Originally posted on my blog With her Head in a Book. 
 Actual Rating: 2.5 stars 
 I told myself I would finish this book no matter what, but after two and a half dreadful weeks of trudging through I decided to call it quits at 66%. There's nothing enjoyable about Daughter of Sand and Stone, even though it's well written and tells a decent tale. It's dry. Even the romance can't liven up this book. I don't need an action packed novel full of dirty sex scenes, but I do need compelling characters and a plot that demands my interest. 
 I love historical fiction. History is just plain cool and as of late, I've had a particular interest in the Middle East during biblical times. So here we have Zenobia, granddaughter of queens to be reckoned with (and a girl with quite the spunk), out to make a name for herself any way she can. She rages against the social norms. under the belief that power is her birthright. Not even the gods can stop her - meaning she's as stubborn and prideful as they get. Zenobia is a woman to be respected, yes, but she's so headstrong and blinded by her need for power that she neglects every other aspect of her life - her son, the man who loves her...not to mention she loves to remind people that she's in charge. Not exactly the most charming personality. 
 It took me seven slow days to get through the first chapter. On the seventh day, having grown sick of this book slump, I decided to sit down and not move until I managed to get past this bit. The biggest hassle was the sudden immersion into the complexity of their family tree and cultural politics. Normally this isn't a negative to me, but I was bored out of my mind, incredibly confused, and therefore annoyed. Just a bit too much, especially since most of the information isn't that important. There's one line of the first chapter that I enjoyed and it's when Zenobia throws down a sick burn to her sister Nafsha. It's the only time I actually like Zenobia. 
 "Nafsha is so concerned with my virginity," Zenobia says," I am beginning to think she would wed me herself. Alas, the only tool she might use to make me a woman is her tongue--and it is far too sharp for me to allow it beneath my skirts." 
 The author's note states that there is little written about Zenobia and most that we know is myth or legend. Hawker has the freedom do to essentially anything to her story and yet still manages to create a book I'd rather not finish. She writes beautiful, do doubt. I had a true sense of the era and culture at all times of the novel. Detailed descriptions of their travels through the marketplace and temples, cultural norms and customs, and of how important the color purple is - Libbie Hawker brings to life the world during the 3rd Century. The book is written in third person, which is okay, except I couldn't begin to relate with any of the characters. More separating is the various time jumps. Just as you start to get back into the story, boom, it's over and we're somewhere else. This means I kept being pulled out of the book instead of absorbed in my readings. 
 Daughter of Sand and Stone had a ton of potential in telling the story of the mysterious Zenobia, but instead of an interesting tale, we're left with a book that leaves you wanting more...in a bad way. This is a book I would pass on if I had my current knowledge. 
 An ARC of this book was provided by the Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 
 Plot: 2/5 
 Characters: 3/5 
 Writing Style: 3/5 
 All Around Idea: 2/5 
 Total: 2.5/5