Book Review: Tales of Nalu

The Tales of Nalu are short stories that prequel the upcoming The Hidden Dagger Trilogy by Jennette Mbewe. They're very well-written and very intriguing!

Can a desert princess find love with a foreign king?
Johari lives in the shadow of her beautiful sister until a foreign king notices her, but in her haste to prove herself worthy of affection she finds herself compromised and on a difficult journey to make things right.

This short story is a prequel to a The Hidden Dagger Trilogy, the first of which, Secrets Kept, will be releasing soon.

This is a tragic story of a girl making a wrong decision, then choosing to suffer for it in an attempt to protect and redeem herself. It is well-written with unique imagery and conflicting feelings. I really appreciated the fact that the author wrote about an immoral situation without stumbling the reader. The subject of the story  makes it suitable for older readers, but it was gently and cleanly handled.

As I said, this is a very sad story, but it sets the stage for an upcoming novel that I'm looking forward to read. The seed has been planted...I'm ready to travel into the world of Nalu!

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 The teaching of the Guardians has guided Semine’s footsteps since her infancy. When her mentor shows up with information contrary to what she’s been taught, she doubts her decision to follow in their footsteps. She must decide if there is life beyond what she has always known or embrace a new, mysterious path and reject the Guardians’ legacy.

This is the story of descent into darkness. How two young people with great aptitude follow something that at first seems right, but which compromises their purity, friendship, honesty, respect, and trust. As such, I wasn't overly fond of the story. It shows the background of whom I suspect will be the villainess for Secrets Kept. However, I expect Secrets Kept to be less discouraging because it is not about succumbing to evil, but defeating it. Hope over despair. Light over darkness.

Like I said, I think both of the above stories are only suitable for mature readers...probably over 16. It's always difficult for me to figure out appropriate age limit when a story deals with sex, even when it's off scene and not descriptive, which this thankfully is. I mean, the Bible deals with it too, and J.L. Mbewe being a caring Christian lady keeps overt description off scene and doesn't make the reader uncomfortable, besides just having the subject itself. So I guess it depends on the personal exposure of the individual.

 To what lengths would you go to save the world?

Elothryn keeps the darkest secret of Nälu: The cursed dagger of Raemoja. A weapon powerful enough to release the greatest evil from the underworld. For generations, his family has lived without incident until now. The hunters have his scent and will stop at nothing to reclaim the dagger. Elothryn and his son flee, seeking help, but will they find it?

This was my favorite of the three! It is a story of courage and determination. The author creates a suspenseful journey in a short time period and draws you close to the main characters. (Who happen to be elves. How cool is that?) There's a bit of violence, blood and death, but nothing too gory. And while this story is again sad, it also has a note of hope to it. I think this one especially is a must-read before Secrets Kept. :)
 
 The world of Nalu features humans, elves, dwarves, mer-folk, and feline shape-shifters! All three stories are soon to be releasing in one volume. And while these prequels might be sad, I doubt that The Hidden Dagger Trilogy will be, once it has all come full circle. I could be wrong, but Mrs. Mbewe says she loves happy endings!

An intriguing stage, full of perilous history and potent mystery, has been set for The Hidden Dagger Trilogy by J.L. Mbewe! I'm curious to see how all will work together for the Greater Glory!