Book Review: Banished (Forbidden #2) by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Banished (Forbidden #2) 
by  Kimberley Griffiths Little 
eBook, 416 pages
Release Date: February 2nd, 2016
Publisher: Harpercollins
Genre: YA Fantasy, Romance
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Goodreads Summary: She thought she’d lost everything…

After spending months traveling the harsh, unforgiving Mesopotamian desert, Jayden reunites with a broken, injured Kadesh. Although everyone was convinced the violent and unpredictable Horeb, Jayden’s betrothed, killed the handsome prince, Jayden knew in her heart that her love was alive and safe. But their reunion is short-lived, as they learn Horeb is on their trail and determined to take back the girl he has claimed. Soon, the two star-crossed lovers are on the run toward Sariba, Kadesh’s homeland, where, as heir to the kingdom, he plans to make Jayden his princess.

But the trek to Sariba comes with heartache and danger. After narrowly escaping being stoned to death for a crime she didn’t commit, and learning that her sister has disappeared, Jayden’s only solace is her love for Kadesh. But even he is keeping secrets from her…secrets that will change everything.

This gorgeous and enchanting sequel to Forbidden is fraught with love, danger, and heated passion that will leave readers breathless.  

Cindy's Review:
Banished by Kimberley Griffiths Little is the second book of the Forbidden series. Picking up right after the first novel, Jayden of the Nephish tribe crosses the harsh Mesopotamian desert alone to find her lover Kadesh.

The violent and unpredictable King of Nephish, Horeb, attempted to kill Kadesh and is now hunting Jayden across the desert. Horeb is originally Jayden’s betrothed, but she did not want to rule alongside a psycho who killed his own father and brother for the throne.Now an outcast for attempting to elope with Kadesh to the kingdom of Sariba, Jayden must quickly find Kadesh and reach the safety of Sariba without being mauled by Horeb’s growing army.

Receiving help from the Edomites tribe, Jayden and Kadesh race against time to reach Sariba before getting caught by Horeb’s army. Unfortunately, Horeb seems to be crossing the desert with a lot more ease than anticipated. For someone who is not familiar with the harsh environment of the current day Saudi Arabian desert, Horeb must have been receiving help from a spy within Jayden’s group.

To make matters worse, Kadesh is holding back information from Jayden about his homeland, Sariba. It seems that Sariba is dealing with interior complications as well. As Jayden and Kadesh rush southwards along the Red Sea, readers experience the dry desert under the relentless sun and whooshing winds alongside the protagonists.

Compared with Forbidden, Banished is the action and the battles while Forbidden is like the introduction and the background information. Ms. Kimberley continues to take readers along with the protagonists' adventure through the desert. Sariba felt like a faraway safe haven. I am imagining a secret island full of cherry blossoms (the frankincense trees) and a pond, hidden behind the mountains, protected by nature. 

Though the ending marked the actual beginning of battles, I was still oddly satisfied of being able to see Kadesh's homeland and learning its secret. I absolutely cannot wait for the final book in the trilogy to see what is in store for Jayden's future.

I recommend this novel to readers who like historical fiction full of suspense and mystery. 

**Huge thanks to Dena from Batch of Books for giving me the opportunity to review Banished**

The Rating: (1-10): 8.5~

Happy Reading ~ 

Blog Tour: Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Welcome to my stop on the Forbidden Blog Tour
hosted by I Am a Reader.

Forbidden (Forbidden #1)

by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Release Date: November 4th, 2014

Blurb: 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. 

Cindy's Review: 

At a Glance/The Cover:

I always to seem miss all the blog tours I'm actually interested in. Then, I'll have to end up buying the book because I want to read it so badly. So it was a huge surprise when I got to be on this blog tour! ion I'm so honored! :)

I absolutely love historical fiction. They have believable forbidden romances with perfect gentlemen in addition to royalties and story of the past we don't live in our everyday lives. 

The Characters: 

Jayden - Jayden was easy to follow along and fun to read about. She is slightly humorous and a little unsure of what she should do with herself. In Forbidden, we slowly start to see Jayden choose her decision between a life or for family. One of the other. 

Kadesh - Kadesh was this total stranger. But soon, he found a place in my heart. A modest, kind, and handsome young man. Now I sound like an old granny. Why can't they exist in everyday life like this? Or maybe in everyday teenage boys? 

Horeb - I was really prepared to like this boy. I was hoping Jayden would forget the 'forbidden' and realize that she can have both love and family with Horeb. But boy was I wrong. Entirely wrong. Horeb is more like a controlling, evil ex-boyfriend. You do not want him in your life. He uses sympathy of others to manipulate situations. Anyone who can kill someone without blinking or feeling anything is not worth even thinking about. 

There is somewhat a love triangle, but from the beginning, you can obviously see who would be a better choice. Who would be the most logical and realistic. So all in all, the decision comes down to FAMILY or LOVE? 

Characters and romance aside, I really enjoyed the setting and historical mentions. Obviously, there isn't enough Mesopotamian history to really know what happens during this time period and what the nomadic tribes do. The author's imagination with it was amazing and I really enjoyed. I love the historical mentions especially of big cities they stop by and the neighboring lands. I'm taking APWH and I feel so proud I'm actually keeping up with everything! :D 

Overall Thoughts:

A definite must-read for historical fiction lovers. This compelling novel is filled with romance, morals, and deep-thoughts of a young girl living in the Mesopotamian world. 

The ending was certainly an open ending. I would call it a cliffhanger, but there is some cushion base of moral lessons right at the end. It's how I would like to end my essays. Life lessons and penetrating words of advice. Nothing of a sudden fall off the cliff. 

The Rating: (1-10): 9.5~

Happy Reading~

Book Trailer: 

Author Bio: 

Kimberley Griffiths Little was born in San Francisco, but now lives in New Mexico with her husband and their three sons. 

For such award-winning middle grade novels as When the Butterflies Came, The Last Snake Runner, The Healing Spell, and Circle of Secrets, her writing has been praised as "fast-paced and dramatic," with "characters painted in memorable detail" and "beautifully realized settings." 

Kimberley adores anything old and musty with a secret story to tell and makes way too many cookies while writing. 

She's stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland; sailed on the Seine in Paris; ridden a camel in Petra, Jordan; shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria.

Links: 

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Website: http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com

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