Snag Gardens Of Ampheia (Legends Of Amun Ra) Narrated By Joshua Silverman Available As Volume

rating Gardens of Ampheia with,because I liked it a lot more than sitelinkThe Emerald Tablet, It read much better than sitelinkThe Emerald Tablet, both pacing and writingwise,

The Gardens of Ampheia is a companion novella to the Legends of Amun Ra series, which begins with sitelinkThe Emerald Tablet.
Set about,years before events in sitelinkThe Emerald Tablet, Gardens tells the story of Thea, the daughter of a farmer, whose life is forever changed when a terrible accident happens.
Having promised to lie about it never a smart thing to do! Thea is then coerced into testifying against an Egyptian thief, thereby setting into motion events that would impact all of Messenia.


I was quite absorbed into the whole story and did not expect the novella to be so short duh! so I was quite surprised when it ended, especially since it was a bit of a cliffhanger, and right after an interesting revelation of Thea's origins!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Do you like to escape into another world and time, walking among the its people and feeling what they feel, imagining what it would be like With "Gardens of Ampheia," Joshua Silverman has created another journey into the world of Potara, first created in his novel "The Emerald Tablet,” giving us a look into its past and the events that helped shape its present.

Young Thea lives an isolated life with her adopted father who, in spite of being a farmer, insists on training her to fight like a warrior.
When a terrible accident happens, Theas life is turned upside down when she is sworn to never reveal the truth of that day, setting in motion events that will change history and her life.

The attention to detail throughout the story creates a living and breathing world laced with the authors knowledge of ancient Greek history and its gods.
Intended as an enhancement to the Legends of Amun Ra series, Gardens of Ampheia has succeeded in giving me my Potara fix until book two comes out!
My thanks to Joshua Silverman for this copy in exchange for my honest review!
Thea, the front and center character of this tale, is a mix of things.
As with most young ladies her age, she would prefer to stay out a bit late drinking with the nearest farm lad and sleep in the next morning.
While she grumbles away Helioss advice for a bit of fruit before her morning run, she still goes on the run.
Her life may be a boring routine of training and goat tending, but her mysterious background keeps the reader wondering.
Through a mix of events in the story and flashbacks, we learn more about Thea, her purple power, and can make some guesses as to why Helios trains her as a warrior, and also how to be selfsufficient such as setting snares and preparing her own meals.


A longstanding series of conflicts has existed between the Thothians and the larger empire of Egypt and the Grecians for some time, since before Theas birth.
When Thea finds herself at the center of yet another conflict, she is faced with hard choices, Constantly challenged by her friend and neighbor farmer Cilix, her path forward becomes conflicted, I liked that Thea made mistakes in this story and had to live with them, At each step of the way, I could see how one misstep lead to another and yet another.
In this sense, Thea was very real,

Thea and the reader eventually do get some of the answers to her questions, but it didnt happen in the manner I expected.
Also, since we know early on that she is trained as a warrior, her fighting prowess is not exhibited until near the end.
Personally, I would have enjoyed a little more of her either on the battle field or perhaps in some sort of bar brawl earlier in the story.
There is one soldier who is a bit of a jerk and I wanted to see Thea go all Xena Warrior Princess on his ass.
Yet I respect her restraint,

I enjoyed the backdrop of the story with the Grecian mythology, culture, and civics, Joshua Silvermans attention to details comes through clearly in his worldbuilding, From the Greek food to the lack of stirrups yes, they were invented and came into common use far later in human history than you think, the reader gets a clear picture of Theas world.
In a society where women are not generally warriors, Thea has several stereotypes to overcome, This definitely adds to the tension of the story, Thea herself isnt out to prove herself she is simply trying to make up for her mistakes, Overall, this was a very enjoyable story of a young lady coming of age at a brutal time in Potaras history.
My few criticisms concern a handful of typos, one horse who had a sex change, and some goats that had ewes instead of kids these few things did not distract from my enjoyment of

the tale.
Hott Synopsis:
Thea is the daughter of a farmer, She is content until she makes a terrible mistake, one that not only endangers her life but exposes her origins.
Trained in war, Thea fights through blood and fire, war and peace, to discover the truth, She will face a desperate struggle which will remake the known world of Potara, influencing the next,years.


Hott :
This review is a difficult one to write, I REALLY enjoyed most of the book, The writing is excellent and I loved the story my problem is that while that is perfect for audiences of all ages there is language and adult content that is absolutely inappropriate.
I do realize that what is written is nothing more than many teens hear or are exposed to in their schools, however, that doesnt make it something they should all read.


My advice is that if you and your child is not bothered by this absolutely grab Joshs books! Hes an amazing writer.

However, if youre on the fence get one of his books and make your own decision,
As for me my children wont be reading this,

More
Author: Joshua Silverman
Source: Author
Grade: B
Ages: There is some quite graphic and inappropriate content.
ARC received from the author in exchange for an HONEST review these are my own honest thoughts

I'm even more amazed by the world that JS has created.
I've previously read amp reviewed The Emerald Tablet, which introduced me to this amazing world, I LOVE how this story showed us events prior to The Emerald Tablet sort of like showing me the first domino in a domino train.
Seeing how past events reflect in how the present works out really grabs me, Love that! Anyways, Although this can be read as a standalone, I did enjoy feeling familiar with the world already here and there.


