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Vango #2
A Prince Without a Kingdom
This was the only treasure that Vango was after: the secret of his life.
Vango has been in danger for as long as he can remember. He has spent his life running along rooftops, fleeing to mysterious islands, and abandoning those he loves in order to protect them from the demons of his past. But Vango will not run for much longer.
The mystery of his identity has started to unravel, and now in the shadows of war and persecution, the truth will finally come to light.
Vango has been in danger for as long as he can remember. He has spent his life running along rooftops, fleeing to mysterious islands, and abandoning those he loves in order to protect them from the demons of his past. But Vango will not run for much longer.
The mystery of his identity has started to unravel, and now in the shadows of war and persecution, the truth will finally come to light.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
71 people are currently reading
1154 people want to read
About the author
Timothée de Fombelle
49 books428 followersAs a child...
Timothee de Fombelle was born in the heart of Paris in 1973, but often accompanied his architect father on his travels to Africa. Each summer his family left for the countryside (the west of France), where the five brothers and sisters lived like wild horses, making huts in the trees, playing in the river and losing themselves in the woods. In the evening they performed plays for their parents and devoured the books in the library. Childhood remains for him the lost paradise which he re-discovers through writing.
As an adult...
After becoming a literature teacher, Timothee taught in Paris and Vietnam before choosing the bohemian life of the theatre. Author of a dozen plays, he writes, designs, builds sets and directs the actress he admires the most, his wife Laetitia. They have a young daughter, Jeanne Elisha, who already loves climbing trees. Toby Alone is his first novel and has already been translated into 22 languages.
As an artist...
Passionate about books and theatre, Timothee has been writing since he was young. The stage has been his testing ground but it is life, with its joys and trials, which inspires his real work. A great traveller, Timothee recognises that the writing of Toby Alone has been his best journey so far.
Timothee de Fombelle was born in the heart of Paris in 1973, but often accompanied his architect father on his travels to Africa. Each summer his family left for the countryside (the west of France), where the five brothers and sisters lived like wild horses, making huts in the trees, playing in the river and losing themselves in the woods. In the evening they performed plays for their parents and devoured the books in the library. Childhood remains for him the lost paradise which he re-discovers through writing.
As an adult...
After becoming a literature teacher, Timothee taught in Paris and Vietnam before choosing the bohemian life of the theatre. Author of a dozen plays, he writes, designs, builds sets and directs the actress he admires the most, his wife Laetitia. They have a young daughter, Jeanne Elisha, who already loves climbing trees. Toby Alone is his first novel and has already been translated into 22 languages.
As an artist...
Passionate about books and theatre, Timothee has been writing since he was young. The stage has been his testing ground but it is life, with its joys and trials, which inspires his real work. A great traveller, Timothee recognises that the writing of Toby Alone has been his best journey so far.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
October 17, 2016
I don't know where to start.
There was so much beauty in this book. So much sadness, yet so much overcoming of sadness. So much faith and love and hopelessness and hope, so many missed opportunities and so many occasions made the best of.
I loved it.
The writing style was simple. The book was somehow very quietly written, despite its often action-packed plot. I felt like it reflected Vango's character. He can do and does so much, but he remains quiet and strong. He doesn't want to be the hero, and yet he is in his everyday kindness.
The constant changing of places and point of views was excellent. So many people were touched by Vango, so many people caught up in the web of his life, and de Fombelle showed this beautifully. Each of the characters was interesting and different and perfectly placed. The constant connections that were revealed, up until the last pages of the book, were fantastic. De Fombelle weaved his plot so seamlessly; all of the connections were coincidental yet completely believable. The plot twists, the reveals, often made me laugh or cry "No!" aloud. It was a masterpiece.
Oh, this book was pure. Not that it didn't touch on difficult issues—the death of loved ones, the difficulty of revenge and violence, the depravity of greed—but it said "yes, but...." But there is still hope, but there is still love, but there is still beauty in this world. The last chapter was a beautiful summary of what this book teaches, that good exists despite the evil, that even in the midst of the darkest days there can be light. This book wasn't cynical. And I greatly appreciated that.
There was so much beauty in this book. So much sadness, yet so much overcoming of sadness. So much faith and love and hopelessness and hope, so many missed opportunities and so many occasions made the best of.
