White Lotus

White Lotus Trilogy #1

by Libbie Hawker

Part 1 of the White Lotus trilogy

In the fifth century BCE, Egypt is the greatest civilization known to mankind. But with a foolish king on its throne, the Nile Valley is ripe for conquering.

Amid this climate of danger and strife, in the alleys and brothels of Memphis, an extraordinary young woman comes of age. To spare her siblings from starvation, Doricha is sold into prostitution. But she has gifts beyond mere beauty. Through wit and determination, she works her way into the realm of the hetaerae—courtesans of exceptional refinement.

As a hetaera, Doricha has access to the schemes and negotiations that shape the world. But the rich and powerful also have access to her, and Doricha soon finds herself in the Pharaoh’s harem, caught up in his reckless plans. When the Pharaoh sends her off to his fiercest enemy, thinly cloaked by a dangerous ruse, Doricha must become a double agent if she hopes to survive. Caught between the Pharaoh and the Persian king Cambyses, it is Doricha—once a slave, now a woman of great but secret power—who will determine Egypt’s fate.

Blending ancient fable with true history, White Lotus brings Egypt’s downfall to life.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Egypt, Cinderella, Ebooks, Romance

245 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 23, 2016

About the author

Libbie 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).

Reviews

[Iset · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was quite hopeful when I started White Lotus, that Libbie Hawker had really hit her stride as an author. Since her debut novel it has seemed to me that Hawker has shown a lot of promise, particularly in linguistics and writing style, but as a reader I keep getting frustrated by poor characterisations or simplistic, nonsensical plotting that is just unsatisfying. Her trilogy on the Amarna period was positively tantalising because I thought the first book was very good, the flair and fluidity in the writing sweeping me along, but then I found the second and third books to be disappointing, mostly because of the plot breaking my suspension of disbelief and too many easy clichés thrown in. White Lotus picked up my enthusiasm straight away, again because of the practised writing style drawing me in, and since this trilogy is among Libbie’s more recent works, I had high hopes that maybe this time she’d hit the nail squarely on the head.

Well, while there was a lot to like, I did also have a few criticisms. Interestingly, I notice that a lot of reviews criticise the story as a simple Cinderella tale, but that isn’t one of my complaints. The ancient folk tale of Rhodopis is in fact a strong candidate for the original story that later developed into Cinderella. Hawker’s intent, to follow the story of the legendary Rhodopis, can hardly be faulted for being a Cinderella tale therefore when it inspired Cinderella and predates it by almost two thousand years.

I found Hawker's use of Planudes (a source writing some two thousand years later and based on a fantasy, fictional rendering of Aesop's life to begin with) for her portrayal of Aesop to be puzzling given that she was clearly trying to make her depiction of Rhodopis as grounded in history as possible. It just seemed like an inconsistent approach, and I prefer books based on legends and myth to either go all out fantasy or be as rooted in realism as possible. I also found Doricha's catchphrase "I reckon" to be incredibly irritating. I don't like catchphrases, they all too often become stand-ins for characterisation. She was raised in poverty; I get it. Perhaps the worst thing about it was that everytime those words passed her lips I was wrenched from classical era Egypt and abruptly dropped right into the deep south of the United States. That's not a good thing in a historical novel. I want to be in the time and place I'm supposed to be in, and forget the modern world. There were also a few typos here and there in the Kindle version.

Criticisms large and small aside, I admit I mostly enjoyed the book. The subject matter – the life and training of a hetaira – is one I’m particularly interested in. Information on how hetairas trained is very scant, and it is difficult to build up a picture without it being coloured by more modern examples. What really caught my attention were the rich and lively descriptions throughout. It’s no secret that I love effective and evocative imagery in writing, especially inventive and unexpected expressions which show creative flair. It keeps my mind engaged as a reader and lends a certain quality and sophistication to the text.

