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Daughter of Sand and Stone
When Zenobia takes control of her own fate, will the gods punish her audacity?
Zenobia, the proud daughter of a Syrian sheikh, refuses to marry against her will. She won’t submit to a lifetime of subservience. When her father dies, she sets out on her own, pursuing the power she believes to be her birthright, dreaming of the Roman Empire’s downfall and her ascendance to the throne.
Defying her family, Zenobia arranges her own marriage to the most influential man in the city of Palmyra. But their union is anything but peaceful—his other wife begrudges the marriage and the birth of Zenobia’s son, and Zenobia finds herself ever more drawn to her guardsman, Zabdas. As war breaks out, she’s faced with terrible choices.
From the decadent halls of Rome to the golden sands of Egypt, Zenobia fights for power, for love, and for her son. But will her hubris draw the wrath of the gods? Will she learn a “woman’s place,” or can she finally stake her claim as Empress of the East?
Zenobia, the proud daughter of a Syrian sheikh, refuses to marry against her will. She won’t submit to a lifetime of subservience. When her father dies, she sets out on her own, pursuing the power she believes to be her birthright, dreaming of the Roman Empire’s downfall and her ascendance to the throne.
Defying her family, Zenobia arranges her own marriage to the most influential man in the city of Palmyra. But their union is anything but peaceful—his other wife begrudges the marriage and the birth of Zenobia’s son, and Zenobia finds herself ever more drawn to her guardsman, Zabdas. As war breaks out, she’s faced with terrible choices.
From the decadent halls of Rome to the golden sands of Egypt, Zenobia fights for power, for love, and for her son. But will her hubris draw the wrath of the gods? Will she learn a “woman’s place,” or can she finally stake her claim as Empress of the East?
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2015
732 people are currently reading
4685 people want to read
About the author
Libbie Hawker
38 books495 followersLibbie was born in Rexburg, Idaho and divided her childhood between Eastern Idaho's rural environs and the greater Seattle area. She presently lives in Seattle, but has also been a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah; Bellingham, Washington; and Tacoma, Washington. She loves to write about character and place, and is inspired by the bleak natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain region and by the fascinating history of the Puget Sound.
After three years of trying to break into the publishing industry with her various books under two different pen names, Libbie finally turned her back on the mainstream publishing industry and embraced independent publishing. She now writes her self-published fiction full-time, and enjoys the fact that the writing career she always dreamed of having is fully under her own control.
Libbie's writerly influences are varied, and include Vladimir Nabokov, Hilary Mantel, Annie Dillard, George R. R. Martin, songwriter Neko Case, and mixed-media storyteller Chris Onstad, to name but a few.
She previously wrote under the pen name L.M. Ironside (historical fiction).
After three years of trying to break into the publishing industry with her various books under two different pen names, Libbie finally turned her back on the mainstream publishing industry and embraced independent publishing. She now writes her self-published fiction full-time, and enjoys the fact that the writing career she always dreamed of having is fully under her own control.
Libbie's writerly influences are varied, and include Vladimir Nabokov, Hilary Mantel, Annie Dillard, George R. R. Martin, songwriter Neko Case, and mixed-media storyteller Chris Onstad, to name but a few.
She previously wrote under the pen name L.M. Ironside (historical fiction).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 270 reviews
July 7, 2019
Although she has seen only seventeen years and has no husband, as a daughter of noble parents, her veins flow with the blood of desert warriors, Greek heroes, and Egyptian queens. How can she help but know when war is coming? War is her heritage.
Our story begins in Ancient Palmyra (part of modern day Syria) in 260 CE, and tells the intriguing story of Zenobia, youngest daughter of the great chief. This young woman will face down opponents, marry the local Roman Governor, and set forth a plan to create an empire that will rival Rome. But nobody ever said the path to glory was going to be easy
No,Zenobia. You cannot rule. I will not allow it. You are a woman and everyone knows that a woman cannot be trusted.
Although I am not quite sure that I liked Zenobia who was quite vain and had quite lofty expectations for herself, I did enjoy reading about a woman that I had never heard about before.
Goodreads review published 04/05/19
Our story begins in Ancient Palmyra (part of modern day Syria) in 260 CE, and tells the intriguing story of Zenobia, youngest daughter of the great chief. This young woman will face down opponents, marry the local Roman Governor, and set forth a plan to create an empire that will rival Rome. But nobody ever said the path to glory was going to be easy
No,Zenobia. You cannot rule. I will not allow it. You are a woman and everyone knows that a woman cannot be trusted.
Although I am not quite sure that I liked Zenobia who was quite vain and had quite lofty expectations for herself, I did enjoy reading about a woman that I had never heard about before.
Goodreads review published 04/05/19
December 23, 2015
I think most people are familiar with Cleopatra but few are familiar with Zenobia so I thought this would be a great book for review! Something unique, different, and about a woman who defied social expectations. There is little known about her life but Hawker makes an effort to fill in the gaps that have been lost to antiquity.
The writing was well done and very clearly researched. Hawker really made the reader feel what it was like to live during this time. I got a true sense of the characters as well as the setting from her writing abilities. Not to mention, I felt like I really got to know Zenobia’s characters in a unique way. In her author’s note at the end, Hawker explains that there is not a lot written about Zenobia and what is written, is mostly myth or legend rather than actual fact. Given that Hawker had remarkably little to go on, I walked away from this novel feeling like I knew ‘something’ about this unique woman! I think Hawker gave Zenobia a fair story that was realistic and fit.
I wasn’t always sure that the third person narrative worked for this book, but over all it wasn’t terrible. The writing was strong and descriptive, personally I would have picked first person POV for this but third worked ok.
While I enjoyed the writing and thought that Zenobia was unique and sort of a ‘new’ figure, I didn’t quite connect with her in the way that I had hoped. I don’t know that I always ‘liked’ her or identified with her as a character. At times I thought the decisions that she made seemed uncharacteristic for her (especially toward the end), I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone so I will leave it at that…..I just felt that at times she did things that did not fit with the character Hawker built her up to be.
Even though I didn’t always like Zenobia, I liked the writing style so much and the over all story that I was able to rate this novel four stars without any qualms. If you are a fan of Stephanie Thronton, you will love this book about a unique woman in the ancient world!
See my full review here
The writing was well done and very clearly researched. Hawker really made the reader feel what it was like to live during this time. I got a true sense of the characters as well as the setting from her writing abilities. Not to mention, I felt like I really got to know Zenobia’s characters in a unique way. In her author’s note at the end, Hawker explains that there is not a lot written about Zenobia and what is written, is mostly myth or legend rather than actual fact. Given that Hawker had remarkably little to go on, I walked away from this novel feeling like I knew ‘something’ about this unique woman! I think Hawker gave Zenobia a fair story that was realistic and fit.
I wasn’t always sure that the third person narrative worked for this book, but over all it wasn’t terrible. The writing was strong and descriptive, personally I would have picked first person POV for this but third worked ok.
While I enjoyed the writing and thought that Zenobia was unique and sort of a ‘new’ figure, I didn’t quite connect with her in the way that I had hoped. I don’t know that I always ‘liked’ her or identified with her as a character. At times I thought the decisions that she made seemed uncharacteristic for her (especially toward the end), I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone so I will leave it at that…..I just felt that at times she did things that did not fit with the character Hawker built her up to be.
Even though I didn’t always like Zenobia, I liked the writing style so much and the over all story that I was able to rate this novel four stars without any qualms. If you are a fan of Stephanie Thronton, you will love this book about a unique woman in the ancient world!
See my full review here
June 6, 2016
In Daughter of Sand and Stone, Hawker brings us the timely story of Zenobia, an ancient queen of Palmyra, the beautiful ruins of which city ISIS recently destroyed. After that wanton smashing of the iconic columns and other structures, it is all the more poignant to read this vivid and lush telling of the rise of Palmyra’s most famous woman, perhaps Palmyra’s most famous person of either gender.
This is definitely a book about a woman who rises above the expectations of her world and breaks the limits of power and action that would normally bind her. Some of this tradition is legendary, some historical, but Hawker has done an excellent job of bringing us a compelling story that stays within the historical realities and constructs the gaps in a plausible way founded in the evidence. This is both the tale of a determined woman who rises to a throne through courage and intelligence, and an unconventional love story that deeply engages the reader’s emotions.
One of the great strengths of Hawker’s novel is its rich, descriptive language. She brings alive this exotic setting and places us there with all our senses. For the reader, living in this immersive world adds depth to the fast-paced action, tragic arc of the plot and the multi-dimensional characters. Hawker turns her descriptions of place into integral aspects of the novel. Here, for example, in the opening paragraphs, she paints the physical world, complete with its odors, while portraying both the patterns of everyday life and building a looming sense of threat that will disrupt them. That’s quite a tour de force.
“On the last day of spring, the moon is just past full and still visible, pale and round in the late-morning sky. The women of the great chief take their embroidery, their gossip, and their games to the shaded rooftop where the breeze is cool. This is the season when the winds come from the east—from Eran and from India beyond, slow and languid and heavy with the odors of spice: the bitter taste of golpar, the bright bloom of coriander; the low earthy hum of rose; and cinnamon, sweet and compelling as a lover’s voice.
