Destiny's Favor (Orlosian Warriors, #2)

by Dariel Raye

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I enjoyed Calm Assurance (Orlosian Warriors Book 1) as such when I was offered a copy of book 2 (Destiny’s Favor) for review purposes I did not hesitate to accept. This can be read as a stand-alone, however, I would recommend that you read Calm Assurance prior to reading this installment. My recommendation is based on the fact that characters from book one make an appearance in book 2. It’s my belief that reading Calm Assurance first, will help you to better understand their purpose in this installment.

What I like about this series is its refreshing and unique perspective on the Nephilim Race. It is believed that most of the females had perished during the flood and as a result, the ratio of men to women was 500:1. Wow! A world where there are more men than women, I am loving it. Due to the shortage of females, only a few males were allowed to have mates. The warriors were forced to live a life of singleness and would engage in intimacy sporadically. These warriors would soon come to realise that there is a female born them, but the only problem was that she was from the human race. It was against the rules for an Orlosian warrior to get involved with a human female.

I loved the characters, it was easy to relate to them. They had hopes and dreams, and they were motivated. Japheth was determined to find his soul mate. This was demonstrated by the lengths he went through to find her. He was not about to let anything or anyone get in his way. He was willing to risk death just to find her. If that is not motivation, I don’t know what is. Destiny is a woman who had hopes and dreams. Her biggest hope was that one day she would become a bride. She has always been a bridesmaid but never a bride. She has never had luck in the relationship department as she seems to be always attracting men who are self-centered. Her current relationship was no different.

Destiny is strong willed, independent, feisty and determined. Japheth had difficulty dealing with these traits. He kept hoping that she would change, but he would soon come to realise that he would be hoping in vain. He was archaic in his beliefs as it relates to females. As a result, he came off as being arrogant and domineering. However, Destiny would show him the error of his ways. It was fun watching how they related to each other. What Japheth believed would have been an easy task turned out to be harder than he had anticipated.

I liked the fact that their romance took a time to develop. Even though they were soul mates and there was an instant attraction, their feeling for each other grew over time. I found this to be somewhat refreshing. In addition to the romance, there was drama, suspense and paranormal elements which made for an engaging read. The story demonstrates the sacrifices that one would make for the person they love. One cannot truly love until one is willing to make sacrifices. Love can’t exist without sacrifice.

VERDICT:
Destiny’s Favor is one of those stories that will hold you in its grip from start to finish. It was well written and aptly paced. I am looking forward to learning more about the Orlosian warriors as such I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.