After years as a soldier and mercenary, Rasheed has retired from battle to run the bathhouse in Thebes with his friends Gillen and Eudocia. The simple life suits them, so when Venetian strangers come to town looking to hire the renowned crew, their answer is no. But when one of his friends is abducted, Rasheed is left with no choice but to take up his weapons and join forces with the Venetians, including the beautiful and clever Cecilia, whose betrothed has also been seized by the unknown foe.
As the reluctant allies face ambushes and the looming threat of capture, Rasheed and Cecilia forge a surprising connection. But as the party races to rescue their friends, Rasheed discovers that nothing is as it seems. As his trust in Cecilia begins to waver, he realizes that in the end, they will both be forced to make a choice between love and duty.
REVIEW
Do you love adventure, mystery, intrigue, and spies? This is the book for you. There were even elements of family, forgiveness, and a little romance for good measure..
Rasheed is a man without a country and the story comes from his perspective. He remains with Gil and Eudocia and runs a bath house, when a run in with Venetians and others changes their trajectory and forces them to try and rescue Eudocia from parties unknown.
What ensues is a high adventure fraught with danger as well as a story of faith and forgiveness.. Rasheed and his friends find themselves tentative allies with a group that they are unsure they can trust.
This tale was full of twists and turns and I felt that I was in the ride too, with less danger than the characters. There was a realism in this story that comes from a true understanding of people and of history. I would highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction where the history is well researched and even if an event didn't happen, you are left feeling it could have happened that way.
I feel blessed to have received an early copy and am happy to my thoughts in review.
Author bio:
A. L. Sowards is the author of multiple historical fiction novels, with settings spanning the globe from the fourteenth to twentieth centuries. Her stories have earned a Whitney Award, several Whitney Finalists positions, and a Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal. She enjoys hiking and swimming, usually manages to keep up with the laundry, and loves it when someone else cooks dinner. She currently lives in the beautiful state of Alaska with her husband, three children, and an ever-growing library.