"Tell us something, Tessa. Tell us the most important thing you have learned as a hetaera.""Soon, very soon, you will start to feel that there is something cold like a stone in your heart. Let that cold part of you grow, let it spread to all of you, until you are nothing more than a breathing piece of bronze."** I won this book in a GoodReads giveaway.**The story evolves around Tessa, the hetaera (or sex slave) who was famous on the island of Rhodes, for her beauty and intellect. Throughout the book, she tries to escape her master, Glaucus, and the other masters who try to purchase her. During the fight for power on the island, she meets Nikos, and the third person narration centers around the two, and the ambitious ruler, Spiros. There is also Simeon, the Jewish slave who once he enters the story, you read about Greek mythology and Judaism. And the mystery, betrayal looms and people must find out the truth. I liked the idea of Tessa, the attempt to introduce Rhodes, the era of the hetaeras, the power struggle, even the romance introduced. What I didn't like was not being able to get to know Tessa better by perhaps learning more about how she got to where she was (with the exceptions of a few tidbits here and there), I didn't feel as if I learned a lot historically about Rhodes (except for seeing the conflict between the Jews and non-Jews), and the romance became a bit too Harlequin novel-like (guy likes girl, girl doesn't like guy but she really likes guy, girl pretends to hate guy, guy goes away but returns to save girl). I read the book wishing for more "story," if you will. This book, Isle of Shadows, is an updated, reworked version of Shadow of Colossus. I loved reading "Shadow" and enjoyed reading the updated version.This is a book from Tracy Higley's Seven Wonders series. It is set in Rhodes in 227 BC.The main character is Tessa of Delos. She is a hetaerae, a highly regarded courtesan. A slave, a kept woman, she was purchased at a young age by an abusive master. She is ashamed of her lifestyle.Tessa is a brave and strong woman. I felt pain for her, for her 10 years as a hetaerae, 10 years of abuse. After the death of her master, she escapes with the help of Nikos, a brave young man who cares for her, and treats her better than other men have. Her heart is hard, but Nikos, through his warmth and caring, starts to melt away her ice. She meets a Jewish man who introduces her to the God of Abraham.For those of you who think this is merely a Christian fiction book, think again. This book is full of political intrigue, some romance, and part Judeo Christian history. I enjoyed re-reading this book. It is neither overwhelming or preachy. It is a wonderful historical fiction novel.
Do You like book Isle Of Shadows (2012)?
this was a book I hated to put down. Very intreging
—Samina
I really need to read a great book. This wasn't it.
—Krystalhrt96
