First, thanks to Alfred A. Knopf and NetGalley for letting me read this book. It was thrilling and engrossing, and I hope the rest of Davico’s story will be told.
Summary
Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi is a political intrigue and coming-of-age fantasy novel that follows Davico di Regulai, who is a contemplative and insecure protagonist who is heir to the wealthiest and most influential banking family in Navola, the city-state in which they live.
The main character and narrator, Davico di Regulai, tells the story of his youth: from childhood through adolescence and into his early twenties. In that time, we learn that Davico is a contemplative, careful individual who develops a love of nature and comes to respect its simplicity.
While he learns the family business, all he wants is to leave the world behind and live out his life in peace, free of Navola’s brutal politics and his father’s growing expectations. He feels inadequate to fill his father Devonaci’s brilliant shoes and seeks constant validation of his worth from his father and teachers.
Throughout the book, even in his younger years, his primary concern is that he’s not a worthy heir and that he doesn’t possess the skills and talents to be what his family needs him to be. His thoughtful and honest nature paired with his desire to please and impress his father make him seem weak and stupid to everyone around him, which is a deadly thing to be in the merciless political games of the Navolese nobility.
The only true connection Davico feels is with his adopted sister, Celia, who is much shrewder and strategic, and Davico feels constantly compared to her, even though she can never inherit.
Unable to escape his burdens of responsibility and inadequacy, he seeks distraction and finds it in his father’s most prized possession: a crystallized dragon eye.
Characters
Davico is a frustrating main character because he doesn’t understand a lot of social interactions that seem obvious to everyone around him and most times to the reader as well. His thoughtful nature impacts the storytelling, as the narrator is an older Davico explaining the world, the story, and sometimes his choices to us.
I know that Davico is the protagonist because he’s the one with the largest opportunity for growth and therefore possesses the most dramatic and impactful character arc.
But because of his characterization through most of the story, his contemplative nature makes him seem dull and boring in comparison to the clever, focused people around him who are all, as far as we can tell, confident in themselves and their place in the world. All things that Davico is not, thus the coming-of-age.
This, too, is intentional, I think, because of how much it contrasts the uncertainty of Davico’s desires and nature.
None of that makes his slow development any less frustrating, but it does make the end so much more satisfying.
Celia di Balcosi, Davico’s adopted sister, as stated earlier, is much more perceptive and clever. Due to an horrific childhood experience and how she came to be in the Regulai household, she went through a trial by fire and learned from it.
This is where we first meet her.
She is easily a favorite character and is the main reason why Davico is so frustrating. They are excellent foils for each other, which is probably why they get along so well, as well as one of the reasons why the story is so engaging.
Celia’s changes are as abrupt as the rest of what she does, shifting the story in new and interesting ways. Often these are small, driving Davico forward where he would normally hesitate.
I’m uncertain whether this is a series or not, as it hasn’t been announced and was released in a manner that seems like a standalone. I hope it isn’t, though, because I still have questions and feel that many of the characters deserve more than uncertainty.
All in all, this book is four stars: well-written, well-crafted, but for most of the story, Davico is not a compelling protagonist and that makes for slow reading. I think this will change if it turns into a series, but that remains to be seen.
Thank you for reading! Like and subscribe below, and I would love to discuss further with people who have also read this book.
Unscripted Endeavors 
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