Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors - Book Review

Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors is a fictional story surrounding the building of the Taj Mahal. While historians agree that the Taj Mahal was built by an emperor in the seventeenth century who was grieving the loss of his wife, the true details surrounding this story have been lost. Shors imagines them in Beneath a Marble Sky, bringing to life a story of love, war, beauty and tragedy.

Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors is a passionate novel. Sensual language and drama convey this sense of passion well; however, at times it felt as if there were a little too much drama and not enough development. I felt emotionally tired after reading this novel. On the one hand, this speaks to the fact that it drew me in. On the other hand, my emotional investment was largely a result of soap opera type drama and action rather than true character development.

I particularly wish that the main villain had not been such a flat character. He is painted as evil, and there is no complexity to his character. The explanations for his actions (that he doesn't feel loved) were told rather than shown, and not very believable.

All that said, Beneath a Marble Sky is still a fun, relatively quick read. Its setting--17th century Hindustan--allows readers to travel to a foreign place and time. The rich descriptions made me hope to visit the Taj Mahal, and the story peaked my interest in the history of India.

Shors recently sold the movie rights to Beneath a Marble Sky. I think it may make an even better movie than book because the scenery would be so stunning and the action would work well on the big screen.

In the mean time, this is one to consider reading as a book club. The novel raises a number of interesting questions about love, loyalty, duty and religion. It is a colorful accomplishment from a first time author.