When Shane mentioned that he was doing a twist on Shakespeare, I knew I wanted to write my own version of Othello. As a person of color, I have always been drawn to the complex and tragic tale of love, jealousy, manipulation, and misunderstandings. Shakespeare weaves an intriguing story of Othello and Desdemona, who are so deeply in love that they remain unaware of the forces conspiring to tear their world apart.
Each character is so well written that you are drawn in from the very beginning. As a reader, you witness Othello’s trust and love for Desdemona, which Iago exploits by manipulating Cassio, one of Othello’s lieutenants. Othello sees Iago as a loyal friend, even going so far as to call him honest, unaware of Iago’s deep hatred for him. Shakespeare doesn’t shy away from the critical theme of racism that Othello endures—a prejudice that continues to weigh heavily on African Americans today.
Othello, a Moor of African descent, rises to prominence as a respected general in Venice but faces prejudice due to his race. Characters question his marriage to Desdemona, a white Venetian woman, and portray him as uncivilized and brutal solely because of his ethnicity.
Through Moor, I explore how timeless themes like trust, loyalty, racism, and manipulation resonate in a contemporary mafia setting. My Othello is a mafia underboss who values loyalty and his own version of justice. He runs the underworld of Verona Heights and remains steadfast in his principles despite the opposition he faces. However, like Shakespeare’s Othello, his confidence and vulnerabilities—especially his blind trust in those closest to him—ultimately lead to his downfall.
While Shakespeare’s Othello ends in tragedy, Moor offers a happy ending. The characters undergo personal growth as they fall in love. In Moor, Othello rises from underboss to don, a journey that tests his loyalties and inner strength. Meanwhile, Des discovers new depths within himself, learning to navigate love, self-reliance, and the dangers of the world Othello inhabits.
I hope you enjoy this queer retelling of Shakespeare’s plays. Authors include Shane K Morton, D.K. Sutton, Abigail Kade, Lynn Van Dorn, Drea Roman, Marie Sinclair, Giovanna Reaves (me), and Elizabeth Silver.
Blurb
Loyalty is sacred; betrayal is unforgivable.
Des, a young doctor who has always followed his parents' expectations, is inexperienced in love and life. That all changes the night he operates on a dangerously handsome patient. Des's growing attraction quickly turns into an irresistible desire.
Othello, bound by loyalty to his family's code, has just been named the successor to Verona Heights' most powerful underground organization, La Famiglia Romano. With immense responsibility weighing on him, he believes there's no room for love—until a certain doctor catches his eye.
As passion ignites between Des and Othello, a dark conspiracy against Othello threatens to tear them apart and endanger their lives, forcing them to confront their fears and desires.
Can they survive the treacherous forces working against them, or will their love be destroyed forever?
This modern-day retelling of Shakespeare’s Othello is filled with betrayal, loyalty, romance, and a little love at first sight. Part of the Twisted Bard series, where multiple authors bring the Bard’s timeless tales into the present