Book Review: Tarnished Beginnings (Soul Dance, Book 1) by Ann Gimpel

Book Details:

Kindle File Size: 438 KB
Print Length: 111 pages
Publisher: Ann Gimpel Books, LLC
Publication Date: June 29, 2017
ASIN: B073JT64DP

Amazon Affiliate Link: http://amzn.to/2uoEk82
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35560469-tarnished-beginnings

About the Book:

Tarnished Beginnings is the prequel to the Soul Dance series. Novella length, it's shifter fantasy, but not a romance. The other three books in this series are full length romances with HEAs. Join Tairin as a young woman struggling to survive in 1700s Egypt. You'll meet her again in Tarnished Legacy, book two of Soul Dance.

1700s Egypt is a haven for magic-wielders of all kinds. Vampires hold court, staying one step ahead of the priests and priestesses who want them dead. Gypsy caravans roam the Nile from north to south and back again, plying their wares, telling fortunes, casting Tarot cards, and stealing from the gadjos.

Tairin Jabari was born in a caravan and has always believed she’s Romani. Why wouldn’t she? Her mother and father never suggested otherwise. The Rom have harsh rules. When Tairin’s first shift catches her unaware at thirteen, her father disappears, and the elders move with deadly speed to punish her mother for mating outside the blood.

Hurt, lost, confused, and fearing for her own life, Tairin runs away, leaving her mother’s smoking funeral pyre behind. If she could only find her father, he’d welcome her. He’s always loved her, hasn’t he? Only problem is he’s in a shifter settlement. With her mixed blood, they won’t welcome her any more warmly than the Romani. It doesn’t take long before Tairin discovers how desperately unprepared she is for life outside her protected caravan. With her survival on the line every single day, she and her wolf face hard choices.

My Review:

Tarnished Beginnings takes us on an adventure in 1700s Egypt. Tairin is the product of a Romani gypsy and a shifter – a union that, if known, results in the death of those who dare mate outside the gypsy clan. Additionally, the shifter clan will not acknowledge her either due to the dual heritage. She learns rather quickly that the world is neither kind nor safe outside the confines of the gypsy caravan; however, there is no turning back.

Get ready for the intro to what is sure to be a wonderful shifter fantasy series. I enjoyed the set up for the series in Tarnished Beginnings. Tairin’s character is young yet forced to grow up quickly in order to survive in a land where women were possessions with no rights or protections. The world building is done well and the reader will find themselves magically transported to Egypt in their mind’s eye. The dialogue was smooth and believable and I was engaged in the entire story.

Ann Gimpel is one of my favorite authors. Her stories are fresh and unique and her characters are strong and captivating. Her characters are real. They have real emotions, are likable, and are written in such a way that no matter their genre (paranormal, steampunk, historical), the reader will connect with them.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this novella.

My Rating:

5 Stars