Uqnitum is a singer from a famous musical lineage in the kingdom of Mitanni. When the fall of their city to the Assyrians costs her the life of her husband and her youngest child, she and her pregnant, widowed daughter flee to the court of Ugarit. Haunted by guilt over her part in her husband’s death, Uqnitum’s increasingly unhinged personality becomes dangerous to the peace of her remaining … family. Only by succumbing to her weakness does she learn the real nature of strength.
more
A very well-written haunting tale. Like her other books, Holmes has extensive knowledge of the historical era in which this is set, which makes for great realism. Unlike some of her other works, I found this one more accessible and easier to fall into without a background in ancient times. The characters are full and complex, their emotions and motivations varied and interesting. I deeply felt some of the horrors that Uqnitum endured on her journey. It is quite an emotional work, and I connected with it immediately.
The Singer and Her Song (Empire at Twilight Book 2) by N.L. Holmes. This author continues to impress me with each book I pick up. This author knows how to write a unique story that will have readers intrigued and hoping for more. The storyline was definitely one that drew me in from the beginning and I liked getting lost in the pages. Characters are complex and relatable. Uqnitum is as unique as her name and I really liked following her story it was a great way to spend my time in a book world. Storyline was well written and paced nicely, the attention to even the smallest details are something I appreciate about this author. I’m really looking forward to more from this author. I’m usually more for a more here and no type of read but this author definitely knows how to pull me in to her older times type stories. Four stars and highly recommended!
A tragic tale of love and loss
I found myself immersed in this story, There was much sadness, misery and pain, but also hope and happiness. The main character, beneath her rough and ready, and very challenging, exterior was a woman that wanted order, right and fairness in her life, a struggle for control. At first I did not did like the heroine of the story very well, but I understood her better as the story went on and things fell into place. A bit slow paced in a few spots but well worth the read. A very well written story with such interesting history from so long ago. The writing is descriptive and flows well, it is easy to feel like the reader is right there, in the landscape, it was a whirlwind of life events. There is plenty of sadness and violence in the story as one would expect for the time period. This was a story that brought me to tears both sad and happy. This book has ties to the other books in this series, but it is a full length stand alone read. I felt that the author did a great job of research to be able to pull this off. I received this book for free and voluntarily reviewed.
This book was awesome. I love how the writer adds in the PTSD and anger problems which indicated mental health problems which are not at all easy to manage. This causes Uqnitum’s sons to run away as her mental health and anger takes a major toll on the family. I don’t want to get too much and give away spoilers but I think the author Holmes is really able to tune into history and studies up on a subject and culture before trying to write a novel which is really commendable. The novel is extremely well written with high vocabulary usage, and heart wrenching stories all intertwined in one. This isn’t a standalone novel, as it is the second in the series. I love the history in this novel and I think people can misinterpret it to be boring if they don’t allow the scene to be set up for them so you get a glance at what the 13th/14th century looked like, and can actually see the book happening while you read it. Don’t lead others mislead you before you try and read the book with an open mind and a willingness to be taught as it is historical fiction, but not taught forcibly.
The Singer and Her Song is a very different read and much easier read than The Lightning Horse. It is a story that brings to light the current plight of refugees needing to forge a new identity in a new land while overcoming the trauma of the past. I felt great empathy for all the characters and felt invested in their lives. N.L. Holmes does an excellent job of world-building and making the reader feel like they are in ancient Egypt without needing to spell it out for them. I recommend this book.
This book, like the lord Hani series, was very good. It was clearly very well researched, and it brought a lot of modern questions into a historical text. The tone of thus one was very different, almost as if someone else wrote it. However, it was very good. I look forward to reading more.
The Singer and Her Song by N. L. Holmes is the second book in the Empire at Twilight series. This is a story that quickly transports you back in time. When your world is turned upside down, what can you do but survive? Uqnitum is in that very position and has very little to start out with. Trying to survive after your village has been destroyed is one thing, doing it with children is a completely different struggle.
There were plenty of times throughout the tale that I struggled with Uqnitum’s controlling behavior and temper, but there are also some points that I completely aligned with. We are not always perfect parents. At the end of the day, we still try to do what is best for our families.
This is definitely a story that will tug at your heart strings.
Book 2 of the Empire of the Twilight Series was enjoyable. This book can easily be read as a stand alone. I find the attention to detail, especially the historical nature, that Author N.L. Holmes puts into this book is fantastic. Uqnitum flees from Mittani when she loses family. Parts of the story I really felt to for Uqnitum, the guilt and darkness. Definitely read the book to find out if Uqnitum overcomes the danger she has become and find strength to overcome. Overall a very good story with great attention to details. Well Done Author N.L. Holmes
This is the second book in the series and I have to say it is better then the first. Holmes brings the world to you and she has done some major research in order to bring it to you. The book is about love and loss and what hardships a family goes through. The family loses not only a father but a brother an son. The mother is so overbearing that her two sons leave home to make something of themselves. She realizes that her affair that she had 15 years ago could have produced the son she lost. Holmes makes you feel very invested in the characters and makes you want to just keep turning the pages.
