The Dark Genesis by A.D. Koboah
Synopsis:
Life for a female slave is one of hardship and unspeakable sorrow, something Luna knows only too well. But not even she could have foreseen the terror that would befall her one sultry Mississippi evening in the summer of 1807.
On her way back from a visit to see the African woman, a witch who has the herbs Luna needs to rid her of her abusive master’s child, she attracts the attention of a deadly being that lusts for blood. Forcibly removed from everything she knows by this tormented otherworldly creature, she is sure she will be dead by sunrise.
Dark Genesis is a love story set against the savage world of slavery in which a young woman who has been dehumanised by its horrors finds the courage to love, and in doing so, reclaims her humanity.
D.S. Williams Review:
I’m of two minds regarding this book, and even twelve hours after finishing I’m still considering my reaction to it.
A.D. Koboah’s story was written beautifully, I enjoyed the pacing, the characters and the concept. A.D. Koboah has a way with words which had me engrossed throughout the majority of the story.
Luna is an interesting and multi-faceted character, and for the most part I enjoyed the way she was written, but there were a couple of times when I found myself frustrated by her behaviour and the way she reacted to the male protagonist, Avery. While her initial reactions to Avery seemed very natural based on her background as a slave on a plantation (and a slave who had been physically abused by her masters), as time passed and Avery proved himself to be kind and caring, there were instances when I was frustrated by Luna’s decision making process and the way she refused to admit to her feelings. In some ways, I think the decision to avoid telling Avery how she felt about him was based on A.D. Koboah’s desire to take the storyline in a specific direction, rather than a realistic representation of Luna’s behaviors and that was quite frustrating.
Dark Genesis is the first of a trilogy, and at this stage, while I’m curious about the other books, I’m not inclined to race straight into reading the second book. Some of the upcoming storyline is pre-empted in the last few chapters of Dark Genesis, and to my mind, knowing what is to come has put me off reading any further.
Overall, this is a beautifully written book, but I’d suggest you read it for yourself to decide your opinion.
D.S. Williams 