights of drama, exploring the capricious whims of lady Fortune, who has her favorites – and her fools.
It's eight years after the tumultuous events of THE MASTER OF VERONA. Pietro Alaghieri has been living as an exile in Ravenna, enduring the loss of his famous father while secretly raising the bastard heir to Verona's prince, Cangrande della Scala.
But when word reaches him of Cangrande’s death, Pietro must race back to Verona to prevent young Cesco's rivals from usurping his rightful place. As stake is the tentative peace of Italy, not to mention their lives. But young Cesco is determined not to be anyone’s pawn. Willful and brilliant, he defies even the stars. And far behind the scenes is a mastermind pulling the strings, a master falconer who stands to lose – or gain – the most.
Born from Shakespeare's Italian plays, this sweeping epic introduces Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, the Nurse, as well as revisiting Montague and Capulet, Petruchio and Kate, and the money-lending Shylock. From Ravenna to Verona, Mantua, and Venice, this novel explores the danger, deceit, and deviltry of early Renaissance Italy, and the terrible choices one must make just to stay alive.
Romeo & Juliet is the greatest love story ever told. And every story has a beginning.
A sweeping novel of Renaissance Italy, THE MASTER OF VERONA follows Pietro Alaghieri, eldest son of the poet Dante, as he’s caught up by the charisma and genius of Verona’s ruler, Cangrande della Scala. Pietro risks battles, duels, and murder to impress his new lord. At the heart of the story is an infernal plot against Cangrande’s bastard heir, and the rivalry of two friends over the affections of a girl. That rivalry will sever a friendship, divide a city, and initiate a feud that will someday produce the star-cross’d lovers.
Based on the plays of William Shakespeare, the poetry of Dante, and the history of Italy, THE MASTER OF VERONA is a novel of brutal warfare, lost friendship, and dire conspiracy, combining to create a heart-stoppingly epic journey into the birth of the Renaissance that recalls the best of Bernard Cornwell and Dorothy Dunnett.
Intricate plotting, well-staged scenes, and colorful descriptions enhance head-spinning but lively entertainment. – Kirkus Reviews
A novel of intricate plot, taut narrative, sharp period detail and beautifully realized characters.– Publisher’s Weekly
Be prepared to burn the midnight oil. It’s well worth it.– Historical Novel Society
A delightful romp through the backstory of ‘Romeo & Juliet.’ – Chicago Sun-Times
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 CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI
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
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
Thank heavens, the wait is nearly done. The avalanche was supposed to happen on Monday, but it looks like instead it's coming today, with a second wave tomorrow.
The delay was part due to technical issues at Kindle, and part due to me. I got delayed in edits earlier this month. Because I did something I hadn't planned to do.
I re-edited THE MASTER OF VERONA.
In 2007 I was told not to read the book for 2 years. I was told it would drive me mad. And they were right! Setting aside the typesetting errors (grrrr!), there were any number of infelicites of language that made me want to go in and repair them.
So I did.
The Kindle people were great. Despite having already uploaded the physical book into Kindle format, they let me start from scratch - there were just too many changes to track easily.
The joy of this is a restoration of a few scenes that I honestly thought were still in there. They're not large, but they're fun and help character development. Fortunately, I was able to cut just as much as I added, so the novel is the same size as before.
So watch Amazon, or right here, for further details throughout the day and the next week as the novels go live! And happy reading!!
It's more than a week early, but here's the link to the new website: www.DavidBlixt.com. The novels won't link to Amazon until they go live the week after next, but everything else should be working. Let me know what you think!
Firstly, as a regular watcher, let me say how much I enjoy your show. I especially enjoy how you frame the debate (which is partly why I loved DRIFT). Your eye for the larger narrative and historical context makes your show really the only one I watch regularly (though Up may soon be a fixture as well).
