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Across Ancient Sands: Uncovering a Bronze Age journey around the Mediterranean Sea by Eric Horn
ladywren890's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
3.75
I read this book free on KU on the request of the author for an honest review. This story follows a Dr. Jade Asher-Reece on an archeological dig she is leading in the ourskirts of Algeria. Pressures from the local sponsoring college to find "treasures" or be shut down Dr. A-R and her colleagues now only have 2 weeks to finish the dig and attempt to hid their findings in order to preserve them. Wanting to protect the finds from going on the black market they work to uncover the story of Sfas. I found the sections regarding the dig and pressures they face very interesting. While i have no personal experience on a dig i found the descriptions very realistic. Including different processes they take to perserve artifacts and documentation. There is also some instances of a budding romance for Dr. A-R with another professor on the dig. One very interesting element of this book is the translations of a journal detaling the story of Sfas. These sections are set up like prose. As someone who does not like poetry or prose these sections took a bit for me to get through/hold my attention. Also I spent a good section of the book unsure if this was a nonfiction or fiction story. It is in fact fiction but i do not find it a negative that it can be perceived as non fiction because of how detailed it is. This is very different from my usual genre of book themes but it was an entertaining read nontheless. And i thank the author for reaching out and bringing it to my attention.
micaelamariem's review against another edition
3.0
Well-Researched Almost to a Fault
First of all, I want to thank the author, Eric Horn, for providing me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
When he reached out to me and told me of this tale where archeologists uncover groundbreaking discoveries from Greek mythology and the Biblical era, I wasn’t sure what I was getting into but as a history lover it sounded interesting. Throughout the book, though, I found I cared less about the archeologists’ finds as I did about their lives. I was more intrigued in the complicated relationships between all of them at the dig site and would have loved to have been more focused on that rather than the wealth of well-researched historical, linguistic, and archeological information thrown at me. In a way, that’s a testament to Horn’s writing, that I can care so much more about the characters than the discoveries. The book also touched on how governments and universities have a tendency to steal artifacts, or to only care about what can be of commercial use instead of what gives us information on the past. This is something that is very present today that I imagine complicates archeologists’ lives, and is something important to bring to awareness. Overall, I think the book was well-written but I would recommend future endeavors to focus a lot more on the characters instead of the historical information provided.
First of all, I want to thank the author, Eric Horn, for providing me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
When he reached out to me and told me of this tale where archeologists uncover groundbreaking discoveries from Greek mythology and the Biblical era, I wasn’t sure what I was getting into but as a history lover it sounded interesting. Throughout the book, though, I found I cared less about the archeologists’ finds as I did about their lives. I was more intrigued in the complicated relationships between all of them at the dig site and would have loved to have been more focused on that rather than the wealth of well-researched historical, linguistic, and archeological information thrown at me. In a way, that’s a testament to Horn’s writing, that I can care so much more about the characters than the discoveries. The book also touched on how governments and universities have a tendency to steal artifacts, or to only care about what can be of commercial use instead of what gives us information on the past. This is something that is very present today that I imagine complicates archeologists’ lives, and is something important to bring to awareness. Overall, I think the book was well-written but I would recommend future endeavors to focus a lot more on the characters instead of the historical information provided.
bibliovino's review against another edition
2.0
This ambitious novel is centered around a fictional archeological wonder. The scope of the proposed ancient structure and the story it holds is momentous and would have folded basically every known adventure text in the Bronze Age into one narrative following a humble slave in service to his master.
And while I am quite impressed by the encyclopedic knowledge of the author and the way in which the ancient tale is told, the story in which it is housed is not its equal. The modern plot of the discovery lacks depth, the characters are histrionic and shallow, and the logistics of the dig are unrealistic.
But first, I will say the story is preserved on a long wall of tablets with only 24 actual friezes. These consist of a single picture and a few lines of text. In fact, almost every frieze has a line of text in a different language, chronicling all of the Mediterranean countries that were traversed. While I can suspend my disbelief to the possibility of such an adventure taking place (though barely), I do not believe that the slave Sfas, or even his ruling benefactor, actually learned enough of every language to inscribe every single part of the story in the language of the country in which it happened on a wall back at home.
On to the story of the discovery of the story: The modern day dig enlists the help of a linguist to translate the story in real time as they uncover the tablets, often as they are finding 2-4 panels a day. Miraculously, this linguist is able to translate all of the tablets, AND put his translation of a ONE LINE inscription into a very specific seven line poetic structure with a rotating dactyl and anapest meter AND an AABBCCD rhyme scheme, within 6 hours of their discovery. Truly, this man is a wizard.
We also have a superwoman scientist leading her annoying student archeologists, a taciturn but sexy Middle Eastern professor, and a cartoon villain.
Again, I am in no way begrudging the intellect it took to put this story together, I just don’t think it worked.
Thank you to the author for my free copy. These opinions are my own.
And while I am quite impressed by the encyclopedic knowledge of the author and the way in which the ancient tale is told, the story in which it is housed is not its equal. The modern plot of the discovery lacks depth, the characters are histrionic and shallow, and the logistics of the dig are unrealistic.
But first, I will say the story is preserved on a long wall of tablets with only 24 actual friezes. These consist of a single picture and a few lines of text. In fact, almost every frieze has a line of text in a different language, chronicling all of the Mediterranean countries that were traversed. While I can suspend my disbelief to the possibility of such an adventure taking place (though barely), I do not believe that the slave Sfas, or even his ruling benefactor, actually learned enough of every language to inscribe every single part of the story in the language of the country in which it happened on a wall back at home.
On to the story of the discovery of the story: The modern day dig enlists the help of a linguist to translate the story in real time as they uncover the tablets, often as they are finding 2-4 panels a day. Miraculously, this linguist is able to translate all of the tablets, AND put his translation of a ONE LINE inscription into a very specific seven line poetic structure with a rotating dactyl and anapest meter AND an AABBCCD rhyme scheme, within 6 hours of their discovery. Truly, this man is a wizard.
We also have a superwoman scientist leading her annoying student archeologists, a taciturn but sexy Middle Eastern professor, and a cartoon villain.
Again, I am in no way begrudging the intellect it took to put this story together, I just don’t think it worked.
Thank you to the author for my free copy. These opinions are my own.
davidreadsbooks's review
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Thanks to Eric Scott Horn for reaching out to review his book
If you enjoy Archaeology, this is the book for you. The illustrations which was also done bu the author, draws you into this wonderful story! If you are into Greek mythology, then you will right at home and will know some of the names in this book.
It was great to read a book where the author was passionate about his work. Descriptions were spot on and you get a great mix of ancient history and suspense.
Well done Eric!
Thanks to @Erciscotthornart for reaching out to review his book
If you enjoy Archaeology, this is the book for you. The illustrations which was also done bu the author, draws you into this wonderful story! If you are into Greek mythology, then you will right at home and will know some of the names in this book.
It was great to read a book where the author was passionate about his work. Descriptions were spot on and you get a great mix of ancient history and suspense.
Well done Eric!
You can read this great story for free if you are subscribed to Kindle Unlimited
If you enjoy Archaeology, this is the book for you. The illustrations which was also done bu the author, draws you into this wonderful story! If you are into Greek mythology, then you will right at home and will know some of the names in this book.
It was great to read a book where the author was passionate about his work. Descriptions were spot on and you get a great mix of ancient history and suspense.
Well done Eric!
Thanks to @Erciscotthornart for reaching out to review his book
If you enjoy Archaeology, this is the book for you. The illustrations which was also done bu the author, draws you into this wonderful story! If you are into Greek mythology, then you will right at home and will know some of the names in this book.
It was great to read a book where the author was passionate about his work. Descriptions were spot on and you get a great mix of ancient history and suspense.
Well done Eric!
You can read this great story for free if you are subscribed to Kindle Unlimited
jannathfazli's review
3.0
I'll be honest. I started reading this book expecting boredom, lots of detailed descriptions about ancient artefacts and Homeric prose. But boy, was I surprised! I was hardly two pages in before I got hooked to the story.
Every swipe of the screen (because I was reading on a smart phone) took me closer to the characters. And it is the range in characters that made this book especially appealing to me. Jade Asher-Reece is a badass archaeologist who will NOT be stopped by anything, not even the corrupt bad guy who supervises the excavation or harsh weather. Her relationship with her religious and cultural backgrounds makes her a complex and relatable character. There is something about the way her character was developed that makes me feel for her. But the character that is closest to my heart is Tariq Al-Maqqari. In his gestures (like clapping his hands above his head and pressing his hand to his chest) and sense of right and wrong, I saw a bit of myself, sometimes. But I did hope that he would not be another Muslim character who behaved like a non-Muslim and that is exactly what he turned out to be. And that did disappoint me a tiny bit, honestly. Nevertheless, his character arc is the most complex and well-defined in the whole book.
In this book, Eric Horn weaves together the story of a group of modern archaeologists and ancient travellers into one and draws multiple parallels between them (I will refrain from mentioning them, because spoilers). Even though the parts narrating the journey of the poet Sfas might be hard to decipher for readers who know nothing of ancient history (like me), it is still a very interesting voyage full of adventure and narrated in a flowing, engaging language and illustrated so perfectly that the story looked real in my head.
Every swipe of the screen (because I was reading on a smart phone) took me closer to the characters. And it is the range in characters that made this book especially appealing to me. Jade Asher-Reece is a badass archaeologist who will NOT be stopped by anything, not even the corrupt bad guy who supervises the excavation or harsh weather. Her relationship with her religious and cultural backgrounds makes her a complex and relatable character. There is something about the way her character was developed that makes me feel for her. But the character that is closest to my heart is Tariq Al-Maqqari. In his gestures (like clapping his hands above his head and pressing his hand to his chest) and sense of right and wrong, I saw a bit of myself, sometimes. But I did hope that he would not be another Muslim character who behaved like a non-Muslim and that is exactly what he turned out to be. And that did disappoint me a tiny bit, honestly. Nevertheless, his character arc is the most complex and well-defined in the whole book.
In this book, Eric Horn weaves together the story of a group of modern archaeologists and ancient travellers into one and draws multiple parallels between them (I will refrain from mentioning them, because spoilers). Even though the parts narrating the journey of the poet Sfas might be hard to decipher for readers who know nothing of ancient history (like me), it is still a very interesting voyage full of adventure and narrated in a flowing, engaging language and illustrated so perfectly that the story looked real in my head.
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