A Song of War by Kate Quinn, Christian Cameron, Libbie Hawker, Vicky Alvear Shecter, Russell Whitfield, Stephanie Thornton, & S.J.A. Turney

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Read: August 31, 2016

Troy: city of gold, gatekeeper of the east, haven of the god-born and the lucky, a city destined to last a thousand years. But the Fates have other plans—the Fates, and a woman named Helen. In the shadow of Troy's gates, all must be reborn in the greatest war of the ancient world: slaves and queens, heroes and cowards, seers and kings... and these are their stories. A young princess and an embittered prince join forces to prevent a fatal elopement. A tormented seeress challenges the gods themselves to save her city from the impending disaster. A tragedy-haunted king battles private demons and envious rivals as the siege grinds on. A captured slave girl seizes the reins of her future as two mighty heroes meet in an epic duel. A grizzled archer and a desperate Amazon risk their lives to avenge their dead. A trickster conceives the greatest trick of all. A goddess' son battles to save the spirit of Troy even as the walls are breached in fire and blood. Seven authors bring to life the epic tale of the Trojan War: its heroes, its villains, its survivors, its dead. Who will lie forgotten in the embers, and who will rise to shape the bloody dawn of a new age? 

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Trends in historic fiction are changing. I’ve read the genre for the better part of the last two decades and I’ve never seen a format grow in popularity the way anthologies and continuities have. I’ve no problem admitting that I've avoided both for as I typically find the stories unbalanced and the authors poorly matched, but books like A Day of Fire and A Year of Ravens have gone a long way in changing that opinion.

A Song of War is the third release from The H Team and I personally think it the strongest of thus far. Unlike the earlier books, the magnitude and scope of the Trojan war allowed each author to explore a pivotal event in the conflict and afforded each contributor a moment to shine in a way the earlier books hadn’t. The stories are intrinsically connected and follow the well-known course of events, but I liked how each author had their own platform and how of their individual voices were showcased within the larger chorus.

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The Apple by Kate Quinn

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Kate Quinn penned the first Song from the dual perspective of Hellenus and Andromache. I was vaguely familiar with the former, but had never given him much thought and was surprised by how quickly the quiet Trojan Prince grew on me. I found Quinn's characterization intensely relatable and I enjoyed how his personally played off her interpretations of his more recognizable siblings. Unlike her counterpart, Andromache was familiar to me and I greatly appreciated and enjoyed Quinn’s interpretation of the character. I found Andromache’s genuine emotion and personal challenges endearing and enjoyed seeing her come into her own and revel in a few moments of pure joy as the cloud of war gathered on her horizon.

Hector, Paris, Helen, and Odysseus made notable appearances in the first Song. Though they aren’t explored in significant detail, most of the narrators are introduced in Quinn’s submission and I appreciated how the effort facilitated transitions between submissions as I made my way through the book. I was also amused by how many secondary myths and stories were referenced in The Apple and appreciated how the piece set the stage for the conflict ahead.

* Best Moment in A Song of War – Kudos for a long overdue double bitch-slap. *

I wondered if Aphrodite was laughing at me, up on Olympus. How the goddess of love had played with my future: if I ever held the girl I loved, it would be over the corpse of the brother I revered.

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The Prophecy by Stephanie Thornton

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Quinn is one of my favorite writers and I pitied the author tasked with following in her wake. Or I did, until I discovered who it was. I’m a big fan of Stephanie Thornton and actually laughed out loud as I knew her story, regardless of subject, would hold its own. Quinn’s signature humor is unrivaled in my mind, but Thornton’s command of language has left me speechless on more than one occasion and while I knew the tone would take a dramatic turn in Song two, I was confident that Cassandra’s story would be as layered and memorable as Hellenus and Andromache's had been.

I found the second Song deliciously dark and strangely addictive. Thornton’s exploration of Cassandra’s family situation and the demons that haunted her tickled my imagination and I was fascinated by how author chose to illustrate Cassandra’s madness. Cassandra is obviously damaged, but there is genuine fire in her and a selflessness that no other character in the narrative rivals. Atmospherically I felt this one of the strongest submissions and I greatly admired the intensity and intelligence of the action and dialogue Thornton presented.

* Best Surprise in A Song of War –Apollo’s Temple… Grotesque, but surprising and satisfying. *

They called me mad because I uttered truths no one wished to hear.