Secondly, as a former Michigander who still spends a great deal of time in the state, I was horrified by your segment last night. I've watched with dismay, disgust, and disbelief at what has happened to my home state in the past year. I don't understand how the upending of democracy is not a national story, and I certainly don't understand why it's not a local one, why the Detroit Free Press and others aren't yelling their heads off. Is this what happens with the demise of newspapers?
I spend a lot of time researching history. Like many, I am particularly drawn to Rome. And while it's common to compare the US today to ancient Rome (gladiators!), I wanted to pose a question and see if it leads you anywhere in your framing of the debate, or if it's too obscure.
In the founding of America, we were very much based on the Roman model. House, Senate, President (consul), Courts. Rumor says Washington DC was originally called New Rome, and that certain wags wanted to rename the Potomac "New Tiber." The eternal flame in the US Senate is an homage to the flame of the Vestal Virgins. Washington's monument is an obelisk, just like the ones Rome took from Egypt. In Lincoln's Memorial, Lincoln is seated in the pose of a Roman consul. Etc. With so much emphasis on Rome, is it inevitable that we follow their path?
We can debate the precise moment that Rome ceased to be a Republic. Most point to Caesar crossing the Rubicon. But Caesar wasn't the first dictator. The office of Dictator was a legal one, designed for a moment of crisis. If Rome was in a "tumult" a single man could be empowered to rule without check for six months, and forever after be free from any legal consequences. It probably seemed quite necessary at the time. But Lucius Cornelius Sulla marched an army on Rome and had himself made dictator, staying in the post for 6 YEARS while he rewrote Rome's constitution. In an ironic twist, he created the first standing courts. He also set the precedent for Caesar becoming Dictator For Life.
Not long after, Cicero used a similar law to suspend normal governance so he could execute 5 Roman citizens without a trial.
Which brings me to my question: When do we stop being the people we say we are?
Answer: When we stop believing in the Law.
Look at the last ten years: indefinite detention without due process, torture, illegal wiretapping of citizens, designated "protest areas," and on and on. Now we have, in effect, the Dictator of Michigan - or a bunch of dictators, each one ruling a Michigan city-state. People in government (mostly Republicans) are tying themselves into pretzels to bypass the Law to achieve their goals. And in so doing, the Republicans are undermining the republic.
The phrase "equal protection under the law" is not meaningless, nor is it bland. It has incredible power. Equal. We are all equal under the law.
Except now we're not.
If the law-makers break their own laws, what’s an honorable citizen to do? If those charged with making the laws hold the Law in contempt, if they hold one set of laws for those in their good graces and another for those they despise, where do we turn? What is our recourse?
If our government finds ways to circumvent our laws, no matter the goal or intent, we've stopped being the people we say we are.
I've been waiting for someone to pose Governor Snyder this question: What if President Obama looked at Michigan and said, "You're not running the state effectively. Therefore I'm setting aside the elected governor and the Michigan congress and appointing my own friend and campaign donor to run your state indefinitely." The Right would go crazy! Socialism, Marxism, lots of -isms. Yet this is precisely what they've done to local city governments! If it is wrong, it is always wrong.
We now live in the land of "Do as I say, not as I do." Which in practice means we no longer live in a society of Law. I want to tell Republicans that a deeply held conviction isn't deeply held if it applies differently in different circumstances. Morality and the Law are the same, in that if they change in context, if they do not apply to all situations, they are not worth having.
This plays into your larger narrative of Republicans disavowing their own positions if their political opponents take them up. Today's Republican party has no deeply held belief other than 1) No Taxes, 2) Do As I Say, Not As I Do, 3) If You're For It, I Must Be Against It.
If we follow those principles, we are less than we say we are. Who do we say we are? We're the people who won World War Two. You need saving? We're there. We don't start fights, but we end them. We're the ones German mothers told their sons to surrender to. We're Captain America. We believe in freedom and democracy. We believe in fairness, and justice. And the Law.
This piece is long enough. I'd love to chat with you or your staff sometime, and even take you to dinner next time I'm in NY. Until then, keep doing everything you're doing. Thank you.