These are the odors of wealth, of gold. And gold is the odor of blood.”
I recommend this entrancing and exciting novel of a place and time we lost first to time and then again to terrorism.
This is definitely a book about a woman who rises above the expectations of her world and breaks the limits of power and action that would normally bind her. Some of this tradition is legendary, some historical, but Hawker has done an excellent job of bringing us a compelling story that stays within the historical realities and constructs the gaps in a plausible way founded in the evidence. This is both the tale of a determined woman who rises to a throne through courage and intelligence, and an unconventional love story that deeply engages the reader’s emotions.
One of the great strengths of Hawker’s novel is its rich, descriptive language. She brings alive this exotic setting and places us there with all our senses. For the reader, living in this immersive world adds depth to the fast-paced action, tragic arc of the plot and the multi-dimensional characters. Hawker turns her descriptions of place into integral aspects of the novel. Here, for example, in the opening paragraphs, she paints the physical world, complete with its odors, while portraying both the patterns of everyday life and building a looming sense of threat that will disrupt them. That’s quite a tour de force.
“On the last day of spring, the moon is just past full and still visible, pale and round in the late-morning sky. The women of the great chief take their embroidery, their gossip, and their games to the shaded rooftop where the breeze is cool. This is the season when the winds come from the east—from Eran and from India beyond, slow and languid and heavy with the odors of spice: the bitter taste of golpar, the bright bloom of coriander; the low earthy hum of rose; and cinnamon, sweet and compelling as a lover’s voice.
These are the odors of wealth, of gold. And gold is the odor of blood.”
I recommend this entrancing and exciting novel of a place and time we lost first to time and then again to terrorism.
September 25, 2016
This is a fast-paced adventure story that reimagines the life of Zenobia, one of the three major queens who dared to defy ancient Rome. Having read other novels about Cleopatra and Boudica, I thoroughly enjoyed Libbie Hawker's take on this famous Empress of the East. Zenobia is a woman with a mind of her own, and despite numerous attempts to pigeon hole her into a woman's "proper place," she carves her own path in life, something few women in ancient Rome were able to accomplish. I particularly liked Hawker's unique twist to Zenobia's first marriage, that she was second wife to the governor of Palmyra, which set up some really interesting power dynamics.
The novel is a fast read, and meticulously researched. Being an utter history nerd, I loved the extensive author's note which explained what pieces of Zenobia's life were taken from fact, and which were more fictional. Highly recommended!
The novel is a fast read, and meticulously researched. Being an utter history nerd, I loved the extensive author's note which explained what pieces of Zenobia's life were taken from fact, and which were more fictional. Highly recommended!
January 5, 2016
I figured since I studied history and Arabic, I would really dig this book. Like, REALLY. After reading it, all I can say it that I liked it, but it didn't offer me the greatness I was expecting.
The first third or so of the book is great. It has everything you want from an Arabic history story: jasmine, musk, camels, sand, veils, honey, figs, swords, nightly ambushes in the desert and a more realistic version of Aladdin-romance. In fact, I was singing this in my head a lot while reading Part 1 (the English version that is, this Arabic version is just cool for display):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkoyw...
When the story jumped ahead in time to Part 2, I already felt a bit disappointed, not having learned more about the time interval in between. However, when the book makes another time jump to Part 3, I became truly disappointed. Zenobia's husband dies and woop, we're at the part where she sits on the Egyptian throne (these aren't any real spoilers by the way because they are historical facts). There are explanations here and there, telling us how she got to that point, but I would've loved to read about it directly instead.
Unlike Cleopatra, Zenobia is a less well-known figure by the average person, but nonetheless just as impressive: the second woman who took Egypt out of the hands of the Roman empire. Not a great deal of information on Zenobia has survived the hands of time but enough to create a general chronological line of events. Libbie Hawker filled up the rest between those lines with a fictional story. She did a good job most of the time, yet I just couldn't get sucked into it like I hoped I would.
Zenobia is a very arrogant and unlikeable person. Maybe she had to be this way to become such a powerful woman and conquer Alexandria, but it makes the reading experience a lot less pleasant if you just can't sympathize with the main character. At one point, when camel droppings hit the fan for her, I could only think 'serves her right'.
Denying the love of her life, neglecting her son, ignoring all common sense and feeling delusionally superior don't make her a loveable person, really.
What's cool, though, is that the powerful male characters that surround her (Roman emperor Aurelian, her first husband Odaenathus (governor of Palmyra), and Zabdas, personal bodyguard and general of Zenobia's army) all have great respect for women due to Zenobia herself. Plus, I have to admit, it's pretty impressive to look at her Palmyrene empire here:
I ended up giving this book 3 stars. With a 100 pages more and/or a more relatable protagonist, this could've been a higher rating. Now it just feels like some great historical fiction has been cramped up in the length of an average YA-novel.
As an extra note, I'd like to mention that Palmyra, the city of Zenobia's heart, the reason for most of her actions, has been taken by IS in 2015. The despicable assholes destroyed several ancient temples and other buildings there and by doing so, erasing 2000-year-old tangible history from the face of the earth. GG.
An ARC of this book was provided by the Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
The first third or so of the book is great. It has everything you want from an Arabic history story: jasmine, musk, camels, sand, veils, honey, figs, swords, nightly ambushes in the desert and a more realistic version of Aladdin-romance. In fact, I was singing this in my head a lot while reading Part 1 (the English version that is, this Arabic version is just cool for display):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkoyw...
When the story jumped ahead in time to Part 2, I already felt a bit disappointed, not having learned more about the time interval in between. However, when the book makes another time jump to Part 3, I became truly disappointed. Zenobia's husband dies and woop, we're at the part where she sits on the Egyptian throne (these aren't any real spoilers by the way because they are historical facts). There are explanations here and there, telling us how she got to that point, but I would've loved to read about it directly instead.
Unlike Cleopatra, Zenobia is a less well-known figure by the average person, but nonetheless just as impressive: the second woman who took Egypt out of the hands of the Roman empire. Not a great deal of information on Zenobia has survived the hands of time but enough to create a general chronological line of events. Libbie Hawker filled up the rest between those lines with a fictional story. She did a good job most of the time, yet I just couldn't get sucked into it like I hoped I would.
Zenobia is a very arrogant and unlikeable person. Maybe she had to be this way to become such a powerful woman and conquer Alexandria, but it makes the reading experience a lot less pleasant if you just can't sympathize with the main character. At one point, when camel droppings hit the fan for her, I could only think 'serves her right'.
Denying the love of her life, neglecting her son, ignoring all common sense and feeling delusionally superior don't make her a loveable person, really.
What's cool, though, is that the powerful male characters that surround her (Roman emperor Aurelian, her first husband Odaenathus (governor of Palmyra), and Zabdas, personal bodyguard and general of Zenobia's army) all have great respect for women due to Zenobia herself. Plus, I have to admit, it's pretty impressive to look at her Palmyrene empire here:
I ended up giving this book 3 stars. With a 100 pages more and/or a more relatable protagonist, this could've been a higher rating. Now it just feels like some great historical fiction has been cramped up in the length of an average YA-novel.
As an extra note, I'd like to mention that Palmyra, the city of Zenobia's heart, the reason for most of her actions, has been taken by IS in 2015. The despicable assholes destroyed several ancient temples and other buildings there and by doing so, erasing 2000-year-old tangible history from the face of the earth. GG.
An ARC of this book was provided by the Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
November 1, 2015
Daughter of Sand and Stone by Libbie Hawker is a historical romance novel that follows the life of Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra and Empress of the East in the 3rd century AD, as she defies her family’s expectations, fights to gain control of both her own life and the throne, and challenges the dominance of the Roman Empire. Strong-willed and courageous, Zenobia was considered a woman who doesn’t know her place as she was determined to shape her destiny on her own terms, this novel is an epic story of a young woman who breaks free of the shackles and rose to become Empress of the East.
The youngest of the three daughters of the great chief, the Ras, Amr Ibn Zarib, affectionately called Zabbai by the citizens of Palmyra, and his wife Berenike, Zenobia’s two siblings are Nafsha, the eldest, and Zabibah, second born. Her father is a powerful chief, second only to the Governor but for the Amlaqi tribe, Zabbai is the only authority. His words are as powerful as his actions. Zenobia’s sisters are married but living with her parents as their husbands are waging war. At seventeen, Zenobia is considered too old to be unmarried though eight suitors have sought her hand in marriage during the past two years, and her father would have been proud to call any of them son-in-law. Zenobia has more important things in mind.
In Daughter of Sand and Stone, author Libbie Hawker painted a sweeping picture of the land, the people and the strength of character of its main protagonist Zenobia. The story is atmospheric. The book makes for a gripping read. Captivating yet tragic, it is the story of how a young woman driven by a strong desire established herself as the ruler of her people against all odds. A romantic at heart yet someone not easily swayed, her towering presence and Libbie Hawker’s powerful narrative combined well to bring Zenobia’s character to life.