I loved it.
The writing style was simple. The book was somehow very quietly written, despite its often action-packed plot. I felt like it reflected Vango's character. He can do and does so much, but he remains quiet and strong. He doesn't want to be the hero, and yet he is in his everyday kindness.
The constant changing of places and point of views was excellent. So many people were touched by Vango, so many people caught up in the web of his life, and de Fombelle showed this beautifully. Each of the characters was interesting and different and perfectly placed. The constant connections that were revealed, up until the last pages of the book, were fantastic. De Fombelle weaved his plot so seamlessly; all of the connections were coincidental yet completely believable. The plot twists, the reveals, often made me laugh or cry "No!" aloud. It was a masterpiece.
Oh, this book was pure. Not that it didn't touch on difficult issues—the death of loved ones, the difficulty of revenge and violence, the depravity of greed—but it said "yes, but...." But there is still hope, but there is still love, but there is still beauty in this world. The last chapter was a beautiful summary of what this book teaches, that good exists despite the evil, that even in the midst of the darkest days there can be light. This book wasn't cynical. And I greatly appreciated that.
July 4, 2016
4.5
Elegante, emocionante y emotivo. Lo que me ha cautivado de esta bilogía son sus personajes, tan únicos y sensibles, y su narrador omnisciente, que entreteje todas las tramas con sutileza. Desenreda la narración en el momento justo y al ritmo, y consigue sorprender hasta cuando crees que ya te has pillado el truco.
Elegante, emocionante y emotivo. Lo que me ha cautivado de esta bilogía son sus personajes, tan únicos y sensibles, y su narrador omnisciente, que entreteje todas las tramas con sutileza. Desenreda la narración en el momento justo y al ritmo, y consigue sorprender hasta cuando crees que ya te has pillado el truco.
June 2, 2017
Until scientists invent a way of erasing memories, readers will always have the problem of never being able to experience that feeling of reading a book for the first time, given that they've read it once before of course.
A Prince Without a Kingdom, the concluding part of Vango, ties together every thread of the story with the same page-turning excitement as the first book. I suspect the only thing stopping this story being published in one volume is that the hardback would have required you to bend your knees every time you picked it up. And all of the praise I lauded it in my first review still stands.
What makes this story so believable is the links to real historical events and people, and the clever way it twists these to fit in with the narrative. I'm conscious of not wanting to give any plot details away but those who have read it will know which part I mean.
These books will stay with me and I will be revisiting them time and time again.
I'm off to become a scientist to invent this magic-memory-wiping pill. Alternatively, I could hit myself over the head with a heavy object... Actually, this is probably the real reason why it wasn't published in one volume.
A Prince Without a Kingdom, the concluding part of Vango, ties together every thread of the story with the same page-turning excitement as the first book. I suspect the only thing stopping this story being published in one volume is that the hardback would have required you to bend your knees every time you picked it up. And all of the praise I lauded it in my first review still stands.
What makes this story so believable is the links to real historical events and people, and the clever way it twists these to fit in with the narrative. I'm conscious of not wanting to give any plot details away but those who have read it will know which part I mean.
These books will stay with me and I will be revisiting them time and time again.
I'm off to become a scientist to invent this magic-memory-wiping pill. Alternatively, I could hit myself over the head with a heavy object... Actually, this is probably the real reason why it wasn't published in one volume.
August 7, 2017
I tend to mistrust second volumes that are really not a new book but just a binding or marketing issue - and I felt that about the Vango narrative: this was one novel in two parts. I loved them both - but wished they had been one book. This volume continues the Vango "game" of repeatedly teasing the reader about names and relationships and then, but by bit, revealing a person, a past crime or tragedy. It is wholly successful here.
The second "half" of Vango, then, continues the complex - and it really is complex - unravelling of several different stories that are then (to reside the metaphor) knitted back together: Vango's search for his past, for his identity; the intertwining love stories; the rise of fascism; the machinations of the crime syndicates and the agents out to foil them. If de Fombelle has to resort to a catch-up chapter at one point, and then a final curtain call of the surviving characters, then this is understood.
There is enough mess in his 30s/40s Europe, enough failed romance and premature death for it to retain a certain sense of realism, and the final image brings it all back to an immediate simplicity that had me almost in tears.
