by John Shors
I've been enamored with the story of the Taj Mahal since I was a little girl, but then what bookish, introverted girl hasn't at some point in their life. It's a gorgeous story of love that lives beyond death, and it's true to boot! I sometimes hear Mumtaz and her man, Shah Jahan, compared to King Ar...
The story takes place in 17th century India, during the reign of the Emperor Shah Jahan, which was followed by the reign of his son Aurangjab, (then called Alamgir) who imprisons his own father when he falls ill. This, then, is the story of the construction of the mausoleum known as the Taj Mahal, b...
I love historical novels and really looked forward to reading this book but I was ready to put it down half way through. I found the characters boring and unbelievable and didn't care what happened to them. Very disappointed so I crossed John Shors off of my list of authors to read. There are too ma...
This book had me sobbing on the floor in the very best of ways. Jahanara is one of the strongest female characters I've encountered in fiction, and her story is so incredibly moving. I can't wait to read more from this author, and I recommend this book to everyone.
One of the most excruciatingly bad novels that I have ever tried to wade through. Finally gave up about half-way through, and added it to the DNF pile.
A nice work of historical fiction. The opening chapters were a bit too heavy with description, but once the story got moving it was quite engaging. The plot is pretty standard historical fiction fare -- feisty princess forced to marry a brute, falls in love with a commoner, fights for the throne and...
Perhaps not historically accurate, however, it is still a very touching story. I enjoyed reading through it, even if at some points I didn't find the text particularly catching (which led me to take long to finish it).
I read about 110 pages, and this one is just not working for me. I'm not sure why, but I just don't feel transported. I think perhaps I can see too much of the author's striving in the writing. I wouldn't discourage others from reading it, but it's just not for me, I guess.
Here's another one where I don't get all the glowing reviews. Everyone is either pure as the driven snow or the most horrendous villain that ever existed. The emporer's children going swimming in the river unescorted? The emporer's daughter COOKING? Hellooooooo. To each his own, but I urge you to g...
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