A magical tale about love and friendship in Inquisition-era Spain
Hassan is a mapmaker highly valued for his special gift. Fatima is a Circassian concubine. The two have been friends since childhood and when one's life is endangered by the newly established Spanish monarchy, the two decide to flee. They embark on a journey that will have them fighting for their lives and test their devotion to one another.
The idea of this book is great. Not many novels delve into friendship between two people before making it romantic. That's not to say there isn't any romance in the book. There is. Only a tiny little bit. The story is mainly focused on the platonic relationship though. And on their quest to find the fantastical Bird King.
My historical knowledge of Spain during the Inquisition is slim to none. It was brutal and that's all I pretty much knew. But reading this book made me aware of things I had been ignorant of before. It's kind of an educational read wrapped in magical realism. A lovely approach.
Now, I struggled a bit with this book. At times the story was slow. But the writing is beautiful, so I kept reading. I think if the pace would have been faster and I'd been more knowledgeable of the time period, I would have enjoyed it more.
The idea of this book is great. Not many novels delve into friendship between two people before making it romantic. That's not to say there isn't any romance in the book. There is. Only a tiny little bit. The story is mainly focused on the platonic relationship though. And on their quest to find the fantastical Bird King.
My historical knowledge of Spain during the Inquisition is slim to none. It was brutal and that's all I pretty much knew. But reading this book made me aware of things I had been ignorant of before. It's kind of an educational read wrapped in magical realism. A lovely approach.
Now, I struggled a bit with this book. At times the story was slow. But the writing is beautiful, so I kept reading. I think if the pace would have been faster and I'd been more knowledgeable of the time period, I would have enjoyed it more.