THE SERPENT AND THE STAFF
Book ID/图书代码： 06120013B62930
English Summary/英文概要： Ugarit, Syria, 1450 B.C.E. Eighteen-year-old Leah, the eldest daughter of a wealthy winemaker, is past the traditional age of betrothal. Vowed to wed the wealthy but cruel shipbuilder Jotham, Leah declines his offer of marriage after discovering that he and his family suffer from “the falling sickness.” Enraged by her refusal and his ruined reputation, he blackmails Leah’s father, a punishment forgiven only by offering Leah’s hand in marriage. With no more options for another suitor and no male heir for her family, Leah must seek out the cure for Jotham’s sickness or her family will face permanent ruin.
During her quest Leah begins to burn with desire for Daveed, the handsome household scribe whose culture forbids their union. Daveed has been called by the gods to restore the Brotherhood, an elite fraternity of guardians at the great Library of Ugarit, rumored to contain the secret symbol of immortality within its ancient archives. If his plan succeeds, it may also save Leah’s family from disaster. But even Daveed and Leah cannot fathom the extent of Jotham’s sinister schemes to make Leah his bride once and for all.
With rich historical detail, The Serpent and the Staff is a sweeping tale of love, betrayal, and how one family’s faith can overcome the obstacles that life has in store for them.
Chinese Summary/中文概要： 公元前1450年，叙利亚，乌加里特。18岁的利娅一名富裕的酿酒商的长女，然而她已经错过了传统的订婚年龄。被告知她将嫁给富有却残忍的造船商约坦，利娅进行了一些调查，当她发现约坦和他的家族都患有一种“不断恶化的疾病”时，她拒绝了约坦的求婚。利娅的拒绝以及对约坦名声的毁坏使得他暴怒不已，他绑架了利娅的父亲作为惩罚，想要获得他的原谅，利娅就必须接受与他的婚姻。考虑到确实没有其他的追求者，并且家族里也没有男性继承人，利娅唯有接受这桩婚姻，同时她必须找寻到能够治愈约坦奇怪疾病的方法，否则她的家族将同样面临毁灭的命运。
在寻找解药的过程中，利娅开始对英俊的家族文书员达维德萌生情愫，然而达维德的身份背景却使得他们无法在一起。上帝派达维德前来修复“兄弟会”，“兄弟会”是乌加里特一个巨大藏经阁里的精英守卫，据传他们和藏经阁里的古老文献中藏有着一个隐秘的永生符。如果他的计划能够顺利进行，那么他还可以一起拯救利娅的家族远离悲剧。然而即便是达维德和利娅两人却也都无法摸清约坦邪恶地想要让利娅永远地成为他的妻子究竟意图何在。
《恶主与忠仆》是一部有关于爱、背叛以及家族信仰的宏大故事，其中蕴含了丰富的历史细节，并向我们呈现：家族信念终将战胜一切困难与厄运。（DC）
Awards/获奖情况：“在动作刻画和浪漫描写上，伍德简直犹如一名万能的巫师，无时无刻不火花四溅。” —Kirkus 书评
“通过极度真实的细节刻画以及让人印象深刻的人物形象，伍德无疑让其作品充满着生命力。” —书单
“芭芭拉•伍德是一名十足的娱乐家。” —华盛顿邮报读书专栏
“伍德生动地刻画出了女性们战胜自身命运的英勇形象。” —出版家周刊
“绝佳的娱乐小说。” —书单
“精彩绝伦，毋庸置疑。” —辛西娅•弗里曼，纽约时报畅销书作家
“伍德为我们创造出了一个个活灵活现、充满魅力的角色，这些角色和他们本身的故事一样精彩万分。” —图书馆月刊
“一名伟大的故事家。” —Tulsa World
“一名杰出的小说家。” —约翰•杰克斯，纽约时报畅销书作家
“伍德从未让读者们对她的作品失望过。” —伊丽莎白•佛赛特•海莉，作家，著有《懂的独立的女人》
About the Author/作者介绍： 芭芭拉•伍德是一名享誉国际的畅销书作家，著有26部大受好评的小说作品，其中包括纽约时报畅销小说《多米娜》等。其作品已被译为30余种语言，作者现居加利福尼亚河滨。BARBARA WOOD is the international bestselling author of 26 acclaimed novels, including New York Times bestseller Domina. Her work has been translated into over 30 languages. Barbara lives in Riverside, California.
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Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE
Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE
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