When Ashley Riveraine jumped at the chance to travel back in time to meet her hero Alexander the Great, she never thought she would end up staying there… Following Alexander the Great’s army on its journey across Persia, Ashley is walking the knife edge of history. As a presumed goddess, Ashley is expected to bless crops, make sure battles are won and somehow keep herself out of the history … history books.
Can Ashley avoid the wrath of the Time Institute while keeping the man she loves alive?
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This is the second novel in the Time for Alexander Series. I read the first novel, and I have to say, Legends of Persia stepped up on the awesomeness of this novel.
The level of immersiveness Jennifer Macaire has been able to create is truly impressive. It’s as historically accurate as possible, and it really transport you back into the culture.
I love this plot. It’s perfectly paced and there is so much richness in the writing that draws you in. I read this in one setting because I found it so interesting and entertaining. I highly recommend checking this one out!
*I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources. All opinions are my own.*
Jennifer Macaire writes in a way that makes you yearn for a time when life was simpler and healthier- food was unprocessed, and so was pretty much everything else! Nobody had body-image problems, men wept openly and unashamedly, woman’s sexuality was celebrated, not shamed, and communication was more honest.
Legends of Persia picks up where the prequel, Road to Alexander, leaves off. And again, there’s that attention to detail that makes it clear an extensive amount of research has gone into the writing. It makes for a fascinating read. But apart from my passion for those mythical times, the aspect of this story that I found most satisfying was witnessing the protagonist Ashley’s psychological and spiritual development, something she seemed to struggle with before she travelled back in time. Macaire subtly but effectively maps the shifts in her character’s growth and also takes us back to our roots, reminding us that evolution doesn’t mean you’ve mastered technology, but that it’s an organic process.
As for Ashley’s man, Alexander the Great, he’s portrayed in a way that makes you want to date him!
Like Road to Alexander, Legends of Persia is a wake-up call, and if history had been presented so fabulously interesting (and in story-form) when I was at school, I would have paid more attention!
Ashley, a twenty-first century woman, has travelled back in time to circa 330BC and decided to stay there by the side of the most powerful man of that era, Alexander the Great. With him, she travels across the Middle East and Asia, conquering, subduing and winning over the hearts of ancient tribes and nations. From the start, you are steeped in history and exoticism of distant times, lands and mores.
The pace picks up steadily and by chapter four, you, the reader, are conquered too. You are plunged into a mystical and arousing pagan ritual, starring Ashley and her demi-god husband, Alexander. You never look back as you accompany them on their trek deeper and deeper into the unknown, closer and closer to the edge of the world as they search for their lost son.
The author has researched her subject matter thoroughly and she is able to give you intimate glimpses of the lives of the Ancients, including their deliciously warped morality. Or should I say, immorality?
The characters grow close to you. Despite their claims to divinity, they are skilfully drawn as mere humans.
The story is written in a first-person journal format, in the heroine’s modern-day language which allows the reader to focus on the events, not the form. Her observations, delivered from the perspective of the 21st century woman, are conveyed with lightness and humour.
A captivating read.