The Sword of Venice

The Venetians #2

by Thomas Quinn

The powerful, raging second novel in The Venetians trilogy that tells of the bitter and enduring conflict between two powerful Italian noble families The Lion of St. Mark told the story of the deep-seated rivalry between the patrician Ziani and Soranzo families---a long history of hatred and strife that had passed from one generation to the next. In the end, the brave Antonio Ziani and the proud Giovanni Soranzo set aside their personal vendettas against each other in order to save their beloved city of Venice from attack by the Ottoman Turks. But their truce could not endure. Though Venice has managed to remain free from invasion, danger still looms on the horizon as she is threatened, in turn, by her implacable foes---the Turks, rival Italian city-states, and the papacy, all seeking to reduce her legendary power and possess her great wealth. In these perilous times, new members of the Ziani and Soranzo families wage a bitter and violent campaign of retribution against one another. The truce that Giovanni and Antonio had made together proves fleeting as their sons resume the passionate feud with even greater malice. Told against the backdrop of historical events---the continuing war between Venice and the Ottoman Empire, the Ferrara War that exploded across the Italian peninsula, and the constant intrigues of the powerful papacy--- The Sword of Venice brings to life the Ziani and Soranzo families, who must cope with love, loss, treachery, kidnapping, murder, war, and peace. As invading forces march ever closer, Venice and her leading families must fight for survival or perish with their city. Praise for The Lion of St. Mark “ [The Lion of St. Mark] succeeds for one We experience these distant events from the perspective of a deeply sympathetic character. Ziani’s dignity, devotion to country, and sense of honor are downright infectious.” ---Frank Wilson, The Philadelphia Inquirer “Debut author Quinn nicely captures the greed-is-good aspect of fifteenth-century Venetian culture [and] has a good command of period history and Think Tom Clancy channeled for those thrilled by galleons and exploding minarets.” --- Kirkus Reviews “Chock-full of the political and personal intrigue that characterized life . . . this seafaring saga is drenched in local color and accurate historical detailing.” --- Booklist

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published December 10, 2007

About the author

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Reviews

[Scott Schulze]

I enjoyed reading The Sword of Venice by Thomas Quinn. The second book in The Venetians series continues the legacy and rival of the family dynasties. The time period with the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice conflict is a remarkable part of history. With the Italian City-State Wars on land, at sea, with political intrigue and spies throughout the Adriatic arena, this story is fast moving and with a lot of action. This book is a great way to envision the unique Venetian era!

[Iván Braga]

Novela histórica ambientada en la Venecia de fines del siglo XV. Tiene el mérito de describir y ambientar bien al lector en los distintos desafios bélicos que enfrento le república veneciana en la época, contra los turcos y contra las ciudades estado italianas, incluyendo a la roma vaticana. Pese a lo anterior, el libro carece de una trama o relato coherente y atractivo, limitándose solo a un relato de las distintas confrontaciones, sin conectar adecuadamente con las historias de los personajes que introduce el autor.

[Laurel]

I really enjoyed this book. I read it quickly then went back and read and reread parts. After reading the book, I feel like I have a much better understanding of Venician life in the late 15th century. All the wars that occurred between city states seems so unnecessary, and the loss of life was horrific. The author makes the battle scenes come alive-- especially the naval battle with Naples.