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I’m really glad to review this book because this is the first time I am going to talk about a book that I have already read and that will be translated into English and launch in the US soon: in autumn. The author self-published the book and became so popular in Amazon that it was published in paper a few months later by a publishing house.
The story starts with a disturbing chapter about a man who wake up in a hotel without knowing who or where he is. His father calls him on the phone and little by little he resolves the situation.
In the next chapter we meet Adriana, an archaeologist who is applying for a job in the Archaeological Museum of Cantabria. She gets the job and starts working under the orders of the owners, three brothers about thirty years of age whose knowledge of ancient history is amazing. One day, by chance, Adriana hears a conversation between the siblings and a woman who works in the museum laboratory, Kyra, and she becomes suspicious of their activities.
Everything is so strange because these people are not common – they are supernaturally old. Héctor, the eldest brother, is actually the father of the rest and has more than ten thousand years. He was born just there, in Cantabria, and most of the pieces shown in the museum were buried by him when he was “younger”, so he knew exactly what he was going to find when deciding to work as an archaeologist. Iago is his eldest son and is five thousand years old. He pretends to be the friendliest of them, but actually he is afraid of making new friends or having a new family because he knows that sooner or later they will have to go to another place and start a new life again for people not to be suspicious about their everlasting young appearance. Jairo and Kyra, five thousand and two thousand years old respectively, are taking advantage of the technology that this century has developed to research their longevity.
One of the things I loved about the book was that the author shows this strange peculiarity as the opposite illness of Progeria and tries to explain it in genetic terms. I mean, there are not immortal vampires involved! The research on the longevity is very interesting and thrilling because some of the characters don’t want to know more about their genes while the others are keen on finding out what they can do to have a supernaturally old family at last.
Turning to Adriana, she falls in love with Iago, even though she tries hard not to mix sentimental issues with work. She knows he has a secret and she enquires about it, but finally she can’t believe what he says he is. Thanks to the supernaturally old characters, we will know a little about prehistoric life, their traditions and culture, and what they have been doing all this time on earth; not everything, of course, but the main events in their lives.
This is a book that has a little of lots of genres; it is a thriller, it is a romance, it is a crime novel, and we learn also about science. It is the kind of book you can’t stop reading and I think everybody will enjoy it as we have done in Spain. Hope you like it!
My Spanish review here.
GP said:
Reblogged this on misentopop.
Mónica-serendipia said:
I did not know that this book will be translated into English so I was surprised by the title of your review. I have to read it but… In Spanish!! kisses
Isi said:
Mónica: I asked the author by email about the title in English and she said it will be the title: I didn’t invent it 😉
You must read it, yes!!
Charlie said:
This sounds an awesome read, no wonder it got picked up by a publishing house! I’ll have to keep a look out. One of my favourite books uses history and fantasy a bit like this book, though the story is very different – it’s a fascinating method of storytelling. I’ll have to bookmark this review 🙂
Isi said:
Oh yes, Charlie, I hope you read it this autumn because I think everybody will enjoy it! I suppose I will advertise it in the blog when the book finally launch in English for you to remind it because it is worth reading.
Allison @ The Book Wheel said:
This isn’t the type of book that would normally catch my eye, but it actually sounds really good! I look forward to the translated version coming out so that I can check it out!
Melinda said:
After reading your review, i’m looking forward to this book
PS: you know how much I like spanish literature 😉
Isi said:
Allison: is no other thing than fiction but I really think people will love it. I will remind you the review in autumn, hehe.
Melinda: yes, I know! I’m sure you will like this one too (perhaps not as much as Pérez-Reverte, but a lot too)
Leander said:
Hello Isi – thanks for this review – this sounds intriguing and it’s so refreshing to come across something about immortality that doesn’t involve vampires. 🙂 I have to say I find the cover *immensely* creepy though!
Isi said:
Leander: the cover is actually a photo of a sculpture in Santander:
http://www.lapalabraolvidada.es/monumento-al-incendio-y-la-reconstruccion
I think it really fits with the story, and the story itself is exciting 😀
RebeccaScaglione - Love at First Book said:
Yay!!!! That’s so fun that you’re introducing us, the English kiddos, to a new book! Thanks!!!
Isi said:
Rebecca: you see? 😀 Everybody will enjoy the story very much, I’m sure.