By: Trisha Wolfe
Release Date: March 2, 2013
Series: Kythan Guardians #2
Description:
A tragic love story.
Two thousand years before Dez Harkly developed her secret powers, Guardian Astarte was vowed to protect by the binds enslaving her to the Egyptian pharaohs. Discover the prophecy that originated from a very different time, and spans generations to link two very different girls.
This is the beginning.
Set against the backdrop of the Battle of Actium, in the city of Alexandria, Star struggles with her guardian duties as her feelings for the newly named pharaoh of Egypt grow deeper. Not only is Caesarion her duty, he’s the son of Cleopatra, and he’s human. All of which makes their love forbidden.
But when a conspiracy linked to Caesar creeps into Alexandria, Star must choose between helping her fellow Kythan free themselves of their servitude, and protecting her charge—the last pharaoh—while Egypt burns around her.
New Adult/Mature YA: sexual content, drinking, drugs, violence, language, death, and other mature content intended for readers 17 and older. Astarte's Wrath is a companion novel to Destiny's Fire, but can be read as a standalone novel.
Review:
This book fascinated me in the best kind of ways. Bringing back the beautiful scenery and stories, whether tragic or beautiful of the Ancient Egyptian time period when Pharoahs and Cleopatra were still around. I've always been fascinated with this part of history and this book did not disappoint in the very least. It made me more interested in Ancient Egypt overall and the people who lived in this time period. I even had to look up a few gods here and there during reading this book because I wanted to learn more about them, but no worries as this great author gives you a tidbit on each character and place at the end of the book which I found very helpful and added to the fascination.
The author says it best here in her preface:
The truth behind the fiction. This novel is a work of fiction, though many of the characters, geography, settings, scenes, and events are loosely based on a real people and a real time in history. Interlaced within the fictional text is the factual history as I’ve researched it through documentation, historians, and tomb hunters who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of discovery of these great people and this great time. I’ve taken creative liberties with the history to write a fiction that can weave seamlessly into an imagined world within my stories.
We meet Astarte who is the guardian to the new Pharaoh Caesarion (Xarion) and even though she is bound to him to be his protector as a slave she has grown up with him since they were both young. They have started out as friends but through time their feelings for each other have grown deeper than a friendship which Astarte has tried to deny herself because they are not of the same race and he is her master. It's all very old school but sometimes you just can't help who you love. It's inevitable if the stars aligned and it's meant to be. We start their story in turmoil though as they are in the midst of a war. Octavian is dead set on capturing Xarion to end his life so that he can overtake Egypt.
It's all very exciting throughout the book with the different Kythan races and the interaction between all the characters. Even the appearance of Cleopatra and the strength at which she loves her son is well known and shown in this book, as she obviously wants him to survive. The relationship between Xarion and Astarte finally give in to their passion and it's so worth the wait. They obviously belong together uniting the different cultures of the slave and the royalty. Their love is a beautiful story with stolen kisses and brief hand touches, it's all very romantic in a good way. But still there is chaos going on around them.
I don't want to give too much away about the war and who it involves as I think you should definitely read the book because it makes it that more exciting, and believe me when I tell you if you are as intrigued as I was reading this book then you too will start searching through Wikipedia on different Egyptian gods and goddesses. Even the name Astarte was interesting on its own. Sometimes it really is enjoyable to be able to learn some history or something new when you are reading a book that is a true tragic love story. This author did a great amount of research to try and tie the truth and her fiction into this book and I applaud her. I was rooting for the couple in the end and for everyone to get what they so rightfully deserved.
Overall the story was grand, interesting and should make you want to read more about Kythan guardians. Make sure to check out the next book in the Series - Destiny's Fire, which I also thought was a really great book. This author knows how to thrust you into a world deep within the underbellies of Ancient Egypt and makes you excited about history. I also have to say that I absolutely love the cover and can completely picture the girl on the cover being Astarte. Can't wait to read the next story!
Disclaimer:
I received this book from NA Book Club on Goodreads and Trisha Wolfe, so that I may give my honest opinion and a review. Whether it is good or not please do not let it discourage you from purchasing/reading the book yourself and forming your own opinion. What might be good for me may not be good for you and vice versa. With that said, Happy Reading Everyone!!!
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