Dethroned - 9781628153507

An excellent novel, one of those books that are impossible to categorize - the easiest and simplest way would be to say that “Dethroned” is a well written anti-war novel, a family chronicle, carefully crafted psychological study which tells the story that begins in the eighties and somehow ends in our time. The human inability to overcome dualism and divisions is a powerful motivator here, the dualism of war and peace, love and hate, grandeur and misery, political differences and national divisions. The leading characters, three key figures of the book are a young rock star Gregor, his sister Veronica, and her mysterious and sensitive friend Pia – the novel follows their complex interpersonal relationships and various, often very dramatic life situations. There is a number of family episodes in the novel, the family is all present, but most often not the place where the peace can be found: "family is actually a collection of a variety of characters, and when they are forced to sit at the same table, the real comedy begins". What I particularly like is that, despite the unmistakable political observation that this book offers, it still does not assume a single political option and condemns the other, but without excessive moralization, shows that any conflict of this kind is meaningless and none of the wars have winners - they have only losers - wherever they are, in the Balkans or in any other corner of the world. There is definitely a lot happening in this exceptional work of storytelling: unrequited love, bizarre characters, unexpected situations, excellent psychological studies, brutal war situations, emigrant episodes, metaphysical experiences and insights…, the reader is skillfully guided through the maturation of the main characters, to the collapse of a dream, the rough awakening of the whole generation. After the bitter taste, the question remains of whether one can escape their past ? "Nomen est omen” – is the change of one's name alone sufficient to change his destiny? Great novel, highly recommended.

This is one read that can comfortably fit into many genres. Crime, mystery, suspense, thriller, and historical fiction. It has all these ingredients, blended perfectly together, to create a fabulous read. The central character, Pia, is loved by many men, for her stunning beauty. These men are besotted by her, a woman who seems so far above these mere mortals, that even after many years of separation, they cannot shake her from their mind. But she cannot return that love. Is she incapable? Or does she want to feel love, not for her beauty, but for her inner being. That ethereal being who has been forged by her family, friends, pain, and tragedy. The characters that surround her are themselves fragile and tragic. Set against a background of war and civil conflict, this book feels real, almost as if it has been written based on memoirs, and personal notes left by these characters, intertwined with factual and historical persons, who are so closely embedded in that regions history. It is a read that cannot be glossed over, each character, paragraph, or scene needs to considered as a whole to fully understand the depth of this amazing book. A definite five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star read that is highly recommended for those that love more than just historical fiction.