The Singer and Her Song is a very intriguing story of survival, with a main character that is hard to love but she does what she has to protect her child. NL Holmes does such a good job of writing that you will feel like your transported back in time, you’ll really get a feel for what it was like to live in the time period. Not only do feel like you’ve been transported in time by NL Holmes gives us such fantastic characters that you will feel every emotion that they feel. So if you want a gut wrenching test of survival read then you will love The Singer and Her Song.
The author has vivid descriptive language. The similarities between the problems we face today and the problems they face are both very much the same and very much different. The main character shows strength, but is also controlling. It may not be my favorite read, but it has a lot of interesting detail and information that makes it worth the read.
A uniquely beautiful piece of writing.
The author’s talent in creating this world continues in book 2 of the Empire at Twilight series. I was absorbed into Uqnitum’s life and had all the feels. I wanted to throttle her for being so stubborn and prideful. The skilful presentation of the era bled of the pages and I greedily soaked up every word. Highly recommend this series.
The Singer and Her Song is the second book in the Empire at Twilight series. This book easily stands alone. To be completely honest, I did not like this book. You may be thinking wait, didn’t you give it 4 stars? I did not like it, but I could not put it down. I stayed up most of the night once I started reading this story. It was so good and such a challenging book. Uqnitum was so frustrating, and I wanted to shake her! Her story was tragic and hard. My heart was broken for her over and over again. She became a person that even she didn’t like to be able to survive the horrors in her life. This story was gut wrenching but thought provoking. What would you sacrifice for your kids? Don’t read this book to be entertained; read this mother’s story to be changed.
This is a sweeping tale of survival. I feel like Holmes did a fantastic job of describing what it would have been like to live during that time and to be conquered by the Assyrians. I couldn’t help but feel like I was transported back in time, watching everything happen. The cities, the characters, the palaces simply came alive in my mind as I read.
Uqnitum is a hard character to love. But you have to give her mad respect because she is able to keep herself and her pregnant daughter alive after their lives are turned upside down. She acts rashly and doesn’t always make the wisest choices because she is trying to make up for a where she has failed in the past and the present. While her choices were not always helpful, it does work out in the end for the better. I appreciated how in the end, she was finally able to move beyond herself to reflect on the choices that she had made. She was able to recognize what needed to change, and then made that difficult choice to fix it.
I really enjoyed this read. If you want a heart wrenching tale of historical survival, this is your book!
The Singer and Her Song tells the story of Uqnitum, a singer from Mitanni and her daughter, Tatasshe. When their village is destroyed by the Assyrians and the men of the family are killed, Uqnitum and Tatasshe seek refuge in the court of Ugarit. With the deaths of her family, the loss of her home, and the guilt she feels for her part in it, Uqnitum struggles to adjust to her new life. Facing challenges, hardship, and heartache, Tatasshe and Uqnitum must learn what strength truly is.
I loved this novel. The characters are so well developed and likeable, I felt their pain, their joy, their relief, their heartache. The setting of the story is phenomenal and transports the reader to another land, in another time. I was hooked on the story from the minute the first chapter opened. N.L. Holmes has written a novel that I can give nothing but praise for. I will be reading the rest of the novels in the Empire of Twilight Series soon!
The Singer and Her Song (Empire at Twilight Book 2) by N.L. Holmes is definitely a 5 star book. This author has once again taken historical fiction and combined it with intense character details, and it is amazing. Much like the first installment of the Empire at Twilight Series, The Lightning Horse, I found myself immersed in the lives of Uqnitum, a singer from the kingdom of Mitanni, and her family. When she loses part of her family when the Assyrians attack, she and her daughter must set out on a journey that will test their wills and characters. I love the fact that the author is an actual archaeologist! It’s an amazing thing when someone who is well-educated in the history they are writing about can mingle the past with the modern to create wonderfully relatable characters. Despite taking place so far in the past, the characters display facets of the human condition that transcends time and touches on those details that we all have experienced during one time or another. I highly recommend reading what this author has to offer, if you haven’t yet.
This is Book #2 in the “Empire at Twilight” series, but other than the name of one king, there is no discernible overlap between Book #1 and Book #2, so you don’t have to read the first to follow the plot of the second.
