Review: A Story-Line That Delivers!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 10, 2012
At Road's End is a novel of historical fiction that will capture your imagination and place you firmly in its grasp. I was enthralled as I followed this story about the Anasazi cliff-dwellers and their cultural dominance of the south-western region of the United States. Saadia succeeds in bringing to life the differences and conflicts of these ancient tribes with great clarity and skill.The main focus of this story is Tecpatl an elite warrior who is sent on a trading mission across the desert which he feels is far beneath him. He is assigned this task as a result of an error in judgment on a previous mission and is anxious to complete the assignment and return to his home. In the midst of the journey they discover a village that has been destroyed and the only remaining survivor is Sakuna who subsequently leads them to their destination Great Houses which is also her home.The tremendous amount of research that went into this story is undeniable. The descriptive writing of the journey, the people and customs of Great Houses is presented with a vibrant attention to detail. The complications arising from people who have a language barrier as well as great differences in their cultures are portrayed in a striking and expressive style.The characters of Tecpatl and Sakuna are presented with a unique and enjoyable dialogue as their differences bring them together. They are characters that become very real as they relate to each other and the situations they encounter. The banter, relationships and conflicts that are conveyed with all the characters lend to the atmosphere and enjoyment of this story.I highly recommend this book to all readers for its extraordinary and descriptive writing, excellent characters and circumstances as well as a remarkable story-line that delivers throughout.