When Dorothy Dizon meets the mysterious Adrian Rosario and his alluring knowledge of Filipino history, her life takes an unchartered detour. Dorothy’s true calling is connected to the hidden history of the Philippines that Adrian must protect to keep her safe from enemies of his beloved secret society.
Together, they experience a confounding journey that tests their beliefs, their choices ultimately affecting the people they love, leading them to the brink of a new enlightenment they both never expect.
Enlightenment, Book One of The Bathala Series explores the forgotten history of the Philippines through the first-person perspectives of Filipino characters who walk the precipice between friendship and love.
I received a copy of this book for an honest review. What follows is my opinion and mine alone. There was no compensation for this review.
I was conflicted. On one hand, I want to really like it, but I can’t. I think I should begin at the beginning.
Well, the moment I saw a book with and about Filipino people, I jumped at it. I am a quarter Filipino and I know nothing about the culture or history. I’m not even in with any of the normal inside household things. I wasn’t raised with that. So, when I saw that the book has something I want to learn about, I went for it.
On one hand, I loved that part about this book. The cultural aspects and history inside was great. I didn’t care that we had to learn through a history lesson for Dorothy, because it felt off when we are already given a lot of information without the explanation during Adrian’s POV.
Aside from that, there really isn’t much in action. You get a nice piece when Dorothy is introduced but then it just sort of flat lines until later on. But, what really bothered me was the ending. I don’t want to spoil it, but it’s one of those “how did that happen” kind of endings. Upon retrospection, I guess it makes sense, but I felt cheated and disjointed and confused.
All in all, the book isn’t bad, but it’s not for me. I found it to be a bit bland and I honestly tried to enjoy it.
Final Rating: 2/5
Casia's Corner 