The youngest of the three daughters of the great chief, the Ras, Amr Ibn Zarib, affectionately called Zabbai by the citizens of Palmyra, and his wife Berenike, Zenobia’s two siblings are Nafsha, the eldest, and Zabibah, second born. Her father is a powerful chief, second only to the Governor but for the Amlaqi tribe, Zabbai is the only authority. His words are as powerful as his actions. Zenobia’s sisters are married but living with her parents as their husbands are waging war. At seventeen, Zenobia is considered too old to be unmarried though eight suitors have sought her hand in marriage during the past two years, and her father would have been proud to call any of them son-in-law. Zenobia has more important things in mind.
In Daughter of Sand and Stone, author Libbie Hawker painted a sweeping picture of the land, the people and the strength of character of its main protagonist Zenobia. The story is atmospheric. The book makes for a gripping read. Captivating yet tragic, it is the story of how a young woman driven by a strong desire established herself as the ruler of her people against all odds. A romantic at heart yet someone not easily swayed, her towering presence and Libbie Hawker’s powerful narrative combined well to bring Zenobia’s character to life.
May 1, 2025
Long live Zenobia, Empress of the East! May her legacy as a warrior queen and conqueror never be forgotten
April 10, 2021
As I suspected, much better in print after the audio was a bust a few years ago. Libbie Hawker crafts a breathtakingly beautiful novel for Zenobia.
January 3, 2016
I really loved this novel. Daughter of Sand and Stone is the story of Zenobia, the Empress of the East and the only woman to ever prove a real threat to Rome. She's quite a mysterious and interesting historical figure, especially with how little is actually known about her.
The writing was fantastic. Libbie Hawker really brought the East of the 3rd century and the people there to life. There was quite a lot of description but, because it's a subject and place I don't know much about, especially historically, I appreciated it.
I also really liked the way Zenobia herself was written. As Libbie Hawker says in her author's note, there's not a lot written about Zenobia at all, and what is written is mostly from very questionable sources and are more myth and legend than pure fact. Given the bits and pieces of tales and history that she pulled inspiration from, I feel like she gave Zenobia a brilliant and fair story whilst also making her much more realistic than history makes her. She wasn't always a likeable character - in fact, I'm not sure I even liked her at all, I can't decide - but she definitely has my utmost respect and she's an inspiring female historical figure. I really loved the message Hawker was trying to send. I loved one part in her note, which I think eloquently puts the tone of the novel into words:
In short, this is a brilliant novel which empowers Zenobia, who forged her own path in a time when women weren't allowed to do that. The only reason this isn't a full five stars was the length. I only wish it had been a little longer, that I could have seen more of her conquering the East, and her promoting the arts to the powerful men around her. I was also super unsatisfied with her ending, but that isn't Libbie Hawker's fault, that's just her history. She deserved so much more!
The writing was fantastic. Libbie Hawker really brought the East of the 3rd century and the people there to life. There was quite a lot of description but, because it's a subject and place I don't know much about, especially historically, I appreciated it.
I also really liked the way Zenobia herself was written. As Libbie Hawker says in her author's note, there's not a lot written about Zenobia at all, and what is written is mostly from very questionable sources and are more myth and legend than pure fact. Given the bits and pieces of tales and history that she pulled inspiration from, I feel like she gave Zenobia a brilliant and fair story whilst also making her much more realistic than history makes her. She wasn't always a likeable character - in fact, I'm not sure I even liked her at all, I can't decide - but she definitely has my utmost respect and she's an inspiring female historical figure. I really loved the message Hawker was trying to send. I loved one part in her note, which I think eloquently puts the tone of the novel into words:
Throughout the process of researching this book, it struck me as increasingly ironic that no matter how many legends or stories Zenobia appeared in, she was always made to reflect those cultures' ideals of what a "proper woman" should be. She was a warrior - a conqueror - one of the few women of her era who was bold enough to attempt to forge an identity for herself that went far beyond the narrow structures the world offered. And yet in memory, she is only allowed to exist within those same narrow structures, not as the self-determining force she truly must have been. In making her "the perfect woman," history has stuffed her right back into the very cell whose walls she kicked over in her own day.
I wanted this book to be something of a reflection on the restrictive nature of Zenobia legends - on the identity she was allowed to have (and, more significantly, the identity she was not allowed to have) by the men who defeated her and wrote her histories.
In short, this is a brilliant novel which empowers Zenobia, who forged her own path in a time when women weren't allowed to do that. The only reason this isn't a full five stars was the length. I only wish it had been a little longer, that I could have seen more of her conquering the East, and her promoting the arts to the powerful men around her. I was also super unsatisfied with her ending, but that isn't Libbie Hawker's fault, that's just her history. She deserved so much more!
dnf
May 22, 2019This is not what I was expecting. Instead of focusing on historical facts about Zenobia, a little known Palmyrene empress who stood up against Rome and took back Egypt before her defeat, this is a fictionalized account of what her life might have been like. Granted, there is more myth than facts about Zenobia, and what facts exist are scant at best, so putting together any story of length would require a lot of guesswork.
I never heard of Zenobia, and I was interested at first. Hawker clearly is familiar with the time and place in which this history takes place and describes it all with vivid detail. But things quickly started to drag it down.
I'm not usually one to quibble about POV and verb tense because certain stories and characters just work better in 1st person vs 3rd person, or present tense vs past tense. However, writing an historical fiction in present tense felt awkward, especially when paired with the 3rd person omniscient. Present tense works best with 1st person POV, which gives the story an immediacy and intimacy. The 3rd person took away the intimacy, even though we're told what the characters are thinking and feeling, and the slow pacing took away the immediacy, so it felt like the tense was constantly fighting with the story being told. Add in the random head-hopping and there was too much disparity for the story to flow.
I soon found myself wishing that the story would cut through all the theorizing and get to the point. So I jumped to the author's notes at the end where she details the research she did and why she made certain narrative choices, and that was all I really needed. :D
I never heard of Zenobia, and I was interested at first. Hawker clearly is familiar with the time and place in which this history takes place and describes it all with vivid detail. But things quickly started to drag it down.
I'm not usually one to quibble about POV and verb tense because certain stories and characters just work better in 1st person vs 3rd person, or present tense vs past tense. However, writing an historical fiction in present tense felt awkward, especially when paired with the 3rd person omniscient. Present tense works best with 1st person POV, which gives the story an immediacy and intimacy. The 3rd person took away the intimacy, even though we're told what the characters are thinking and feeling, and the slow pacing took away the immediacy, so it felt like the tense was constantly fighting with the story being told. Add in the random head-hopping and there was too much disparity for the story to flow.
I soon found myself wishing that the story would cut through all the theorizing and get to the point. So I jumped to the author's notes at the end where she details the research she did and why she made certain narrative choices, and that was all I really needed. :D
May 13, 2017
I purchased this Kindle book for $1.99 and I am so glad I did. Often, these low price daily deals are a gamble. I never studied about Zenobia in school but was drawn to the story because I always like historical fiction. Zenobia was from thriving trading outpost Palmyra (current times Syria?). She eventually became self proclaimed Empress of East and lead a rebellion to break away from the mighty Roman Empire. At the end of the book, the author admits to taking liberties with the story since there is very little known about this woman who dared to defy the Romans in time when women's roles were so strictly defined. I really enjoyed this novel and in particular I liked the fast pace of the events after the first few chapters. Also, there is a made up romance with her general. To sum it up, this is a clean novel (no smutty sex scenes) with a strong female character and set in the exotic Middle East in Ancient times. I feel like I learned something in a very enjoyable way.
September 10, 2015
Like Zenobia herself, this book is both tragic and beautiful. Zenobia is painted as romantic, but practical and determined, driven to take command of her people and her destiny. She's a powerful figure in a powerful narrative, the storytelling so atmospheric and well-drawn that I felt as though I was breathing the desert air at her side, and never once did I question the choices she made along the way, they felt so true and right to the woman Libbie Hawker brought to life.
*I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher for review.
*I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher for review.
April 19, 2018
This book was very interesting, being about the short-lived Palmyrene Empire in the chaotic period immediately preceding the split of the Roman Empire. This is not something I have read a whole lot about, and I had never heard of Zenobia before. For this interesting look in on a previously unexplored historical period, I value this book a lot.
Unfortunately, as a fictional story it is somewhat lacking. The biggest issue is that Zenobia comes off as arrogant, selfish, and mildly stupid. Many great people are arrogant and selfish; most of the time, we can still be narratively "on their side" because, in addition to merely thinking of themselves as great, they are shown to actually BE great. This is what Zenobia is missing.
Zenobia is explicitly referred to as arrogant -- she calls herself arrogant, even -- but there is never a payoff where we realize, "Oh, wow, she just did something awesome! Maybe she is awesome." We see Zenobia do like... one thing that is actually cool. Everything else happens off-screen, or Zabdas actually does it for her. An example of this is her initial heroic ride out into the desert. It shows spirit, or something, but straight up she would have gotten lost and died out there were it not for Zabdas catching up with her. Everything else she does is like this. Her fire and drive is admirable, but her actions make her seem foolish. Check yourself before you wreck yourself.
