Bad ass Amazons: Check
Political intrigue: Check
New allies and new enemies: Check
The fate of a civilization in the balance: Check

Califia was a mythical Amazon queen whose people inhabited the island of California. Her nation was lured into a wider battle between Muslims and Christians. Herbert took this myth and turned it into a new story. We get to know Califia intimately, which makes her a real person instead of a two dimensional myth. Herbert also provides a lot of detail and insight in the nations and wars of the time. There are also plenty of fantasy elements to keep things interesting and add a little otherworldliness to the story.

The thing that made this book hard for me to read was the immense amount of detail. I appreciated it when information was needed about battles, etc. That level of detail didn’t seem to be needed when a character’s day was described.

The book was entertaining, though and introduced me to a story I never knew existed.

Wow, this was an awesome read! Interesting and unique the story and characters grabbed your interest from the first chapter until the last!!