Given my quest to add more unusual historicals to my reading, it’s not surprising that Captive Spirit had me at 16th century Arizona desert. As the author explains, we know little about this time period and the Hohokam people of whom she writes. While it must have made research difficult, it leaves lots of room for the author’s imagination to do some worldbuilding. And Liz Fichera does just that as she creates a vivid portrait of a people long vanished in a story that is part romance and part coming-of-age story. This novel reads something like YA romance, and a rather enjoyable one at that.

As the story opens, teenaged Aiyana lives happily among the White Ant Clan and anticipates her older sister’s wedding. Her sister is quite domestic, and Aiyana describes her as destined to be a good wife. However, Aiyana prefers roaming the area around their village and spending time playing boys’ games with her friend, Honovi. Aiyana’s world turns upside down when her father arranges her marriage to a young man from the Red Ant clan whom she barely knows. He does not make a good impression upon her and she begins to fear what marriage to him would be like. In addition, Aiyana has learned that her companion Honovi loves her far beyond simply the friendship they have shared for years, and she is not entirely sure how she feels about this. It seems to be a feeling she wants a chance to explore, though.

During a village festival when it appears she will be pushed into marriage before she is ready, Aiyana flees. She is captured by a party of Spaniards, and the adventure begins. Will Aiyana be able to free herself from her captors? Will she ever see Honovi or her family again? And, most importantly, what does the appearance of the Spaniards in Aiyana’s homeland mean for her clan? The tale that follows is quite the adventure and, given that I know little about this time in history, I found it fascinating. The author explains that the Hohokam people vanished around the time in which this story is set and the reader can see in this book at least one theory to explain the disappearance.

As Aiyana travels with her captors and as we wait to see if she will be able to escape and reunite with Honovi, we see her change from a carefree, impetuous child to someone more adult. Aiyana is an interesting character. She tells her story in first person and, while she can seem immature at first, the tone of her narrative changes as she goes through each new challenge. Though not classified as YA, I could see teens enjoying this story as much as adults.

And now for the weaker points. At times, especially near the beginning, the language of the story almost seemed too simplistic. I found this a little grating, though, it was not a constant throughout the entire novel. My other complaint with this book? Somehow Aiyana and her captors could speak to one another, and this seemed way too easy. These are people from two different cultures, with two completely different languages, and I think the story needed to show this a little more than it did.

However, I still found the novel compelling, and I rooted for Aiyana and Honovi to find their way in a world that turned upside down. Captive Spirit tells of a tumuluous moment in history and, in spite of its flaws, it’s an entertaining and quite interesting read.