Review :Ilona the Hun: Birthright

Ilona the Hun:Birthright

Erika M. Szabo

Published: Sept. 20, 2011 

I received the book, Ilona the Hun:Birthright, in exchange for my honest review of it.
This story was so-so for me.  It wasn't terrible, but it didn't hold my fascination like some plots can.  As far as historical facts and information regarding Hun history and beliefs, this was an exceptional book to read.  Just for that purpose alone, wasn't enough for me.
It is about a woman named Ilona who turns 29; according to Hun tradition this is one of the 3 stages of a true adult.  With the coming of this birthday, Ilona begins receiving different powers and abilities  that she has no idea how to use.  She is also having dreams of a man that she believes may be her "soulmate". And to top all of that off, she has this strange and evil man trying to kill her in unusual ways.

The chapters are arranged beautifully by incorporating the language of the Huns and the their beliefs about different flowers.  This part was nice to know because I have always wondered about the color of flowers as well as representation of the different types of flowers.
I just couldn't get into how the book was written, though.  It was in journal form, which didn't bother me that much, but Ilona has a lot of inner dialogue throughout the book. I guess I wanted a little more action and a little less talking.  I also tended to get confused because of how Ilona would jump from subject to subject in the blink of an eye.
The actual story would have been very interesting with all the magical qualities in it, the threat of death, and the blossoming of love in it, but I just feel like the story went so slow that I couldn't get really excited about it.
I also couldn't understand how Ilona could get so freaked out about having a healing touch, but then come back and plainly state that she has the ability to slow down time.  If you have one magical asset then wouldn't you be more open to having more?
There were some good parts in the story but overall I found the story boring.   I also wished the author would have give us a little something more about the "big secret" of the Hun tradition but I felt like the author wanted to divulge that in the following books.
The story just kinda stops at the end.  I felt a little disappointed that it just kinda ended.  But there is an excerpt at the end for book 2, and then you get the cliffhanger.
I am not sure if I will read the second book, I am curious to know some things but I just don't know if I could follow along.
If you are looking for a book that reads more like an informational story then this book is a great one to read.  But if you want something with a little more substance to the plot, then you might want to pass on it.


If you are interested in this book and would like to read it yourself then you can get it on Amazon for the Kindle:


You can also buy it in paperback there and at Barnes and Noble.