Review: Secrets Kept by J. L. Mbewe
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 6, 2013
I've always been a fan of fantasy ever since I got a boxed set of the Chronicles of Narnia series when I was in elementary school, and I try to read it as much as I can. So, when I started reading J.L. Mbewe's book Secrets Kept, it didn't take me long to become engrossed in the storyline. With this book being fantasy, it does follow a lot of common tropes such as quests and good versus evil. While that is the case, it was the characters that I grew to like, especially Ayianna. She's half-elven, and finds herself in an arranged marriage to Desmond, a merchant from a city in the plains of Nalu. Out of all the characters, he's the one I grew to dislike the most. On the other hand, Ayianna is a character I empathized with, and understood her desires to follow in her own path as opposed to following one mapped out for her. I also really liked Kael, another  half-elf who is a member of a group of the various races (which includes elves, merfolk and dwarves among others) known as the Guardians.Overall, I thought the book flowed well, and I really enjoyed it. I'm curious as to what happens next, and I definitely want to read the sequel when it comes out.