Review of Fated Silk Book One
Posted: 03 Jul 2021, 02:22
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Fated Silk Book One" by Victoria Banks.]
Princess Oshun of Yigari has been selected as the eighth apprentice of the order of Ife, a group of male Orishas trained by Master Kamari. Her loving stepmother cast the spell that transformed her into a boy. Among her apprentice brothers, she goes by the name Chi Adisa. Oshun always loved Master Kamari, and just when it becomes clear to her that the master had seen through the façade and felt the same way for her, something terrible happens. Oshun vows to make things right.
Meanwhile, before that, the peace that existed between the Orishas and the Fiends is tested when Master Kamari rescues his apprentices, Jabari and Chi Adisa, from the Fiends, with several Fiends killed in the process. As a result, King Tomori, the king of the Fiends, wages war against the Orishas. He has a secret weapon that can kill Orishas. Will he succeed? How are the events that unfold related to Oshun's vow? Will Oshun find a way around the terrible situation and get her way with the love of her life. Find the answers to the questions and more in this intriguing piece of romantic fiction called Fated Silk Book One: Memoirs of the Apprentice by Victoria Banks.
I loved the concept of the story. I mean, a princess that is transformed into a boy to get her into a prestigious order, only for her to be caught in several love triangles before she finds the one for which her heart truly yearns. The author does a good job of catching the reader's attention early on in the story. The character development was excellent for most parts of the book, which I liked. Also, the suspense throughout the book was appreciable since I was focused on the story's outcome from the beginning of the story to the end.
I can’t fail to mention the series of emotions I felt while I read. I felt disgusted; other times, I was happy. I also felt pity, especially when I read through Oshun's love trial. I often wondered how complicated love could be. I mean, how can the heir to a throne love someone and watch them suffer? The superfluous overflow of emotions throughout the novel was enhanced by the first-person narrative style the author employed throughout the novel; I got to see everything through Oshun's eyes. The author also gave us insights into Oshun's thoughts, which made me even more attached to her.
There are a few things I don’t like about this novel. While I appreciate that the author tried to take on a rather complex story where characters seemed to have multiple lives in different realms, I was left confused at times. For example, when the author introduced the concept of immortals (Orishas) coming down to dwell among mortals in what she called their “love trial,” I had to read that part multiple times to understand the switch in characters and how they related to the previous story. More so, I felt that the author should have provided some references or some sort of backstory to prepare readers for the story. I was confused about certain hierarchies in terms of the kings that were mentioned.
Additionally, this book is not professionally edited; I found more than ten errors throughout the text. While I can’t wait to read the second book of the series, I can’t rate the novel any more than 2 out of 4 stars. The two-star deduction is a result of the dislikes I explained as well as the poor editing. Readers that are interested in romantic-fiction stories relating to magic and immortals would enjoy the read, and I recommend it to them. There are cases of profanity throughout the text, so sensitive readers may want to read with caution. Happy reading!
******
Fated Silk Book One
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Princess Oshun of Yigari has been selected as the eighth apprentice of the order of Ife, a group of male Orishas trained by Master Kamari. Her loving stepmother cast the spell that transformed her into a boy. Among her apprentice brothers, she goes by the name Chi Adisa. Oshun always loved Master Kamari, and just when it becomes clear to her that the master had seen through the façade and felt the same way for her, something terrible happens. Oshun vows to make things right.
Meanwhile, before that, the peace that existed between the Orishas and the Fiends is tested when Master Kamari rescues his apprentices, Jabari and Chi Adisa, from the Fiends, with several Fiends killed in the process. As a result, King Tomori, the king of the Fiends, wages war against the Orishas. He has a secret weapon that can kill Orishas. Will he succeed? How are the events that unfold related to Oshun's vow? Will Oshun find a way around the terrible situation and get her way with the love of her life. Find the answers to the questions and more in this intriguing piece of romantic fiction called Fated Silk Book One: Memoirs of the Apprentice by Victoria Banks.
I loved the concept of the story. I mean, a princess that is transformed into a boy to get her into a prestigious order, only for her to be caught in several love triangles before she finds the one for which her heart truly yearns. The author does a good job of catching the reader's attention early on in the story. The character development was excellent for most parts of the book, which I liked. Also, the suspense throughout the book was appreciable since I was focused on the story's outcome from the beginning of the story to the end.
I can’t fail to mention the series of emotions I felt while I read. I felt disgusted; other times, I was happy. I also felt pity, especially when I read through Oshun's love trial. I often wondered how complicated love could be. I mean, how can the heir to a throne love someone and watch them suffer? The superfluous overflow of emotions throughout the novel was enhanced by the first-person narrative style the author employed throughout the novel; I got to see everything through Oshun's eyes. The author also gave us insights into Oshun's thoughts, which made me even more attached to her.
There are a few things I don’t like about this novel. While I appreciate that the author tried to take on a rather complex story where characters seemed to have multiple lives in different realms, I was left confused at times. For example, when the author introduced the concept of immortals (Orishas) coming down to dwell among mortals in what she called their “love trial,” I had to read that part multiple times to understand the switch in characters and how they related to the previous story. More so, I felt that the author should have provided some references or some sort of backstory to prepare readers for the story. I was confused about certain hierarchies in terms of the kings that were mentioned.
Additionally, this book is not professionally edited; I found more than ten errors throughout the text. While I can’t wait to read the second book of the series, I can’t rate the novel any more than 2 out of 4 stars. The two-star deduction is a result of the dislikes I explained as well as the poor editing. Readers that are interested in romantic-fiction stories relating to magic and immortals would enjoy the read, and I recommend it to them. There are cases of profanity throughout the text, so sensitive readers may want to read with caution. Happy reading!
******
Fated Silk Book One
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
