Stephanie Thornton (1)

The Tiger Queens by Stephanie Thornton is a wonderful combination of fiction and history as she writes of a group of women who helped to shape, sustain and control the wide-spread empire of Genghis Khan. These women were relatives and friends who supported, advised and watched out for each other while sharing their intimate confidences.

The women were Borte, the first wife and queen of the empire, her daughter Alaqai, a warrior princess, her daughter-in-laws Toregene and Sorkhokhtani, and finally Fatima, taken as a slave but evolved into a well loved and revered scribe and friend. They lived in violent times and women were not often elevated to a position of power, but these women were members of the ‘Golden Family’ and were situated to have influence, political savvy and ability.

The book is set in the late 12th century and details the life of Genghis Khan and, after his death, how the family plotted and schemed for his throne. The story unfolds through the voice of 4 of the women who played such strong and fierce roles in the reign of Genghis Khan. I loved the story and in particular the setting of the sweeping grasslands and harsh steppes of central Asia. The author immerses us in the food and culture and doesn’t shy away from the horrific violence that was part of the Mongol horde’s day to day life. This mix of a great story with fascinating history makes The Tiger Queens a very compelling read.… (more)

Tiger Queens sheds light on people and a time in history that is often overlooked. Genghis Khan is one of those figures everyone knows about, and that's it. It was fascinating delving into this time in history and meeting all of the different women and their impact on the surrounding landscape. With that said, this is not for the faint of heart. While it was interesting as a first dive into Mongolian history, I didn't find it especially captivating but more gruesome and shocking. This is a brutal and tough time period, with several dynamic female characters. Even so, I found myself often wishing for the book to end.

For starters, I just want to warn readers that there is a lot of sexual violence in this book. The Mongolian steppes were incredibly dangerous, particularly for women; although, warring tribes usually were hazardous to women, no matter where they were located. It's a difficult subject to tackle, and some readers might be uncomfortable with just how much rape there is in this book because there is a lot, especially at the beginning, so I just want to warn readers of that.

Aside from the rape, I often found the women's stories were watered down and made too mundane. Unfortunately, there are so few sources from this time period, so it probably wasn't easy researching this book. That said, I was personally put off by the fact that the majority of the stories centered around rape and birth. There were so many child birthing scenes. I suppose that's why Thornton tried to spice it up by creating a prophecy that Borte's actions would wreak havoc over the steppes. Unfortunately, that fell flat too, as it's extremely clear that Borte's actions have nothing to do with the wars being raged between the clans.

That's the thing I've noticed with Thornton's books. With both this and Hatshepsut, she has these fascinating subjects, gives them both prophecies to add some drama, but then the prophecy happens independently of the central characters. It makes their stories sometimes seem superfluous. I wish Thornton took more artistic license to have the women be more involved in politics, so she could show us how they could be cunning and competent and not just doomed.

I do think this book got better over time. Alaqai, Fatima, and Sorkhokhtani were all very dynamic women with desires, schemes, and fears. Although, I found that sometimes Thornton would move away just as things became exciting. Alaqai, in particular, sounds like she had an eventful life, but it didn't really play out that way in the novel. Meanwhile Sorkhokhtani is on the edge of the story for so long that when she finally takes center stage, she still doesn't really take command of her story.

Despite its faults, this book is very interesting, and I'm glad I read it. I recommend it for the historical fiction reader who is looking for something different and challenging and isn't about Nazis. Just remember to proceed with caution, as it's a very heavy read.… (more)

This book took me FOREVER to finish. I read the first two installments in this series-A Day of Fire and A Year of Ravens. Those feature a myriad of complex and sympathetic characters that made me feel for them all the more because their lives centered around such a tragic moment in history. Maybe it was because Song of War was all about fictional characters and a fictional war that it lacked the same emotional impact as its predecessors. There was a story or two that shone above the rest, but overall, I just didn't care and couldn't wait for it to be over. I would've given up if I wasn't so stubborn.

Kate Quinn opened this anthology, and she is flawless as always. Everything she writes is amazing and layered and transports me to another era. Even in short story format, her story The Apple is no exception.

I also liked Shecter's The Horse, but that was because it was succinct.

Thornton's story of The Prophecy was middling for me. Cassandra was a compelling character, but the story felt repetitive and unremarkable.

Everything else I couldn't stand, particularly Whitfield's piece about Agamnemnon. Gosh, was that a slog. I couldn't care less about a character than I did about him. He was either drunk or in heat the whole time. There was no evidence of the great king he was supposed to be. A major letdown of one of mythologies more well-known characters.

As for everything else, all you need to know is that everyone was either screwing each other or wanted to. That's pretty much it. Now, I like some good Harlequin every now and then, but this was all just angsty and "I'm drawn to him but I don't love him. He's too powerful for an emotion as human as love." Blah blah blah. Please. Spare me.

So, I'll spare you, reader of my review. Read maybe the first couple stories, and then just go read the Iliad. You're not missing any nuance by skipping this.
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It's the most bizarre thing. Full of historical details, a sweet romance, and unique characters, Daughter of the Gods should be a knock-out success. In spite of those attractions, the book just falls flat. With each new chapter, you pick it up, you start to become engrossed, and the next thing you know, you're counting down until it ends. This book isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination. It's just a bit boring.

As one of Egypt's most well-known female pharaohs, Hatshepsut is an intriguing and complex character. In Thornton's novel, you glimpse some of that complexity, but it's mostly buried underneath pages and pages of hugs and kisses between her and her commoner lover Senenmut. It's hard to root for a character when they are always happy and when everything always goes their way. Just when you think the witch's prophecy of Hatshepsut ruining everyone's lives with her ambition is about to come true, everything works out. It was that prophecy that kept me going, kept me hoping that Hatshepsut's greed would eventually get in the way of things, but it never does. I have never wanted a powerful woman to screw up so badly.

Let me just say that I love romance and I love reading about royal women. However, Thornton's novel is sorely lacking in conflict. Every time an issue pops up (the Nubians revolt, the expedition fails, there's a coup, her lover might be cheating on her), Hatshepsut is confident she can overcome it, and she does. She's never concerned. She's never afraid, and it just becomes repetitive and boring. I want to read about a woman struggling to hold onto her throne because that is never easy regardless of who you are. Instead, any of her real struggles are relegated to a paragraph of off-page action, at most. As a result, when things finally fell apart, I felt more relieved than anything.

If you're looking for historical fiction lite and are inclined towards Ancient Egypt, then this is the book for you. Otherwise, if you want a story you connect with, read one of Michelle Moran's novels. Her ability to get inside her heroines' minds is more gripping than Thornton's big, long love story.… (more)