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The Sacrifice by Russell Whitfield

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Russell Whitfield put himself on my radar when I read A Year of Ravens. I’ve actually reread that submission a couple of times since reading the book and could kick myself for not having acquired his solo publications, but long story short, I was excited to see he’d contributed to A Song of War.

That said, I was wholly unprepared for his take on Agamemnon. I’m not a fan of the character and my mind’s eye always flashes on Brian Cox when I read the name, but Whitfield turned that mental image upside down and challenged me to see his protagonist as a man burdened by guilt, alerted by grief, and embittered by years of war and responsibility. Agamemnon’s annoyance with Achilles is palpable, but it was the relationships he shares with Iphigenia and Chryseis that cut to my core. Whitfield’s Agamemnon is a man who gave everything to the campaign and lost his soul for his trouble. It’s a harsh story and brutal on a number of levels, but the presentation and the ideas it explores are a true testament to Whitfield’s creativity, vision, and talent.

* Best Character in A Song of War – Writing a hero is easy, reinventing a villain is an achievement. *

Lust - for women, for gold, for power. Men were base creatures. Ironic then, that he had to place their welfare and their objective first and foremost.

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The Duel by Christian Cameron

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Christian Cameron was the first of two contributors with which I was not previously familiar. I’d no idea what to expect from his writing, but I knew where we were in the story and I swore I’d rake him cross the coals if he didn’t do right by Hector. The outcome was a given, but the Trojan Prince is my favorite character and I didn’t need to see him slaughtered without putting up a decent fight. I’m a passionate reader and I make no apologies for it. I was going to love this submission or hate it, there was no middle ground.

I expected an intensely masculine story and was caught off guard when I realized Cameron had centered his story on Briseis, but I was floored by what happened next. Cameron’s submission was the first to show a different side of a previously established character and I was captivated by how Briseis’ opinions of Achilles contrasted Agamemnon’s. As a character Brises defied traditional gender roles and I loved how Cameron's choice of narrator allowed his to authentically illustrate the expanse of the battlefield. I formed a deep appreciation for the action itself, but Cameron capitalized on the enormity of the conflict and gave his readers a truly remarkable point of view.

* Best Battle Scene in A Song of War – Hand to hand combat between two ‘worthy’ opponents. *

War is brutal, but it is far more brutal to women than men, who, mostly, can only die when their bodies are torn asunder, rather than live on with their lives torn out like the entrails of an antelope taken by dogs.

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The Bow by Libbie Hawker

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I’d stumbled over Libbie Hawker’s work prior to reading A Song of War, but The Bow marks my first time reading it. As with Cameron's work I didn't know what to expect from the writing, but I knew where the story was going. I'd opinion about the material, but I was fairly open minded in regard to how it should play out which is why I was surprised to discover The Bow was the most personally challenging of the entire novel.

I didn’t care much for Penthesilea and struggled to engage in her arc. I liked the general idea, but as with the The Queen by Stephanie Dray, I felt this character could carry her own story and didn’t feel right about it being condensed to so short a piece. I thought Priam had some very interesting moments at this point in the story, but I was confused by Paris, Helen, Andromache, and Cassandra as Hawker’s interpretations weren’t entirely consistent with those of the authors who’d introduced them earlier in the novel.

That said, Philoctetes proved a breath of fresh air. Straight off the boat, he didn’t exude the war weary aura that had settled on much of the cast and I think his perspective allowed Hawker to explore the field in a way none of her peers could. I felt she took full advantage of the opportunity this afforded and applauded her for illustrating homosexual affection without effeminizing her protagonist in the process.

* Best Iconic Moment in A Song of War – Hawker popped the weasel! *

Life without honor is not worth living.

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The Horse by Vicky Alvear Shecter

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Vicky Alvear Shecter is not a new author for me, but as far as I’m concerned, The Horse left the rest of her work in the dust and I’m not just saying that because she had the guts to tackle my second favorite character. Odysseus is easily the most iconic voice in A Song of War and I honestly thought Shecter crazy for attempting to write him, but her interpretation blew me away and left me in absolute awe of her imagination and skill.

Troy is primed and ready to fall in these scenes. Alliances are shifting, some characters are breaking and others are showing their true colors. There’s a lot going on in this piece, but Shecter made it work while drawing the novel towards its climax in a way that complimented both the vision of her peers and the original source material.

