Dmitry Chen

An intriguing tale, with a wealth of wonderful description that brings to life an ancient people and time. The Hawk (not sure where the "Pet" of the title comes in, for it's never mentioned in the book) is a silk trader who suddenly finds himself embroiled in plots, assassinations, and revolutions. Lies surround him...and may be benign, manipulative, or deadly. Wounded, cut off from his family, his money, and the power he has grown accustomed to, he must find a way to survive and determine the truth before the House of Abbas falls. Who can he trust? Can he even take his brother's word as truth?

I recommend this book, although with a few caveats:

Most readers will likely find themselves confused numerous times, with the plethora of names thrown in rapid-fire. Yes, it was a complex and often confusing time, but conveying this is not the same as actually confusing the reader. It undercuts the thrill of what's befalling the central character. (My advice to the reader would be not to worry too much about stopping to figure it all out--yes, I know: odd advice when reading a mystery, but for most it's preferable to getting hopelessly bogged down.)

There are some historical foibles, despite the obvious research done for the book. For example, the word Iraq was of later date than the novel's setting...depending upon the language in question, Arak (Pahlavi for "lowland"), Uruk or Erech (the city the name was taken from), or Al-Iraq (Arabic for "place between two rivers") would have been a better choice. These all sound enough like the modern name that an astute reader will realize (especially given the map, which is also too modern) what area is being discussed. Modern names tossed into a historical novel shatter the illusion of being in that place and time. (I don't know whether this kind of thing is the fault of the author or the translator.)

Finally, the ending is much too coincidental, and could easily have been written so as not to be. Lazy plotting right at the end? If not for that, I would have given another star. That said, there's some wonderful stuff in here, and definitely worth taking a look.… (mer)