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N.L. Holmes
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The Moon That Fell from Heaven Kindle Edition

by N. L. Holmes (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 37 ratings
"Surprising turns abound, as when Ehli-nikkalu doesn’t get the support she anticipated, or a natural disaster rattles the kingdom. Throughout, the author packs the narrative with place and character names, often forgoing context at first; however, nearly every chapter ends with helpful notes that offer elaboration. A detailed and engaging thriller set in ancient times." Kirkus Reviews

Coffee Pot Book Club's Book of the Year Awards: Silver Medal

Ehli-nikkalu, eldest daughter of the Hittite emperor, is married to a mere vassal of her father's. But despite her status, her foreignness and inability to produce an heir drive a wedge between her and the court that surrounds her. When her secretary is mysteriously murdered while carrying the emperor a message that would indict the loyalty of his vassal, Ehli-nikkalu adopts the dead man’s orphaned children out of a guilty sense of responsibility.

A young cousin she has never met becomes a pretender to the throne and mobilizes roving armies of the poor and dispossessed, which causes the priority of her loyalties to become even more suspect. However, Ehli-nikkalu discovers a terrible secret that could destabilize the present regime if the pretender ever learns of it.

With the help of a kindly scribe, her brave young ward, and an embittered former soldier trapped in debt and self-doubt, Ehli-nikkalu sets out to save the kingdom and prove herself to her father. And along the way, she learns something about love.
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  1. Print length
    331 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    September 26, 2023
  4. File size
    5.5 MB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

N. L. Holmes is the pen name of a professional archaeologist who received her doctorate from Bryn Mawr College. She has excavated in Greece and in Israel, and taught ancient history and humanities at the university level for many years. She has always had a passion for books, and in childhood, she and her cousin (also a writer today) used to write stories for fun. The inspiration for her Bronze Age novels came with an assignment she gave to her students one day: here are the only documents we have telling us about a certain royal divorce in Ugarit in the thirteenth century. How much can we say about what happened? It quickly became apparent that almost anything we might come up with was as much fiction as historiography! Today, since their son is grown, she lives with her husband, two cats, chicken, and geese in northern France, where she gardens, weaves, plays the violin, dances, and occasionally drives a jog-cart. And reads, of course.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CGP7B5ML
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Red Adept Publishing LLC (September 26, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 26, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.5 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 331 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 37 ratings

About the author

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N.L. Holmes

N.L. Holmes

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

N.L. Holmes is the pen name of a professional archaeologist who received her doctorate from Bryn Mawr College. She has excavated in Greece and in Israel, and taught ancient history and humanities at the university level for many years. She has always had a passion for books, and in childhood, she and her cousin (also a writer today) used to write stories for fun.

The inspiration for her Bronze Age novels came with an assignment she gave to her students one day: here are the only documents we have telling us about a certain royal divorce in Ugarit in the 13th century. How much can we say about what happened? It quickly became apparent that almost anything we might come up with was as much fiction as historiography!

