Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise J McGraw

Mara, Daughter of the Nile

Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Series/Novella/Standalone: Standalone                                             

PRG Rating: 8.2 – A Really Clean Read                          

Publisher: Puffin

Date:
October 1985                                                                    

Book Genre: Ancient Historical Fiction; Mystery; Romance

Audience: 12+ (Tweens, Teens, Adults)

Mara's a slave in Egypt. Though beautiful, she's proud and feisty. In a change of fate, Mara finds herself sold to a new mysterious owner. Her new task as a slave is a messenger and spy to discover who leads the rebellion against Pharaoh. However, everything is not as simple as it seems when Mara finds herself caught in a web because she's working for the rebellion too. Will Mara outsmart these two opposing parties that she serves? Or will she be caught in the web of deceit and betrayal and face the consequences?

As far as they come, this is a really great historical read. Eloise Jarvis weaves this tale elaborately. The twists in the plot are enough to keep the reader on their seats. We had quite a few surprises here and there, but in the end the story was wrapped up nicely. The characters (especially the protagonist) displayed all sorts’ courage, bravery, and loyalty - remarkable traits we can all learn from. Mara is a good heroine. She lies often to get her way but when put to the test she proves that nobility comes from inner strength and not by birth. You'll also meet great characters like the sly Sheftu and the grouchy Nekonkh. If you're into ancient historical reads, love mystery and suspense and love the Egyptian dynasty, then this book is definitely for you! We thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Nala's thoughts: I have been on the hunt for good ancient historical reads. When I got this one, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. I went through so many rollercoaster emotions during the entire read. Definitely up there with my favorites.

Jo's thoughts: Rags to riches, Fairytale endings? I am game! This was a delightful read!!

Content Review

 Score: 8.2

Themes/Topics Explored:

Violence - (Score 1.5):

• A girl is whipped on a few occasions.
• A man threatens a woman with death; he says it lightly and later attempts to kill her.
• A man kills three men.

Profanity/Swearing - (Score 1.9):

• A young woman uses rude language or some sort of ancient swear(Not graphic or Current = Just plain rude)

Sexual Content - (Score 1.5):

• A young man flirts with a young woman
• About a page’s worth of a romantic kiss scene
• Two other kisses in the rest of the book

Alcohol/Drugs - (Score 1.7):

• People at a party are described as drunk
• Several of the characters drink wine throughout the book

Disrespectfulness/Wrong Attitudes - (Score 1.6):

• A girl steals on a few occasions.
• A young woman is rude to people

 Total Points Out of 10: 8.2

*Special Note: This is an Ancient Fiction based on the Egyptian Dynasty. It has a lot of mentions of Egyptian Deities.

Aurelia by Anne Osterlund

Aurelia
Anne Osterlund

Series/Novella/Standalone: Standalone

PRG Rating:8.7 - A Highly Clean Read

Publisher: Speak

Date: April 2007

Book Genre: Young Adult/Romance

Audience: 12+ (Tweens, Teens, Adults)

This book is really interesting. It's set in the fictious land of Tyralt - A bit of alternate Historical World. Princess Aurelia is heiress to the throne. But not all is well. Someone's out to kill the princess. Amidst all of this is Aurelia's hand in marriage on the line and the return of her childhood friend. Robert is hired to investigate who's behind the attempts to kill Aurelia. As he begins to investigate the threats he finds himself spending more time with the feisty Princess, and soon their relationship becomes more than a friendship. Aurelia soon joins Robert in the search to find the assassin, the secrets they discover will rock both their worlds. Will they manage to stop the assassin in time? Who is the Assassin?

When my sister and I bought this book we weren't too sure what to expect of it. But after reading it's clear that Anne Osterlund definitely has a style and flair of her own. We thoroughly enjoyed every bit. It was clean, the plot was intriguing and the characters were loveable. This is an edgy fun story and the ending leaves you begging for more. However the ending has a really wicked twist that makes it bitter sweet. Overall, a really great read.

 

Nala's thoughts: I was craving a good princess story and I'm glad to say this one really satisfied it. I just wish there were more books like this out there. I really enjoyed it, and I'd say this one's definitely a keeper! =)

Jo's thoughts: I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would recommend it.

Content Review

Score: 8.7

 

 Themes/Topics Explored:

• What it means to be an heiress to the throne
• Assissination Threats
• Betrayal
• Friendship
• Moving from friendship to more than just "friends"
• Loyalty
• What it means to live a threatened life
• Blending in with common or rather "normal" people
• Political Marriage Arrangements
• Marrying for power and not for love
• Disobedience to Authority or Parent Figures
• Doing what's right even though it's viewed as wrong

Violence/Gore -(Score 1.5):

• Many assissination attempts on the princess
• Two young men duel intensely with each other and one of them gets hurt
• A man is stamped on by horse
• A young man throws up

Profanity/Swearing - (Score 2): None
Sexual Content -(Score 1.8):

• Two Kisses in the entire book
• At a dance a man tries to touch the bodice of a young woman
• At a party a young woman flirts with a young man

Alcohol/Drugs (Score - 1.8):

• At a dance several men are described as drunk and act so

 Disrespectfulness/Wrong Attitudes - (Score 1.6):

• A young woman comes off as rude sometimes disrespectful
• A young woman disrespects her father's wishes

Total Points Out of 10: 8.7