sienna frost's obsidian: the awakening--a review

​Two nations. Two cultures. One trapped in the narrow alleys and quarters of their tightly packed city; the other trapped in ancient feuds and traditions. Both are determined to exist. 


Frost’s novel holds no punches and is as sharp as the rock from which it is named. In Frost’s own words, each of her characters are like obsidian–sharper and harder because they have been broken. 
The story opens with a captured woman facing the man that slaughtered her people, the Vilarhiti of the White Desert. He demands information from her–information that would lead to the demise of her culture as she knows it. But this Bhavari woman is strong and refuses to speak even under penalty of death. So her captor chooses life as her punishment–she will live as his prisoner, his wife, and be forced to watch any children born to her be raised by her enemy and transformed into the next conqueror of her people. 
Next we meet Hasheem, a former male prostitute turned assassin who now flees the city that used up his youth for its pleasures. Hasheem, too, is one of these sharp-edged people, and this flight to freedom drives him into the White Desert where his ability to survive in the dark alleys of the city will be of no help. Little does he or either nation know that his escape will signal the resurgence of conflict, shaking both peoples to their very core. 
Obsidian is a dark tale of political intrigue, secrets, depravity, and love. Each of the characters flow with passion–hatred, desire, ambition. Each character wants something and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. They are broken. They are survivors. They are dangerous. 

They are Obsidian itself. 

This story is not for the faint of heart. Frost takes off the rose-colored sheen of the world and explores deeply the dark, hidden places of human existence. With beautiful prose, exceptional story-telling, and captivating visuals, she brings the reader along on a journey that keeps them turning pages, drinking in more. Her characters worm their way into your heart and mind, and you find yourself thinking about them hours after the book has been closed. 

If you are up for the soul challenge, I recommend this book for you. 

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