Publication Date: June 12, 2024
An edgy voyage of accidental discovery
Embark on a swashbuckling adventure, teeming with betrayal, romance, murder, sea battles, and a healthy dose of satirical Renaissance humor. Between the final breath of the Spanish Inquisition, and Magellan’s epic voyage, join unintended explorer, Lanning Delaford, plus an eclectic cast of characters including Ignatius Loyola, Ferdinand Magellan, (mostly) evil pirates, a mediocre Portuguese butcher, an alluring, bad-ass courtesan, and a peregrine falcon named Doug, as they traverse southern Europe onto the unknown Great Sea.
Will fear stop you at the edge, or will you dare to venture beyond it?
Described as “an edgy voyage of accidental discovery,” what initially appears to be an adventure set in the 16th century alongside the Spanish Inquisition evolves into the unexpected.
Author Neal Rabin walks a fine line between success and failure with Flat. If you are expecting to dive into a slice of historical fiction highlighting an era of explorers, you might have some doubts about all of the modern language used by the characters.
It’s important to acknowledge that the author possesses a sharp wit that he embeds within the characters, often making obscure references that the most attentive reader will understand. In spite of the helpful main character guide, it proved challenging to connect to the characters, some of whom rotated through their scenes very quickly.
As a tale of adventure, the author can be commended for developing unique challenges for those aboard the L’Aquila. For me, I would have preferred a stricter observance of the time period with the accompanying language and customs.
For readers willing to be adventurous, Flat will take them to new heights by using 16th-century characters and modern informal speech.
Neal Rabin is a UCLA graduate who worked for Club Med as a tennis and surf instructor on Reunion Island off the coast of Madagascar. He stocked refrigerators, xeroxed scripts, and served as a ‘fetch’ for Time Life Films. Neal cofounded and spent fifteen years as CEO of the Santa Barbara based global software company, Miramar Systems. He continues to live in Santa Barbara with his wife, two daughters, two dogs, multiple guitars, his piano, and a flock of chickens. Neal is an instrument pilot and has an active lifestyle that includes surfing, volleyball, yoga, and tennis.
