Review by Smmwallace -- Bird in a Snare by N.L. Holmes
Posted: 10 Apr 2021, 02:21
[Following is a volunteer review of "Bird in a Snare" by N.L. Holmes.]
Bird in a Snare by N. L. Holmes is a fantastic historical fiction whodunit. It is the first book in The Lord Hani Mysteries and takes place in ancient Egypt around 1350 BCE.
Lord Hani is a high-ranking royal diplomat to King Amen-hotep III Heqa-en-waset. When Abdi-ashirta, the leader of the hapiru, an influential group of bandits who live on the fringe of society, is killed, Lord Hani is appointed to investigate his murder. Fighting for control, tensions are already high between the hapiru and the kings of the surrounding regions, making Lord Hani’s task that much more difficult. During this juncture, King Amen-hotep III dies and his son Amen-hotep IV takes over his reign. Amen-hotep IV wastes no time making controversial changes, starting with moving the entire capital to an unpopulated desolate area. Also, altering his birth name to Akh-en-aten, he begins religious reforms at every level. Henceforth only one deity is to be worshipped, thus erecting new temples with obscene statues in his image. People are shocked, worried, and scared. Fortunately, Lord Hani has his trusty secretary Maya by his side and a loving, supportive family. But with motives for the murder coming from every corner of the Egyptian empire, from the commoner to the highest ranking, will Lord Hani come through unscathed, or will he be caught like a ‘Bird in a Snare?’
I immensely enjoyed reading this book! The author did an incredible job of bringing the characters and settings to life. I believe this is crucial, especially for historical fiction, as we rely on the author's imagination and vision of a bygone era to make us feel invested. Also, the character development was exceptional. The author filled each nook and cranny of a character with nuanced tones and elements. The protagonist Lord Hani is my favorite character with his family in close seconds. He is the embodiment of everything decent and genuine that you could want in a person. Did I mention that he's loving, nurturing, intelligent, funny, and honorable? How the author manages to get all these traits across to the reader without the character sounding unbelievable and over the top is genius, and we're all the luckier for it. With that said, Hani and his loved ones are a close, tight-knit family. They wholeheartedly and unabashedly express their love for one another through food, humor, affection, and just being together. I found them to be heartwarming and endearing. During his investigation, Hani also deals with numerous characters of varying status and wealth. I found myself looking forward with anticipation to see how he would use his finesse with each one to gain information or favor.
The story takes place during Egypt's New Kingdom period when Egypt became an empire with ownership in Nubia to the north and the Levant to the south. It's important to note this, as Lord Hani travels to both regions throughout the book. The author provides a map of the Egyptian Empire at the beginning of the book, which I found helpful, thus giving the reader a better understanding of his travels. Also included is a glossary of characters, gods, terms, and places. For me, the glossary was a lifesaver. The similarities between Egyptian names can be overwhelming if you are not intimately familiar with them. Therefore, I found myself referencing names frequently to make sure I had the correct character or place in mind. I did not mind doing this at all, as I considered it a delightful learning experience!
I do wish the author had made the passage of time more apparent to the reader, as I had to flip back a few pages here and there to realize and confirm a year or two had passed in the timeline. Other than that, I found nothing to dislike about the book. Not only were the characters intricate and entertaining, but it was also extraordinarily written and historically fascinating. I did not notice any errors, so it appears to be well edited. Therefore, I happily rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys captivating historical fiction as well as an exquisite character-driven mystery. Moreover, people that are interested in learning about ancient Egyptian history will love this book.
******
Bird in a Snare
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Bird in a Snare by N. L. Holmes is a fantastic historical fiction whodunit. It is the first book in The Lord Hani Mysteries and takes place in ancient Egypt around 1350 BCE.
Lord Hani is a high-ranking royal diplomat to King Amen-hotep III Heqa-en-waset. When Abdi-ashirta, the leader of the hapiru, an influential group of bandits who live on the fringe of society, is killed, Lord Hani is appointed to investigate his murder. Fighting for control, tensions are already high between the hapiru and the kings of the surrounding regions, making Lord Hani’s task that much more difficult. During this juncture, King Amen-hotep III dies and his son Amen-hotep IV takes over his reign. Amen-hotep IV wastes no time making controversial changes, starting with moving the entire capital to an unpopulated desolate area. Also, altering his birth name to Akh-en-aten, he begins religious reforms at every level. Henceforth only one deity is to be worshipped, thus erecting new temples with obscene statues in his image. People are shocked, worried, and scared. Fortunately, Lord Hani has his trusty secretary Maya by his side and a loving, supportive family. But with motives for the murder coming from every corner of the Egyptian empire, from the commoner to the highest ranking, will Lord Hani come through unscathed, or will he be caught like a ‘Bird in a Snare?’
I immensely enjoyed reading this book! The author did an incredible job of bringing the characters and settings to life. I believe this is crucial, especially for historical fiction, as we rely on the author's imagination and vision of a bygone era to make us feel invested. Also, the character development was exceptional. The author filled each nook and cranny of a character with nuanced tones and elements. The protagonist Lord Hani is my favorite character with his family in close seconds. He is the embodiment of everything decent and genuine that you could want in a person. Did I mention that he's loving, nurturing, intelligent, funny, and honorable? How the author manages to get all these traits across to the reader without the character sounding unbelievable and over the top is genius, and we're all the luckier for it. With that said, Hani and his loved ones are a close, tight-knit family. They wholeheartedly and unabashedly express their love for one another through food, humor, affection, and just being together. I found them to be heartwarming and endearing. During his investigation, Hani also deals with numerous characters of varying status and wealth. I found myself looking forward with anticipation to see how he would use his finesse with each one to gain information or favor.
The story takes place during Egypt's New Kingdom period when Egypt became an empire with ownership in Nubia to the north and the Levant to the south. It's important to note this, as Lord Hani travels to both regions throughout the book. The author provides a map of the Egyptian Empire at the beginning of the book, which I found helpful, thus giving the reader a better understanding of his travels. Also included is a glossary of characters, gods, terms, and places. For me, the glossary was a lifesaver. The similarities between Egyptian names can be overwhelming if you are not intimately familiar with them. Therefore, I found myself referencing names frequently to make sure I had the correct character or place in mind. I did not mind doing this at all, as I considered it a delightful learning experience!
I do wish the author had made the passage of time more apparent to the reader, as I had to flip back a few pages here and there to realize and confirm a year or two had passed in the timeline. Other than that, I found nothing to dislike about the book. Not only were the characters intricate and entertaining, but it was also extraordinarily written and historically fascinating. I did not notice any errors, so it appears to be well edited. Therefore, I happily rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys captivating historical fiction as well as an exquisite character-driven mystery. Moreover, people that are interested in learning about ancient Egyptian history will love this book.
******
Bird in a Snare
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