Today, since their son is grown, she lives with her husband, two cats, chicken, and geese in northern France, where she gardens, weaves, plays the violin, dances, and occasionally drives a jog-cart. And reads, of course.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
37 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba
    5.0 out of 5 stars Historical fiction
    Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2025
    This was a great story about Ehli-Nikkala, the eldest daughter to the Hittite emperor. She married Niqmaadu to make the alliance between her new husband and father stronger. However the inability to produce an heir makes their marriage start to deteriorate. After Niqmaadu visits her one evening he ends up leaving a tablet behind that implies he is trying to overthrow her father. She does end up trying to get word to her father but is thwarted when assassin's get to her emissries. Does Niqmaadu end up succeeding? I enjoyed the little historical facts the author left at the end of each chapter. I think I have read at least one other book in this series but I can't be sure. Either way, this book can definitely be read on it's own. If you are a fan of historical fiction this is definitely worth picking up.
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  • Rhonda P
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Royal Adventure of lies and deception
    Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2025
    The Moon That Fell from Heaven
    By: N.L. Holmes
    4 Star Review
    N.L Holmes has written a fine story here. The historical references are interesting to see throughout. The characters are interesting and have wonderful storylines of their own.
    The story takes us into a kingdom that is run by a cheating, abusive patriarch. The Queen is treated as an inconvenience; whereas his concubine and mother of his heir to the throne, are treated as royalty. The threat of a royal takeover takes Ehli-nikkalu and her party on dangerous adventures. After a natural disaster, Ehli-nikkalu is faced with new challenges after she is basically banished from the kingdom.
    The story ends in a fashion that hopefully means there is more to come, because I was definitely left with wanting more. Will she get her happy ending? Will she be forced into yet another arranged marriage situation?
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  • Jessica Blair
    5.0 out of 5 stars Historical Fiction
    Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2025
    This book is part of a series. While they do connect with each other, they can also be read as stand alones. I have not read the others but I plan to. This is historical fiction. But I love that the author also helps you understand the historical events and places that the story is based on. Ehli-Nikkalu is trapped in a loveless marriage to maintain her father’s alliance. Her father is the emporer by the way. She discovers that her husband is planning to get rid of her father and attempts to warn him. Along the way the messenger she sent was killed. So she adopts the messenger’s twins and raises them. She is such a good parent to them. Will she be able to save her father? Or are they all doomed?
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  • Yvonne Derrig
    4.0 out of 5 stars Historical Fiction With A Bit Of Truth Mixed In
    Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2025
    The Moon That Fell From Heaven by N.L. Holmes is full of moments of trepidation and mystery, as well as love, fear, sadness, and drama. This has a slow start, but don’t let that deter you because there is so much action and intrigue in this book that comes into play, especially towards the end. You will be pleasantly surprised by the last few chapters… I was truly captivated by the end and couldn’t wait to see what happens. This story is full of drama and political aspects of the time period, and there are vivid details and incredible descriptions that capture the imagination of the reader, making this a fascinating read. There are multiple POV’s throughout this story which lends to the story and includes the many different perspectives and experiences of the characters throughout the book, lending to a more realistic view. All in all, I enjoyed reading this and believe that Holmes has done a fantastic job in the telling of this story.
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  • Frances O'Sullivan
    5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating and informative
    Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2025
    The Moon That Fell From Heaven is part of the Empire at Twilight series. The books have aspects that connect them, but can each be enjoyed as a standalone. I’ve read a couple of the others, but not all, and found this easy enough to follow!

    I really enjoy this author’s approach of taking historical information as a starting point and building a story that fills in the gaps. In The Moon That Fell From Heaven, author’s notes at the end of the chapters highlight what aspects of the story are based on history as well as contextualising the story, for example by telling readers the modern names for places.

    This is a captivating story with plenty of intrigue and surprises. There are loads of great moments between characters as well - I particularly enjoy how good Ehli-nikkalu is with the young twins!

    The well-researched and beautifully described Bronze Age setting of this series makes it a fascinating and informative read for fans of historical fiction. It gets five stars from me!
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  • Jayme R.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Ehli-nikkalu's journey
    Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2025
    This is book 5 in a series by N. L. Holmes, but while they connect, the books can be read as stand alone books. I enjoyed the book, but it was a little slow to start and I found it a little challenging to follow all the characters. This is historical fiction with a lot of great information and lots of emotions. The reader gets a chance to follow Ehli-nikkalu, the eldest daughter of an Emperor. The book is full of great imagery and descriptions, lots of complexity and emotions, but again, I found it to be a little overwhelming at times. Overall, this was a pretty good read.
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  • HPLovinMama6
    5.0 out of 5 stars Stand alone
    Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2025
    I did not realize until this moment (reviewing) that this was part of a series. I guess that goes to show that it can absolutely be read as a stand alone. I loved the authors notes added in. It gave so much to the story and to a overall understanding of the story. I think the line between historical fiction and accuracy was beautifully danced across within the pages of this book. It kept me intrigued the whole time. The end did leave me wanting more though. Is that a bad thing? You decide.
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  • Tammy Turner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Written
    Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2025
    The Moon That Fell From Heaven by N. L. Homes tells the story of Ehli-Nikkalu, who is unhappily married to an ally of her emperor father. When she discovers that the King has been secretly plotting against her father, she tries to warn him. Her scribe was killed trying to delivery the message and Ehli-Nikkalu adopts his children. This story is full of twists and turns and the historical descriptions are very detailed and very well researched. This story is one that will keep you rooting for Ehli-Nikkalu’s happiness.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • K J Price
    5.0 out of 5 stars Latest in series
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Another very good read.
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