Review of The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden
Posted: 31 Dec 2021, 19:22
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden" by Londyn Skye.]
Born into a life of slavery, Lily is torn from her mother at a young age by her Caucasian master and father and cruelly sold to an unkind owner named Jesse Adams. Her work is difficult as a young house slave and her life is a series of chores day after day with the exception of the escape she finds secretly teaching herself to play the piano. Fourteen years later, when she is found playing the forbidden piano by her master's son, he chooses to not tell his father and chooses to punish her himself. This choice takes Lily on an adventure that brings opportunities she never before believed could belong to her.
The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden by Londyn Sky is a historical fiction book. It follows Lily after she flees her personal prison into the world rarely offered to people with her skin color. At times, to the reader’s horror, she would not be accepted, even with her exceptional talents. The laws of the time as well as prejudice keep Lily from opportunities easily offered to others and create major roadblocks to her final destination, even with the following of adoring and high-powered individuals.
One of the aspects I liked most about the book is the realistic take on the helplessness African Americans faced during that time, whether they were considered free or were enslaved. The slave laws that are before many of the chapters put into perspective the human rights that were withheld and the absolute powerlessness that these individuals encountered. I also greatly enjoyed the deep emotions that this book provoked with the themes of love, adoration, impossible feats overcome, and absolute selflessness. This book shows some of the worse humanity has to offer as well as the best and it left me teary-eyed several times. The only downside I experienced is that Lily, the main character, falls in love with a man who has previously enslaved her. There are warnings on the summary page for people who do not enjoy this type of relationship so I will not dive into that aspect. The issue I found with the relationship is that the interactions with the lover did not make me feel a connection with him as I have felt in other romance novels. It was difficult for me to feel the love between them, but possibly this was purposeful on the author's part as there is a book two.
I rate the book three out of four stars due to the excellent storyline and realistic characters and accuracy of the times. The disconnect I felt for the lover is the only reason I will not rate this with an additional star, but I still recommend this book. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction, romance, or a heartwarming story of a girl with odds against her will enjoy reading The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden by Londyn Sky. As the warning states, there are some aspects of this book that are triggering. I would recommend readers to read the warning before proceeding and I would not recommend this to anyone younger than young adult readers. This is a very entertaining book that will capture one’s attention from the first page.
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The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Born into a life of slavery, Lily is torn from her mother at a young age by her Caucasian master and father and cruelly sold to an unkind owner named Jesse Adams. Her work is difficult as a young house slave and her life is a series of chores day after day with the exception of the escape she finds secretly teaching herself to play the piano. Fourteen years later, when she is found playing the forbidden piano by her master's son, he chooses to not tell his father and chooses to punish her himself. This choice takes Lily on an adventure that brings opportunities she never before believed could belong to her.
The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden by Londyn Sky is a historical fiction book. It follows Lily after she flees her personal prison into the world rarely offered to people with her skin color. At times, to the reader’s horror, she would not be accepted, even with her exceptional talents. The laws of the time as well as prejudice keep Lily from opportunities easily offered to others and create major roadblocks to her final destination, even with the following of adoring and high-powered individuals.
One of the aspects I liked most about the book is the realistic take on the helplessness African Americans faced during that time, whether they were considered free or were enslaved. The slave laws that are before many of the chapters put into perspective the human rights that were withheld and the absolute powerlessness that these individuals encountered. I also greatly enjoyed the deep emotions that this book provoked with the themes of love, adoration, impossible feats overcome, and absolute selflessness. This book shows some of the worse humanity has to offer as well as the best and it left me teary-eyed several times. The only downside I experienced is that Lily, the main character, falls in love with a man who has previously enslaved her. There are warnings on the summary page for people who do not enjoy this type of relationship so I will not dive into that aspect. The issue I found with the relationship is that the interactions with the lover did not make me feel a connection with him as I have felt in other romance novels. It was difficult for me to feel the love between them, but possibly this was purposeful on the author's part as there is a book two.
I rate the book three out of four stars due to the excellent storyline and realistic characters and accuracy of the times. The disconnect I felt for the lover is the only reason I will not rate this with an additional star, but I still recommend this book. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction, romance, or a heartwarming story of a girl with odds against her will enjoy reading The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden by Londyn Sky. As the warning states, there are some aspects of this book that are triggering. I would recommend readers to read the warning before proceeding and I would not recommend this to anyone younger than young adult readers. This is a very entertaining book that will capture one’s attention from the first page.
******
The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon