Anne Fortier

While a band of ancient-world Amazon priestesses in training embark on a brave quest to rescue their kidnapped companions, a modern-day scholar is led by an enigmatic Middle Easterner on a dangerous search for an Amazonian treasure in the Sahara. By the best-selling author of Juliet. 35,000 first printing.

The Lost Sisterhood

Cindy McKee

I have been waiting(& not patiently) for Anne's new book almost since I had finished "Juliet", which remains one of my all-time favorite reads. This was worth the wait. "The Lost Sisterhood" is a wonderfully told tale of Amazons, the battle of Troy, and how our heroine's life long pursuit of the former and her love for her Grandmother (who claimed to be one) lead her across continents and dodging some nasty foes. Just like her novel "Juliet" the story slides back & forth from present day to the far reaching past effortlessly. Each tale is gripping on it's own, but together it gives the tapestry of the story scope. This was not a quick read like "Juliet" was, & but I didn't mind the pacing being slower. After all, there's a whole lot of ground to cover. One huge compliment to the lovely Mrs.Fortier- her love of history NEVER feels like a lecture or a dry recitation of facts. Instead she approaches it organically where it becomes a part of the story & never a "and now for a lesson in_____before we can continue with our previous adventure"- moment. I have sung the praises of this author to anyone with ears since stumbling upon her first novel, and I will continue to do so with her sophomore effort as well. I am a fan Mrs.Fortier! Now if you could make the wait between your stories a mite shorter, that would be appreciated! Otherwise, I guess I'll have to re-read the first two, again & again until until you come out with a third. Wait, there will be a third, right?? ;)

Vilde

Read through netgalley.com

The Lost Sisterhood plays with Greek mythology, utilising them to weave together her own story in The Lost Sisterhood resulting into an intriguing and compelling story.

Mary Rose Luksha

An academic receives somewhat cryptic information to follow a trail about a subject very close to their heart, while along the way they are dogged by people and corporations with nefarious dealings, but they team up with a character with whom they share a delicious sexual tension.

How many plots can that describe? Since The Da Vinci Code was such a success, it can describe quite a few. I have often picked up historical fiction books only to be disappointed with some aspect - the narration, the dumbing down of factual events, the suspense - and never bother to read past a few chapters. But I finished Fortier's The Lost Sisterhood in 2 days. 

The story is dual-narrated by Diana, the modern protagonist and Myrina, her ancient counterpart. At times I found Diana's voice to be a little self-satisfied like the author is trying to hard to make her sound British, but it waned over the course of the book or maybe I just got used to it. I loved Myrina's story. Though there wasn't as much setting description, I was very invested in her character's strength and personality and could look past the less than vivd accounts of Ancient Greece and Troy.

Since the book is based more on Greek mythology than actual fact, I think it was easier for Fortier to play fast and loose with events and historical figures, or maybe I was just more open to varied interpretations. Either way, I liked her spin on the Trojan Wars and the Amazons. Is it believable? No, but I wanted to read a story, not a history book.

And the suspense, ah the suspense. Most authors can't get it quite right - reveal it too soon, make it too complicated, or build it up so high the climax is a let down. It's a fine line to walk, and one I thought Fortier walked well. I am willing to forgive a lot in a story if I like the main characters and I get that "I have to know what happens" feeling. Fortier built up a good mystery - there are multiple layers to the suspense, and just as I got frustrated with the lack of answers she would drop a crumb in my lap. All questions were plausibly (for the most part) answered. I'd like to go into more detail about some of her answers that irked me, but I have a strict no spoilers policy.

An academic or someone who works in the world of artifacts and museums will likely raise a lot of issues with the storyline, the main character, and some of the political statements espoused in the book. I'm just a woman who likes a good story, and enjoys seeing women kick some ass. Four stars.

Christina M Masters

Southern Today Gone Tomorrow

Written by Anne Fortier, The Lost Sisterhood (oh look, where you can pick up the book) follows Diana, an Oxford lecturer of Greek Mythology who has a slight obsession with The Amazons. Yes, I mean the warrior women who have, most recently, been made popular again by Wonder Woman. And Diana is given an opportunity she finds she can’t say no to when presented with an opportunity to go to a dig site where the Amazons might have originated.

Alright, that was a little dry bones, but that’s what the rest of the review is for.


This is the property of the publisher.
This novel, written in first person from both Diana and an ancient woman Myrina, jumps back and forth between ancient times (think Greek and the Trojan War) and modern times. The writing in this novel is smooth and captivating. Honestly, the writing and the story propel the novel so well that the insane amount of traveling that the characters do makes sense.

