OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Katiann" by JD Kiser.]

Katiann by JD Kiser is a romance novel, which deals with both Christian and Native American beliefs. Anna is a young woman who lost her parents at an early age and was raised by her grandfather. In his final letter, her grandfather asks her to travel to Native American land and stay there for a year. The land is owned by Anna’s family, and she can choose whether to sell the land or to allow the natives to extend their stay there. Her grandfather insists that she should try to appreciate their way of life before selling the land. Anna travels to this village and meets Matete, the chief’s son. Their customs and rituals shock her. The story follows her relationship with Matete and other members of the tribe.

Matete and Anna are both well-developed characters. Their relationship is complicated and is challenged by various factors throughout the book. However, the most daunting challenge to their relationship is their own beliefs. Anna’s beliefs are questioned many times, and she struggles when faced with the peculiar rituals of Native Americans. The entire book is centred on the ritual of mating, which involves the tribe’s chief claiming the virginity of every girl of the tribe as soon as she attains maturity. These scenes might seem unpalatable to some readers. The book also associates the idea of purity with virginity. Anna saves herself for her soulmate for this reason. Some readers might not agree with this notion, but it is essential for the plot.

The book also deals with spirituality. The author introduces a unique blend of Christian and Native American faiths. The Christian God and Native American spirits are both honoured in this book. It seemed refreshing to me that instead of trying to change each other, Anna and Matete respect each other’s religious faith. The dichotomous portrayal of sexual purity disturbed me a bit. This occurred especially when Anna fears that her purity would be lost if she had consensual sex with Matete without knowing if he was her soulmate. It might seem archaic and orthodox to a modern reader. However, as I mentioned earlier, this concept is required for the plot.

The author has said in the introduction that she was inspired by the music of Alexandro Querevalú. I listened to his music after I read this book. I must say that I appreciate this story better after doing this. I felt that the character of Matete who plays the flute was based on Alexandro himself.

I give Katiann by JD Kiser 3 out of 4 stars. This is because of the grammatical mistakes in this book. I also found some flaws in editing. Initially, the syntax of sentences spoken by Matete and the people of his tribe is peculiar. This is because they are not native English speakers. However, somewhere in the middle of the novel, the syntax of their sentences becomes normal and then it oscillates back to the earlier style again. This is not because of any particular situation in the story. Therefore, I felt that it was a flaw in editing. This did not diminish my enjoyment while reading this book. This novel has many plot twists and its own brand of mystery. It is a page-turner. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys romance novels with a touch of mysticism and spirituality. However, since the book is orthodox in its sexual beliefs, I do not recommend this to readers who would be offended by such concepts.

******
Katiann
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like srividyag1's review? Post a comment saying so!

Kiser's Katiann has an interesting premise, and I always appreciate when an author takes the time to flesh out and develop his or her characters. The fact that both Christianity and Native American beliefs are given respect in this book, instead of one being depicted as evil and the other as good, is something that I also appreciate. Thank you for your review!

Rachel Lea wrote: ↑09 May 2019, 06:50 Kiser's Katiann has an interesting premise, and I always appreciate when an author takes the time to flesh out and develop his or her characters. The fact that both Christianity and Native American beliefs are given respect in this book, instead of one being depicted as evil and the other as good, is something that I also appreciate. Thank you for your review!

Yes, the beliefs are compared and contrasted. Also, the reaction of the characters when they encounter the other culture's beliefs and rituals is also detailed in the book. Thanks for your comment!!

It's definitely interesting to see someone trying to merge the Christian faith with Native American beliefs. I'm not sure that can really be done successfully in real life, but it does make for interesting read. I'd like to learn more about the Native Americans myself. Thanks much!

kandscreeley wrote: ↑09 May 2019, 09:23 It's definitely interesting to see someone trying to merge the Christian faith with Native American beliefs. I'm not sure that can really be done successfully in real life, but it does make for interesting read. I'd like to learn more about the Native Americans myself. Thanks much!

Anna is a devout Christian and Matete is a native American. Their struggle with each other's beliefs and the acceptance of the same is portrayed in this book. I'm not sure if it's possible in real life or not, but I do believe that love makes everything possible. Thanks for stopping by to comment!!

This book sounds amazing. I like stories that includes native Americans. I like that she followed her grandfather's wishes.

Great review.

I'm impressed that the author chose to blend the Christian and Native American beliefs. This is a story that I would love to read, in spite of the errors. Thank you for an excellent review!

Quickstudy wrote: ↑12 May 2019, 21:37 This book sounds amazing. I like stories that includes native Americans. I like that she followed her grandfather's wishes.

Great review.

In fact the story entirely takes place in Native American land. I'm sure you'd love it. Thanks for the comment!!

Bluebird03 wrote: ↑15 May 2019, 14:50 I'm impressed that the author chose to blend the Christian and Native American beliefs. This is a story that I would love to read, in spite of the errors. Thank you for an excellent review!

Yes, It's an acceptance of the other's beliefs by each. It's an epitome of tolerance in today's scenario where some find it difficult to accept those whose beliefs are different from theirs. Thanks for the comment!!