I haven’t really talked about the plot, mostly because it neither stood out nor did I find fault with it. Doricha is a very young girl right at the beginning of her career. I fully expected the first novel in the trilogy to do a lot of set up of what was to come, and it was no surprise to me that I did not particularly identify with Doricha’s juvenile outlook and inexperience. But I did not dislike her either – aside from her ‘reckoning’ all the time. Her plight is at least empathetic and understandable enough to keep me open to her as the main character, and Hawker very adroitly avoids tugging on her readers’ heartstrings too much and making it feel like an overdone sob story. There is some female-on-female catfighting here – something which I’ve really disliked in her previous novels – but here Hawker gets it right. It’s kept to a minimum, happens only when absolutely necessary to the plot, and is much less bitchy and infantile and much more cold and calculating. In fact, you’ll find more time devoted to female friendship than conflict. I am so glad that the pages are not saturated and dripping with inane squabbling. It’s a mercy, and the story feels more mature for it.

8 out of 10

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rhodopis is an Egyptian version of Cinderella, or at the very least, it involves a foot fitting into a shoe if not evil step sisters. Libbie Hawker’s White Lotus is the first in a trilogy about Rhodopis.

The book isn’t bad. This volume details Doricha (who will become Rhodopis) beginnings from the daughter of a starting Thracian family trapped in Egypt to joining the household of the Pharaoh. IN short, it is about a young girl sold into slavery as a high-end prostitute.

While Hawker does a good job of immersing the reader in the society and time of ancient Egypt and the clash of Egyptian and Greek saviors, as it were. Yet, the central character of Doricha is rather dull. I mean really dull. She is a great dancer, smart, and wonderful. And constantly having bad things done to her by people she trusts.

The one character that really shines is Archidike, who is at first takes Doricha under her wing, but becomes her enemy due to a misunderstanding that, quite frankly, isn’t quite explained very well to the reader. She then becomes a one-dimension villain. But before that, she carries the book because she has the spark. Archidike sings. She almost steals the story from Doricha. When she is forced back, the book suffers, and we no longer truly care about the ending or Doricha’s success.

[Karen Sugalski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cinderella story set in ancient Egypt?

I was enjoying the story until I got to the end when it turned on to Cinderella set in ancient Egypt complete with the shoes. The synopsis promised so much more.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libbie Hawker remains one of my favorite historical fiction authors out there, legit. I know self-publishing gets a bad rap sometimes, but in the historical fiction realm I'm suddenly spoiled for riches in stories about all these historical figures I've read about on wikipedia, wanted to know more about, but more traditional publishing houses haven't released fiction about them yet.

Anyway, it was interesting to read this so close to The Jade Temptress. Both of these works explore the difficulty of being a courtesan in an ancient society. It's not all jewels, witty conversation, and having more freedom than some other women. Even these privileged women still had existences that dangled by a thread and could be utterly ruined by the whim of a man. Often a man that owned them.

Anyway, Hawker's work is as well-paced and immersive as ever. I liked that she picked an Egyptian time period that doesn't get as much attention, and really liked that it was a retelling of an ancient Egyptian fairy tale. She's also always good at getting into the psychology of a society and showing how certain choices must have felt logical at that point in time. Even though it was foreshadowed to hell and back, I'm so sad about the deterioration of the relationship between Archidike and Doricha. The ending felt a little abrupt but it looks like this is a part of a series? I hope we continue to hear about Doricha because I suspect living in a pharoah's harem will be even more complex and terrifying than the Stables.

[Dannica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this because it was briefly free on Kobo, if I remember correctly, and I was very interested in reading and learning about hetaerae, Greece's high-end prostitutes. And I certainly learned about them.

Plot
Doricha is sold into slavery by her starving family to a man named Iadmon, who has decided to train her not only as a low-end porna but as a hetaera. Eventually she ends up owned by another man named Xanthes, who owns a great variety of hetaerae. From there her career begins, her only friend another hetaera named Archidike.
Warning to anyone planning to read though: yep, this is a book about prostitution, and the protagonist is in her early teens. Historically accurate but if that squicks you out you might want to steer clear.

