The first book in a fantasy trilogy that has been compared in originality and literary quality to Patrick Rothfuss’s works. A true crossover.. and an instant classic.
Spanish literature needed to have a genuine fantasy classic. Karvadan is all that ... and much more.
Synopsis
In present-day Barcelona, an antisystem demonstrator runs away from the police and, without knowing how, appears in a fantastic universe full of magnificent castles, thick forests and impossible creatures _ a full-fledged fantasy land. He will soon see that, in order to survive, he has to pass himself off as Kárvadan, a mythical hero of the region. The Karvadan trilogy, its author says, is the result of many years of reading fantasy. It thus contains all the ingredients of the genre, including battles, political intrigue, magical creatures... and love,
in the form of Princess Lia. These elements, and the author’s skill in interweaving them, make Karvadan a work that has fascinated thousands of readers of all ages _ regardless of whether they are fans of the fantasy genre.
In short, a truly universal work.
Just like other literary phenomena, in Catalonia a tourist “Kárvadan route” is being prepared for the book’s fans, around the real locations where the novel is set. The book’s fantastic landscapes are based on the Pyrenees mountains, a region of great natural beauty,
bursting with legends. Famous the world over for being one of the chief medieval routes of the Romanesque style of art and architecture, the beauty and mystery of the area are transmitted to perfection in Karvadan.
About the author
Carles Batlle is used to success abroad. In his capacity as a playwright, his work Temptació (Temptation) has been translated into a dozen languages, and he has been the director of the international festival New Plays from Europe (Wiesbaden).
From the book
“The youngest warriors vaguely remembered, from when they were children, the moment when Zoltan had foretold that Sigurn would soon be among them. He had announced it inside the temple, one Gun-bar Day, like him ... There had been great rejoicing – everyone knew that Zoltan’s predictions were infallible. A great feast had been organized that lasted for more than seven days: they would get to know Sigurn! The outsider of the prophecy! The mythical Karvadan who would come from over the seas to free them from the old condemnation! The women would be able to give birth painlessly! Without dying! And our race would survive! But the years passed and Sigurn did not appear. The music and dancing ceased. And we soon resigned ourselves to waiting. There was no shred of evidence that Kardavan had decided to visit us. And why should he have done so just now when I needed it? Yes, deep down I thought like my father: Zoltan had been wrong. Or worse still, he had deceived us.”