Ginger Myrick

Smashwords book reviews by Ginger Myrick

  • The Slave on June 04, 2014

    Filled with human emotion and intrigue, The Slave is a compelling story of a forbidden love that brings 14th century Italy to life with vibrant authenticity. Montagna has created an atypical love triangle—from which there can be no escape but by death—between Aurelia, daughter of an affluent merchant; Lorenzo, her husband, son and heir from a noble family; and Batu, an Asian slave boy. The fully fleshed characters elicit a wide range of emotions from warmth to loathing and even pity for the antagonist in the depths of his compulsion. The straightforward prose is fluid and descriptive, and forms an atmosphere both brooding and hopeful, tugging the reader in opposite directions and creating a skillful balance of expectancy and despair. I gravitate toward these less popular settings and recommend this book for like-minded readers who crave a refreshing break from everyday historical fiction and a well researched peek at a life worlds away from the courts of England.