Archipiélago

A business trip brings Sofia, a professional translator, to the island of Singapore. There her life becomes inevitably entangled with those of two rogues involved in a robbery of historical proportions: the remains of the “Tang Shipwreck” in the Java Sea, a 9th century ship that may well be the sole piece of physical evidence pointing to the existence of the maritime Silk Road.

The trip is one of search and escape, both of which will shape the journey that these unlikely travel companions will undertake: an exciting voyage to the east of the maps that will change everything for the three of them. Who knows if they’ll make it out of the Archipelago alive, and whether any of them will be able to find a way through the shards of ancient porcelain, islands shrouded in mangroves, ceremonial knives, ropes, diesel… and a whole lot of sea foam.

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Reviews

“Never has such a long book felt so short to me. [… ] I’ll be keeping this novel among the books that I hold on to as something precious”.

Yo leo novela

“Read in a single breath […]. A story full of nuances, capable of showcasing the light and shadows of mankind. With large doses of mystery and adventure, a fantastic documentation of Southeast Asia and its ancestral traditions and characters that will not leave you indifferent, it is a safe bet for lovers of classic adventure stories”.

Ojolisto

“Nina Melero knows of what she writes [.. ]

The harshness of life on the islands and the reality of decay, pollution, superstition and struggles between peoples and individuals are very well reflected in the novel, which flees from the idyllic vision of the islands that we can have in Europe and America. But it doesn’t just reflect what is bad. It also shines the spotlight on the enormous population diversity, the fantastic nature, the fauna and the possibilities offered by a land that can be both heaven and hell”.

Sabor a tinta

“Narrated […] with a vertiginous rhythm that gives no respite to the reader, Archipiélago will take us on an adventure from which, in actuality, we do not want to escape […]. A work of fiction that leaves in the air, upon closing the last of its pages, an unmistakable aroma of a classic. Don’t miss it”.

Zenda

“Her prose is careful, polished and sometimes even lyrical, but she makes it so easy for the reader such that the reading itself is light and fluid. As a counter, she enlivens the narrative with dialogues that are agile, ironic and full of humour. The plot, much more complex than it may seem at first, develops at the rate of a thriller, things happen constantly and unexpected twists cause pages to fly in the hands of the reader […].

I closed the book saddened at having to leave the Malay Archipelago and its emotions”.

La huella de los libros

“Nina Melero portrays in Archipelago, with the classic flavours of adventure books, a varied gallery of charismatic characters […] The historical background carries a great weight in the novel, which boasts a tremendous work of documentation”.