The first chapter is delightfully surprised for me as it connects history, adventure, and the back log of the time being. The author use modern and conversational tone to deliver the sense of the century and how people interact and the backstories. I love the descriptive words and humor, yet in the later chapters it seems more like a collective of historical research. I am not sure if this book is a fiction, a research essay, or a combo of both. If it is the combo, I do hope the fictional part can bring forth the delight of the reading. However, I do admire the deep research and the discovery of hidden stories, and bring them to light for us who were unaware. I suppose the brides are hidden figures in Eurasian history.