Journey to Winter Garden

The Prodigy Slave #1

by Londyn Skye

At the age of nine, Lily is forcefully torn from her mother's arms and sold at a Negro auction by her master, a man that Lily learns that day is her very own father. Seeking solace from such devastation, Lily secretly begins teaching herself to play her new master's piano: an instrument that she is forbidden from touching. Lily becomes an extraordinary pianist and gets away with secretly playing for fourteen years until the master's son, James, discovers her deceit. The “punishment” that James gives Lily starts her on an unprecedented journey that dramatically alters her life and influences the lives of thousands, including a man with great power. Lily's groundbreaking journey also unveils the secret altruistic love of a particular man who has been forbidden from expressing his love to her for years. But the question remains whether or not the strength of his love will be powerful enough to free Lily from the shackles of slavery and protect her dreams and her life while on her turbulent Journey to Winter Garden.

WARNING!!!! Please be advised that this entire series features the following material that some readers may find disturbing, inappropriate, or triggering:
Extreme profanity, racial slurs, extremely graphic violence, sexual misconduct, master/slave intimate relationships, explicit sexual content, violent mistreatment of slaves.
Reader discretion is advised!!!

NOTE: This book is recommended for those who are seeking a very raw, real, deeply emotional, and cerebral story. It is a very long continuous turbulent saga and is, therefore, not recommended for those who are seeking a storyline with instant gratification. It is also not recommended for those seeking escapism that only consists of joyous moments.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Erotica, Slow Burn, Interracial Romance

479 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2017

About the author

Londyn Skye is a comical, 43-year-old mother of two, ex-all-American collegiate athlete, million-mile lady trucker phenom, and a romance novel junkie! When she was a child, Londyn began creating stories in the fantasy world of her mind as a way to escape life’s troubles. As an adult, she decided to challenge herself to turn her comforting fantasies into a novel. That challenge led her to write The Prodigy Slave trilogy. Wanting the utmost quality for her readers, she has diligently worked to balance the saga with humor, drama, romance, unpredictable plots, and devious, neurotic characters that are equally as captivating as the erotic love scenes between the fascinating heroes and heroines. She has painstakingly painted her fantasies with words that she hopes will help readers to see the images just as beautifully as her unique mind does. Most importantly, she hopes that everyone will feel just as emotionally moved and inspired by the heroes and heroines in her love story.

Reviews

[Auj · Rating 3 out of 5]

The romance took a little too long for me. I read over 200 pages before there was any kissing.
Then, the cliffhanger at the end...I don't understand...is James just going along with his father to save face or did he actually betray her? I can't believe he would do that. I think it's the former.

Plot: James, Lily's master's son, discovers Lily's immense piano talent and takes her to a famous musician, composer, and teacher, who sets up shows for her despite the pushback of the constant racism. Lily is a slave.

I don't know how, but the tone/writing of the book was very different than others I have read.

I probably won't continue with the series. The next book is $10 and 562 pages and the third book is 717 pages...is that really necessary? I don't need to read over a 1,000 more pages of this story.

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story itself was good until the 74% point, then it had to get into the badly written sex scenes.

Historically it was terrible.

Then there are the characters who seem to be developing a major role who just disappear, the Southern spoiled girl who wants James. Maybe shell be back in the next book, but I will not be reading it.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An AMAZING book that kept my attention riveted throughout starting with the first chapter. An interracial romance when this was totally not allowed by law. Lily captured my attention and heart and I was totally in her corner. Hers is truly a fairy tale romance a rags to richer story. A brilliant master of the piano that she taught herself to play as a way to overcome her sadness and loneliness after being ripped from her mother's arms at ten years old. This book is full of masterfully told historical richness of slave history and the deceit that can come from putting your trust in the wrong person. The plot was amazingly woven with the current story time taking place to the back story of the childhood times of Lily and James. Superbly written but something that happened at the very end made me feel as though my heart was ripped from my chest and stomped on. Oh the total betrayal. I am having a hard time accepting it! Why did you have to end it that way,Londyn Skye? I need to read part two right now!
Pub Date 01 Jan 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Nelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm becoming tired of trying not to be repetitive in my critiques of books these days.

However, because I've picked up so many badly written books I've lost my mojo in reading along the way. Then, I came across this treasure and I couldn't help but share my good fortunate with other fellow readers.

I felt this emotional pull the minute I connected with the characters in the plot line. It was like discovering a rare diamond in the book world, where the diamonds are pages and pages of beautifully crafted words.

This book is about a slave (Lily) who had potential and thought she couldn't be anything until her Masters son (James) saw that she's a rarity. Lily broke barriers because of her piano skills and as she journeyed on to success we get to live through it all until the selfsame thing, that she thought she had was taken away abruptly from her.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. It was groundbreaking, imaginative, inventive, original, expressive and inspiring. I found Lilly's indecisiveness to be with James at first draining, but I did understand because thier class and racial differences. But alas, True love was staring right at them in thier faces which they could not denied. And when they gave into their sexual impulses they both held onto that love like it was a breath of fresh air.