The parts that could have established Zenobia as someone to respect as well as dislike all seem to be left out. The two massive time jumps skip the time Zenobia spends learning to rule and the time she spends conquering her empire. We are TOLD that her Roman governor husband frequently solicits her opinion on political matters, but we never get to see her being smart or wise. We never get to see her master the challenges of ruling. We never get to see her conquer anything, outmaneuver anybody. We just get to hang out with her internal dialogue, where she is repeating, I'm not just some weak, soft, pampered Roman woman!!! over and over. Very unlikable. Zabdas even has to explain to her why her correspondence with Aurelian is dangerous.
In the end, her arc is that of a meteorite plunging to its fiery death: not really an arc at all, just a noisy, showy, nosedive. She starts out thumbing her nose at the idea of a "woman's place," and ends contrite and chastened by her defeat, vowing to keep her woman's place from now on, lest she cause even more disasters by thinking she can write her own destiny. This is a major downer and lacks all the qualities that make some sad stories good, and some tragedies inspirational.
This book seems to carry the explicit moral that women should keep their proper place in society, or risk being cursed by the gods for their impudence. The author, in her afterword, specifically addressed this view; she argues that she means to empower Zenobia, and to deconstruct the idea of a "woman's place" by showing how knowing Zenobia changes the gender role perspectives of all the men around her. If I squint, turn my head sideways, and peer through this chunk of extremely flawed quartz crystal I happen to have nearby, I can kind of see that point of view. Unfortunately, while the intention of the author may have created the message of empowerment theoretically, it empirically exists very little in the actual narrative.
Unfortunately, as a fictional story it is somewhat lacking. The biggest issue is that Zenobia comes off as arrogant, selfish, and mildly stupid. Many great people are arrogant and selfish; most of the time, we can still be narratively "on their side" because, in addition to merely thinking of themselves as great, they are shown to actually BE great. This is what Zenobia is missing.
Zenobia is explicitly referred to as arrogant -- she calls herself arrogant, even -- but there is never a payoff where we realize, "Oh, wow, she just did something awesome! Maybe she is awesome." We see Zenobia do like... one thing that is actually cool. Everything else happens off-screen, or Zabdas actually does it for her. An example of this is her initial heroic ride out into the desert. It shows spirit, or something, but straight up she would have gotten lost and died out there were it not for Zabdas catching up with her. Everything else she does is like this. Her fire and drive is admirable, but her actions make her seem foolish. Check yourself before you wreck yourself.
The parts that could have established Zenobia as someone to respect as well as dislike all seem to be left out. The two massive time jumps skip the time Zenobia spends learning to rule and the time she spends conquering her empire. We are TOLD that her Roman governor husband frequently solicits her opinion on political matters, but we never get to see her being smart or wise. We never get to see her master the challenges of ruling. We never get to see her conquer anything, outmaneuver anybody. We just get to hang out with her internal dialogue, where she is repeating, I'm not just some weak, soft, pampered Roman woman!!! over and over. Very unlikable. Zabdas even has to explain to her why her correspondence with Aurelian is dangerous.
In the end, her arc is that of a meteorite plunging to its fiery death: not really an arc at all, just a noisy, showy, nosedive. She starts out thumbing her nose at the idea of a "woman's place," and ends contrite and chastened by her defeat, vowing to keep her woman's place from now on, lest she cause even more disasters by thinking she can write her own destiny. This is a major downer and lacks all the qualities that make some sad stories good, and some tragedies inspirational.
This book seems to carry the explicit moral that women should keep their proper place in society, or risk being cursed by the gods for their impudence. The author, in her afterword, specifically addressed this view; she argues that she means to empower Zenobia, and to deconstruct the idea of a "woman's place" by showing how knowing Zenobia changes the gender role perspectives of all the men around her. If I squint, turn my head sideways, and peer through this chunk of extremely flawed quartz crystal I happen to have nearby, I can kind of see that point of view. Unfortunately, while the intention of the author may have created the message of empowerment theoretically, it empirically exists very little in the actual narrative.
December 23, 2015
This wasn't a bad book, but it took me a very long time to get into it. It suffers from a couple of things that prevent it from being as good a read as it could have been. Some minor spoilers to follow:
1) It gets bogged down in unnecessary details. The first section of the book was slooooooow. There are interesting events in it, but it takes too long to get to those events. I did appreciate that the author was trying to pain a lush and vibrant portrait of her setting, but it interfered with the plot at times, making me wonder when we were going to get back to the interesting part. I think this is an overall theme of the book, that the author is so enchanted by her setting and so eager to share it that it doesn't mesh as well with the action as it should.
2) The romance plot. Zenobia had a fascinating life, and though the author explains her reasoning for the romance, I wish she'd dispensed with it altogether. What would have been wrong with a book about a woman so focused on her ambition she had no room for romance? The book doesn't delve into real bodice ripper territory, but I'd rather have seen page space given to the romance devoted instead to the intrigue surrounding Zenobia.
3) Fairuza. She either didn't need to be there or she shouldn't have been so underutilized. There is a powerful scene between her and Zenobia that really hooked me, and then...nothing. Zenobia backs down, behaves herself, and Fairuza disappears until she pops up again at a convenient plot point. I would have preferred her either to have been left out of the book entirely or for the author to have used her to show how different women took different approaches to getting what they wanted.
4) The time jumps. Yeah, sometimes these happen so that the author can move the plot along, and that's fine. In this book, though, I found myself thinking, "Huh, I would have liked to have read about all that" whenever the book jumped and then provided me with a summary of what had happened during the interim. I also would rather the author had left the first part of Zenobia's life out and started up when Zenobia starts defying Rome as it would have enabled her to devote more time to Zenobia's machinations against the empire, which, for me, was the most interesting part of the book. Instead, the time jumps made me feel like the book was offering me a variety of vignettes of Zenobia's life when what I really wanted was a cohesive narrative. Zenobia was fascinating. I wanted to watch her do her thing instead of the story picking up in the aftermath and describing her lavish Egyptian palace to me.
I did enjoy parts of this novel quite a lot, but overall it disappointed me.
1) It gets bogged down in unnecessary details. The first section of the book was slooooooow. There are interesting events in it, but it takes too long to get to those events. I did appreciate that the author was trying to pain a lush and vibrant portrait of her setting, but it interfered with the plot at times, making me wonder when we were going to get back to the interesting part. I think this is an overall theme of the book, that the author is so enchanted by her setting and so eager to share it that it doesn't mesh as well with the action as it should.
2) The romance plot. Zenobia had a fascinating life, and though the author explains her reasoning for the romance, I wish she'd dispensed with it altogether. What would have been wrong with a book about a woman so focused on her ambition she had no room for romance? The book doesn't delve into real bodice ripper territory, but I'd rather have seen page space given to the romance devoted instead to the intrigue surrounding Zenobia.
3) Fairuza. She either didn't need to be there or she shouldn't have been so underutilized. There is a powerful scene between her and Zenobia that really hooked me, and then...nothing. Zenobia backs down, behaves herself, and Fairuza disappears until she pops up again at a convenient plot point. I would have preferred her either to have been left out of the book entirely or for the author to have used her to show how different women took different approaches to getting what they wanted.
4) The time jumps. Yeah, sometimes these happen so that the author can move the plot along, and that's fine. In this book, though, I found myself thinking, "Huh, I would have liked to have read about all that" whenever the book jumped and then provided me with a summary of what had happened during the interim. I also would rather the author had left the first part of Zenobia's life out and started up when Zenobia starts defying Rome as it would have enabled her to devote more time to Zenobia's machinations against the empire, which, for me, was the most interesting part of the book. Instead, the time jumps made me feel like the book was offering me a variety of vignettes of Zenobia's life when what I really wanted was a cohesive narrative. Zenobia was fascinating. I wanted to watch her do her thing instead of the story picking up in the aftermath and describing her lavish Egyptian palace to me.
I did enjoy parts of this novel quite a lot, but overall it disappointed me.
December 23, 2015
the author tries to explain it away as critique in the afterword but really this is a book about a girl who starts off wildly ambitious and confident and ends broken down and willing to be whatever society wants of her, but it's supposed to be okay because two guys (one being her lover, the other being the one who destroyed her empire and paraded her around as a prize) see her as an exceptional woman. much feminism wow.
(i also take exception to the author's claim that painting Zenobia as chaste HAD to have been misogynistic trash; it's very possible it was, but shockingly, it's ALSO possible for powerful, driven women to not give into OR EVEN HAVE desire for men.)
(i also take exception to the author's claim that painting Zenobia as chaste HAD to have been misogynistic trash; it's very possible it was, but shockingly, it's ALSO possible for powerful, driven women to not give into OR EVEN HAVE desire for men.)
March 20, 2016
"There is nothing humble about this woman."
