Book Review, Fire and Ash: Gifts of the Gods, Book 3 by Thomas J Berry @TBerryAuthor @maryanneyarde

 

The Coffee Pot Book Club strikes again! I am so pleased that I am a host as I am being introduced to so many fabulous books. Today, I am welcoming Thomas J. Berry and his fabulous book, Fire and Ash: Gifts of the Gods, Book 3 on to Oh look, another book!. But before we get to my review, let's check out the book!!

Five men and women in Ancient Greece are set on a dangerous journey of self-discovery during the bitter conflict of the Peloponnesian War.

While mighty Athens struggles to rebuild after a devastating campaign abroad, the feared warriors of Sparta prepare to deliver the final blow in a decades long war. No one is safe anymore as the conflict shifts across the Aegean to the shores of wealthy Persia. Old colonies, once loyal to Athens, are eager to rebel and the Great King is willing to pay anything to regain his control over them. These coastal plains set the stage for massive battles and heartbreaking defeats. This time there will be only one true victor.

The news coming out of Sicily ripples across the cities of Ancient Greece like a thunderbolt and it is left to the poor and desperate to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. One young mother is suddenly faced with a horrible tragedy and struggles against all odds to make a new life for her family. An eager boy looking for adventure enlists in the new Athenian ranks but finds life on campaign a lot more than he bargained for. A Spartan officer in the twilight of his years struggles to adapt to a young man's army and an exiled Athenian strives to earn his way back into the graces of his beloved city. The harem girls in a Persian court meet a handsome foreigner and one risks everything for a chance at love.

As the conflict between Athens and Sparta builds to a final showdown, five men and women struggle to come to terms with their changing world. What will they find in the ashes when peace finally comes?

Hands up, I will freely admit that the only thing I know about Ancient Greek History was taught to me by Brad Pitt in Troy, and to be fair, I wasn’t paying much attention to the storyline.  And more recently I have sipped my cuppa while watching those Groovy Greeks from Horrible Histories – If you are a parent, you will know what I am going on about. But, this is an era that I felt that I should know more about and so, when I was offered the chance to read Fire and Ash: Gifts of the Gods, Book 3 by Thomas J Berry and having being assured that this book did standalone, I felt I had a duty to myself to read this book and hopefully learn a little about this period of history along the way.

What I learnt:

Spartan’s were great warriors.

Athenians were great sailors.

And this was a great annoyance to both sides.

The politicians were corrupt.

Some things never change.

Trade routes were really important. So important that whoever controlled them could actually cause the population of another nation to starve.

Executions were a long drawn out affair, and I quote “Immediate death was to be avoided at all costs, lest the men who passed the sentence be condemned as well.” Umm…if they were that worried they could have, you know, not executed anyone - just putting it out there! 

If you don’t listen to master strategists, your side is pretty much guaranteed to lose. Just saying, if they had listened to Alcibiades…!

And ultimately, it was the ordinary citizens, especially the women and the children, who suffered.

So, yes, I learnt a lot, and it made me want to learn more. This book is a fascinating insight into the war between Sparta and Athens, but it is also a story about ordinary people and how they coped in such an uncertain time.

By using five very different points of view, the author has allowed the reader to have a foot in both camps. I marched with that Spartans, and I sailed with the Athenians. More importantly, there were characters that I really came to care about. 

If you are like me and don’t know much about Ancient Greece, then please do not be put off by this book for it is a wonderfully written story that shined a light upon a period of history that for some reason has been overlooked. I really enjoyed this novel, and I will definitely be checking out the other books in the series.

I received my copy from The Coffee Pot Book Club but you can grab yours from Amazon UK • Amazon US • Amazon CA • Amazon AU • BookLocker

Thomas Berry received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from St. Bonaventure University.  He takes pleasure in extensively researching both historical fiction and non-fiction stories.  In his spare time, he enjoys long distance running and has completed several marathons.  He currently lives with his wife and children in New Jersey.  You can learn more about Thomas and his historical novels at his website, www.thomas-berry.com. You can also find him on Twitter • Instagram • Goodreads