Review of The Queen's Sacrifice

[Rupneet]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Queen's Sacrifice" by LeBron Sims.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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The Queen's Sacrifice by LeBron Sims is an entertaining debut book. The subject and the story are impactful. In the book, the author promises to share about a life of hardships and a slice of history as lived by people in the 1800s during an unfortunate turn of events—a war-stricken zone, an unprecedented pandemic, and more.

The inception of a surreal story by the author, based on facts from the war zone, creates a unique aura about the story. The author's story spans a wider time in history, creatively sharing the essence of the raw nuances of war-stricken civilians. The unbearable fear and a mix of so many emotions of a prisoner, caught amidst his oppressors, especially the dread of physically being in Auschwitz, is remarkably portrayed.

However, the characters’ journey through history mellows down the dread of the time! Lukacs and his beloved Lili are made for each other. He had not known love before meeting her, and she left all life’s luxuries to be with him! Their family is filled with joy and laughter—Adam, Iszak, and Jamos are their sons. Jamos was the youngest. And they loved each other dearly. They learned the value and ethics of work from their hard-working father. They endured their life lessons through their faith in Lukacs and his love for them.

Jamos stumbled upon his life’s dream in his childhood. His meeting with a local doctor in his village inspires him. And life opens up new opportunities for him. His family supports him. The avenues of a better life in the city offer him better means to help his family in their time of need. Especially when he was called to serve during World War I. His training as a doctor became more and more dreadful to endure for him. He worked endless hours, not knowing when peace would come. One such experience takes Jamos to the dreaded prisoner camps, where he meets Colonel Falkenhayn. They share a unique bond with mutual respect and warmth for each other. Jamos is always humble, and so is the colonel, making an interesting chemistry between them.

Positive and negative aspects
The title invokes a great sense of excitement at first glance! Only after I was well into the story, after reading the unique connection between Jamos and Colonel Falkenhayn, could I appreciate the author’s insight behind this title. It might just have more to it—an allegorical reference to Colonel Falkenhayn’s pain of losing Sophia to the mires of his painful journey when he assumes a new role, completely reinvigorating the story. Another interesting aspect I found is the story's pace, especially in the initial chapters. I liked the writer's approach of using a slow pace that might add time for world-building in his book, especially adding many intricate details from the city life that Lukacs and Lili experienced.

Each chapter begins with a short quote as a header, making the overall reading experience entertaining. The author’s writing is lucid, filled with amazing anecdotes, sharing the painful memory of a distant war. These include the author's reflections on events that might have affected people in many ways, which are depicted by him in this debut book. He beautifully articulates the dialogues and interactions among his characters, closely involving readers' senses with elements of history and invigorating a deep, surreal after effects. His characters are vivid, with agonizing pain due to their unprecedented political conditions. Though the author has crafted humor well in their dialogues, making the reading experience more entertaining. However, the sub-plots beautifully transcend the mind to those dreaded times in history, painting a living, walking relic of a picture before the eyes. There are many errors in the book. Based on the above-mentioned positive aspects and following the Book Club's guidelines for reporting errors while rating, I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Besides this, I have nothing negative to report about the book. I would like to recommend it to fans of thrilling stories based on history.

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The Queen's Sacrifice
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[Kutloano Makhuvhela]

Thank you for writing this insightful review. I have just finished reviewing it, too, and I must say that I agree with you on many points. What I found about it is that it was too long.

[Isreal Akor 2]

That was a really detailed and insightful review of "The Queen's Sacrifice" by LeBron Sims! Given your thorough breakdown, especially the blend of historical tragedy with personal connection and the unique dynamic between Jamos and Colonel Falkenhayn, I'm left with one main question.
Considering the title, "The Queen's Sacrifice," and your observation that its meaning became clearer later, I'm really curious: What aspects of Colonel Falkenhayn's story, particularly his "pain of losing Sophia" and assuming a "new role," led you to interpret the title as an "allegorical reference" to his journey? Could you elaborate on how his character arc specifically embodies the idea of a "queen's sacrifice" within the narrative?

[Kibet Hillary]

It is amazing to see that the consistent and dedicated hard work of a parent could inspire their children to follow the same path even in the midst of troubling and unpredictable times. I am an ardent reader of historical fiction and history, and it is good to read that this book's setting covers a long period. Thanks for the review, @Rupneet.