For this review of Il Sangue non È Acqua (“Blood Is Not Water”), we thank Paolo Agaraff and the publishing house All Around who provided us with a physical copy of this horror novel.

Although the author’s name may be misleading, under the pseudonym of Paolo Agaraff there are actually three different writers: Gabriele Falcioni, Roberto Fogliardi and Alessandro Papini. Firm supporters of collective writing, they create the Carboneria Letteraria, a mailing list aggregating many of today’s fantasy, horror and science fiction writers.

But how come you find yourself reading a review of a novel among the articles of No Dice Unrolled? Well, the three gentlemen mentioned above are masters in the fusion between narration and roleplaying game setting. Many of their stories, in fact, have become scenarios for roleplaying games. This is the case of this book, winner of the “La Maschera e il Volto” award in Lucca Comics & Games 2005, became the setting for On Stage!

You can find Il Sangue non È Acqua in Italian language here at the price of €18 with free shipping.

Let’s see together the reasons why a role player might love this novel.

Il Sangue non È Acqua Review: “That Which Can Eternally Lie Is not Dead…”

In the pages of this book we delve into pure Lovecraftian horror, but in Italian lands. The small island of Mortorio, where the story of the Farricorto family comes to life, is located off the coast of Sardinia. Although it does not seem to be the most hospitable of destinations, seven cousins ​​meet there for the death of a distant relative, waiting for the reading of the will.

Historically we find ourselves between the two world wars, in a period of strong political tensions. Such tensions are also found among the heirs. These are brothers who meet again after having taken different paths, unhappy marriages and unknown faces forced to live together.

To welcome them, a maid with a son who is bizarre in appearance and behavior and a notary ready to crown or destroy the dreams of glory of the protagonists participating in the will reading.

What could possibly go wrong?

“…And, as Strange Aeons Pass, even Death May Die.”

The narration of the events on Mortorio island are interspersed with diary pages dating back to 1800.

Through them, we trace the adventures of an Italian navigator who emigrated to America in search of fortune and arrived in Innsmouth. Here, fate will lead him by the hand so that the past and present of the Farricorto family meet, cursing (or blessing) his lineage forever.

We will reveal, one by one, the reasons why the place where the events take place seems inauspicious. There will be sudden deaths, disappearances, strange nocturnal dreams and whispers that seem to call even in the middle of the night. And then there is that sea, perpetually agitated, that throughout the narration plays the role of the black reaper.

Il Sangue non È Acqua Review: “Hatred. This Was Our Winning Resource.”

The novel, as explicitly stated, is a tribute to the works of H. P. Lovecraft and A. Christie, halfway between a thriller and a horror story. It is therefore highly recommended to people who appreciate these two writers. As in the other writings of these two authors, death is the common thread that leads us to discover the rest of the events one piece at a time, laying bare the soul of the protagonists and leading us to doubt anyone who has peeked out between the pages. The supernatural and the infinitely human merge, bringing to the surface weird and local horrors that will ultimately create two questions in our minds: are we sure we are on the side of reason? Is anyone really on that side?

The new edition, with semi-hard cover, highlights a gothic illustration of Bruno Zaffoni portraying the island, the great protagonist of the book.

Writing is fluent but detailed., enriched by the characters’ dialect of origin. The book exudes an in-depth research of the culture of the territory in which it was set, with examples of vegetation, typical dishes and sayings to better contextualize the entire story.

Highly recommended also for those who need ideas to understand how to create a compelling story without needing large cities or immense dungeons. Horror, in fact, lurks inside everyone.

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