The second "half" of Vango, then, continues the complex - and it really is complex - unravelling of several different stories that are then (to reside the metaphor) knitted back together: Vango's search for his past, for his identity; the intertwining love stories; the rise of fascism; the machinations of the crime syndicates and the agents out to foil them. If de Fombelle has to resort to a catch-up chapter at one point, and then a final curtain call of the surviving characters, then this is understood.
There is enough mess in his 30s/40s Europe, enough failed romance and premature death for it to retain a certain sense of realism, and the final image brings it all back to an immediate simplicity that had me almost in tears.
June 19, 2017
Fantastico! Wow, what a ride this was! The two books in this series really seem to be just one book splint in half, so I shall review them as a single unit. Random thoughts:
Vango is completely unforgettable. Even though I don't know what he looks like, the author paints such a crystal clear portrait of his soul that I feel I know him well. This troubled young man has no idea where he came from and I was completely invested in finding out his heritage along with him. And nearly every character in this book is vividly drawn. You grow to love them all (except for the bad guys).
This author has fine-tuned the art of showing to such a degree as to be breathtaking. He really tells nothing but lets you see the story for yourself. Utterly brilliant.
Another thing this author does quite cleverly is set you up to believe a scene is going a certain way, only to mischievously turn everything on its head. It is completely mind-twisting and terribly delightful all at the same time. It also makes you suspicious and looking for alternate meanings in every detail of and character that enters a scene.
And FUNNY - I have never laughed at a book so much. de Fombelle's sense of humor is witty, surprising, tender-hearted, mischievous, a bit irreverent, and sometimes ridiculous.
This story is monumentally complex (very Dickens-like) with a huge cast of characters and many plot lines woven together. You really have to use the brain to keep everything straight. In the end it all comes together in a glorious, satisfying ending. Everything has a purpose in the end.
One last thing that impressed me was the author's ability to evoke the time-period so clearly...it really felt like I was going back in time while reading this book. Even the prose is similar to works of the era it took place in. The historical detail is spot-on.
This is a classic tale of exquisite charm and beauty - it is so rare to find modern authors who write with such skill. My hat is off to Timothee de Fombelle - he has truly created a literary work of art.
Notes on content: There is a smattering of language here and there. There was a slight bit of adult type innuendo that most children would probably not pick up on. The tone of this book is very much adult-level, so it would take a mature child to appreciate it, I'm thinking. Probably more appropriate for young adult and adults.
Vango is completely unforgettable. Even though I don't know what he looks like, the author paints such a crystal clear portrait of his soul that I feel I know him well. This troubled young man has no idea where he came from and I was completely invested in finding out his heritage along with him. And nearly every character in this book is vividly drawn. You grow to love them all (except for the bad guys).
This author has fine-tuned the art of showing to such a degree as to be breathtaking. He really tells nothing but lets you see the story for yourself. Utterly brilliant.
Another thing this author does quite cleverly is set you up to believe a scene is going a certain way, only to mischievously turn everything on its head. It is completely mind-twisting and terribly delightful all at the same time. It also makes you suspicious and looking for alternate meanings in every detail of and character that enters a scene.
And FUNNY - I have never laughed at a book so much. de Fombelle's sense of humor is witty, surprising, tender-hearted, mischievous, a bit irreverent, and sometimes ridiculous.
This story is monumentally complex (very Dickens-like) with a huge cast of characters and many plot lines woven together. You really have to use the brain to keep everything straight. In the end it all comes together in a glorious, satisfying ending. Everything has a purpose in the end.
One last thing that impressed me was the author's ability to evoke the time-period so clearly...it really felt like I was going back in time while reading this book. Even the prose is similar to works of the era it took place in. The historical detail is spot-on.
This is a classic tale of exquisite charm and beauty - it is so rare to find modern authors who write with such skill. My hat is off to Timothee de Fombelle - he has truly created a literary work of art.
Notes on content: There is a smattering of language here and there. There was a slight bit of adult type innuendo that most children would probably not pick up on. The tone of this book is very much adult-level, so it would take a mature child to appreciate it, I'm thinking. Probably more appropriate for young adult and adults.
