Review: A lovely read!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 20, 2013
Bertha is a 17-year-old farm girl from the Appalachians. Her life consists of working on the family farm and preparing to marry a local farm boy and start a family. When a Gypsy circus visits her home town, Bertha finds herself getting whisked into the wonders of this foreign culture. Her uneventful life swiftly turns into an awesome adventure.I really enjoy the time period of this story and the setting. L. Leander does a wonderful job creating a story set in 1843 in the desolate mountains of North Carolina. I enjoy the descriptions of the farm life as well as the colorful environment surrounding the nomadic gypsies.After running away with the The Romanoff Brothers Circus, Bertha transforms into INZARED, Queen of the Elephant Riders. She bonds with the Cecil, the circus' elephant, and his trainer, Paytre. Inzared has to prove herself to be worthy of traveling with the family of gypsies, since it is taboo for Gaji and Gypsy to mix.Unexplainable things begin to happen to the circus animals, and the performers realize there is someone trying to sabotage the Gypsies. The book is overflowing with mystery, adventure, and passion. Inzared faces hardships, discovers truths, and becomes an unstoppable woman.