∎ PDF Guardian of the Flame A Seven Wonders Novel T L Higley Tracy L Higley 9780805447323 Books

Guardian of the Flame A Seven Wonders Novel T L Higley Tracy L Higley 9780805447323 Books

Download As PDF : Guardian of the Flame A Seven Wonders Novel T L Higley Tracy L Higley 9780805447323 Books

Guardian of the Flame A Seven Wonders Novel T L Higley Tracy L Higley 9780805447323 Books

4.5 stars. This is a fascinating story involving a cast of intriguing characters: Sophia, a hurting, isolated woman who is the Keeper of the Lighthouse of Alexandria; Bellus, a Roman centurion with a thirst for knowledge and peace who is put in charge of taking command of the lighthouse; Ares, Sophia's servant who possesses a tender heart and an hazy past; and a group of twelve scholars who are changing the world through knowledge. A good part of the book also explores the relationship of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.

I loved Tracy Higley's style of writing. Also, her meticulous attention to historical details is impressive and I greatly appreciate the amount of research that must have gone into writing this novel. The rich history and cultural tidbits scattered throughout the story are captivating, and I am amazed at how much of Alexandrian history I have learned by reading this book. The pace of the story was a bit slow in the first third of the book or so, and it didn't grab my full attention at times. But as the plot thickened and the characters developed, I found myself enjoying it more and more. The concluding chapters had me in stitches with heart-throbbing suspense. Throughout the story, the author weaves a moving message of love and the power of the One God to change lives, though she could have given that theme more emphasis than she did.

I recommend this book as an exciting and inspiring read. I will definitely check out the other books from this author.


Tags : Guardian of the Flame: A Seven Wonders Novel [T. L. Higley, Tracy L. Higley] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <DIV><FONT><DIV><I><P><B>Guardian of the Flame</B> </I>is book three in the Seven Wonders series of novels transporting readers back to the Ancient World. Characters struggle to find meaning in a pagan society and are confronted by the one true God and His message of redemption.</P><P>The year is 48 BC. Sophia,T. L. Higley, Tracy L. Higley,Guardian of the Flame: A Seven Wonders Novel,B&H Books,0805447326,Alexandria (Egypt);Fiction.,Egypt;Antiquities;Fiction.,Lighthouse keepers;Egypt;Alexandria;Fiction.,Alexandria,Alexandria (Egypt),American Historical Fiction,Antiquities,Christian - Historical,Christian life & practice,Egypt,Egypt - Antiquities,Fiction,Fiction - Religious,Fiction Christian Historical,Historical & Mythological Fiction,Historical fiction,Lighthouse keepers,Pharos Lighthouse (Alexandria, Egypt),Religious & spiritual fiction,Tracy L. Higley

Guardian of the Flame A Seven Wonders Novel T L Higley Tracy L Higley 9780805447323 Books Reviews

Don't waste your time
Tracy Higley has such a way with historical novels. I love her Seven Wonders novels!
I love ancient history so a fiction story set in Cleopatra's time with Rome entering Alexandria sounded great. However, the heroine's character is a bit too cold to relate to, and the action is somewhat sporadic to make it a quick "I can't put it down" read. Saying that, I do find it interesting as an historical read as it talks about the Egyptian rulers vs. Romans and the fabulous, famous lighthouse and library that at one time existed. Plot is slow but history is rich in details.
I enjoyed this "Beauty and the Beast" story. I even read parts of it to my husband who isn't much of a fiction fan but he is a history major so he appreciated the setting and historical backdrop.

T.L. Higley has an engaging style that kept me turning pages all the way to the end. I was sad when it was over. I will definitely read more by this author.
I absolutely loved this book. I have enjoyed all of T.L. Higley's books and this one is just as great. Loved the way she intertwines history of Alexandria with people living in that era. I haven't read any of her books that I would rate less than perfect. I know when I start reading I'm in for a special treat.
Kind of a mystery. Lasted longer than I would have preferred.
T.L. Higley's concept for this book -- to re-tell an old fairy tale with a different twist, in a historical setting and with Christian concepts woven in -- was certainly an ambitious one. Happily, she pulled it off successfully. Guardian of the Flame manages to include all of these elements in a well-written story. If you like your books strong on romance, or strong on history, or strong on Christian virtues then you may not be satisfied with this one; Guardian of the Flame isn't strong on any single one of these elements, but combines all three in a nice, even blend.

