Review of Mithra

[Sara Nóbrega Bartolomeu]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Mithra" by John M. Rattenbury.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Mithra is a normal teenager living a regular life in the Roman-occupied Alexandria, or so she thought so. Led by her impetuous nature, Mithra challenges a Roman centurion, drawing the attention of the Romans to her and, consequently, the secrets of her family. When Mithra discovers the truth about who she really is, her entire world is upended. She is the granddaughter of Cleopatra, the last born in the Ptolemy dynasty, the rightful Queen of Egypt. Will Mithra claim and restore her legitimate kingdom? How can she stand against Augustus and his legion?

Mithra by John M. Rattenbury is an alternative historical fiction in which Caesarian Ptolemy (Cleopatra and Julius Caesar's son) survived the Roman occupation. After escaping, he marries and has a daughter, Mithra. He soon realizes she has a special connection to a powerful gemstone and prepares her to one day fulfill her destiny.

The author did an outstanding job representing Egypt's culture and political situation at the time. The book starts at a fast pace, and the reader is on the edge as each event unfolds. It becomes less enthusiastic as Mithra herself is looking for her purpose. I felt that the reader had no particular event to long for, and it broke the pace. However, the pace is restored again towards the end. The author cleverly enhances that Alexandria's library was burned, and with it all the knowledge, leaving the scope for his story to exist. The fantasy elements added to the story removed the realism that the story could have had, but they were a nice touch to it, and it allowed the author to explore the Egyptian religion and beliefs. There was inclusively a religion called Mithraism, which I believe inspired the author.

The characters are very well-developed, and they were a plus to the story, such as Lucius, Inteb and Gabriel. Mithra was exceptional. She starts as a normal teenager who is impulsive and innocent, and throughout her experiences, she matures and becomes very intuitive and smart. Her kind heart remains her essence.

I would rate this book a 4 out of 5. I appreciate the author's creativity in determining the premises of the story. Furthermore, I enjoyed the inclusion of the replication of Cleopatra's life events (such as the moment Cleopatra hides inside a carpet). However, I think that there was a missed opportunity to bring more about Cleopatra into this story. As a fan of history, I would have preferred a more "realistic" version.

I would recommend this book to an adult audience, as it includes violent scenes, even though they are not vividly described. This book is ideal for lovers of history and fantasy.

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Mithra
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[Alissa Nesson]

Sounds like a unique and interesting story. It’s too bad about the pacing issues. It sounds like a story with a lot of potential. Thanks for your informative review!

[Omneya Shakeep]

This seems like an interesting book. I'm curious about the Mithraism religion since I've never heard of it before considering I'm from Egypt. That's a very thorough review, Sara, well done. I'm glad you're back, looking forward to read more of your thoughts.