Healer of Carthage

I read a digital ARC via NetGalley, and cannot wait to get my hands on a real copy. In my line of reviewing, I acquire a lot of books but do not always have time to read all of them. Often I read a little bit and see if I'm captured to read more. In most cases, I'll want to read more and do along and along until something “more” comes along. With digital ARCs, I do not always have a cover image, and thus books might slip my memory – so it was a special day when I opened up the digital file to begin my journey and adventure within the pages of [b:Healer of Carthage 18143978 Healer of Carthage (The Carthage Chronicles, #1) Lynne Gentry https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1376314052s/18143978.jpg 25539426].I had never read a story by [a:Lynne Gentry 4987522 Lynne Gentry https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1377288302p2/4987522.jpg] before, and now after the fact, she tops on the list of my favorite authors. I found myself enthralled from page one and couldn't put it down. It took my free time in the days following my birthday and the Thanksgiving holidays and it was enchanting and delightful. Often I like stories that combine the contemporary and historical and this one does and it doesn't. Essentially the prologue and epilogue are contemporary settings while the whole of the novel is historical, set in the days of ancient Carthage. The heroine is spunky and intriguing and coming from a medical background I thoroughly enjoyed her challenges and struggles. The hero is thrilling and attractive in words on the page (I'm picturing an intelligent religious zealot for the Lord Spartan man). All of the characters were perfect for their setting and placement in the story. The family angle, the “bad guys”, and the “special” supporting roles as well. This is a story about fighting, and about change. It is a wonderful literary escape, yet also something to find more of yourself in the page and venture forth with it all changed. I loved it. I definitely want to read the eBook prequel and the sequel as it comes available in 2015.