Giaco & Luca Complete Trilogy: A Renaissance Fantasy Thriller

Book excerpt: Few men walk into shadow. Fewer walk out. Giacomo da Prado is La Città dei Fiori’s most renowned warrior, the hero of the Battle of Cinquevie, the man other soldiers want to be. His fame as a fighter has won him the post of bodyguard to Prince Luca, the youngest member of the dei Fiori royal family. This should be an easy assignment. It isn’t. The Rebirth has gained ascendancy in the dei Fiori kingdom, bringing with it the ideals of harmony and reason. But all movements have their dark side. Shadowy factions are at work within La Città dei Fiori and the rest of the kingdom, and they seek to use Prince Luca to further their ends. And Prince Luca may have a natural affinity for the magic that his family wishes to stamp out. As the struggle grows more intense, Giaco finds himself caught between the two sides—and questioning everything he believes. Giaco is a man of the Rebirth, but those whom he loves most in the world have no choice but to walk in the shadows. If he wants to save them from dangerous magic and the even more dangerous intrigue of the Royal court, Giaco will have to plunge into the dark underworld of augury and incantations. Giaco is a hero, but all heroism has limits. He will have to find something stronger than courage if he and Prince Luca are to survive. Set in a fantasy version of Renaissance Florence, the Giaco & Luca stories combine magic and mystery in fast-paced novellas. This omnibus edition contains the complete trilogy in one volume.