Written in Ashes Book Tour

Who burned the Great Library of Alexandria? When the Roman Empire
collapses in the 5th century, the city of Alexandria, Egypt is plagued with
unrest. Paganism is declared punishable by death and the populace splinters in
religious upheaval.





Hannah, a beautiful Jewish shepherd girl is abducted from her home in
the mountains of Sinai and sold as a slave in Alexandria to Alizar, an
alchemist and successful vintner. Her rapturous singing voice destines her to
become the most celebrated bard in the Great Library. Meanwhile, the city’s
bishop, Cyril, rises in power as his priests roam the streets persecuting the
pagans. But while most citizens submit, a small resistance fights for justice.
Hypatia, the library’s charismatic headmistress, summons her allies to protect
the world’s knowledge from the escalating violence.




Risking his life, his family, and his hard-earned fortune, Alizar leads
the conspiracy by secretly copying the library’s treasured manuscripts and
smuggling them to safety. When Hannah becomes the bishop’s target, she is
sequestered across the harbor in the Temple of Isis. But an ancient ceremonial
rite between a monk and priestess inside the Pharos lighthouse ignites a forbidden
passion.




Torn between the men she loves, Hannah must undertake a quest to the
lost oracles of Delfi and Amun-Ra to find the one thing powerful enough to
protect the pagans: The Emerald Tablet. Meanwhile, the Christians siege the
city, exile the Jews, and fight the dwindling pagan resistance as the Great
Library crumbles. But not everything is lost…




Written in the Ashes by K. Hollan Van Zandt is an intriguing read. Elegant
prose lines the pages of this epic novel. The story takes place in 5th
century Alexandria where Greek, Roman, and Egyptian culture converges and
clashes. At the heart of the story is a young shepherd girl named Hannah who is
abducted and sold into slavery. Born with a splendid voice, her singing raises
her from the dark side of slavery and sends her into the Great Library of
Alexandria as a student and performer.




This novel has much going for it. There is fascinating history, an
adventurous quest for a lost tablet, romance, a touch of mystery, myth, and magic,
and some powerful female characters. I enjoyed the elegant prose and the
ability of the author to weave a good tale with plenty of plot twists to keep
the reader interested. At times, the pace did slow a little, likely due to the
amount of detail provided, but the interesting storyline held me and kept me
reading to the end. Hypathia, a true historical figure of the times, plays a role
in the story, as does the lost Great Library of Alexandria, a mystery, which
exists to this day.




I offer high praise to the author
for doing a spectacular job recreating a long lost era with a flair for
intricate details and a rich plot. The story was interesting and I enjoyed the
elements of magic and mysticism woven into the story. The novel is quite
ambitious and therefore required a strong focus and concentration while reading.
There is much taking place and this book will provide hours of entertainment and
a bit of learning about an era long forgotten. Definitely recommended for those
who love ancient eras.  






I LOVE COMMENTS



From History and Women