Ms Londyn Skye you've unleashed your utterly stunning tale into the world and as a fine telling story teller, another author will find it a very hard to compete with your tenacious penmanship skills.

I hope that part 2 is complete soon enough because you've satisfied only half of my ravenous reader's appetite.

This book is a winner and definitely a keeper.

[Denelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel cheated by the promise of this book, unfulfilled, and robbed of my time. I kept trying to like this story, but so many historical errors (and bad editing), distracted me from enjoying it. Until the final 1/5, when I got truly upset by the unlikely/impossible things that she had the characters do.
All throughout, the author displayed her lack of historical research. Taking place in 1859, on the brink of the Civil War, she never once refers to that or the Abolitionist movement. It's also the little things that grated: she has a Southern belle driving herself in a carriage from town (once her husband has loaded their baby in the back!); she has a character assessing books in a library by "reading the back cover" for a description; she has a man bribe two children with five dollars each! (At that time, a penny or two would've been a fortune to them.) And, how many people in Virginia had green or blue eyes? Nearly everyone she describes has green eyes, except the main male who has "crystal blue" eyes. No description of other characters included that their eyes were brown.
The characters speak and act like modern, 21st century people: a Southern gentleman would never have yelled and sworn at women, stormed out, and slammed a door. As well, he was in the kitchen and he slammed his bedroom door... In the huge mansion that was previously described? They could never have heard it. The owner would never have had his grand piano in his library; if the house was so magnificent, he surely would've had a music room (that could accommodate the crowd that later is depicted in the library).
I wasn't offended by the racial exchanges (except when they were grossly inaccurate historically) and there weren't as many sexual scenes as I'd expected from other reviews. They were, however, long and unlikely. And towards the end of the book, when I was already skimming parts due to my annoyance at having gotten "into" the book but finding so many mistakes.
Was there no editor? Surely someone should've caught that it's a horse trough, not troth. (Several other mistakenly used words, too, would've been found by any proofreader.)
Maybe some of these criticisms are minimal, but the distraction was multiplied as I read. I'm a serious student of the American Civil War (first person re-enactor) and I was offended by how she portrayed Abraham Lincoln. She had him standing by wordlessly while a man physically injured a woman. Believe it or not, I could go on! Why did I continue reading? My commitment to give a review of this book that I received and I did care enough about the central characters to want to know what happened to them. The entire last half of the book's unfortunate events could've been avoided if they'd done what many, many controversial artists of the time did: go to Europe.
I don't plan to continue reading this series, but I may try the author again after she gets a little more experience and an editor.

[Elizabeth Bell · Rating 1 out of 5]

A master and slave fall in love in the pre-Civil War United States. This novel came up in my Facebook feed with angry comments about how such a relationship was ALWAYS rape. The novelist implored those commenters to read it and make up their own minds. This is a historical period I've spent decades researching and can't get enough of. Personally, I think master/slave relationships were rape 99.99999999999999% of the time—but every master and slave were unique human beings, so never say never in my opinion. I know of one real-life case dramatized by a Colonial Williamsburg program in which the relationship seemed to be consensual. So I wanted to see if this author could pull off her controversial premise, and the concept of an enslaved woman who's a musical prodigy also intrigued me. The author offered the ebook for free, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I found this novel horrendous on almost every level, but the master/slave relationship is the least of its problems. (Technically the heroine is owned by the hero's father, and the two young people grew up together as childhood friends. Plausible.) Where do I begin to list the literary sins of this "novel"?

Worst editing and proofreading I can recall in a published work. And this is the "Revised Edition"!
Skye says in 6 chapters what she could have said in two sentences—the pacing is atrocious. I had to skim to maintain my sanity.
Constant head-hopping and flashbacks
Constant over-the-top dialect and purposeful misspellings. Repetition of letters within a word to indicate emphasis. "Jaaames!" (I don't care enough to find the whole sentences like this.) Words that don't mean what Skye thinks they mean. She repeatedly refers to hired guards as "bandits," for example. Huh?

Worst historical research—yet the epigraphs seem to be deluding ignorant readers into thinking Skye knows what she's talking about. Constant anachronisms. In just the first 10%: The hero wears a Stetson hat. The hero wears pajamas. Skye has zero understanding of 19th-century clothing. She doesn't even try. (And 19th-century clothing is FUN! Especially the undergarments!) The hero knows to douse a cut in an antiseptic solution to prevent infection. A doctor has patients coming in for routine check-ups like annual physicals. This is not the 20th century, Ms. Skye.
The slaves sleep in individual hay-filled stalls like livestock. What now? Slave cabins usually had dirt floors and they may have been dilapidated, but they were human dwellings, not stables.