June 23, 2017
Tremendous. I read both the books in this duo over the course of three days. The story itself is intricate, with plots tying together like a helix of DNA. The characters are intriguing, and each character forces you to buy into their individual stories; their own slices of the pie.
All in all, best two-part series I've read. Ever.
All in all, best two-part series I've read. Ever.
July 24, 2017
Perfect. Thank you Sarah Ardizzone and Timothée de Fombelle
July 15, 2017
What an absolutely amazing journey these two books took me on. Absolutely loved the characters and they way their stories were revealed, slowly building up their relationships with each other.
I was grabbed from the off, with the descriptive passages of the opening chapter of the first book right to the end.
I was grabbed from the off, with the descriptive passages of the opening chapter of the first book right to the end.
August 29, 2017
A brilliant follow up concluding the Vango story: so much more than a YA novel, it's a complex narrative web cleverly intertwined with world events (Stalin, Hitler etc). A must read.
January 19, 2020
L'he seguit amb el mateix entusiasme del primer volum. La història no perd el seu interès en cap moment. No és fàcil trobar una novel·la amb un bon començament i un bon final. Vango ho aconsegueix.
October 10, 2020
the most breathlessly beautiful book i've ever read. the great irony is that i can't arrange my words in a way that accurately surmises a book in which i am repeatedly stunned BY the order of such words.
i can vividly see the sketchings of a movie or tv show based on this, but such a film would never do justice to the visceral, visual explosion of a world that mushrooms up into your brain and pushes at those corners of imagination that you thought unconjurable by such a puny sack of muscle.
it's hard to think that such an adventure could exist in the same, non-fictional world that we co-inhabit with vango et al, but under our nose mr de fombelle was busily noticing everything; from each branch that looped just close enough to a terracotta roof to be leapt on, to the potential of a restaurant that exists across the street from itself. this man makes a rollercoaster out of the many microcosms he creates.
although no magic or falseness of any kind exists, you are easily lulled into thinking that some must be at play; almost every chapter conjures up some new haven, complete with multiple fleshed-out characters, and a twist on at least one of them by the end. these twists never grow tiresome however, as each character whirls between faces and identities, keeping you confused and on your toes throughout.
this whole book twirls along like a ballerina confidently pirouetting over an obstacle course, dipping and diving quite pleasantly while confident of every move it endeavours to make. the adventurous moments build to heart-pounding crescendos, while the softer, more tender moments relish in emotional subtlety and vivid description.
equal parts tin-tin, stardust and paddington, vango. is. king. it feels too strong to use language like "un-paralleled" and "phenomenal", because vango never sets out to be any of this; it simply is itself and, by such a nature, exists to be the best there is.
i can vividly see the sketchings of a movie or tv show based on this, but such a film would never do justice to the visceral, visual explosion of a world that mushrooms up into your brain and pushes at those corners of imagination that you thought unconjurable by such a puny sack of muscle.
it's hard to think that such an adventure could exist in the same, non-fictional world that we co-inhabit with vango et al, but under our nose mr de fombelle was busily noticing everything; from each branch that looped just close enough to a terracotta roof to be leapt on, to the potential of a restaurant that exists across the street from itself. this man makes a rollercoaster out of the many microcosms he creates.
although no magic or falseness of any kind exists, you are easily lulled into thinking that some must be at play; almost every chapter conjures up some new haven, complete with multiple fleshed-out characters, and a twist on at least one of them by the end. these twists never grow tiresome however, as each character whirls between faces and identities, keeping you confused and on your toes throughout.
this whole book twirls along like a ballerina confidently pirouetting over an obstacle course, dipping and diving quite pleasantly while confident of every move it endeavours to make. the adventurous moments build to heart-pounding crescendos, while the softer, more tender moments relish in emotional subtlety and vivid description.
equal parts tin-tin, stardust and paddington, vango. is. king. it feels too strong to use language like "un-paralleled" and "phenomenal", because vango never sets out to be any of this; it simply is itself and, by such a nature, exists to be the best there is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2021
I can’t get enough of Vango, and would love to see someone make this into a film. I had to re-read the last few chapters when I finished, partly because I got a bit lost with the characters, and partly because I wasn’t ready to put it down and end this journey. The list of characters at the front of each book is helpful and makes this a good choice for older 10+ capable children prepared to really commit. Set in World War Two, there are features of arms dealing and resistance and zeppelins but the story does not revolve around war crimes and escape from Nazis, rather Vango continuing his quest to find out the truth to his existence and seek revenge for his parents’ murders. And of course there are several love stories that will not disappoint. I love this author’s writing and I can’t imagine anything is lost in translation.
