Official Review: Eze Chima: an ancient Aro epic.

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Kibet Hillary
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Official Review: Eze Chima: an ancient Aro epic.

Post by Kibet Hillary »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Eze Chima: an ancient Aro epic." by Chike Nwaka.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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Eze Chima: An Ancient Aro Epic was written by Chike Nwaka. It is a historical fiction book that contains a fascinating tale about Chima. This story is skillfully interwoven with that of the AroChukwu kingdom.

A baby boy is born to Igboko and his wife Nnuoma, also known as Nne-Chima. The wise man, sage, in the AroChukwu Kingdom reveals that the boy is an ancient soul cloaked in this new body. The Aro people believe that the ancient people come back as babies. Hence, Chima is named after an ancient hero, Eze Chima. Meanwhile, in the neighboring kingdom of Ebeinu, trouble is brewing. The erstwhile queen mother wants to overthrow the reigning king and secure the throne for her son. The king is helpless in this state. The king of Ebeinu, Oba Orhamenye, sends emissaries to AroChukwu Kingdom to ask for help. Oba needs someone who is versed with the secrets of the universe. This person will help him to overcome the evils and wiles that have been caused by the former rulers. A competition is organized so as to pick one person who will meet all the requirements laid down. No one qualifies. Chima is finally chosen. Will Oba agree that Chima, an eighteen-year-old boy, can help him?

The story is exhilarating. I never knew what was within the covers of this book when I selected it. It is narrated in a way that exudes a lot of expertise. It reflects the culture of the community where it is set through the use of the local dialect and other cultural practices. The most striking feature of the book is its ability to capture one’s attention from the start to the end. There is no point whereby one can say that the story gets boring. The level of imagination in the book is amazing.

The use of stories within the main story is also another technique that has made this book gripping. Furthermore, these stories have lessons that are very applicable to real life. Reading this book is easy since the plot is well developed. The authenticity and originality of this book is proved by its writing style and the strong depiction of the cultures of the people. I have to admit that there is nothing I disliked about this book.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The primary reason for writing a historical fiction book is to bring the past to life. The author has managed to do this since the characters behaved and spoke in keeping with the era they inhabited. This story also reveals the people of the past. The book has also been edited properly. I recommend this book to those who enjoy reading historical fiction. This is particularly for those who like fiction stories dealing with heroes and heroines who possess supernatural powers. It is one of the nicest books in this category.

The statement that I will have to keep in mind is that “Humanity is one common community. Only the spiritually dull would ignore that eternal factor which unites us all, to worthlessly labor, searching out those ephemeral things that tend to separate us.”

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Eze Chima: an ancient Aro epic.
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bookierme
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Post by bookierme »

I have to say that the fact that the characters have names I have no idea how to pronounce, is probably the reason why I won't read this book. I am really glad you enjoyed it though. I enjoyed your review. Well done!
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Kibet Hillary
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

bookierme wrote: 11 Jul 2018, 02:09 I have to say that the fact that the characters have names I have no idea how to pronounce, is probably the reason why I won't read this book. I am really glad you enjoyed it though. I enjoyed your review. Well done!
Hehe, sure, the names sound so hard to pronounce. Thanks for the positive comments. You could probably try reading it and maybe you will learn the pronunciation as you progress. Apart from the names, the rest of the story is good.
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Post by Kristy Khem »

"The primary reason for writing a historical fiction book is to bring the past to life" - I totally agree with you on this. I'm glad you enjoyed this epic tale. Your review exposed the main points of the book and you described its strongpoints quite well. Good work!
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Post by Cecilia_L »

Historical fiction is not my favorite genre, but I can see you really connected with the book, which is a credit to the author. I appreciate your enthusiastic review.
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Post by HailKingEbi »

Good work on your review!. I'm Nigerian so I can pronounce the names. I'm definitely going to read this. The book clearly talks about our culture and tradition. It will make an interesting, historical read. Thank you!
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Post by Navysquid »

I noticed the names and also thought Nigerian which HailKingEbi confirmed for me. I am not sure I will read this though I spent some time overseas in Lagos, Nigeria and others and thoroughly enjoyed my time serving with the Nigerian people. Truly some of the happiest and greatest people I have lived among in my life. Thank you for your review!
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Kibet Hillary
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

Navysquid wrote: 14 Jul 2018, 00:47 I noticed the names and also thought Nigerian which HailKingEbi confirmed for me. I am not sure I will read this though I spent some time overseas in Lagos, Nigeria and others and thoroughly enjoyed my time serving with the Nigerian people. Truly some of the happiest and greatest people I have lived among in my life. Thank you for your review!
Sure, the names are from Nigeria. Personally, I have never been there but I know that they are good people to be with. You will enjoy the book too, I guess if you give it a try.
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