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Diario Euskadi

Ibon Abad concludes his fantasy trilogy with the novel The Labyrinth of Bilbao

The writer and firefighter Ibon Abad presents the final installment of his urban fantasy saga, which has explored the shadows of Vitoria, Donostia, and Bilbao.

Stack of books on a wooden table, with a blurred background of an old, winding street in a Basque city.
IA

Stack of books on a wooden table, with a blurred background of an old, winding street in a Basque city.

The writer from Álava, Ibon Abad, has published The Labyrinth of Bilbao, the third and final installment of his urban fantasy trilogy 'The Hidden Face of the Basque Capitals', which has taken readers through the shadows of Donostia, Vitoria, and now Bilbao.

This novel concludes a saga that Abad began in 2021 with The Coven of San Sebastián and continued with The Blood Games of Vitoria. The author confesses that the process has been as intense as it was exhausting, experiencing a “mix of satisfaction and orphanhood” upon finishing the story.
Abad noted that this third part was the most challenging. In his previous works, he was more familiar with the cities where he set his stories. For Bilbao, he had to deeply immerse himself in the city's history, streets, and people. Although he enjoyed the process, it required significant effort, in addition to the challenge of concluding the trilogy.
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"I felt like it would never end, but now that it's done, I feel a mix of satisfaction and orphanhood for having finished the story."

Ibon Abad · Writer
In The Labyrinth of Bilbao, the protagonists, Aiara and Dimitri, find themselves in Laberynthum, an unsettling labyrinth that advances uncontrollably, devouring mountains, cities, and memories until it completely engulfs Bilbao. There, they must survive monstrous creatures, some already known to readers of the saga and others new, emerging from the shadows of the labyrinth itself.
Furthermore, Dimitri begins the novel with amnesia, as the Goblin, the creature inhabiting the Goblin's Passage in Vitoria, exacts a toll in memories. Abad took on the challenge of developing a character with amnesia, swept away in a whirlwind of creatures and labyrinths without understanding what is happening to him.
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"I am not a writer for the masses; in fact, I find it hard to feel like a writer, and seeing that there are people who immerse themselves in the stories that have come out of this head, which is like a watering can, gives me a feeling of gratitude that I cannot express."

Ibon Abad · Writer
With the trilogy now complete, Ibon Abad is working on a new short novel, more urban and distinct from the fantasy genre. He aims to explore the thriller genre and street stories, seeking to improve his narrative. Abad balances his passion for writing with his work as a firefighter and his enthusiasm for stone lifting.

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