Alastair Fontana has crafted a wonderful tale of historical fiction, set in Venice in or around the sixteenth century. The story is set around real historical characters and real historical events. The only character that wasn't a real historical person was the main character, Jacopo.
Told in alternating chapters of first person and third person, this story is captivating. It includes action, murder, betrayal, scandalous liaisons, and tragedy. It is both emotionally and intellectually satisfying.
The story begins with our Jacopo being chased down for a murder that he claims he did not commit. As the story unfolds, we learn that the murder had been discovered as he and his soon-to-be brother-in-law, were returning an ornate dagger that he and his sister's fiance, Piero Fasiol, were allegedly returning to the spot where Piero had allegedly found it. When they got there, there was a dead body in the spot. A couple who knew Piero saw him holding the dagger, and urged him to run, but he was captured. Jacopo eventually got away and ran for help, to a place known as The Ghetto, a refuge for Jews in sixteenth century Venice. There are many twists and turns as we follow this story through the aptly named "Aquatic Labyrinth" which is Venice.
One of the most fascinating of the historical characters in The Aquatic Labyrinth was Veronica Franco, a rather famous courtesan of the time, who was also a poet. She was friends (in our story) with another poet, also a true historical character, named Sara Copio Sullam. Also figuring heavily into this story was Leone da Modena (Leon of Modena), a Jewish scholar who was born to a French family who had moved to Venice when the Jews were expelled from France.
As I said, a captivating story that held me in its grip from the very beginning. I am anxious to read more historical fiction by this author.