La Odisea del Cisne de Plata

Las Crónicas del Rompecabezas Mágico #3

by Manuel Alfonseca

Insensible al desaliento, el príncipe Elvor emprende de nuevo la búsqueda de una pieza del Rompecabezas Mágico. Un azaroso viaje por el mar en el Cisne de Plata le llevará a las regiones inexploradas del hemisferio sur, donde se enfrenta a grandes peligros causados por hombres y bestias.

Genres: Fantasy

ebook

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

Manuel Alfonseca (Madrid, 1946) is a writer and professor in a Spanish university (Autónoma de Madrid) where he was director of the Escuela Politécnica Superior (2001-2004). He worked 22 years in IBM. He has published over 200 scientific articles and many papers and posts on popular science, in Spanish and English. He is the author of over 50 books on computer science, popular science, historic novel, science-fiction and young adult literature, published in Spanish, English, French and other languages. He was awarded the Lazarillo Award (1988) and the La Brújula Award (2012). He is the son of the painter and sculptor Manuel Alfonseca (Santana).

Reviews

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

ESPAÑOL: En el verano de 1983 escribí la tercera parte de esta serie, siendo el primer libro que escribí directamente sobre un ordenador, pues ese mismo verano adquirí uno de los primeros ordenadores personales de IBM que se vendieron en España (el segundo vendido a un empleado de IBM) utilizando para ello el Premio que me concedió IBM por haber desarrollado un intérprete del lenguaje APL para ese mismo ordenador personal, que hizo historia de la informática al ser el primer producto que utilizaba el coprocesador matemático para dicho ordenador (8087 de INTEL), que se anunció al mismo tiempo que nuestro producto.

Este libro comienza inmediatamente después que el segundo, y su protagonista desempeña un papel importante en los dos. Se trata de una típica odisea, al estilo de la de Homero, con un barco (el Cisne de Plata) que se desplaza por mares inexplorados, descubre continentes desconocidos, y ha de enfrentarse a peligros extraordinarios.

ENGLISH: In the summer of 1983 I wrote the third part of this series, the first book I wrote directly on a computer, as that was the summer when I acquired one of the first IBM personal computers sold in Spain (the second sold to an IBM employee) using to pay for it the Outstanding Technical Achievement Award that IBM granted me for having developed an APL language interpreter for the same personal computer, which made computing history by being the first product that used the mathematical co-processor for that computer (INTEL 8087), which was announced at the same time as our product.

This book begins immediately after the second, and its protagonist plays an important role in both. It is a typical odyssey, in the style of Homer, with a ship (the Silver Swan) that travels through unexplored seas, discovers unknown continents, and must face extraordinary dangers.

