Let me begin by saying that I have (or had) no interest in this particular time period, so I'm not going to get drawn into discussions about historical accuracy. And though there is much in here to attract the archaeologically-inclined, I never felt that the book got bogged down by detail; rather, the intricacy of the depictions made for an engaging story and a fully-realized setting.
Looking at the other reviews, I can't believe we all read the same book. I am a big fan of historical fiction and I also have a deep and abiding interest in the Aegean Bronze Age, so I was very much looking forward to reading this title and the two that follow in the same series.
Cole's prose is sometimes awkward, sometime vague. The Sea Kings was self-published which is a shame because it would have benefitted from a good editor.
As a lover of good historical novels set in antiquity, I was looking forward to reading "The Sea Kings" and was definitely not disappoionted - it's a great read full of happenings and interesting bits of information about a past time. It is well-written and holds the reader's attention.
If your vacation plans involve nothing more dramatic than lolling around on a placid beach somewhere, may I recommend you read a high-sea action adventure novel set in a most uncommon time and place: ancient Crete ! Les Coles' novel "The Sea Kings", has an abundance of fascinating characters and the fast action readers expect from the best historical fiction, but there is added 'kick' from the fabulous detail the author gives us about this exotic time and place.
Since my reading time was limited, I read this book over a week period and, though I hated to put it down, each night returning to Crete and Tanuati's adventures was a wonderful reward. Plus, all day, the aura of those ancient times lingered with me.
A great book. I couldn't put it down.
The story is set in Crete 1734-29 BCE but because the young male protagonist Tanuati has chosen to embark on a trading career we see Babylon, Egypt and Malta as well. I was delighted to find a novel set in the fascinating period of the Bronze Age Mediterranean.