How about those characters?

Well, in the past we have Myrina, her younger sister Lilli, the priestesses, and the wonderful Paris. Every character feels real, even though (I think) only a handful of characters are based on people who may have once actually lived. Myrina is a wonderful character, and Paris is difficult not to love. Someone who doesn’t stop her from being her but helps her? Yeah, that is pretty great.

In the present we have Diana, James our dashing prince from her childhood who has become a kind-of friend, Nick the adventurer who never shows his full hand, Rebecca the stead-fast adventurous friend, and a number of others. So many others. Oh, Granny, can’t forget Granny. This are our stead-fast characters who keep moving forward who we really don’t know what will happen to them. Those set in the past we can extrapolate an idea of where their stories will go, but the modern characters have the whole world before them (literally).

The adventure is wonderful. Just the right amount without being too terribly over the top.

The romance is sweet and heartbreaking. This isn’t a novel written for the romance, but the romance is compelling and the kind of thing a reader wants to cheer on and see where it is going.

As for the mystery? The mystery – spanning centuries – is fantastic and wonderful, and there are more than one of them. What happened to Myrina? What about the Amazons? How did they begin? And, eventually, what happened to Troy?

This novel is well written, and anyone who is a fan of Susana Kearsley I think will enjoy this well written novel. Or of Circe. If you like adventure, mystery, history, romance, or just want a well written novel, this is a good choice.

Who wouldn’t like it? This isn’t a magical story. This is taking a look at what could be behind the myth (COULD BE with some history), and is very realistic in that regards. It doesn’t paint the past as a better place, but looks at the dark parts as well.

Overall? I highly, HIGHLY recommend this to anyone and everyone.

Mary Rose Gibson

Aisha

Liz Carpenter

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Juliet comes a mesmerizing novel about a young scholar who risks her reputation--and her life--on a thrilling journey to prove that the legendary warrior women known as the Amazons actually existed. Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader's Circle for author chats and more. Oxford lecturer Diana Morgan is an expert on Greek mythology. Her obsession with the Amazons started in childhood when her eccentric grandmother claimed to be one herself--before vanishing without a trace. Diana's colleagues shake their heads at her Amazon fixation. But then a mysterious, well-financed foundation makes Diana an offer she cannot refuse. Traveling to North Africa, Diana teams up with Nick Barran, an enigmatic Middle Eastern guide, and begins deciphering an unusual inscription on the wall of a recently unearthed temple. There she discovers the name of the first Amazon queen, Myrina, who crossed the Mediterranean in a heroic attempt to liberate her kidnapped sisters from Greek pirates, only to become embroiled in the most famous conflict of the ancient world--the Trojan War. Taking their cue from the inscription, Diana and Nick set out to find the fabled treasure that Myrina and her Amazon sisters salvaged from the embattled city of Troy so long ago. Diana doesn't know the nature of the treasure, but she does know that someone is shadowing her, and that Nick has a sinister agenda of his own. With danger lurking at every turn, and unsure of whom to trust, Diana finds herself on a daring and dangerous quest for truth that will forever change her world. Sweeping from England to North Africa to Greece and the ruins of ancient Troy, and navigating between present and past, The Lost Sisterhood is a breathtaking, passionate adventure of two women on parallel journeys, separated by time, who must fight to keep the lives and legacy of the Amazons from being lost forever. Praise for The Lost Sisterhood "Impossible to put down . . . Meticulous research, a delicious mystery, and characters that leap from the story make this brilliant book a Perfect 10."--Romance Reviews Today "Anne Fortier tells two tales of adventure, mystery and romance . . . reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code with a hint of A Discovery of Witches."--Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star "Boldly original . . . will intrigue lovers of ancient worlds as well as those who are just fans of a good story."--Bookreporter "A gorgeous journey from England to North Africa to Greece, thrilling readers with beautiful settings, courageous women and breathtaking adventure."--BookPage "Grounded in a thorough knowledge of classical literature, this skillful interweaving of plausible archaeological speculation, ancient mythology, and exciting modern adventure will delight fans of such authors as Kate Mosse and Katherine Neville."--Library Journal (starred review) "The Lost Sisterhood is a spellbinding adventure, a tale of two courageous women separated by millennia but pursuing interwoven quests: one to protect and lead her sisters through a dangerous ancient world, the other to prove that the legendary tribe of women truly existed, and that their legacy endures."--Jennifer Chiaverini, author of Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker and The Spymistress