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A review by sparklingreader
The Pharaoh and the Librarian by Amber Polo
3.0
: I thought this was a very imaginative book. The author brings in fantasy in the form of harpies, dragons, mermaids, shapeshifters, gods from multiple cultures, and more. The chapters move back and forth between Cleopatra and her twin sister Alexandria and their travels from Egypt to the southwestern area of the US. We meet with families of Big Foot, pirates sailing the Caribbean, Mayan and Aztecs as well as other native cultures. We even meet an alien from Sirius who crashed there and doesn’t expect her people to pick her up for a couple thousand years (yes, in Area 51). Cleopatra has to leave Egypt before it is overrun by the Romans so she fakes her death and heads for the Mayans where she is betrothed to the emperor. Unfortunately, things don’t go well for her. Meanwhile, Alexandria has left with her precious library, heading for Wales and the Druids who supposedly will help her protect the precious cargo of knowledge. Neither one ends up with what they expected. As in the circle of life, the two sisters eventually meet up again in a place where their sacred body of knowledge will finally be safe. The book was a little bit romance, a little bit adventure, a lot of history (told in a good way!) and fantasy.
What I liked: I loved the fact that this was all about librarians. Being one myself, I know how the characters felt about their precious cargo. I also liked the intriguing juxtaposition of history and story. The characters are believable and do grow and change through the story, becoming stronger by the end.
What I didn’t like: there were minor editorial issues that a good proofreader should have caught—typos, POV jumps, and more. Also, the story was a little hard to get into at first, but I kept reading and am glad I did. Though at times, I was “seriously?” With some of the things going on.
Recommendation: If you can ignore the editorial issues, this is an interesting and imaginative story with a good ending that leaves you smiling.
Thanks to the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by anyone.
What I liked: I loved the fact that this was all about librarians. Being one myself, I know how the characters felt about their precious cargo. I also liked the intriguing juxtaposition of history and story. The characters are believable and do grow and change through the story, becoming stronger by the end.
What I didn’t like: there were minor editorial issues that a good proofreader should have caught—typos, POV jumps, and more. Also, the story was a little hard to get into at first, but I kept reading and am glad I did. Though at times, I was “seriously?” With some of the things going on.
Recommendation: If you can ignore the editorial issues, this is an interesting and imaginative story with a good ending that leaves you smiling.
Thanks to the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by anyone.