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

[LeDiplomatique]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Bird in a Snare: A Lord Hani Mystery is a fictional story centered on the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. This Is during a time when Ancient Egypt had achieved the peak of its power. Lord Hani is an emissary working for the Diplomatic Corps of Black Land during the reigns of the Great Pharaoh, Neb-ma’at-ra Heqa-en-waset (Amen-hotep III) and his son Nefer- khepru-ra (Amen-hotep IV). Abdi-ashirta, the Hapiru leader is killed. Lord Hani is sent to the North by Amen-hotep III to investigate the killing, a mission which takes time. After the death of Amen-hotep III, the case is closed as Amen-hotep IV takes the throne. Nevertheless, information tied to Abdi-ashirta keeps surfacing, revelation after shocking revelation. Meanwhile, the ascension of Amen-hotep IV to power changes life in the dynasty, with the capital being moved to the East bank of Nile River and the introduction of Aten as the sole deity to be worshipped. Consequently, Lord Hani’s extended family is compromised.

The title is very appropriate for the book. The first chapter mentions a duck in a cage, used to lure wild ducks for meat. Considering this metaphorically, there are several other ‘birds in a snare’. Just to mention a few; Lord Hani is used by the king to make the surrounding Vassals and Brigands feel safe while in reality there is no safety. He is the ‘bird in the snare’. Secondly, Ribaddi is cornered by those encroaching on his throne like a ‘bird in a snare.’

I most like that the characters of the book are well-constructed and developed. There are dwarfs working as goldsmiths, men in wigs, beautiful women; some intelligent despite physical disability. I love the jumpy character of Neferet, Hani’s daughter who could pretend to be all kinds of animals. She appeared to be the life of Hani’s family, always bringing joy and laughter. I enjoyed the men’s name calling and slighting without using profanities. Apparently, I did not like anything least about the book and did not see anything to improve because the author has presented a masterpiece.

The tone of the author portrays a creative author with a rich sense of humor, who has good command of history. The book is structured chronologically. One thing I noted is that the narration has no sense of time progression. You might read about events happening 2 years apart but which may feel like they happen within two days or a week. You will only realize the time difference when you read in the dialogues. Nevertheless, N. L. Holmes covers all aspects of the subject efficiently and sufficiently. The dialogues of the book are well constructed and interesting. I most enjoyed the dialogues between Maya and Hani; especially where Maya bursts into a room asking Lord Hani to guess what he had seen. Accordingly, Lord Hani had replies with interesting playful questions; “A flying hippopotamus? A desert-dwelling crocodile? A heron with a horse in its mouth?”

I came across a few errors and limited profanities within dialogues. However, the book is devoid of erotic content. I recommend this amazing piece to lovers of history, who would want to understand Ancient Egypt better. I also recommend it to those who love books with depth. The language and writing style provides a depth, enhanced with the use of metaphors, symbolism and other literary devices. It is definitely the kind of book one would read and reread. I will not rate it 3 stars because it is well researched and well-presented. Furthermore, the errors present are too few to warrant the deduction of a star. Therefore, I rate Bird in a Snare: A Lord Hani Mystery by N. L. Holmes 4 out of 4 stars.

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Bird in a Snare
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[Elvis Best]

The title and cover for this book attracted me to read this review, and it seems the book is well worth the hype. Thanks for this informative review. Good job!

[Topsey]

This sounds like a really great book, and I'll have to give it a look. Thanks for a compelling review.

[naomilupton_98]

This sounds like an interesting read - will definitely check it out!

[Priyanka2304]

I was very intrigued by the title and the book cover. Thanks for the amazing review and the recommendation for this book. Hoping to read this book some day.

[Hazel Arnaiz]

I appreciate the explanation about the metaphor of the title. Thanks for insights.