Indeed, the lead character of Hawker's crusade among the blistering dunes, Zenobia, an ambitious young woman, knows less of when to keep silent and ride things out than she does of conquering kingdoms by means of tribal pride and unbridled focus. Zenobia Bat-Zabbai of DAUGHTER OF SAND AND STONE is a feminist hero who crushes her opponents every which way she can; whether by way of bloody sword, poison, or the manipulation of trade routes, the woman's efforts are never not known: she must protect her people, stave off the grislier elements beyond her borders, and prove, as in everything she does, that a woman can (and will) rule as good (or better) than a man.
Zenobia's tale, however, begins serendipitously. She is young and opportunistic. When a regional scrum sends her into the nighttime desert to notify her brother-in-law of an inevitable siege against their beloved Palmyra, her rousing speech to a group of flagging soldiers proves to be the stuff of legend. Zenobia saves her city. And word travels.
The politics of the early-CE Middle East may not be for everyone, understandably, but the way in which Zenobia navigates mayoral households, tribal vendettas, military campaigns, the treasury, and so much more, gifts readers with an educated ego unwilling to yield in the presence of anyone, man or god.
Truly fascinating, then, is to read DAUGHTER OF SAND AND STONE and encounter a character that is both prideful and aware of the consequences of her pride. Zenobia's hold over people, her land, her family, and her lovers all come and go with the fierce and gut-clenching salience one might anticipate from such centuries-old ideation; but that doesn't mean she is inured to the sufferings of those she devours on her way to the top.
There are many different ways to tackle historical fiction. The most fascinating and involving way, no doubt, is to stitch together what remains of the truth with every fabric of the landscape one's research can unearth. Said landscape may be social, ethnic, political, or economic. It may be narrowly emotional and defined not by what the writer knows to have existed, but by what the author finds hasn't survived centuries of scriptural mediation. Libbie Hawker's writing flawlessly invokes this meaningful tradition.
To this end, DAUGHTER OF SAND AND STONE is almost purely a sensory read. This is not a book to be read by the colorblind. And to be frank, Hawker's writing is also not to be favored by any reader unable to unpack their imagination and permit the author's continuous, rapid-fire assessment of the sights, sounds, and smells of the world. In this book, the author's imagination is the reader's imagination, and there's little room for anything else, because Hawker writes with the feverish, deliberate stride of a cheetah in pursuit.
This approach is exhilarating and daunting at the same time. On the positive end, the book's literal and figurative landscapes engulf the senses with telling, inimitable fragrances with a history all their own. On the down side, there are moments when the narrative's most compelling conflicts thrive and die by the language alone; the book has plenty of drama, but the novel similarly trades in all things thoroughly anticlimactic.
For example, Zenobia's evening ride into the desert is fantastical, and her speech to the beleaguered Amlaqi warriors is unparalleled. But do readers ever see the warriors actually fight?
Another example might rest in Zenobia's ongoing romance with her most trusted general, Zabdas. The man's affection is like a puppy dog's ("Think carefully before you issue me a command, Zenobia. For I will do what you tell me, even if I'm the worst possible man for the job.") Zenobia love Zabdas, too, or so she says, but treats him terribly for years. Does the woman's emotional impertinence ever come to roost?
DAUGHTER OF SAND AND STONE is an anticlimactic book; however, the author's indispensable passion for observing and naming the raw energies that surround late-antique turmoil more than make up for what is or isn't delivered by the story's necessarily naive conclusion.
Indeed, the lead character of Hawker's crusade among the blistering dunes, Zenobia, an ambitious young woman, knows less of when to keep silent and ride things out than she does of conquering kingdoms by means of tribal pride and unbridled focus. Zenobia Bat-Zabbai of DAUGHTER OF SAND AND STONE is a feminist hero who crushes her opponents every which way she can; whether by way of bloody sword, poison, or the manipulation of trade routes, the woman's efforts are never not known: she must protect her people, stave off the grislier elements beyond her borders, and prove, as in everything she does, that a woman can (and will) rule as good (or better) than a man.
Zenobia's tale, however, begins serendipitously. She is young and opportunistic. When a regional scrum sends her into the nighttime desert to notify her brother-in-law of an inevitable siege against their beloved Palmyra, her rousing speech to a group of flagging soldiers proves to be the stuff of legend. Zenobia saves her city. And word travels.
The politics of the early-CE Middle East may not be for everyone, understandably, but the way in which Zenobia navigates mayoral households, tribal vendettas, military campaigns, the treasury, and so much more, gifts readers with an educated ego unwilling to yield in the presence of anyone, man or god.
Truly fascinating, then, is to read DAUGHTER OF SAND AND STONE and encounter a character that is both prideful and aware of the consequences of her pride. Zenobia's hold over people, her land, her family, and her lovers all come and go with the fierce and gut-clenching salience one might anticipate from such centuries-old ideation; but that doesn't mean she is inured to the sufferings of those she devours on her way to the top.
There are many different ways to tackle historical fiction. The most fascinating and involving way, no doubt, is to stitch together what remains of the truth with every fabric of the landscape one's research can unearth. Said landscape may be social, ethnic, political, or economic. It may be narrowly emotional and defined not by what the writer knows to have existed, but by what the author finds hasn't survived centuries of scriptural mediation. Libbie Hawker's writing flawlessly invokes this meaningful tradition.
To this end, DAUGHTER OF SAND AND STONE is almost purely a sensory read. This is not a book to be read by the colorblind. And to be frank, Hawker's writing is also not to be favored by any reader unable to unpack their imagination and permit the author's continuous, rapid-fire assessment of the sights, sounds, and smells of the world. In this book, the author's imagination is the reader's imagination, and there's little room for anything else, because Hawker writes with the feverish, deliberate stride of a cheetah in pursuit.
This approach is exhilarating and daunting at the same time. On the positive end, the book's literal and figurative landscapes engulf the senses with telling, inimitable fragrances with a history all their own. On the down side, there are moments when the narrative's most compelling conflicts thrive and die by the language alone; the book has plenty of drama, but the novel similarly trades in all things thoroughly anticlimactic.
For example, Zenobia's evening ride into the desert is fantastical, and her speech to the beleaguered Amlaqi warriors is unparalleled. But do readers ever see the warriors actually fight?
Another example might rest in Zenobia's ongoing romance with her most trusted general, Zabdas. The man's affection is like a puppy dog's ("Think carefully before you issue me a command, Zenobia. For I will do what you tell me, even if I'm the worst possible man for the job.") Zenobia love Zabdas, too, or so she says, but treats him terribly for years. Does the woman's emotional impertinence ever come to roost?
DAUGHTER OF SAND AND STONE is an anticlimactic book; however, the author's indispensable passion for observing and naming the raw energies that surround late-antique turmoil more than make up for what is or isn't delivered by the story's necessarily naive conclusion.
December 30, 2015
I had not heard of Zenobia when I was offered this book to review. I chose to read it because I love books that take place in ancient times. When I learned that is was based in fact I was even more excited to dig in. There are so few strong women in the historical record and to find one from back this far in time is remarkable.
Zenobia was a daughter of a daughter of chieftan of Palmyra. While her sisters behave as women of the time do – marrying the men their father suggest – Zenobia feels she is meant for bigger things. When her father dies she decides to find her own husband and chooses the governor of Palmyra. A man already married and one who is loyal to Rome. Zenobia feels she is following her destiny. Where will that destiny lead her?
Little historical record is left of this strong and amazing woman and most of that comes from Roman writings. Per usual, history is written by the victors and that history cannot always be trusted. Using what record there is Ms. Hawker has crafted a tale of a young woman chasing her future and almost besting Rome in the process. There is such an inspirational and powerful story here and I feel that the fullness of it was not fully realized. At times I wasn’t sure if I was reading a young adult novel and then the tenor would change. It was as if it just skimmed the surface of what could have been.
There is richness of detail in the descriptions of the desert and the clothing worn as well as what it is like to ride a camel. Time passes with few reference points and in odd ways. The beginning of the book moves somewhat – I hesitate to use slowly because that would make you think boring but it is not boring. It just takes the time to develop character and environment. Then the back end of the book just flies along with little time to examine events or places.
All in all though I did enjoy the book, I just wanted so much more. A character like this deserves more I think.
3.5
Zenobia was a daughter of a daughter of chieftan of Palmyra. While her sisters behave as women of the time do – marrying the men their father suggest – Zenobia feels she is meant for bigger things. When her father dies she decides to find her own husband and chooses the governor of Palmyra. A man already married and one who is loyal to Rome. Zenobia feels she is following her destiny. Where will that destiny lead her?
Little historical record is left of this strong and amazing woman and most of that comes from Roman writings. Per usual, history is written by the victors and that history cannot always be trusted. Using what record there is Ms. Hawker has crafted a tale of a young woman chasing her future and almost besting Rome in the process. There is such an inspirational and powerful story here and I feel that the fullness of it was not fully realized. At times I wasn’t sure if I was reading a young adult novel and then the tenor would change. It was as if it just skimmed the surface of what could have been.
