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kailey_luminouslibro's review
2.0
Caradoc, a ruler in Albion, is violent and power-hungry, determined to defend his beautiful land from the encroaching Romans. His twin sons, Jachin and Boaz, are victims of their father's abuse and rage.
This was very difficult to read because of the graphic violence and disgusting sexual abuse throughout. There's blood and entrails and gore and decapitated heads everywhere.
Scene 1: An 11 year-old boy is molested in a Roman bath-house, and then kills his drunken attacker. Scene 2: An innocent Hebrew merchant and his teenage daughter are unjustly thrown into prison, where the father dies, and the girl is sold into slavery as a concubine after being visually violated by soldiers.
Scene 3: After she is sold, she is horribly abused by her owner/husband, and her newborn twin sons are taken to Druids to be sacrificed in a bloody ritual.
And that is only the first 80 pages!
I'm shocked to find that this book is being recommended for ages 10-18!! I was disturbed reading it, and I'm 35 years old. I would only recommend this for older teens and adults.
I'm sure that all the violence is a realistic and accurate representation of the historic times in Rome and Britannia, but it's not pleasant to read about. Especially not in such graphic detail. I could understand if these issues were addressed in a more gentle way, since some of the incidents are important to the plot and maybe to the historical accuracy, but I was actually getting nauseated reading some of the repugnant details.
The writing is adequate, although there are way too many characters to keep track of, and 90% of them are related to each other. The chapters are quite short, some only 2 pages long, so that sometimes one scene of the story is split up into 3 chapters. That makes no sense to me. It breaks up the pacing of the story in weird places.
I really wanted to like this book. But the subject material is not something I can enjoy.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
This was very difficult to read because of the graphic violence and disgusting sexual abuse throughout. There's blood and entrails and gore and decapitated heads everywhere.
Scene 1: An 11 year-old boy is molested in a Roman bath-house, and then kills his drunken attacker. Scene 2: An innocent Hebrew merchant and his teenage daughter are unjustly thrown into prison, where the father dies, and the girl is sold into slavery as a concubine after being visually violated by soldiers.
Scene 3: After she is sold, she is horribly abused by her owner/husband, and her newborn twin sons are taken to Druids to be sacrificed in a bloody ritual.
And that is only the first 80 pages!
I'm shocked to find that this book is being recommended for ages 10-18!! I was disturbed reading it, and I'm 35 years old. I would only recommend this for older teens and adults.
I'm sure that all the violence is a realistic and accurate representation of the historic times in Rome and Britannia, but it's not pleasant to read about. Especially not in such graphic detail. I could understand if these issues were addressed in a more gentle way, since some of the incidents are important to the plot and maybe to the historical accuracy, but I was actually getting nauseated reading some of the repugnant details.
The writing is adequate, although there are way too many characters to keep track of, and 90% of them are related to each other. The chapters are quite short, some only 2 pages long, so that sometimes one scene of the story is split up into 3 chapters. That makes no sense to me. It breaks up the pacing of the story in weird places.
I really wanted to like this book. But the subject material is not something I can enjoy.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
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