Official Review: Bird in a Snare by N.L. Holmes

Amy Murdoch Coleman · Post by **Amy Murdoch Coleman** » 16 May 2020, 18:35

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Bird in a Snare" by N.L. Holmes.]

4 out of 4 stars

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What we know about ancient Egyptian history and culture is consistently changing due to the discovery of new archaeological evidence. However, N.L. Holmes masterfully draws connections between the Egyptian people of 1350 B.C. and ourselves, whoever and wherever we may be. Bird in a Snare, a novel of historical fiction, explores one of the most tumultuous times in Egyptian history, when religious reform turned friends into enemies, and criminalized the lifestyles of citizens who made their living on the worship of many gods.

Lord Hani is a royal emissary, and a loyal servant of the king. However, political tensions are high, and the passing of the king sparks controversy that turns all of the Egyptian kingdom to chaos. Lifelong friendships are betrayed, livelihoods are lost, and lives are in grave danger at the whim of the new king: Akh-en-aten. Lord Hani’s profession requires him to travel between major Egyptian cities, keeping the peace between the viziers and under-lords of the nation, while also attempting to solve a murder. With a family devoted to the gods and a king who forbids that they worship any but Aten, Lord Hani is impossibly stuck, and the time he has to free himself is almost spent.

I have always loved historical fiction, and have never before come across a story that tries to tackle this time period. Reading the history on its own can be very black-and-white, detached, and potentially boring. However, N.L. Holmes paints a picture of Egypt under Akhenaten’s rule that is emotionally devastating. Lord Hani’s relationship with his family is one of the most genuine and heart-warming that I have seen portrayed, and the author beautifully captures the familial drama that can unfold when everything you have ever known is forced to change.

The author of this novel chose to tell this story in a very interesting way. Rather than bombarding the reader with highly elevated speech that is SO common in historical fiction, Holmes presents the story in the vernacular. Characters speak and think completely informally, and this stylistic choice has the effect of making me feel unexpectedly comfortable in an unfamiliar setting. The settings are also described in an absolutely stunning manner, right from the very beginning. This book set me in-scene from the first sentence and never let me go. In addition, the professional editing made it possible to read without being jarred by errors.

I have very little in the way of criticism for this novel, save for one trivial point. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the informal and somewhat modern speech patterns, there were several moments throughout the story where idioms and phrases that would not have been created (or relevant) yet found their way into the characters’ mouths. Nearly every aspect of world-building was believable for ancient Egypt, but that world crumbles around the edges a bit when 2020 A.D. bleeds too much into 1350 B.C.

After taking each point into consideration, I have given this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. Despite a small flicker of inconsistency in language, the world and characters are completely and impressively immersive. There are a few vague references to sexual acts and about a dozen instances of profanity and crude language. I heartily recommend this book to anyone with an appetite for historical fiction.

******
Bird in a Snare
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tjportugal · Post by **tjportugal** » 18 May 2020, 07:15

This sounds like an engaging book, even though I'm not an aficionado of Egyptian ancient culture.
Presenting history in vernacular - as you mention in the third to last paragraph - makes the whole difference in a book like this. Otherwise, the choice of words becomes a deterrent element.
Thank you for the honest review.

hasincla · Post by **hasincla** » 18 May 2020, 13:09

I absolutely love historical fiction that blends a great story with fascinating time periods. I also like that the characters don't speak in elevated language, so I'm putting this on my to-read list. Thank you for your review!

Samantha Gayle · Post by **Samantha Gayle** » 18 May 2020, 18:02

This book seems right up my alley! I have always been taken with Ancient Egypt and coincidentally have been revisiting some old texts from college about religious reform. I've always been interested in how societies, as well as the individual, handle religious reform. This will definitely be hitting my to read shelf! Thank you for the review.

Jlblawrence · Post by **Jlblawrence** » 18 May 2020, 22:33

Firstly, your review is amazing. It is flawless and I feel more intelligent for having read it. In the future, I will strive to make mine sound as good as yours! Secondly, this book sounds amazing. I, too, enjoy historical fiction and the idea that someone can tackle the ancient Egyptians with any kind of historical accuracy is astonishing. I actually laughed when you said they had used current idioms, because it's just not something you would think of when speaking informally, but also pretending to be in a different millennia. Thank you for setting a high standard, I very much enjoyed your review.

GiselleBengochea · Post by **GiselleBengochea** » 19 May 2020, 14:12

Bird in a Snare by N.L Holmes is a work of historical fiction which highlights comparisons between the Egyptian people of 1350 B.C. and ourselves. The only problem I envisaged with the recounting of this narrative is with the use of profanity. Profanity of any kind, whether it is classified as borderline or not, detracts from the author's literary style. Excellent review and I look forward to reading your future reviews with anticipation.

