Claim Now Test Of Faith Penned By Aleksandr Voinov Ready In Interactive Format
ariahidden"true" class"spoiler" for"ecebedaefe">Breathtaking and heartbreaking, . . : I understand. eh . . that was my initial reaction when finishing this book,
In it's favor, it was well written and if you are into more of a psychological character study, this was successful, This may sound a bit weird, but since it is a short story I was expecting a quick instant gratification read that had a bit of angst in the "opposites attract / enemies to lovers" theme that Voinov is just so good at spinning.
But instead I found I was annoyed, because this made me think too much, I wanted something to read to escape from the "thinking world" and just enjoy, but this was too philosophical,
If you are a fan of Voinov, I think you will appreciate this as a well written short just make sure you are in the mood for some food for thought rather than looking for a quick escape in literary land.
Test of Faith by Aleksandr Voinov and Raev Gray is an extremely wellwritten and emotionally charged novella that leaves the reader breathless.
The story is set against the backdrop of one of the most infamous and bloodiest battles of the interval period between the Second and Third Crusades the Battle of Hattin which took place near the city of Tiberius on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
During the Battle the army of Saladin decimated some,Crusading foot soldiers and,Templar Knights capturing Christian King Guy of Jerusalem and the Holy Cross,
By some miracle, Templar Knight Thierry de la Tour Rouge remains alive but has been captured and taken prisoner by the Saracens, Boneweary from battle, starving and almost delirious from dehydration Thierry finds himself tied up like an animal in the tent of Abdul Basir, advisor to Saladin, Saladin has bought Thierry for Abdul, but the reason for this is a mystery, Thierry fears torture, enslavement and ultimate death, but he is still alive and this provides a glimmer of hope that he will be ransomed, Thierrys motivation is his faith and his life to do what he must to stay alive long enough to be freed without having to succumb to tortured conversion.
Abduls motivation for keeping Thierry is vested in fantasy, one that he is almost too proud to admit to, or to fulfill,
A chaste kiss on Thierrys part changes everything and plunges both men into a clash of faiths, cultures and wills, As their polemic unfolds they learn of one another and come to show each other mercy, kindness, respect and trust, eventually revealing their desire for one another.
But Thierrys fate is in Saladins hands and Abdul is not sure that he can secure the safety of this honourable man, nor is he certain that he has the courage and strength to let him go in peace.
This story brims with pathos and the writing deftly captures the emotional intensity of the life and death situation under which these two men enter each others lives, first as enemies who become brothers.
And while the eventual moments of kindness and tenderness between the two do provide some respite from this intensity, given their circumstances, there is a tautness that is sustained throughout the story.
There is also an inherent sensuality to the prose, both erotic and other, that engages all of the senses,
The overall plot is well established but does not dominate and the authors have paid meticulous attention to ensuring the historical, religious and cultural authenticity of this story.
Everything from the historical events to the religious beliefs and customs both Muslim and Catholic is effortlessly and imperceptibly woven throughout the story,
The strengths of this story also lie in its characters and in this respect Test of Faith is very much characterdriven, Written in the third person and alternating perspectives between Thierry and Abdul, the authors have crafted such multidimensional and sublime characters it is as if Voinov and Gray have respectively crawled into practically every crevice of Thierry and Abduls being to write their story.
Thierry and Abduls narratives are incredibly intimate revealing each characters courage, pride, arrogance, honour, fears, hopes, compassion and desires as they negotiate not only their circumstances but also their fate.
This is coupled with compelling and intelligent dialogue that at first is used as an instrument for their sparring, hatred and fear, and later for the tenderness and respect that Thierry and Abdul come to have for one other.
The authors not only capture the fundamental essence of who these men are, but also their complexities, What stood out most is that while neither character compromises the core of who he is as a result of their tumultuous encounter, at the same time, both Thierry and Abdul are forever changed by it.
In this respect, the title is most befitting the story not only in terms of the testing of Thierry and Abduls respective religious faith, but also their substance as men.
In terms of subtext, the characters also serve as conduits through which the authors more subtly infuse into the story and explore such timeless political themes as religious, ethnic and cultural chauvinism and hegemony.
Test of Faith is the first collaborative work by these authors and yet there is a symbiosis to this writing partnership that one doesnt expect from a firsttime collaboration.
The writing is seamless and the story reads as if written by one person, so much so that despite my familiarity with Voinovs previous works this is Grays first published story I was not able
to pinpoint which author wrote the character of Thierry and which the character of Abdul.
I do not consider Test of Faith as falling exclusively within the category of historical romance, rather more so within the realm of general historical fiction with strong erotic elements.
Nonetheless, some readers may, and those readers that consider themselves romance genre “purists” may not be pleased with the fruition of this tale, However, I believe that the integrity of the writing simply demands that the ending, which I found to be utterly exquisite, is the only one possible for this story.
Any other ending would have compromised not only the sense of realism with which this story is written but also the legitimacy and authenticity of the characters and by extension their circumstances.
Test of Faith is a powerful and passionate story, and Thierry and Abdul are at once both heroic and tragic characters that remain with the reader long after the story is finished.
This review was originally published online at Three Dollar Bill reviews and is also available at sitelinkIndie s,
.