July 21, 2014
J'ai fini de lire le deuxième tome de Vango cette nuit. Tellement prise dans ma lecture je n'ai pas réussi à m'arrêter. Je crois que j'ai préféré ce deuxième volume au premier mais j'ai un regret : ne pas l'avoir lu plus tôt. Un an après avoir lu le premier tome, je dois avouer que je ne me souvenais plus de certains détails.
Peu importe, j'ai été assez vite remise dans l'ambiance et j'ai adoré suivre la suite des aventures de Vango pour découvrir ses origines. Beaucoup d'aventures, d'émotions, de rebondissements parfois un peu gros mais on a envie d'y croire parce que c'est beau et tellement agréable à lire. Et puis la fin, superbe...
Peu importe, j'ai été assez vite remise dans l'ambiance et j'ai adoré suivre la suite des aventures de Vango pour découvrir ses origines. Beaucoup d'aventures, d'émotions, de rebondissements parfois un peu gros mais on a envie d'y croire parce que c'est beau et tellement agréable à lire. Et puis la fin, superbe...
June 18, 2014
An excellent conclusion to the first story. The only thing that might take this down to a 4.5 for me is that there are so many characters and so much happened in the first book that it took me a little while to get into the right headspace to remember what had happened in book 1. I had to spend a lot of time flicking to the cast of characters page (thanks for including that) to remind myself of everyone's back story. All the pieces of the puzzle are so beautifully resolved - this series is one of the most imaginative I have read in a long time.
March 9, 2018
Some of my favorite parts from the first book largely disappeared: pirates, zeppelins, and political strife in between World Wars Europe so I did not like the concluding book as much. It seemed much longer to me, more than the page count anyway. I did like the reveal of who Vango was, and why people seems to be obsessed with him. On the other hand, I found some of the drama in Scotland to be tiresome, as well as the treachery in the French police. The book seemed to devolve into personal dramas from a variety of richer themes.
December 26, 2022
I FINISHED IT! And I got answers!! 😅 With so much up in the air after the first book, and so may different storylines, I was really wondering how it was all going to be resolved by the end of the second book. But that ending was very satisfying and now I feel like I need to go back and read both of them again.
Overall, very enjoyable read, and I kind of wish that it been made into a movie in the '40s so that I could watch it in black and white. It definitely had those vibes. But then... pretty sure the books weren't even written back then. 😂 Ah, well.
Overall, very enjoyable read, and I kind of wish that it been made into a movie in the '40s so that I could watch it in black and white. It definitely had those vibes. But then... pretty sure the books weren't even written back then. 😂 Ah, well.
August 10, 2018
This was a gorgeously written novel. Unpredictable and satisfying.
May 28, 2025
Et on finit en beauté, quand même un peu frustrant comme fin, ceci dit c’est joliment triste
j’ai préféré le 1, mais ça reste incroyable
Les retrouvailles d’Ethel et Vango>>
j’ai préféré le 1, mais ça reste incroyable
Les retrouvailles d’Ethel et Vango>>
July 7, 2018
Ame los dos libros que conforman Vango, un libro escrito de forma elegante y melancolíca, mis sospechas hacerca de Vango fueron ciertas, pero lo que más disfrute del libro es que cada personaje tiene su historia, Timothée De Fombelle hace que te emociones conociendo esas pequeñas vidas que se entrelazan para crear una historia, cada capítulo te deja en expectativa pensando en las posibilidades de que hubiera ocurrido si esos personajes no se hubieran encontrado o si las circunstancias fueran distintas que giro tendría la historia.
Lo disfrute y lo recomiendo. 🌟🌟🌟🌟☄
Lo disfrute y lo recomiendo. 🌟🌟🌟🌟☄
November 29, 2022
Vango je moja srdcovka a úplne mi je ľúto, že nebude ďalšia kniha s jeho dobrodružstvami.
