The Frankincense Trail

Well written and interesting, but a little slow and too long for the material.This is also a politically correct version of pre-Islamic Arabia. There is virtually no mention of slavery, cruel punishments, or harems, All of these things certainly existed in the ancient Middle East. The Hebrew Bible, for example, states that King Solomon had a harem of 800 women, and the Old Testament is full of references to slaves and harsh punishments."Shadow Spinner" provides a more realistic - and somewhat grimmer - account of harsh realities facing young women in a male dominated society.The intended audience for this book is probably smart tween girls interested in history and exotic foreign cultures. Such readers should turn to "Pompeii: My Story," "The Forgotten Daughter," and works on Ancient Rome by Caroline Lawrence.

It is refreshing to read YA Historical fiction not set in Tudor or Medieval Britain.Here we have the story of Alia who dresses as a boy and travels with a caravan in a quest to find herself and her purpose.Along the way she survives the desert and meets a very interesting caravan leader.I love a hero that has shades of great.I can't wait to read the next book in this series and see what happens with Alia and Kardal's relationship.

First Sentence:It was the dust cloud she saw first.Review:While the synopsis is what first caught my attention on The Frankincense Trail I was not all too sure on what I could expect from it, especially since it would be set in the 3rd century. My first fear was that it would read more like a history text, but thankfully it did not. It was a pretty thrilling read as you got to follow Alia's trip from her home in Teloum to the incense groves.I really loved how The Frankincense Trail was laced with danger and adventure, and that Alia's character was pretty much dead in the middle of all the action. One of the things that pulled me into this book, other than Ms. Kihara's writing, was the vivid setting and the MC who was an absolute joy to read about.I thought Ms. Kihara did an excellent job of bringing the 3rd century and how the people of that era depended upon traders in order to survive to life. I especially loved how the basis of the story was about Alia and her journey to ultimately find herself and that it wasn't a love story. I thought that had the main focus of the story been about love it would have lost what made it such a great read.I know that most people will probably shy away from a book set in the 3rd century, but I cannot recommend this one enough. Ms. Kiharar's writing and the story that she sets forth in The Frankincense Trail is not one to be missed because both will pull you in and not let you go till the very end.Alia, was definitely an interesting character to read about. I thought her stubborn streak was one of the qualities that made her such a great character because it pushed her . While she could be a bit quick tempered it was only ever directed at those who truly deserved it, like, her boorish older and younger brother. All that aside, what really endeared Alia to me was how near the end of the book she didn't go all soft when _____ (I can't tell ya'll his name, would give the ending away) when he confessed his love. As for her brothers, they were two of the most awful male characters I have read about in some time. I just wanted to strangle both of them, but the younger one more because....words can not describe just how rude and piggish that little dude was. I for one was glad that they weren't in the picture much.What really made this such a great read was Alia, the main character. I thought she was definitely a fascinating and strong character to read about, especially given the time period in which The Frankincense Trail is set, 3rd century B.C.. I definitely enjoyed reading about Alia because she wanted so much more than what she would be able to be/do in the third century as a girl. I think that Ms. Kihara did an excellent job of capturing Alia's personality and making her come to life. My only problem while reading The Frankincense Trail would have to be the ending of the book. The whole book was absolutely stunning in the visuals that the author put forth in her account of Alia and her journey upon the trail, while all the was great I would have liked to see the outcome of Alia's return to Teloum and how the news she brought back was taken.Content:There's isn't really anything that needs to be addressed content-wise in The Frankincense Trail since it's a pretty clean read. I don't recall any language or suggestive situations.Final Verdict: The Frankincense Trail a richly written account of a princess's harrowing adventure along the Frankincense Trail.The Frankincense Trail earns 4 out of 5 pineapples.Review taken from my blog, The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia.

I have never read a story based in this era of history before so I wasn't really sure if I would like it but I thought I would give it a try and I am glad I did. It's a interesting historical adventure story filled with vivid descriptions of the land but not overly done that it gets too detailed.Alia is a good main character though she has her faults, but that is what makes her a decent character. Alia lives in a time and place where women have no say it was goes on, not even in their own lives. Alia's town is losing its resources and Alia is sure she knows how to help bring back travellers to her land, but nobody will listen to a girl. Her brothers, I could just strangle, especially the snotty little one, that treat her with no respect at all. So she goes in search for the Frankincense Trail, not really knowing what kind of danger lies ahead.She dresses as a boy, but what might happen to her when they find out she is a girl. What will Kadal the trader who is leading the group do? I can't say any more because I don't want to give anything good away. The Frankincense Trail is a fun historical adventure novel that I think any one who likes historicals would enjoy reading this book.

What an enjoyable trip back to ancient Arabia through the experiences of fifteen year old Princess Alia. I loved this book. It has everything I relish in a book: a smart, strong female main character, a cast of well developed, interesting side characters, authentic historic detail, the endless desert and an exciting adventure. There was just enough action in this book to keep the story moving. The vivid descriptions of the desert made me thirsty. Many teens will relate to Alia's feelings of despair and self doubt, as they will also understand her feelings toward her brothers, her maid and the members of the caravan. Ms Kihara obviously did much research to bring this story to life. I liked the glossary at the end of the book explaining the Arabic names and words. This book is written for teens but I believe many adults will enjoy it too. I, for one, didn't want the story to end and wished to follow Alia as she continued her ventures.