Review: The Priest

5 LIGHTNING BOLTS 

Title: The Priest (The Ginecean Chronicles)     

Author: Monica La Porta

Genre: Dystopian / sci-fi / action

Publisher: Monica La Porta


Reviewer: Javier 

Blurb: Mauricio is a slave. Like any man born on Ginecea, he is but a number for the pure breed women who rule over him with cruel hands. Imprisoned inside the Temple since birth, Mauricio has never been outside, never felt the warmth of the sun on his skin. He lives a life devoid of hopes and desires. Then one day, he hears Rosie sing. He risks everything for one look at her and his life is changed, forever. An impossible friendship blossoms into affection deemed sinful and perverted in a society where the only rightful union is between women. Love is born where only hate has roots and leads Mauricio to uncover a truth that could destroy Ginecea.

Review:

This is, hands down, one of the best books I've ever read. Mauricio's plight as a slave, brutally abused and treated no better than a somewhat useful animal, made me realize just how much I take my freedom for granted. Seeing life through his eyes made me run outside at times, just to dispel the feelings evoked on the page.

Monica La Porta does an incredible job of putting the reader right in Mauricio's mind, where you're subjected to an emotional journey that will leave you in tatters because of its beautiful poignancy. When everything is taken from you, when you face pain or death over the most minor offense, what is there to live for?

Enter the President's daughter, who despite enjoying a privileged life knows herself to be a slave to a legion of expectations imposed upon her. Their story is one of triumph of the one thing no one can take away from us, love.

Despite the stark setting, the emotions are palpable. You feel for these two wonderful characters. You will be overwhelmed by outrage at times, you will laugh at the levity that's a testament to the spirit of these people, and you will shed tears born of different emotional extremes.

The temptation to share some of the powerful lines from THE PRIEST is great, but I cannot in good conscience give away such gems. Any reader will feel the wind knocked out of them upon encountering these aforementioned lines. THE PRIEST is a story that will stay with you long after closing that final page. Yours truly will never look at a blade of grass the same way, and I'll never again take the song of birds for an annoyance. Monica La Porta has instilled in me a new perspective on life, and you'd be robbing yourself of an incredible experience if you don't get this book in your hands. It was an honor and a privilege to read Monica's work, and I'm looking forward to her next novel.

About the author: Monica La Porta is an Italian who landed in Seattle severalyears ago. Despite popular feelings about the Northwest weather, she finds themist and the rain the perfect conditions to write.






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