Veľmi milujem ako je celá kniha napísaná a akú má atmosféru. Už sa teším až si ju prečítam znovu.
Veľmi milujem ako je celá kniha napísaná a akú má atmosféru. Už sa teším až si ju prečítam znovu.
July 27, 2023
A Prince Without a Kingdom is the sequel to Vango, a book that can only be called a historical fiction fantasy. The story includes hot air balloons, Nazis, a girl who walks the rooftops of Paris, a castle in Scotland, a monastery off the coast of Italy, treasure, murder, Russia, and more. It's fun to see how this author combines all these elements into a great adventure story.
September 25, 2015
Back in May 2014, I review Vango: Between Sky and Earth, the story of a young man who is trying to solve the mystery of who he is and why there are people who want him arrested or dead. Set in the early 1930s, I wrote that this was historical fiction at its best and I couldn't wait to read the sequel.
And I am happy to say, the sequel, A Prince Without a Kingdom, is every bit as good as Between Sky and Earth. The story begins shortly after a brief recap of what happened in Book I, this novel opens in 1936, shortly after the first one left off. Vango is still trying to solve the mystery of who he is, while he tracks the person he believes had killed his parents back in 1915. Another question that hangs over this novel - what happened to Vamgo beloved Mademoiselle, who had raised him and cared for him after his parents death on the island of Salina off the coast of Sicily?
Now in New York Vango meets up with his old friend and mentor, Father Zefiro, founder of a hidden monastery located on the island of Arkudah. Zefiro has been hunting for Voloy Viktor, a Soviet arms dealer and murder, and a master at disguise who also goes by the personas Madame Victoria and Vincent Valpa. Believing he is now in New York, Zefiro sets up a stakeout in an unfinished building.
Vango is on his own hunt for Giovanni Cafarello, one of the three men who murdered Vango's parents, stealing thier fortune, and who knows the secret of Vango's identity. But the man incarcerated in Sing Sing prison as Gio Cafarello claims right up to his execution that he is not Cafarello. Is it possible that Vango came so close to knowing the truth and having his revenge, only to miss it by moments? Or not?
There is just so much to this novel, that it makes it hard to write a fair review without spoilers, and I hope I haven't included any by accident. A lot of time a sequel doesn't live up to a reader's expectation based on the first book, but I can honestly say that this not only met my expectations, but even surpassed them. And yet, it is also a stand alone novel. There is also a helpful list of the cast of characters at the beginning, in case you forgot who is who and why from the first book, or if they are new to you.
And, like the first book, A Prince Without a Kingdom is full of adventure, intrigue, mystery, tension and suspense and coincidence, nail-biting coincidence most times. The plotting is brilliant, the characters - and there are a lot of them - are well drawn, believable, diverse and global. In fact, the whole story is global - New York, Moscow, Edinburgh, the Aeolian Island on the coast of Sicily, and New Jersey (yes, Lakehurst, NJ was the landing area for the zeppelins back then and zeppelins are an important part of both novels, including the Hindenburg). And de Fombelle moves his characters and settings like the most perfect chess game ever.
A Prince Without a Kingdom isn't necessarily told in chronological order, because of its many flashbacks, but though it may sound confusing, isn't at all difficult to follow what is happening. And the mix of historical figures and events with his fictional characters and events adds to the excitement and interest throughout the novel. The time frame of the novel begins in 1936 and goes through WWII and the Holocaust.
I can say that the writing is fast-paced, and beautifully lyrical, yet the story proceeds at a nicely tempered pace, never overwhelming the reader. Once again, Sarah Ardizoone has given us a flawless translation from the original French and succeeding in carrying forward the flavor and feel of de Fombelle's storytelling.
My only regret is that the story of Vango isn't a trilogy and I have to say good-bye to him.
This book is recommended for readers age 12+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
This review was originally posted on Alex's Bookshelves (formerly The Children's War)
And I am happy to say, the sequel, A Prince Without a Kingdom, is every bit as good as Between Sky and Earth. The story begins shortly after a brief recap of what happened in Book I, this novel opens in 1936, shortly after the first one left off. Vango is still trying to solve the mystery of who he is, while he tracks the person he believes had killed his parents back in 1915. Another question that hangs over this novel - what happened to Vamgo beloved Mademoiselle, who had raised him and cared for him after his parents death on the island of Salina off the coast of Sicily?
