Review of Empires of Dust

[Bertha Jackson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Empires of Dust" by William W Monroe.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Nobody believed that her stepfather and stepbrother verbally and physically abused Lily DuCray. One day after Lily is expelled from school and discovers that her mother has disappeared, she sits on the couch waiting for her stepfather to return home. When he approaches her, she shoots him seven times and kills him. Running from her stepbrother, Ben, and the law, Lily encounters more trouble, gets injured, and crawls under a mountain ledge. Enrico Amiduras is a slave to bullfighter, Guzman de Villarosa. Guzman puts Enrico on a ship to the New World after his daughter throws him a rose after a bullfight. During a storm, the vessel sinks before they get to their destination. Does Lily recover and get away from the law and her stepbrother? Was she justified in shooting her stepfather? Does Enrico make it to the New World? How are Lily and Enrico connected? You will need to read Empires of Dust by William W. Monroe to find out.

William W. Monroe has done an excellent job pulling Lily’s and Enrico’s stories together. The characters in this book are fully developed, and I could visualize the Native American, Taino, and Aztec peoples. I could feel Lily’s pain and fear as she ran from her past. The demographic descriptions are all vivid and easy to imagine. For example, forests are described with many colorful flowers and the different wildlife located there. This book is written in the third tense and has a fast-paced plot full of action and suspense. There is a Bibliography at the end of the book that allows you to verify the facts presented in this book.

This book has a couple of negative aspects to it. The author did not translate all of the Spanish words used in this book. I prefer that this type of narrative be translated when I read books, so I do not have to guess what is being written or find an online program to translate it. The other negative aspect is the many errors that a professional editor would have seen.

I am rating this book 3 out of 4 stars because of the number of errors and the lack of professional editing. I am not deducting a star for the lack of translations because that is a personal preference that may not bother other readers.

I recommend this book to adult readers who enjoy crime thrillers, romance, and historical-fiction books. Drug use, abuse, exotic dancing, non-borderline profanity, and erotic sexual content are inappropriate for younger or sensitive readers. Spanish and Native American history fans will also enjoy this book.

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Empires of Dust
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[TheGayOne12]

You make this novel sound really intriguing. I loved every word of your review. Thank you!

[Aisha Yakub]

Storyline sounds really interesting. Great review.

[Essy Nma]

I create fantasies with my head when I read crime thrillers. Thanks for the review.

[Precious Amarachi Nzeakor]

I'ld love to see how this book ties two completely different lives together. Excellent review.

[Mmaduabuchi Eze]

Abuse, in all its forms, can turn humans to strange beasts. Monroe uses Lily's story to address this.