Damsel In Distress by Lee French
A Fantasy Novel published by Tangled Sky Press (3/1/14)
Summary:
“There was a way out of this, she just had to find it and take it and not wait like a mewling kitten for someone to come along and pick her up. Keric couldn’t save her, Darius couldn’t save her, Connor, Rae, and Evi couldn’t save her, no Disciple could save her. This was her problem, and she was going to fix it. All she needed was a plan.” (Kindle Locations 3481-3483).
Sabetia was trained to be a damsel in distress from the very beginning. Her mother taught her the obedience that would become her downfall in the silence of her suffering at the hands of a new husband. Abuse is tricky when it is wrapped up in caring and love, but in the end it is never love if it comes with hurt, domination, and pain.
Keywords:
Damsel, Distress, Abuse, Violence, Magic, Mage, Elf, Myth, Old Legend, Female Main Character, Strength, Finding Inner Power, Struggle, Domestic Violence, Wife Beating, Gossip, Friendship, Loyalty, Protection, Healing, Forgiveness, Saving Yourself
My Review:
The message was told in an agonizing story. You have worth. You have value. You are not just a toy or a passing obsession. You matter. You can take control. You have power even in weakness. Damsel in Distress passes through each of these messages in the story of abuse and power Jason has over Sabetia. She is the product of her upbringing, taught to acquiesce, do what she’s told, and take what any man gives her. When Jason gives her pain and torture mixed with a sliver of what she thinks is love and caring, she bears it. She thinks her value is in bearing the pain and doing what Jason tells her.
I agonized with Sabetia. I yearned for her freedom and safety with her. She was a compelling character. Her story was the story, wrapped up in a larger story that was also her story. She was the center of everything and was a strong enough character with a strong enough story to carry the book. In other words, I enjoyed every word of it.
Parts of the plot seemed a bit hurried, but most of these parts occurred at crucial moments where there was a lot going on, so they might have seemed faster than they really were.
This was a powerful novel that told of a girl becoming a woman who must learn to value herself and her talents above all the lies her abuser has told her every time he hurt her.
This novel was published by Tangled Sky Press on March 1st, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00
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