Across Ancient Sands: Uncovering a Bronze Age journey a… (2024)

I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via the author.

Across Ancient Sands is an amazingly written archaeological story about Dr Jade Asher-Reece and her friend Dr Tariq Al-Maquari and their time spent on archaeological excavations in the Algerian desert. They discover some amazing finds which then launches the questions and investigation into how Phoenician relics have been discovered in the Algerian desert during this time period. So many amazing discovery's are unearthed and the side story's that occur within this book are amazing. I loved the attention to detail the author provides within this story and the twists and turns that happen to the characters are well plotted, believable and very well executed! If your looking for a story rich with historical knowledge and adventure you really need to read this book! Your in for a treat with the amazing artwork within this book too which is also by the author.

Name- Across Ancient Sands
Author- Eric Horn
Published- Amazon Kindle
Length- 308(pdf)
Rate- 4/5
Cover- 4.5/5
My Review:-
Genre: Across Ancient Sands by Eric Horn is a historical fiction.
Plot: This book follows the journey of excavation led by Dr. Jade Asher Reece and Dr. Tariq al-Maqqari. Jade and Tariq just unearthed some remains of pottery which had resemblance with the bronze age in the middle of nowhere near the Mediterranean. Some locals reported that some blocks of stones with some inscriptions have been noticed suddenly. A gropu of grad students led my Jade and Tariq reached the place. While the students were having lunch Jade and Tariq unearthed some remains of Phoenecian pottery from under a trench. With excitement buried deep inside they tell the local excavators to go back because the place had no historical importance. If the locals found out the importance this may risk the attacks of looteras. So with a team of 10-12 grad students Jade and Tariq start excavating. Throughout the journey they discover a lot of unidentified relics whose composition tells them they should not be here. The potteries, papyrus and incriptions show a mixture of Phoenician and Egyptian civilisation which has resemblance to bronze age.

This book is the perfect mixture of information and suspense. In a nutshell this book will provide one with a lot of informations and the reader will be glued to their seats. The illustrations here are beautiful and are the author's own creation. The language is quite lucid. Overall I liked the book and will obviously recommend to a newbie reader. The cover is also designed by the author himself.

Initially, I was quite thrown by this book. I couldn’t work out if it was going to be fiction or non-fiction based off of its appearance and blurb - and this sense of ‘too-detailed and specific to be fiction’ and ‘too narrative-driven to be non-fiction’ continued for a while, but once I got into the book, it was engaging!
I think this is a book that is best suited for someone with a background knowledge of archeology and doesn’t just want historical fiction but something that specifically fits that niche. I found the melding of timelines a little confusing but intriguing.

Overall, a good read, well-researched and just bear with the initial confusion to get to a really fascinating narrative.

Reading this book reminded me of my childhood dreams of being an archeologist. I had a history book about Ancient Egypt and how they lived in their own time. If I were imagining what the archeologists were doing, it would have been exactly like this in an amazing book by Eric Horn.

As Dr. Jade Asher and Dr. Tariq al-Maqqari excavating with American students, they are fighting with time and language barriers. The story evolves itself slowly and steadily with unidentified artifacts, that seem to be out of place in Algeria. With great certainty, Jade and Tariq are sure that there would be looters before they can make their discoveries about the site. With that, they try to be as discreet as possible. Only letting Dr. Molloy, who is a trusted translator, Jade tries to work against time.

I truly enjoyed reading and discovering artifacts and side stories within the book. Not being an expert in the practical side of archeology, it was such a joyful ride to learn a bit more about it with a fictional story. The illustrations were so beautiful as well, which captured my attention even more. The descriptions about the artifacts and the stories from Ancient Egypt and Greece completed the entire archeological atmosphere under the burning sun.

I definitely recommend this book to ancient history and archeology lovers and readers, who are new to these topics.

Steeped in a backdrop of myth and mystery, this story features an unfolding investigation at an archaeological site, as a team uncovers a never-before-seen epic tale of heroes and gods. It is thoroughly researched and brought to life by Eric's drawings, which add an immersive dimension, as we see them and the poetic passages at the same time as the characters.

Set against a backdrop of myth and mystery, our main character Jade works with her team to dig for centuries-old artefacts, and the story that goes with them. For those who enjoy archaeology and ancient art, there are interesting details throughout as the dig uncovers new instalments of the central myth. Therefore, the story can be seen from an intellectual perspective, but it also has emotional depth, with its character relationships and progression, which come to a satisfying close at the end.

For those who enjoy archaeology and ancient art, there are interesting details throughout as new instalments of the central myth are uncovered. Greek Mythology fans will recognise names mentioned (Agamemnon, Odysseus, Achilles) and its overall message emphasises the joy of working on something you’re passionate about. There is also an acute sensitivity to the surrounding religions, cultures and backgrounds of the characters.

I grew to love the main characters and how they were brought to life – the endearingly chaotic but determined Jade, the caring but reclusive Tariq, the bubbly and quick-witted Yesenia, and the bumbling and eccentric Ryan. I particularly enjoyed seeing the development of Jade’s relationships with Tariq, Yesenia and Avery, and Ryan’s entertaining interactions with everyone (he has an energy that reminds me of Siegfried from All Creatures). Some of the other side characters weren’t so distinctive, but still helped to ground the story in reality and helped make the setting come to life even if they didn’t drive the plot.

I really liked the descriptions of the setting, and the vivid depictions of the environment – particularly the sense of the heat, hard work and team effort that is an undercurrent to the story. I enjoyed seeing the mystery unfold, watching it at the same time as the characters. It is quite heavy on telling, and has instances of ‘info-dumping’, which can detract from the present moment; a gold-mine for archaeology enthusiasts, but heavy for the casual reader. I think the narrative is most effective when describing the setting and Jade’s feelings, her moments of tension with Tariq and Yesenia, and banter with Avery – she really came to life in those scenes.

With detailed mapping of locations and historical information woven into the plot, I can see how much time and thought has gone into crafting this story – and there is a warm core of friendship and passion at its centre.

The novel Across Ancient Sands is about an archeologist Dr. Jade Asher-Reece and her excavation work in the desert of Algeria along with a fellow archeologist and friend Dr.Tariq al-maquari and a team of grad students.At this cut-off-from-the-outside-world excavation site,they unearth ancient Phoenician pottery and many other relics in the desert of algeria (literally in the middle of nowhere!)and the story opens with the question how these Phoenician relics got here in Algeria in those times?
As the excavation continues further,they find an ancient scroll and a wall depicting the story of Sfas,a traveller of the bronze age.
Sfas's voyage interwoves so many historical places and heros of Phoenician and Egyptian civilization together into an absolutely epic,adventurous tale.But believe me the story offers more.Dr. Jade and Dr.Tariq unearths the greatest archeological finds of their times,they have an adventure of their own.As the news of their groundbreaking discovery goes out,they fell prey to strong people who will steal their work at the first possible chance.As they continue unearthing Safs's story they must protect it and save themselves at all costs.
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The book takes us ,readers,to not one but two adventures, one in the bronze age and the other, in the contemporary times and provides a very picturesque and very-much-alive story,keeping us hooked to the pages.The book also contains original artwork by the author taking the story to the next level.
Polish your historical knowledge with this amazing book as it bombards information in the form of an epic adventure.✨

I loved this book. Way outside my normal reading but so interesting. Thank you Eric for a great experience.

Archeology...

The author recomended this book on IG. I found it interesting, with all the descriptions of the dig and all the findings, although I found it a bit slow paced. I think that there could have been more to it concerning the involvement with Shabazz. But it was a very good read. I recomend it to readers who like to read about findings and ancient times.

An epic find

While this has the look of non-fiction, it is actually fiction. The tale centers around an epic-style poem the author wrote first (based on a series of paintings he completed! A real Renaissance man) and later decided to incorporate into a novel.

The poem is a fantastic archeological find tying together and confirming the existence of Old Testament Biblical characters and Homeric characters. If you've read any classic Greek lit, you'll see some old friends. The discovery of the poem and a series of wall art depicting it are uncovered by an archeologist whose dig is threatened by greedy backers. Protecting the find provides the central conflict of the tale.

Overall, the novel was engaging in that I was interested in the epic journey and how the author tied so many people and places together. The narrative, however, could have used a stronger sense of thrill or danger and the characters came off a tad wooden, though engaging enough that I cared about what happened to them.

If you enjoy ancient epics or reading about archeology, this is a book for you. The author definitely did his research and, as I understand it, spent some time at an active archeological site.

The premise for this novel is the discovery of ancient relics from a hitherto unconfirmed era in Algeria. As one of what I imagine is a fairly small number of non-French Europeans to have actually visited the rim of the Sahara desert I can confirm that there are very reasonable grounds for such a discovery one day being made. So while this is an adventure novel, its premise is wholly plausible. The plot concerns a group of American students, their professor, an Algerian archaeologist and an expert from Cambridge University who stumble upon an amazing site and find themselves in a fight against time to record their work before it is looted by an extremely unlikable official from an Algerian university. The story is interspersed with lovely poems transcribed from the inscriptions they find, and these poems are in a way the glue that holds the story together. They also offer a kind of parallel travelogue to the journey of the modern archaeologists. The book has a slightly old-fashioned and refreshing innocence to it, and is easy to read despite the considerable historical detail provided by an author who is obviously writing based on experience. Readers interested in the ancient history of the Mediterranean will have a feast, but the book will also appeal to the general reader who wants to read a good old-fashioned adventure story set in an exotic location. Thoroughly recommended.

A class of tertiary students join Dr. Jade Asher-Reece and Dr. Tariq Al-Maqqari in the excavation of a series of archaeological finds in Algiers that rewrite parts of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern history. The team find themselves rushing to uncover the story of Sfas’ culture-connecting travels, to protect a long lost history.

Eric Horn creates a dual-narrative: one of the current events of the dig site, and one of the journey of Sfas told from the translations of the uncovered walls.

Despite some grammatical issues, this historical fiction is easy to follow, even with the heavy research on ancient mythologies; also, it contains glimpses into the ancient world, from the Homeric tales and the siege of Troy, to the Ancient Egyptian pharaohs, and beyond. The novel portrays just how connected cultures are; through trade routes and heroic journeys. Horn portrays this through the many languages uncovered in the discovered wall artefacts.

Horn also portrays intercultural connections through the various cultural backgrounds of the modern-day characters, primarily Jade’s Hebrew background, Yesenia’s Latina background, and Tariq’s native Islamic faith. Yet, they establish strong relationships with one another regardless of their differences — as they discover their connections from history.

This text is available on Amazon!

Across ancient sands is a marvellous historical fiction written by Eric Scott Horn. It portrays the entire process of archaeological excavation and the challenges involved in it.

The story is based on the discovery of a travelogue written by a traveller named sfas in the form of a poem. Although, the book contains notes telling us about the places and people mentioned in the poem, I think some initial knowledge of history and mythology is required to maintain the flow while reading and to enjoy it better.

Even better than the travelogue was the side story. I loved the team. I could almost feel being amongst them.
The emotional and practical challenges faced by them felt very real and genuine.

All the paintings in the book and the cover has been made by the author himself. It surely becomes the icing on the cake.

If you are a history lover and want to know how an archeological excavation is carried out, do give it a read.

Thanks to the author for sending me an ARC of Across Ancient Sands in exchange for an honest review. I haven’t read a story like this in a long time and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I loved the gripping storyline and the original art works that accompanied it. The author did an excellent job with the cover illustration as well.

I had no idea that an archeological digging could be this exciting. The author incorporated various historical events into the story in the most exciting and engaging ways which helped me learn a lot.

The characters are well developed and the dialogues are interesting. There was never a dull moment as the story kept a good steady pace. The plot becomes more thrilling as each day progresses after the archeological discovery.
I would recommend it to all readers who are interested in an exciting read as well as ancient Mediterranean history.

Thanks to author to inviting me for do a review about the book; Across Ancient Sands.

Well I’m a huge fan of all the mythologies across the world specially Greek mythology and archeology so the first few pages hooked me to the book.

It’s about an excavation lead by Dr. Jade Asher Reece and Tariq-Al-Marwari and they discovers artifacts which belongs to bronze era. And they try to hide any evidence as possible from the looters with the help from 12 grad students.

I really enjoyed this book. it’s easy going with a good plot. I liked it’s side stories, the characters, artifacts and boy the illustrations! Truly captured my attention while reading the book. As a archeology enthusiast i looked up about this bronze era from the motivation I’ve taken from Across Ancient Sands.

So I totally recommend this book for mythology and archeology lovers like me!

I have always been fascinated by archeology, the thrill of discovering and recovering relics and writings from another age and time, so this book grabbed my interest from the very first page!

This book was absolutely spot on! It was so fascinating to read about the process of uncovering and working on an architectural dig, along with throwing in a great suspense read!

The author has worked on previous digs before, and it shows in the knowledge of the work and preservation required in uncovering and saving these relics for future generations.

He also has done all of his own illustrations for the book and his talent is just phenomenal. If you like ancient history with a bit of suspense, I highly recommend this one!

This book was soooooo satisfying to read. It's the first time I see such an accurate description of what really happens on a dig and on an excavation in general, even the conversations and the relations between everyone (both professors and students) were so accurate.
The story we see is also fascinating, even though the poetry was not for me (personal preference), the adventure of a bronze age guy meeting different civilizations is everything and it keeps this story even more interesting.
I know this is not for everyone, where the fiction and the reality can be very close, but if you ever wondered how a dig really is, this is IT.
Warning: The end can be a bit underwhelming , I blame Indiana Jones for it, but it's very real.

Thank you to Eric Horn (@ericscotthornart) for sending me an ARC of this great book in exchange for an honest review. The book is well written and well researched you can feel the tension building and the pressure the characters are under. The relationships between characters are interesting and well thought out. The author does the illustrations which are all beautiful and I loved the inclusion of cultures and myths from across the world. I struggled with the parts written in the style of epic poetry but the important parts are repeated to make sure you don't miss anything which was appreciated. I will definitely pick up more by the author.

Thanks to the author for offering me a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
I started this book out of curiosity because I love mythology topics and have read very few historical books. In the end, the story hooked me. It is a mixture of suspense and historical information.
The author manages to convey that interesting side of archeology that movies show us while he gives you historical data from various cultures. It explores different cultural clashes and I love the fact that the protagonist was a woman.

I really enjoyed Across Ancient Sands by Eric Horn. While I don't really know about archaeology, I was drawn in by the characters and I quickly became invested. Horn really makes you feel that you are on the dig with Dr. Jade Asher Reece and her colleagues. I also felt the urgency as the dig was being threatened by the villain. I would give it a 5 Star rating.

I’ve just finished “Across Ancient Sands” byEric Scott Horn. I’m a huge fan of mythologies across the world especially Greek mythology and archeology has always interested and intrigued me which was the reason I wanted to read it.
In this book, the author weaves together the story of a group of modern archaeologists and ancient travellers. Set in a remote area of the Algerian Desert, Dr Jade Asher-Reece and Dr Tariq Al-Maquari lead a team of locals and grad students on an archeological dig. They soon discover ancient relics that shouldn’t be there, a wall with inscriptions and carvings which just happens to match a scroll they discover in an urn. The scroll follows the travels of a man named Sfas.
The journey of Sfas is incorporated with the history and mythology of Mediterranean cultures.
This find launches an investigation into how Phoenician relics have been discovered in the Algerian desert during this time period.
Their aim is to uncover the mysteries and publish their findings before the unscrupulous corrupt head of the local university finds out and takes over.
Greek Mythology fans will recognise names mentioned Agamemnon, Menelaus, Helen Odysseus, Achilles…OMG there was even a mention of Oedipus and Jocasta which felt so spooky as I’d just finished reading “The Children of Jocasta” by Natalie Haynes
Eric’s prose was rich and descriptive…I was completely transported to an archeological digging in the desert of Algeria. Of the environment you particularly get the sense of the intense sizzling heat.His characters felt realistic and the dialogue between them was snappy and well-written. The plot portrays the entire process of archaeological excavation and the challenges involved in it.
Readers interested in the ancient history and mythologies of the Mediterranean will have an absolute feast. However, this book will also appeal to readers who just want a well written adventure story set in an exotic location. The amazing artwork in the book is also by the author. I highly recommend this book.

This ambitious novel is centered around a fictional archeological wonder. The scope of the proposed ancient structure and the story it holds is momentous and would have folded basically every known adventure text in the Bronze Age into one narrative following a humble slave in service to his master.

And while I am quite impressed by the encyclopedic knowledge of the author and the way in which the ancient tale is told, the story in which it is housed is not its equal. The modern plot of the discovery lacks depth, the characters are histrionic and shallow, and the logistics of the dig are unrealistic.

But first, I will say the story is preserved on a long wall of tablets with only 24 actual friezes. These consist of a single picture and a few lines of text. In fact, almost every frieze has a line of text in a different language, chronicling all of the Mediterranean countries that were traversed. While I can suspend my disbelief to the possibility of such an adventure taking place (though barely), I do not believe that the slave Sfas, or even his ruling benefactor, actually learned enough of every language to inscribe every single part of the story in the language of the country in which it happened on a wall back at home.

On to the story of the discovery of the story: The modern day dig enlists the help of a linguist to translate the story in real time as they uncover the tablets, often as they are finding 2-4 panels a day. Miraculously, this linguist is able to translate all of the tablets, AND put his translation of a ONE LINE inscription into a very specific seven line poetic structure with a rotating dactyl and anapest meter AND an AABBCCD rhyme scheme, within 6 hours of their discovery. Truly, this man is a wizard.

We also have a superwoman scientist leading her annoying student archeologists, a taciturn but sexy Middle Eastern professor, and a cartoon villain.

Again, I am in no way begrudging the intellect it took to put this story together, I just don’t think it worked.

Thank you to the author for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

THIS IS MY OPINION AND MINE ALONE! AND FULLY ADMIT I DIDNT FINISH THIS!
was asked by the author to read this... I had every intention of finishing it....I am deeply sorry but I will be honest this was a miss for me. I do not normally read such factual books and this had some points for fiction, but the author surely knows what he's talking about. This just was a miss I would try to finish a chapter a day, and even that became a challenge. I reached 57% and I had to step away. There are some great poems at the end of every chapter! I'll give the star to them. This was desert sand dry.. I don't know what else to call this.
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The Author asked me to delete this^^^ review after I apologized for not liking it so...
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LET ME EXPLAIN WHY I DIDN’T FINISH THIS BOOK.
The chapter titles are the number of days after discovery...the discovery of what??? No Character building... how did they get there. Why are they digging in random spots? Yes it's hot you're in the Sands. And everyone just seemed to appear and connected to everything. Then the description they have to discover it before its to late....to late for what????? The only threat that I've read is workers leaving the dig and maybe the head boss wants to sell the artifacts seems a bit misleading. 🤔 I'm so glad I read this on my kindle all of the technical terms I had to look up, and I didn't pay for it 😅 He knows what he was talking about bet he went to college for it, but assumes everyone else does too. The story began one place and it had potential it really did it just fell flat.
The author told me it's and I quote :
"There's an element of mythology but it's mostly about a fictional contemporary architectural excavation. There is a historical fiction/mythological side story"
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NOT MY CUP OF TEA!

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I was asked to read this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. I read this book via Kindle Unlimited.

This book has very specific archeological elements and it’s very evident that the author is very passionate regarding this specific topic. I however, am not, and I ended up feeling like I wasn’t intelligent enough to actually finish the book. I got to approximately 65% before I put down the book for good.

The story follow Dr. Jade Asher-Reece and Dr. Tariq Al-Maquari as they excavate a dig in Algeria. There are many themes in this book, however there is little in the way of character development until much later and I found it a bit confusing. While I liked the focus on the monetary exploitation that accompanies archeological discoveries, it just seemed like the author figured the history and the terminologies that he was expressing would be understood by everyone who was requested to read the book and, in reality, this is not the case. I was among those who simply didn’t understand what I was reading half the time.

I’m sure that there is an audience for this book, and it is very detailed in the historical elements laid out, it just wasn’t the type of book I enjoy.

The book follows the story of Dr Asher-Reece, an archeologist and her team of student as they set and settle to discover more of history through the archeological site they are working on; to their surprise, they have unraveled by coincidence more than they were looking onto: ancient relics, carvings of Sfas journey. How will they be able to publish their discovery and keep the findings safe from the corrupted head of the local university.
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The book is most definitely well researched, providing glimpses of ancient history throughout different eras while constantly showcasing the savoir-faire needed to work, uncover and preserve the findings from archeologists’ point of view. What I’ve admired the most through this reading is the diversity of the characters: different cultural, ethnic and religious background that came together to make sense of the discovery, it was a smart move actually, white savior syndrome was easily avoided through the choice of inclusion. Moreover, the fact that the author was able to combine history and thriller with twists of suspense was truly fascinating; and the illustrations featured that the author created himself have made of the story a whole.
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This was a new experience of me, out of my comfort zone if I might say, but I’ve somehow managed to enjoy it nevertheless...
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Rating : 3⭐

“To the beasts and trials that stand before me,”and passed out.

It is a historic and archeological well researched book. It will take you back to the fascinating civilization initiated between 8th to 13th centuries AD. Actually when the civilisation begin and three generations passed. African Bronze Age begin and ended with Egypt.

