The Duke's Handmaid by Caprice HokstadThis is the Kindle book I won from the podcast. I said I'd write a review for it.
I was really drawn into the book at first by the authors writing. It was easy going, whilst enriched with description at the same time. She kept you interested.
The main character, Keedrina, is subjected to so many hardships; it annoyed me in the end how perfect she was, and how she coped with everything so well and was so good.
The Duke is easily persuaded by his wife, who throws tantrums and blackmails him, basically getting everything she wants. She is convinced that he is being unfaithful (which he isn't) and so starts being so herself.
I didn't like the part where Keedrina is sent away with other Itzi and sold to a new master. The new master is not a nice man, he basically uses the Itzi as a means to fulfil his worldly lusts, to put it nicely, and I didn't like that part of the book very much because of the mentions of this. One of the Itzi becomes pregnant with his child whilst she is there. He is a cruel man.
The Duke is portrayed as a kind and just man in his own way. His vision of justice is to give the offender his own medicine but far worse. I didn't like him much, and didn't feel any growing sympathy or liking to him at all. Although he was sorry in the end for being so soft with his wife and being so willing to please her in all her demands, I still didn't care very much for him.
The story has a nice enough ending, but the whole book to me seemed to be shrouded in depression; it was very dark and unhappy for most of the time.
Basically I enjoyed the experience to a certain extent, but it is not a book I would read again; nor is it one that I would encourage younger people to read.
Have you read it? What are your thoughts?
