Wednesday, August 7, 2013

AT ROAD'S END by Zoe Saadia

This is a rarity for me, an ebook.  I don't really like reading on my ereader but this book has been on it for quite a while and I have several others too.  Otherwise the ereader lives in my desk drawer out of sight and out of mind.  Give me print books please.

The story is set in Mexico and, I assume, what is now Arizona back when the Anasazi lived in Arizona and the Mayans were just growing in power and influence in Mexico.  The main character is Tecpatl, a warrior from a tribe who oppose the Mayans.  He is actually funny because he is so strong in his beliefs, such as that women are fairly well useless except to have children, cook, clean, and serve men.  They certainly can't think or fight.  He believes warriors are born superior to the lower classes such as tradesmen and farmers.  He is unable to see that other people might have different beliefs that serve them just as well as  his.

He has been assigned to accompany and protect a small group of tradesmen on a journey to the north where they hope to do business.  When they come across a village where it appears that all of the people have been slaughtered, a young woman is found alive and he saves her from the tradesmen.  Of course, as the story goes on they fall in love despite not being able to understand each other's customs.

This is the first of a series of books labeled The Pre-Aztec Series so I may be wrong about the location but I don't think so.  I was a little confused about the tribes and the locations throughout and if Tecpatl hadn't been so unintentionally funny, I don't think I would have finished the book.  I hate to say this because the writing is actually pretty good.  I just needed more direction in it to set my mind firmly in the story.

There is danger wherever these characters go but the fight sequences were a little confusing as well to me.  Perhaps this just isn't my type of book, but I won't be pursuing this series.  

Source:  free offer from Amazon.com

3 comments:

  1. I'm the same with about ebooks. I wonder if this one would have been easier to understand in print because you can flip back to figure things out.

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  2. There are many men today who think like Tecpatl for sure! :--) (or should I say) :--(

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  3. Kathy, I don't think that would have helped, but you never know.

    Jill, That's for sure. Thankfully I don't know most of them.

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