Most Ridiculous/Horrific Use of The Big Misunderstanding I. Have. Ever. Read.
The heroine thinks the hero is dragging her to a "breeda" (breeder) where she'll be impregnated repeatedly and her babies will immediately be sold away from her. (As horrible as slavery was, such breeders did not exist.) This is the hero's ruse to his odious father so he can take the heroine to a man who will become her musical mentor. The hero simply fails to tell her the truth—so all during the journey AND FOR DAYS AFTER THEY ARRIVE, the heroine is in a state of abject terror and despair and contemplates suicide. WTF?! This is manufactured drama of the cruellest order and I will never forgive this "hero." Neither should the heroine.

Worst Sex Scenes I Have Ever Read
I love me a good sex scene. I want all the juicy details. These details go beyond purple prose. They're downright laughable:

"The dark abyss between her thighs began pulsating with want, quickly moistening her pleasure passageway in preparation for an already much-needed eruption." [Skye refers to the heroine's vagina as "an abyss" more than once. My vagina is offended on her behalf.]
"James's heart began to beat like a wild stampede, pumping more blood to his member than it could possibly handle. His nerves were misfiring, semen was dripping, sweat was pouring, and his breathing was erratic. The intense desire to be inside of Lily seemed to have broken every governor of his bodily functions."

Are you turned on yet?

Skye also makes a point of describing the sexy moves of the "master class" hero with the still-enslaved heroine as "masterful." Twice. In italics. After a wink-wink epigraph. Just in case we didn't get it: his lovemaking is MASTERFUL.

The heroine's Dream Symphony is the definite highlight. That moved me. That almost rated two stars, but the rest is just too egregious. I am absolutely appalled that this has so many 5 star reviews. But then again, so does 50 Shades of Grey.

[Jeanne Johnston · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a difficult read...

... but not for the reasons I expected. I thought this would be educational, which I suppose it was, kind of. But man, it was painful reading. The exhaustive detail, having characters' mental meanderings interrupt scenes at length, the repetition were all just too much. The endless descriptions of the musical thing, especially, just went on and onto the point of ridiculousness.

And ZOMGWTFBBQ... I appreciate a good sex scene but here? It wasn't just awkward, it was painfully weird, descriptions that have never been used beforehand and hopefully, never will again. And JFC, they went on for PAGES AND FUCKING PAGES, as though this should compensate for the painful mountain of prior sickeningly saccharine saintliness that led up to it.

And as if there wasn't enough of too much everything, we have characters who don't even get followthrough, like the bimbo who's scheming to marry James, who we last see suffering a dinner with his father, disappointed because James is still out of town.. and then nothing. Why did we have to be subjected to her conniving Southern belle scenes if she's ultimately abandoned like a bad idea? Same with his brothers.

As if the storyline isn't ridiculous enough, we even get Abraham Lincoln and family appearing backstage at the last concert, and then things go all to hell, James betrays everyone, the entire never-ending tale suddenly goes all Birth of a Nation on us--and then doesn't even have the decency to fucking END.

Am I tuning in for a sequel? HARD NO! I'm too busy being pissed I spent this long slogging through this mess. I normally zip right through the biggest tomes in a day or two but this was so hard to stick with. If I'd realized it wasn't even a complete story, I would have bailed the first time I put it aside out of boredom.

Gah. Just... gah.

[Brittany Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I knew (kinda) what I was getting into with reading this book. It is based in a very different and difficult time. It was difficult to read some of the language and the way the main character was treated.

Saying that, I found it an interesting read. I did find myself skimming and reading through at some points- mostly to get to the poignant bits, rather than the descriptors. There was a point I guessed a little of the plot, but was completely taken aback at the end. I really hope what I thought about James stands and the ending was a way to divert people.

I give it a 3.5-4 based solely on the fact that it is an interesting story and I would want to read the next book. There were points that descriptions were spread out a bit longer than needed. Though the storytelling and characters were beautifully realistic. The author does have a talent for transporting you to another era.

[Sian · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review is on my blog.
https://quirkybookreads.wordpress.com...

[A Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the premise of this story. It was creative and touched on some difficult topics related to American history. The author included sections of the slave code and laws at the beginning of each chapter, which was an excellent way to incorporate history and hint at what was going to happen next.

Unfortunately, I disliked the author’s writing style. The sentences were long and overly complex, which made many of them difficult to understand. There were also many instances when the characters would allude to something that happened in the past then the story would shift to a flashback. Sometimes these events had happened a day in the past, and other times it was years in the past. This slowed down the story and didn’t feel like a good way to incorporate the flashbacks.

The characters’ dialect was generally written in a distinctive southern style, but there were many instances throughout the book when they switched to formal English. This was very distracting, and the lack of consistency was frustrating. There were a few sex scenes in the book, and the author used some terms (e.g., pleasure passageway, dark abyss, etc.) that really detracted from the mood. There was also a major twist at the end of the book that I felt was unnecessary and didn’t make any sense.

I was excited about this book when I began reading it but was disappointed overall. The premise was great, Lily was a strong and likeable character, and some important history was included throughout the work. But the negatives I mentioned above outweighed the positives for me. Readers who enjoy historical fiction, romance, and stories about overcoming hardships would probably enjoy this book. Due to the graphic sex scenes, I wouldn’t recommend this for young adult readers.