Now in New York Vango meets up with his old friend and mentor, Father Zefiro, founder of a hidden monastery located on the island of Arkudah. Zefiro has been hunting for Voloy Viktor, a Soviet arms dealer and murder, and a master at disguise who also goes by the personas Madame Victoria and Vincent Valpa. Believing he is now in New York, Zefiro sets up a stakeout in an unfinished building.
Vango is on his own hunt for Giovanni Cafarello, one of the three men who murdered Vango's parents, stealing thier fortune, and who knows the secret of Vango's identity. But the man incarcerated in Sing Sing prison as Gio Cafarello claims right up to his execution that he is not Cafarello. Is it possible that Vango came so close to knowing the truth and having his revenge, only to miss it by moments? Or not?
There is just so much to this novel, that it makes it hard to write a fair review without spoilers, and I hope I haven't included any by accident. A lot of time a sequel doesn't live up to a reader's expectation based on the first book, but I can honestly say that this not only met my expectations, but even surpassed them. And yet, it is also a stand alone novel. There is also a helpful list of the cast of characters at the beginning, in case you forgot who is who and why from the first book, or if they are new to you.
And, like the first book, A Prince Without a Kingdom is full of adventure, intrigue, mystery, tension and suspense and coincidence, nail-biting coincidence most times. The plotting is brilliant, the characters - and there are a lot of them - are well drawn, believable, diverse and global. In fact, the whole story is global - New York, Moscow, Edinburgh, the Aeolian Island on the coast of Sicily, and New Jersey (yes, Lakehurst, NJ was the landing area for the zeppelins back then and zeppelins are an important part of both novels, including the Hindenburg). And de Fombelle moves his characters and settings like the most perfect chess game ever.
A Prince Without a Kingdom isn't necessarily told in chronological order, because of its many flashbacks, but though it may sound confusing, isn't at all difficult to follow what is happening. And the mix of historical figures and events with his fictional characters and events adds to the excitement and interest throughout the novel. The time frame of the novel begins in 1936 and goes through WWII and the Holocaust.
I can say that the writing is fast-paced, and beautifully lyrical, yet the story proceeds at a nicely tempered pace, never overwhelming the reader. Once again, Sarah Ardizoone has given us a flawless translation from the original French and succeeding in carrying forward the flavor and feel of de Fombelle's storytelling.
My only regret is that the story of Vango isn't a trilogy and I have to say good-bye to him.
This book is recommended for readers age 12+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
This review was originally posted on Alex's Bookshelves (formerly The Children's War)
August 15, 2022
Suivre les aventures de Vango alors que je me trouvais au cœur des îles Eoliennes était extraordinaire.
Ce roman d'aventure qui entremêle fiction et épisodes historiques m'a transportée.
Je recommande vivement ces deux tommes.
Ce roman d'aventure qui entremêle fiction et épisodes historiques m'a transportée.
Je recommande vivement ces deux tommes.
April 16, 2019
Elegantly written and tasting of books both classic and contemporary, A Prince Without a Kingdom is a conclusion of a tale of intertwined lives over the period of many years. It is a tale of love and revenge, of fear and heroism. Timothée built an intricate scaffold of characters both historical and fictional; Their dance across continents and time was incredibly suspenseful, as ships passed in the night and characters you longed to see meeting face to face missed each other by mere moments time and time again. Capturing both the immensity and smallness of the world, de Fombelle wrote a pair of novels that reflects the 20s to 40s beautifully. Within the joys of travel, the delights of food, and pleasures of companionship, he wove a beautiful and suspenseful dancing chaser that begged for a happy ending after much misery.
It served exactly that.
Read both Vango: Between Earth and Sky and A Prince Without a Kingdom if you love food, travel, historical fiction, suspense, noir, thrillers, chasers, political intrigue, love stories, Tolstoy, life, and a good story.
It served exactly that.
Read both Vango: Between Earth and Sky and A Prince Without a Kingdom if you love food, travel, historical fiction, suspense, noir, thrillers, chasers, political intrigue, love stories, Tolstoy, life, and a good story.
