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Twisted Tango of Disgust & Delight

A Book Doctor Review of Port of Princes by Fabiola Joseph and Nika Michelle

By Jymyaka BradenPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
3
Official Book Cover

Twisted Tango of Disgust & Delight

A Little Background

I originally reviewed Port of Princes in October of 2018, for a now-defunct urban book review club, Paperback Pushers. The former leader of the pack, April Freeman, designed the group like an up-and-coming organized drug ring. We definitely pushed product- product being books. This left us with stacks on stacks of books and e-books. I read and reviewed dozens but a few of them made a lasting impression.

Port of Princes by Fabiola Joseph and Nika Michelle was among the best. I enjoyed this novel so much that I reached out to the co-authors to discuss my frustrations, my hopes, and my fears while reading this book. I needed a guide through this universe and they obliged even without spoilers.

This novel encompasses the best elements of each genre. I was in an urban novel as my characters were part of a crime family. Yet, it seems the Erzili and Mari are just begining to understand the source of their family's affluence. Saint and Karter arrived with a rude announcement in the form of murder, kidnapping, and a wealth of alternative family history that includes way more scandal than the bedtime lies the girls were tucked in with before their parent's assanination.

I also found mystery in unraveling the crimes and their impact. I was shocked and thrilled at the turn of each page. Yet, charmed by a bludgeoning love story splattered on the backdrop of this beautiful country. They even managed to weave some island history and politics.

The Introduction

The cover art introduced the scenery of Haiti and hinted at some spiritual dance and costumes. Once submerged in the pages, the loas lured me beyond this dimension. These cruel authors surrounded me with horrible things in beautiful places. They shattered my heart and spent the rest of the pages piecing it back together.

The Characters

These characters are dynamic, realistic, and complex. The situation they find themselves in is so extreme that only survival is a win. Even that is debatable in the aftermath of such destruction.

Could there ever be a love story more tragic than Erzili and Saint’s? Or a duo more devilishly destructive than Mari and Karter? Their romance is everything to be admired but nothing to envy. The twisted tango of taboo and irrational emotions makes for an explosive story.

Erzili and Saint enchanted me with their dance. Enzo disgusted me with his illicit affinity. Karter is a lovable villain who pairs with Mari like fire to gasoline. The scenes are so majestically written that I was uncomfortable at times with my own responses. I began to wonder where my morality would lead me if life rolled these dice in my direction? But before I could chastise myself too much I surrendered to the spirit of the story. They wanted you to tread the lines of disgust and delight. They wanted you to wrestle as the characters did with the range of internal conflict.

The words and imagery are still crashing through my cranium long after the cover is closed.

The Conclusion

I loved this book when I read it. I reference it all the time. I prescribe this book for anyone who is into Urban Fiction but looking for an elevated reading experience. This book is for the mentally sound and spiritually open. This book thrills and entertains while it imbues surface truths and exposes embedded lies. This energy will impact you for better or worse.

For more book reviews and prescriptions follow me on Instagram at @thebookmd. If you would like to purchase this title slide in my DMs with the name of the book that caught your attention and your email address.

For more creative work by me check out https://linktr.ee/Jymyaka.

review
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About the Creator

Jymyaka Braden

JJ Braden is an enthusiastic reader & an animated storyteller who believes strongly in the written word to create bridges across worlds, cultures, & timelines. Thru book coaching, she forges a path to publishing for nontraditional creators.

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insight

  1. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

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