Review Detail

"If she follows her heart,
she will be forever....
Banished..."


Oh where to start....I absolutely LOVED, OBSESSED, DREAMED ABOUT, RAVED and DEVOURED this amazing book. WOW....I loved the first book in this series, Forbidden, and could not wait to read the sequel and it was even better than expected!!!

Banished is full of breath-taking romance, intense action scenes, and beautiful world-building. I love how the story takes place over the Mesopotamian desert which makes the survival aspect of this story feel so real. I love survival stories and especially where there is a female heroine who has to overcome overwhelming odds to survive and Jayden is the perfect heroine for this story.

Banished picks up right where Forbidden ended and Jayden is scouring the desert looking for her true love, Kadesh, whom she has heard stories that he could be alive and not dead at the hands of the evil Horeb. Jayden has dealt with so many difficult and painful experiences but she has not given up hope that she and Kadesh can live happily if they can just make it to his kingdom, Sariba and escape Horeb.

Usually sequels are more of just a continuation of the story to keep the story going until the final book but Banished is an exception to that standard....Banished was so much more than just an ordinary sequel. The story line in Banished was so intricate and fascinating and so many new characters were introduced who grabbed your heart just as much as the original characters from the first book. Each new character that was introduced had their own special place in the story and I cannot wait to find out where their paths take them in this amazing trilogy.

Jayden and Kadesh travel the desert for most of this book and they visit so many new, fascinating places that just continued to build on this amazing, breath-takingly beautiful world. I loved the aspect of "arabian nights", beautiful dark-haired belly dancers, and magnificent palaces.

There is so much emotion in this story and moments where my heart literally broke for Jayden and the pain she experienced. Jayden's family's beliefs and their culture is so strong and at times utterly heart-breaking. Jayden faces terrifying danger out in the desert and uncovers treacherous secrets that could change everything for her and Kadesh.

"My arms swept around his neck to hold him, our bodies woven together, legs tangled. I sensed his heart beating in rhythm to mine as though we were already one."

I cannot express just how much I loved this book!! It's hard to talk about it and try not to give away anything because everyone should experience each page of this book and devour each beautifully written word just as I did.....WOW...Just WOW....I literally cannot wait to get my hands on the final book and see where Jayden and Kadesh's destiny lies and what treasures await them......