Things I Liked
-Definitely learned a lot.
-I really like reading books from the POV of less fortunate women throughout history, and also of influential, powerful women throughout history. Enslaved as prostitutes but also highly cultured and desired, hetaerae in this book are both.
-Views on sex are also interesting. Doricha doesn't really like sex and sees it as her job, or as a way to get money to buy her freedom. On the other hand, while she sees it as tiresome she doesn't hate it either, and it's implied that she enjoys it at times.
-Archidike's relationship with Doricha! She starts more or less as Doricha's mentor, probably the cleverest hetaera Xanthes owns and the sexiest, able to play up to any fantasy but also very sure of who she is. Then later on she and Doricha briefly are lovers, not only friends. I really thought their relationship at this point was touching, because I love LGBT+ people in historical fiction and also because I like girls supporting girls.
-Also Archidike, spunky and competitive but also kind to those she favors, is totally my type. Doricha, I'm jealous....
-One of Doricha's clients is in love with her but says he hates the fact that he can only be with her as her client. The book basically shows him to be deluded and demonstrates that he isn't in love with Doricha but with the image Doricha projects. Fun.

Things I Did Not Like So Much
-First several chapters of the book are very slow and full of exposition, even in the dialogue.
-Often with the exposition, things are stated straight up that were already obvious and would have been better left simply implied.
-After a few chapters of Archidike and Doricha being together Archidike stops even being Doricha's friend because of an unfortunate misunderstanding, and from then on is portrayed as a backstabbing bitch
-It turned out to be the first book in a trilogy, leaving me with a cliffhanger.
-Large piece of deus ex machina towards the end.

Overall
Some things I really liked, some things I really didn't. If you like historical fiction of this type it's worth a try, though no longer free. I may or may not read the sequel.

[L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The introduction tells how Doricha is destined to become a successful courtesan and get involved with powerful men and world events. Apparently that's for another book. Here we see Doricha be sold into slavery, learn how to dance, go to parties... and that's about it. I feel like I kept waiting for a story to actually start and it never did. If this book was meant for character development, I didn't see it. Doricha starts the novel at thirteen going on thirty and doesn't really move on much from there. Once in awhile there is a word about trouble brewing in the outside world but for the majority of the time it's just Doricha drifting along the river of life. She's not a very interesting character and fails to inspire me to keep reading this series. (Am I in the wrong for being bothered at how quickly and easily she adapts to becoming a teenage sex worker?)

[Christina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I "reckon" it wasn't well written, I "reckon" it was boring and repetitive, I "reckon" there were many spelling errors and omissions, I "reckon" the protagonist said "reckon" every time she had a thought, which was quite a lot. I "reckon" I'm glad it was free.

[Marlene Teixeira · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I read from this author, and I quite enjoyed it, it really is the egyptian's version of Cinderela, the plot sometimes may not make very much sense, but overall is an enjoyable light read, and I liked it.

[Gregory hayden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just ok

The story itself has a fairy tale feel so if you like that kind of p!lot this is a good read. Characters are stock with not much depth and the plot turns suddenly to predictable places. It wraps up with variation of the Cinderella tale. I found the many spelling and grammatical errors troublesome.

[Dani Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Libbie Hawker is a brilliant writer of historical fiction told from the perspective of a disadvantaged woman. Hawker tries her hand once again at an Ancient Egyptian heroine, with Rohodopis, or I suppose a Greek heroine. Hawker retells the myth of Rhodopis, focusing on the particular story that spawned the well known Cinderella. Although Hawker notes, a very unlikely tale about Rhodopis, spun with true events, Hawker creates a wonderful historical fiction.

Historically Rhodopis is one of the only two Greek hetaera mentioned by Herodutus. White Lotus focuses on the story of how Doricha, a Thracian peasant girl, become Rhodopis in her career as a hetaera. Doricha's life as a slave begins right as the tale begins. Her father is dead and her remaining family is desperately poor. She is sold to Iadman, a wealthy Egyptian from Memphis. Iadman quickly realizes Doricha's beauty and intelligence, moving her from a common street whore to an educated and trained hetaera.

