The Blood Throne of Caria (Empire of the Nightingale)

As a person who teaches and writes about feminism, I am fascinated by stories of women who challenge the normality of male domination and excel in portraying women's struggle to self-actualize. If a female protagonist manages to shine despite being submerged in a patriarchal system, then I want to know how they managed. I want to see how they negotiate power and endure its abuses.This is one reason I loved The Blood Throne of Caria! Examples of leadership that shun the patriarchal impulse to dominate but do not shy away from leadership are badly needed today. The post Baby Boomer generations reject the imperial feminism of Hillary Clinton but are not sure what it can be replaced with. Artemisia is a character we can look up to.I especially enjoyed how Blood Throne of Caria reveals the inner conversations Artemisia has as she finds her way into her own unique skin. What connects our contemporary struggles as women with the one's the author so believably creates for Artemisia in the ancient world, reminded me of how persistent, and determinant patriarchy really is and how much stories like this matter in bringing home that point.And as if that isn’t enough, Casagranda writes a teenage girl shockingly well! I saw parts of my own childhood reflected through Artemisia’s education, curiosity, confusion, doubt, and embrace and rejection of the norms of femininity. The story is utterly gripping. I couldn’t catch my breath for the duration and simply couldn't put the book down! The Blood Throne of Caria is a lovely reminder of how many powerful women have been written out of history and need to be returned to our common heritage!

What an amazing read! The Blood Throne of Caria is compelling, fascinating, in turns hilarious and confronting, and at times so resonant that I wondered if I hadn’t heard this somewhere before. There were moments that struck me on a level I’d forgotten about. The book was so much fun to read now, even as it joins the list of books I wish I’d read when I was 14. I couldn’t put it down!Artemisia’s story feels like a classic Great Woman story--like it is tracing out a well-established path for telling tales of powerful and forthright woman warriors and queens. As if it were one in a long line of girl-to-queen stories, reminiscent of well-known ancient legends, instead of unearthing one out of obscurity. Perhaps it is the ancient Greek/Persian subject matter, or the simple and unassuming nature of Casagranda's prose, but Artemisia’s story feels familiar. The challenges she must overcome and the opponents she faces--archetypal.And yet, different. The Blood Throne doesn’t “aspire” to be a Great Man story. Doesn’t try to match or conform to the standard model. There is no implied “just as good as the boys” or “good, for a girl” here. Artemisia’s story stands as it is, aspires to only its own glory. By not trying to force her growing up into a traditionally male narrative of the ascent to greatness, The Blood Throne honors both power and womanhood. It does not shy away from any part of the female experience, nor fetishize them. The book is refreshing in its nuance.Casagranda really knows how to put a story together. Pulling from years of teaching experience and a wealth of political science expertise, his book has all the in-depth perspective and witty snark of one of his lectures. Rather than glossing over the details of the political processes in the Persian Imperial Court or the throne room of Caria, Casagranda relishes them. I found myself learning new things about government and seeing concepts I’d learned in class put to work. It’s the small things that Casagranda includes, things that I know I’d only notice if they were missing, that really pulled me into Artemisia’s world. One of the best reads of my summer!

This book is an excellent, great work of historical fiction. I highly recommend this book! Excellent work by a studied historian!

The exploits of Artemisia explained as breaks barriers and norms... She would not fit into the box men made for women. A great read if you liked the movie '300'...

I was not sure what to expect at first. My training as a historian makes me skeptical of historical fiction, and as a general rule of thumb, I stay away from it. However, this book immediately dazzled me with a very powerful prologue that I found deeply moving. As the novel progressed, I became pleasantly surprised at how the storyline developed and at the weight of truth some scenes and lines held. My only qualm with The Blood Throne of Caria is that I wish it had been written in a more mature style. Sometimes it felt like I was reading something intended for a much younger audience. I assume that accessibility and engagement were probably driving forces behind that but it probably would've made the novel a bit more enjoyable, personally.

The Blood Throne of Caria is a tour de force of story-telling. Casagranda’s mastery of history is demonstrated in his online lectures. He sees each event as a piece of a massive interlocking story. So that when he explains something from today, he draws the listener back to events from 2,500 years ago. This skill comes through in his novel writing as well. The Blood Throne of Caria, is clearly the product of a person who has a deep mastery of past and present. Casagranda weaves a brilliant narrative that is at once philosophical, feminist, exhilarating, and epic. The Blood Throne of Caria will make you feel like you are in the 5th BC Aegean, while simultaneously forcing you to reexamine everything you believe about womanhood, ancient Greece and ancient Persia, and today’s political landscape.

Impressive, very enjoyable to see things from the Persian side. Good read!

I wish I read it sooner

fast read

Roy Cassagranda is a literary powerhouse.Despite this only being his first fiction novel, it is a tour deforce integrating both extraordinary historical accuracy and ancient period drama.It's portrayal of strong female characters is combined a visceral gritty sense of reality.He is most reminiscent of the now, dearly departed, Ian (M) Banks.It virtual reads itself.A must have for your book shelf.Buy it.

Dr. Casagranda may be a fantastic Historian, but he is most certainly not a novelist. I found the storyline to be disjointed, full of cliches, flat characterization and description. It cost me a small fortune to order this book, I was so looking forward to being totally engrossed, instead I was totally disappointed.