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Ai, Princess of Ore: Love's Secret Place
312 pages, Hardcover
Published November 30, 2024
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 21, 2025
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
My friend lent me her KOBO so I could read this story, and I should have known she wanted to see my reaction to it. I thought the cover design looked very interesting, and I was intrigued to read the book.
However, I admit I was quite confused by the story. It felt like the book had no clear direction or central plot to anchor everything together. The first half seemed like a traditional fantasy world, but then it suddenly shifted into real-world countries and religions. It felt as if the author was tossing in ideas as she went along, but they weren’t executed properly. The story felt disjointed and unresolved.
Don’t get me wrong— in my opinion, the author did a good job of creating a medieval fantasy ambiance and world-building. But it felt like she got lost in her own storytelling. Even with fantasy, there are some “rules” you need to follow, especially if you’re trying to maintain a close connection to the real world.
I thought for a 21 years old women, Ai is considered "old" because from what I know about medieval history, noblewomen often married much younger—sometimes as young as 14, the age of consent in many medieval societies. I understand that Ai might struggle to find suitors due to her race, but she’s not a peasant—she’s the only daughter of a famous kingdom. Even if her race or complexion is considered “unattractive,” her royal status and proximity to the throne should have men lining up for her hand.
The author keeps saying Ai is seen as unattractive by the people of Ore, yet constantly reminds us readers that she’s very beautiful. It felt contradictory. The main reason given for her "unattractiveness" is her complexion—just that. There’s no mention of her other features, just repeated emphasis on her skin tone.
Ai also came off as quite immature at times. While I appreciated her empathy and willingness to stand by her beliefs, it felt odd that she did so even at the cost of her own safety. Ai, you’re a princess, and you’ve repeatedly mentioned that the people of Ore disapprove of you. Yet you’re constantly putting yourself in danger and acting recklessly. She often seemed juvenile. The story tries hard to make Ai a very likable character—she is likable, to some extent—but she could also be very frustrating.
In the first half of the book, Ai did nothing but run around the palace avoiding her knight (who was just doing his job), bump into a stranger, and think nothing of it. She was also dismissive of her knight’s and best friend’s concerns about this stranger. She seemed completely blind to some major red flags.
****Spoilers*****
During her visit to the Bamah Kingdom, Ai learns some facts about the kingdom and its past rulers. Later, while on a tour, Ai and her knight Michael come across a boy and, eventually, a small village of people who look like her. Suddenly, the story shifts into a real-world setting—Africa. Why the author chose to do that is beyond me; it completely pulled me out of the fantasy world.
Ai shows little reaction to the fact that people are calling her by another name, or that a young girl in the village closely resembles her. After discovering that the African people had made a deal with a former Bamah king and are now oppressed and in hiding, Ai does... nothing. She doesn’t think about them in the following chapters. That subplot pops up and disappears just as quickly.
I understand that medieval societies were very religious, with Christianity being dominant. However, I found it strange that the author chose to include a real-world religion in the story. It’s mentioned early on that Ai is a God-fearing person, but in the second half (especially toward the end), the book suddenly starts quoting actual Bible verses (I think?), and it overtakes the plot. I don’t understand why the author didn’t just create a fantasy religion.
Also, while Ai is very religious, her attitude toward other religions made her come across as a hypocrite. She wants people to accept her for her differences, yet she refuses to acknowledge or respect other religious practices. You don’t have to convert or practice them, but you also shouldn’t outright ban them and call them “blasphemy” without trying to understand them first. I wonder—if her African people practiced a different religion, would she ignore them too, just because they aren’t Christians?
Regarding the language: the spoken language of the medieval era was Middle English, which sounds very different from what we hear today. Based on a documentary I watched on YouTube, the dialogue in this book felt more Shakespearean than medieval. I’m not a language expert, but the conversations often felt off. Honestly, it might have been better if the author had just used modern English, especially since it’s a fantasy setting anyway.
The story ended abruptly, right in the middle of a climactic moment. It was an odd place to stop and a weak setup for the next book. I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series.
Protagonists:
Michael – A loyal knight and possibly Ai’s future love interest. He seems like a good and trustworthy character. He has some depth, but not much room to grow.
Nathan – Basically Merlin from the Merlin (2008) show.
Johin – A walking red flag with a delusional sense of confidence, and only Ai seems to be blinded by it. He does go through some character development, but it’s very abrupt. He disappears in parts of the book.
Isa – Basically Morgana from the show. She appears and disappears, mostly overshadowed by her brother.
Have you watched the Merlin (2008) TV show? I feel like the protagonist lineup closely resembles it. Ai is Gwen—except she’s the princess of Ore. Arthur and Morgana are Johin and Isa, royalty of Bamah. Nathan is Merlin, and Michael is Lancelot. Just minus the magic and magical creatures :) If you’ve seen the show, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
My friend lent me her KOBO so I could read this story, and I should have known she wanted to see my reaction to it. I thought the cover design looked very interesting, and I was intrigued to read the book.