* Best Submission in A Song of War – Finest adaptation of original story. *

How do I explain that I would not dare shed blood— especially the blood of the goddess’s servants— lest she curse me and my family for generations for the sacrilege? His approach would only beget an endless cycle of bloodshed. And yet because I shed no blood, I should be ashamed?

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The Fall by S.J.A. Turney

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S.J.A. Turney was in the hot seat from the beginning. His submission anchors the narrative which is challenging enough, but Shecter’s story upped the ante threefold. Aeneas is an interesting character, but Shecter’s Odysseus was untouchable and I wondered if Turney could possibly close the novel in a way that didn’t fizzle in the wake of its predecessor.

It was a legitimate question in the moment, but the concern proved entirely unfounded. Turney’s adaptation of the material didn’t inspire my imagination the same way Shecter’s had, but the emotional aspects of The Fall were nothing short of brilliant. Turney’s prose is my favorite of all the author featured in A Song of War and beautifully emphasizes the intense and powerful themes of his submission. His descriptions are stark and often crushing, but there is a candle flame of hope in his story and I loved how his conclusion tied A Song of War to the entirety of The H Team’s existing catalogue.

* Best Tone in A Song of War – Amazing illustration of human emotion. *

I straightened with a frown. ‘While there is still a Troy to save, I have to save it,’ I said with an air of finality. I do not know even now whether it was pride that drove me to turn my back on the notion of flight, or whether it was the call to duty that every warrior feels, for I suffer from both in equal measure. All I do know, as I look back on that decision, is that it was made in defiance of the urging of both men and gods, against the weaving of the Fates, and it brought us only more pain.

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The Leopard Unleashed by Elizabeth Chadwick

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Personal Library

Read: October 16, 2015

Renard, Lord of the Ravenstow, is a crusader in Antioch, a place far removed from the cold Welsh Marches of his birth. Summoned home to his ailing father, Renard brings Olwen with him, an exotic dancing girl whose sensuous beauty and wild ways have ensnared him. Yet, in a political match made by their families, Renard is already betrothed to the innocent Elene and he know he is also returning to the duty of marriage. Torn between Olwen and Elene, Renard's personal dilemma is set against a background of increasing civil strife as Ranulf of Chester, his greedy neighbour, strives to snatch his lands. When Renard is taken prisoner at the Battle of Lincoln, his fate is placed in the hand of two women - his former mistress, now in the bed of his deadliest enemy, and his determined yet inexperienced wife, protecting his lands against terrible odds...

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Stephen of Blois, Empress Matilda,
Raymond of Poitiers and Owain Gwynedd

I've a problem with Elizabeth Chadwick. Well, not personally, I've a problem reading her work. I pick it up intending to read one chapter, but somewhere between points a and b, I fall through the damned pages and lose all sense of time and responsibility. I should have started the laundry two hours ago, but what was I doing instead? Tramping around the Welsh Marches.

Am I sorry? Not in the least. Okay, maybe a little. I'll be scrambling to find clean clothes come morning, but I'm quite pleased with the time I spent on this book. Chadwick's ability to blend fact and fiction is brilliant and while I don't feel The Leopard Unleashed is her strongest effort, I admire much of the content and greatly enjoyed the narrative's direction and tone. 

Guyon trumps both, but I admit I like Renard more than Adam. I had difficulty warming to the latter when reading The Running Vixen, but Renard's easy-going manner, modest tastes, and perceptive nature intrigued me almost instantly. I wish Chadwick had written more from his perspective, I think there was a lot of untapped potential in his character, but I liked what she offered and thought his personality and disposition engaging just the same. 

That said, I think Elene the strongest of the three heroines. She's a contented homemaker, but shrewd, intelligent, and capable. She's insecure, but I think her struggles intensely realistic and I liked how Chadwick was able to showcase her emotions without sacrificing Elene's integrity. Her gentle inexperience makes an interesting contrast to Olwen's bold proclivities, but she's intensely empathetic and I found much to appreciate in her quiet strength and intense loyalties. 

I wasn't particularly fond of Olwen, but that has more to do with the structure and development of her character than her personality. She's shamelessly bold and conniving, but I think she'd have read better if the reader had been privy to more of her scheming. She disappears for several chapters of the narrative and is reintroduced in an entirely new situation and I would have liked to see her rationalizing that transition. The incident with Ranulf's would have been equally interesting, as would her seduction of Owain. All this happens 'off screen' and while I recognize the intent, I felt the approach left her somewhat fractured and arbitrary. Like Renard, I liked what was offered, but I think more could have been done with her character and role.

