Book Reviews

A Most Peculiar Circumstance by Jen Turano

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A Most Peculiar Circumstance (Ladies of Distinction Book #2) by [Turano, Jen]

I have heard others speak of Jen Turano several times, so when I saw this book in a gift shop, I just had to buy it.

A Most Peculiar Circumstance was a delightful read. Arabella Becket is a young lady who has a knack for getting into trouble, but all she wants is to support the women’s suffrage movement. When Mr. Theodore Wilder, a private investigator hired by his friend Hamilton Beckett to locate Hamilton’s sister, finds Miss Beckett in jail, she exhibits a fiercely independent streak, bringing him to his wit’s end. However, as their paths continue to cross when they return to New York, Theodore finds himself intrigued by Arabella.

Ms. Turano does a wonderful job of creating well-developed characters that sometimes made me laugh out loud. Ms. Turano is also very adept at drawing her readers into the story with clear descriptions and clearly showing the thoughts and feelings of her characters through their actions and reactions as well as their dialogue. She had me cheering for Miss Beckett and Mr. Wilder as Miss Beckett went from one spot of trouble to the next. Miss Beckett became quite endearing as she realized some things about herself and determined to help those less fortunate than herself.

As a writer, I appreciate quality writing, and I found myself noting the way Ms. Turano worded things in a way that drew me into the story and the character’s minds–something I hope to accomplish with my own writing because it not only makes reading a story an adventure, but an experience.

This may have been my first Jen Turano book, but it will not be my last. I look forward to reading more of her books very soon.

Gods They Had Never Known by J. S. Helms

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gods ebook FINAL

This is J.S. Helms’s debut novel, but she already writes like a pro. Gods They Had Never Known grabbed my attention right from the start and the book kept me turning page after page.

I believe it is natural to wonder about some of the things mentioned in Biblical history that are simply that — mentioned — not much detail, explanation or completion of what is mentioned, and J. S. Helms writes in Gods They Had Never Known about such a mentioned item, expanding upon it. Though this is a fiction piece, it is obvious J.S. Helms did her research to make the story as realistic to the time period as possible. Her descriptions are vivid, painting the places and characters in my mind.

The story begins in a peaceful little village. A village where Haven lives and listens to the Teller who brings the message of Shalliyt to the villagers. Many of the villagers begin to question why they should listen to the Teller. Then some of the immortal Guardians come into the village. They teach many of the villagers how to make more money, all the while desiring to take the daughters of the villagers as their wives.

Soon the village is faced with violence, death, and destruction, and many of the villagers have turned a deaf ear to the Teller. The woman Haven loves is desired by one of the immortal Guardians.

Will Haven be able to win the heart of the woman he loves and save the village? Like me, you’ll have to read the book to find out. You won’t be disappointed.

Kingdom’s Dawn by Chuck Black

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So, after attending our local homeschool convention and meeting author, Chuck Black, I decided to read the books our youngest son loves, and it all begins with Kingdom’s Dawn. This is a series of books written for elementary and middle grade readers, but after reading the first book of “The Kingdom Series”, I have to say that I am hooked and looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

Kingdom’s Dawn is very well written and it is a Fantasy story with knights, the world of Arrethtrae, and unusual creatures. The story included plenty of action and adventure, conflicts and battles. I came to love the characters quickly and my interest was held throughout the entire book. I forgot I was reading an elementary/middle grade book and just got caught up in the story.

In addition to being a great Fantasy story, I love the fact that it’s also an allegorical story that, as a Christian, pointed me to many of the truths of the Bible. However, if you aren’t a Christian or you don’t like to read Christian books, those things may not be evident to you, and the book is not preachy in any way. Therefore I believe these books would appeal to all Fantasy readers, most especially to those Fantasy readers who enjoy tales of knights, castles, and kingdoms.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series and following Leinad’s journey, with the hope of meeting Cedric, who tells Leinad’s tale, in a future book. Also, these books do not take long to read. I finished this first book in about six hours and our son, who is a middle grade student but reads above his grade level, finished each of these books in about a week (that’s reading about two hours a day).

So if you’re looking for a good summer read for your children, I highly recommend this book. Our son recommends all of Chuck Black’s books to ALL of his friends!

 

Dare from Deep Within by D. L. Sleiman

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Dare from Deep Within by D. L. Sleiman is the sequel to Dance from Deep Within which I read some time ago.

