I have a special place in my heart for historical fiction that takes place in ancient times so I was very happy to accept a copy of Origins by Nicole Sallak Anderson from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours at no charge for my honest review.
About Origins:
In the year 205 B.C., after centuries of Persian and Macedonian occupation, a rebel king rises from the south to take ancient Egypt back unto native hands. He will battle the Ptolemy line for twenty years, and rule almost eighty percent of Egypt, yet in the end, history will never mention his name.
Born Prince Ankhmakis, the last in a line of native Egyptian kings, he is raised with one purpose—to help his father reclaim Egypt from the Macedonian occupiers and return their country to dynastic greatness. Fate, however, has its own plans. For lies and deceit live in the hearts of all involved, from his family to the priesthood, and the Greeks aren’t the only ones who seek to destroy him.
Natasa is in training to become the High Priestess of the temple of Isis. Her task is to strengthen the royal family with the magic of the goddess through love and pleasure. She never thought the connection between her and Ankhmakis could be so strong, or carry a power coveted by those lurking in the shadows. Nor did she know that the child they would create would have her own great destiny to fulfill.
Together, Ankhmakis and Natasa must defend the potential of their love from those who would seek to use it for their own gain. Theirs is a world of magic, power, riches, and lust, and there are those within the court who would do anything to keep Ankhmakis and Natasa apart. Between mystical forces, murder, and illicit schemes–only the gods know if they’ll survive.
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About the Author:
Nicole Sallak Anderson is Computer Science graduate from Purdue University, and former CTO for a small Silicon Valley startup, turned novelist and blogger, focusing on the intersection of technology and consciousness. She currently lives in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains in California with her husband, where she raises goats and bees. She enjoys spinning, knitting, playing the bass, and dancing, particularly the tango. You can keep up with all her latest writing by following @NSallakAnderson on Facebook, Twitter and Medium or her website www.nicolesallakanderson.com. Feel free to contact her, she almost always answers to any query or comment!
My Opinion:
Origins is the first book of a trilogy and if they are all as well written and exciting as this first it will be a reading experience. I love ancient history and most that I end up reading takes place in Rome, not Egypt so this was a lovely change of place. I admit to not knowing much about this period of time or about what was going on in Egypt at the time which is why I so love reading historical fiction; it gets a person intrigued and then you go and learn more and more. After I get through my American history books that I ordered I will be looking into early Egypt next.
Ankhmakis knows he was born to rule even though he is not the intended. His plan is to return his family line to rule in Egypt from the Macedonian occupiers. He knows this is his destiny. The book is based in fact and Ms. Anderson uses the historical traces of this real life prince to create a page turning read. She has taken bits and pieces to form unique and fascinating characters. The mystical aspects add so much depth to the overall story. It packs a punch on many levels from the history to the family drama to the love story. I will look forward to the continuing saga.
Rating:
5
The Giveaway:
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a paperback copy of Origins! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.
The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on September 18th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
