A beleaguered queen’s gambit for maintaining power unravels as a son plots vengeance.
A tormented siren battles a goddess’s curse and the forces of nature to survive.
An exiled sorceress defies a lustful captain and his greedy crew.
A blinded shepherd swears revenge on the pirate-king who mutilated him.
A beautiful empress binds a shipwrecked sailor to servitude, only to wonder who is serving whom.
A young suitor dreams of love while a returned king conceives a savage retribution.
Six authors bring to life the epic tale of The Odyssey seen through the eyes of its shattered victims—the monsters, witches, lovers, and warriors whose lives were upended by the antics of the “man of many faces.” You may never look upon this timeless epic—and its iconic ancient hero—in quite the same way again.
AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | BARNES & NOBLE | CHAPTERS
~~~oOo~~~
MY REVIEW
History is written by the victors, so for, oh, millennia we have viewed Odysseus only as a hero, struggling to return to Ithaca, for TEN YEARS after the Trojan War. Not much is written about those people left behind at home.
His wife must not only take on the duties of a king, she must make sure there is enough food to eat, not only for her house but for everyone. She has to placate the citizens, which she does by housing their sons in the palace. Towards the end of the ten years, many of them are grown or nearly grown and start to look on the queen as a potential mate.
Not to belittle by any means the contributions of soldiers on the fields of battle, but many, many other people (friends, family, associates) go through battles of their own as they go about their lives when their loved ones are at war.
The first time I was away from all my children at the same time for more than twelve hours, they went with their father out of state while I stayed home to work. I got a tat on my shoulder of their initials in hearts. And it was still an awful week. So if my spouse had gone on a tour of duty...which stretched into ten years??? I'd be a little greasy puddle on the floor at the end. It takes tremendous strength, endurance and fortitude to be the wife or husband of a soldier.
I applaud the authors for bringing this historical period to life for the readers of today, in our 'modern' language, making the story accessible to a wider range of people. And I've known couples or parent-child or even two friends writing a book together (and often wondered how that worked). But SIX (6)?!?!? There is a wonderful continuity and cohesion in the book. It's like viewing a large painting or tapestry. Many different things are going on in different areas of the art. Focusing on the individuals' stories helps us gain a deeper understanding of them, while standing back allows us to see the 'big picture'.
~~~oOo~~~
About the Authors
Amalia Carosella graduated from the University of North Dakota with a bachelors degree in Classical Studies and English. An avid reader and former bookseller, she writes about old heroes and older gods. She lives with her husband in upstate New York and dreams of the day she will own goats (and maybe even a horse, too). Amalia’s novels include Tamer of Horses, Helen of Sparta, By Helen’s Hand, and Daughter of a Thousand Years.
~~~oOo~~~
David Blixt‘s work is consistently described as “intricate,” “taut,” and “breathtaking.” A writer of Historical Fiction, his novels span the early Roman Empire (the COLOSSUS series, his play EVE OF IDES) to early Renaissance Italy (the STAR-CROSS’D series) up through the Elizabethan era (his delightful espionage comedy HER MAJESTY’S WILL, starring Will Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe as inept spies). His novels combine a love of the theatre with a deep respect for the quirks and passions of history.
Living in Chicago with his wife and two children, he describes himself as “actor, author, father, husband. In reverse order.”
~~~oOo~~~
Libbie Hawker writes historical and literary fiction featuring complex characters and rich details of time and place. Libbie’s recent novels include Daughter of Sand and Stone, Mercer Girls, A Song of War, White Lotus and Persian Rose.
She lives in the San Juan Islands of Washington State.
~~~oOo~~~
Russell Whitfield was born in Shepherds Bush in 1971. An only child, he was raised in Hounslow, West London, but has since escaped to Ham in Surrey.
Gladiatrix was Russ’s first novel, published in 2008 by Myrmidon Books. The sequel, Roma Victrix, continues the adventures Lysandra, the Spartan gladiatrix, and a third book, Imperatrix, sees Lysandra stepping out of the arena and onto the field of battle.
~~~oOo~~~
Scott Oden was born in Indiana, but has spent most of his life shuffling between his home in rural North Alabama, a Hobbit hole in Middle-earth, and some sketchy tavern in the Hyborian Age. He is an avid reader of fantasy and ancient history, a collector of swords, and a player of tabletop role-playing games. When not writing, he can be found walking his two dogs or doting over his lovely wife, Shannon.
Oden’s previous works include the historical fantasy, The Lion of Cairo, and two historical novels, Men of Bronze and Memnon. He is currently working on his next novel.
~~~oOo~~~
~~~oOo~~~
GIVEAWAY!!!
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a paperback copy of A Sea of Sorrow: A Novel of Odysseus! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 17th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to residents in the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
A Sea of Sorrow
~~~oOo~~~
Click here to go to the tour page, where you will find links to more reviews of this title. You can also find out how to become a blog host for future book tours while you are there!
(Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author and publishers, via Historical Fiction Virtual book tours, in exchange for my honest review.)
No comments:
Post a Comment