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Which were your first thoughts when reading the title of this book? Really, we want to know in the comments, because mine were: “Well, crap, shit is about to go down”, and even before we start to read this book, we realize that this is a just one of those titles that make you create lots of plot possibilities, (which none of them that end up well), about the story. We must simply know. We must!
When we start the book, however, we will be VERY surprised, grippedand shocked to our core, as the first two scenes of the book are… graphic, relentless, brutal and fast-paced. No sugarcoating, no political correctness, nothing. Daughter of Hades is NOT for the weak of heart, gut, or morals. You have been warned.
You can clearly see that Mack Little, is a skilled writer, as the narration will force you to pay attention to the story. This happens not only because of the events on the story, but also because of the combination of the emotions displayed, the almost lyrical narrative that flows through the pages, the gravity and barbarity of the times of piracy and slavery, but also because we are introduced to characters that pick our interest right away, and may I say, the interest of each other…
I will not tell you how the book starts in order to save you the pleasure of reading it and experience it first-hand, undiluted, but one thing I can assure you: this won’t be your typical historical fiction romance. Oh no it won’t. This book is a gem!
“Ami held herself perfectly still. She scarcely breathed. Waiting. It was as if even the air held itself in suspense. Something was coming. Someone. A change. And she and the whole world held its breath in anticipation.”
Mack Little is incredible in description and in creating thought! OMG! A cascade of mystery upon mystery and questions that both we and the characters try to understand as they move, or are moved, trough the situations they must face and their destinies…. *takes a deep breath* ohhhh YESS!!!! THIS IS GOLD!!! If you read more than 6 pages of this book, there is NO going back. DAMN! Daughter of Hades is intense!
LOOOOOVE how the author did a fierce love story between a Black woman and a Chinese man, like, love it, this is so cool!
Men have to take deep notes about this book. DEEP notes indeed and self-reflect while taking an example of one of the main characters, Lei, that is the cast of the perfect man. Mack Little constructed Lei with such finesse that he is dauntingly perfect, and yet, extremely flawed, to the point that he feels real. Nothing out of this world, but THAT’s my point, exactly, and even if I wrote 10000 words to describe Lei, they wouldn’t come CLOSE to the perfection that Mack Little created. Wow. What a man!
Ok, it’s fair. So far, it seems like I’m just hyping the book, but mind this: this book, this plot and story is so original, so intricate, so tight, that if I so much as hint things to you, I will spoil the fun for you. Believe me, this book is as water tight as the Goddessa. You will get this joke later. Hahahhaha. Just believe me when I say to you that this is one of the best books of the year, and probably one of the best books ever written in the last 5 years. Daughter of Hades is BRUTAL while sophisticated. Trust me.
The hauntingly beautiful, and at times, beautifully haunting narrative of Mack Little takes your breath away and creates a memorable plot, to say the least. Daughter of Hades has to be one of the most quotable books this year, it reads like romance, but feels like poetry, how can this be?! LOVE THIS! Pirates, love, Freedom from slavery and governments, adventures, fights, blood lust, magic, Black people all over, destiny, the after-world, treason, destiny, tradition, camaradie, kung-fu, lost princes, OH GOD THIS BOOK IS TOO GOOD! YESSS!!!!
Mack Little, this glorious writer will have you asking yourself: “how can this assemble of words be possible to tell a story? How is she able to create such beauty with words?!”, you will be nothing but stunned by this narration and story. Oh my goodness!!! THE CLASS!!! THE CLASS!!! OH MY GOD!!!
“Ivan was happy and relieved to see his best friend’s not-quite-handsome visage. His roman nose was large and hooked below the bridge. However, Ivan liked Phillipe’s eyes. They were large and expressive, and the color of Brandywine. All of his features, though separately handsome, were crowded upon a narrow face.”
Polyglots will love this book! It’s striking how many languages Daughter of Hades . You’ll read French, Gaelic, English, Igbo and Spanish, Portuguese all in one book! Like, WAU! The richness of the content!
Plots converging, destinies being called, spirits telling omens in rage, strong fates upon little boys and girls, revenge and lots of death and chaos! AND GAY CHARACTERS!!!!!!! YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!! THIS BOOK IS SO GOOOD!!! OMG!!!!! YES!!! ´
So, what is this book about? Actually. This book is about a lot of things that tangle together. First it’s about the journey of Jimmi, and his sister to freedom from slavery with Lei and the gang of pirates to Jamaica, and a girl in Jamaica that is an obiya , (a spirita, a sorcerer, a possessor of magic) and a boy with an uncontrollable rage and instant fury in… FRANCE ?
