Title: Esmeralda’s Web
Author: J. R. Gonzalez
ISBN: 9780578599878
Publisher: J.R. Gonzalez
Pages: 704
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Aaron Washington

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J. R. Gonzalez’s writing can be described as elite, unique and incredible. The author writes as his life depends on art and literature. The sentences are modestly composed and the narration done astonishingly well. J. R. Gonzalez’s diction is excellent, his vocabulary is wide, and the words used in every chapter easy to master. The arrangement of the story in the book is terrific too. The reader is taken to a different world, a world where the author creates both lovely and eccentric characters. You are easily drawn to the action in the book and even forget what real life feels like. Another thing that makes J. R. Gonzalez a great author is how conscious he is about literary elements. You can feel how passionate the author is with his art through the text in the book. Everything in J. R. Gonzalez’s world feels unbelievable.

The first chapter of part one the book starts with a Thomas Jones Quote; ‘Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate.’ I liked this quote not only because it is an informed quote but also because it made a good reference in the content of the first chapter. We are introduced to Elspeth in the first chapter. We see her seated in the high tower of the prison. From the tower, she can see half of the prison and a good fraction of the world. The way J. R. Gonzalez introduced Elspeth made me more curious about the character. I wanted to read further and understand just what was on the mind of this particular character. I appreciate this technique used by the author as it increases the readers’ yearn to follow the story and get to understand the plot well.

We follow the tale of two kids who fell in love despite being in difficult circumstances. The two fell head over heels for each other but the Spanish inquisition seemed to be an obstacle for their love to thrive. The inquisition was meant to locate Jews that were not keen to commit to Christianity and punish them. Esmeralda’s Web is not entirely a romance novel but the love stories in some chapters make one appreciate love and affection. Reading about a character, getting to love them and later learning that they would get boiled in acid or murdered at the stake is some is extremely distressing. Some scenes in the book are disturbing and even horrific.

The best thing about reading Emerald’s Web however is that you are never sure what the author will write about next. This keeps you on the edge as you anticipate more action from the author. Emerald’s Web is an astounding book. Everything from the characters, historic references, inspired quotes, and narration style were exceptional. The story keeps getting more interesting and sometimes even terrifying. J. R. Gonzalez did great with the introduction of the main story at the start of the book. His unique style and way of revealing details as the book progresses are what make Esmeralda’s Web is a literary gem.