Morally grey characters + an army of monsters to battle = a well-worn trope at the heart of dark fantasy. Ira Dei by Giada Abbiati takes advantage of this basic concept to explore highly topical themes, effortlessly drawing readers in with its original and distinctly Italian worldbuilding based on the fall of the Lombard Kingdom and the magical powers of sacred Scriptures.
A.D. 774. In Ticinum, sin is taking on new forms: a thick fog that transforms the wicked into monsters. Adelca, First Keeper of the Order of Concord, is one of hundreds of women who hunt down monsters under the guidance of the Saints. But something begins to change when the city’s river ceases to ferry those souls to hell… Who stopped it and why? When the shadow of the Franks further presses against Ticinum’s role in God’s order, the future takes on the contours of the Apocalypse.
Ira Dei is a far-from-subtle accusation of patriarchy, abuse of power, and corruption. These are issues that have long concerned the Italian people, particularly as they relate to religion: do clergymen truly represent God’s will on earth? Are they moved by faith only or by political and economic considerations as well? Can we, if believers, follow their moral example? No, would be the answer suggested by the author, who worldbuilt a network of Holy Cities protected by Saints, immortal beings who claim to be devoted divine emissaries but secretly plot to obtain and maintain more and more power.
Le vie del Signore erano infinite. Erano quelle degli uomini ad essere limitate.
Adelca is a truly morally grey protagonist, not for the faint of heart! Trapped within a system that denies her free will, a First Keeper (the best of her kind, yet with no say in the matter), she is a broken woman; only a few fleeting glimpses of humanity manage to surface amid the flames of her rage. Female anger is a complex topic, still underrepresented in our culture and, as a result, surrounded by prejudice. Women may be born with a caring and nurturing nature, but softness isn’t the best weapon to fight against the societal issues mentioned above. Speaking up, having a voice is the first step towards the creation of a new, equal and balanced system. But when too much has been suffered, anger can turn into a destructive force. In “Ira Dei”, Adelca represents the tragic consequences of living in a patriarchal world: no matter what she does, a woman is always subject to judgment and, ultimately, found at fault. At that point, all that’s left is revenge.
Qoèlet, tre-venti. Tutti sono diretti verso il medesimo luogo: tutto è venuto dalla polvere e nella polvere tutto ritorna.
I found that the romantic subplot between the protagonist, Adelca, and her Keeper companion, Wisegarda, is an interesting reflection of the book’s premise: God’s left and right hands, representing punishment and forgiveness, always connected, trying to speak to one another in search of balance. In thinking about power structures and the power of speech, the magical system proposed, based on the use of Rhetoric, offers many opportunities for further exploration and could thus have been explored even more deeply from the outset of the plot. In fact, if one needs to find any room for improvement in this project, it would revolve around rhythm and pacing, with a lack of breathing space among high temperature scenes to let the consequences of major turning points sink into the reader’s mind. But the story is, above all, an ambitious representation of the Apocalypse, so it surely reflects its anxious pace.
Adelca ridacchiò. “La parola è la più potente arma di Dio, lo sai bene.”
Wisegarda stirò le labbra in un sorriso affilato. Fece scivolare le dita morbide sulla sua nuca e poggiò la fronte contro la sua. “L’arma più potente di Dio non è la parola. È l’amore.”
In conclusion, “Ira Dei” is an engaging read that encourages the reader to immerse themselves into the darkest pit of the female experience, all the while caring for the overall spectacularity of the fight against the monsters of sin and the detailed historically inspired worldbuilding. Plus, the physical book is filled with wonderful black and white illustrations as evidence of the care taken in presenting this product to its seasoned and demanding target audience.
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Title: Ira Dei
Author: Giada Abbiati
ISBN code: 9791281256309
Publisher: Lumien
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What you will find in this book:
Faith vs Power dynamics
Female rage
An original historically inspired worldbuilding
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