Black Blossom [Hardcover]

Boban Knezevic (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2004

"European epic songs, Balkan ethnic narratives, fairy tales, geopolitical and conspiracy myths, modern sword and sorcery genre, stream of consciousness novel... In my mind, "Black Blossom" is the only book I know that accurately and seamlessly integrates seamlessly mixes traditional and modern genres of completely different storytelling techniques. The result is sharp and touching, a Jungian drama with long-term echoes. Being old enough not to believe in coincidences, I think it should be obvious now why the author's very surname literally means "prince's son" --Zoran Stefanovi

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First published in Yugoslavia in 1993, Knezevic's novel takes the form of a postmodern sword-and-sorcery adventure to comment insightfully on the nature of heroism and aggression. Its nameless narrator, a persecuted young Serb, bargains with a captive wizard to obtain the strength he needs to defend himself. Once empowered, he embarks on a quest to rid his land of an avenging warrior-sorcerer who was conjured by the victims of a ghastly war crime committed generations before. The nobility of his mission notwithstanding, the narrator is not a paragon of heroic virtue, and by the time of his showdown, his vindictiveness has made him seem little better than the nemesis he fights. The allegorical intent of the story becomes clear only gradually, insofar as Knezevic deliberately jumbles the order of his narrative, alternating early and later chapters in such a way that events of past and present are constantly mirroring and blending indistinguishably with one another. The resulting portrait of a world where crimes of the past repeat themselves and violence begets even more violence makes for a timeless parable that readers will find speaks to the contemporary political reality of the author's country, as well as to the rest of the world. (Feb.)
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 140 pages
• Publisher: Prime (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1894815890
• ISBN-13: 978-1894815895
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,027,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, November 23, 2005

By 

Adam D. Schneider - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Blossom (Hardcover)

Black Blossom is one of the most intelligent and well written fantasy novels I have ever read. The structure is "experimental," but the experiment actually supports the narrative, working very well to reveal the underlying plot to the reader over time. Don't be fooled by the length; Knezevic packs a lot of punch into this tiny novel. A stripped down tour de force that will appeal to anyone tired of Jordanesque bloat in their fantasy diet. Highly recommended!

4.0 out of 5 stars Lucky Surprise, September 30, 2010

By 

Tricky (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Blossom (Paperback)

I found this on a shelf outside a book store for a buck. So glad that despite not recognizing the author and it being an advanced readers copy, I bought it. This book was surprisingly good. The protagonist is complex and your opinion of him can change with every chapter. This book is well written, and I must agree with the other reviewer in that the moving around in the timeline actually has a very good effect on the development of the plot and the reader's understanding of the motives and background. This author reminds me a little of Gene Wolfe, you must accept that you will wonder and have questions, and they may be beautifully answered later or never at all. And while you are in the head of the main hero, that by no means gives you full understanding. Enjoy this fairly quick read. I would love a sequel.