[Sonja Atkinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea

This was not a good book at all. It definitely was not desrving of a sequel. To try to justify the relationship between a slaver and an enslaved person was like justifying a pedophile. How stupidly dumb and insensitive for you to use the terminology “freedom” as the answer Lily gives when asked how was the sex. TONE DEAF.....I’m so angry I spent a dime on this garbage and the time I invested in reading it...uugghhhh My advice stay away from slavery relationships.......because at the very end you can never recast the monsters no matter how you try......James is Jessie and they are both monsters.....horrible ending but so predictable

[Lauh - Random Utopias · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Review originally posted at Online Book Club)

In [i]The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden[/i] we meet Lily, an enslaved woman brutally taken away from her mother at 10 years old and follow her life in a new plantation, where she meets James, the youngest son of her master. During that time, her only solace is to learn how to play the piano owned by her master, despite being forbidden to touch it. When James finds out, he decides to punish her in the most unimaginable way – a punishment that will change both of their lives.

Londyn Skye creates an incredibly detailed and realistic account of the life of an enslaved woman, while showering us with Lily’s innocence and kind personality, making the entire reading experience more heart-wrenching. The characters also have a very interesting development throughout the entire story, giving very different sides to each person’s experience. At the same time, the writing and words chosen, especially during the dialogue, make everything much more immersive, making the reader feel like they’re an active participant in the story.

Despite having Lily as own main character, there are several instances in which the point of view changes to other characters, allowing us to have a more in-depth telling of how all the events correlate and their importance. At the same time, we can also find out more about other very important characters’ personality and beliefs, which play an immensely relevant part of the plot.

However, despite having enjoyed this book and some of the knowledge it transpired through its words, I can’t help but feel that the way the points of view change or how easily we can go from the present moment to the past are slightly confusing at times. There isn’t always a clear change between past and present and in the same page we can be given two or more points of view without any warning. Also, despite personally appreciating the way the dialogues were written to mimic how people would speak at the time, it may not work for every reader. I guess it’s a question of taste.

I also felt the book dragged a bit too much, sometimes having a lot of descriptions. Londyn Skye as a very poetical writing, that is for sure, giving the entire text a beauty that transcends the actual plot, however it sometimes feel too much. Personally, I believe the book would benefit from having poetic writing less often, allowing for more special moments. Otherwise, the author risks diluting the beauty in the writing.

It is also important to note that the last third of the book starts introducing mature content, i.e., scenes that involve sexual acts or thoughts. Although I saw nothing wrong with these scenes, some people may find it uncomfortable or too detailed for their taste.

This was a very mixed reading for me: on one hand the incredibly detailed and poetic account of Lily’s story is inspiring and heart-warming (and wrenching, too!), almost dreamy, which is sure to make this story unforgettable. However, in the other hand, it develops very slowly, with a pacing that can make one feel as if nothing really happens, easily leading to boredom. Plus, the lack of mistakes or errors throughout the text cannot be ignored, since it makes for a smooth reading. Because of all of this I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.

I believe this book would be perfect for readers who like historical fiction, with lots of romance (who don’t have problems with some sexual content) who love a steady pace and inspiring writing.

Despite not being my favourite book of all times, I cannot deny the quality in it’s words, so I believe others can easily enjoy it a lot more than me.

[TamaraT · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't a badly written book. A friend was praising it and I had good hopes for the first few chapters.

The story of Lily and how she was ripped away from her mother to be sold was heartbreaking. The stories of friendship between her and James, her new owner's son, heartwarming. When his father found out and basically brainwashed James into being a good negro-hating Southern man I was angry.

For me the story went downhill when...surprise....James was faking his hatred all along to get daddy off his back. He found out Lily could play the piano perfectly, a prodigy, and figured out a way to get her out.

Here the story was mostly piano, drama and for me kind of boring. I didn't like the characters very much and the ending where Lily ends up back where she started was a let-down. Yes there's a book 2 but I'm not picking it up.

[Jean Blankenship · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romance, master and slave

Journey to Winter Garden #1 by London Sky is about the days of slavery and how bad they were treated. The first part of the book I liked, but things that were done were repeated so much and it got so boring for me. Many different topics were talked about during that time frame. There were so many flashbacks in the story that I just wanted it to end

[Little Rock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible. It was raw, passionate, loving and dramatic. It was emotionally raw, well thought out and had me😭 on numerous occasions. It was heartbreaking but had redemption and it followed through to a amazing ending. I'd definitely re-read this.

