‘Irenicon is completely fascinating’ – Thinking About Books
The river Irenicon is a feat of Concordian engineering. Blasted through the middle of Rasenna in 1347 using Wave technology, it divided the only city strong enough to defeat the Concordian Empire. But no one could have predicted it would become sentient, and hostile.
Sofia Scaligeri, the soon-to-be Contessa of Rasenna, is inheriting a city tearing itself apart from the inside. She can see no way of stopping Rasenna’s culture of vendetta . . . until a Concordian engineer arrives to build a bridge over the Irenicon. He shows her that the feuding factions of Rasenna can continue to fight each other, or they can unite against Concord.
And they will need to stand together – for Concord is about to unleash the Wave again . . .
Set in a darkly original alternative Renaissance Italy, Irenicon is a gripping adventure, a tragic love story and a very modern tale of redemption.
The river Irenicon is a feat of Concordian engineering. Blasted through the middle of Rasenna in 1347 using Wave technology, it divided the only city strong enough to defeat the Concordian Empire. But no one could have predicted it would become sentient, and hostile.
Sofia Scaligeri, the soon-to-be Contessa of Rasenna, is inheriting a city tearing itself apart from the inside. She can see no way of stopping Rasenna’s culture of vendetta . . . until a Concordian engineer arrives to build a bridge over the Irenicon. He shows her that the feuding factions of Rasenna can continue to fight each other, or they can unite against Concord.
And they will need to stand together – for Concord is about to unleash the Wave again . . .
Set in a darkly original alternative Renaissance Italy, Irenicon is a gripping adventure, a tragic love story and a very modern tale of redemption.
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Reviews
An unusual fantasy that is simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar
I am giving Irenicon a high recommendation
Harte's use of descriptive language is absolutely haunting. I didn't think anyone could write chapters and chapters about building a bridge and make it sound epic, perilous, and romantic. He can literally make a tree stump sound inviting
Aidan Harte has been justly praised for his world-building in his debut novel . . . Irenicon would make a perfect action film
Intricate plots lines, intriguing characters
Sofia enchanted me from the start: stubborn, proud, clever, and unsure of what she wants, her bravery in battle is offset by her cowardice when it comes to relationships and trust. Yet, she has the opportunity to grow, and does
Irenicon is gorgeously rendered, and the fantasy landscape is remarkable for its depth of description and the vivid details the author includes...Irenicon is a great book, destined to be a classic
The story sucks you in immediately, and then hauls you along for the ride while Harte weaves a tale that's engrossing and fulfilling . . . The world that Harte has created here is full and rich with amazing detail of martial styles
A powerful fantasy set in an alternate history mediaeval Italy . . . The result is completely fascinating
Add some time-controlling kung fu nuns, a terrible prison of dark waters and lightning, and a young kickass Contessa, and you've got a pretty good time on your hands
Irenicon shines when it comes to world-building, which is all about putting surprising and, dare I say it, unique fantasy twists on Italian history
This leaves me seriously impressed both by the quality of the ideas and the ingenuity with which they are explored . . . In short, Irenicon is completely fascinating
'Harte manages to combine a series of intricate plots lines, intriguing characters and the creation of his version of renaissance Europe without ever becoming confusing ... Harte proves the genre can be as thought-provoking and intelligent as any other work of fiction ... he has created a world that could have easily stepped out of any history book, but which is infinitely more interesting' Blogcritics.
'exciting and original amid the current fantasy landscape' Fantasy Book Critic.
'Harte is a brilliant new voice in historical fantasy, and this is quite simply the best piece of fantasy that I have read so far this year' Inter Zone magazine.
'I definitely recommend this one, a real unexpected find for me that I really enjoyed. 4.5 out of 5' Tenacious Reader.
'If there were stars for world-building Irenicon would be a five plus, no question' SFX.
'Seriously impressed both by the quality of the ideas and the ingenuity with which they are explored in the text ... Irenicon is completely fascinating' Thinking About Books.
'The book is a fountain of gorgeous detail, festooned with enriching codices and enlightening, subtly subsumed exposition' Sci-Fi Now.
Harte manages to combine a series of intricate plot lines, intriguing characters and the creation of his version of Renaissance Europe without ever becoming confusing . . . Harte proves the genre can be as thought-provoking and intelligent as any other work of fiction . . . he has created a world that could have easily stepped out of any history book, but which is infinitely more interesting.
Exciting and original amid the current fantasy landscape . . .
Harte is a brilliant new voice in historical fantasy, and this is quite simply the best piece of fantasy that I have read so far this year
I definitely recommend this one, a real unexpected find for me that I really enjoyed
If there were stars for world-building Irenicon would be a five plus, no question.
Seriously impressed both by the quality of the ideas and the ingenuity with which they are explored in the text . . . Irenicon is completely fascinating
The book is a fountain of gorgeous detail, festooned with enriching codices and enlightening, subtly subsumed exposition
Khaleesi Daenerys Targaryen Stormborn is easily the best character on Game of Thrones. Here are 5 female fantasy characters who could take her in a fight- as long as she doesn't bring her dragons. Number One: Sofia is Dany with an official crown. She takes control when her people need it most, saves kids from burning buildings, and falls in love with a guy when maybe she shouldn't
Harte has terrific fun setting up Borgia-esque intrigues among the various factions and watching them play out
Irenicon is a twisty, turny book with a lot going for it . . . Irenicon outshines its peers as a carefully considered alternate history that balances historically inspired creativity and a high fantasy magic system. Another strong point of Irenicon is the setting of Rasenna, with its sunken towers and broken walls, is superbly rendered
A wonderfully complex story full of multi-layered characters. The worldbuilding was masterful . . . a completely unique world, a plot that will prove you wrong time after time, and a whole cast of characters that you will learn to love and hate (as Harte sees fit), all told through flawless prose
One of the more innovative fantasy novels that have come out this year
Completely unputdownable
Talk about an impressive series starter . . . The book's historical overtones set in a fantasy world, along with a subtle touch of magic put me in mind strongly of Guy Gavriel Kay . . . a vivid backdrop for all the action and the emotion, deftly filling in the spaces with historical and cultural context. This first book is full of unexpected surprises, and how cruel is the last line, leaving me speculating!
Irenicon introduced us to a very rich world . . . It was impressive