Dance from Deep Within is the story of three young women in the same college, who work together on a class project. The three women are quite different and come from different backgrounds: a white American girl who has been raised in a Christian home, a biracial young woman who has been raised by parents from the “hippy” generation who are free thinkers, and a Muslim woman whose parents have given her permission to attend college to earn an engineering degree, something way out of the norm for the Muslim culture.

Dance from Deep Within captured my attention from the first page and I was intrigued with the three young women. Their class project led them in a Dance with the Spirit and started them thinking and searching their hearts and minds. I enjoyed following their journey so much and by the end of the story, I felt like these three young women were friends of mine. I was disappointed when I found that not everything was completely wrapped up at the end of the book and that there was to be a sequel that wasn’t yet available.

So, when Dare from Deep Within became available in November, 2017, I couldn’t wait to get a copy! It took a while for me to get my copy and to have the time to read it, but I finished reading it last night. This book added two more young women and a few men to the original three women from the first book. One of the additional young women was the sister to the white American Christian girl from the first book and the other was a young Muslim woman, a close friend of the young Muslim woman from the first book. However, the situation for this new Muslim character was quite different from the first one and her friends were all concerned for her safety.

In Dare from Deep Within, all of the young women are still wrestling with their spiritual beliefs while still encouraging one another and building a strong bond of friendship between them. I did feel like this book had a slow start compared to the first one and I struggled to keep reading at first because it didn’t capture my interest as well. I also felt that  Ms. Sleiman had introduced one of the characters early in the book but kept her on the fringes until about the midway point. But when she introduced her, I really wanted to know more about her, so I was a bit frustrated that she wasn’t mentioned much more until later in the book.

However, once I reached the middle of the book, Ms. Sleiman didn’t disappoint me with the second half of the book. The danger one of the women was in reached beyond her and caused tension and suspense in the story. The internal struggles of many of the characters was something I believe anyone can relate to. Also, the struggle with choices that another character experienced was also completely relatable. These things kept me turning pages and cheering for these characters until the very end.

D. L. Sleiman obviously knows a lot about the Muslim culture and told this story in a gentle, caring way that helped me to understand the Muslim culture a little better. I always enjoy learning about other cultures and people groups. Learning about people different from ourselves is the only way to understand their lives and struggles and to be able to accept them for who they are. I wish more people would be willing to do this. I believe being open to learning about the differences in different cultures can build a bridge between us and lessen the “hate” that seems to flow too strongly and too frequently in today’s society.

I encourage anyone who has ever had a friend or relative from another culture or who would like to get to know someone from another culture to read this book. It clearly shows how difficult that can be, as well as how rewarding it can be. I know I said the book seemed to have a slow start, but it was well worth sticking with to the very end. Thank you, D. L. Sleiman for this two book set. I will treasure them and what they taught me for years to come.

The Light Arises by C.S. Wachter

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C.S. Wachter isn’t letting any grass grow under her feet (cliche, I know). But it was just a few short months ago on February 16, 2018 that her first book, The Sorcerer’s Bane was published and got rave reviews. The Sorcerer’s Bane introduced us to Prince Rayne, or the slave boy, Wren, and his story wrenched my heart and made me love him and want him to survive. This first book also gave us hope as it introduced the One and his work in Wren’s life.

Now, in Book 2 of “The Seven Words” series, The Light Arises, releases on May 29, 2018, C.S. Wachter does not disappoint. As a matter of fact, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked The Light Arises even better than The Sorcerer’s Bane. This, to me, seems an unlikely feat from a debut author, but C.S. Wachter has nailed it. She has proven that she can definitely write a story that will hold my interest, make me love the characters and cheer for them; make me laugh with them and cry with or for them. An author who can evoke that much emotion within me while I read his or her words is an author with longevity as far as I’m concerned.

In The Light Arises, Rayne struggles with relationships in his home on the world of Ochen. Though he is the Prince, he has been gone for many years and has recently returned. While he was gone, his parents, King Theodor and and Queen Rowena, have devoted themselves to Rayne’s cousin, Brayden. There have been problems between Brayden and Rayne since they were young boys, but now Brayden is insufferable. He is the cause of a strain between Rayne and his parents, so Rayne feels the need to leave his home.

