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sethdmichaels's review
4.0
A curious work of history that uses short stories about imagined people to explore the cultures and events of the 700s-900s in Central Asia. Doesn't quite land as well as it's intending - reads a lot more like a history text than as fiction - but it's really rich with detail, and looks at the lived reality of real people rather than kings or generals. It's very richly researched and gives a sense of life in an area that doesn't get much historical attention. It's an unusual structure but I got a lot out of it. Recommended for big history nerds; it's not quite engaging enough if you're not the sort of person who reads all the placards in museums.
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