When I found that Andrew Levkoff’s new book, Little
Gods, A Tale of Ancient Wonders could be pre-ordered, I stood in line being familiar with his
award-winning “The Bow of Heaven Trilogy.”
Just a few days ago, “Little Gods” finally
went live on my Kindle and – four-hundred pages plus notwithstanding – I finished
it abandoning all other duties (except for feeding the cat).
With Little Gods, one definitely puts on one’s
thinking cap. It is also apt to haunt one’s dreams as it poses philosophical as
well as dreaded existential questions: Why does Mankind worship God and gods?
Why does Man wage war? Why is love so elusive?
But not to worry. There is plenty of tension in a hamlet
of Ancient Mesopotamia. Levkoff cleverly weaves the moral of his story into the
relationship between two young boys, Scolotes and Melyakhat.
One good, the other bad – we initially assume. Wrong. Levkoff is deft in exposing
the many sides of human beings as there is no clear division - not even in
saints nor in the little gods – and we begin to feel empathy for both as they
seek acceptance in their community. Their struggles become epic during those
ancient times. And then, there is the beautiful Leyla ...
Another twist is the insertion of Hovan’s struggle
in modern Iraq – on the same soil where the Little Gods lived, loved, and fought
to stay alive.
Little Gods is by no means a quick, forgettable
read. If it were, it would not deserve five stars from this discerning reader. It
is a gem for historical fiction lovers who will appreciate the extensive
Glossary and Timeline at the end with the also appended Bibliography underlining
Levkoff’s extensive research and knowledge of his subject matter.
Check out Andrew Levkoff's excellent Trilogy here:
