Pariah Princess
Royalty demands obedience. Her spirit demands more.
In the ancient and formidable kingdom of Gaina, where sun-drenched savannahs yield to shadowed forests and towering peaks, tradition is law and survival is a brutal test. Princess Nola is an anomaly - royalty by birth, outcast by choice. Scorned by her people and a disappointment to the throne, her rebellious spirit clashes with every fiber of the rigid Gainan Way.
But Nola's sheltered world cracks open when a harsh encounter beyond the capital reveals the true cost of Gaina's unyielding customs. Now, fueled by a burning desire for justice, she must risk everything to prove her worth to a kingdom that despises her defiance. Her goal? To shatter the foundations of a cruel tradition and fight for a future where compassion takes root. But can one defiant princess break free from the chains of the past? And will the price of the kingdom's favor truly grant her the freedom she seeks?
REVIEW ON PARIAH PRINCESS:
You know the rain is coming because of the scent. That earthy scent that changes everything in the air. The texture, the movement and I daresay the colour. What you do not know though is; what the intensity will be like. Will it be a full immersion of the cracked earth that has deeply craved to be watered and therefore drinks incessantly or perhaps the kind that trickles in bit by bit, slowly but surely.
It is a normal day with the sun having left its cave. The clouds are somewhat scattered. You try to perceive the rain cloud before the pitter patter ensues, before she comes, the Pariah Princess - that rain that gives you a full immersion and you only realize this when you are so deep that the only thing to do is go deeper.
This is how I found myself drowning.... What began as only one chapter just before I closed my eyes to sleep ended up with me rotating and shifting around my bed like a nomad- trying to find a more suitable position for yet another sore part of my body. My eyes somehow forgot that we should be cooperating as far as sleep was concerned. Like any avid reader who finds a good book, I managed to convince myself that I would sleep right after the chapter I was reading. How far this was from the truth!
Relatable yet somehow novel, Tima Hiba crafts a fantasy, a story of a kingdom built on the strong dogma of tradition where truth and tradition are married as one yet a young haughty girl insists on the dichotomy of both. Her rebellious streak is woven with such detail that it tears your allegiances to her father the king, yet somehow taps into your soft underbelly as it speaks to you about becoming, that longing that pushes you to question, to wonder and maybe, even follow the questions and wonders. Such is the spirit of Nola - much to the utter dismay of the Gainans.
The Gainan language, bereft of ambiguity, potent with precision and rich in proverbs and sayings, draws you into the acute thoughts of the people - the criticism and paradox, the secrets and the sayables, all palpable in the well woven tapestry of story telling so that this is a world that lives through you every moment you wake. You breathe the Gainan air. You sneak to the Paupers Village with the MkuMagoni hoping not to get caught, you attend the celebrations and marvel at the sight of the majestic beast at King Lano's side, the pomp of the feasts, the knowing looks that hide surreptitious tales and when an unknown beast roars threatened in its own territory, your heart shifts uncomfortably and one can only hope that Nola lives to see another day in Gaina.
The rain crescendos, a roar so strong that it shakes you to the core. The King moans, the healer hopes.
At this point, I could almost collect the wind of Gaina and put it in a jar. The sheer beauty and visceral description of events left me gulping for more, tearing through the pages like a leopard on the chase. There are books that you read that make your mind reel from its effect, others leave you shocked at the human nature and then comes Pariah Princess that insists on its own path, a new set of terms and conditions. I could only bow and make room for more as the Gainans took me away to a totally different kingdom; its mystery unforgettably unraveled before me, the air so tangible that I questioned my immediate surroundings.... I still am.....
Please rob a bank if you have to - it will be worth your while - every penny, every dime and time that you will spend devouring this book.
I definitely look forward to seeing you on the other side. Watch out for the screamer yelling,
"Welcome to The Gainan Kingdom!"
Review by: N. Githaiga