We have to figure out things as we go because the author knows how to keep the plot secret, the readers on the edge and everything a mystery until the time comes for us, and the characters, to know. There is NO way you can predict this plot, so don’t try, believe me. If you think that “love will solve everything” and everything will be alrighty-right, well, I advise you to take this out of your head right now. I thought that too, until there was a scene that completely destroyed my hopes of that happening. Yep. Yep, prepare the tear-bucket.
Dinny, one of our Main Characters is a very strong Black woman, that is fierce in her convictions and righteous in her thoughts, furious too, that marks very well the line between how men act and how women want to be by their own ruling, at times.
A note: Refrain yourself from throwing your book/reading device to the wall in frustration when it comes to Dinny and her man, please. I beg you. Have patience.
Daughter of Hades by Mack Little makes you think that you read nothing about romance before. Once you start reading this masterpiece, all of the previous romance books will become smaller in comparison. Mack Little crafts scenes of love and passion so well, that you became frustrated once they end.
Like the plot of Daughter of Hades, the narrative is quite dynamic, and it changes from perspective to perspective, sometimes repeating scenes in another character’s perspective in order to give a glimpse of their thoughts. There is so much hidden meaning, from one character to the other, that we feel like we are seeing several angles of the same story popping and bouncing, to and fro at times, to create a bigger picture and advance the plot of this marvellous book. It’s… intriguing.
After a while reading the book, you realize: “Wait, this book is going too steady, everything is going well, we have no villains”, but, your thoughts will be rewarded as a scene will pass so subtly, that you will feel the shit being thrown on the fan from the distance after a while. Treason, vengeance, grudges, all plotted in less than 2 chapters as the book does a very dangerous backflip and tension increases to new levels.
You know what is THE BEST PART of the sex scenes in this book? The many sex scenes of this book? CONSENT! HALELLUIAH!!!!!!! CLEAR CONSENT BEFORE SEX. THIS IS SUPER!!!! OMG YES!!!!! THANK YOU!!! HALLELUIAH!!!! Why is this a BIG deal. Because, many authors, do not give this little detail in sex scenes, and you know what? It makes A TOTAL difference. Literally. The difference is HUGE! Ok, there are rape scenes in here, and the author does NOT sugar coat any of it, but here’s the thing… she never gives the idea that it’s “ok”, or makes it acceptable by letting it slip into forgetfulness, oh no, there are dire consequences.
This book can engage your senses so strongly and it’s so descriptive that you will have to, at times, literally stop reading in order for you not to vomit in revulsion of some scenes in this book, to which I applaud Mack Little, because these are the types of scenes and situations that readers CANNOT forget the message behind them.
“Dinny allowed them to restrain her, for she was captivated by Jane, by the look of anxiety on her face. How remarkably satisfying it was to see and finally understand that Jane’s fear, long-held, fed her hate. Her disdain and disgust for Dinny never had anything to do with Dinny. It was something Jane needed to manage her own terror. She needed it to protect herself against the knowledge of her own weakness.”
I almost forgot! The villains? They are the most hideous lot you will read. Repulsive, murderous rats and snakes that will kill at the drop of a feather and do whatever it takes, to have their depraved ways. You will want to rip them to shreds yourself. And the sad thing about this is that, these atrocities are still present, to this day in our society, ignored by the many that benefit from it. You will be appalled. Trust me.
INCREDIBLE job. Daughter of Hades is outstandingly written. This is a book that you have to cancel all your appointments before starting to read, because it’s so gripping, that you won’t be able to put down, not only for the originality of the content, but also because of the sheer fierceness of the narrative, the plot, the characters, and the consequences. You will not find weak characters here, and when you do, count the pages, as they will not survive for long, trust me. It’s kill or be killed, and there is lots of bloodshed. A book that you cannot miss, and when you finish, you will beg for the second part. Mack Little brought a breeze of fresh air to the literary world with this challenging historical romance that is Daughter of Hades.
Pros:
- One of the best narratives I’ve ever read in my life
- Characters with such depth that they weight the pages down
- Unpredictable, diverse, and dynamic plot with so many facets and timelines , but so well explained that you have no problem keeping up with all of them. MASTERFUL!
- Highly informative and well researched book
- Suspenseful, thrilling, emotional, original, intense, graceful, gruesome, exquisite.
Cons:
None.
Scribble's Worth 