Vergil in Averno
core novel 1987 Vergil Magus
Record
| First published | 1987 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.58 (64 ratings, collected 2026-11-02) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780385197076 |
| Internal chronology | 2 |
Synopsis
The young Vergil, not yet a full magus, is summoned to Averno, a city built on unstable volcanic ground. It is the wealthiest and most polluted city in Italy, and its local magnates fear that the volcanic fires beneath it are fading or shifting. Vergil must investigate and try to fix the problem, but he becomes entangled with counterfeiters, alchemists, superstitious rituals and sorcery. He is also distracted by a beautiful woman married to a powerful, jealous man.
Where it sits
- Universe: Vergil Magus
- Series: Vergil Magus core; position 2 of 3 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Avram Davidson
Awards (verified)
- Nebula Award (Best Novel), 1988: nominated
Notes
- Published second, but set before The Phoenix and the Mirror.
- From the series record (Vergil Magus): Three novels about the legendary magician Vergil, published out of story order.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series Vergil Magus: position 2 of 3: previous The Phoenix and the Mirror (1969) · next The Scarlet Fig; or, Slowly Through a Land of Stone (2005)
Sources
← Vergil Magus dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.