[lisa rowe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Long-winded irrelevant tangents & Anachronistic in the extreme

Anachronisms so absurd I wonder if the writer grasped what era she was writing about

-James hooking up & having meaningless casual sex w/ a large amount of his RESPECTABLE, NON-PROSTITUTE 1850's female peers like he's on Tinder. Um, legal bordellos & wh0rehouses existed back then for a reason. Absurd & unlikely he'd get away w/ SEXUALLY running through respectable women w/out getting shot or having someone forcing him to get married b/c if a pregnancy or pregnancy scare. RESPECTABLE young women were afraid of getting pregnant out of wedlock & having illegitimate children by a man who abandoned them - women could barely find decent jobs for a decent wage. She'd either be a burden on family or would need a husband. Women had no hormonal birth control then which is why so many RESPECTABLE women stayed abstinent until marriage and married at younger ages too. The only scenario I can think of a young female NON-PROSTITUTE having sex w/ someone they weren't married to was if they felt sure they were engaged & marrying soon.
-male characters inviting female characters over for dinner THEY COOK THEMSELVES in the 1850's
-Lily would NOT be targeted for physical attack & murder JUST for romantically being w/ James. ILLICIT relationships btwn white men & black women fine (and sometimes encouraged 🙄), but a white man LEGALLY marrying a black woman would likely attract attacks & death threats. Look at New Orleans & their placage system, white men had a concubinage system with free Black/mixed women. This is the worst anachronism of all b/c of all the mixed children Black women had. Idk if I can continue to read another "historical" fiction book from this author who's been extremely careless w/ basic historical facts author CHOOSING to write in this time period should know.
-Anna Mae & Isabel telling Lily they were going to do her NAILS and MAKEUP in the 1850's. Um. How? There was no nail polish, I don't believe much actual makeup existed in the West, & if a woman wore makeup she was considered a whore. It would basically be the last thing Lily would want, since black women are already thought of as big butt-having wh0res & sluts. Why reinforce that sentiment?
- Even if it was believable that classy, restrained Lily suddenly turned into oversexed, insatiable nympho after losing her virginity, she'd know better than to so publicly obvious about it that ppl could see her sneaking off w/ James.
- There we're many stories of the residents of free states hiding and even openly fighting bounty hunters who came to ABDUCT & TRAFFIC black people they claimed were "fugitive slaves" to slavery in the South. There's no way in heck all of Lily's friends would've stood there and let Jesse and two deputies assault her & kidnap her right out of the theatre. It's implausible & I believe like most slave catchers they would've tried to abduct her w/ the least amount of ppl around.
How does an author who supposedly did research on Southern slave codes to write about not research any other part of what life would be like in the 1850's for women in general, and for black women who were considered "fugitive slaves" like Lily?

What's more, the author went on so many long-winded, overly verbose tangents about ppl and situations that were irrelevant to the story it was absurd. Did she have an editor? Did ANYONE ELSE read the book before she published it? B/c she could've cut 100 pages or more w/out all the superfluous garbage in it. I hope that if she EVER writes a historical fiction book again, she does her research & has acknowledges that if you're going to write about a certain era you should do it well, or leave it alone.

[Deloris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject of slavery is always a hard read for me so to read this book took an emotional toll on me . Lily and young slave taken from her mom at ten years old was so heartbreaking to read , but she learns the things she needs to do to survive. Lily finds a deep friendship with the slave masters son James ,their friendships last until they are teenagers then Lily is left alone again for the second time in her life. When James re enters her life for the second time , he has a plan and that is what this book is about . As I read this book i found the script a little over the top , I'm not sure if I buy slave owners sympathizing with a slaves suffering , The author writes well so I will read the second book to find how this journey ends . I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

[Shannon J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great Start...

Although I do enjoy the writing style of this author, sometimes, enough was enough or it was a bit too much. With that being said, I often found my self skipping pages just to get to the next scene. At first, I was really rooting for James to turn around sooner than he did, but that unexpected ending almost left me speechless. Quite frankly, I was anticipating Lily’s true owner or Mary Jo finding out about Lily sooner than the very end. Now, I am defiantly reading the next two books because I truly think there should not be any redemption for James! Smh....

[Tina Church · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely Romance

This is definitely a romance book and not historical fiction. I kept waiting for real world to happen. It did just in the last three pages. Slow moving needed to get to point and provide more story line. I’m not into romance so wasn’t really my cup of tea.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden

-Historical Romance
-Friends to Lovers
-Prodigy

Gabby’s 2 Cents -The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden is an excellent read that will leave you on the edge of your seat, with such a page-turning plot! The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden is based in the 1800s about a young girl born into slavery and separated from her mother at a young age. Where’s she sold to a callous man. While Lily works for her new master she discovers her talent as a pianist.Lily forms a unique relationship with his youngest son. The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden upholds a plot that is tested with trials and tribulations and doesn’t fail to keep you guessing with its beautifully written contents.

In the selection of this book, I was unsure but I have no regrets! My Overall rating of The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden is 4 out of 5 stars. The author did an outstanding job writing this book with a heart-aching plot. One of my favorite things about The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden is the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter, the epigraph is a short statement that provides a bit of insight into the chapter which provides clarity within the chapter. Another reason I give The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden 4 out of 5 stars is because of how the author shows imagery in flashbacks. While reading I was captivated by the writing and how the author provided readers with details that will keep you guessing. The reason I don't give this novel 5 out of 5 stars is because towards the end I did find that it wasn't as clear as the previous chapters and I lost some understanding of the plot. But in my overall of The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden[/b]I enjoyed reading and escaping into a historical era!

