Fire and Ash
Gifts of the Gods, Book 3
By Thomas J Berry
Gifts of the Gods, Book 3
By Thomas J Berry
Five men and women in Ancient Greece are set on a dangerous journey of self-discovery during the bitter conflict of the Peloponnesian War.
While mighty Athens struggles to rebuild after a devastating campaign abroad, the feared warriors of Sparta prepare to deliver the final blow in a decades long war. No one is safe anymore as the conflict shifts across the Aegean to the shores of wealthy Persia. Old colonies, once loyal to Athens, are eager to rebel and the Great King is willing to pay anything to regain his control over them. These coastal plains set the stage for massive battles and heartbreaking defeats. This time there will be only one true victor.
The news coming out of Sicily ripples across the cities of Ancient Greece like a thunderbolt and it is left to the poor and desperate to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. One young mother is suddenly faced with a horrible tragedy and struggles against all odds to make a new life for her family. An eager boy looking for adventure enlists in the new Athenian ranks but finds life on campaign a lot more than he bargained for. A Spartan officer in the twilight of his years struggles to adapt to a young man's army and an exiled Athenian strives to earn his way back into the graces of his beloved city. The harem girls in a Persian court meet a handsome foreigner and one risks everything for a chance at love.
As the conflict between Athens and Sparta builds to a final showdown, five men and women struggle to come to terms with their changing world. What will they find in the ashes when peace finally comes?
Book Title: Fire and Ash
Series: Gifts of the Gods, Book 3
Author: Thomas J Berry
Publication Date: 10th October 2020
Publisher: BookLocker
Page Length: 450 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
MY THOUGHTS!
One word – WOW!
I have to admit that although I studied Ancient Rome when I learnt Latin, the most I know about Ancient Greece was what I learnt from Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series when I was a teen, and that really only covered the Greek Gods, so I was both looking forward and dreading reading Fire and Ash. I was dreading reading it because I know nothing about the Peloponnesian War, but I was also really looking forward to it because the blurb was irresistible alluring. I did throw myself into the deep end by starting with the last book in the series first, but thankfully I found that this did not hinder my enjoyment at all, for I soon got to grips with who the characters were and what the situation was.
This story is jam-packed with action. It really does have it all. There are battle scenes, conniving politicians, cruel executions, as well as several, what are you doing? Why are you not listening to him he knows what he is talking about, moments!! This book had me on the edge of my seat on more than one occasion.
By telling this story through five very different points of view, I felt the author gave a very balanced account of the war. But as so often happens with multiple points of view, I found myself favouring several of the characters – Timandra being my absolute favourite.
Timandra's narrative is a moving love story, but it is also used to show the duplicity of one man, who I have to admit I have since Googled, called Alcibiades. Timandra falls deeply in love with Alcibiades, but Alcibiades is this very slippery character who often plays one side off against the other, and his almost constant changing of allegiance was enough to give anyone a headache – no wonder he made so many enemies! And although I think Timandra is a fictional character, I thought she really helped to tell Alcibiades' side of the story. We learn why he did what he did and what happened when his advice on military strategies was not taken seriously – despite all his duplicity, this man knew what he was talking about. This novel has certainly piqued my interest in this man, and I am looking forward to learning more about him.
Likewise, I took to Lissy, and I think the reason why I favoured the women so much in this book is that they see things very differently to the men. The men see glory or failure in war; the women see pain, suffering and the pointlessness of it all. I thought it was inspired to use women protagonists to help tell this story. I have read many fiction books about Ancient Rome where the protagonists are dominantly male, so it was a real treat to have female protagonists for a change.
I thought this novel was fabulous in every way. It is a real page-turner and one I could not put down. I will certainly, when time allows, be reading the first two books in this series.
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Thomas Berry
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