Hannah’s destiny will take her far away from the desert where she and her father tended a goat herd in the fifth century. Hannah is first stolen from her father by slave traders and taken to Alexandria where she is bought by Tarek. Luckily, Tarek’s father, Alizar is a patient man with a secret of his own. Alizar sees that there is more to Hannah than meets the eye. Even as a slave, he sends Hannah to be educated at the Great Library under Hypatia. Unfortunately, Alexandria is in the midst of religious turmoil and Hannah was raised as a Jew. As religion and power clash, Hannah is sent away again to the Temple of Isis where she is trained as a priestess and sent on a mission to gather a tablet that will help secure the pagan faith.
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As soon as Hannah’s story began, I was completely hooked. Fierce, brave and full of hope, Hannah’s character is instantly endearing. The journey that Hannah is sent on is full of high-stakes, adventure and cunning skill. There is a lot going on in this book and it kept me just wanting more and more. I loved being taken back to ancient Alexandria, I could picture the marketplace, the Great Library, chariot races and Alizar’s house perfectly. Then the beauty and mystery of the Temple, I could imagine the dancing priestesses in full costume. As Hannah chases the Emerald Tablet her fate becomes entwined in her mission and the excitement increases. History, magic, adventure and romance intersect in this epic tale about a young women’s journey. ( )

Written in the Ashes by K. Hollan VanZandt is a historical fiction account inspired by true events. The story follows Hannah, a girl kidnapped and sold into slavery. Her journey takes her into the city of Alexandria where she meets some extraordinary people. Hannah has a beautiful voice and a thirst for knowledge. She meets Hypatia who is the keeper of the great library in Alexandria. Hypatia offers her a place at the library, but Hannah's life leads her into another direction first. This book has a mixture of history and mythology. It is set during a tumultuous period for religion. Where anything/anyone non-christian is given the death penalty. Danger lurks at every turn, and Hannah must find a way to survive.
I enjoyed reading Written in the Ashes. I loved that the author used real historical events and people to build the story around. Hannah is a good, strong character. Her journey sucked me in from the beginning. Her life is not an easy one. She's the victim of violence and threatened because of her beliefs. Hannah is a survivor.
The story line is intense at times and full of action at others. I liked all the characters, good and bad. The author does a fantastic job of bringing history to life. Written in the Ashes is a beautifully written story that you don't want to end. ( )

Review originally published at my blog: AWordsWorth.blogspot.com
eBook provided by author for review.

Hannah is a Jewish shepherdess, roaming the wilds of Sinai with her father, until her world is shattered by slave traders one night. Sold to a prestigious - and merciful - family in Alexandria, Hannah struggles to regain interest and enthusiasm for life, bearing scars on her body and her heart. As time begins to heal her wounds, Hannah finds her new life to be one of surprises. From private tutoring in the Library of Alexandria, to finding a strangely patched-together new 'family' in her master's house, Hannah slowly settles into her life. But these are uneasy times, and nothing is permanent. Nothing is safe - not even life. Relations between the Bishop in Alexandria, Cyril, and the "traditional" population are tense and volatile. The Library itself is threatened, and anyone deemed in cahoots with "the pagan enemy" is placed on a watch list, or "questioned" as a preemptive measure. This is Hannah's new reality, and she finds herself playing a surprising role in the bloody 'negotiations.'

The story is engrossing. It's rough and brutal - very blunt, a little gory. It's not a light read, and if you're particularly sensitive some scenes could be disturbingly harsh. I loved the characters - Hannah stole my heart from the very beginning, still out on the plains of Sinai, and as I met new characters, I forged new alliances, even as she did. It's a detailed story, rich in ideas and images. The Library at Alexandria has long captured my imagination, as a librarian and as a story-loving history geek, and to read about its struggle for survival, to get a glimpse into how things could have been - it's beautiful, even as it's heart-wrenching. I feel as though I've learned much about Alexandria, the crossroads of culture and religion, the struggle to orient in a changing world. Written in the Ashes is a sweeping story to enjoy, but also one to think about. To pause and consider, to look at this particular presentation of the "ancient world" - and see how it reflects humanity. ( )

Fans of historical fiction take note: you are going to want to head to your closest book store, amazon or wherever you get your books and pick this one up! Why, you ask? Here's why:

Set in Alexandria and the story is intricately woven together with the workings of the Great Library of Alexandria.
Strong, beautiful female protagonist.
Quests
Action
Nasty bad guys
Hot male protagonists.
Romance, Love and Passion
The little angel - who was in my heart from the very beginning.

I have only one bad thing to say about K. Hollan Van Zandt's amazing novel - it is the first of a series and I now have to wait for the second instalment!! ARG!! I hope it comes out soon! ( )

A dramatic, plot-filled historical set in Alexandria Egypt in the 4th century, this novel follows Hannah, a Jewish goat herder who is kidnapped and sold as a slave in Alexandria. She's purchased on a whim but finds herself in the home of a vintner and alchemist who is friends with the infamous Hypatia, celebrated thinker and scholar. In this household, she's educated and encouraged to use her magnificent singing voice to become a bard of sorts, and it is her connection with Hypatia and the Library of Alexandria that leads her into further drama, adventure, and torment.

I'm not sure that summary even does this book justice, but I tried! At times, there might have been just a little too much plot for my tastes -- this had the feel of a Victorian potboiler in some ways, with one over-the-top turn after another -- and yet, the story didn't strain credulity. This is the tale of a woman growing up; the story of a slave who becomes greater than her bond; a woman at the crossroads of history, in a place where religion and science, history and politics all collided.

The cast is rather big for my tastes, but I found everyone pretty easy to know -- again, Van Zandt doesn't stint on details and everyone felt bigger than life. While I found our heroine Hannah a bit too perfect at the start of the novel -- she's exceptionally beautiful, regal in stature despite being a slave, gifted with a gorgeous voice, blue-eyed and fair skinned -- she grew on me as a character, and I found her reputation was warranted. She was smart, clever, a bit impetuous, and talented, and she behaved with courage and wisdom as the novel progressed. In the end, I wanted her as my friend.

Van Zandt's writing style reads easily; she describes everything, from food to clothes to scenery, and it's impossible not to feel immersed in ancient Alexandria. She doesn't shy away, either, from the grim reality of being a female slave, so FYI for those of you who don't like sexual violence. I was uncomfortable, but unsurprised. In the Epilogue, Van Zandt explains her rationale for the anachronistic decisions she made with the story and I appreciated that -- she aged Hannah to twenty rather than the more likely thirteen at the start of the novel -- and she played fast and loose a bit with history and myth. Since I'm not a well-versed in Egyptian history, this didn't bother me, but I don't know how someone who is wedded to the era will feel. For me, Van Zandt's choices worked with the story as she told it.

At 400+ pages this is an epic adventure, and Van Zandt has said she's planning two more books. However, this book ends very neatly, no cliff hanger to make you gnash your teeth, and I think it stands alone marvelously. Still, I'm looking forward to Van Zandt's next venture. ( )