Doricha's gift and curse is her skill at dancing. Iadman displays her at parties and she soon becomes popular amongst Egypt's wealth men. At a party held by the crafty Xanthes, Iadman becomes drunk and bets Doricha in a game of dice, which he looses. Doricha now belongs to the deplorable Xanthes.

The events are accurate according to Herodutus' accounts, minus the details included to fill in the gaps. I was crushed when Doricha was lost to Xanthes. In White Lotus, she does not see Iadman again. It is clear that Xanthes is a monster, but what crushes Doricha most, is the loss of fellow slave, Aesop. To Herodutus' account Aesop and Doricha are lovers but Hawker does not subject Doricha to the troubles of womanhood just yet and Aesop is just a dear friend. As Doricha learns of life under anthes, she realizes she is completely alone, the other hetaera of Xanthes are her competitors. The reader sees the innocence of Doricha and the shivers began as to the difficulties she must now face.

Still a novice, Doricha is trained by Archidike, the only other hetaera mentioned by Herodutus. Archidike and Doricha become close but one never forgets that Archidike seems vicious. As Doricha becomes Rhodopis, her affections are sought by Charaxus, a wealthy patron, (also accurate to Herodutus). Charaxus spends an outrageous amount on Rhodopis at a party auction, undermining Archidike's bonus and ability to become free by buying her freedom. Rhodopis is upset by this and knows Archidike will seek revenge; why does she not give Archidike the bonus? Rhodopis never expected to win the bonus, and although she wants her own freedom, she is far from achieving it. Of course Archidike's revenge is to steal all of Rhodopis' money, making it all the more obvious that Rhodopis should have just given her the bonus. I think Hawker could have come up with a sounder plot. Rhodopis character is not vindictive enough to just keep the bonus she never expected to get in the first place.

With all her money gone and the other hetaera scheming against her, Rhodopis goes into a rage while the other girl's attend a party at the pharaoh, Amasis, palace. In her distress Rhodopis throws a golden slipper into the river, only to have it retrieved and carried to the palace by a falcon. As per the Cinderella tale, the pharaoh receives the slipper as a sign and must find the woman it belongs to. Almost swindled by Archidike once again, because only the two of them in all of Memphis have the same size feet, Rhodopis produces the other slipper and now belongs to the pharaoh of Egypt.

The first novel, and Herodutus' history of Rhodopis, ends here. Hawker has done a wonderful job putting the emotional twinge into the characters, especially since there is little historical information to shape the backdrop of their lives. Although I was baffled at the "bonus" part of Hawker's interpretation, it was only a small flaw in a very great story of powerful women in a society against them. I look forward to the subsequent installments, where Hawker will have more liberty with the characters and story line.

[Venetia Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

Take off your pants! - the how-to book on plotting (not undressing) - first brought Libbie Hawker to my attention. Then I found out the author also wrote historical fiction, frequently set in ancient Egypt. Fantastic! She went on my to-read list immediately. But I'm afraid I won't be following Libbie's advice on how to take off my pants on the basis of White Lotus. Pity. I really wanted to love this book.

What I did love was the historical depth and evocation of ancient Egypt in this novel. "Rhodopis could hear the sweet monotony of frog song along the river bank and the sighing of the wind in the date palms." Lovely. At other times, the author couldn't resist showing all her research: "Memphis still hummed with activity. A market square range with the shouts of merchants, enticing passers-by to taste their honey wine, their smoked fish, their winter melons, still firm and sweet six months after the harvest." Some nice details, but honestly, a page of market-square details got heavy-going after a while.

Hawker has definitely done her research on hetaerae (high-class Greek courtesans) - loads of convincing details here, but somehow I just didn't believe in her central character Doricha (who becomes Rhodopis). I didn't believe in her emotionally. Other readers have commented that they don't think she's a well-developed character. Personally, I think the problem is Doricha displays almost no agency. True, she's a slave, but that doesn't stop Archidike, likewise a slave and a hetaera, acting with agency. Doricha, by contrast, is pushed by other people's actions throughout the story - to the extent that she is 'rescued' from sexual slavery by the Pharaoh hunting for the girl who fits a golden slipper. Yes, that's a deliberate Cinderella retelling. It also epitomises the heroine's lack agency throughout - she needs someone else to rescue her. I know she's a slave, a woman, and a child to boot - but I do find it hard to hang out with a character who spends a whole book letting fate and other people push her around.

