Trio for Lute

by R.A. MacAvoy

Book Overview

A Trio for Lute by R.A. MacAvoy This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553274805
• ISBN13: 9780553274806
• Release Date: June 1988
• Publisher: Spectra Books
• Length: 680 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.

Customer Reviews

She is an amazing writer

Plot, characters, setting -- she is a superb story-teller. I don't understand why RA MacAvoy isn't on more must-read lists. There's magic but it's good substantive stuff, not just showy nonsense and the characters (human and otherwise) come first.

My All-Time Favorite Novels, NOT Just My Favorite Fantasy

The three novels by R.A. MacAvoy that were issued in _Trio for Lute_ as an omnibus edition are _Daminao_, _Damiano's Lute_, and _Raphael_. I read each of these when they were first published in the early '80's, and they have remained my favorite books for two decades now. Ms. MacAvoy's writing is, well, _luminous_. Her descriptions of settings and landscape have that spare but beautiful quality that you see in the backgrounds of Gothic and Renaissance paintings. Her characters are real people (even the nonhuman ones,) and you become involved and engaged in what happens to them. I won't spoil one of the oddest and most unexpected twists of plot I've ever read by telling you what happens at the end of _Damiano's Lute_, but let's just say that few writers could pull it off. As you'll discover in _Raphael_, "Bertie" MacAvoy did it with astonishing grace. I read a lot of fantasy, and I can't say much of it could move me to tears. These books do. If you like he-man swashbuckling fantasy heroes, these aren't the books for you. But, if you like thoughtful, well-written books where the characters are more important than the magic and derring-do, try to find either the omnibus or the individual books. I believe all but three of her books are out-of-print, although those 3 (not the Damiano books, alas) are available now as both print and ebooks. I've seen Ms. MacAvoy's name on many fantasy fans' lists of favorite authors, yet many readers have never heard of her. She's a "lost" master who deserves to be better known.

Rich and engrossing

This volume is an omnibus of R A Macavoy's gorgeous trilogy: Damiano, Damiano's Lute and Raphael.Damiano is a renaissance witch (although a Christian - magic use is hereditary in his family, and he fears that he is automatically damned). He uses his powers to grant speech to his Dog Macchiato (Spot)and to call an angel, Raphael, who gives him music lessons on the lute. At least, that is how the story begins. War comes to his sleepy Italian town, and drives him out into the world, which is rather ill prepared for.The story is written freshly and the characters are all real and well rounded out.The Black Dragon (from "tea with the...") also makes a nice cameo appearance in the third part in his dragon form.

Mystical, Spiritual,heartwarming! A truly soul stirring read

Initially I read Damiano while traveling to Okinawa Japan. My minds eye envision the mountians where he lived, the Angel, Raphael's mastery of the Lute, and the triumph of Damiano desire to be more than just his father heir. This story stirred my soul and spirit. Saving more than just his home, Damiano resurrected my interet in reading