Review: A unique story, beautifully told.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 21, 2011
I heard alot about this book before reading and was very excited to buy my copy when it came out. I have been reading historical romance since I was a teenager, but have never read one set in Africa. Typically all of the historicals i've read involving people of color have involved American slaves, and after awhile that tends to get a bit depressing. It was really nice to read a novel about people of color in ancient times, without all of the racism and persecution that you find in other books. IN this way, the author lets you concentrate on the story and the development of characters.I really liked Obinna's character. Most romances feature a very arrogant alpha-male hero. Obinna is the opposite of these things. Though he is confident and strong, he is also quiet and reserved as well as humble and hard-working. And though his wife Adaku has rejected him and witheld her body to him, he remains patient with her where most alpha-heroes would have dragged her off to bed kicking and screaming. He is content to wait for Adaku to come to him on her own, even though he wants her so desperately.What I really liked about Adaku is that she is not the typical strong-willed heroine. In alot of books where the heroine is supposed to be strong-willed, she instead comes across as insipid and immature. Adaku is none of these things. While some of her actions could be called childish, she is not so bull-headed that I was unable to like her. I was rooting for them both through this book to find each other and love.My only wish is that this book was longer. While I think Kiru managed to get some good character development into a short novella, I kind of wish there had been more as I did not quite want it to end when it did.The love scenes in this book are pretty hot. I especially like the part where Obinna walks in on Adaku while she is bathing...HOT! I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the Men of Valor series.