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gnomereader 's review for:
The Island King
by Gina Giordano
dark
emotional
“You once said love comes when you are not even looking. Indeed, it is true. I had given up. Finding a wife had become inconceivable. I had never met anyone who seemed a commensurate match. And in truth, I still have not. For you are above me, Eliza. In every conceivable way. You challenge me to be a better man.”
The Island king is the sequel to Strange Eden and it packed such a punch, I loved everything about it. This story is a dark historical fiction, and Gina excels in telling it. From the very first page, my heart ached and I felt as though I was holding my breath until the very last. Eliza has been through some truly horrible things in her short time on the island and yet she has a resilience about her that I found inspiring. Likewise, Charles has been a flawed character with some horrifying moments in his own life on the island, though for him that spans a much longer time.
I really love that this series tackles some pretty dark and heavy topics in a way that makes the reader think and question, as well as understand the characters as complex and flawed in a very human way. Had I been in Eliza’s place, I’m not sure what I would have done or how I would have chosen to respond as each new challenge arose, but I love that I was equally invested in Charles, especially since I felt more removed from him throughout Strange Eden.
I cried more than once while reading, and when a book can make me feel things that prominently, I consider that a job well done. Gina’s writing is beautiful and captivating, even when the subject matter is exactly the opposite. I really enjoyed this one and I am anxiously awaiting the third book.
The Island king is the sequel to Strange Eden and it packed such a punch, I loved everything about it. This story is a dark historical fiction, and Gina excels in telling it. From the very first page, my heart ached and I felt as though I was holding my breath until the very last. Eliza has been through some truly horrible things in her short time on the island and yet she has a resilience about her that I found inspiring. Likewise, Charles has been a flawed character with some horrifying moments in his own life on the island, though for him that spans a much longer time.
I really love that this series tackles some pretty dark and heavy topics in a way that makes the reader think and question, as well as understand the characters as complex and flawed in a very human way. Had I been in Eliza’s place, I’m not sure what I would have done or how I would have chosen to respond as each new challenge arose, but I love that I was equally invested in Charles, especially since I felt more removed from him throughout Strange Eden.
I cried more than once while reading, and when a book can make me feel things that prominently, I consider that a job well done. Gina’s writing is beautiful and captivating, even when the subject matter is exactly the opposite. I really enjoyed this one and I am anxiously awaiting the third book.