Book Blog Tour of Amazon Queen by Lori Devoti

Hi everyone!  Things have been hectic this week.  Yen of The Book Publicity Blog and the organizers of the Book Bloggers Convention arranged for tours at different publishing houses.  I want to write much more about the visits and will in the next few days.   I'll just say that the peek into this side of the book business was fascinating.  More on the visits later! 

Now, please join us for the Book Blog Tour of Lori Devoti's Amazon Queen.  I'm afraid that this post will be bare bones for the moment.  I'll share my thoughts on the book in a subsequent post.  


ISBN-10: 1439167729 - Mass Market Paperback $7.99 
Publisher: Pocket (April 27, 2010), 375 pages.  Review copy provided by the publisher.

The blurb:
Being an Amazon ruler just became a royal pain.

Amazon queen Zery Kostovska has never questioned tribe traditions.  After all, these rules have kept the tribe strong for millennia and enabled them to live undetected, even in modern-day America.  Zery is tough, fair, commanding -- the perfect Amazon leader.

At least, she was.  A new high priestess with a penchant for secrecy and technology is threatening Zery's rule.  Plus, with the discovery of Amazon sons, males with the same skills as their female counterparts, even Zery can't deny that the tribe must change.  But how?  Some want to cooperate with the sons.  Others believe brutal new leadership is needed -- and are willing to kill to make it happen.

Once, Zery's word was law.  Now, she has no idea who to trust, especially with one powerful Amazon son making her question all her instincts.  For Zery, tribe comes first, but the battle drawing near is unlike any she's faced before. . . and losing might cost her both the tribe and her life.

My thoughts/Review Part One:
While I was absorbing BEA, the recent visits to the publishing houses, and the discussions with other bloggers, I realized that there is so much more that I can do here at Starting Fresh.  I was reading Amazon Queen during my commute and trying to put a finger on what it was that drew me to Zery Kostovska, the Amazon Queen herself.  

There's a scene in the book where Zery opposes another powerful woman in the tribe and suffers a significant loss of power because of her actions.  Zery was aware that her decision would significantly erode her power base, but she refused to sacrifice a weaker person to save herself and the "community at large."   Zery's decision to refuse when it was clear that she would be a great personal cost demonstrated her integrity.  Remember that book Integrity by Stephen Carter (1997) where he defined integrity?

He gave examples of people acting with integrity, as he does in this excerpt.   As I understand, integrity is the willingness to take action or admit something because you know this to be right, correct, honorable, even at great personal cost. 

The Amazon Queen Zery does this - she follows what she knows is right, acts true to herself even as she knows that she will be made to suffer for it.  As I read the scene and watched the events unfold, I realized that I like Zery, that I love heroes that behave like heroes, people that strive in their ordinary lives to work hard,  be true, act with integrity. 

With this book blog, I have the opportunity and the excuse to dive into these sorts of books, to enjoy the hero's struggle, realization and eventual triumph.

I'm not completely done with Amazon Queen and I promise to write a fuller review of the book soon.  I did want to say that I am enjoying the book so far and I'm rooting for Zery to win back her rightful place.

This book, talking to other bloggers, the BEA and the visits to the publishing houses have made me think of just how much I'm drawn to what I'll loosely call "heroes" or people that struggle to act with integrity and to do what they know to be right, even if doing so means significant personal risk and sacrifice.

Walking home from the subway, I was thinking of the "heroes" that have made books memorable for me.  I'd like to do something focused on these heroes -- I've got some ideas and will tell you guys more later.

I'll read more of Amazon Queen -- and will be back shortly to share my thoughts.    In the meantime, perhaps you'd like to head over to the other participating blogs to see how they found Amazon Queen.


Participating Sites:

Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
Books and Things: http://melissawatercolor.blogspot.com/
Books Gardens & Dogs: http://maryinhb.blogspot.com/
Taking Time For Mommy: http://takingtimeformommy.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
Jeanne's Ramblings: http://www.jeannesramblings.com
See Michelle Read: http://seemichelleread.blogspot.com/
My Five Monkeys: www.tableforseven-julie.blogspot.com
Gnostalgia: http://gnostalgia.wordpress.com/
A Journey of Books: http://ajourneyofbooks.halfzero.net/
My Book Addiction and More: http://mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com/
The Wayfaring Writer: http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/
Pick of the Literate: http://bookrevues.blogspot.com/
Cheryl’s Book Nook: http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
Avid Reader: http://www.tarmyblogspot.blogspot.com/
Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
I Heart Book Gossip: http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/
Knitting and Sundries: http://www.jewelknits.blogspot.com/
The Bibliophilic Book Blog: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/
Poisoned Rationality: http://lastexilewords.blogspot.com/
A Musing Reviews: http://www.amusingreviews.blogspot.com/
Booksie’s Blog: http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
Lucky Rosie’s: http://www.luckyrosiescreations.blogspot.com/

About the Author:
Lori Devoti is originally from the Missouri Ozarks, but also lived in Montana where she worked in the advertising departments of two daily newspapers. Currently she  lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two kids, and two dogs.


Thank you so much to Sarah and Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster  for this review opportunity!