There is richness of detail in the descriptions of the desert and the clothing worn as well as what it is like to ride a camel. Time passes with few reference points and in odd ways. The beginning of the book moves somewhat – I hesitate to use slowly because that would make you think boring but it is not boring. It just takes the time to develop character and environment. Then the back end of the book just flies along with little time to examine events or places.
All in all though I did enjoy the book, I just wanted so much more. A character like this deserves more I think.
3.5
February 11, 2017
I've been looking forward to this book ever since I read that Libbie Hawker was writing it. I got a free copy from the publisher via Net Galley and participated in a blog tour for this book on Book Babe.
The first time I read a Zenobia novel I was disappointed. It was The Rise of Zenobia by J. D. Smith. My biggest problem with it was that Zenobia wasn't the protagonist. It was her general, Zabdas. I felt distanced from Zenobia. In Daughter of Sand and Stone, Zabdas plays an important role, but the main perspective is very definitely Zenobia's.
Hawker extrapolates from Roman primary sources for the ending of her novel. In Hawker's very detailed Author's Note she says that a number of writers on Zenobia don't believe the official Roman version and I confess that I don't either. Within the context of the book, it was anti-climactic. So in addition to my feelings that it was out of character and not a fit ending for Zenobia, it wasn't a good ending from a dramatic perspective.
Yet up until that ending, I was cheering on Zenobia and feeling so delighted that we got a modern novel about the Warrior Queen of Palmyra in which she lives and breathes. It may not be the ideal Zenobia novel, but it perpetuates her legacy at a time when I think it's particularly important to do so.
For my complete review see http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20...
The first time I read a Zenobia novel I was disappointed. It was The Rise of Zenobia by J. D. Smith. My biggest problem with it was that Zenobia wasn't the protagonist. It was her general, Zabdas. I felt distanced from Zenobia. In Daughter of Sand and Stone, Zabdas plays an important role, but the main perspective is very definitely Zenobia's.
Hawker extrapolates from Roman primary sources for the ending of her novel. In Hawker's very detailed Author's Note she says that a number of writers on Zenobia don't believe the official Roman version and I confess that I don't either. Within the context of the book, it was anti-climactic. So in addition to my feelings that it was out of character and not a fit ending for Zenobia, it wasn't a good ending from a dramatic perspective.
Yet up until that ending, I was cheering on Zenobia and feeling so delighted that we got a modern novel about the Warrior Queen of Palmyra in which she lives and breathes. It may not be the ideal Zenobia novel, but it perpetuates her legacy at a time when I think it's particularly important to do so.
For my complete review see http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20...
December 15, 2015
3.5 stars. "Daughter of Sand and Stone" by Libbie Hawker is the story of Zenobia, an ambitious royal woman who dreams of overthrowing the Roman regime that threatens her reign. I did not know much about Zenobia at all and I had been wanting to try Hawker's books for awhile so I was very eager to get my hands on this book. Zenobia is a fascinating character and I really enjoyed getting to know who she was and what made her tick through this book.
I have been loving reading more historical fiction set in ancient times recently. I don't often get a chance to read it and I love reading about times and people unfamiliar to me. Zenobia is a great character. This book covers a wide swath of her life in a relatively small space. There are some events that I wish the book had spent more time on as they felt rushed (such as her upbringing). Because the events are coming at you so rapid fire, it did make the book go quite fast.
The writing of the book was okay. The book is written in third person present tense, which is a hard tense for me to get into. It made the narrative a little shaky for me as that tense often confuses me. Much of this was overcome by the great storyline though! Overall, I really enjoyed this book!
I have been loving reading more historical fiction set in ancient times recently. I don't often get a chance to read it and I love reading about times and people unfamiliar to me. Zenobia is a great character. This book covers a wide swath of her life in a relatively small space. There are some events that I wish the book had spent more time on as they felt rushed (such as her upbringing). Because the events are coming at you so rapid fire, it did make the book go quite fast.
The writing of the book was okay. The book is written in third person present tense, which is a hard tense for me to get into. It made the narrative a little shaky for me as that tense often confuses me. Much of this was overcome by the great storyline though! Overall, I really enjoyed this book!
December 8, 2015
"Because I’ve always known the gods made me for something more—more than just a wife, just a mother, just a woman. They made me for power!”
Admittedly I loved this book, of course what's not to love about Zenobia. Hawker does a wonderful job immersing the reader in place and time, you feel as if you're campaigning with Zenobia, a confidant in her strategies and goals. No secret I prefer my female protagonists strong, intelligent and independent. With such a notable historical figure my needs were more than met along with Hawker's deft prose. Zenobia was among the elite and exclusive women managing to conquer and rule and Hawker penned a narrative equally as exciting and enthralling as its main character. A woman achieving her goal, focused, as she sacrificed greatly in her quest for power sans regrets.
February 4, 2018
This was the second book that I have read by this author and it was not as good as the first one. What I did like was that it was about an ancient woman who chose her own destiny and did not let her life be defined by the fact that she was a woman. Zenobia conquered many parts of the ancient eastern Roman Empire in the 3rd century. This novel tells her story. The author includes a historical note in the back which I always appreciate. I had known little about this amazing woman so this drew me to the novel. However the novel did not captivate me. I pushed myself to keep reading at times. The ending was also a little heart wrenching. Not a bad story overall.
Want to read
November 2, 2015Kindle First for November
December 4, 2015
Originally published at Reading Reality
Zenobia is a name that may feel familiar, even if you can’t place it. She was certainly a legend in her own time, but history has obscured who she was and what she did. In this very fictionalized history, she feels like a second coming of Cleopatra – an appropriate image, as Zenobia herself claimed to be a descendant of the great queen. And Zenobia, like her purported ancestress, also attempted to steal Egypt from her Roman masters. Also like Cleopatra, she failed.
Although little is known for certain about Zenobia’s life, the author has created a fictional biography that, while romanticized, also seems quite plausible. Zenobia was the daughter of one of the desert chieftains who controlled the lush trade city of Palmyra during one of the more contentious eras in the long and stuttering fall of the Roman Empire.
(For those who have read or watched I, Claudius, that same Claudius is mentioned as one of the many emperors that briefly rules Rome during Zenobia’s life. Rome was a hot mess.)
Unfortunately for Zenobia, while she did most of her plotting and planning during the years when Rome lost emperor after emperor, she brought her plans to fruition just as the extremely competent Aurelian took the purple. Aurelian crushed her attempt to form an Empire of the East, centered on her home city of Palmyra, that included Rome’s breadbasket, Egypt.
The story in Daughter of Sand and Stone is the story of a young woman who quite possibly thought too much of herself and her own destiny, who rose from chieftain’s youngest daughter to Roman governor’s wife to Queen to very, very briefly, Empress.
What we see is a young woman who seems first to have been a legend in her own mind. She rejected her expected role as wife and mother, rejecting all of the quite eligible suitors that her father presented to her. Then, when tragedy struck in the form of bandit raids on her unwalled city, she took upon herself a daring midnight ride to find her father’s remaining troops and rally them to defend the city.
Her people worshipped her as their savior, no matter that her brother-in-law became the next chief.
From there, Zenobia plotted her own course to power, first marrying the Roman governor, and then after his assassination carrying out his plans for an Eastern Empire, but in her own name. She took those plans to dizzying heights, and then, like Icarus, flew too close to the sun, and crashed to exile and death.
Escape Rating B: The story in Daughter of Sand and Stone is Zenobia’s from the very first page until her final defeat. In the book, that defeat is a capitulation to the role that she was supposed to have occupied all along, that of a quiet helpmeet and wife. In other words, she finally resigns herself to what was considered a “woman’s place”, after a lifetime of fighting that characterization every step of the way.
But the adventure that finally gets her there, while ultimately doomed, was a glorious one. She begins by always believing that she is meant for more than her lot in life should have given her. She always feels that she has a destiny, and is quite often self-deceiving in her pursuit of what she feels should be hers. It is no wonder that her talent for self-deception eventually runs into the cold reality of Roman might.
While occasionally Zenobia’s speeches and internal thoughts about her great destiny sound strange to our ears, what she did about that belief was remarkable. In her relatively short life (she was about 35 when she either died or slipped into complete obscurity) she takes herself from chieftain’s daughter to empress just on the strength of her own ambition and vision. That would have been a lot of ambition even for a man in that era – for a woman it became the stuff of legend.
In the story, some things are created out of very scanty bits of historical records. Her relationship with the governor’s first wife, while fictional, provides a lot of the tension in the early parts of the story, and motivates some of Zenobia’s real life behavior. Zenobia’s romance with her general, while also fictional, helps complete the portrait of Zenobia as a whole person instead of just a face on a coin.
The descriptions of the desert are rich and lush, the reader can almost feel the sand blowing by and the sudden beauty of the oases. It makes it easy to understand why Zenobia loved her city so much that she wanted to make an empire of it.
Zenobia is a name that may feel familiar, even if you can’t place it. She was certainly a legend in her own time, but history has obscured who she was and what she did. In this very fictionalized history, she feels like a second coming of Cleopatra – an appropriate image, as Zenobia herself claimed to be a descendant of the great queen. And Zenobia, like her purported ancestress, also attempted to steal Egypt from her Roman masters. Also like Cleopatra, she failed.
