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All Our Broken Idols

By: Paul M.M. Cooper
Narrated by: Lara Sawalha
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Publisher's summary

Historical fiction Book of the Month in The Times.

Assyria, in the reign of Ashurbanipal. For Aurya and her daydreaming brother, Sharo, every day is a struggle for survival, as they dodge the beatings of their drunken father and scrabble for scraps of food. One violent evening, everything changes. Soon, they are on the barge of King Ashurbanipal, bound for the beautiful, near-mythical city of Nineveh. Their fates become inextricably bound to that of the king - and the injured lion captured by his men.

Twenty-six centuries later, British-Iraqi archaeologist Katya joins a dig in Mosul to protect the ancient ruins of Nineveh from organised looters, following in the footsteps of her dead father. When she and Salim, a fellow archaeologist, discover an astonishingly beautiful and rare carving, they know their find will bring the world's attention to Mosul. But the real world crashes in to their studious idyll to catastrophic, devastating effect when ISIL storm Mosul - and take Katya, Salim and local girl Lola hostage.

All Our Broken Idols is hauntingly evocative, a novel in which past and present lives intertwine and stories travel across the ages. It is a story about the importance of art and the threat it poses to those in power. And it is about bravery, standing up for what you believe in and who you love.

©2020 Paul M.M. Cooper (P)2020 W F Howes
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What listeners say about All Our Broken Idols

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Great intertwining of two stories across time

loved it. Particularly the mysterious meaning of details from time past and present, told from each angle. Particularly interesting for anyone interested in what life may have been like in Assyria 2600 yrs ago, and similarities to today. was very helpful to watch the fall of civilizations podcasts first for Assyria and First Cities (Mesopotamia)

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What a great book!

Great story line and fantastic characters in a little known, but well-researched historical context.

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Historical fiction done well

Gonna keep this short and to the point: this an very well written story that alternates between two timelines, engaging the listener in both the distant past and the present of what was Assyria and is now Iraq. I’ve been listening to Paul MM Coopers Fall of Civilizations podcast since it started and he is nothing if not thorough and meticulous with details. While I was hoping he would narrate this book, like he does his podcast, I came to quickly appreciate Lara Sawalha’s talent. As the narrator she turns in an stellar performance. It’s not an exaggeration when I say I wish her performance was the benchmark for all others to clear. She distinguishes each character with their own voice and her elocution is flawless. She is a pro and I hope to encounter her in more books in the future. This is an easy recommendation for anyone that appreciates historical fiction performed by a top notch professional.

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Worth The Listen

I am an avid fan on Paul Cooper’s Fall of Civilizations podcast so I wanted to give this novel a try. I found it deeply engrossing, moving, and a wonderful glimpse into two disparate but inextricable worlds. If I had a criticism, it would be that some of the moments inch toward melodrama, some of dialogue feels cinematic (but in a way that doesn’t read genuine) and Cooper can’t stop describing characters’ pupils. All in all, however, I couldn’t put it down and look forward seeing what this author conjures next.

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well-paced narrative with a lovely voice

I am a fan of the Fall of Civilizations podcast by the author. Given that he’s a great storyteller with special attention to the daily lives of ancient peoples, I was not surprised to see the attention paid to the world building, or re-creation. However, I was surprised and delighted by the characters introduced in this duo-timeline story, their emotions and their real-life, unfiltered struggles.

The voice narrator does a great job bringing a sense of intimacy with the characters. I felt the longing of Katya for her history, the caring but innocent soul of Aurya, and the unrelenting realities of both ancient and modern Iraq.

I could not “put” this book down. Thank you!

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Glimpse at what life was like in ancient Assyria

The author has an excellent podcast about ancient civilizations. this was the first book I've read from him and it was excellent, well written. the story flowed well there was nothing in there that wasted time everything ties together and the narration was top-notch.

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The characters

Everything was very well written and cohesive. Paul Coopers work has had a profound effect on my life. The narrator was perfect.

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A masterpiece of archaeological fiction

I’m a big fan of the author’s “Fall of Civilizations” podcast, and this was the first work of fiction I’d listened to of his. It did not disappoint. The two storylines separated by millennia were interweave beautifully, and embody themes common in his nonfiction work - the complexity and messiness of human nature, the beauty and brutality of civilization, and how “the end of the world” never truly is. If you don’t like ancient history, this probably isn’t going to be your jam, but if you do, it’s brilliant and moving. The performance was decent - the reader’s voice was especially well-suited to the POV character in the 21st century storyline - though it was a bit stiff or wooden in some of the dialogue, and there were a few odd pronunciations of certain words (which admittedly may be due to my unfamiliarity with the reader’s native English dialect). All in all, a very good listen.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

good but not great

excellent narration.
Author has an amazing podcast called Fall of Civilizations. this historical novel was pretty good, but not too great. The parallel storylines thing is kind of predictable but the book does a good job bringing ancient Assyria to life and showing the evil of ISIS.
recommend on sale, for a free credit, or of you really love listening to things about Assyria.

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