Uqnitum is a court musician for a king in Mittani, the daughter of the great court musician Tapishili (akin to Handel at the court of George II, my closest comparison). Mittani is being conquered by the Assyrians piece by piece. Sure enough, Uqnitum’s city is invaded on one life-changing night, so she and her family – husband Ar-Tesshub, simple-minded son Wullu, and pregnant daughter Tatasshe – flee for their lives. The refugees are overtaken by the invading Assyrians and captured. The experiences this family suffers are really beyond imagining and so very difficult to read. The invasion and capture all occur in the first 20% of the book.
What we find out is that Uqnitum is a difficult person at the best of times. In fact, her older two sons have already fled their home city for life elsewhere – Uqnitum knows not where. Uqnitum is apparently a difficult-to-please mother, and my heart goes out to Tatasshe as she tries to deal with flight, capture, and pregnancy in the company of this difficult mother. Tatasshe and Uqnitum become court musicians in their new city, and are treated relatively well, considering that they are captive refugees, b/c the music master is a great fan of Tapishili. There is a grand celebration for the New Year plus the marriage of the king to celebrate, and Uqnitum’s fantastic voice is required, but Tatasshe is willing to give up her life as a musician – unthinkable! – to escape her mother, especially after their horrific captive march, which has left Uqnitum w/ PTSD on top of her anger issues. Uqnitum’s anger and PTSD cause simply devastating consequences to her and her family.
I have to say that Uqnitum is the least-likeable protagonist in a book that I have read since Jay Gatsby. I understand that she goes through great losses and terrible experiences, but she is honestly less capable at handling them than her pregnant daughter is – who had already lost her husband to the Assyrians before the story even starts! But again, as in Book #1, there is great world-building and the descriptions of the invasion, captive march, and the coup attempt are all well-written and gripping. 3 stars.
N.L. Holmes has written another fascinating story that tugs at your heart. Strength and courage are two themes that stand out in this book. From page 1, Uqnitum starts strong with her strength as the Assyrians overtake her city and she has to collect her family and try to escape. She fears for her life and her family. Raised without a mother, she grew up headstrong and doesn’t back down from a fight. In today’s world, we might call her “filter” broken. She and her family are taken by the the enemy. The loss of her son and husband chip away a bit at her strength and she seems to just lose it a little. Tatasshe, her daughter is pregnant. It comes down to the two of them. Uqnitum just thinks she is being helpful (control freak anyone?). Tatasshe wants to break free for her sanity and has to learn how to do that. With the help of new friends and unfortunately, a near tragedy, she is able to make that leap. Tatasshe makes strides to grown in her strength by speaking up and telling her mom what she wants. Supporting characters in the story are also written very well. The descriptions and characteristics made it so easy to have your own little movie running in your head. The plot line was so good. I felt every emotion. When Uqnitum’s husband was blinded, my heart stopped. I felt every emotion. This book is fantastic. Highly recommended.
There is little praise I could give N.L. Holmes that she hasn’t received already. The Singer and Her Song is the third book I’ve read by this author and it reads well as a stand alone novel. It follows the story of a musician, Uqnitum, in the midst of war. Her kingdom of Mitanni falls to the Assyrians and she must flee for her life with what’s left of her family. Ancient history is such a delight to learn about, but N.L. Holmes’ rich world-building and strong characters gives special life to people and events from thousands of years ago.
The Singer and Her Song is an immersive historical novel by N.L. Holmes. It is the second book in the Empire at Twilight series and can be read on its own.
I adore Holmes’ vivid descriptions of historical settings. She combines in depth historical research with a rich imagination and attention to detail to bring to life worlds that are millennia old. The characters feel so alive and their experiences and emotions are so moving and engaging.
The Singer and Her Song is a dark, heart-breaking story. Uqnitum, the singer, is not a likeable character. She has a temper and a need to be in control that drives people away from her and makes her difficult to work with. But it is also the strength and conviction that she needs to survive in a world that seems determined to take everything from her. The narrative alternates between different perspectives and whilst from other perspectives we see the damage Uqnitum wrecks on those around her, from her own perspective we see her processing immense grief and loss and fighting to protect what she has left.
For me, the real strength of this novel is how it addresses issues and struggles that are just as real today, with the writing style bringing them to life and drawing the reader in. We see refugees living through terrible experiences and then struggling to build a new life in a strange place. We see tensions in families who love each other but can’t spend time together without getting into fights. We see people in power thinking they can get away with hurting others. It all feels very relevant
This story contains graphic descriptions of violence and death, as well as scenes of sexual abuse. As such, it’s not suitable for younger readers but would make a great read for adults who loved historical fiction in their youth.
For me, this is a five-star book. It totally drew me in and transported me to an unfamiliar place and time. It’s not a cheerful read, but there is hope and strength in the characters and their stories. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and stories about messy family life.