by David Lear
First published 2019
Othello, a Moorish general in Venice, marries Desdemona, a young Venetian woman who defies her family for love. Their passionate union seems unbreakable despite differences in race, age, and background. The couple moves to Cyprus, where Othello commands the island's defenses. But Iago, Othello's trusted standard-bearer, harbors deep hatred for his commander. He begins planting seeds of suspicion about Desdemona's loyalty. Iago manipulates evidence and exploits Othello's insecurities, gradually convincing the general that his devoted wife betrays him with another man. As Iago's lies take hold, Othello's love transforms into consuming jealousy. He subjects the innocent Desdemona to verbal cruelty and physical violence. The generous soldier becomes unrecognizable, trapped in Iago's web of deception. Desdemona, bewildered by her husband's sudden change, cannot understand his accusations or rage. The marriage that began with mutual fascination and devotion spirals toward a catastrophic end as Othello's misplaced jealousy drives him to irreversible action.
Genres: fiction, drama, romance, literary-fiction
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Cyprus, Venice
Period: 19th-century
209 pages · Paperback · Independently published
Content warnings: abuse, domestic-violence, violence