The saga of the long-lived by Eva García Sáenz

The saga of the old ones is a series with historical features published in two installments: the old family (2012) and The sons of Adam (2014). The first title marked a very successful literary debut for the Spanish novelist Eva García Sáenz, described by specialized critics as a huge publishing phenomenon that began in digital media.

The saga begins with the introduction of the main character, 10.300-year-old Iago del Castillo. He begins with the co-star (Adriana Alameda) an intricate investigation that seeks to solve the genetic enigma of the eternal youth of the long-lived. The second part presents a deep evolution of the characters in the middle of a race against time that leaves a small gap in a third installment. It is, in short, a book to read before you die.

About the author

Eva García Sáenz was born in 1972 in Vitoria, Álava. She has a degree in optics and optometry, graduated from the University of Alicante, a profession he practiced before dedicating himself more fully to literature. The original publication of The saga of the long-lived: the old family (2012) was produced through the web portal Amazon.com, after not getting publishers interested in his work.

From then on, García Sáenz took advantage of the good reception of his first book to promote his following releases: The sons of Adam y Passage to Tahiti, both from 2014. During 2016 the first installment of his acclaimed White City Trilogy, The silence of the white city, continued with The water rites (2017) and The time lords (2018)

She is a writer capable of developing her own style of Novelty, where he explores the limits between the feasible and fiction in a quite entertaining way. Additionally, García Sáenz has demonstrated a great investigative and preparation capacity at the time of elaborating each of his narratives, therefore, he has managed to immerse himself in the world of archeology or in police chronicles in a credible and thorough way.

Plot, analysis and characters of The saga of the long-lived: the old family

The mutation of eternal youth

This book considers the presence of a family of people who do not age beyond three decades thanks to an unknown genetic mutation. These are not mythological figures or immortal beings. In reality, the origin of this condition is hereditary. However, why it has been broadcast so few times in history remains hidden.

Iago del Castillo and the search for the answers

Then, Iago del Castillo decides to find the answers, driven by his brothers Jaime del Castillo and Kyra del Castillo. Born on the Cantabrian coast 10.300 years ago, Iago (actually, his name is Urko) is a mature-looking man obsessed with knowledge, an avid collector of college degrees, and a bit of a problem-solving maniac.

He works as technical coordinator of the Museum of Archeology of Cantabria (MAC). After the death of his son Gunnarr at the Battle of Kinsale (Ireland, 1602), Urko went through a period of alcoholism. He had a hard time recovering from this addiction. More than half of the events in the novel are narrated by him in the first person, in a plot line that takes place in the present tense.

However, from time to time visions of ancient times (Prehistory or Scythian times, for example) are shown through the memories of the characters in order to relate events of past eras. In addition, Iago shares the role of the protagonist with his brothers and with Dana. Now, he is the one who has a little more weight because of his leadership role within the old family.

James of the Castle

Jaime del Castillo, whose real name is Nagorno (born in Ukraine, age: 2.700), he is the patron patron of the MAC. He has never been comfortable with his older brother's position in the old family. He maintains his fortune thanks to the success of his companies. His conflictive and elitist character is an ideal complement to his attitude of a womanizing dandy who despises short-lived families.

Kyra of the Castle

Moreover, Kyra del Castillo (Lyra) is the supervisor of the MAC Restoration Laboratory. Throughout its almost 2.500 years, it has lost many ephemeral children, therefore, identifying the gene that causes longevity has become the central reason for its existence so as not to relive its past traumas. With a calm and reserved demeanor, she is very suspicious of those around her, except for Urko.

Days

In the development of the plot, the appearance of Adriana "Dana" Alameda Almerana is decisive. She is an academic from Santander who is an expert in Prehistory, and works as head of conservation for the MAC's Prehistory department. She is a young woman born in 1980, distinguished by her rigor and her impressive curriculum that includes work in the most important deposits in Europe.

Dana's personal motive is to clarify the causes of her mother's suicide that occurred when she was a child. Although at first it collides head-on with Iago's personality, an intense attraction arises between the two that they both try to overlap for some time ... until they give in and start a love relationship.

Lür, "the patriarch"

Lür, "the patriarch" (Héctor del Castillo) is a native of the Cueva del Castillo, where he was born almost 28.000 years ago. He could be considered "the dean of humanity." Its primary mission is to preserve the unity of the old family at all costs. With a friendly and calm demeanor, he is an avid reader and fond of fishing. Only three of his thousands of children have inherited the gene for eternal youth, the scientific cause? Well, nobody has deciphered it ... until now.

The detail evident in the descriptions of the past demonstrates the excellent documentation previously produced by Eva García Sáenz. Regressions also serve to explain the causes of family disputes. These add an exciting and very fluid rhythm to the more than 700 pages of The saga of the long-lived: the old family.

Analysis and synopsis of The Sons of Adam

As in the first book of the series, García Sáenz does not leave random clues or add filler characters. Every piece of information is relevant, the details are adjusted with millimeter precision. In addition, the writer has not disappointed her fans despite the very high expectations generated since The old family. At the beginning, the story becomes intense, despite the idyllic situation between Adriana and Iago, who imagine a future together.

In the first part, the protagonists isolated an unusual pattern in the enzymes responsible for synthesizing DNA telomeres (telomerases) of Lür's children. as a cause of the arrest of their aging. However, the telomerase inhibitor injected into Nagorno has activated earlier than expected. This causes his heart to function like that of a 30-year-old while his appearance continues to be XNUMX.

At this point, a desperate Nagorno decides to kidnap Dana as a strategy of pressure in the search for a solution. (It must be in less than 21 days). As a consequence, part of the old family comes together again. This includes the surprise appearance of a character presumed dead in the first book.

Compared, en The sons of Adam the details of the flashbacks from the past they are not so rich or sustained —From the scientific point of view— like those of the first installment. But, without a doubt, it has been achieved by a story that easily hooks the reader. That is, it does not lose the level of quality. The surprise turns and the excitement quota of The saga of the long-lived: the old family.

Will there be a third installment of The Saga of the Long-lived?

Probably the most frequent unsolved question in readers of the entire saga is an analogy of the chicken and egg dilemma.: if to transmit the anti aging gene you need a long-lived one, how did the first one arise? The most loyal followers of García Sáenz hope that the mystery will be completely clarified in a third installment.

In this regard, the Cantabrian writer told the press dossier of The sphere of books: «I have written a self-conclusive novelAlthough the title of "saga" misleads, with it I was referring to a family saga. Whether there are more deliveries of the long-lived will depend on how far it goes.

If I can find quality time to face the writing of another novel again –The first took me 27 months and I wrote it at night, after my work at the University and some quite demanding family obligations–, without a doubt there will be more stories from the long-lived.

Twenty-eight thousand years of history go a long way and the characters are already well outlinedThey are so multifaceted and so large that they will work in any historical epoch. In any case, they would always be self-conclusive novels; As a reader, I can't bear to spend a couple of years waiting to know how a story ends.