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Ancient History: A Novella
At what price wisdom?
A rediscovered library on an abandoned island sets off a political battle of wills. On one side are the powerful and entrenched Curators, who filter and preserve. On the other side are the upstart Historians, who want to find and share forgotten wisdom.
Ayef is a determined student with a magical talent for copying text. She was destined to become a Curator, but her real passion is solving history’s puzzles. She takes a chance to enlist with the Historians and is sent on a secret mission to the ancient library where she discovers friendship, love, and dangerous secrets.
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“An intriguing and thought-provoking story, with strong world-building and a compelling narrative. Ayef [is] a tenacious, brave, and principled character… determined and focused on completing her mission throughout, despite her growing feelings for [beautiful co-apprentice] Ori. The Orwellian element to the story debates whether the past should be fully accessible or strictly monitored and controlled. Are the Curators protecting or oppressing the people?” - Stephen Black, author of The Famine Witch
A rediscovered library on an abandoned island sets off a political battle of wills. On one side are the powerful and entrenched Curators, who filter and preserve. On the other side are the upstart Historians, who want to find and share forgotten wisdom.
Ayef is a determined student with a magical talent for copying text. She was destined to become a Curator, but her real passion is solving history’s puzzles. She takes a chance to enlist with the Historians and is sent on a secret mission to the ancient library where she discovers friendship, love, and dangerous secrets.
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“An intriguing and thought-provoking story, with strong world-building and a compelling narrative. Ayef [is] a tenacious, brave, and principled character… determined and focused on completing her mission throughout, despite her growing feelings for [beautiful co-apprentice] Ori. The Orwellian element to the story debates whether the past should be fully accessible or strictly monitored and controlled. Are the Curators protecting or oppressing the people?” - Stephen Black, author of The Famine Witch
110 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 25, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 8, 2025
Engaging and Entertaining
This cleverly conceived adventure manages to pack a wealth of thoughtful and relevant ideas into a tightly written slender volume of delightful prose. The characters are well-developed and believable. The magic system is interesting. The questions it raises about fundamental social issues such as historical perspective, governmental oversight, religious zealotry, and individual identity are expertly woven into a well-paced, engaging narrative. It left me hoping for a sequel.
This cleverly conceived adventure manages to pack a wealth of thoughtful and relevant ideas into a tightly written slender volume of delightful prose. The characters are well-developed and believable. The magic system is interesting. The questions it raises about fundamental social issues such as historical perspective, governmental oversight, religious zealotry, and individual identity are expertly woven into a well-paced, engaging narrative. It left me hoping for a sequel.
April 8, 2025
Ayef dreams of being a Curator, but after a bit of a shake-up, her dream shifts to becoming a Historian. Curators obscure the past, while Historians reveal it. This is the source of the main conflict of the plot and the mystery/reveal about the ancient secrets is interesting and complicated.
Along with the ancient mystery, there is a romantic subplot between Ayef and another main character. While, I, personally, felt that they fell in love a bit too fast, it was a still a very sweet, tender romance, and I was rooting for them in the end.
I recommend this book for fans of ancient mysteries, sapphic romance, strong heroines, and those who miss their university days.
Read my full review here: https://www.blog.melodyemcintyre.com/...
Along with the ancient mystery, there is a romantic subplot between Ayef and another main character. While, I, personally, felt that they fell in love a bit too fast, it was a still a very sweet, tender romance, and I was rooting for them in the end.
I recommend this book for fans of ancient mysteries, sapphic romance, strong heroines, and those who miss their university days.
Read my full review here: https://www.blog.melodyemcintyre.com/...
January 6, 2025
Ancient History comes in a small package but makes a memorable impression.
It's the story of Ayef, a girl with a valuable gift that allows her to duplicate text while reading it. She's recruited by the upstart Historians, who want to unearth and share all of the past's stories, instead of cherry-picking what people should know and destroying any mention of ideas that are deemed too dangerous, which is the established Curators' way. Ayef's mission is to join the exploration of an ancient archive discovered on an island and somehow bring back secret histories that Curator Dilmot, the person in charge, would otherwise burn. But Ayef finds love and many obstacles on the island, making her task overwhelming.
My favourite part of the book was its debate regarding how history should be treated and related. Through the Historians, it posits that every part of history, good or bad, is important to know and that everyone should have access to it. The Curators, on the other hand, knowing very well the horrors of the past and how easily a good or bad idea can take root, are adamant that there should be limits to what history is shared and that some events, names, or concepts are better off wiped from existence. Both points are nicely explored in the narrative through various effective characters.
Ayef is compelling as the protagonist and carries the story well. Her relationship with Ori is sweet and sad in how it impacts the mission. I do wish Curator Dilmot was developed a bit more, however, to make his progression smoother and more convincing. The ending and a few other elements just felt slightly rushed and not delved into enough.
That being said, Ancient History's simplicity is also an asset. Thanks to the narrative's easy-to-read yet thoroughly enjoyable writing style and plot, you can get through it quickly and come away with thought-provoking messages. This novella is great for fans of smooth fantasy stories with intellectual and LGBTQ+ themes at their heart.
Thank you to Reedsy Discovery and the author for a copy of this book. Read the original review here: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/anc...
It's the story of Ayef, a girl with a valuable gift that allows her to duplicate text while reading it. She's recruited by the upstart Historians, who want to unearth and share all of the past's stories, instead of cherry-picking what people should know and destroying any mention of ideas that are deemed too dangerous, which is the established Curators' way. Ayef's mission is to join the exploration of an ancient archive discovered on an island and somehow bring back secret histories that Curator Dilmot, the person in charge, would otherwise burn. But Ayef finds love and many obstacles on the island, making her task overwhelming.
My favourite part of the book was its debate regarding how history should be treated and related. Through the Historians, it posits that every part of history, good or bad, is important to know and that everyone should have access to it. The Curators, on the other hand, knowing very well the horrors of the past and how easily a good or bad idea can take root, are adamant that there should be limits to what history is shared and that some events, names, or concepts are better off wiped from existence. Both points are nicely explored in the narrative through various effective characters.
Ayef is compelling as the protagonist and carries the story well. Her relationship with Ori is sweet and sad in how it impacts the mission. I do wish Curator Dilmot was developed a bit more, however, to make his progression smoother and more convincing. The ending and a few other elements just felt slightly rushed and not delved into enough.
That being said, Ancient History's simplicity is also an asset. Thanks to the narrative's easy-to-read yet thoroughly enjoyable writing style and plot, you can get through it quickly and come away with thought-provoking messages. This novella is great for fans of smooth fantasy stories with intellectual and LGBTQ+ themes at their heart.
Thank you to Reedsy Discovery and the author for a copy of this book. Read the original review here: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/anc...
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews