Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Damiano | 1984 | R.A. MacAvoy | Buy |
| 2 | Damiano’s Lute | 1984 | R.A. MacAvoy | Buy |
| 3 | Raphael | 1984 | R.A. MacAvoy | Buy |
The Damiano trilogy — Damiano, Damiano’s Lute, and Raphael — was published in 1984 and draws on an alternate version of the Italian Renaissance as its setting. Damiano Delstrego is a young man with magical ability, the son of an alchemist, trying to protect his city from an invading army. His guides and companions include the archangel Raphael and his talking dog Macchiata.
MacAvoy’s approach is unusual for the genre. The magic is quiet rather than spectacular, the tone is elegiac, and the series asks serious questions about sacrifice, music, and what it means to give something up for principle. Raphael, the final book, shifts the narrative focus considerably and concludes the trilogy on a note that surprises readers who have followed Damiano closely.
All three books are short by fantasy standards. They reward readers who are drawn to the literary end of the genre — those who find L’Engle, Le Guin, or early Ursula Hecht of interest will likely respond well to this series.