REVIEWS:

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An exciting historical novel, where the reality of the sources is presented to the reader in a dynamic and clear way: "Malta 1775: the twilight of the knights" is a writing that conquers beyond belief.

The author's writing is elegant, smooth, beautiful to read and to hear resonating in the mind. It transports vividly to the Malta that once was, where strengths, wills, lives and destinies were intertwined.
Power wears out; wealth spoils and corrupts; greed, bad governance and deviant hierarchies are the end of the peoples. This to much more is transmitted to us by the words we are going to read, in what is a work capable of captivating.
In the first chapters we gradually enter the order that is the protagonist of the text, the Hospitallers of San Giovanni, thanks to the character of Bartolomeo, alongside whom we will live the story with empathy and ever greater participation. The notions useful for understanding a complex story with many converging interests, are offered to us with clarity and naturally internalized, thanks also to the well-constructed dialogues, the dynamism of the plot and the tension that mounts in the text, giving an increasingly pressing rhythm towards clouds harbinger of tragedy.
The protagonists appear real, realistic, giving the interlocking between reality and fantasy a possible framework on which to stand.
There is no shortage of surprises in this novel that tells of honor and values ​​that have been abandoned or strenuously defended; solid friendships and fake associates; of love, sincerity, dignity, but also of awareness in the most bitter way possible.
Bartholomew left to enter an order that he saw cohesive, pure, incorruptible and at the service of the faith and the weak. He clashed with the baseness of men, as shameful as the higher the offices. He experienced firsthand that it is customary to be strong with the weak and weak with the strong, that poor people must suffer in silence, in silence starve if needed, and that no act of rebellion will be tolerated. It is the story offered to the reader, with its consequences and its teachings and actions that unfortunately continue to repeat themselves in a vicious circle. The harassment returns, it seems that from the mud we rise, but in the mud we always return when the interests of a few trample the customs and dignity of many. Remove today, remove tomorrow; ask and ask again; expect, promise and never keep. The result is that if you really have to die, then it is better to do it by fighting rather than starving in the dark of the bare rooms."Malta 1775: the twilight of the knights" is also a coming-of-age novel, suitable for those who are passionate about certain topics and for children aged 14 and over. It contains important concepts, but a certain maturity is also required to understand them.Educational, enriching, capable of intriguing, it is a historical novel that I recommend.
(Tatiana Vanini)

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I begin by saying that I liked this book very much… really very nice.
The story narrated is a mix of historical events and facts invented by the author, wisely dosed. The reference to historical facts is careful and precise, but being the frame of a novel, it always maintains the right level of study. From the information reported you will have a complete picture of the succession of events, credible, logical and precise; but there is no excessive insistence on chronological detail, or on those notional aspects that sometimes weigh down the narrative a little in historical novels.
There is great care in the construction of a plot that has a precise rhythm and tension.
The setting. I loved every detail. Physical descriptions of the places; information on the rules and organization of the Order; the image of decline that envelops the world of the Knights; the historical period described and the mention of great names, of the European nobility, and of the clergy.
“Malta 1775: the twilight of the Knights” by LMFSudbury is an exciting journey into an absolutely suggestive page of 1700's history; moving in the story of the revolt of the priests led by Don Mannarino.
The language is very accurate, the prose pleasant, the dialogues in line with the chronological context, but, in my opinion, adapted in the lexical choice a little to the narrative needs. They are never too complex for the reader, on the contrary they have a patina of “modernity” that lightens the whole, without however clashing with the era described.
Characters. I found complete descriptions. Each figure who plays a role in the story has its own well-defined personality, which clearly distinguishes it from the others. And thanks to the constant clash between them, an engaging atmosphere is born. Intrigues, betrayals, infighting between factions keep the reader's attention alive. My favorite character is the protagonist, Fra Bartolomeo. He is a shy young man who renounces the comfortable life of the Roman salons, yearns for adventure and is therefore attracted to the monastic-knightly orders. He is a character full of dignity and steadfast in his principles, who believes in honor and devotion to the vows taken. In short, he has the strong and loyal soul of the dreamer.
Why read this book ..
If you have a passion for knight stories this is the book for you. I found it engaging and never predictable. On each page you can breathe history. The documentation work at the base is solid, and in full harmony with the narrative part. It tells a period, some precise historical facts, looking at them in an intriguing way, without ever boring ... The epilogue is very interesting. The author follows in the footsteps of his characters beyond Malta, always citing the sources used to tell the final events of their lives - that is, the events following the events at the center of the book.
A very beautiful book… you will feel like you are walking alongside this warrior monk, on the rocky and dusty streets of Malta.

(Sara Petrolini)