Then there's the plotting. Honestly, this feels like a pantser's novel, not a carefully plotted narrative. Admittedly, this is Book 1 of a three-part series, so maybe the story arc makes more sense over the full three books. But what about all those hanging threads in Book 1? In part 1 of White Lotus, we meet Iadmon and his kindly slave Aesop (he of the fables) and their characters and Doricha's relationship with them is well developed - but as soon as Doricha's won at a hard-to-believe game of dice by Iadmon's rival, Iadmon and Aesop simply vanish from the story. That rival, Xanthes, was well established as a nasty character in Part 1, but once he has won Doricha at dice he too practically vanishes from the story. It felt like far more story was being promised in relation to this characters, but as soon as they had played their limited role in Doricha's life, they were discarded. Most dissatisfying. I felt similarly let down by the promise in the book's title 'A Novel of Egypt's Fall'. Hawker supplied a scattering of details about civil unrest, but Egypt conspicuously failed to fall in this novel! This was a story of a hetaera, not of a dramatic time in Egypt's history.

Finally, I had a hard time sinking into the world of this novel throughout, simply because the clumsy writing frequently tugged me out of it. Much 'telling' of emotion, a seesawing between omniscient and third-person point-of-view, and some strange dialogue choices that rendered the words oddly wooden: "Nothing, old fellow" and "I say, Aesop" makes Xanthes sound like a mid-20th-century Brit rather than an ancient Egyptian. Sorry, Libby Hawker - I love the concept and the research, but I think your pants need adjusting.

[Kenya Starflight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mythology is always fascinating to me, especially mythology that branches outside the usual Greek/Roman/Norse mythologies that seem to get the most exposure in Western writing. A story based on an Egyptian myth that also inspired the time-honored tale of Cinderella? Sign me up. And "White Lotus" was a decent, even good read... though I have my issues with the characters, the plot synopsis, and the ending, all of which drag down my enjoyment of the book and my willingness to read the sequels.

Doricha is a girl from a poor Greek family living in Egypt, who allows her mother to sell her into slavery in order to pay for the family's passage back to Greece. Her new owner plans to train her in the arts of becoming a hetaera -- a high-class courtesan -- and she quickly learns the arts of grace, refinement, and pleasing a man. But when her master loses a gamble and must hand her over to a new master, Doricha learns that the path to becoming a full-fledged hetaera is a cutthroat one, and that she must be very careful of whom she trusts. Especially in an Egypt where tensions between the native Egyptians and the invading Greeks are reaching a volatile boiling point...

The story is a fascinating coming-of-age tale, set in the equally fascinating world of 5th century BC Egypt. It move fairly slowly much of the time, but it lavish with detail. And Doricha's transformation feels real and even satisfying, as she navigates this world she's been thrust into and works her way towards eventually buying her freedom. It was also an unexpected treat to see Aesop (yes, THAT Aesop) as a character, and his relationship with Doricha as a teacher and friend was a delight.

Most of the characters aside from Doricha and Aesop, however, are fairly stock. From Doricha's masters to her "clients" to her fellow/rival hetaera, everyone seems fairly flat and uninteresting, with only one personality trait to define them. The best of these side characters is Archidike, a fellow hetaera who's feisty and arrogant but becomes a much-needed ally to Doricha in her time of need. Sadly, the plot decides to needlessly vilify her partway through, which is a shameful waste of an otherwise-good character.

Also, the plot synopsis of this book (on Goodreads, at least) gives away the ending, and seems to be the same plot synopsis for all three volumes of the book -- perhaps meant for an omnibus edition of said series? At any rate, don't expect to see Doricha's story resolved in this volume. Heck, this book practically ends in the middle of a scene, so don't expect much of a resolution at all.