The supporting cast didn't interest me as much as they did in earlier novels. Ranulf of Chester was more a more convincing antagonist that Walter de Lacey, but I struggled to understand the origin of the animosity he harbored against Renard. Judith and Guyon make brief appearances, but their roles aren't as significant as Miles' in The Running Vixen. Henry felt underdeveloped in my eyes which made his emotional trials difficult to fathom. Hamo was superfluous in my opinion and while Stephen made an impression, he paled next to predecessors William II and Henry I. I truly enjoyed Chadwick's interpretation of Antioch and the Battle of Lincoln, but I felt the absence of Raymond of Poitiers and Empress Matilda. Both are mentioned, but neither enjoys face time with the reader. Owain Gwynedd interacts with Ranulf toward the end of the novel, but it is a cameo appearance, one that left several unanswered questions in its wake. 

There is a lot going on towards the end of the novel and while I appreciated the action, I felt the final chapters rushed and slightly awkward. It isn't like Chadwick to leave loose ends, but I felt there was a lot of unresolved drama in this particular volume and that put a slight damper on my appreciation of the novel's strengths. I loved the book and would definitely recommend it, but I wish there'd been more to it as it doesn't offer the closure one expects at the end of a series. 

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It was more than just the girl, he thought. It was the responsibility for Ravenstow. It was the sight of their father dying by fractions before his eyes. It was the constant living on a blade's edge. What wonder that he should seek oblivion in the arms of a woman who was a reminder of the lost freedom of Outremer. What wonder that her should object to being roused and thrust face to face with duty.

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Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword by Christian Kachel

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Read: March 3, 2015

322 B.C. The Macedonian Empire is on the verge of civil war following the sudden death of Alexander the Great. As a boy, Andrikos watched as Alexander’s army marched through his homeland of Greek Ionia after defeating the Persians at the Granicus River on their way to the total conquest of the Persian Empire. Soon he will be embroiled in their world, forced to flee his old life due to an unintentional crime. Thrust into the army, Andrikos struggles to cope with the brutal yet necessary training which his superiors put him through to prepare for the coming wars of succession as Alexander’s surviving generals seek to divide and conquer the spoils of Olympus. But Andrikos is not destined to be a nameless soldier; by chance he is chosen for a clandestine mission – and is immersed in a world of intrigue, violence and brotherhood. The path that lies ahead of Andrikos requires him to shed his immaturity and take on the responsibilities and emotions of a man beyond his years as he struggles to save Alexander’s legacy from those who wish to usurp it. The Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword is a historical epic which follows the advancements of one soldier from boy to man set during a time of global conflict.

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Christian Kachel's Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword was one of those titles. I stumbled over it, thought the premise looked vaguely interesting and jumped on the tour bus. I liked the idea, but if I learned anything from Queen of Sparta, it was not to get my hopes up. That in mind, it shouldn't surprise anyone to learn I opened Kachel's work with no expectation whatsoever, a fact which likely contributed to how thoroughly the novel managed to sweep me off my feet. 

It's clear from the early pages of the novel that Kachel's understanding of the period and politics is extensive, but the fictional elements of the novel are equally well-drawn. The story is graphic and intensely descriptive, but I personally thought Kachel's depiction true to the history on which it is based and appreciated the author's dedication to authenticity. 

The story itself centers on Andrikos and his coming of age in the chaos following the death of Alexander the Great which is something I liked for several reasons. Kachel's narrative captures a timeless concept in his illustration of a young man struggling with pressure and social expectations. What does it mean to be a man and how do you retain your humanity and sense of self in a world defined by death and destruction. 

Andrikos' journey is augmented by several supporting cast members, but two stand out in my mind. The slave Mara brings a much needed feminine element to a heavily masculine narrative and staff officer, Vettias who serves as both mentor and friend to Kachel's protagonist. Both these individuals challenge Andrikos in different ways and I liked the contrast that brought to the larger story.

 Refreshingly dynamic and scrupulously researched, Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword proved a profoundly compelling read, the kind of novel I'd easily recommend to fans of both military and historic fiction. 

