Blog Tour: The Grip of God (Book One of The Tiger and The Dove Trilogy) by Rebecca Hazell: A Book Review

The Grip of God (Book One of The Tiger and The Dove Trilogy)
Author: Rebecca Hazell
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Release Date: 2013
Pages: 380
Source: This book was given to me as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Sofia, a young princess of Kievan Rus’, is captured in battle and swept away to a Mongol war camp as a slave concubine. Can she survive in a world of total war while the bitter rivalries in her new master’s family threaten her from all sides? In this dramatic first journal of her saga, Sofia seeks her way through an alien and savage culture where a new world of ideas challenges her entire view of life. While her only goal is to escape and to find love again, what will she discover if she can break free.

     My Review: Sofia is a young princess of Kyiv. When her kingdom is threatened of being attacked, her father devises a plan for Sofia to escape the palace unharmed. While fleeing to safety Sofia is captured by the Mongol slave camp. She becomes a concubine to the son of a noble family. Sofia finds herself not only in an entirely different culture and customs but also that she is involved in a great prophecy. All the while, Sofia plots to escape from the Mongols and hopefully find love and happiness when she breaks free.

     Sofia is a brave, young princess. She is very headstrong and stubborn. She at first comes across as arrogant. When she is captured, she hates her enemies and their culture. She is judgemental. But through her tutor Dorje, she comes to respect the Mongols customs. She slowly has a change of heart.

     I found this novel to be very emotionally driven. This novel mostly focuses on character development. We feel for Sofia and all her troubles and suffering. This novel has some very graphic scenes that were very painful to read, but it is vital to Sofia as a character. This novel is about Sofia’s trials and tribulations. However, throughout her trials, she is still determined and finds hope.

     The author portrays the Mongol way of life and beliefs very beautifully. I didn’t know much about the Mongol way of life, but the author makes it comprehensible to the reader to understand. I liked reading about the Mongol philosophy. Even though Sofia and the Mongols had a different religion, they also had something in common. Learning about a different person’s beliefs and customs made Sofia change for the better. Her mind broadens and so does her heart.

     Overall, this book is about tragedy, suffering, loss, friendship, survival and hope. The novel is slow moving, but it is worth it because the characters will keep you invested. It is about one girl’s journey to find happiness in a cruel world. Even though Sofia goes through many sufferings, she still is determined and never gives up her dream of escape. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history, Mongols, and survival stories. This is a great book that will keep you interested in finding out what happens to Sofia in the next two novels in the series.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars