Saeculum (novel)
Saeculum is a thriller for young people and adults by Ursula Poznanski .
action
The 20-year-old medical student Bastian and his new girlfriend Sandra experience an adventure far from civilization in the LARP group "Saeculum", only with the means that were available in the 14th century. The forest in which their adventure takes place is said to be cursed. Allegedly there was a terrible massacre in a royal family there in the Middle Ages, in which Tristram, the illegitimate son of a prince, is said to have been murdered by his noble brother. Shortly before his death, Tristram cursed the country and everyone who ever set foot on it.
The role play was originally supposed to last five days, but unplanned things soon happen. So Wart, Lars and Sandra, members of the group, disappear without a trace. While searching for the missing, Bastian and his companions repeatedly come across mysterious poems that no one can decipher.
While Paul, head of the organization team, takes the lead, the superstitious Doro is convinced of Tristram's revived curse. Everything happens as described in the legend; the group's food supplies are attacked by maggots, Bastian's friend Steinchen suffers from a rash and one of the role-players breaks his leg while trying to leave the forest.
Paul leads the group into an underground vault to protect them from a thunderstorm, but the next day the seemingly only way out is blocked by a stone. In search of other exits, Paul, Carina, Bastian and his now good friend Iris discover a vault with skeletons, the remains of a battle long past, exactly as described in the legend. The hopelessness of their situation soon creates competition and distrust in the group, until Bastian finds another poem. It says if they sacrificed a "rich brother" the others would be free. Lisbeth, a friend of Sandra's, reveals that Bastian and Paul are brothers, which Paul confirms. According to this, Paul is the illegitimate son of Maximilian Steffenberg, Bastian's father, who never looked after Paul. This fulfills the poem and the others in the group, spurred on by Doro, see the killing of Bastian as the only way out.
Only Paul, Steinchen and Iris do not believe in the curse and stand by Bastian. Georg, Lisbeth's irascible friend, makes the first attempt at murder, which is only prevented by Paul's quick intervention. The discovery of the missing Lars, Warze and Sandra changes the situation only briefly. In a scuffle, Georg manages to press a knife to Bastian's throat. However, Paul convinces the others not to kill his brother, but to lock him up in the dungeon in which Sandra and the others were imprisoned.
Paul and Iris would then come back later to free Bastian. When Bastian is locked in a cell, Carina actually finds an exit and the group is released. When they got back to their camp, Iris immediately ran back to free Bastian after a dispute with Paul. In a clearing she notices Simon, her former boyfriend, who has mental disorders and from whom she is on the run.
Iris manages to run to Bastian, but she cannot move the bars in front of Bastian's cell on her own. When Paul, Carina and Lars finally arrive, they are accompanied by Bastian's father and Simon. Paul reveals his plan and so Bastian and Iris learn that everything only served the purpose of extorting money from Bastian's father. Paul and his helpers Lars, Carina, Sandra and Simon had directed the events in order to get Bastian as leverage. Now Paul is demanding a large sum of money from Bastian's father as compensation for the child support he never received.
Maximilian Steffenberg is impressed by Paul's sophistication and agrees. Simon, on the other hand, is dissatisfied because Paul has promised him Iris as a reward for his help. Paul, however, never intended to extradite Iris and actually wanted to bring her to safety with the others, but that failed. Simon threatens Bastian with a knife, whereupon Iris shows herself. Bastian, driven by anger at Paul and Simon, stops Simon by injuring him with a sword.
In the end Paul gets his money and Simon is admitted to a psychiatric ward through the influence of Bastian's father . A few weeks later, Paul Bastian reveals that the paternity test was positive and that they were indeed brothers, a fact of which he was not entirely sure before. The brothers sign an armistice, but Bastian cannot forget his deeds. He moves in with Iris and becomes the inspiration for her new piece of music "Planxty Bastian".
expenditure
Saeculum was published in 2011 as a flap brochure by Loewe-Verlag and as a sound carrier with an abridged reading of the novel. It was read by Aleksandar Radenkovic .
Awards
- Collection for the Austrian Youth Literature Prize 2012
- List of recommendations for the Evangelical Book Prize 2012
- Final selection of the Kalbach rattlesnake 2012
- Youth book award of the jury of young readers (Vienna) 2012
Press reviews
"Right up to the end, Ursula Poznanski kept the readers on the tether of suspense in order to present an amazing solution in a brilliant showdown."
“The arc of suspense is perfect, the dramatic events culminate in a finale in which the previously skilfully woven twists and turns dissolve. A sensational book for young people. "
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ursula Poznanski: Saeculum . 1st edition. Loewe, ISBN 978-3-7855-7028-9 , pp. 492 .
- ↑ ISBN 978-3-7855-7028-9
- ↑ 5 CDs; ISBN 978-3-83372-848-8