The Lost Sisterhood

February 10, 2014
In her second novel, best-selling author Fortier (Juliet) tackles Greek mythology through two densely plotted parallel tales. The first and more compelling story is narrated by Diana Morgan, a modern-day Oxford philologist who studies the Amazons, a "mythical" tribe of women warriors. When a stranger representing a secretive foundation approaches Diana claiming to have proof of the Amazon's actual existence, she leaves immediately for a North African drill site. There, she finds an inscription on a temple wall that reveals the name of the first Amazon queen, Myrina. Diana translates this inscription using notes jotted down by her grandmother, who claimed to be a modern day Amazon and was subsequently diagnosed as a schizophrenic. Morgan begins a complicated and dangerous quest to discover the treasure Queen Myrina stole from Troy, and uncover the truth behind her grandmother's claim. The book is convoluted by a second narrative which follows Queen Myrina centuries earlier as she rescues her Amazon sisters from Greek pirates. Together, these intricate and multi-layered plots are often hard to follow. Still, the novel manages to maintain its appeal: an entertaining tale about smart warrior princess who faces shadowy bad guys, exploding drill sites, and deep-think puzzles, with some enticing romance on the side.

February 15, 2014
Fortier (Juliet, 2010, etc.) presents the intertwining stories of a young English philologist, tutored by her grandmother in the ways of Amazon warriors, and an Amazon queen of pre-Trojan War days. Diana Morgan, a professor at Oxford, has been haunted by memories of her grandmother, whom her parents thought mentally unbalanced. All Diana has left of Granny is the old lady's notebook--filled with indecipherable scribbles in an archaic alphabet--and the bronze, jackal-headed bracelet that Diana somehow has never been able to remove from her wrist. Lately, Diana has been similarly unable to resist researching rumors of an Amazon treasure somewhere in Turkey, which has put her in contact with some shady characters. Soon, Diana is trekking from the Algerian desert (where she found samples of Granny's script in the ruins of an Amazon temple) to Crete (where she's mugged while snooping in the famous labyrinth) to the putative site of the city of Troy itself. Accompanied by her best friend, Rebecca, and international man of mystery Nick (known to be involved with al-Aqrab, a quasi-terrorist organization dedicated to recovering ancient artifacts stolen by colonialists), Diana finds herself torn between reconnecting with her Amazon heritage and falling in love with a man. Her ancient counterpart, Myrina (traces of whom Diana has found in various ruins and writings), lands in a similar predicament. After Greek raiders sack the temple of the Moon Goddess (the ruin investigated by Diana), Myrina follows her abducted sisters all the way to Crete, and then to Mycenae, where, aided by Paris, crown prince of Troy, she rescues the women from the clutches of King Agamemnon. After a brief sojourn in Ephesus, Myrina and Paris admit that their destiny is to rule Troy together. Aficionados of Greek mythology and Homeric lore will find much to admire here, although the modern-day sections are encumbered with too many characters and overly intricate plot scaffolding. Readers patient enough to soldier through to the payoff will not be disappointed.

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2013

Fortier rocked the world with Juliet, a swift, shiny, fun read entwining medieval story and contemporary romantic mystery in Sienna that has sold close to 170,000 copies across formats. Her Juliet was a toughie, so it's no surprise to discover that her new subject is the legend of the Amazons, which appropriately named scholar Diana believes is true. To prove it, Diana ventures to the Sahara with a Middle Easterner named Nick as a guide, and she looks to be close to success if she doesn't get killed first.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2014

While lecturing at Oxford, Diana Morgan, philologist and expert on the legendary female warriors known as the Amazons, receives a tantalizing offer from a stranger who invites her to visit a new excavation that promises to rewrite history. Taking leave of her academic responsibilities and possibly her senses, she sets off to North Africa. At the ancient temple, Diana recognizes writing, not from her research as a philologist but from her grandmother's journal. Her father, presuming his mother insane, had condemned her to psychiatric procedures and confinement. As a young girl, Diana had facilitated her grandmother's disappearance, thus resulting in a lifetime of regret and longing. Now suddenly faced with written evidence of the historical existence of the Amazons, Diane realizes that her grandmother's journal is not a memoir of delusions. Are the Amazons still among us? VERDICT Through her time-shifting narrative, Fortier (Juliet) offers us a front-row seat to the mythological stories we have learned through epics and poetry. 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. [See Prepub Alert, 9/16/13.]--Laura Cifelli, Fort Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., FL

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2014

While lecturing at Oxford, Diana Morgan, philologist and expert on the legendary female warriors known as the Amazons, receives a tantalizing offer from a stranger who invites her to visit a new excavation that promises to rewrite history. Taking leave of her academic responsibilities and possibly her senses, she sets off to North Africa. At the ancient temple, Diana recognizes writing, not from her research as a philologist but from her grandmother's journal. Her father, presuming his mother insane, had condemned her to psychiatric procedures and confinement. As a young girl, Diana had facilitated her grandmother's disappearance, thus resulting in a lifetime of regret and longing. Now suddenly faced with written evidence of the historical existence of the Amazons, Diane realizes that her grandmother's journal is not a memoir of delusions. Are the Amazons still among us? VERDICT Through her time-shifting narrative, Fortier (Juliet) offers us a front-row seat to the mythological stories we have learned through epics and poetry. 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. [See Prepub Alert, 9/16/13.]--Laura Cifelli, Fort Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., FL

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.