Before beginning the book I read the Author's Note in the back (shame on me, I know), so I knew that this story was a variation on the theme of Beauty and the Beast. And actually I'm glad I knew that going in; otherwise, Sophia's hostility and isolation would have struck me as extreme and overdone, a woman living alone in an ancient culture would have seemed completely impossible, and I would have been totally turned off. But knowing that Higley was constructing her story within the confines of an older folk tale allowed me to suspend my normal expectation that a book's characterizations and dialogues be realistic and plausible, and to just enjoy this book for the fairy tale that it is.

Higley cleverly includes all the familiar elements of Beauty and the Beast; there is, of course, a "beast" suffering from extreme loneliness, isolation and anger; there is a "castle"; there is an impudent but devoted servant; there is a vague sort of "curse"; there are even roses; and, of course, there is the "beauty", embodied in a book-loving Roman centurion. I know nothing about Latin, but I do know some Spanish and French (both based on Latin) and so I strongly suspect that the centurion's name "Bellus" might be derived from the ancient Latin word for beauty - ? Very clever, indeed!

My only real complaint about this book is that it was a bit slow starting. The first part was more occupied with Caesar and Cleopatra and the politics of ancient Alexandria than with anything else. I was about half-way through the book before I began to feel a connection to Sophia and her story. I don't know if this was an intentional devise of the author, to make the reader feel disconnected from Sophia who was, after all, the isolated, anti-social "beast."

I also noticed a few places that seem to have escaped the eye of the editors or spell-check. One in particular, on page 285, threw me for a bit. Sophia mentions "my brother," and so for the rest of the book I was waiting for another twist, like she was going to end up being related to the Ptolemies, or something..... But I got to the end and there was nothing, so I can only conclude that this was a typo that went undetected. There were several other places where the obviously wrong word was used, although none were quite so distracting as this one instance.

That being said, this was my favorite of Higley's Seven Wonders novels so far. I don't necessarily think it was any better written than the others, but the theme was one that resonates with me. It is almost unheard of for a book, Christian or otherwise, to deal with a female character who is bound up in loneliness, isolation, anger, etc. You see it in male characters, and it is always the sensitive, loving female who helps him break free. I like that Higley has turned it the other way around in this book - Sophia's struggles made me feel sympathetic and connected to her.

Although all of Higley's books are well-written, none of them pull too strongly on the emotions. They are not light and fluffy, either, but somewhere in-between. When you finish a T.L. Higley book you will have the satisfied feeling that comes from reading a well-written and entertaining book, but you won't have tears in your eyes or an ache in your heart. That is why I'm not giving this book 5 stars; it is missing that emotional element that the very best books must have. Nevertheless, I recommend all of T.L. Higley's Seven Wonders books, and her earlier work Fallen From Babel (very good book!).
4.5 stars. This is a fascinating story involving a cast of intriguing characters Sophia, a hurting, isolated woman who is the Keeper of the Lighthouse of Alexandria; Bellus, a Roman centurion with a thirst for knowledge and peace who is put in charge of taking command of the lighthouse; Ares, Sophia's servant who possesses a tender heart and an hazy past; and a group of twelve scholars who are changing the world through knowledge. A good part of the book also explores the relationship of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.

I loved Tracy Higley's style of writing. Also, her meticulous attention to historical details is impressive and I greatly appreciate the amount of research that must have gone into writing this novel. The rich history and cultural tidbits scattered throughout the story are captivating, and I am amazed at how much of Alexandrian history I have learned by reading this book. The pace of the story was a bit slow in the first third of the book or so, and it didn't grab my full attention at times. But as the plot thickened and the characters developed, I found myself enjoying it more and more. The concluding chapters had me in stitches with heart-throbbing suspense. Throughout the story, the author weaves a moving message of love and the power of the One God to change lives, though she could have given that theme more emphasis than she did.

I recommend this book as an exciting and inspiring read. I will definitely check out the other books from this author.