However, I admit I was quite confused by the story. It felt like the book had no clear direction or central plot to anchor everything together. The first half seemed like a traditional fantasy world, but then it suddenly shifted into real-world countries and religions. It felt as if the author was tossing in ideas as she went along, but they weren’t executed properly. The story felt disjointed and unresolved.
Don’t get me wrong— in my opinion, the author did a good job of creating a medieval fantasy ambiance and world-building. But it felt like she got lost in her own storytelling. Even with fantasy, there are some “rules” you need to follow, especially if you’re trying to maintain a close connection to the real world.
I thought for a 21 years old women, Ai is considered "old" because from what I know about medieval history, noblewomen often married much younger—sometimes as young as 14, the age of consent in many medieval societies. I understand that Ai might struggle to find suitors due to her race, but she’s not a peasant—she’s the only daughter of a famous kingdom. Even if her race or complexion is considered “unattractive,” her royal status and proximity to the throne should have men lining up for her hand.
The author keeps saying Ai is seen as unattractive by the people of Ore, yet constantly reminds us readers that she’s very beautiful. It felt contradictory. The main reason given for her "unattractiveness" is her complexion—just that. There’s no mention of her other features, just repeated emphasis on her skin tone.
Ai also came off as quite immature at times. While I appreciated her empathy and willingness to stand by her beliefs, it felt odd that she did so even at the cost of her own safety. Ai, you’re a princess, and you’ve repeatedly mentioned that the people of Ore disapprove of you. Yet you’re constantly putting yourself in danger and acting recklessly. She often seemed juvenile. The story tries hard to make Ai a very likable character—she is likable, to some extent—but she could also be very frustrating.
In the first half of the book, Ai did nothing but run around the palace avoiding her knight (who was just doing his job), bump into a stranger, and think nothing of it. She was also dismissive of her knight’s and best friend’s concerns about this stranger. She seemed completely blind to some major red flags.
****Spoilers*****
During her visit to the Bamah Kingdom, Ai learns some facts about the kingdom and its past rulers. Later, while on a tour, Ai and her knight Michael come across a boy and, eventually, a small village of people who look like her. Suddenly, the story shifts into a real-world setting—Africa. Why the author chose to do that is beyond me; it completely pulled me out of the fantasy world.
Ai shows little reaction to the fact that people are calling her by another name, or that a young girl in the village closely resembles her. After discovering that the African people had made a deal with a former Bamah king and are now oppressed and in hiding, Ai does... nothing. She doesn’t think about them in the following chapters. That subplot pops up and disappears just as quickly.
I understand that medieval societies were very religious, with Christianity being dominant. However, I found it strange that the author chose to include a real-world religion in the story. It’s mentioned early on that Ai is a God-fearing person, but in the second half (especially toward the end), the book suddenly starts quoting actual Bible verses (I think?), and it overtakes the plot. I don’t understand why the author didn’t just create a fantasy religion.
Also, while Ai is very religious, her attitude toward other religions made her come across as a hypocrite. She wants people to accept her for her differences, yet she refuses to acknowledge or respect other religious practices. You don’t have to convert or practice them, but you also shouldn’t outright ban them and call them “blasphemy” without trying to understand them first. I wonder—if her African people practiced a different religion, would she ignore them too, just because they aren’t Christians?
Regarding the language: the spoken language of the medieval era was Middle English, which sounds very different from what we hear today. Based on a documentary I watched on YouTube, the dialogue in this book felt more Shakespearean than medieval. I’m not a language expert, but the conversations often felt off. Honestly, it might have been better if the author had just used modern English, especially since it’s a fantasy setting anyway.
The story ended abruptly, right in the middle of a climactic moment. It was an odd place to stop and a weak setup for the next book. I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series.
Protagonists:
Michael – A loyal knight and possibly Ai’s future love interest. He seems like a good and trustworthy character. He has some depth, but not much room to grow.
Nathan – Basically Merlin from the Merlin (2008) show.
Johin – A walking red flag with a delusional sense of confidence, and only Ai seems to be blinded by it. He does go through some character development, but it’s very abrupt. He disappears in parts of the book.
Isa – Basically Morgana from the show. She appears and disappears, mostly overshadowed by her brother.
Have you watched the Merlin (2008) TV show? I feel like the protagonist lineup closely resembles it. Ai is Gwen—except she’s the princess of Ore. Arthur and Morgana are Johin and Isa, royalty of Bamah. Nathan is Merlin, and Michael is Lancelot. Just minus the magic and magical creatures :) If you’ve seen the show, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Displaying 1 of 1 review