Yes, things are defintely getting beyond a straight historical fiction, but it doesn't read like just fantasy either. The story of Ash is supposedly a manuscript translation, but the editor wants to yank the project because the manuscripts are disappearing from their supposed libraries. Meanwhile the translator has joined an archaelogical expedition and is finding evidence supporting the events in Ash's life.
This second book has a very different sense than the first one, since we meet her as a competent leader, and now she's reduced to a defeated slave. But with two more books to go, there are plenty more plot developments, and they are very surprising. The "voice" in Ash's head is not what she thought it was in Book 1, and dealing with it takes up a good deal of her worries (that is, when she isn't plotting her escape). Her husband shows up in Carthage, too, and she gets to watch the politics of the amirs here after handling European nobility in book 1. Have I mentioned that there is a lot going on here?
Keep at it and enjoy. Check out the reviews of Book 1: A Secret History if you haven't already.
I was tempted to give this book only three stars. The first fifty pages of the book, as well as the last hundred, were exciting and very engaging reading. Unfortunately, the middle two hundred or so pages did not do much to advance the story. The problem was that not much really happened. Sure, we learn some important backstory and a lot of the relevant politics, but it was severely bogged down with superfluous scenes and interior monologues that could easily have been cut without losing anything from the story.
The main reason I didn't give it three stars was the fact that there were so many mysteries that were hinted at in the first book that were unearthed in this one that it made for some very interesting reading. We learn about Ash's past, what her voice really is, as well as more of the history of the world in which she lives. In addition, the final hundred pages were so full of action and military operations, that it was impossible to put the book down. This is the type of action that I had been expecting in a book about a mercenary captain that seemed so sorely lacking in the first book. The author also hits us with another revelation and an even bigger mystery in the last portion of the book. I couldn't wait to get to the next one in the series and see if we didn't find out what was truly going on.
Despite the shortcomings of the storytelling in the middle of the book, I still felt that this was a better than average fantasy story and, thus, felt compelled to give it a four star rating. If you enjoyed the first book in the series (and you'd better read it before trying this one), this one should also grab your attention. This is a must read series for any fantasy fan, especially for those who enjoy stories with a military bent.
And when Ash is commanding her men in battle, shouting orders, getting her men in position, I can almost smell the smoke from Angelotti's guns and hear the screams of the horses. These are the best parts of the book. The author definately knows how to present a battle scene from the perspective of a company captain.
Unfortunately, there is too little action in the first two books, and especially this book. Ash's long periods of self-examination really grow boring and add nothing to the story, except a feeling of "hey, no kidding Ash; you just figured that out?". This book is about 200 pages too long. And slow. And Ashes attraction to del Guiz makes her seems EXTREMELY shallow.
But despite all that, I'm still drawn to the story because, first, I keep waiting for a battle and second, I love the feeling of being dropped into the period. The author's research into battle tactics and the period itself really make the story come alive.
I would recommend the book to people who like historical novels or who might enjoy the medieval mercenary setting. The series is worth a look.
Glenn Bontrager
The undefeated legions that are the army of Carthage rampage across the kingdoms of Europe. Beneath a sunless sky, Burgundy alone stands in the path of the Visigoth horde and their legendary slave general, the Faris. Deep in enemy territory lies a living stone idol of frightening power that must be destroyed if anyone is to survive, a being that whispers in Ash's soul, that has guided her through every military campaign, that only she and her enemy--her twin--can hear.
But there is an even greater evil that lurks at Carthage, one that created the stone idol and shaped Ash's existence. It plots with deadly purpose the final annihilation that will wipe Burgundy from the face of the earth. For Burgundy lies at the heart of it all--the richest prize in Europe and the key to the world--the jewel of the Carthaginian campaign.
The undefeated legions that are the army of Carthage rampage across the kingdoms of Europe.Beneath a sunless sky, Burgundy alone stands in the path of the Visigoth horde and their legendary slave general, the Faris. Deep in enemy territory lies a living stone idol of frightening power that must be destroyed if anyone is to survive, a being that whispers in Ash's soul, that has guided her through every military campaign, that only she and her enemy--her twin--can hear.