Friday, December 1, 2017

A Gem for Discerning Readers



 When I found that Andrew Levkoff’s new book, Little Gods, A Tale of Ancient Wonders could be pre-ordered, I stood in line being familiar with his award-winning “The Bow of Heaven Trilogy.” 

Just a few days ago, “Little Gods” finally went live on my Kindle and – four-hundred pages plus notwithstanding – I finished it abandoning all other duties (except for feeding the cat).

With Little Gods, one definitely puts on one’s thinking cap. It is also apt to haunt one’s dreams as it poses philosophical as well as dreaded existential questions: Why does Mankind worship God and gods? Why does Man wage war? Why is love so elusive?

But not to worry. There is plenty of tension in a hamlet of Ancient Mesopotamia. Levkoff cleverly weaves the moral of his story into the relationship between two young boys, Scolotes and Melyakhat. One good, the other bad – we initially assume. Wrong. Levkoff is deft in exposing the many sides of human beings as there is no clear division - not even in saints nor in the little gods – and we begin to feel empathy for both as they seek acceptance in their community. Their struggles become epic during those ancient times. And then, there is the beautiful Leyla ...

Another twist is the insertion of Hovan’s struggle in modern Iraq – on the same soil where the Little Gods lived, loved, and fought to stay alive.

Little Gods is by no means a quick, forgettable read. If it were, it would not deserve five stars from this discerning reader. It is a gem for historical fiction lovers who will appreciate the extensive Glossary and Timeline at the end with the also appended Bibliography underlining Levkoff’s extensive research and knowledge of his subject matter.


Check out Andrew Levkoff's excellent Trilogy here:
 








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