Review of A Glimpse Through Time: Andronicus

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Kajori Sheryl Paul
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Review of A Glimpse Through Time: Andronicus

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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Glimpse Through Time: Andronicus" by Colin DeMieri.]
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Glimpse Through Time: Andronicus by Colin DeMieri is an epic start to a spectacular series. The story begins in 496 BC with the birth of Andronicus in Sparta. Aristocles and Athenia knew that there was something special about their boy right from his birth. Andronicus grows up like any Spartan warrior. He begins training at six and joins King Leonidas' army at sixteen. He is accompanied by his friends, Lycus and Nikopheros, as he goes to fight the Persians in the Battle of Thermopylae. Andronicus, Lycus, and Nikopheros are joined by Euthymius, Theodotus, and Androcles, as they fight off the Persians in the Battle of Salamis and the Battle of Plataea. Years later, Andronicus is charged with a contingent and ordered to eliminate a horde of Persian bandits raiding Spartan villages. Cursed by a burned Helot woman, the expedition starts off on an ominous note. After months of chasing the Persians, Andronicus and his friends find themselves in a mountain cave near the ruins of Troy. It was as if an unseen force had compelled them to enter the cave. All the men see strange visions in a water body filled with shiny stones inside the cave. In a trance, they reach out to touch the stones and blackout. Andronicus opens his eyes to find himself in a strange land filled with never-before-seen animals halfway across the world. Even the people there are much different.

How did Andronicus reach this unique place? What happened to his friends and brother? Will he ever reunite with them? Most importantly, why has he stopped aging?

A Glimpse Through Time: Andronicus is a treat for any history buff. Alongside Andronicus, DeMieri takes us on a seemingly never-ending journey throughout the ancient world. From Greece, Africa, and Egypt to Persia, Carthage, and Mesopotamia, we see it all through Andronicus' eyes. We also find ourselves in Australia through Lycus' journey. DeMieri brilliantly enlivens the ancient world for us. We see the varied animals of Africa and Australia with wonder, we witness the building of pyramids and the vast libraries of the ancient world with astonishment, and we traverse the Great Forest and Great Desert with awe. I love how DeMieri intersperses real-life historical characters seamlessly into his fictional narrative. This not only adds authenticity to the book but also adds a special charm to it. Andronicus' time with Plato and Aristotle was one of my favorite parts of the novel. The wise Plato and the genius Aristotle are portrayed exactly how I always envisioned them. I wish I could travel back in time and meet these eminent personalities. I learned a lot from Andronicus' time with Alexander the Great. I have always admired Alexander. DeMieri's account made him more realistic to me, especially as all the historical aspects are well-researched. I can vouch for this as I was intrigued enough to do my own research about the myriad historical characters while reading the book. The embedded hyperlinks to various informational pages in the Kindle version were of utmost help here.

Colin DeMieri is a brilliant character builder as well. Andronicus started off as any other Spartan warrior. I loved to see this brutish warrior learning new languages and skills as well as assimilating with foreign people in strange lands. His friendship with Chaka and Imhotep as well as his love for Manyara were in stark contrast with his violent outbursts. DeMieri did an excellent job of portraying his character progression. The way he resorted to drunkenness after becoming alone was quite realistic. I liked to see him kick the habit to the curb and get his life back in control. However, this was not easy. He had to go through a lot of trial and error. This made him more human to me. I have to say that I would have liked it if there was more mention of Gaia and Athenia in the second half of the book.

Lycus was a complex character. Though at first glance, he and Andronicus had a similar background, there were a lot of differences between them. His journey turned out quite different from Andronicus'. This shows us that our temperament, upbringing, and values play an important role in our way of life.

I am happy to rate Colin DeMieri's A Glimpse Through Time: Andronicus 5 out of 5 stars. I did not find any cons in this wonderful novel. The well-crafted action scenes warrant special mention. The handful of errors in this book of about 886 pages is negligible. Undoubtedly, this book deserves a perfect rating.

I highly recommend A Glimpse Through Time: Andronicus to all history buffs and fantasy fanatics. People who like war and adventure stories would love this novel as well.

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A Glimpse Through Time: Andronicus
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Ajay Rudrapati
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Post by Ajay Rudrapati »

I am very much awaited to read this book, Your review motivated me to read this book ASAP. The way you inculcated the details of the book in a very clear manner is impressive. Thank you
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