Aries Fire by:Elaine Edelson

The violent and conspiratorial murder of the renowned scholar,Hypatia of Alexandria, 415 CE leaves her tempestuous 17 year old bastard daughter, Seira, fleeing for her life. A target for extermination by unknown forces, Seira is hurled into a world of religious wars and political intrigue between the Roman Empire and Attila and the Huns. The fates relentlessly test Seira’s mettle as she searches for her mother’s murderer and her father’s identity. As she matures from an impatient, obstinate, and reckless young woman to a brilliant warrior,scholar, and healer, Seira seizes control of her destiny and finds herself in Constantinople–the center of power for the Eastern Roman Empire–in the presence of the Empress and Emperor, the men who loathe her,lust after her, and fear her. It is in the high court that all the forces that have shaped her over the years converge in the final act that will determine her fate and forever shape the tides of history.

This is a good coming of age novel with both notable and charming characters. I wasn’t very taken with Seira at first, but after reading and grasping the understanding that she had to be characterized as a true Aries to fit the story line and the series I began to warm up to her more.  This is a face paced thriller that I honestly enjoyed. The period setting of this is new for me (I usually love the Jane Eyre era) but I enjoyed the setting much more than I thought I would and found myself wanting to know more and biting my nails to find out what happens.O