Although little is known for certain about Zenobia’s life, the author has created a fictional biography that, while romanticized, also seems quite plausible. Zenobia was the daughter of one of the desert chieftains who controlled the lush trade city of Palmyra during one of the more contentious eras in the long and stuttering fall of the Roman Empire.
(For those who have read or watched I, Claudius, that same Claudius is mentioned as one of the many emperors that briefly rules Rome during Zenobia’s life. Rome was a hot mess.)
Unfortunately for Zenobia, while she did most of her plotting and planning during the years when Rome lost emperor after emperor, she brought her plans to fruition just as the extremely competent Aurelian took the purple. Aurelian crushed her attempt to form an Empire of the East, centered on her home city of Palmyra, that included Rome’s breadbasket, Egypt.
The story in Daughter of Sand and Stone is the story of a young woman who quite possibly thought too much of herself and her own destiny, who rose from chieftain’s youngest daughter to Roman governor’s wife to Queen to very, very briefly, Empress.
What we see is a young woman who seems first to have been a legend in her own mind. She rejected her expected role as wife and mother, rejecting all of the quite eligible suitors that her father presented to her. Then, when tragedy struck in the form of bandit raids on her unwalled city, she took upon herself a daring midnight ride to find her father’s remaining troops and rally them to defend the city.
Her people worshipped her as their savior, no matter that her brother-in-law became the next chief.
From there, Zenobia plotted her own course to power, first marrying the Roman governor, and then after his assassination carrying out his plans for an Eastern Empire, but in her own name. She took those plans to dizzying heights, and then, like Icarus, flew too close to the sun, and crashed to exile and death.
Escape Rating B: The story in Daughter of Sand and Stone is Zenobia’s from the very first page until her final defeat. In the book, that defeat is a capitulation to the role that she was supposed to have occupied all along, that of a quiet helpmeet and wife. In other words, she finally resigns herself to what was considered a “woman’s place”, after a lifetime of fighting that characterization every step of the way.
But the adventure that finally gets her there, while ultimately doomed, was a glorious one. She begins by always believing that she is meant for more than her lot in life should have given her. She always feels that she has a destiny, and is quite often self-deceiving in her pursuit of what she feels should be hers. It is no wonder that her talent for self-deception eventually runs into the cold reality of Roman might.
While occasionally Zenobia’s speeches and internal thoughts about her great destiny sound strange to our ears, what she did about that belief was remarkable. In her relatively short life (she was about 35 when she either died or slipped into complete obscurity) she takes herself from chieftain’s daughter to empress just on the strength of her own ambition and vision. That would have been a lot of ambition even for a man in that era – for a woman it became the stuff of legend.
In the story, some things are created out of very scanty bits of historical records. Her relationship with the governor’s first wife, while fictional, provides a lot of the tension in the early parts of the story, and motivates some of Zenobia’s real life behavior. Zenobia’s romance with her general, while also fictional, helps complete the portrait of Zenobia as a whole person instead of just a face on a coin.
The descriptions of the desert are rich and lush, the reader can almost feel the sand blowing by and the sudden beauty of the oases. It makes it easy to understand why Zenobia loved her city so much that she wanted to make an empire of it.
February 4, 2016
Zenobia of Palmyra was a notorious woman in the third century, responsible for a significant rebellion against the Roman Empire. Zenobia's story is not nearly so well known as the exploits of Boudicca in Britannia, though the potential impact of her actions was much greater. Daughter of Sand and Stone is Libby Hawkers' effort to retell Zenobia's story of bravery and tenacity.
The story is engaging, and Hawker tells it well, but her well-written effort doesn’t bring Zenobia into full life. The reader, after slogging through a rather long introduction of time, place, and family history, encounters a young woman who sacrifices everything to her belief that she has a great destiny. That sacrifice is the driving force of the story. Zenobia takes great risks and enjoys much success. She tweaks Rome's imperial nose. The reader rightly deduces Zenobia will not win in the end, but reads on, hoping to engage with Zenobia as the character is drawn.
Hawker traces the Zenobia's life without really letting Zenobia speak for herself. Zenobia willingly puts aside her birth family, engineers what appears to be a loveless marriage, abandons her son (into good hands, of course), and expects Zabdas, the loyal suitor she repeatedly rejects, to remain at her side through all her schemes. The reader learns nothing about Zenobia apart from her hubris -- her defiance of gods and men.
The two characters who come through most strongly are the Emperior Aurelian and the Zabdas, the guardsman suitor. But while his dedication to Zenobia is believably unquestioning, Zabdas' lack of family or standing in his own community is not. An ambitious woman seeking ever greater heights and able to leave her young son to an uncertain future is, in my opinion, unlikely to give her love (such as it may have been) to a man of such low estate. Zabdas, by the way, is the author's gift to Zenobia.
Emperor Aurelian did put down the Palmyran Rebellion against Rome, and brought Zenobia to Rome in chains. Roman generals often extended grudging respect to their more successful enemies. Aurelian exchanged several letters with Zenobia. No doubt this explains the believability of the interactions between the two.
Hawker is a strong writer and an enthusiastic researcher. She tells a story that is worth reading. Hawker does a good service to historical fiction about notable women by bringing Zenobia to our attention. I just wish the reader could have gotten to know Zenobia better.
The story is engaging, and Hawker tells it well, but her well-written effort doesn’t bring Zenobia into full life. The reader, after slogging through a rather long introduction of time, place, and family history, encounters a young woman who sacrifices everything to her belief that she has a great destiny. That sacrifice is the driving force of the story. Zenobia takes great risks and enjoys much success. She tweaks Rome's imperial nose. The reader rightly deduces Zenobia will not win in the end, but reads on, hoping to engage with Zenobia as the character is drawn.
Hawker traces the Zenobia's life without really letting Zenobia speak for herself. Zenobia willingly puts aside her birth family, engineers what appears to be a loveless marriage, abandons her son (into good hands, of course), and expects Zabdas, the loyal suitor she repeatedly rejects, to remain at her side through all her schemes. The reader learns nothing about Zenobia apart from her hubris -- her defiance of gods and men.
The two characters who come through most strongly are the Emperior Aurelian and the Zabdas, the guardsman suitor. But while his dedication to Zenobia is believably unquestioning, Zabdas' lack of family or standing in his own community is not. An ambitious woman seeking ever greater heights and able to leave her young son to an uncertain future is, in my opinion, unlikely to give her love (such as it may have been) to a man of such low estate. Zabdas, by the way, is the author's gift to Zenobia.
Emperor Aurelian did put down the Palmyran Rebellion against Rome, and brought Zenobia to Rome in chains. Roman generals often extended grudging respect to their more successful enemies. Aurelian exchanged several letters with Zenobia. No doubt this explains the believability of the interactions between the two.
Hawker is a strong writer and an enthusiastic researcher. She tells a story that is worth reading. Hawker does a good service to historical fiction about notable women by bringing Zenobia to our attention. I just wish the reader could have gotten to know Zenobia better.
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Hawker does an outstanding job with time and place along with her portrayal of historic icon Zenobia.
Zenobia – ambitious, headstrong, intelligent, a natural born leader, courageous, determined, a woman fighting to meet her destiny, an insatiable taste for power, accomplishing what few other women have done along with little regret. Her stellar qualities equal in her rise and fall. I couldn’t have selected a more enigmatic female fitting to build an exciting and entertaining narrative around. Her female and male peers holding her in high regard, carrying herself with grace there was no stopping Zenobia. Clearly breaking the mold of behavior and position fitting a woman, no one or nothing could have prevented her from conquering and ruling. Hawker delivered a riveting plot paying homage to an incredible woman from the pages of history unfamiliar to most.
Hawker captured Zenobia beautifully without ignoring her softer side. My first book by Hawker and needless to say dazzled by her writing, and her strong depiction of this warrior queen possessing all the qualities I prefer my female protagonists to hold. A wonderful action packed reading journey provided by Libbie Hawker’s creativity and rich prose.
Hawker does an outstanding job with time and place along with her portrayal of historic icon Zenobia.
“Because I’ve always known the gods made me for something more—more than just a wife, just a mother, just a woman. They made me for power!”
Zenobia – ambitious, headstrong, intelligent, a natural born leader, courageous, determined, a woman fighting to meet her destiny, an insatiable taste for power, accomplishing what few other women have done along with little regret. Her stellar qualities equal in her rise and fall. I couldn’t have selected a more enigmatic female fitting to build an exciting and entertaining narrative around. Her female and male peers holding her in high regard, carrying herself with grace there was no stopping Zenobia. Clearly breaking the mold of behavior and position fitting a woman, no one or nothing could have prevented her from conquering and ruling. Hawker delivered a riveting plot paying homage to an incredible woman from the pages of history unfamiliar to most.
“Accept that you’ve done what no other woman could. Not even Cleopatra was a conqueror! You’ve conquered several cities and taken Egypt out from under Caesar’s nose. Let that be enough. What more can you hope to achieve? What else is there, Zenobia?”
