The Veneziad

by G.B. Stewart

A historical epic poem by G.B. Stewart – whom you know as Blue.

Can one family’s Odyssey save the most beautiful city in the world?

As a merchant for the Most Serene Republic of Venice, Alessandro Marino has built his career in market squares across the Mediterranean and beyond. In the autumn of 1379, on the eve of the Renaissance, Alessandro and his children are out on distant seas—but when the navy of archrival Genoa blockades the Venetian lagoon and brings the city to the edge of starvation, the Marino family must race home in the hope of saving their beloved city from ruin.

Young Niccolo and Serena bristle against their father’s vision of Venice, each frustrated by the paths Alessandro has chosen for them. As these three Venetians sail to save their home, Alessandro faces the even greater task of preserving the bond with his children.

Their tale, The Veneziad, weaves a historical narrative in the style of an ancient epic poem, emulating the tone and structure of classical storytelling to create a vivid medieval setting. Sail with the Marino family and see through their eyes what the great city of Venice is ultimately worth.



This Wraithmarked special edition hardcover is hand-signed by the author. The book's exterior includes a custom-designed, foil-stamped leatherette case, Smyth-sewn binding, and printed page edges. Its interior includes offset printing, acid-free paper, a custom interior design with embellished chapter headings, full-color printing, and illustrated end sheets.


Epic Poem in English & Italian

Genres: Poetry

372 pages, Hardcover

Published June 4, 2024

About the author

Also credited as: Blue, Gregory Kerr, OSP Blue, O.S.P. Blue

Reviews

[Morgan Salazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story a lot. I could tell that this was inspired by the epic poems of Homer and Virgil, and was easy to follow along without an audiobook. The story is fairly straightforward, with only a little bit of floral meandering the likes I would expect of epic poetry.


I thought it was interesting that half the book was in Italian, maybe I’ll have to learn it and eventually re-read it…


So read this book if, like the author (Blue) himself, you like Vembis, epic poetry, and long winded speeches.

[Anson Eckel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was an interesting experience. The author stated he was trying to create an epic poem centering Venice, and he certainly did that. In the vein of the Aeneid, it is clearly supposed to be propaganda for the Republic of Venice. I thought it was cool that he got his work translated over into a version of Italian and printed alongside the English version a la some versions of Beowulf. I wasn't really connected to any of the characters and it was relatively short. I think the biggest issue is had was it didnt really explore many locations aside from Venice itself, I expected more locations and peoples to be interacted with, it was just driving towards the main plot most of the time or on the boat going towards the main plot for the few character moments. It isn't bad for a first book by any stretch, just not my glass of whiskey.

[Bekah]

not to be glib or anything but they should've left niccolo in trebizond