He is not happy to leave the parents he has just been reunited with, but the One has called him for a higher purpose. He is to be the Light Bringer who is to find the seven words hidden on the seven worlds in order to defeat the darkness. He is to begin by bringing light to Veres, a world one can only enter if involved in the brutal games arranged by the Sorial merchants. Rayne is forced to become slave Wren once again to infiltrate the games to skip to the isolated world.

Still more trouble awaits in the form of a golden-haired girl who has vivid memories of the day an assassin came and destroyed her world and disabled her father. She plans to kidnap the prince in order to get King Theodor to help her people.

As I said, this book doesn’t disappoint. There is still lots of action and battling the forces of evil, as well as a promised hope. The Light Arises kept me turning pages to the very end and I eagerly await Book 3 of “The Seven Words” series by C.S. Wachter.

My only question is: will Book 3 be even better than Book 2?

If you like Christian Fantasy stories, I highly recommend these first two books in “The Seven Words” series by C. S. Wachter. If you’ve already read The Sorcerer’s Bane, you don’t want to miss The Light Arises. If you haven’t read The Sorcerer’s Bane, what are you waiting for? Read it and then grab The Light Arises and keep reading!

The White Forest: The Legend of Prince Ayron by Aviya Carmen

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The White Forest: The Legend of Prince Ayron Book 1 by [Carmen, Aviya]

The White Forest: The Legend of Prince Ayron (Book 1) by Aviya Carmen is  a fantasy story that also reminded me of an allegory. The story is simplistic and has an abundance of dialogue and lacks action.

There are a lot of quotes from the Bible, but they are not properly noted, and I felt there were too many quotes, as Ms. Carmen quoted full chapters.

The story is sweet and Ayron has an innocence about him that is endearing. It is easy to care for him and want to see him reach his goal.

However, as an adult, I have to say that I found the pace of the story slow. I felt the descriptions and dialogue slowed the pacing, and the lack of action also helped to slow down the pace of the story.

I believe this story would appeal to elementary age children; that they would find it fun to read, and I believe it would hold their interest.

There is a Christian theme running through the book, and though I suggest this book for elementary aged children, I would also caution parents that there is a sprinkling of profanity in a couple of scenes.

The White Forest: The Legend of Prince Ayron (Book 1) by Aviya Carmen is the first book of a series, and Ms. Carmen did something that I do not like in a series’ book, and that is she had no resolution at all at the end of this story. As a matter of fact, the story just seems to drop off in the middle of another conflict for Aryn, the main character. I prefer that even the first book of a series have some resolution at the end of the story, leaving me with some satisfaction as I await the next book because often, the next book is at least a year away.

Midnight is My Time by Mike Dellosso

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If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you know that I am a Mike Dellosso fan. I’ve written a review of his book, Centralia, and some of his books have been listed in my old Top Ten Tuesday posts. I have also done an author interview with him here on my blog.

So I was excited to be able to read his latest release, Midnight is My Time. I read it in two evenings because it grabbed my attention right at the start and held my attention until the very end. Midnight is My Time is filled with action and suspense, and yes, some violence. There is a mystery that also runs through the book in regards to the two main characters, Andy and Missy — are they freaks or something special?

Ten years after an Apocalyptic event, Andy and Missy meet and decide to travel together. They travel from the southeastern United States to the northeastern United States. But why are they being pursued and threatened? What is their purpose? Will they reach their destination in one piece?

Mike Dellosso’s descriptions paint a vivid picture of people and places. The action scenes are intense and keep the pace of the story moving, just as you catch your breath, another crisis wrenches your breath away again.

This book was an easy read, and as I mentioned above, it was a real page-turner that kept me on the edge of my seat. Mike Dellosso has produced another great read and I highly recommend it.

To Claim Her Heart by Jodie Wolfe

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To Claim Her Heart by Jodie Wolfe is a Christian historical romance story set in Oklahoma in the late 1800’s.

Any of you who have been reading my blog for any length of time know that, although, I read a variety of genres, Christian historical romance is my favorite. I read this book in four days. It usually takes me two weeks to read a book, but Jodie Wolfe created characters that grabbed my attention and my heart right from the start. She also included some very interesting history — I didn’t know there were “runs” to claim land in Oklahoma in the 1800’s. Therefore, I enjoyed learning about these “runs” while reading the story, and, of course, because some humans make bad choices, there were many complications to getting your land claim in some cases. Such was the problem for Elsie and Benjamin.