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Many people will give you respect just for joining the Greek armies but joining does not equate greatness. Many soldiers will die nowhere near a battlefield for a number of disreputable reasons. Others will die with a spear in their back while retreating. Some will not conduct themselves honourably, while only a few will become courageous leaders of men. So while joining the Hellenic cause is a good start for one’s name, you have years of hard times and hard decisions to prove to yourself you’re worthy of respect. Sure, you’ll always be able to inflate your prowess with the other retired veterans over jugs of wine- that is a soldier’s privilege, but you will always know the truth deep down. Remember, an honourable man such as Argos didn’t have to fight in great battles to gain respect from those around him.

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Check Out All the Stops on Christian Kachel's The Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, March 2
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, March 4
Interview & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More

Friday, March 6
Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book
Guest Post at What Is That Book About

Monday, March 9
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews

Tuesday, March 10
Interview at Flashlight Commentary
Spotlight at Historical Fiction Obsession

Wednesday, March 11
Review at Back Porchervations

Thursday, March 12
Review at bookramblings
Review at The Mad Reviewer

Friday, March 13
Interview & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

The Eagle and the Swan by Carol Strickland

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Read: March 12, 2014

For 1,500 years she has been cruelly maligned by history. Labelled as corrupt, immoral and sexually depraved by the sixth-century historian Procopius in his notorious Secret History, the Byzantine Empress Theodora was condemned to be judged a degenerate harlot by posterity. Until now. Due to a conviction that its contents would only be understood by generations of the distant future, a manuscript that has remained unopened for a millennium and a half is about to set the record straight. It will unravel the deepest secrets of a captivating and charismatic courtesan, her unlikely romance with an Emperor, and her rise to power and influence that would outshine even Cleopatra. This historical novel traces the love affairs, travails, machinations, scandals and triumphs of a cast of real characters who inhabit an Empire at its glorious and fragile peak. It’s the tale of a dazzling civilization in its Golden Age; one which, despite plague, earthquakes and marauding Huns, would lay the foundation for modern Europe as we know it.

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The Empress Theodora at the Colisseum
by Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constan

I've begun to wonder what Theodora might think of her recent celebrity. Since 2010, I've read or sampled four novels that have essentially reintroduced her story, dusting off some 1500 years of human history to breathe life into the legend she left behind. The most recent of these publications is The Eagle and the Swan by Carol Strickland.

Cross comparison serves no real purpose so I apologize for any disappointment my refusal to acquiesce to expectation may cause. I will note, however, significant appreciation for Strickland's unique voice. Considering the subject matter, I was initially worried The Eagle and the Swan might feel much like Duffy or Thornton's novels and was happy to discover her singular view of the material.

Strickland's distinct emphasis on historic detail was intensely interesting though in retrospect I feel this attention to detail proved somewhat detrimental to the pace of the narrative. Don't misunderstand, I love books that are well-researched and the texture such factual notation brings to a title, but I wont deny there were moments where Strickland’s story seemed to peter out amid the wealth of information presents to her readers.

Though a bit modern for the period, I actually liked Strickland's Theodora. Historically speaking, I think the author took certain liberties with her personality, but feel the underlying concepts expressed through the character more than adequate compensation for the discrepancy. What can I say folks? I like books that make you think.

The tale of an oft overlooked woman in a time that is all but forgotten, I found The Eagle and the Swan an enjoyable and thought-provoking read that was well worth looking into.

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"The secret of a great performance is to use the stage to let something inside you out, something that burns to escape. My life," she said, "is not something that happens to me. It's what I cause to happen."

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Check out all the stops on Carol strickland's The eagle and the swan virtual book tour

Thursday, March 13
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Monday, March 17
Review at Reading the Ages

Wednesday, March 19
Review at Unabridged Chick

Thursday, March 20
Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Monday, March 24
Interview & Giveaway at The Maiden’s Court

Tuesday, March 25
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, March 26
Guest Post at Kelsey’s Book Corner

Monday, March 31
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Wednesday, April 2
Review at Book Drunkard

Friday, April 4
Review at Just One More Chapter

Monday, April 7
Review & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Obsession

Wednesday, April 9
Review & Giveaway at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Thursday, April 10
Review & Giveaway at Curling Up By the Fire

Friday, April 11
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Monday, April 14
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Tuesday, April 15
Guest Post & Giveaway at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Wednesday, April 16
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Thursday, April 17
Guest Post & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

