Friday, October 31, 2014

*Gizmos Early Reviews* Forbidden (Forbidden # 1) by Kimberley Griffiths Little

**I received this book for free from Harpercollins via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

*Synopsis*

In the unforgiving Mesopotamian desert where Jayden’s tribe lives, betrothal celebrations abound, and tonight it is Jayden’s turn to be honored. But while this union with Horeb, the son of her tribe’s leader, will bring a life of riches and restore her family’s position within the tribe, it will come at the price of Jayden’s heart. 

Then a shadowy boy from the Southern Lands appears. Handsome and mysterious, Kadesh fills Jayden’s heart with a passion she never knew possible. But with Horeb’s increasingly violent threats haunting Jayden’s every move, she knows she must find a way to escape—or die trying. 

With a forbidden romance blossoming in her heart and her family’s survival on the line, Jayden must embark on a deadly journey to save the ones she loves—and find a true love for herself.

Set against the brilliant backdrop of the sprawling desert, the story of Jayden and Kadesh will leave readers absolutely breathless as they defy the odds and risk it all to be together.


*My Thoughts*

FORBIDDEN is a dark, exotic thriller set in a land of mystery and intrigue. The story is filled with dangerous betrothals, murder, belly dancing, camels, ancient goddess temples that lure girls in with seductive priestess, tribal warfare, blackmail, and a forbidden romance. The story is set in the year 1759 BC in what was then Mesopotamia. Most of the story takes place in the desert, which adds more depth and realism to the story.

Forbidden is told in the first POV by 16-year old Jayden. After performing for her own betrothal ceremony, Jayden and her family suffer a terrible loss right as their tribe is heading for their summer location. At the same time, a mysterious stranger named Kadesh, shows up hurt, and eventually captures Jayden's heart and her imagination.

Jayden is a character who has a dilemma. She has been expected to marry her cousin Horeb since they were both children. If they were to marry, her life and that of her family, would be fundamentally changed in ways she can only imagine. Money can't buy your heart happiness, and Jayden is far from happy at being a women with no control over her own choices including remaining in a loveless relationship with a man she loathes.

Horeb is an awful human being who has no decency whatsoever. I was screaming at a certain point in this story because I wanted Jayden to destroy him. The most vile situation in the story took my rating down a few notches. But, Little can't exact go back and change what she wrote now that it's ready for release. However, I still hold the right to disagree with what happened and wished it weren't necessary for the enjoyment of the story.

Jayden's relationship with Kadesh is not one I would call insta-love. Kadesh is the person I was totally routing for. He's very determined to fight for Jayden's right to be with who she wants. He stands in alongside her father when they track across the desert and find themselves facing difficult challenges. He stands by Jayden even in a war zone where anything can happen. He offers his heart and soul and Jayden isn't foolish enough to refuse.

The ending to Forbidden leaves a whole slew of questions that Little needs to answer for the stunned readers she has left hanging out on a ledge without a net to save them. Yes, I did panic once I was finished reading. Yes, I did rush straight to Goodreads and Little's web page to see if there was any further information regarding a sequel.

Surprise! Forbidden is NOT a standalone! According to the authors web page, there will be a sequel, and apparently, Goodreads says the title will be called Banished. Unfortunately, it appears that it won't be released until 2016 which seems rather bizarre. So, we do have a bit of a wait until the next book is released. I'm actually hoping this information is wrong, and that the sequel comes out in 2015.


Author - Kimberley Griffiths Little
Title - Forbidden (Forbidden # 1)
Published by Harper Collins
Releases: November 4, 2014
Genre: Young Adult, Historical
Format: E-Book, 397 pages



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