*CONTENT WARNING* The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden does contain: racial slurs, voguer language, sexual misconduct, and sexual content. Please read at you discretion. Happy Reading!

✨Main Characters ✨
Lily -I love her so much! Lily’s strength is contagious! After everything she has been through the strength. The love Lily holds for people even though the world is against her is so beautiful. I just hate the fact that people will hurt her and she will revert to her old mentality.


James - The love and disappointing relationship I have with James is STRONG! I love Lily and his relationship and the character development formed, I felt he was growing. What’s disappointing about James is that when things hit the fan. He is a deer staring into the headlights. Like JAMES I need you to handle it not just stand there. I feel he still needs a bit more growing because that’s a boy's move, unlike the man he developed into.


✨Side Characters ✨

Master Jesse - I have never HATED a man so much. This man is the devil himself. He treats people so poorly, that there is nothing but hatred in his heart.


Anna Mae - SWEETEST Anna Mae is one of my favorites in this book she is so kind and sweet to everyone she encounters. She is a warm-hearted person I feel you are naturally drawn to I always could have read more about her and her story.


Isabel - OBLIVIOUS Isabel is a kind young woman who is honest and always positive and lively. But she is ignorant to the world but her blindness to the world might be her biggest strength for living in such a historical era.

Elijah -This young man is still learning about life and his role in the world and definitely can use a whole lot of open-mindedness. But Elijah is a strongly opinionated man who requires some more growing.

Landon -I’ve respected him from the beginning although, from the way to the end, he sees people for the whole they are. As a fellow observer, I can say the smallest detail is what allowed him to change his surroundings. I also enjoyed his lack of fear the and power that rolled off him its exciting. This man can make the seas part just to get what he wants.


William-GOD BLESS THIS MAN! I love William with my whole being. William is the realest when no one is bold enough to say something to do what is right. William is always there to handle it without falling into the injustices of others. BLESS his British soul!


Austin - BIGGEST Character development! He is a bit of a class clown and like every other white man in this book, ignorant of the world and doesn’t care enough to open his mind but once Austin opened his mind he BLOSSOMED.


🤍Favorite Quotes 🤍

“It seems like most folks don’t even really see me. It’s like they’s lookin’ right through me or somethin’” - Londyn Skye, The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden

““was just plottin’ and plannin’ to go and take advantage of some more free alcohol,” he joked. “ -Londyn Skye, The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden

“I’ll blow y’ur goddamn head off y’ur shoulda’s and mount it on my wall,” - Londyn Skye, The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden

“She is my lady, my queen, my best friend. She’s...” -Londyn Skye, The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden

[Stephanie Runyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my review at onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mounce5...

[Inked Orca · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was her father, who snatched her from her mother’s arms and sold her. Only nine years old, Lily witnessed the ugly side of the world. Being a slave, she grew up thinking that her master ruled the only life she’d ever have. The only joy she experienced was during her time with James, her master’s son, and playing the piano. Slaves could never receive an education, let alone be taught how to play any musical instrument. However, Lily learned by observing James’ mother during her piano classes and practising when no one was watching.

She knew everything about James, but she kept one secret from him.



James felt betrayed when he saw Lily playing the piano and promised she would be punished. On the way, Lily tried to numb herself from what was coming after she overheard James and his father’s plan for her. Trying to make sense of how the gentle soul she formerly knew as her best friend would plan for something monstrous. When they arrive at their destination, Lily’s confusion has her walking out of her room and asking around about the other slaves there.

Lily and James’ journey is one of hope, pain, and defying social rules in a period where the colour of your skin made you someone else’s property.



The author added slave codes at the beginning of the chapters. I think the codes helped a lot in understanding the consequences of the actions each character took to help Lily. It infuriated me that humans made these codes for other human beings and forced them to obey them. When I read this question asked by a kid in the book: “Papa, how come only brown people are slaves?” and when no one answered the kid, it infuriated me to see that they made codes with no logical explanation, even for a curious kid.



I enjoyed reading this one, even with all the heartbreaking scenes and the tears. The message is powerful. I’d recommend this book to anyone simply because it shows your background, the colour of your skin and how much money you have doesn’t define you. With genres like historical romance, suspense and fiction, the writing made this book both captivating and realistic.

It was heartwarming to watch the characters connect and share their pain. William was protective of Lily and made sure James was aware of how his words and actions affected her. He looked after her like she was his daughter. James’ jealousy sometimes blinded him, and everything he said came across as offensive. But I guess the time he spent away from Lily and the situation, along with how people treated her, fueled his reactions. Even though I feel that it should have been a reason for him to restrain his feelings more effectively.



This book ended on a cliffhanger that will make you impatient to find out what happens next. The story might be offensive and triggering to some people. However, I’d love to recommend it to anyone who wants to read a romance story that defines someone’s skin colour, social rules, and slave codes.