From the very first page, JS draws you in completely and masterfully, The fantasy genre hasn't been a goto for me but I love this world and continue to be amazed.


The story immediately sucks you in and, like a puzzle, you start trying to put clues together.
Who were Thea's real parents Is her "adopted" father really JUST A farmer Why does he truly insist on her training constantly like she's the next soldier in an army or something These things are only in the first chapter! I couldn't flip pages fast enough.


Now the story has several ups and downs after Thea's world is turned nearly upside down.
I won't include too many details because I hate marking my reviews as spoilers, I'll admit I was a tad annoyed with Thea here and there, but overall, I enjoyed her character!

After reading The Emerald Tablet, which is set in the present, I was looking forward to The Gardens of Ampheia, which is setyears in the past.
While The Emerald Tablet is an amalgam of modern times, ancient Greece and the phantastical world Joshua Silverman has created, The Gardens of Ampheia is clearly set in the past, and with the exception of the mystical powers she possesses, could easily have been set on Earth rather than Potara.

Silverman does an excellent job of evoking ancient Greece with details that make you feel you are there.
As in The Emerald Tablet, he lays the foundations of his story in the first chapter to evolve into the story line that comes together at the end.
Similarly, I suspect that this book will lay the foundation for future novellas and parts of the books in his series.

One thing I like about Silvermans books is the realism, not only the ambience of the surroundings, but the characters themselves.
Sometimes you identify with Thea, sometimes you want to slap her, and just as the story starts to really get going ends, leaving you wanting more.
Whither now Purple like the color of the fire

Thea has trained for war her entire life.
Living as a farmer, she has a lonely existence until a horrible accident changes her life and life on Potara forever.


Though short, this novella packs a lot of history and action, There is much more to Thea than meets the eye, and she discovers things about herself and pieces of her past, leading to life as it's known in The Emerald Tablet.


Thea is a strong character who does the best she can without true guidance, She is ruled by fear and uncertainty, perhaps rightly so, As the story unfolds, it hints at who she will be and what greatness she'll accomplish,

Gardens of Ampheia is a great addition to the Legends of Amun Ra world,

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review The cover is not as nice as the contents of the book.
I do prefer the Emerald tablet's cover more, But this book is quick and easy to read and I have no problems following Thea on her journey.

Joshua is becoming more comfortable with his own style and there are no hesitations when his characters are involved.

nice read. Gardens of Ampheia is a novella in the Legends of Amun Ra series, Its a short, quick read and very exciting for being so short,

This story takes place thousands of years prior to the events in The Emerald Tablet, It follows the main character Thea, a farmers daughter, and how her actions after a terrible accident form the world of Potara as read in The Emerald Tablet.
This book gives us some insight into the way of Greek life as opposed to the Egyptian life we read about in thest book in the series.


As a person who loves History, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, Silverman has an extensive knowledge of ancient history, and masterfully incorporates it into his stories, I loved his first book, and from reading this novella you can see hes finally getting comfortable in his writing style.
The book was only aboutpages, but I enjoyed every second of it and it leaves you craving more.
I hope this trend continues into the rest of the book series, This novella takes the world Silverman created in his Legends of Amun Ra series, which begins with The Emerald Tablet, and builds a new story out the the world's rich history.
Taking place in the ancient days of the planet Potara, Gardens tells the story of Thea, a farm girl who is more than she seems.
Thea's actions have unintended consequences that will influence this world's history for thousands of years to come, Ultimately, Thea loses what she loves, but learns who she is,

From the beginning, the book is full of historical detail and vivid description, Silverman again grounds his world in his knowledge of history, this time focusing more on Ancient Greek culture.
I learned a fair amount even having to use my friend Google to look up new words while reading a fun and interesting story.
Plus, I enjoyed the spunky character of Thea and her journey of selfdiscovery,

This book stands on its own, but will have a deeper significance for those who have read The Emerald Tablet.
Overall, a good read and a nice treat for those of us waiting for his next book in the Legends of Amun Ra series, The Soul of the World, to hit shelves.
I was given an ARC for an honest review,

Joshua Silverman's novella, Gardens of Ampheia is a prequel to The Emerald Tablet, A world where Greek and Egyptian beliefs clash with each other, and gods and mystical powers do exist.
A wonderful unique world with a mix of mythology,

The history of Potara is set,years before the story in The Emerald Tablet, In this story we learn more about the world of Potara, The main lead character is Thea, She is a very strong and determined girl who finds herself in a situation that she never imagined would happen to her.
Thea finds out she is more than a farmers daughter, She faces many obstacles and stumbles along the way, learning who she truly is and what she truly believes in.

Through her actions and decisions she must make ,the future of Potara will be determined and the lives of many will change or end.


I enjoy the Legends of Amun Ra series, I look forward to reading the next book The Soul of the World Legend of Amun Ra
.