Review of Lake of Flowers

[Sarah Schmidt]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Lake of Flowers" by N.L. Holmes.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Lake of Flowers, the second instalment in the Lord Hani Mystery series written by N. L. Holmes, is set in Egypt in 1338 BCE. Political upheaval permeates this entire novel, the backbone of the characters’ sometimes immoral actions, perfect for lovers of crime mystery and historical fiction.

The death of the coregent kicks off Inundation season. Lord Hani fears what this might mean for the political climate, dreading a civil war taking place. With the Atenists in power, the cause of the Hidden One is food for sedition. Added to that, midwives present at the time of the crown prince’s birth are being picked off one by one, and the she-king’s household is being poisoned. Hani is primarily worried about the safety of his family, especially when he is ordered by opposing factions of the ruling family to spy on the other. He must track down the poisoner and identify the culprits behind the murders, all while keeping his head above the schemes and plots of the capital. With help from his secretary, his father, and his old friend the high commissioner, Hani uncovers secrets about the royal family that they would kill to stay buried.

First off, going into any book unarmed can either make for a very bad or very good reading experience. To prevent the former, Holmes adds a character list—with both real and imagined characters—historical notes, a glossary of terms, and a map as guides.

While there was only one true main plot, different mysteries abound that make for intriguing subplots. The villains were hard to pinpoint, especially because the motives for their actions were always in doubt. The storyline itself wasn’t very suspenseful, frankly. It felt like the story was aimed more at uncovering the truths and the motives of the antagonists as opposed to bringing the culprits to justice, which made the resolution of the storyline seem flat; as this is a series, I’m holding out hope that more justice is meted out in its continuation.

I liked Ptah-mes’s character a little more than the rest, and Maya’s second to his. Ptah-mes is presented as a stoic widower with almost marshmallow-like insides, always willing to provide a place for Hani in his frequent travels. There seem many layers to the high commissioner, and the rigid, long-suffering character with the implacable visage has never been something I could resist. Maya, on the other hand, is earnest and staunchly loyal. It is by happenstance that he overhears a key piece of information in their investigation, and the clumsy way he goes about accomplishing his reconnaissance was something I found endearing.

The location changes happened a tad too often. It seemed like the characters were always jumping from Waset to Akhet-aten then back again. While this might have been done in an effort to ramp up the pace and add variation to the scenery—also, I understand that, in the carrying out of his investigation, Hani had to make trips back and forth—the virtual travelling I was doing felt tiring and overdone. I would point this out as a negative, but it was barely of any importance.

One major plus of the story is how well written and well edited it was. The single, minor error present in the entire text is a testament to this fact. With that being said, it is my belief that the book has been professionally edited.

Lake of Flowers deserves no less than a perfect rating of four out of four stars. The storyline’s flaws did not really have an effect on my overall enjoyment of the book. People who are fans of mystery and historical fiction should give this book a chance. Those who are interested in the Lord Hani Mystery series can read it as a standalone, as the events in this book are not directly related to those in the prequel. Profanity is few and far between, so I would recommend it to an audience aged anywhere from a young adult and upwards.

******
Lake of Flowers
View: on Bookshelves

[Aisha Yakub]

I think the addition of reading guides would be very helpful for a reader like myself. Great review.

[Itz Savaga]

I would love to read this book it looks interesting and impactful. Great review.

[Sarah Schmidt]

My mistake! Lake of Flowers is the fifth book in the Lord Hani Mystery series.

[Hue-Morningstar]

" Hani uncovers secrets about the royal family that they would kill to stay buried". I need some clarification on this statement. It does not seem right. However, this is a well detailed review. Great job!