Review of The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden
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xLorelei
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- Latest Review: The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden by Londyn Skye
Review of The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden" by Londyn Skye.]
Came for the smut, stayed for the story.
I try my best not to read full synopsis of books simply because I dislike spoilers. As a reader of fantasy romance and happy endings, I failed to notice that this was a different kind of romance, or that it's part of a series (you'd think the name would've helped, but I found sometimes book series have a completed story of a character for each book, so I thought it'd be complete). My mistake.
With the warning of NSFW/erotica and the name of the book (despite being the NON-EROTICA version), I started reading thinking this would be a forbidden romance amidst the talent of one of the characters, with romps in nooks and crannies, and perhaps after reading the first chapter, a sad ending for the taboo couple (though I certainly hoped for a good one). Instead, the more I read, I found this romance was set in a historically accurate time setting, and the author's words are beautiful and can be just as hateful, painting the different sides of American life as both white and black characters before the 1900s. Not being an African American myself, having the thoughts, hopes, dreams, fears, and nightmares of a slave written out, this book found its way into my heart, for better and for worse. The setting and circumstances were so real, the story is heart-wrenching, and you're able to imagine what it was like in the past. That said, due to the historical setting, this fictional story is not fantasy, and the love and life of the characters are realistic, sometimes full of anguish, and sometimes bliss, and I can picture it clearly in a modern setting. Each chapter contains part of the actual articles that governed the slave, and it’s a painful reminder of the past and the threat that looms over our characters.
I rated this book a 4 out of 5 because the writing is great, but at times, the story made me want to put it down. I’m towards the empathic side and this book was a rollercoaster. I found myself shedding tears from both sadness and happiness. The love, the passion: it's all there, you can feel it through the pages, able to imagine it and feel it through the characters, though unfortunately, the bad would be just the same. The anger, the hate, and the words used make you realize how much the same sentiment is still felt in current times. There are derogatory words used if not a few curses here or there (I would prefer the cursing over the derogatory, but it's honestly accurate for the time). The pace of the book is great and goes through the years of the main characters, and then as the title suggests, the journey to a certain place. The characters are great, they all stand out, no matter how small because they are painted in either a good or bad light by the end of it. There is only one character that is certainly in the gray- at least, that's how you find it in the end. You cannot stop this book at just this ending, it leaves you unsatisfied and wronged with no questions answered because of how their actions affect our main character. The erotica that was there was not explicit and instead flowed with the story. I’m scared but I want to obtain the second book, if only to give my mind and heart some rest and hope that there is a happy ending for our main characters.
I’m only giving the rating based on the book on its own. Since I haven’t read other parts of the series, and am not sure if I plan to, I cannot say whether it deserves more praise. Had the story been complete, I would’ve thought it was perfect, however, I am not sad that I read this book on its own. The author gives plenty of wholesome interactions, and we see how the main character’s confidence grows over time. The perspective of our main character’s view also changes, and we see the transformation of other characters just as well. At the end of the book, the author also includes an anecdote about a real person, Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins, who has gone through something similar to the main character after having written their story. In it, you understand the passion of their writing and the importance of including pieces of history within it. It’s a painful reminder that what is being written was 100% real, and it’s why I rated the book as such. The author has so beautifully captured the good and the ugly.
******
The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Came for the smut, stayed for the story.
I try my best not to read full synopsis of books simply because I dislike spoilers. As a reader of fantasy romance and happy endings, I failed to notice that this was a different kind of romance, or that it's part of a series (you'd think the name would've helped, but I found sometimes book series have a completed story of a character for each book, so I thought it'd be complete). My mistake.
With the warning of NSFW/erotica and the name of the book (despite being the NON-EROTICA version), I started reading thinking this would be a forbidden romance amidst the talent of one of the characters, with romps in nooks and crannies, and perhaps after reading the first chapter, a sad ending for the taboo couple (though I certainly hoped for a good one). Instead, the more I read, I found this romance was set in a historically accurate time setting, and the author's words are beautiful and can be just as hateful, painting the different sides of American life as both white and black characters before the 1900s. Not being an African American myself, having the thoughts, hopes, dreams, fears, and nightmares of a slave written out, this book found its way into my heart, for better and for worse. The setting and circumstances were so real, the story is heart-wrenching, and you're able to imagine what it was like in the past. That said, due to the historical setting, this fictional story is not fantasy, and the love and life of the characters are realistic, sometimes full of anguish, and sometimes bliss, and I can picture it clearly in a modern setting. Each chapter contains part of the actual articles that governed the slave, and it’s a painful reminder of the past and the threat that looms over our characters.
I rated this book a 4 out of 5 because the writing is great, but at times, the story made me want to put it down. I’m towards the empathic side and this book was a rollercoaster. I found myself shedding tears from both sadness and happiness. The love, the passion: it's all there, you can feel it through the pages, able to imagine it and feel it through the characters, though unfortunately, the bad would be just the same. The anger, the hate, and the words used make you realize how much the same sentiment is still felt in current times. There are derogatory words used if not a few curses here or there (I would prefer the cursing over the derogatory, but it's honestly accurate for the time). The pace of the book is great and goes through the years of the main characters, and then as the title suggests, the journey to a certain place. The characters are great, they all stand out, no matter how small because they are painted in either a good or bad light by the end of it. There is only one character that is certainly in the gray- at least, that's how you find it in the end. You cannot stop this book at just this ending, it leaves you unsatisfied and wronged with no questions answered because of how their actions affect our main character. The erotica that was there was not explicit and instead flowed with the story. I’m scared but I want to obtain the second book, if only to give my mind and heart some rest and hope that there is a happy ending for our main characters.
I’m only giving the rating based on the book on its own. Since I haven’t read other parts of the series, and am not sure if I plan to, I cannot say whether it deserves more praise. Had the story been complete, I would’ve thought it was perfect, however, I am not sad that I read this book on its own. The author gives plenty of wholesome interactions, and we see how the main character’s confidence grows over time. The perspective of our main character’s view also changes, and we see the transformation of other characters just as well. At the end of the book, the author also includes an anecdote about a real person, Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins, who has gone through something similar to the main character after having written their story. In it, you understand the passion of their writing and the importance of including pieces of history within it. It’s a painful reminder that what is being written was 100% real, and it’s why I rated the book as such. The author has so beautifully captured the good and the ugly.
******
The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