The Debt of Tamar by Nicole Dweck

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Read: January 14, 2014

During the second half of the 16th century, a wealthy widow by the name of Doña Antonia Nissim is arrested and charged with being a secret Jew. The punishment? Death by burning. Enter Suleiman the Magnificent, an Ottoman "Schindler," and the most celebrated sultan in all of Turkish history. With the help of the Sultan, the widow and her children manage their escape to Istanbul. Life is seemingly idyllic for the family in their new home, that is, until the Sultan's son meets and falls in love with Tamar, Doña Antonia's beautiful and free-spirited granddaughter. A quiet love affair ensues until one day, the girl vanishes. Over four centuries later, thirty-two year old Selim Osman, a playboy prince with a thriving real estate empire, is suddenly diagnosed with a life-theatening condition. Abandoning the mother of his unborn child, he vanishes from Istanbul without an explanation. In a Manhattan hospital, he meets Hannah, a talented artist and the daughter of a French Holocaust survivor. As their story intertwines with that of their ancestors, readers are taken back to Nazi-occupied Paris, and to a seaside village in the Holy Land where a world of secrets is illuminated. Theirs is a love that has been dormant for centuries, spanning continents, generations, oceans, and religions. Bound by a debt that has lingered through time, they must right the wrongs of the past if they're ever to break the shackles of their future.

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My name is Erin Davies and I am a cover slut. I see an attractive jacket and any and all impulse control goes straight out the window. Half the time I throw caution to the wind and don't even read the description... okay more than half the time, but it's my lie, I'll tell it the way I want. 

Now I know I should be ashamed at the shallowness of my selection process, but the truth is I'm not. It isn't a finite rule or anything, but quality jackets generally grace quality content. More importantly though, this tendency leads me to sample a lot of titles I would've otherwise passed without a second thought. Titles that turned out to be well-worth my time. Titles like Nicole Dweck's The Debt of Tamar.

A nontraditional and abstract romance, Dweck's is a beautifully poignant tale of love, loss, and redemption that touches multiple generations over more than five hundred years. Boasting a wide array of characters, I greatly appreciated the contrast Dweck created among the various protagonists and found much to admire in the philosophical complexities of their collective story.

Unfortunately for me, I found one of the novel's greatest strengths was also a significant frustration. I very much liked Dona Antonia Nissim and would have loved to spend hours in her company, but the shifting focus of the narrative quashed that desire almost as soon as it was born. This happened again and again, with Jose, Reyna, Tamar, Murat, Davide, Edward, Selim, Ayda and Hannah. There is an ethereal beauty in the interconnected tapestry of their lives, but I'm a selfish reader and felt somewhat cheated by the brevity of time I was allowed to spend with each of Dweck's brilliantly imagined cast. I understand the nature of this story is not conducive to such treatment, but I genuinely feel their personal journeys have potential beyond that depicted within these pages. 

My petty grievances aside, I found The Debt of Tamar a beautiful story that transcends traditional boundaries with timeless themes and evocative prose. A truly captivating debut that holds much promise for its author.

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Below, people were walking and moving about their business as usual. The gardeners tended the bushes, as though they still believed it were possible for life to grow. Jaffar, along with the other African eunuchs, continued to guard the gates under the mistaken impression that there was anything left on this earth still worth protecting. A bird chirped a contemptuous song of oblivion. White doves brazenly spread their wings and dove recklessly through the wanton sky.

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Check out all the stops on Nicole Dweck's The Debt of Tamar virtual book tour

Monday, February 24
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, February 25
Interview & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, February 26
Review at Unabridged Chick

Thursday, February 27
Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Friday, February 28
Review at History Undressed

Monday, March 3
Review at The Written World
Review at The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader
Review & Giveaway at Historical Tapestry

Tuesday, March 4
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book

Wednesday, March 5
Review at Just One More Chapter
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book

Thursday, March 6
Review at Stephanie Thornton Website

Friday, March 7
Review at The Maiden’s Court

Tuesday, March 11
Review at One Book at a Time
Review & Giveaway at The Eclectic Reader

Wednesday, March 12
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Thursday, March 13
Review at Kelsey’s Book Corner

Friday, March 14
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Monday, March 17
Review & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Tuesday, March 18
Review at Chick With Books

