by David Liss
Edition: 2014
Pages: 384
Editor: Random House Publishing Group
Summary: Sebastião Raposa is only
thirteen when his parents are unjustly imprisoned, never to be seen
again, and he is forced to flee Portugal lest he too fall victim to the
Inquisition. But ten years in exile only serve to whet his appetite for
vengeance. Returning at last to Lisbon, in the guise of English
businessman Sebastian Fox, he is no longer a frightened boy but a
dangerous man tormented by violent impulses. Haunted by the specter of
all he has lost—including his exquisite first love—Foxx is determined to
right old wrongs by punishing an unforgivable enemy with unrelenting
fury.
Well schooled by his benefactor, the notorious bounty hunter Benjamin Weaver, in the use of wits, fists, and a variety of weapons, Fox stalks the ruthless Inquisitor priest Pedro Azinheiro. But in a city ruled by terror and treachery, where money and information can buy power and trump any law, no enemy should be underestimated and no ally can be trusted. Having risked everything, and once again under the watchful eye of the Inquisition, Fox finds his plans unraveling as he becomes drawn into the struggles of old friends—and new enemies—none of whom, like Lisbon itself, are what they seem.
Compelled to play a game of deception and greed, Sebastian Fox will find himself befriended, betrayed, tempted by desire, and tormented by personal turmoil. And when a twist of fate turns his carefully laid plans to chaos, he will be forced to choose between surrendering to bloodlust or serving the cause of mercy.
Well schooled by his benefactor, the notorious bounty hunter Benjamin Weaver, in the use of wits, fists, and a variety of weapons, Fox stalks the ruthless Inquisitor priest Pedro Azinheiro. But in a city ruled by terror and treachery, where money and information can buy power and trump any law, no enemy should be underestimated and no ally can be trusted. Having risked everything, and once again under the watchful eye of the Inquisition, Fox finds his plans unraveling as he becomes drawn into the struggles of old friends—and new enemies—none of whom, like Lisbon itself, are what they seem.
Compelled to play a game of deception and greed, Sebastian Fox will find himself befriended, betrayed, tempted by desire, and tormented by personal turmoil. And when a twist of fate turns his carefully laid plans to chaos, he will be forced to choose between surrendering to bloodlust or serving the cause of mercy.
Rating: 3/5
Review: Before I start talking about this book I have to tell I received this copy through Netgalley in exchange of a honest review. And I will start asking Random House to change the letters font because the one adapted to this book was difficult to read and finishing it was more difficult.
Sebastian Fox isn't a new character for me. I had the chance to read some of his adventures in the past in another David Liss's book. For that reason I was particular curious about the origins of this - bold and always in trouble - man. It started very well. Seeing David in Lisbon, a city I know so well, was great and specially easy to image. The boy before all the adventures added a particular interest to the story and created a great dynamic surrounding the future consequences. The journey to the United Kingdom and the return to Lisbon was well explained and gave the readers the clues to make our attention aware of a minimum transformation near new and old characters. The passage to the city was again interesting. I was ready to see the action start and all the revolutions Sebastian was taking on with the objective of revenge. The introduction of some new faces was nice and made the book's content more balanced. Even so, starting the middle I felt the story wasn't floating to a good port. The narrative got slower and and it was a little of all the same. Even the relationship between characters that could be amazing (all the angst, love, passion, fear and desires were there) felt a little bit passive and there was the need of a little strength to promote the drama that happened during the final 100 pages. I was expecting to enjoy it much more and it was kind of disappointing, since I enjoyed a lot the previous ones. However, I still had a good time reading it and that's why I´m giving it a 3 stars. I wanted to make a more detailed review but without spoilers it´s not possible so I prefer to end it here.
Nota: Para quem não lê em inglês e se interessou pelo livro, The Day of Atonement chega a Portugal pelas mãos do Clube de Autor em Outubro, com o título "Expiação".
Sebastian Fox isn't a new character for me. I had the chance to read some of his adventures in the past in another David Liss's book. For that reason I was particular curious about the origins of this - bold and always in trouble - man. It started very well. Seeing David in Lisbon, a city I know so well, was great and specially easy to image. The boy before all the adventures added a particular interest to the story and created a great dynamic surrounding the future consequences. The journey to the United Kingdom and the return to Lisbon was well explained and gave the readers the clues to make our attention aware of a minimum transformation near new and old characters. The passage to the city was again interesting. I was ready to see the action start and all the revolutions Sebastian was taking on with the objective of revenge. The introduction of some new faces was nice and made the book's content more balanced. Even so, starting the middle I felt the story wasn't floating to a good port. The narrative got slower and and it was a little of all the same. Even the relationship between characters that could be amazing (all the angst, love, passion, fear and desires were there) felt a little bit passive and there was the need of a little strength to promote the drama that happened during the final 100 pages. I was expecting to enjoy it much more and it was kind of disappointing, since I enjoyed a lot the previous ones. However, I still had a good time reading it and that's why I´m giving it a 3 stars. I wanted to make a more detailed review but without spoilers it´s not possible so I prefer to end it here.
Nota: Para quem não lê em inglês e se interessou pelo livro, The Day of Atonement chega a Portugal pelas mãos do Clube de Autor em Outubro, com o título "Expiação".
Cláudia
About the author:
Addicted to the library Claudia loves to read on the move and we can
usualy find her sitting in a train or bus reading while commuting to and
from work. But don't be fooled she is also keeping an eye on the
landscape and all around her. She is an avid defender of sustainability
and volunteering and it's as easy to find her starting a new project as
it is to find her chatting with her friends. She is a dreamer and loves
good stories so she keeps looking for them in her personal life.
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