Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Sand’s people have been enslaved by the Evergreen family for generations, forced to work in the lumber camps. So when he’s transferred to the house of the great rulers’ son, he comes face-to-face with his enemy.

Nandar, the son of the great ruler, has been away for years. He hates the house in which he’s forced to reside, a house once belonging to his uncle and filled with painful memories from his youth. Now that he’s returned, he remembers the traditions and reminds himself that Sand, his new house slave, is nothing but a slave. Yet he’s unprepared for Sand’s defiance and beauty.

Will two people, torn apart by history and oppression, learn that love heals all, even when it is forbidden?

 

Book Review

Books about slavery are always difficult for me to read, even if the society the story takes place in is one that sounds somewhat alien, like the one in this book. People suppressing others just because of their heritage (or whatever excuse they find) just isn’t right. Certainly, the world in this book is unique, and carefully constructed to have some very specific elements. But the thing is, no matter the world-building, these people look and act a lot like humans, so everything they do and say could just as well happen on this planet. Nothing can make me think "Oh, well, they are so different, no wonder they behave so strangely. On Earth, that could never happen." Not so! It has happened before, maybe not to this extreme, and it is still going on in parts of the world, so the message of this book is by no means theoretical or outdated.

 

Sand is a slave, one of the many who does hard physical labor in a lumber camp. He doesn’t believe slavery is right, and isn’t afraid to say so. He is made the supreme ruler's personal servant, which he hates even more. The work is easier, but the reminder of how low he is in the rulers' eyes are more constant. There is even a rulebook for slaves! Add the attraction for his new 'master' he feels, but refuses to acknowledge, and he is in a world of trouble. True to his nature, he remains defiant and I loved that about him.

 

Ross may be the supreme ruler's son and destined to take over from him one day, but he is by no means totally in favor of what they’re doing. He comes with some pretty heavy emotional baggage from his past, and he falls fast and deeply for Sand. He thinks he has no choice, but as events begin to unfold, new information comes his way which makes him realize not everything is as it seems, and definitely different from what his father has told him all his life. And then he thinks again and all hell breaks loose.

 

This is a story about being true to yourself, about finding the courage to do what is right, and about the triumph of (forbidden) love. A great twist at the end of the story provides an answer to some of the questions I had – and gives the characters yet another confirmation that what they did was right. If you like stories about men who stand up for what they believe, even if it takes them a while to get there, if you enjoy being taken into a fantasy-like world that turns out to be less different than you thought in many aspects, and if you're looking for a passionate love story on top of it, you should give this book a try. I liked it a lot!

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Amber Allure for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 25000 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	19-August-2012
Price
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