found in a little library.

A story of strong women, surviving in the desert and on a mountaintop on their own terms during the siege of Masada, Herod's mountaintop fortress. Excellent historical fiction about an era I know little about. These women are all on the fringes of society. What I want to know is, is it required to be unmarried to be a strong woman? That's what this story seems to imply. Love weakens each of these women. Some 'recover' from it, and some don't.

“Love made you give yourself away, it bound you to this world, and to another’s fate.”

A little put off by all the witchcraft - though, of course, one of the characters is the Witch of Moab, so I suppose it makes sense. Quite a lot of hexes and charms as well.

Interestingly, both the warriors/assassins and the peace-lovers met the same fate in the end.

released into the little library.