The Frankincense Trail [Kindle Edition]

Jody Kihara (Author), Elizabeth Taylor (Editor)

Book Description

In 200BC, frankincense was worth its weight in gold, making Arabia the envy of the world. But wealth comes at a cost: the precious resin had to be transported along the Frankincense Road, a dangerous route through rocky mountains and barren desert.

Alia is a princess in a dwindling kingdom that lies on the Frankincense Road. Having grown up hearing tales of Bilqis, the Queen of Sheba, she dreams of finding a way to restore her kingdom's former might. When a caravan journeying to the mysterious incense lands stops to take on travelers, she sees her chance.

She soon realizes, however, that her trust in the caravan leaders has been misguided. They are not mere incense merchants, but traitors and mercenaries. Alia's journey soon turns from dangerous to life-threatening.

The Frankincense Trail is a story that transports the reader to a time and place reminiscent of the Arabian Nights tales.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

EXCERPT
He raised his sword and moved towards her. Alia knew she'd have to be fast. From her training with Yashir, she was used to fighting someone stronger than herself, and her only advantage lay in her speed.
Kardal performed a simple move that brought his blade down near the base of hers. She knew he meant to knock the sword from her hand, Yashir having tried the same trick countless times. Any younger sibling, however, had to learn to be devious if they were to stand a chance. At the last possible moment, she turned and spun away from the hit, then leapt forward, thrusting her sword across her body and bringing the edge of the blade up laterally as she ran straight at Kardal. She stopped; her blade edge was at his throat. Their toes almost touched.
He raised an eyebrow. "Where did a young priest learn to fight like that?"
Her breathing was rapid; she parted her teeth so that he wouldn't hear her panting. "My father taught me."
"Your father the scribe."
"Yes."
"And where did he learn to fight?"
"He... has brothers. One is a soldier. He spent time with us."
He hit hard, and there was a sharp 'ting' as he knocked her sword wide. 'You're lying,' the strike seemed to say.

About the Author

Jody Kihara is an author of children's and teen fiction. Shes write for several different age ranges, from chapter books to mid-grade to young adult. Her younger children's books are humorous, and her mid-grade and YA books have a strong element of adventure or mystery. You can learn more about her books at jodykihara.com.

Product Details

• File Size: 1235 KB
• Print Length: 264 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 098694971X
• Publisher: Star Magnolia Publishing (June 20, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00578VQCQ
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #790,897 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #75 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children's eBooks > History & Historical Fiction > Fiction > Ancient Civilizations

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written November 28, 2011

By Jennifer @ Fictitious Musings

Format:Paperback

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and Jody Kihara's The Frankencense Trail is a great addition to the genre. Kihara includes a map of the journey and a glossary of character names to keep you on track. Sometimes character names can be easily confused but that's not the case here. If you're like me and always wonder what a character name means, then you're in luck because Jody covers that too.

Princess Alia's journey on the Frankincense Trail is physically and emotionally intense. She struggles at times to hide that she's a girl and there are several close calls. The descriptions of the surroundings are great and definitely build a clear image as to what the environment must have been like in 200 B.C.

The strength of the MC, Alia, is amazing. She has no problem speaking her mind and standing up for those that can't stand up for themselves. I found her to be refreshing and empowering.

If you enjoy reading historical fiction, you will enjoy taking a ride on the Frankincense Trail with Alia.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Journey! November 11, 2011

By Mary @SweepingMe

Format:Paperback

I really liked this book. I loved that it was set in the Middle East. It's a YA book set in 200 B.C. This story is about a teenage Princess named Alia that is upset about the death of her mother and the illness that has landed in the town she lives in. Alia has a strong desire to get out of the town and be free. She feels like she hasn't seen anything in her life and just wants the chance to experience life so she decides to dress up as a boy and travel with a caravan. What she finds is herself and her reason for being. She finds that life outside the palace walls are not what she bargained for and learns that there is a harsh reality that comes with living in the desert. Along the way,she gains friendship and trust . Alia is naive,but that's par for the course because she has been kept sheltered from everything for so long. It's a magical journey of discovery and it is a very enjoyable read!

I give The Frankincense Train by Jody Kihara 4 of 5 stars.

4.0 out of 5 stars Didn't want it to end January 7, 2013

By Darlene Foster

Format:Paperback

What an enjoyable trip back to ancient Arabia through the experiences of fifteen year old Princess Alia. I loved this book. It has everything I relish in a book: a smart, strong female main character, a cast of well developed, interesting side characters, authentic historic detail, the endless desert and an exciting adventure. There was just enough action in this book to keep the story moving. The vivid descriptions of the desert made me thirsty. Many teens will relate to Alia's feelings of despair and self doubt, as they will also understand her feelings toward her brothers, her maid and the members of the caravan. Ms Kihara obviously did much research to bring this story to life. I liked the glossary at the end of the book explaining the Arabic names and words. This book is written for teens but I believe many adults will enjoy it too. I, for one, didn't want the story to end and wished to follow Alia as she continued her ventures.

More About the Author

Jody Kihara is an author of children's and teen fiction. She writes for several age ranges, from chapter books to mid-grade to young adult. Her younger children's books are humorous, and her mid-grade and YA books usually have a strong element of adventure or mystery. Six of her books are now available via the Amazon Kindle store: MONSTERZINE, a humorous chapter book; WHITE WITCH POND, a mid-grade ghost story; THE GIRL ACROSS THE WATER, a young adult mystery/thriller; THE GOOB FACTOR, a humorous YA novel; THE FRANKINCENSE TRAIL, a YA historical novel set it pre-Islamic Arabia; and SWITCHING, Jody's latest novel, a YA time travel thriller.

You can learn more about Jody at her website, www.jodykihara.com, where you can also read previews of all of her books. Or you can download previews directly to your Kindle from Amazon!

Reviews of THE FRANKINCENSE TRAIL:

"laced with danger and adventure... a magical journey of discovery"

"I cannot recommend this one enough... the story will pull you in and not let you go till the very end."

"The strength of the MC, Alia, is amazing; I found her to be refreshing and empowering."

"The scenes were so vivid! I was transported to the point where I could feel the heavy heat of the desert sun beating down, or the parched state of the travellers as the water from the skin bottles trickled to a stop. I heard the zing of the swords, the echoing of the horse's hoof steps against the palace walls, and the guttural shouts of the men in their foreign tongues."

"It felt like I'd travelled back in time. It was so very vibrant that I could feel it, feel the book, the place, the people... I loved every page, every moment."

"I loved, loved, loved The Frankincense Trail. It was unlike anything I'd read before. Once I'd finished, I just wanted to dive back into the story."
"I will count this book as one of my favourites for this year."