Hawker captured Zenobia beautifully without ignoring her softer side. My first book by Hawker and needless to say dazzled by her writing, and her strong depiction of this warrior queen possessing all the qualities I prefer my female protagonists to hold. A wonderful action packed reading journey provided by Libbie Hawker’s creativity and rich prose.
“This is her last stand, he realizes. Her final reach for her destiny—for what she believes is her destiny. If the gods do not stretch out their hands to catch her, Zenobia will now fall. There is no other possible outcome.
She has done it boldly, Zabdas knows. She has made her declaration in no uncertain terms. Whatever else the world might say of Zenobia bat-Zabbai, no one will ever be able to call her a coward.”
February 29, 2016
The book was provided to me by Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing. The opinions, however, are all my own.
I am torn between 4 or 5 stars. This book was really good and there is more to it than might seem. I fell in love with Zenobia as our heroine and was very pleased that the ending was so unpredictable and deep. Whatever the true Zenobia's life and fate was, I am sure she would like this book. In this story she is a living and breathing person aiming for greatness and she has my respect and love!
Libbie Hawker managed to create a character who has many strengths as well as many faults, giving the reader an opportunity to relate to the circumstances and the heroes in this book. Zenobia, a young but very ambitious daughter of a trading town leader has to marry eventually. But Zenobia does not think that a life of a proper wife is for her. She is well versed in politics, speaks many languages and grasps the situation around her quicker than so many others. As a woman, however, she doesn't have an opportunity to execute her talents in that day and age. We join her on her life journey as she figures out a way to save her city from falling prey to the enemies surrounding her, forging feeble alliances and falls in love with a man with whom she cannot be. She makes the impossible possible but for every decision there is a price to pay. And sometimes it seems to Zenobia that the gods are not pleased with her actions.
Aside from the gripping storyline we have lots of vivid and imaginative descriptions that bring us a taste of Middle East, its culture and atmosphere. The writing style was a bit unusual as it's in the present tense (it's entirely my preference but it made it harder to read). But in the end you forget about the words and see the pictures before you. And the stories they tell are amazing.
Lastly, I loved most of the characters in this book for how balanced they were. No one was one-dimensional. Everyone had their own mind, their storyline, their reasoning. Even the forces that oppose Zenobia were easily believable. That does credit to the author. Thank you for the book, I have enjoyed it very much.
I am torn between 4 or 5 stars. This book was really good and there is more to it than might seem. I fell in love with Zenobia as our heroine and was very pleased that the ending was so unpredictable and deep. Whatever the true Zenobia's life and fate was, I am sure she would like this book. In this story she is a living and breathing person aiming for greatness and she has my respect and love!
Libbie Hawker managed to create a character who has many strengths as well as many faults, giving the reader an opportunity to relate to the circumstances and the heroes in this book. Zenobia, a young but very ambitious daughter of a trading town leader has to marry eventually. But Zenobia does not think that a life of a proper wife is for her. She is well versed in politics, speaks many languages and grasps the situation around her quicker than so many others. As a woman, however, she doesn't have an opportunity to execute her talents in that day and age. We join her on her life journey as she figures out a way to save her city from falling prey to the enemies surrounding her, forging feeble alliances and falls in love with a man with whom she cannot be. She makes the impossible possible but for every decision there is a price to pay. And sometimes it seems to Zenobia that the gods are not pleased with her actions.
Aside from the gripping storyline we have lots of vivid and imaginative descriptions that bring us a taste of Middle East, its culture and atmosphere. The writing style was a bit unusual as it's in the present tense (it's entirely my preference but it made it harder to read). But in the end you forget about the words and see the pictures before you. And the stories they tell are amazing.
Lastly, I loved most of the characters in this book for how balanced they were. No one was one-dimensional. Everyone had their own mind, their storyline, their reasoning. Even the forces that oppose Zenobia were easily believable. That does credit to the author. Thank you for the book, I have enjoyed it very much.
January 7, 2016
I really enjoyed learning about a non-European historical woman. I think Zenobia goes right up there with Boudica in my most kick-ass women of history list. (What's the common thread here? They both told Rome where they could stick it!) Hawker did a great job of introducing a reader with no previous knowledge of Syrian (or even Roman imperial) history to the time and place subtly but effectively. She does a great job of scene setting and teaching by showing. I was definitely impressed - I could almost feel the hot sand blowing on me and hear the camels groaning. Hawker covered a relatively long period of Zenobia's life efficiently in such a short book by focusing on a few short periods. Of course this left me longing for more, more, more. (I guess a lot of that would have been military in a book clearly intended for a mostly female audience, so that would be unlikely. And while I'm in this parenthetical, I have to say Hawker did a perfect job of adding a hint of romance to keep a gal engaged but not so much that it took away from the work as historical fiction.) Zenobia would be a fascinating woman today, but in the 3rd century, she must have been astounding. I would love to read more about her - and more by Hawker. I'd certainly recommend this to readers who enjoy good historical fiction and are tired of the same old subjects!
The fine print: received ARC from NetGalley.
The fine print: received ARC from NetGalley.
July 31, 2017
This was one of the Kindle First Picks that I had downloaded a while back, but didn't get around to reading before now.
To be honest, I don't think I connected all that much with the plot or the characters, but I felt like I was learning so much about Ancient Palmyra, its culture, its geographical and political influence, the people's attitudes towards gods and religion, and the politics of Rome with regions in modern day Middle-East and Northern Europe.
I really appreciated that the author included a long author's note explaining what was fact, what was legend, and what was fiction. She described her sources and her evaluation of the credibility of the sources. And she also included a discussion about the theme she intended for the book (which I did connect with somewhat). This makes me likely to pick up something by her again because there's a good chance that it'd be another history lesson. :)
A minor point that I will bring up: She mentions her frustration that all the sources kept harping on Zenobia's chastity, and that's why she sought to invent a reason for it and also create a fictional romance with a real historical figure (which was quite plausible actually). I can understand her frustration because, yes, chastity is often equated with virtue, and this can be frustrating; but at the same time, if that many sources kept talking about how Zenobia wasn't interested in sex, well, maybe she was asexual, and there's nothing weird about that.
To be honest, I don't think I connected all that much with the plot or the characters, but I felt like I was learning so much about Ancient Palmyra, its culture, its geographical and political influence, the people's attitudes towards gods and religion, and the politics of Rome with regions in modern day Middle-East and Northern Europe.
I really appreciated that the author included a long author's note explaining what was fact, what was legend, and what was fiction. She described her sources and her evaluation of the credibility of the sources. And she also included a discussion about the theme she intended for the book (which I did connect with somewhat). This makes me likely to pick up something by her again because there's a good chance that it'd be another history lesson. :)
A minor point that I will bring up: She mentions her frustration that all the sources kept harping on Zenobia's chastity, and that's why she sought to invent a reason for it and also create a fictional romance with a real historical figure (which was quite plausible actually). I can understand her frustration because, yes, chastity is often equated with virtue, and this can be frustrating; but at the same time, if that many sources kept talking about how Zenobia wasn't interested in sex, well, maybe she was asexual, and there's nothing weird about that.
February 22, 2016
This really could have been such a good book but it failed. I don't understand the numerous positive ratings, but we all like what we like and everyone has an opinion.
My main problem is that the book seemed so rushed. There did not seem to be any thought process. It was like, one day, Zenobia woke up and decided to be Queen of Egypt without really telling anybody. One day she was out riding to save her city and then two seconds later she had made the decision to marry the governor. I couldn't even put the two actions together. It was disconcerting, to say the least.
My other problem is the lack of a real conclusion. Yes, the story is about Zenobia but what happened to everyone else? I don't know enough about Roman history to know what happens next, and that's actually not what I'm talking about. What happened to the other characters? Did Zabdas just disappear?
I don't even know why I'm bothering. Libbie Hawker writes well but she is not a good story-teller. There's a difference.
My main problem is that the book seemed so rushed. There did not seem to be any thought process. It was like, one day, Zenobia woke up and decided to be Queen of Egypt without really telling anybody. One day she was out riding to save her city and then two seconds later she had made the decision to marry the governor. I couldn't even put the two actions together. It was disconcerting, to say the least.
My other problem is the lack of a real conclusion. Yes, the story is about Zenobia but what happened to everyone else? I don't know enough about Roman history to know what happens next, and that's actually not what I'm talking about. What happened to the other characters? Did Zabdas just disappear?
I don't even know why I'm bothering. Libbie Hawker writes well but she is not a good story-teller. There's a difference.
October 6, 2018
3.5 stars. I don't remember ever hearing about Zenobia before, so I found this really interesting. To be honest, I picked it up thinking it was entirely fictional. I didn't realize until probably a quarter of the way into it that she really existed. As interesting as I found her story, the third person omniscient viewpoint that Hawker used in telling it left me detached from all the action. This is blood and empire and war and passion and I was always a few steps removed. I think in the hand of a different author, Jo Graham perhaps, these characters could really sing.
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