Shamra Divided - Barry Hoffman

Shamra Divided follows the tale of the ancient Shamra civilization and specifically the generations of the ruling family. The Shamra have survived through many hardships but each one has taken a toll on the people. Dara, the headstrong protagonist, has been prophesized as the only hope they have for further survival. The Shamra's greatests enemy, Chaos, is after them again, and only Dara has the tools to defeat him. The time period moves between the past and the present as Briana, Dara's friend, tells her about the history of her family. Shamra Divided is the second book in the Shamra Chronicles.

This book was definitely a very easy and enjoyable read. The writing was engaging and the plot line itself was fascinating. I have not read the first book of the series, so I was apprehensive as to whether I would be able to follow the story, but I was pleasantly surprised. While allusions were made to the first book, they were not so intricately woven in that I could not understand the story. The underlying threads of feminism were very pleasing to my ideals, so thank you Barry Hoffman for that. My only complaints are that it was sometimes hard to keep all the characters straight, and I really don't like the cover art, it seems juvenile compared to the content of the book.

Note: This book was sent to me by the author for review through the third party Bostick Communications.