Sheila_Jay · Post by **Sheila_Jay** » 20 May 2020, 03:23

I am becoming fond of historical fiction,s but I am not sure whether this is one of those that I would love to read. That said, I must admit that it sounds great and I hope readers get to enjoy it. Thanks for the detailed review.

Josephe-Anne · Post by **Josephe-Anne** » 22 May 2020, 01:29

As someone who grew up reading National Geographic Magazine and other archaeological sources, I became fascinated by ancient civilizations. So, this seems like my type of story. Even though the language is historically inaccurate, it still sounds like an entertaining read. As you mentioned, this is the first time I have seen a work of historical fiction that is set during the reign of Akhenaten.

Thank you for a great review.

Amy Murdoch Coleman · Post by **Amy Murdoch Coleman** » 23 May 2020, 11:44

tjportugal wrote: ↑18 May 2020, 07:15 This sounds like an engaging book, even though I'm not an aficionado of Egyptian ancient culture.
Presenting history in vernacular - as you mention in the third to last paragraph - makes the whole difference in a book like this. Otherwise, the choice of words becomes a deterrent element.
Thank you for the honest review.

I tend to agree, but I was actually quite shocked at how much it didn't affect the presentation in this book. Because everything else was so genuine, the language kind of slid into place. Thank you for taking the time to read!

Amy Murdoch Coleman · Post by **Amy Murdoch Coleman** » 23 May 2020, 11:49

hasincla wrote: ↑18 May 2020, 13:09 I absolutely love historical fiction that blends a great story with fascinating time periods. I also like that the characters don't speak in elevated language, so I'm putting this on my to-read list. Thank you for your review!

I think you'll enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by!

Amy Murdoch Coleman · Post by **Amy Murdoch Coleman** » 23 May 2020, 12:03

Sgpope01 wrote: ↑18 May 2020, 18:02 This book seems right up my alley! I have always been taken with Ancient Egypt and coincidentally have been revisiting some old texts from college about religious reform. I've always been interested in how societies, as well as the individual, handle religious reform. This will definitely be hitting my to read shelf! Thank you for the review.

It's really a fantastic resource, even though it's fictional. There is so little out there about what may or may not have happened to regular people during Akhenaten's rule, and I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by!

Amy Murdoch Coleman · Post by **Amy Murdoch Coleman** » 23 May 2020, 13:41

Jlblawrence wrote: ↑18 May 2020, 22:33 Firstly, your review is amazing. It is flawless and I feel more intelligent for having read it. In the future, I will strive to make mine sound as good as yours! Secondly, this book sounds amazing. I, too, enjoy historical fiction and the idea that someone can tackle the ancient Egyptians with any kind of historical accuracy is astonishing. I actually laughed when you said they had used current idioms, because it's just not something you would think of when speaking informally, but also pretending to be in a different millennia. Thank you for setting a high standard, I very much enjoyed your review.

Thanks so much!! I really appreciate the feedback. Thanks for taking the time to read!

Amy Murdoch Coleman · Post by **Amy Murdoch Coleman** » 23 May 2020, 14:11

GiselleBengochea wrote: ↑19 May 2020, 14:12 Bird in a Snare by N.L Holmes is a work of historical fiction which highlights comparisons between the Egyptian people of 1350 B.C. and ourselves. The only problem I envisaged with the recounting of this narrative is with the use of profanity. Profanity of any kind, whether it is classified as borderline or not, detracts from the author's literary style. Excellent review and I look forward to reading your future reviews with anticipation.

I tend to agree. I can handle small amounts of profanity as long as they are in keeping with what's going on in the story and are handled with taste, but anything more becomes distracting. Thanks for stopping by!

Amy Murdoch Coleman · Post by **Amy Murdoch Coleman** » 23 May 2020, 14:35

Sheila_Jay wrote: ↑20 May 2020, 03:23 I am becoming fond of historical fiction,s but I am not sure whether this is one of those that I would love to read. That said, I must admit that it sounds great and I hope readers get to enjoy it. Thanks for the detailed review.

Thank you for stopping by!

Amy Murdoch Coleman · Post by **Amy Murdoch Coleman** » 23 May 2020, 14:41

Josephe-Anne wrote: ↑22 May 2020, 01:29 As someone who grew up reading National Geographic Magazine and other archaeological sources, I became fascinated by ancient civilizations. So, this seems like my type of story. Even though the language is historically inaccurate, it still sounds like an entertaining read. As you mentioned, this is the first time I have seen a work of historical fiction that is set during the reign of Akhenaten.

Thank you for a great review.

Thanks for your thoughtful reply! I hope you're able to give it a read sometime!