Title: Gabriel and the Swallows Author: Esther Dalseno Publisher: Of Tomes Publication Publication Date: March 2016 Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance Format: ebook My Rating: 4.75/ 5 stars Links: GoodReads . Amazon Blurb: Orvieto, 1957 Gabriel, a peasant boy with a disabled mother, constructs elaborate fantasy worlds to comfort when life becomes unbearable. The monotonous days of poverty and merciless bullying are interrupted when Gabriel unintentionally attracts the attention of a mysterious creature, a girl with swallow’s wings. Navigating life with fellow outsider, the foreigner Orlando Khan, Gabriel abandons his small town for the grandeurs of Rome. But Gabriel is now a man and must choose where he belongs: the imperfect reality, or the dream world that grows stronger and more seductive with each day… My Review: Gabriel and the Swallows is a coming of age book that is not only beautifully written, but also creatively scripted . It is not another coming of age story; It is a magical story that includes diversity that is well researched, magical realism that is mind-blowing, and a writing style that will haunt you ! I found myself highlighting a lot of quotes !!!! And by a lot , I mean way too much !! He called everyone “God-damn bastardo salami-eaters, except for you Gabriel . “I am a human with bird tendencies when I am with you.And I am a bird with human tendencies when I am with them.” - Volatile “Your subconscious is a place too, as real as any other.” -Volatile If that doesn't make you want to get and read this book ASAP, I don't know what will. Gabriel's best friend Orlando, was a Muslim. Once I discovered that, I was dancing around like a fool. Esther started by showing some of the Islamic practices , before using the word Muslim or Islam. Just like any other human, Orlando made mistakes & sinned. She showed how Muslims are flawed, but not the religion itself. She also used some Arabic words with english pronunciation that I liked very much. Those who disliked this book complained about how foolish Gabriel was, and how it took him way to long to appreciate what he had. How the main characters were hard to LIKE !!! But I have to say that the fact that characters were flowed, made me love the story & the characters even more. This is a story with real characters, in a fictional world ! I only wished that the revelation part was described a bit more, especially that Esther is a wizard with words , when it comes to description. I absolutely adored GATS; it is a book the left with tears, not only because of the events that shaped the ending, but also because my journey with this book was over. I give it 4.75/ 5 stars . About the Author: Esther Dalseno was born in Australia. After living in both Portland, Oregon and Sydney, New South Wales, she headed off to see the world. Writing and teaching, she has lived in Laos, Vietnam and South Korea and has traveled the world extensively. She now lives in with her family in Berlin.
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Title: Gabriel and the Swallows (The Volatile Duology #1) Author: Esther Dalseno Publisher: OfTomes Publishing Publication Date: March, 2016 Blurb: A lonely farm boy. A girl with swallow’s wings. An ancient city buried in a volcano. A mystery old as blood and bone. There is more to Gabriel than the life he’s ashamed of – the son of peasant winemakers, bullied relentlessly on account of his disabled mother. For Gabriel has a secret: the elaborate dream world he descends into at night – a grandiose, vivid existence – is becoming more real than his waking life. Everything changes for Gabriel when he rescues a wounded creature – a miraculous girl with swallow’s wings – from the voracious pursuit of Alfio Gallo, a dangerous old enemy. Aided by the beautiful and mysterious Orlando Khan, Gabriel is conflicted by unanswered questions: who is the Dark One that dwells in the medieval tunnels beneath their city? Is he just a figment of Gabriel’s powerful imagination? And is the foundling really who she says she is? Wrestling with manhood whilst beckoned by ancient rites and foreign lands, Gabriel is about to make a deadly decision that changes the course of life as he knows it…as long as he can decide which reality he’s in. About the Author: Esther Dalseno was born to a Malaysian mother and an Italian father in Australia. After living in both Portland, Oregon and Sydney, New South Wales, she headed off to see the world. Writing and teaching, she has lived in Laos, Vietnam and South Korea and has traveled the world extensively, from Johannesburg to Bangkok to Barcelona. She now lives in Berlin with her husband, daughter, and Pekingese dog, all acquired in different countries. She has no plans yet to return to Australia. Esther loves museums, festivals, live music and can often be seen ambling about the graffiti-strewn streets of Berlin’s inner city. She began her publishing career with the short Totoro’s Garden in the acclaimed short story collection, We All Need a Witness, published by Macmillan. Her debut novel Drown was published in 2015. Her second novel, Gabriel and the Swallows will be released in March 2016. |
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