T.L. Higley

Dear Readers,

I really enjoy reading T.L. Higley’s books.  I always learn something about the culture she writes about.  Pompeii is her most recent book, but I put off reading it until it was closer to when my book club was going to read it.  I am so glad I got a chance to read it and I can’t wait to discuss it with the ladies as they all have different views of the book and what they liked and didn’t like. 

Of course this is set in Pompeii just before the mountain erupts on them all.  In some ways I don’t like that as I do know how the book will end.  Then Vesuvius does blow and destroy the town.  It kills thousands of people.  Pompeii was a beautiful playground for the idle rich back in the time of the Roman Empire.   Because of the way the disaster happened, we have been able to see a lot about the Roman life which we may never have learned otherwise.  Things, people, and animals were all preserved in the ash that poured out of the mountain, waiting for us to find years later. 

Ariella runs from an owner who used her for his own perverted pleasure.  She trades her life as a woman for that of a young boy learning the gladiator trade.  She has learned not to trust anyone with her life and plans except herself.  

Cato has fled Rome in disgrace.  His plans for his political future are in ashes behind him.  He vows to not be drawn into the politics of Pompeii, he just wants to run and own his vineyard and grow good grapes and make great wine.  That is until he meets the guy who is charge of Pompeii. Cato realizes that Maius runs the city through threats, blackmail and extortion.  Cato’s sense of justice rises to the surface and he is faced with the choice on whether the gods led him here just for this reason.

I found out lots about Roman life I really didn’t know, but there were other things I read that I already knew.  The corruption and greed of the ruling class in the Roman Empire was great.  The little guys had no way to get out from under their thumbs.  The way the rich pursued any and all avenues of entertainment was amazing.  Because they had someone or something to do their work for them, they were just bored and looking for a new way to be excited by something.   It all was just a little chilling if you want to draw parallels between Rome and the USA.  I had to remind myself a couple of times that no this was not a book about modern times, as close as it seemed sometimes. 

Happy Reading.

T.L. Higley

Dear Readers,

I have been reading T.L. Higley's books for years now.  The first few I read I enjoyed, but yet thought they could be better.  I kept thinking that they read too much like a history book instead of a fiction book.   The characters left a bit to be desired. 

Then she started the Wonders of the Ancient World series and I was completely hooked.  I was waiting for the next one to come out and to my surprise Petra came first.  This is a stand alone that has nothing to do with the series even though it could fit in it very well.

Cassia flees her home in the hopes of giving her son and herself a future.  She just finds more than she was counting on.  When they arrive in Petra, Aretas' home town, she finds out more than she bargained for.  Aretas is the missing prince of Petra and Alexander will be the next in line for the throne.

Of course not everyone is glad to see Alexander and mother and son get caught up in a spiritual battle for not only their own lives, but the very souls of the city.  The tiny little church of Petra is asked to stand between the city and the dark forces that are trying to take control.  With persecution starting to get worse, will the people be willing to risk their lives and the lives of their families for the life of one little boy?

I have found the city of Petra an interesting place.  A few years ago there was a display of the city at Calvin College and my youngest daughter was able to go and view it for school.  She still talks about it and I wish that I had taken the time to go.  It is an interesting city in how it was carved out of the cliffs of stone. 

The book itself explains some of  it and how the people that lived there were very creative in how not only their houses and shops were placed in the walls of the canyon, but even their tombs were carved into the wall.   So not only did I enjoy the story, I enjoyed learning a bit more about Petra and going to T.L.'s website to learn even more.  NoPassportRequired.com

Happy Reading
Chris

T.L. Higley

Dear Readers,

Ok I have to admit when I first heard about this series I wasn't sure how well it would do or if I would even like it. I had read a couple of T.L. Higley's other books and they were ok, but in the Seven Wonders series she seems to be perfecting her craft. Her characters are much more 3 dimensional and the stories read less like a history lesson.

Guardian of the Flame is the 3rd of the series and the 2nd one I read. The one I missed, number 2, is City of the Dead and set during the time of the construction of the Pyramids. I was just handed a copy of that one today and will be reading it soon.

Guardian is set in Egypt again only in Alexandria and centers on the lighthouse that was built there in 250 BC. It stood guard over the harbor, guiding ships in through the harbor reefs and shallows. Sophia is the guardian of the lighthouse, making sure that the flame never goes out. She is seen by the people of Alexandria to be cruel, unloving and someone that you just don't want to meet. She seldom leaves the lighthouse and pretty much keeps to herself. As you read her story, you come to understand that she is just trying to protect herself from more hurt. That is until her past student, Cleopatra, returns to the city to reclaim the crown that her brother has stolen from her.

At the same time Julius Caesar arrives in Alexandria to seek repayment of a debt long over due. The city is in turmoil, and Caesar orders one of his platoons to take over the control of the Lighthouse so their fleets will be guaranteed safe passage into the harbor. Bellus is not thrilled with his new orders, but knows that he deserves much worse for how poorly his soldiers did in the battle for the city. Sophia has meet her match in Bellus and for some reason finds herself drawn more and more to him.

This is an action packed book. The battle for Alexandria kept my attention because of all the political intrigue that is involved. Keeping all the Egyptian names straight did prove to be a bit of a challenge, but didn't take away from the story at all. I loved the history of it all and I did learn stuff that I didn't know before. Which is always interesting. I think that the next four books of this series will prove just as interesting and am looking forward to the chance to read them.

Happy Reading
Chris

P.S. I did do a review of Shadow of Colossus back when it was released in Oct. If you didn't get that one or don't remember it, you can go to my blog to view it. bbhfiction.blogspot.com. Just scroll down to reviews by author on the right hand side and find T.L. Higley. If you click on that one it will bring it right up.