[Fonch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ladies and, gentlemen as time is money and, it passes quickly especially in the happiest moments and, fortunate takes the opportunity to write the review of the third book of the Magic Jigsaw saga. Here followers (at least those of my social network) can enjoy a better map.
As you can see, the known lands 🌎 of the world of Magic Jigsaw have increased, because the ability to explore and the improvement of transportation allow it. Elvor's time would be an equivalent of our Modern Age (1492-1789). A period in which a humble servant is a specialist and so is my colleague Kurt Bravo. My colleague and Gothic friend (to whom he sent a hug from Valladolid) Daniel Gómez Aragonés Daniel Gómez Aragonés specialist in barbarian peoples, especially the Visigoths, would be a specialist in Ancient Age and the Middle Ages. This does not prevent us from not knowing all the periods of human history, only that there is a predisposition for one of them in particular (some historians make the mistake of specializing only in their time and, of ignoring the others, which is a gross error). However, my followers should not forget what was said in the review of the first book and that is that it should not be explained in a rationalistic way and look for a current meaning to everything that happens in this book, because the subcreative talent of the author is also important and he has wanted to subcreate a world of fantasy. On the subject of subcreation, my followers are recommended to read another work by the author such as "Jacob's ladder|24279520] (another novel by the writer in question) and, they want a deeper allegory that if it is more related to the history of our world I refer them to "Journey to Colony Earth-9" and, its brilliant sequel "Return to the Earth-9 Colony" The History of the Earth-9 ColonyThe Earth-9 Colony Revisited where you can make analogies with the history of our world in a line closer to Poul Anderson or, Fred Saberhagen Poul AndersonFred Saberhagen (two writers I highly recommend). We beg our friend and, fellow countryman @jbaenac José Baena Castel José Baena CastelMelodías de acero (don't forget to read his book "Melodías del acero") to see if he dares to post my review in his Facebook group Melodías del Acero as he has done on other occasions and, we recommend this book to my friend Jaime Blanch Jaime Blanch Queral (by the way, don't miss the wonderful interview that the author gave to the @tioalbertorealm channel, which has been the most watched interview on the channel so far and which has been the most watched interview on the channel so far) and, we recommend this reading for those parents who are looking for good readings for their children by recommending it to the blog La biblioteca de Nehemiah (both authors posted a review of this book on their Facebook wall and on their blog respectively).
In the book "The Mystery of the Black Lake" The Mystery of the Black Lake (one of the best in the series). The Professor left the plots and subplots well tied together and linked the story of Galar/Ralier the evil villain (and witcher) of the previous story and linked it perfectly with one of the most ominous and sinister episodes in the history of Tiva and, which was going to bring so much destruction and tears to the kingdom of Tiva for the ill-fated enterprise of King Lupo against Itin (who in this story is still ruled by Elavel) and, the presence of an impostor who created an occult and esoteric and dangerous sect that put in check the very existence of the kingdom of Tiva. However, Elvor did not achieve in the previous book the goal he had set for himself by winning that right Pta who was more noble, detached and altruistic than Elvor himself. In fact, Elvor suffers from several cures of humility (some excessive for my taste). His father King Sadamer III thinks that after this unsuccessful experience he will have lost the desire for adventures, but as expected and, as expected and, like the famous announcement of the old man who wants to reach the pole by car and set a Guinness record "he did not give up" (this serves me to thread it with the next story of the saga). Not only that, but Elvor tells his father that he has an idea of the whereabouts of another of the pieces of the Magic Puzzle (which relates it to stories of archaeological adventures such as Indiana Jones https://www.goodreads.com/genres/indi... or Mark Adderley's McCraken saga https://www.goodreads.com/series/2066... Mark Adderley) for that reason so much time has been wasted in telling you the story of King Lupus' ambitions and their bitter consequences because they are vital to this enterprise. This novel is very influenced by a classic of literature in this case "The Odyssey" by Homer Odyssey (my sister Maggie Sendra's favorite book by the way) and, my favorite book of the Chronicles of Narnia (if despite being a madridista I recognize that I love Narnia Na Na Na Na Na Narnia don't miss my admired youtuber @quillobarrios sing that song accompanied by the son and, the melody of the violins in the videos of his Youtube channel) the book we are referring to is "The Dawn Treader" (my favorite book of the Chronicles of Narnia. Not to be confused with the utopia of another of my favorite writers, Robert Hugh Benson's "Triumphant Dawn" The Dawn of All Robert Hugh Benson) I believe that the great author, priest and apologist Michael Ward shares a preference for this story by C.S. Lewis. We recommend his wonderful book edited by @ceu_ediciones "Planet Narnia" Michael Ward Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis and, an unpublished one in Spanish on one of C.S. Lewis' most profound books in this case "The Abolition of Man" The Abolition of Man After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man (one of the favorite books of the author of this book and of my much admired Juan Manuel de Prada Juan Manuel de Prada) and although he prefers J.R.R. Tolkien the same could be said of Don @diegoblancoalbarova Diego Blanco Albarova. The Professor (i.e. the author of this book) is a great connoisseur of C.S. Lewis and, J.R.R. Tolkien J.R.R. Tolkien C.S. Lewis (about the fictional adventures of the Inklings we recommend "Toward the gleam" by T.M. Doran Toward the Gleam and, "Looking for the King" by David C. Downing Looking for the King). By the way, it has not been said and, it is really important that the novels of the Magic Jigsaw pentalogy are available in both Spanish and English so they can be purchased by all my friends and followers of English and Spanish.