Elsie is a young woman who is on her own and doesn’t really behave like a lady. She also has no intention of becoming involved in a relationship with any man. She’s tough and independent, or, at least she thinks she is.

Benjamin is a preacher who wants to build a home and a church, to preach to a community. He’s experienced some tragic losses that have left him determined to remain unattached.

The things that happen as Elsie’s and Benjamin’s paths cross are humorous, frustrating, dangerous, and more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and fell in love with the characters, not only Elsie and Benjamin but many of the secondary characters as well. I highly recommend this book to any Christian historical romance readers or any reader who just enjoys a good historical romance story that doesn’t contain profanity and explicit sex.

I give To Claim Her Heart by Jodie Wolfe five stars and look forward to reading more of her books in the near future.

Bride Tree by J.P. Robinson

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Bride Tree (Secrets of Versailles Book 2) by [Robinson, JP]

Bride Tree “Secrets of Versailles” Book II by J.P. Robinson is an epic tale of Queen Marie-Antoinette during 1789, when France is reeling from a civil war between its social classes.

This is the second book in the “Secrets of Versailles” series by J.P. Robinson. The first was Twice Born. You can read my review of Twice Born here.

Bride Tree is a story filled with French history, action, romance, betrayal, suspense, and allegory. Characters stretch across the social classes. Some I hated, some I loved, and some I had mixed feelings for. I identified with some of the characters, found it hard to understand others, and pitied others. I cheered for some of the characters. I laughed and cried. To me, that is the mark of a great story — it grabbed my emotions and touched my heart. The characters of Bride Tree will forever remain dear to my heart.

I also love the cover of this book. I find it beautiful and eye-catching.

I highly recommend Bride Tree to adults who love to read historical stories, especially epic accounts. I recommend Bride Tree to adults who like to be emotionally gripped by a book and who enjoy a book that keeps you turning pages — a book you just can’t put down.

This book may also be appropriate for some young adults, but, a word of caution: this book contains some graphic violence and some sexual scenes and innuendo.

 

The Sorcerer’s Bane by C.S. Wachter

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The Sorcerer’s Bane by C. S. Wachter, a debut novel by a debut writer. I have to say that this is one of the few fantasy books I have read since reading the Narnia series by C. S. Lewis and the Lord of the Rings series by J. R. R. Tolkien. I loved the Narnia series, but didn’t really enjoy much of the Lord of the Rings, except for a some of the characters. You see, as a reader, I need an interesting plot that keeps things moving, but more importantly to me are the characters — being able to sympathize or empathize with them, feeling their feelings. I need to care about and identify with the characters, and I need to want to cheer them on and need to know how things will turn out for them.

I was introduced to the fantasy genre later in life — in other words, I was already out of my twenties, and I have always been an avid reader of any genre of story that includes some romance as part of the main story line, so fantasy has never really been my go-to read.

However, I have come to have an appreciation for and understanding of good fantasy books, especially Christian Fantasy books because they have a true good versus evil story line that points to the true hope for a happy ending.

Well, imagine my surprise, when I read The Sorcerer’s Bane and found myself quickly entrenched in the worst kind of evil — the enslavement and abuse of a child. Yet, the child grabbed my attention from the start, and held my attention fast so that I was unable to put the book down, even when it made me cringe and flinch, and it disgusted me sometimes.

So, what was it that kept me reading as I fought past these feelings? It was the characters — the boy who had an incredible resolve for one so young, the teacher who desired to teach the boy more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic, the kind young lady who ministered to the boy’s injuries. Even some of the characters that were part of the evil the boy dealt with held my attention because I had a glimmer of something more than the evil they presented that made me hope they may change.

C. S. Wachter has a way of weaving a tale that drags her character through hell but that always exhibits a glimmer of hope and light for something better to come. Even at the end, the knowledge and hope of more to come whets my appetite for the next book in the series of “The Seven Words” by C. S. Wachter.

So, if you love a good tale of good versus evil, I recommend The Sorcerer’s Bane to you, but only if you are a young adult or adult, as some of the violence and situations in the book may be too upsetting to children.

If you have enjoyed my book review for The Sorcerer’s Bane by C. S. Wachter, be sure to stop by tomorrow for a special blog post, where you can read my interview with new author, C. S. Wachter.