Wednesday, March 19
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Thursday, March 20
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Friday, March 21
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Monday, March 24
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Tuesday, March 25
Review at The Novel Life
Review & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, March 26
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Thursday, March 27
Review at Kincavel Korner

Friday, March 28
Review at The True Book Addict
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The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: November 6, 2013

The Lost Sisterhood tells the story of Diana, a young and aspiring--but somewhat aimless--professor at Oxford. Her fascination with the history of the Amazons, the legendary warrior women of ancient Greece, is deeply connected with her own family's history; her grandmother in particular. When Diana is invited to consult on an archeological excavation, she quickly realizes that here, finally, may be the proof that the Amazons were real. The Amazons' "true" story--and Diana's history--is threaded along with this modern day hunt. This historical back-story focuses on a group of women, and more specifically on two sisters, whose fight to survive takes us through ancient Athens and to Troy, where the novel reinvents our perspective on the famous Trojan War. The Lost Sisterhood features another group of iconic, legendary characters, another grand adventure--you'll see in these pages that Fortier understands the kind of audience she has built with Juliet, but also she's delivering a fresh new story to keep that audience coming back for more.

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I have a secret... Are you ready? 

I hate Romeo and Juliet. I'm not joking, the story annoys me to no end. I didn't even want to read Anne Fortier's debut, but it was the first title on the Goodreads giveaway page when I discovered that section of the site and I was a little excited at the novelty of it all. Now anyone familiar with the Goodreads giveaway algorithm knows I won the book, they also know I haven't won another in the three years since, but that's getting off topic. Point is I got a free read and though I had no love for the story that inspired it, I developed a deep appreciation for Fortier's re-imagining of the classic.

Now I know what you're thinking. What does this have to do with The Lost Sisterhood? It has to tie in somewhere right? Don't worry, it does. You see despite the esteem I hold for her earlier work, I didn't return to Fortier out of loyalty, nor did I fall prey to my weakness for eye catching cover art. No, the sad truth is I hate The Iliad and wanted to see if Fortier could work her magic a second time and rework the material into a tale I might actually enjoy. 

Was my reasoning shallow? Absolutely. Do I care? Not particularly. Did Fortier succeed? Without a doubt.

I am always a little hesitant when taking on books with duel storylines, but the format doesn't seem to pose a problem for Fortier. As with Juliet, she creates a nice symmetry between the two halves of the narrative and does so without sacrificing the integrity of either. They complement, but don't outright mimic, retaining a degree of distinction that allows the reader to appreciate each for entirely different reasons. 

Though polar opposites in terms of personality, both Diana and Myrina are driven by a personal agenda, both feel challenged by the men in their lives and both are forced to adapt to circumstances outside their control. Fortier counters this similarity with tone, centering Diana in a complex web intrigue and deceit while presenting Myrina's experiences as an emotional journey of self-discovery and inner strength. The inherent contrast makes both stories unique and allowed Fortier to explore various forms of feminine courage, vitality and endurance.

I personally preferred Myrina's story, but when you consider why I picked up The Lost Sisterhood, that isn't really surprising. Fortier alters the familiar tale, putting a unique spin on the story made famous in Homer's epic and though I didn't appreciate it as much as Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Firebrand, I was far from bored. Diana's story is the more predictable of the two, but I found the larger concepts incorporated into her portion of the narrative, the black market antiquities trade and complexities of artifact restitution, as fascinating as Fortier's version of the Trojan War.

The only thing I wasn't in love with was the length. At six hundred plus pages, The Lost Sisterhood is a tome and though volume in and of itself is not a factor in my personal rating system, momentum is. As much as I liked the story, I can't deny both the contemporary and ancient plots were padded with an unnecessary degree of superfluous information. It is great material and I don't begrudge Fortier's desire to include it, but I nonetheless feel it was detrimental to the pacing of her work and made it difficult to remain engaged in the story.

My mind may have wandered from time to time, but I enjoyed the book all the same. An imaginative blend of adventure, mythology and romance, The Lost Sisterhood is an alluring tale of buried secrets, forgotten truths and the feminine solidarity. 

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He poked at the jackal bracelet with evident loathing. “You make so much of this freedom of yours, yet allow yourself to be enslaved by a piece of metal.” Then, letting go of her, he took a few steps back, a challenge in his amber eyes. “If you really wish it were otherwise, make it so. You are the only one with the power to do that."

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