Vsebina:

Leto je 1580. Kranjska, Hrvaška in dobršen del današnje zahodne Bosne so nekakšen “divji zahod” Balkanskega polotoka 16. stoletja. Že desetletja trajajo krvavi boji med Osmanlijami in krščanskim svetom, Osmansko cesarstvo pa se nevarno približuje središču Evrope. Kljub razmeroma stabilni meji med dvema svetovoma, ki je potekala prav po območjih današnje Slovenije in Hrvaške, ter ustanovitvi tako imenovane Vojne krajine, turške tolpe pogosto prodirajo globoko proti zahodu, kjer za seboj puščajo požig, rop, pobijajo in zasužnjujejo prebivalstvo. Od poletja 1579 se po ukazu avstrijskega nadvojvode Karla gradi trdnjava, kasneje poimenovana Karlovec, da bi se ustavilo nadaljnje prodiranje osmanske grožnje.

Prebivalstvo tega območja je mešano in izčrpano od nenehnih spopadov in nemirov; del ljudi predstavljajo begunci iz osvojenih dežel, drugi so priseljeni vojaki in plačanci, tretji domačini, utrujeni od plenitev in napadov. Med dvema svetovoma spretno plava tudi ‘zdravilec’ črnogorskega rodu, z enostavnim vzdevkom Poturica, ki je nekako sprejet in priljubljen na obeh straneh, saj vsi potrebujejo njegove usluge. V mladosti poturčen, pozneje po mnogih bitkah odpuščen iz aktivne janičarske službe, je prestopil na krščansko stran, kjer se je po tamkajšnjem bojevanju nazadnje posvetil zdravljenju. Nekateri bi ga brez zadržkov obtožili dvojnega vohunjenja, čeprav za to nihče ni imel pravih dokazov.

Ko Poturica na okupiranem območju blizu Kamengrada sreča in prepozna ugrabljeno hčerko svojega starega prijatelja, sicer poveljnika trdnjave v izgradnji, se odloči odpraviti na pot, da mu prenese novico. Stari kapitan se skupaj s hčerkinim zaročencem odloči za reševalno odpravo. Odpravo sestavljajo mladi gardijski poročnik Nikola, sloviti bojevnik Ivan ter sam Poturica. Majhna in pogumna skupina se poda na nevarno pot čez zmrznjeno in divjo Krajino ter skozi okupirane hrvaške kraje, pri tem pa se poslužuje tako zvijač in pretkanosti kot tudi vseh svojih bojevniških spretnosti, da bi kapitanovo hčer rešila iz turških krempljev.

Summary:

The year is 1580. Carniola, Croatia and a large part of western Bosnia resemble a kind of “Wild West” on the Balkan Peninsula. For decades, bloody conflict has raged between the Ottoman and Christian worlds, with the Ottoman Empire approaching dangerously close to the heart of Europe. Despite a relatively stable frontier between these two worlds, which runs through what is now Slovenia and Croatia, and the establishment of the so-called Military Frontier, Turkish raiding parties frequently penetrate deep into the west, burning and pillaging, killing and enslaving the local population. Starting in the summer of 1579, by order of Austrian Archduke Charles, the Karlovac fortress has been under construction in an effort to halt the advancing Ottoman threat.

The population of the region is a melting pot of different peoples, all exhausted by the constant skirmishes and conflicts. Some are refugees from conquered lands, others are soldiers and mercenaries, while the rest are local people worn down by raids and attacks. Skilfully navigating between these two worlds is a “healer” of Montenegrin origin, known by the simple nickname “Poturica”, who is somehow accepted and liked by both sides, as everyone needs his services. Forcibly converted to Islam in his youth and later released from active military service among the Janissaries after many battles, he eventually returned to the Christian side, where, after further military service, he finally dedicated himself to healing. Some are quick to accuse him of being a double agent, though no one has any real proof of this.

When Poturica encounters and recognises the kidnapped daughter of his old friend, a commander of the fortress under construction, in the occupied territory near Kamengrad, he sets out on a journey to deliver this news. The old captain with the backing of his daughter’s fiancé, resolves to launch a rescue mission. Comprising the young lieutenant guardsman Nikola, the renowned warrior Ivan and Poturica himself, the small and brave band will embark on a perilous journey through the frozen and dangerous frontier and occupied Croatian lands, employing various tricks and strategies and, of course, all their combat skills, to free the captain’s daughter from the clutches of the Turks.

This gripping tale of hard and dangerous times, loyalty, honour, courage and selflessness will transport you to a not-so-distant past, offering insight into the rich history of Karlovac and the Military Frontier, introducing a host of fascinating historical and fictional characters and leading you on a journey full of suspense, tension and unexpected twists.

📌 From foreword by K. Michael Tikhomirov:

One of the greatest – and most basic – compliments that can be paid to any work of literary fiction is to call it a page-turner. Before any other, this one can easily and confidently be applied to Davor Pleskina’s tale of adventure, In the Shadow of the Crescent Moon, the second (!) book of his Steel and Honour trilogy. As soon as we have been introduced to the novel’s three main heroes, we find ourselves nurturing an ever-growing stake in their individual fates and the success of their venture, carried along by the suspense over the perils they face, the exhilaration of their victories and the affliction over their defeats, great and small. In this, the story is highly cinematic in its conception and execution. /…/ Almost as a complement to the sensual portrayal of events, the copious footnotes provide cultural and historical context, bringing clarity into the complex web of ethnicities, social and military casts and troops and the conflicts of the era and region. /…/

📌 Why this novel is not “just” a story, but also a rich literary experience:

✍️ Maturity, narrative strength, and beauty of expression.
The author’s debut captivates with a style reminiscent of the classics, while bringing the freshness of a contemporary novel. The language is rich yet readable, and the story draws you in like the very best historical narratives.

📚 In the tradition of great storytellers.
Within the novel, you’ll feel echoes of August Šenoa, Ivan Cankar, and Josip Jurčič – the author pays homage to them with respect and erudition, while at the same time building his own convincing voice.

✨ A story you can’t put down.
This is the kind of historical novel you open only to find yourself immersed in a world where the pages turn almost by themselves. From the suspenseful plot to the fine details of 16th-century life – it’s a tale that keeps you reading to the very end.

✍️ About the author:

Somewhere between the silence of the sky and the hum of a keyboard, a world was formed in which Davor Pleskina breathes. A programmer by trade, a pilot by soul, a writer by fate — his life stretches between precision and imagination, order and poetry.

In code, he seeks clarity; in flight, serenity; in words, truth. His sentences are not mere strings of letters, but echoes of times long past, when honour, steel, and the whispers of history bore the weight of destiny. His novel Steel and Honour: In the Shadow of the Crescent Moon is the second part of a planned trilogy — the central chapter in a broader tale of uncertain times, humanity, and transience — while the first and final volumes are yet to be written.

As a veteran of the Croatian War of Independence, Davor knows the silence that follows noise, and the weight of words once the weapons fall quiet. He does not seek fame or accolades — only that slender line where a story meets the reader’s heart. And there, between the lines and the gaze, he remains forever.

👉 Knjiga je v prodaji tudi v slovenskem in hrvaškem jeziku!