Guardian of the Flame

[Holly]

I am fascinated by, but not very familiar with the history of the Ancient World. I wish I'd paid more attention in my Humanities World History classes in college! I was also not familiar with Tracy Higley's Seven Wonders series, but I intend to seek out the first two books.
Sophia is a strong, educated woman who has dedicated her life to keeping the lighthouse flame lit. Her sorrows and losses have kept her inside the lighthouse and away from the rest of the world. Her joys come from learning and the preservation of knowledge. Cleopatra was once her student. The city scholars are her family and the great library receives her patronage.

When Julius Caesar invades Egypt and war erupts, Sophia's life and all she knows is threatened. When a roman soldier breaches not only the lighthouse's defenses but her own as well, Sophia's own hardened heart is forced to soften.

This was a fascinating novel. It started a bit slowly for me, and it took a couple of chapters to work out all the characters, but the compelling story moves along well. It was an enjoyable, enthralling read. I look forward to not only reading the first two books, but also reading more from Tracy Higley. Her website is full of information about the book, about Alexandria and explains which aspects of the story are fiction and which are based on fact.