[Adriana · Rating 2 out of 5]

While reading The Prodigy Slave, I was constantly switching between having mixed feelings about James, the male lead, and hating him. In the end, my disgust toward his actions and words won. Even with all the risks James took to help Lily, his temper showed me that he still had his own character growth to go through.

This book is labeled as a slow-burn romance, but instead of being James and Lily's love story, it tells the story of Lily’s personal growth. The story is not about romance; it's about mankind's cruelty, racism, growth, found family, and bringing people together.

As someone who loves found family, William, Lily's father figure, was naturally a character I appreciated. Unlike James, William was calm, apologized when he was wrong, and expressed his feelings and emotions in a healthy way. One of the most important things—along with the heartwarming way he obviously loved his wife—was that despite having a lot of money, he was a character who never showed greed.
For most of the book, Lily and William spend more time alone practicing the piano than she does in the few scenes with James. This does not include their childhood backstory, where James felt like a completely different person.

The Prodigy Slave comes with content warnings that, for me, were not graphic at all. However, one thing in particular did disgust and disturb me. I hate that the only suffering from sexual abuse described in the book was the pain of having the child taken away. I'm not a parent nor do I wish to be one, and there’s no doubt that losing a child is not easy, but it’s not the only consequence of sexual abuse.
It was a theme that, in my opinion, was not written properly. That crime leaves lifelong scars on the victim, so I was bewildered when Lily's only worry was having her newborn stolen away, especially when she was supposedly driven away to be impregnated at the start of the story.

Even though the story takes place many years ago, the writing was simple and easy to read, which I wasn’t expecting but appreciated. Normally, I don’t like real people on book covers, but the one for The Prodigy Slave was well made. The two people fit James and Lily, both appearing the same age and matching the character descriptions. This is something not many book covers manage to do, as they often exaggerate appearances.

Overall, I give The Prodigy Slave two out of five stars, because even though I enjoyed parts of the story and even learned a little about history from it, it went on for longer than necessary. More than that, James was not a good male lead for a romance book at all.

[Lil Bit Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Prodigy Slave Book One: Journey to Winter Garden, written by Londyn Skye, is a novel that focuses on slavery in the South during the 1800s. Our male main character, James, is the son of a wealthy southern landowner. Lily, our female main character, is a slave who manages his home. Both of their points of view are written in this tale, and this aids in adding critical depth to the character development and storyline.

We begin James’ and Lily’s story when they were both very young. There is a heartbreaking scene in which Lily is brutally taken from her mother by her father (a slave owner) and sold at auction. She is taken to James’ home to apprentice the current house manager with the intention of taking over when she passes away. This happens earlier than expected and Lily finds herself managing this large household at the young age of thirteen. James watches Lily for a while before approaching her and eventually they become fast friends.

James goes away to medical school while Lily remains in his childhood home. Upon returning, and to his astonishment, he finds Lily playing the piano. Only, she’s not just playing; she is mastering the pieces beautifully. James knows then that she is a musical phenomenon.

There were a few things I liked about this story. As a former living historian from the South, I know firsthand that true historical facts can be misconstrued to fit a popular narrative. I liked that the author listed out the slave codes for reference at the beginning of each chapter. I also enjoyed reading about the relationship development between James and Lily from the time they were children until the mature feelings of adulthood. Not only did they have a strong friendship, but theirs was a love that lasted a lifetime.

I was not particularly fond of some of the hardships Lily was forced to endure. These hardships included being brutally separated from her mother as well as having to watch her endure beatings. The harsh treatment of slaves during that time period is also hard for me to read about. I was not very happy with James’ character and some of the ways he decided to treat Lily in the story, especially when we realize the depth of his feelings for her. I do not feel that some of his actions were justified.

I highly recommend this novel for mature audiences only. The author lists the trigger warnings at the beginning, and I encourage readers to review them prior to beginning the story.

I would rate this story 4 out of 5 stars for entertainment value. I felt the story was very well written with great editing. I did not find any grammatical errors. The author did a good job with worldbuilding and character development, also.

(Please note, I did not research the validity of the slave codes the author listed at the beginning of each chapter. In my limited knowledge of history, they seemed to be legitimate, but I would not state they were fact without actual verification.)

[Nisha Puthiyedath · Rating 2 out of 5]

Average, needs a lot of improvement

The theme of the book, slavery and all the evils that came with it makes this an interesting read. It is heart rending to learn about the slave breeding practices and baby selling that was commonplace then. Also, the depiction of sexual harassment and whipping of slaves is another plus point in this book.
I had to look up related material to check if this was indeed true. Also, the racist language and court scenes sound realistic.
Another plus point of the book is the depiction of Lily's pain in being talented but being unable to express it due to the then society.
However, the sex scenes and some dialogues drag on and often run into pages.
MJ is a vain girl per the book but the stories of her sleeping with many men is a jarring note given the excessive emphasis that was placed on the 'virtue' of women then.
Also, Jesse is said to be a very cruel man but he is said to be benevolent towards Lily just because his wife loved her. This is hard to believe. The flashback scenes can also drag on leaving the reader wondering where they were in the timeline of events.
Similarly, some parts mainly in the description of events are too dragging and make the book very difficult to read.
Overall, it is a good book but the presentation could be greatly improved.
I rate it 2 out of 4 as it requires a lot of editing and language improvements.

