Thursday, April 10, 2014

The Lost Sisterhood

Anne Fortier



Oxford lecturer Diana Morgan is an expert on Greek mythology. Her obsession with the Amazons started in childhood when her eccentric grandmother claimed to be one herself—before vanishing without a trace. Diana’s colleagues shake their heads at her Amazon fixation. But then a mysterious, well-financed foundation makes Diana an offer she cannot refuse.

Traveling to North Africa, Diana teams up with Nick Barran, an enigmatic Middle Eastern guide, and begins deciphering an unusual inscription on the wall of a recently unearthed temple. There she discovers the name of the first Amazon queen, Myrina, who crossed the Mediterranean in a heroic attempt to liberate her kidnapped sisters from Greek pirates, only to become embroiled in the most famous conflict of the ancient world—the Trojan War. Taking their cue from the inscription, Diana and Nick set out to find the fabled treasure that Myrina and her Amazon sisters salvaged from the embattled city of Troy so long ago. Diana doesn’t know the nature of the treasure, but she does know that someone is shadowing her, and that Nick has a sinister agenda of his own. With danger lurking at every turn, and unsure of whom to trust, Diana finds herself on a daring and dangerous quest for truth that will forever change her world.

Sweeping from England to North Africa to Greece and the ruins of ancient Troy, and navigating between present and past, The Lost Sisterhood is a breathtaking, passionate adventure of two women on parallel journeys, separated by time, who must fight to keep the lives and legacy of the Amazons from being lost forever.(from Netgalley)

My Thoughts
 

This is the story of Myrina, the first Amazon queen, and Diana Morgan, an Oxford lecturer. Diana has been fascinated by the stories of the Amazons because her grandmother claimed to be one. Everyone passed Grandma off as being a little off kilter (aka - the lights are on, but no one’s at home), but Diana sensed there was something behind her Grandmother’s stories. When Diana is given the opportunity to finally find out the true stories behind the Amazons, she just can’t resist.

Told in the alternating voices of Myrina and Diana, I found this story to be very interesting. We meet Myrina as a young girl, and her path to becoming the first queen of the Amazons is often filled with struggles and sadness. On the other hand, Diana’s story provides much historical information, lots of adventure and a touch of romance.

I really liked the way the author wove this story. As Diana’s adventure uncovers clues about the Amazon, Myrina’s story explains the history behind each artifacts creation. I know nothing about the Greeks, or the story behind Troy, so I found this part of the book fascinating. For me, this is the kind of book that as a reader, I had to toss all caution to the wind. Was everything plausible - maybe not. But honestly - who cares. It was a fun read and kept me interested.

My thanks to Random House/Ballantine, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.



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