Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Daughter of Sand and Stone by Libbie Hawker Book Review







Title: Daughter of Sand and Stone
Author: by Libbie Hawker
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Pages: 328
Release Date: December 1, 2015
Genre: Historical Fiction


When Zenobia takes control of her own fate, will the gods punish her audacity?

Zenobia, the proud daughter of a Syrian sheikh, refuses to marry against her will. She won’t submit to a lifetime of subservience. When her father dies, she sets out on her own, pursuing the power she believes to be her birthright, dreaming of the Roman Empire’s downfall and her ascendance to the throne.

Defying her family, Zenobia arranges her own marriage to the most influential man in the city of Palmyra. But their union is anything but peaceful—his other wife begrudges the marriage and the birth of Zenobia’s son, and Zenobia finds herself ever more drawn to her guardsman, Zabdas. As war breaks out, she’s faced with terrible choices.

From the decadent halls of Rome to the golden sands of Egypt, Zenobia fights for power, for love, and for her son. But will her hubris draw the wrath of the gods? Will she learn a “woman’s place,” or can she finally stake her claim as Empress of the East?From the New York Times bestselling author of Belong to Me, Love Walked In, and Falling Together comes a captivating novel about friendship, family, second chances, and the redemptive power of love.



Historical fiction used to be something I turned my nose up at - thankfully over the years I decided to give it a try and have found it to be one of my favorite genres. I jumped at the chance to read this book.

What does historical fiction have over other books? For me, it takes a little more dedication in that you want the reader to be transported back in time, and I think a good author will do some research to ensure that it is as accurate as possible. And this book did the job.

Who couldn't love Zenobia? A young woman striving for more than a meager existence. It is hard enough in current times, much less many, many years ago. The writing jumped off the page, grabbing hold and pulling you through the turmoil and triumphs beautifully encased as a novel. Great story and well put together.




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Libbie was born in Rexburg, Idaho and divided her childhood between Eastern Idaho's rural environs and the greater Seattle area. She presently lives in Seattle, but has also been a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah; Bellingham, Washington; and Tacoma, Washington. She loves to write about character and place, and is inspired by the bleak natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain region and by the fascinating history of the Puget Sound.

After three years of trying to break into the publishing industry with her various books under two different pen names, Libbie finally turned her back on the mainstream publishing industry and embraced independent publishing. She now writes her self-published fiction full-time, and enjoys the fact that the writing career she always dreamed of having is fully under her own control.

Libbie's writerly influences are varied, and include Vladimir Nabokov, Hilary Mantel, Annie Dillard, George R. R. Martin, songwriter Neko Case, and mixed-media storyteller Chris Onstad, to name but a few. 

She previously wrote under the pen name L.M. Ironside (historical fiction)

7 comments:

  1. Historical fiction is my very favorite genre but I've never read anything about Zenobia.

    Thanks for being a part of the tour!

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  2. The book is good to read. Your review is also magnificently written. Writer should consider self-publishing to write a book, because it is getting popular among the readers. They are wanting to access books using e-book devices.

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