The Tower of Fools
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
"A fantastic novel that any fan of The Witcher will instantly appreciate." —The Gamer
Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher series has become a fantasy phenomenon, finding millions of fans worldwide and inspiring the hit Netflix show and video games. Now the bestselling author introduces readers to a new hero on an epic journey in The Tower of Fools, the first book of the Hussite Trilogy.
Reinmar of Bielawa, sometimes known as Reynevan, is a healer, a magician, and according to some, a charlatan. When a thoughtless indiscretion forces him to flee his home, he finds himself pursued
not only by brothers bent on vengeance but by the Holy Inquisition.
In a time when tensions between Hussite and Catholic countries are threatening to turn into war and mystical forces are gathering in the shadows, Reynevan's journey will lead him to the Narrenturm—the Tower of Fools.
The Tower is an asylum for the mad...or for those who dare to think differently and challenge the prevailing order. And escaping it, avoiding the conflict around him, and keeping his own sanity will prove more difficult than he ever imagined
"A ripping yarn delivered with world-weary wit, bursting at the seams with sex, death, magic and madness." —Joe Abercrombie
"This is historical fantasy done right." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A highly enjoyable historical fantasy." —Booklist
The Tower of Fools is an historical novel set during the Hussite Wars in Bohemia during the 1400s, a period of religious conflict and persecution. Characters in the novel may express views that some readers might find offensive.
Also by Andrzej Sapkowski:
Witcher collections
The Last Wish
Sword of Destiny
Witcher novels
Blood of Elves
The Time of Contempt
Baptism of Fire
The Tower of Swallows
Lady of the Lake
Season of Storms
The Malady and Other Stories: An Andrzej Sapkowski Sampler (e-only)
Translated by David French
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher series became an international sensation, spawning a video-game franchise and hit TV shows. The first book of the Polish author’s Hussite Trilogy—written in the 2000s and newly translated into English—dives into 15th-century Central Europe, where the Catholic Church is beset by heresy and the Inquisition is in full swing. Against this backdrop, magic is practiced in secret—and a young scholar, Reinmar of Bielawa, is thrown into the turmoil after an ill-fated tryst with a married woman causes him to flee the ire of her many brothers. Reinmar is a hapless but charming hero, aided in his journey by a colorful menagerie that includes monks, knights, and witches. The Tower of Fools plunges the reader deep into medieval history, but the bawdy, action-packed story whips along at a brisk pace. Fans of historical fantasy will enjoy this fun and boisterous novel.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sapkowski, author of the bestselling Witcher saga, sets a sharply detailed fantasy of magic, lust, and mayhem, the first in a new series, against the backdrop of the religious wars of the Renaissance as Czech Hussite reformers battle Catholic Inquisitors across Central Europe. Caught up in the cross-crusades, Reinmar of Bielawa, a scholar of medicine and magic, unwisely woos a married noblewoman, Ad le of Stercza, and must flee her husband's kin when their tryst is discovered. When his pursuers realize they cannot catch him, they murder his brother instead and Reinmar swears vengeance. To the constant dismay of his companions stoic Scharley, a paroled rebel, and hulking Samson, a supernatural creature trapped in a human body Reinmar is impulsive, loyal to the point of foolishness, and frequently smitten (moving on from his infatuation with Ad le to an obsession with "the fair Nicolette"), making their plans to escape to Hungary less and less likely to succeed. Sapkowski's love for the period is clear as he touches on notorious historical events and figures, including the Defenestration of Prague and printing press inventor Johannes Gutenberg. The carefully painted landscapes and intricate politics, meanwhile, effortlessly draw readers into Reinmar's life and times. This is historical fantasy done right.
Customer Reviews
Very good
Good book Latin translation would help