The latest release by author Schlitz, Amber & Clay tells the story of two young people, very different one from the other, both living in Ancient Greece with all of the philosophers, gods and goddesses, and "ringed by the restless sea." Rhaskos is a slave boy, worth no more than clay. Melisto is a spoiled young girl who was born into money, and is as precious as amber, but with her own strong ideas and will. Their stories are told mostly in verse, and author Schlitz is truly masterful with her words (if you've never read Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! try it and you'll understand what I mean). Tying their stories together are blurbs about actual ancient Greek artifacts, which Schlitz weaves into the story much like Ransom Riggs does with photographs in his Peculiar Children series.
Schlitz writes absolutely beautifully, and if you as a reader are willing to give this long book (over 500 pages, but written mostly in prose) the time, you will find yourself rewarded by writing not seen in most books, I believe. On the other hand, if you don't have that level of patience, as I sometimes lack, you might find yourself not finishing this story, or perhaps not even choosing it at all. I will admit I read the first 100 pages or so, and appreciated that I was reading some really exceptional writing, but I found myself wanting to finish so that I could read the next book on my ever-growing stack of books.
Bottom line is, this is an exceptionally written book, but it won't appeal to everyone. If you are a fan of Greek mythology or history, this may be your next favorite book! If you are looking to be entertained, even with Greek backgrounds (such as Percy Jackson), this may not hold you all the way until the end. I can appreciate her above-average writing talent, but this one I didn't have the patience to finish. 3 paws (and a wag for the writing)!
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