Albert Sánchez Piñol

A fast-paced historical epic, Victus tells the unforgettable story of a young military genius torn between defending and betraying his besieged Barcelona.

Set in the war of spanish succession, at the beginning of the 18th century, Victus tells the misadventures of Martí Zuviría, a young man from Barcelona who becomes a genius in the art of military engineering. The whimsical destiny leads him to fortify and at the same time design the strategy to besiege his own city.

Action and historical rigor combine in this powerful story, that flows through an irreverent and uncommon narrative voice. This epical work on what has been considered as the first world war reaches its climax with a great visual spectacle: the one with the unyielding Barcelona of 1714, that endured a siege during thirteen months and whose defeat meant, not only the Bourbon victory, but also the end of the historical liberties for Catalan people. However, Victus is, above all, a literary feast where we can find battles, adventures, love, politics, humour... A real page-turner that it’s read with the same avidity than we enjoy the masterworks by Dumas, Victor Hugo or Tolstoi.

The critics considered Victus the best book of the year and it remained in the best-seller lists for more than a year.

“A monumental novel.” Arturo Pérez Reverte

“I now see the people from Barcelona with new eyes: what an extraordinary heritage!” Alzira Martins, editor of Actes Sud (France)

“A vibrant story, lively and funny, a colourful character gallery, an translated into more than thirty languages historical novel when everything semms so real!” Le Choix des Libraires