Review of Daughters of Orange Island

[Shanesha Sammerson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Daughters of Orange Island" by J. Elizabeth Freeman.]

---

3 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Daughters of Orange Island by Elizabeth Freeman is a historical fiction book that begins with the story of Magda Madonna, a Druid queen who performs a yearly ritual of selecting seven daughters to mate with seven chosen men. The hope is that these couplings will bring forth daughters who will enhance their power and continue the ritual. However, this ritual treats women as livestock and subjects them to sexual pleasure without their consent.

The story mainly revolves around the chosen daughters of the year, which include two sets of twins, with one set being the daughters of the Druid queen herself, and a triplet. When one of the twins, Eugenia, loses her baby, she is enchanted and sent to be a sex slave for a duke. Things quickly spiral out of control, ending in tragedy when the spell is broken. The new Druid king teams up with human Christians to put an end to the ritual for good.

One of the strongest aspects of the book is its ability to build a vivid world and portray the characters in a well-rounded manner. The descriptions of the rituals and ceremonies are well-written and engrossing, drawing the reader into the story. The characters are also well-developed and interesting, with each having their own unique personality and backstory.

However, the book has several negative aspects that need to be addressed. The first is the excessive amount of homosexual sexual activity that may make some readers uncomfortable. While the inclusion of such scenes can add depth to the characters, the sheer volume of them may feel gratuitous to some readers.

The book also contains elements that may offend the Christian faith, as it paints monks and nuns in a negative light. While it is understandable that the author may want to portray the druids in a more positive light, this portrayal comes at the expense of other religions and beliefs. Finally, the book could have benefited from better editing. There are several errors throughout the text that can be distracting and take the reader out of the story.

In conclusion, Daughters of Orange Island is a thought-provoking historical fiction novel that brings to light the gruesome ritual of treating women as sexual objects. The vivid world-building and well-rounded characters make it a compelling read. However, the excessive sexual content, the offensive portrayal of other religions, and the lack of professional editing can detract from the reading experience. Therefore, I give the book 3 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to those who are interested in historical fiction and don't mind some explicit content.

******
Daughters of Orange Island
View: on Bookshelves