The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier

The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier - 608 pages

The Lost Sisterhood is a novel where historical facts are mixed with mythology to create a spellbinding story.  Featuring two storylines that collide at the end, the modern one follows Oxford scholar, fencer, and philologist Diana Morgan who embarks on an archaeological dig where a lost language has been discovered.  However once on site, trouble begins and she has a personality clash with the man in charge, Nick Barrain.  With Nick following and her archaeologist friend, Rebecca, joining they follow the trail of places where objects with the language have been found throughout Europe and Asia Minor.  Along the way, they become entangled in a battle between two groups:  one who wants the discover made public and one that wants it taken to the grave.

On the ancient storyline, readers follow Myrina.  After her village was destroyed while she was on a hunt  Myrina and her sister, Lilli, travel to the Temple of the Moon Goddess, eventually becoming initiates.  Soon tragedy strikes and takes them on a journey to Crete, Mycenae, and Troy and meeting with other historical/mythological figures, most predominately Paris of Troy.  During the course of this journey, the women are depicted in ways that place them directly within multiple Greek myths.

Overall, the story was excellently written.  Fortier, who holds a PhD in ancient history, clearly spent time researching her subject matter and found ways to link dozens of old myths into a believable ancient storyline that also provides the mystery and adventure that drives the modern one.