I enjoyed this story, but sadly it had enough issues that I don't feel the overwhelming urge to pick up the next book in the series. Also I implore the writer/publisher to fix the synopsis, as it tricks people into thinking they're getting far more of a story than they're actually getting.

[Ronnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on my blog Paradise Found .

I don't know what it is with me and books about strong ladies breaking their way out of sex slavery (or at least making the best of their situation by manipulating powerful men), but this theme seems to stick with me, I enjoy these kinds of books a lot.

In White Lotus we follow Doricha, a young girl who's sold to be a prona (the name for prostitutes at the time) because her family is starving. However, her fate turns to the better when her master starts seeing potential in her and instead of turning her into a common prona, he decides to train her to be a hetaera.

Hetaerae were highly cultivated courtesans in ancient Greece and later when Greek culture seeped into Egypt these girls were present there too to provide intellectual as well as physical entertainment for wealthy men.

Doricha's story is interesting because there are twists and turns along the way that you don't expect (in the beginning she doesn't have much control over her fate, and you can't help but feel for her because of her vulnerable situation). The majority of the novel is about her training through which we see what a hetaera was supposed to do or not do in the company of men and what the hetaerae's attitude was like towards one another (you can expect a lot of intrigue).

I loved the historical setting and how it came to life through Libbie Hawker's words. The tension between Egyptians and Greek people was seething at the time (we are in the 6th century BC just before the Persian conquest). The streets were dangerous because the two parties were wont to provoke fights and Egyptians were extremely dissatisfied with the Pharaoh, Amasis II, who enthusiastically embraced the Greek traditions and culture.

In these uncertain times Doricha meets friends like Aesop, the cunning servant who mastered the art of manoeuvring from the background and she also has to face some foes who slyly betray an initially well-forming friendship.

Doricha is very young, by the end of the book she's only 14 but she's got a quick mind and adapts easily. She's a charming character and I can't wait to see how she matures into a strong woman who's not afraid to play the hard games of politics to earn her freedom.

I should also mention here that Doricha later goes by the name Rhodopis, and according to my research in real life there was a hetaera with that name indeed, who is associated with the origins of the fairy tale Cinderella. How cool is that?

The only thing that could have been better in the book was the editing; unfortunately there were typos here and there... It didn't ruin the whole reading experience but still... I'd have preferred if there hadn't been any.

This book became a new favourite of mine, naturally I'll read the second book in the trilogy too.

[Amanda Hinchman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book a solid 3.5 stars! Having read Libbie Hawker’s Daughter of Sand and Stone and absolutely loving it, I had to give this book a try. I love books about ancient Egypt.

This is the story of Doricha, a Thracian girl sold into slavery and now in training to be a hetaera. Basically a refined and sought after courtesan for male company. The story and all its twists and turns were compelling. It was fast paced, and I read through it very fast. It’s the first in a trilogy, and while this one had a solid ending on its own, I’d like to continue the story in the next two novels.

I will say, Doricha’s accent and dialect is odd. As a poor country girl, I guess I understand the need for her vocabulary or grammar to reflect this, but all the “reckons” and “p’raps” seemed very jarring and out of place to me.

There were also quite a lot of typos, maybe the most I’ve noticed in a single book before, which doesn’t help that it’s a relatively short novel. But for a self published (I’m assuming) book, it was well written and captivating.

I was surprised at the similarities to The Wolf Den; though of course this book was written first. I think anyone who enjoyed The Wolf Den will love this book too. Doricha is a character very similar to Amara of The Wolf Den; both have no agency and are trying to rise to the top to buy their freedom. They both deal with difficult men.

Almost surprisingly, I learned a lot of history from this book, which I appreciated. I always love when I can learn from a book while at the same time simply being entertained, it’s why I read historical fiction, after all. This is an exciting time period, when Greek and Egyptian culture are blending. And it’s before Alexander The Great even existed! I had no idea. It also mentions the Romans, who I thought didn’t come around until much later. The tensions between Greek and Egyptian citizens was a nice undercurrent flowing through this book as well.

