Heather’s Bookshelf: Dynasty of Summer: Part One
Author: Ticana Zhu
Released: 01/17/21
Genre: Historical fiction/romance
“I excused myself and stepped into the nearest garden. Taking a seat on a large rock, I closed my eyes. Bad things happened. I always knew this to be true. Yet, I believed bad things only happened to bad people. If one lived an honest life and treated others well, good things should come.”
“Dynasty of Summer” introduces Summer, a princess and daughter of the emperor, living a life of luxury during the Xia dynasty in China, but unsure of her place or purpose. The young woman happens upon the body of her dead half brother and her life begins to unwind.
Summer seeks advice and guidance from her brother, Winter, but he has disappeared and his friend, Hanming, has been accused of the murder. Summer is sure he is innocent as she hears tales of conspiracies and conjecture all around her but is unsure of what she can do about his predicament.
Her worries are confounded by a sudden betrothal. Having to leave the home she had spent her whole life in, an attempted kidnapping puts her life at risk. Will Summer survive all these changes to her life or will she succumb to the dangers around her?
Trigger Warning: Murder, violence
Overall, I enjoyed this story. The historical setting was interesting, but the protagonist shined regardless of the era. Her development from the start of the story to the end was dramatic, believable, and intriguing. Her relationship with her brother was endearing and the budding romance so sweet! I really liked that the author did not throw the romance in the reader’s faces or make it overly physical. The ending was also well done. It wrapped up the main thread of the story while also keeping it open enough for a sequel. My only difficulty with the tale was the pacing. While the second half of the book was quick moving, the first half was much more slow and drawn out. As this book is a part one, I would be interested in reading the sequel in order to find out what happens with the main characters.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A princess must learn to adapt to a new life if she is going to survive the chaos around her. A budding romance shine through the historical setting and a slow start.
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Check out my interview with Ticana Zhu
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