AKMARAL
a nomad woman warrior of the ancient Asian steppes must make peace with making war
Pronunciation: ähk-mä-räl | Meaning: White Deer | Origin: Kazakhstan
Before the Silk Road had a name, nomads roamed the Eurasian steppes and women fought side by side as equals with men.
Like all women of the Sauromatae, Akmaral is bound for battle from birth, training as a girl in horsemanship, archery, spear and blade. Her prowess ignites the jealousy of Erzhan, a gifted warrior who hates her as much as he desires her. When Scythian renegades attack, the two must unite to defeat them. Among their captives is Timor, the rebels’ enigmatic leader who refuses to be broken, even as he is enslaved. He fascinates Akmaral. But as attraction grows to passion, she is blinded to the dangerous alliance forming between the men who bristle against the clan’s matriarchal rule. Faced with brutal betrayal, Akmaral must find the strength to defend her people and fulfill her destiny.
From the author of THE THRALL’S TALE, praised by Pulitzer Prize winners Geraldine Brooks and Robert Olen Butler, comes a tale inspired by Greek legends of Amazon women warriors and modern archaeological discoveries.