One last comment I have is that the description on the back of this book hardly applies to its content and plot. It’s actually slightly spoiling the subsequent books in the serious. I was looking at the descriptions for the other two books and noticed they’re all the same as this. The events described on the back cover of White Lotus are hardly touched on.

Overall, I liked this book and plan to read the other two in the series.

[Tiffany Rankin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read but riddled with typos

I gave this book a rating of four stars. I liked the way story and surprised how quickly I became involved in the story, egging for the Thracian girl to win her freedom. The writer is not heavy handed with description but there's enough to feel the heat and cool winds of Memphis. Now with being said the typos were stopping me at times from becoming fully immersed in the book. Sometimes having to re-read a sentence to understand what the author had intended. If the author tends to this then this story could easily be a solid four and a half star tale. There's an ease in which the writer depicts that will press you to finish the book in a sitting or two. I finished the story in two days. I found myself putting the book down for the night, pondering what will happen to the heroine and spending the remainder of the night in the stables of the heterae. These are courtesans hoping to buy their freedom by powerful patrons. Lobbied Hawker is not patronizing with any particular message but reading this one will have an opinion. I found myself repelled at myself urging the 14 year old girl from Thrace to find a patron soon. Happy when she did and hoped that this would buy her freedom. As a woman it spoke to me of the long history that women had little choice but to sell their bodies by means of survival. I would recommend reading this book if only for a good read for the liver of all things Egyptian. You, in my humble opinion, will not be disappointed.

[Darsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story as something a little different.

The story is set in ancient Egypt, at the time when Ahmose is the King and centers around a very poor child, sold by her grieving and destitute mother to a rich procurer (pimp?) who intends to raise and train her to become a high class courtesan they call "Hetaera" (more like a geisha than a regular whore).

Surprisingly, her new master is kind, treats her well and has no intention of training her on the necessary sexual duties until she is older and has learned more sophisticated social skills and has become schooled in other entertainments.

The descriptions of surroundings, homes, travelling and the food, are highly evocative and draw a strong background for the tale. The main characters are well rounded, although limited somewhat by the young age and point of view of the storyteller, I found myself easily invested in the outcome for these characters. I especially liked the clothes and costumes she and the other Hetaera wore. The fabrics seem so fine, light and beautiful.

This is a trilogy, which means I will be delighted to read the other two books in the series, however this book could stand alone (if you did not want to read further).

[Nikki Hartline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why I selected this book. I was suffering from heartburn and could not sleep so I started it. It was interesting so I stayed up late reading. I know some about Egyptian history, partly from being a fan of both Barbara Mertz and Elizabeth Peters and other authors. I have also visited Egypt.

When I read about fourteen year old girls being expected to act and think as women I am amazed. I think this book did a very good job of describing Doricha reactions to circumstances she had no control over. She had some very hard life lessons.

I look forward to reading more of Libbie Hawker's books.

[Droemmelig · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the plus side: I did like the idea of the story! But it felt all a bit rushed and after a while it annoyed the hell out of me that despite the setbacks the heroine certainly had experienced, she always continued to be the best of the best without that much effort. I mean, yeah, good for her for being absolutely stunning, being able to wrap people around her small finger without actually trying to and being the best dancer there ever danced. It is just not a fun story to read. I wanted more nuance than that. It all reads like a very good first draft, that still needs some edits (some words were clearly missing), some more worldbuilding, and more character building for the protagonists.

[Elijah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written book

Loved the details of ancient Egypt. I never knew that Egypt has the equivalent of geishas. This beautifully written novel transports you back 2400 years ago. I googled a lot of things to see if the descriptions were accurate, and they were! Love REAL historical fiction! The strong but young female protagonist brings you on a journey in which you are constantly hoping along with her hope, but fearful for her as she tried to navigate a world that is so out of her norm. 6 stars ✨✨✨✨✨

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good book, I like just about anything involving ancient Egypt, but I do have a few bones to pick with this one. Firstly I had trouble remembering how young Doricha was. She was just a little too wise and mature to be believable. The biggest thing however, and the sole reason for 3 stars instead of 4, is the ending. It ends super abruptly in a huge cliffhanger. I realize this is a trilogy but there is absolutely no resolution or wrap up. It just suddenly ends. Luckily the 2nd and 3rd Kindle books were also on sale or I would have just given up on this series.

