Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite

Ndalla’s World by Beth Franz is a fantasy novel that revolves primarily around two adult women, one named Julia and another, not of this time or world, named Ndalla. Set initially on Earth in the 1980s, Julia's life is transformed within a single morning when she finds a man and woman in her bedroom who most certainly were not there when she went out to buy more coffee. It does not take long for Julia to understand that Ndalla and her fellow traveler Makei are...different. The three fall into a routine of communal living and Ndalla begins to share bits and pieces of her story in another realm while learning about Julia. The women's relationship becomes romantic and physical as an emotional attachment forms. Julia time travels to Ndalla's world, in which she is the queen of a people at war. Ndalla is a marvel, dedicated to all that is good, loving, and profoundly wise. Julia is insecure, but committed to Ndalla, who she loves deeply, and supports as a companion. As Julia learns to live within the power of the Forces, she must also learn to trust and free herself, not just for herself, but for Ndalla and the different types of new life to come.

There are loads of quotable words from Ndalla's World, but for me, the best to put Julia's experiences into perspective is: “But sometimes events occur that are designed to test us as a people. We do not even know what it is within us that is being tested.” Beth Franz has crafted a compelling new world and even though it is certainly a fantasy romance novel, it flirts with some pretty solid literary fiction elements as well. Ndalla's wisdom is a continual river of insight into the outlook, internal depth, and realities that we, as people, frequently convolute and complicate, but that Ndalla sees, expresses, and understands simply and honestly. She does not get bogged down by worry in the way that Julia as a woman of Earth does, and when Julia finds herself in fear and insecurity, which she often does, Ndalla is quick with words to dispel them. She also is a good cuddler and Julia and Ndalla together are generous love makers. The sizzle is limited to before and after and Franz refrains from explicit detail. The physical is important but the emotional is more so. There is a twist I did not see coming but I nearly squealed with delight after it was revealed. When the book ended I found myself satiated and looking forward to whatever it is that Franz puts out next - in this realm or another. Highly recommended.