A review by youreadtoomuch
Across Ancient Sands: Uncovering a Bronze Age journey around the Mediterranean Sea by Eric Horn

2.0

Like it's very long and detailed title, this book has a hard time determining what it wants to be. Does it want to focus on it's characters conducting this dig or the discovery made (a ancient text)? I was thoroughly impressed and captivated very quickly to the monumental discovery taking place but quickly checked out upon reading passages on passages of a voyage I struggled to clearly understand. Half was due to my own ignorance on the topic but mostly I wasn't interested in the actual text being translated. I was here for the group of characters and there dysfunctional yet very functional cooperation.

Once I understood, the translated text was going to be a very important piece of the novel, I wanted follow-through and have this out into the world. But just as the text is becoming to be everything we hope for, the drama of the original characters returns us to the real world of betrayal and danger. And just like we don't see this translated text become something bigger outside of this group of characters, the conflict also failed to follow through. It quickly snuffed itself out and no real danger was present. It was more a ploy to remind the reader that we have multiple moving pieces here.

Spoiler

It was a cop out to have the betrayer be a woman in love with someone who so clearly objectified her. It was rude to introduce a partial romance with no further thought than maybe we should have some kissing happen?

It's a book with no clear direction and I can appreciate that to an extent. I can appreciate the author's very creative and instructive topic even more though.