[Skarleth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Atraída por la portada y el contexto histórico.

Una historia muy fácil de leer sin embargo los personajes no terminan de agradarme. Es ficción histórica inspirada en Rodopis una cortesana relacionada con Caraxo el hermano de una poetisa griega, y la verdad que no conozco mucho de la historia real entonces lo que me muestra la autora no logra cautivarme como para que me importen los personajes.

No es de mis favoritas sin embargo el escenario y la mezcla de antiguo Egipto y antigua Grecia le da puntos a su favor. Creo que si voy a leer la secuela pero ahorita no es prioridad.

[add · Rating 4 out of 5]

haven't read many books set in egypt and thoroughly enjoyed this introduction even if historical fiction must be taken with a grain of salt. appreciated the cultural norms depicted in the story, the geography of the nile flooding and receding, changing the entire city landscape.

i appreciated how the author while writing about subject matter that is inherently harsh, didn't focus on the gritty details but more the ways of life, female friendships, mentors, rivalries, practices, customs, etc.

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this a lot. It's an entertaining, speculative glance at a possible life of a poor girl in ancient Egypt. It was on solid ground right up until the end, when it abruptly ended. Very abruptly. I'm always irritated and somewhat dissatisfied when an author is too lazy or unskilled to craft an appropriate conclusion to a book, even though it is part of a series. Each book should stand alone, enticing the reader to go further along in the story, but not requiring it. This didn't accomplish that. It left me wanting, not satisfied.

[Judith Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately a far cry from Libbie Hawker's "The Book of Coming Forth by Day" Trilogy and the "She-King" Series. What we have here is a rather juvenile Cinderella story set in Ancient Egypt. The way it is written makes me want to put it in the Young Adult section at the bookstore and leave it there. Still, I'm giving it 3 stars because it was a fast, easy read and kept me entertained enough to consider reading the remaining two books in the series.

[Cindy Woods · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh!

This story of a very young girl sold into slavery to a pimp during Pharaoh Amasis's reign in Egypt is uneven and I was a little bored at times. I found myself skimming over whole sentences to get on with the story.

Im not very impressed with the writing style. It didn't keep my attention. The plot itself is good. I'm not sure about the historical accuracy aspects either.

Just didn't do it for me.

[Valsala Rajan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I will read the other 2 books in the series, indicating that I'm sufficiently intrigued and would like to know more. There were some problems with the writing, which could have been a fault of the Kindle edition, and that got a bit annoying at times.
This first book is the making of a courtesan in ancient Egypt. Seems that whether it's Rome or India or Egypt or Japan, the process is pretty elaborate and a study in itself! Only the styles seem to differ.

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fully admit that this isn't my favorite book by this author, and that is only because I loved her other ones so much which brought you into the sights, sounds, and smells of Ancient Egyptian royalty. This book did offer a different time period and perspective, which made it very interesting though. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Bernadette Hutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trying to make prostitution look good

3 stars as I find that much of the theme goes against the grain. However remembering it was a different time I could read this book with some trepidation. Sorry I did not take into account grammar etc. Read the book for the job of the written word. Enjoy the picture the words make in your head, follow the picture.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't know what do expect of this book it wasn't bad, just a young woman realizing how mean the real world can be. But I'm surprised that this is about a slave girl trying to achieve to be a heterea and there is no sex scenes at all in this book. Didn't keep my interest so I won't be getting the next one.

[K.F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I wasn’t expecting Cinderella

Nor so abrupt an ending. I mean, clearly Libby Hawkins was expecting to segment the story between multiple books.


But wow, it’s so well crafted And researches. Definitely refreshing and smooth. I absolutely devoured it and I’m going to definitely get the second book.