''Damiano'' is a fantasy novel by

R. A. MacAvoy Roberta Ann MacAvoy (born December 13, 1949) is an American fantasy and science fiction author. Several of her books draw on Celtic mythology, Celtic or Zen themes. She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1984. Biography R. A. ...

published in 1984.

Plot summary

''Damiano'' is a novel in which the lute-playing alchemist Damiano goes on a quest to bring peace to his war-torn home town.

Reception

Dave Langford David Rowland Langford (born 10 April 1953) is a British author, editor, and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter ''Ansible'', and holds the all-time record for mos ...

reviewed ''Damiano'' for ''

White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes ...

'' #66, and stated that "MacAvoy has a neat touch with small magics and period detail, and writes with charm - which could be a problem for her if, as some reviewers of the sequels have suggested, it slips into saccharine and disneyfication. I hope not."

Colin Greenland Colin Greenland (born 17 May 1954 in Dover, Kent, England) is a British science fiction writer, whose first story won the second prize in a 1982 Faber & Faber competition. His best-known novel is ''Take Back Plenty'' (1990), winner of both majo ...

reviewed ''Damiano'' for ''

Imagine Imagine may refer to: * Imagination Music Albums * ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008 * ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002 * ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012 * ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971 ** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...

'' magazine, and stated that "a mild, reflective kind of fantasy, disrupted by the incidents of extreme violence the reluctant wizard has to cause and confront. R A MacAvoy's lucid, attractive writing has won her much popularity in American. It would be good to see her do well here too."

Reviews

*Review by Faren Miller (1983) in

Locus Locus (plural loci) is Latin for "place". It may refer to: Entertainment * Locus (comics), a Marvel Comics mutant villainess, a member of the Mutant Liberation Front * ''Locus'' (magazine), science fiction and fantasy magazine ** ''Locus Award' ...

, #275 December 1983 *Review

rench The Rench is a right-hand tributary of the Rhine in the Ortenau ( Central Baden, Germany). It rises on the southern edge of the Northern Black Forest at Kniebis near Bad Griesbach im Schwarzwald. The source farthest from the mouth is that of the ...

by Élisabeth Vonarburg (1984) in Solaris, #54 *Review by Don D'Ammassa (1984) in

Science Fiction Chronicle DNA Publications was an American publishing company that existed from 1993 to 2007 and was run by the husband-and-wife team of Warren Lapine and Angela Kessler. Initially based in Massachusetts, DNA Publications relocated to Radford, Virginia. A ...

, January 1984 *Review by Baird Searles (1984) in

Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy named after science fiction author Isaac Asimov. It is currently published by Penny Publications. From January 2017, the publicatio ...

, April 1984 *Review by Tom Easton (1984) in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, April 1984 *Review by Lynn F. Williams (1984) in

Fantasy Review ''Fantasy Newsletter'' was a major fantasy fanzine founded by Paul C. Allen and later issued by Robert A. Collins. Frequent contributors included Fritz Leiber and Gene Wolfe. Publication history The first issue appeared in June 1978, and Allen ...

, June 1984 *Review by Roger C. Schlobin (1984) in

, July 1984 *Review by Mike Christie (1984) in

Foundation Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...

, #32 November 1984

References

{{reflist 1984 American novels