Apart from that, like the poem by the Catalan Jacint Verdaguer "La Atlántida" La Atlantida Jacint Verdaguer since the discovery of America as he did in his novels "Visit to the Earth-9 Colony" and "Return to the Earth-9 Colony" is a very strong inspirational element in this story (the figure of Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus and, we must not forget two French writers who admired him such as Leon Bloy Léon Bloy who asked for his canonization and Paul Claudel Paul Claudel also admired him. Recently there has been a documentary on the Spanish public channel, which allegedly debunks the Admiral's Genoese origin and considers that he was a native of Valencia and, from a converted family, but I do not give much credibility to a television program. Professor Manuel Alfonseca has already created a transcript of Christopher Columbus in the novels of the La Colonia duology Earth-9 already mentioned in this review). The structure is also original because we already know the ending Elvor along with his friends Osiva and Mu Baar are on the ship The Silver Swan captained by Captain Karbol who plays a role similar to Drinian (a defect that could be taken from this novel is that Osiva and Mu Baar do not have more prominence and, are relegated by the Poet, for example, or Yin La (although he is a much less irritating character than Ilai, the capricious princess of Tacta in the previous book). The structure is original because, as in Memento (which the author himself told me I hadn't seen), it starts at the end and recovers the linear narration by means of a Back flash. The Professor and I were talking about books with that structure. The Professor I know he really likes Priestley's play "Time And The Conways"Time And The Conways. In this novel Elvor, knowing that the piece he is looking for may have been taken by King Lupo, charters a ship and, a crew in Ithin, and embarks with Mu Baar and, Osiva. Elvor's resemblance to Caspian X is undoubted, although for me the character created by my friend surpasses that of Lewis. If the reader had a negative prejudice of Elvor for what he did in "The Mystery of the Black Lake" here he learns the lesson and becomes a true leader and, someone hungry for thirst and justice as seen in the episode of the mutineer Bolder who revolts against Martel and betrays Astor and, Kiril (Astor, apart from being a fictional character, is the hallmark of the publishing house @palabraes) and is capable of sacrificing himself for his crew. One of the few reprehensible acts of Elvor may have been to force the poet (who is a sedentary being like me and, given to admiring and singing stories, but does not want to live them himself). Sometimes Elvor can be reckless, but I see him as more mature and, I think that the development and progression of the character is a complete success on the part of the Professor. Another of his influences is Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs and, in the episode with the dragon you can see a tribute or, a nod to Sword and Sorcery with women who take bread and dip. It is also influenced by cosmopolitanism and, I like that the villains of this story are the slave pirates and kidnappers. Although they are in a line more like that of Salgari Emilio Salgari than that of the oriental pirates. One thinks of pirates like Limahon or, Tayfusa The First of the Philippines (in the sack of Manila, or the battle of Cagayan against Wacos and, Japanese Ronins The War Against Nobunaga When the Tercios Defeated the Samurai. the latest book by Jesús Lorente Liarte Jesús Lorente Liarte is highly recommended) for example that they could be the models of Ji Lar (this villain reminded me of Sax Rhomer's creations of Doctor Fu Manchu https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/... Sax Rhomer although Fu Manchu's pastiches are usually more entertaining like those of Cay van Ash (he made a nice cross over mixing Sherlock Holmes against Fu Manchu, and came out of it very well in my opinion "Ten Years Beyond Baker Street" Ten Years Beyond Baker Street: Sherlock Holmes Matches Wits With the Diabolical Dr. Fu Manchu by Cay Van Ash (1-Feb-1984) Hardcover, or the fabulations of M.P. Shiel M.P. Shiel, or Jack London's Fishing Patrol Tales Seven Stories of the Fishing Patrol and other Tales ). I liked this novel much more than when it was first read. Elvor realizes that sometimes to win you have to give up the one you want Blaise Pascal Loser Takes All and, finally, he will get what he has finally longed for. My final grade is (4/5).

[Arturo Martín · Rating 3 out of 5]

Español: Tercera novela de la saga Las Crónicas del Rompecabezas Mágico, de Manuel Alfonseca. Continuación directa de la segunda novela, parece que prepara el camino para las siguientes. Se me ha hecho un poco menos interesante que la segunda novela.

English: Third novel in the saga The Chronicles of the Magic Puzzle, by Manuel Alfonseca. Direct continuation of the second novel, it seems to pave the way for the following ones. I found it a little less interesting than the second novel.