[Jaime K · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 knocked down to 3 because of that STUPID END.

This story follows James, the son of a slave master, and Lily, a slave of said master (yes, Lily and James). There is a lot of racist language and I don't understand why an educated person talks the way of an uneducated person. However, that this is written by a POC makes some of it bother me less.

James' father learns of the secret friendship and rampages. James comes back from medical school years later when they are 22 and learns Lily has taught herself to play piano from when his mother taught him and his brother. He pretends to bring Lily to be a breeder when he really brings her to a white man named William in Ohio who is a music master. They realize Lily is a music prodigy with a perfect pitch.

The story randomly jumps to the past and while it sometimes works well as a flashback, other times the scenes feel abrupt. James becomes INSANELY jealous sometimes for no reason, despite having "secretly" been with women in the past, but Lily's skin hasn't even been switched let alone touched by a man. Also, there are times when some of the language is stretched out "reeeal original" which isn't necessary. Too, James hides things from Lily for no reason.

William is awesome. He has also helped out another Black family with a son Elijah--the Elijah of steam trains, of course!

Throughout the book, some chapters begin with former slave codes which makes the story hit harder.

[Naty Villegas · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, The Prodigy Slave is the first book I review here and for starters it's a nice reading... Overall the story is okay although at times it feels quite slow, there are some parts where the writer could have saved some words and just move on.

If you are the kind of reader that got to this book for the spicy content, note that you will have to wait a while until it gets there, in my personal opinion I rather have some spice sprinkles that having the book oversaturated with unnecessary explicit scenes. There's an explicit version if you are more into that side of the story but I was okay with this one. Now, the plot itself is good, well executed if we overlook some historical errors, nothing too bad to ruin the reading really.

The characters are well developed, I'd like to see more of Lily's musical talent but maybe that's just me! Now James isn't my favorite "prota" to be honest, but considering their environment, the social norms and racial differences at the time, one can understand why it feels like he's not super brave at first.

In general terms, I'd recommend this to someone that likes some forbidden romance content and isn't super sensitive regarding violence and sexual misconduct contexts as these are topics included in the plot.

[Sindhu S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not see the note in the blurb until I copied it for this review.
I was seeking a very raw, real, deeply emotional, and cerebral story. I was not seeking escapism that only consists of joyous moments. I was not seeking instant gratification either.
However, the ending seemed like a plot device intended to make people read the sequel(s). I found that irritating. I am a loyal reader. If your book and characters are excellent, I will usually read the series. If I don’t read a book even when I know it is stellar, it means just that the story/characters are not for me.
I don’t know enough to comment on the historical correctness of the content. Yet, the part with Abraham Lincoln and his family seemed unnecessary.
That said, London Skye has captured the innocence of two children who like each other and become friends despite their social and racial differences. She portrays all the characters well.
As the story progressed, I found myself skimming through the pages because they were far too upsetting. It is for this reason that I shall not read the other books in the series. As it is, ever since Black History Month started, I have been reading far too many articles on the same subject.
Note:
I received a free copy of this book from the OnlineBookClub. I am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Vini Sk · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden by Londyn Skye is one of the best romantic books that I’ve read. This is a historical romantic fiction genre that was set in the 18th century. This story depicts Lily's journey from being a slave to a place she never dreamed was possible.

This story has many elements that I found appealing. The author's chosen writing style is my personal favourite. For example, the plans that the protagonists make in the story are kept a secret and will be disclosed in subsequent chapters. This gave me a hint of curiosity to continue to read further. It felt like a true story from a long time ago because of how strong and authentic the characters are. I experienced every feeling because of this. When a story point was disclosed, I was astounded, wept with the characters, and experienced joy alongside them. I became immersed in the story. I put down the book only to pick it up again.

[Christina Rozeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The heartfelt beginning of this book immediately caught my full attention. The prologue had me in tears with so many emotions pouring out from the very start. My heart ached for Lily throughout the story. What a real tear-jerker! I couldn’t stop turning the pages, and it took every bit of willpower not to flip to the back and see how it ended.

There were parts where I felt like skimming past because it kind of dragged on, but once you got past a few of those places, the pace picked right back up again. This book had me on a roller coaster of emotions—feeling sad for Lily one moment and then excited for her the next.

One thing that threw me off a bit was James's behavior. If he was in love with Lily, why would he have treated her so badly and made her believe something else at first? It just seemed out of character. I had to overlook that part and act like it never happened.

Despite this, none of it was enough to turn me off from reading the book. I couldn’t wait to flip the page and see what else would happen. The emotional depth and compelling storyline kept me engaged from beginning to end. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a gripping, emotional read!