Now if there’s anything left behind that is disheveled pieces, ancient secrets kept in attic, letters written and a lot of ancient things along with the ancient language in the form of signs embedded on thick walls. Presently Dr. Jade Asher-Reece is digging deep in the origin and collecting and connecting the disheveled pieces of puzzle together, as the pieces of the lost secrets of Heroes of the Trojan War, the Hebrew Judges, and the last great Pharaoh will get aligned so they will complete the puzzle.

Along with their team they are navigating their way through Eastern Mediterranean to Atlantic Ocean and from Atlantic Ocean to Afganistan to Algeria. This is for the historic and archeological readers who are curious to learn about ancient world, Bronze Age and Iron Age. Will the missing pieces come along together? Will they complete the puzzle? Long lost secrets will be found? or some odyssey’s will end ? Will Dr Jade and their team be able to able to solve the mysteries of the Bronze Age before it is too late?

Through the author, I was given a free copy of this book to read and give an unbiased evaluation.

Dr. Jade Asher-Reece and her companion Dr. Tariq Al-time Maquari's working on archaeological digs in the Algerian desert is the subject of the brilliantly written archaeological tale Across Ancient Sands. They make some incredible discoveries, which prompts inquiries and a study into the circ*mstances behind the discovery of Phoenician artefacts in the Algerian desert at this time. The side stories that take place in this book are wonderful, and there are so many amazing discoveries that are made. The author's attention to detail in this novel is wonderful, and I really like how well-planned, plausible, and well-executed the character twists and turns are.

You should definitely read this book if you want to immerse yourself in a historical adventure! You're in for a treat since this book also has wonderful artwork created by the author.

Book Review: Across Ancient Sands by Eric Horn
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Read and reviewed at the request of the author.
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In college I took several history courses and a couple were about ancient civilizations. I recognized some of the names, but it has been a few years so I don’t remember too much. If you are interested in ancient civilizations, this would be a good book for you. There was clearly a lot of research that went into the book. It took a little bit for me to really get into it, but it was an enjoyable read. The writing is very descriptive and it was easy to picture the scenes. I have never been on any sort of archaeology dig so I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the descriptions. The poems were a little confusing at times, but the pictures were a nice touch.
If you are bugged by spelling errors, just know that there are several in this book.
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My rating: 3.5/5
Content: language

If you’re interested in how archaeology is really done, this book is for you. Eric Scott Horn reached out to ask me to review his book, and I’m glad he did. I liked it!

I’ve always been fascinated by archaeology, and not just because of Indiana Jones. This (fictional) book tells the story of a dig that uncovers the tale of a traveler. The more they dig, the more of the story they uncover. The story within a story involves ancient Egypt, Greece, the Trojans, and more. And the excavation turns into a race against time to uncover the end.

Thanks to Eric Scott Horn for reaching out to review his book

If you enjoy Archaeology, this is the book for you. The illustrations which was also done bu the author, draws you into this wonderful story! If you are into Greek mythology, then you will right at home and will know some of the names in this book.

It was great to read a book where the author was passionate about his work. Descriptions were spot on and you get a great mix of ancient history and suspense.

Well done Eric!

Thanks to @Erciscotthornart for reaching out to review his book

If you enjoy Archaeology, this is the book for you. The illustrations which was also done bu the author, draws you into this wonderful story! If you are into Greek mythology, then you will right at home and will know some of the names in this book.

It was great to read a book where the author was passionate about his work. Descriptions were spot on and you get a great mix of ancient history and suspense.

Well done Eric!

You can read this great story for free if you are subscribed to Kindle Unlimited

I'm not going to lie, I really struggled with this book. It was quite confusing as to whether it was meant to be fiction or not and wasn't exactly my kind of read. So it's hard to know how to rate it.

The idea of an archaeological mystery novel did pique my interest as I love mysteries and enjoy history based from time to time. It was clearly very well researched and very technical, which I expect would be enjoyed by someone who is interested in this sort of genre. However, the beginning of the story ended up straying too far into the technical that it lost the promise of a good story. And while the author did attempt to write in character development and relationships, because these elements weren't a key part of the first half, they happened all of a sudden and seemed like an afterthought.

The first half and the second half of the book really didn't seem to match up and I feel as though you would really have to enjoy this specifics of archaeology and history to get much out of this book. However, there definitely seems to be an audience for this and I think that's great! I'm just not part of it.

I have read and reviewed this book at the request of the author.