Posted: Jun 26, 2008, 6:46 AM CST
wedward wrote:what is your favorite book and are you do you a lot
The Sword and the Scimitar by David Bell... could not put it down when I read it and would love to read it again.
Nico and Maria, Maltese brother and sister, are separated when young Nico is abducted by Moorish slavers. Extraordinary events lead him to the court of Suleiman the Magneficient, Sultan of the Ottomans. Maria, stranded in Malta, joins a group of Jews - forced by their Christian rulers to renounce their faith - who continue their rituals clandestinely.
French aristocrat Christien de Vries yearns to prove himself as a surgeon in the Order of St. John, to which he was pledged as an infant but joined as a result of life-altering oath.
In 1565, as the battle of the seige of Malta approaches, nothing will ever be the same again for Maria, Nico and Christien. A sweeping historical epic set against the backdrop of the desparate conflict between Christian Europe and the Islamic Ottoman Empire, The Sword and The Scmitar vividly portrays an irresistable and fast-moving world of aadventure, war, treachery and love.
An excellent work. There’s no word that I can use to describe this amazing piece of work. From the beginning to the end, a tale of incredible twists and turns unfold. I was awed at the way the writer used description and settings to effect. Finished the book yesterday at 11:55 pm on the dot. In the morning I woke up thinking about it. Fiction + Fact = An amazing piece.
The language is slighty complicated at times, and certain terms are not in english. But albeit that, it still wraps you in its own shroud to take you to the lands of Malta and Topkapi. Every event described in this book will keep you glued to it. Or rather, shall I say, keep your eyes glued to the words. A must read.
5 stars.
Highly recommended read to anyone that is interested in fiction
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