March 16, 2017
It's been a while since I've read a series as beautiful as this one. I'm so in love with the setting, atmosphere and characters of this book. I wish I could live in that story, or have my life narrated by the Timothée de Fombelle. (I highly recommend it, can you tell?)
July 5, 2025
Timothée de Fombelle fidèle à lui même avec Vango, une histoire qui retourne le cerveau avec tous les liens entre les personnages. MAGNIFIQUE
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August 4, 2017This week I’m reading a historical fiction series set in WWII with pirates, secret monks, zeppelins, Scottish castles, mysteries, and a hint of the magical. I am currently reading the second book, A Prince Without a Kingdom, in Timothée de Fombelle’s Vango duology, and am looking forward to spending the weekend immersed in this world. This beautifully written and compelling series was translated from the original French and has an almost lyrical tone to it, which seems to instill a sense of the fantastical into what is really a historical adventure novel. I am both looking forward to seeing what the conclusion will be and, at the same time, am a bit sad to leave this world. —Susan (https://www.bookish.com/articles/staf...)
July 25, 2017
Ahh, Vango, Vango, Vango. I have bumped your first book up to a solid 5/5 stars because I feel like this book is "lesser than" the first one, "Vango: Between Sky and Earth".
Really, this duology is just one book split into two. It could have been kept together, making one GIANT tome for a reader to lug around (smaller if they decided to use a smaller font and margins), but for some reason--probably to help indicate the years that go by between the events of books one and two-- they are split up.
It was so lovely to go back into this world of alternative history. I find myself wondering if it is not almost a fantasy novel considering the historical liberties that de Fombelle took with the characters. I think what I am most impressed by is the author's ability to look at certain historical events and real-life people and be able to create this amazingly intricate, multi-faceted fictional story that spans years and generations. He gives these magical answers to events and people in history almost because he wants them to have a 'complete story', or something that is bigger and more romantic than just a simple death or explosion. (Those may seem like two obscure things to mention, but are greatly revealing of spoilers, so I choose not to explain them.)
Overall, de Fombelle has great, great, great skills as a story teller and writer. I am so happy to have read such fun and interesting books as the two that comprise this series.
In spite of all my praise, I do rank this book a bit lower than the first only because I felt a little disappointed about one of the character reveals. I cannot even begin to mention it here as it is one of the major plot points of the whole story. All I can say is: I had hopes that it would play more into the ending and some of the character/story that was built up in the course of 700+ pages.
Would recommend this series. Great fun. 9/10 over all.
Really, this duology is just one book split into two. It could have been kept together, making one GIANT tome for a reader to lug around (smaller if they decided to use a smaller font and margins), but for some reason--probably to help indicate the years that go by between the events of books one and two-- they are split up.
It was so lovely to go back into this world of alternative history. I find myself wondering if it is not almost a fantasy novel considering the historical liberties that de Fombelle took with the characters. I think what I am most impressed by is the author's ability to look at certain historical events and real-life people and be able to create this amazingly intricate, multi-faceted fictional story that spans years and generations. He gives these magical answers to events and people in history almost because he wants them to have a 'complete story', or something that is bigger and more romantic than just a simple death or explosion. (Those may seem like two obscure things to mention, but are greatly revealing of spoilers, so I choose not to explain them.)
Overall, de Fombelle has great, great, great skills as a story teller and writer. I am so happy to have read such fun and interesting books as the two that comprise this series.
In spite of all my praise, I do rank this book a bit lower than the first only because I felt a little disappointed about one of the character reveals. I cannot even begin to mention it here as it is one of the major plot points of the whole story. All I can say is: I had hopes that it would play more into the ending and some of the character/story that was built up in the course of 700+ pages.
Would recommend this series. Great fun. 9/10 over all.
July 8, 2017
346 pages en 1 jour. Alors: le livre est captivant, les personnages vivants et l'histoire mysterieuse (celle qui te pousse à lire sans cesse pour la dévoiler).
Un mélange de tristesse et d'espoir, si doux et si poétique.
Un mélange de tristesse et d'espoir, si doux et si poétique.
August 27, 2017
More of the same from part 2. A rip-roaring adventure with a colourful cast of characters. Funny and exciting. Loved it.
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