From probably THE best book I've ever read, dear N.Drew (peace to you!)... SO good, I've yet to finish it. The book, "The Journeyer", by Gary Jennings (also author of "Aztec," and "Raptor", neither of which I've read, yet, and you'll understand why in a sec).
The story is about the journey of Marco Polo, his father, and his uncle (a closet pedophile/homosexual - and there's a lot of homosexuality in the book... not too much, but realisitically because it's based on the time period and area). The details of the journey are wonderful, yet often quite graphic. The one I'm about to share stayed in my mind... indeed, literally haunted me and has for years... such that I can't complete the book:
At some point, Marco, his father, and uncle arrive in some village in what is now the far Middle East (perhaps one of the "stans" - I can't remember; I just remember the town had a bazaar, so...). Anyway, there they are "given" a little boy, about 8 years old... by his older sister, who had cared for him most of his life. This boy, like many others, was raised to be a... ummmm... male companion. Starting from his birth, small ceramic "cones" were inserted "in" him... to prepare him. As he grew older, the cones grew larger. Yeah, hard to read, I know. But... I got through it. Jennings didn't linger on it too much...
Anyway, they take this little boy on the journey with them and you come to know him, even have affection for him. The uncle has GREAT affection for him and so you're always intrepid that Uncle is gonna "do" something to this child at some point: he is very kind, loving, tender with the child, even overly so... so that it's a bit concerning, even for Marco. Uncle DOESN'T, though, possibly because he never gets the chance (you also get the impression that Uncle might wait until the boy is a little older. Say... 12. I know, I know...). Moving on...
Anyway, one night they're camping in the desert where they are attacked and beaten by mongols (from a roaming barbarian tribe). These steal the little boy... and the Polo's horses... and ride off with both into the night. Of course, Marco and his father and uncle set off to at least try to find the boy. They do find him, some time later, sitting propped up against a rock. It was still night, so they couldn't see him clearly, but he seemed "okay" - he could talk clearly.
They asked him how he was and he said that he was "fine"... but "very cold." They then asked him what happened and he said, "Well, they just kept passing me back and forth between them as we rode. They never even stopped, until here." At this, the uncle becomes VERY enraged and vows to avenge the boy's... well, "virtue" (although I don't recall if that's the exact word). What the boy says... and what happens... next, though, is why I couldn't finish the book (until then, it was, again, THE best [historical fiction] book I've ever read... and still is, but I just can't do it, yet):
The boy says, "No, I don't think that's what they wanted." He then commented again about how cold he was... and falls forward, his head in his lap.
Of course, they grabbed him to sit him back up and it was then that they saw... that his entire abdomen... and most of his entrails... were gone. As the monguls had eaten him... passing him back and forth between them... as they rode.
Because of the author's SUPERIOR writing style, I simply could NOT get that image out of my head! I cried for that little boy for WEEKS! I then asked my husband (who's read all of Jenning's books) whether the journey's tales continued to be as graphic or if that was the "worst" of it (I was hoping!!). He said, "Oh, it gets even more graphic, Sweetie!" So, I was done. My "heart" just couldn't take it.
But I have NEVER read a book that "took me" to the scene SO vividly, so realistically... than "The Journeyer." Per my husband, "Aztec" and "Raptor" are just as good.
I would tell anyone who loves GOOD historical fiction to have a go... but to beware: you will NOT forget this book.
Okay, that's my contribution!
Peace!
SA, on her own...