BANISHED

If she follows her heart, she will be forever... banished. Perfect for fans of Cleopatra's Moon and the adult bestseller The Red Tent, this is the epic sequel to Forbidden, set in the unforgiving deserts of ancient Mesopotamia. Jayden's courage will be put to the test as she fights for her survival and the one she loves. Jayden thought she had lost everything. After months of traveling in the desert, she discovers her beloved Kadesh is injured but still alive. However, the two must flee immediately, for the vengeful and jealous Horeb is on their trail, desperate to take Jayden back to be his bride. The trek to the southern lands comes with heartache and danger, and as Jayden and Kadesh draw closer to their destination, she realizes that even he has been keeping secrets from her...ones that will change everything. Kimberley Griffiths Little's riveting sequel to Forbidden will leave readers begging for the final installment. Series licensed in: Poland & Thailand

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—As this sequel to Forbidden (HarperCollins, 2014) opens, teenage princess Jayden has left her tribe and is alone in the desert, seeking her beloved prince Kadesh and trying to evade her evil fiancé, Horeb. When she eventually finds Kadesh, he has been badly injured and scarred, but more ominously, he appears to be keeping secrets from her. Kadesh, Jayden, and the Edomites travel toward Jayden's home kingdom in the southern lands, but they face constant danger from Horeb's army and from the desert itself. They eventually reach the city of Sariba, where Kadesh and his family rule, but now they face even greater threats from power-hungry Aliyah, Kadesh's former fiancée and priestess of the Goddess of Sariba. Readers will need to be familiar with the events of the previous volume in order to follow the plot here. There is a lot of action, but a number of the weaknesses of the first book are also present in this sequel. There are more historical inaccuracies and implausible plot devices, and the lead characters are not particularly compelling. VERDICT Purchase where the first installment was popular.—Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ


Review

I absolutely LOVED, OBSESSED, DREAMED ABOUT, RAVED and DEVOURED this amazing book. WOW....I loved the first book in thisseries, Forbidden, and could not wait to read the sequel and it was even better than expected!!! -- Beth at "Curling Up With a Good Book"


BANISHED is Book 2 of the FORBIDDEN trilogy by award-winning author, Kimberley Griffiths Little

I. Absolutely. LOVED. This sequel. Holy guacamole, I wasn't prepared for this book. For me, sequels are often not that great, just a necessary hump to cross before reaching the epic finale in book three. THIS sequel did not suffer any sequel slump! --Alyssa from "Eater of Books"

“Will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment. Banished will appeal to fans of Kristin Cashore and Morgan Rhodes.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA))

“Little's descriptions of the landscape are evocative in both desolation and in beauty. Just as good is her pacing, which gets the blood pumping for both characters and readers. This will heighten anticipation for a no-doubt exciting conclusion.” (Booklist)

Praise for Forbidden (;)

“At its core, this is a romance, with all the push and pull that goes along with impossible love, and Little elevates the story by creating a perilous landscape, both outward and inward, as Jayden must deal with the hardship of desert life as well as her own desires.” (Booklist (starred review))

“A fast-paced, entertaining choice which will appeal to fans of historical fiction and romance.” (School Library Journal)

“Rich historical details are deftly woven into Jayden's narration, and the dynamics of Jayden's tribe are vividly drawn. Jayden's story becomes as much about finding herself as it is about finding love.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books)