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Flat: An edgy voyage of accidental discovery
An edgy voyage of accidental discovery
Embark on a swashbuckling adventure, teeming with betrayal, romance, murder, sea battles, and a healthy dose of satirical Renaissance humor. Between the final breath of the Spanish Inquisition, and Magellan's epic voyage, join unintended explorer, Lanning Delaford, plus an eclectic cast of characters including Ignatius Loyola, Ferdinand Magellan, (mostly) evil pirates, a mediocre Portuguese butcher, an alluring, bad-ass courtesan, and a peregrine falcon named Doug, as they traverse southern Europe onto the unknown Great Sea.
Will fear stop you at the edge, or will you dare to venture beyond it?
Embark on a swashbuckling adventure, teeming with betrayal, romance, murder, sea battles, and a healthy dose of satirical Renaissance humor. Between the final breath of the Spanish Inquisition, and Magellan's epic voyage, join unintended explorer, Lanning Delaford, plus an eclectic cast of characters including Ignatius Loyola, Ferdinand Magellan, (mostly) evil pirates, a mediocre Portuguese butcher, an alluring, bad-ass courtesan, and a peregrine falcon named Doug, as they traverse southern Europe onto the unknown Great Sea.
Will fear stop you at the edge, or will you dare to venture beyond it?
344 pages, Paperback
Published June 12, 2024
14 people are currently reading
2051 people want to read
About the author
Neal Rabin
2 books45 followersNeal Rabin is the co-founder of Miramar Systems, a Santa Barbara-based global software company, of which he was CEO for 15 years. Before that, Rabin graduated from UCLA; worked for Club Med as a tennis and surf instructor; stocked refrigerators; and served as a “fetch” for Time Life Films. Now, Rabin is an instrument pilot who divides his time between mentoring tech start-ups, writing, surfing, volleyball, and tennis. He lives in Santa Barbara with his wife, two daughters, and a flock of chickens.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 1, 2024
3-1/2 STAR REVIEW
Described as “an edgy voyage of accidental discovery,” what initially appears to be an adventure set in the 16th century alongside the Spanish Inquisition evolves into the unexpected.
Author Neal Rabin walks a fine line between success and failure with Flat. If you are expecting to dive into a slice of historical fiction highlighting an era of explorers, you might have some doubts about all of the modern language used by the characters.
It’s important to acknowledge that the author possesses a sharp wit that he embeds within the characters, often making obscure references that the most attentive reader will understand. In spite of the helpful main character guide, it proved challenging to connect to the characters, some of whom rotated through their scenes very quickly.
As a tale of adventure, the author can be commended for developing unique challenges for those aboard the L’Aquila. For me, I would have preferred a stricter observance of the time period with the accompanying language and customs.
For readers willing to be adventurous, Flat will take them to new heights by using 16th-century characters and modern informal speech. ~ Amy for Novels Alive
Described as “an edgy voyage of accidental discovery,” what initially appears to be an adventure set in the 16th century alongside the Spanish Inquisition evolves into the unexpected.
Author Neal Rabin walks a fine line between success and failure with Flat. If you are expecting to dive into a slice of historical fiction highlighting an era of explorers, you might have some doubts about all of the modern language used by the characters.
It’s important to acknowledge that the author possesses a sharp wit that he embeds within the characters, often making obscure references that the most attentive reader will understand. In spite of the helpful main character guide, it proved challenging to connect to the characters, some of whom rotated through their scenes very quickly.
As a tale of adventure, the author can be commended for developing unique challenges for those aboard the L’Aquila. For me, I would have preferred a stricter observance of the time period with the accompanying language and customs.
For readers willing to be adventurous, Flat will take them to new heights by using 16th-century characters and modern informal speech. ~ Amy for Novels Alive
August 18, 2024
This is a fun, cleverly written historical novel in which the characters use present-day vernacular and attitudes, with plenty of fun snarkiness and obscure references. The timeline is not linear, and I had to page back/reread many times to understand what the author was trying to do. The characters are interesting and often quite funny, and by the end of the story, we realize what the discovery actually is (although different interpretations are possible). It was a fun trip.
My quibbles: the timeline was occasionally confusing, I had to reference the character list quite frequently (who is this guy again?), and I felt that an important episode was ruined by a sort of deus ex machina, the significance of which is only explained in the last few chapters. It would have been better if the enlightening chapter was positioned earlier in the book; I would have understood the foundation. Also, strangely enough, there were some obvious editing errors, like commas in the wrong places.
My quibbles: the timeline was occasionally confusing, I had to reference the character list quite frequently (who is this guy again?), and I felt that an important episode was ruined by a sort of deus ex machina, the significance of which is only explained in the last few chapters. It would have been better if the enlightening chapter was positioned earlier in the book; I would have understood the foundation. Also, strangely enough, there were some obvious editing errors, like commas in the wrong places.
September 2, 2025
A raucous historical romp packed with both historical and contemporary references. Engaging and entertaining, it also has a lot of heart. If history were taught with this level of detail, depth, and suspense, I imagine we'd have a lot more history majors (would serve us well these days). Every "Age of Discovery" themed painting in museums prompts a memory from this novel. Highly recommend.
July 6, 2025
Flat is a product of the creative genius of my old friend, Neal Rabin. It’s a story of adventure, love and connection. A must read filled with the excitement of traveling the seas, murder, intrigue, love and family wherever we find it. Congrats Neal!
July 3, 2024
✨💯✨💯✨💯✨💯✨💯
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2024
A swashbuckling adventure!! The book combines a well-researched setting with a modern narration, that can be hit or miss at times, but is a thoroughly entertaining read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews