Review: The Hidden Land by Sarah Isidore

A plague is slowly destroying members of the tribe. Ancamna the Druid sends her niece Veleda to capture a cat for a sacrifice to fight the plague. Veleda captures a black cat, but later sets him free out of kindness, setting her on a magical path for her life. This is the beginning of The Hidden Land by Sarah Isidore, first book in "The Daughters of Bast" trilogy. Readers will get an entertaining Historical Fantasy with a vivid setting, believable characters and strong plot.

Ms. Isidore creates a vivid setting for her book. She mixes Celtic and Egyptian mythology during the time of Rome's ascendency. The author describes Celtic society and Roman armies in Gaul with great detail. A reader gets a strong impression of the thick forests, bloody battles and religion of the Celtic tribes. There is a strong feeling for the time of this story. The vivid setting affects the lives of the characters.

The characters are very believable for the time setting. Veleda starts out as a young girl without many future plans except to be a warrior. She is called to power by the Egyptian goddess Bast. Faced with obstacles from many sides, she struggles to save her people. She grows throughout the story as she learns from her mistakes. Veleda gets a lot of help from a cat, her aunt Ancamna and her people. The Egyptian archer Hori provides a different perspective from the Roman side. He fights for the Romans, but has growing sympathy for the Celtic tribes. Ms. Isidore brings her characters to life with her descriptions and their actions.

The book's strong plot makes it a very exciting read. It moves along quickly with descriptions of magic, battles and fate. Veleda can't convince her people that the Romans are a threat. Caesar keeps defeating the tribes with help from the betrayal of King Divitiacus. The plot revolves around the themes of honor, life and death. Driven on by the urgings of Bast, Veleda must fight the Romans and Sekhmat the Egyptian goddess of death. Her greatest obstacle is the belief of her people and their willingness to die warrior deaths. All of these elements blend together into an entertaining story of action and history.

The Hidden Land by Sarah Isidore is an entertaining Historical Fantasy. Its vivid setting, believable characters and strong plot blend to provide an intriguing vision of the Celts during their struggle against Caesar. The mix of Celtic and Egyptian mythology gives it an added touch of magic. The story continues in the second book The Shrine of Light. Until next week. Keep cool.

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