"Mark of the Raven" Book Review

Let me start of by being very clear - this is book 1 of a series! Don't think you're going to get to the end and feel satisfied because the end of the book is definitely not the end of the story. 

And what a story it is! I'm excited to see what author Morgan L. Busse has in store for the rest of The Ravenwood Saga because her imagination is in full bloom. 

If I had to make one critical comment on the book (and this is me being picky) I'd say that there was too much time spent on the contemplation by the characters.  Parts of the plot seemed to stall a little as they circled back to inner turmoils previously discussed. Having said that, "Mark of the Raven" was written in such a way that it was easy to envision the settings and pulled emotions from me towards the characters.  I always think a character is well written when I either care about them or despise them. 

If you pick up "Mark of the Raven", be prepared to be drawn into a fantastical world of gifts, intrigue and adventure.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

"Jerusalem's Queen" Book Review

Squeal!  A new Angela Hunt book!  Be still my beating heart!

Anyone who knows me knows I am a massive fan of author Angela Hunt's writing. Her style is just so stinking engaging. Plus I love that when one of her books is centered around a Biblical person I end up rereading the Scriptures because she makes me pause and ask, "What of this is true and what is creative license?"  So often she sees the person from the Bible in a way I never thought of and gives them a personality I hadn't envisioned. So great.

When it comes to "Jerusalem's Queen", the heroine isn't from the pages of Scripture but none other than Salome Alexandra, one of only two queens of Judea.  To my shame, before this book, I hadn't heard of this formidable woman.  (Until close to the end of the book, the only reason I assumed Salome Alexandra was a true historical figure was because she was the center of one of Ms. Hunt's books.) Her life is inspirational to anyone who finds themselves forced to live in a world that is far from what they dreamed or who find themselves thrust into a leadership role. 

Because I love Ms. Hunt's work, I had high expectations for this book. It did not disappoint.  I have nothing but praise for this masterpiece. As bizarre as it may sound, one of my favorite parts of any Hunt book is at the very end, after the story if over, when she explains what parts of the book are historical. I am often surprised to find out that the most seemingly outrageous parts aren't made up at all.

Once again Angela Hunt as managed to create a novel that is entertaining, and encouraging.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

"The Cost of Betrayal" Book Review

My daughter insisted I get this book because it was her three favorite authors all in one.  Far be it for me to not indulge her love of reading!

Thankfully for her sake, the three novellas in "The Cost of Betrayal" are signature pieces.  If you've read enough of Ms. Henderson, Ms. Pettrey and Ms. Eason's works you'd likely be able to guess who wrote which one.  I can't say I'm a huge fan of Dee Henderson's work. The overuse of people's first names in the character's conversation results in stilted writing. It might seem a pithy point but I found it grating. In truth, I almost stopped reading the first novella, "Betrayed" because of it.

The second novella, "Deadly Isle", by Dani Pettrey was engrossing. In it's own way, it was a blessing in disguise that it was not a full book because this has been one crazily busy season of life for me and I didn't want to put it down but felt the pull of other responsibilities. (or maybe I just wanted an excuse to not tackle the to-do list) Either way, I had a hard time putting the book down once I started.

The last novella, "Code of Ethics", by Lynette Eason so deeply resembles her other books that it made me chuckle. The main character always seem to have the entire family of first responders.  Or at least the entire circle of acquaintances. And I never really buy it when the victim is allowed to be actively involved with the case. But if you can forget about that, "Code of Ethics" was a fun read that will have you wishing it was longer.

Because I almost didn't make it through the first novella, I can't give this two enthusiastic thumbs up. However, the other two were great so I will give it two thumbs up. Just not enthusiastic ones.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"River to Redemption" Book Review

I'm sitting here trying how to be fair with this review.  "River by Redemption" wasn't horrible but it wasn't great either.  To be honest, the part of this book I found the most fascinating was the 'Author's Notes' at the end where I discovered the book was based on a real person.

I appreciate that author Ann H. Gabhart highlighted the evil of slavery without getting graphic. And certainly, if you're looking for a book where you don't have to worry about feeling uptight, this would be a good one.  Perhaps that's the reason I wasn't gripped by this story line - there didn't seem to be much of one. Sure there were some conflicts but nothing really surprised me. In fact, I almost stopped reading it altogether numerous times. The only thing that kept me going was knowing I had to write a review.  Thankfully, the last couple of chapters became engrossing but it was hard for me to get there.

I can't say I recommend this book only because I found it to be a tad dull and the character's conversations and thoughts were a bit cyclical.  If you're looking for fluff, this might be a book for you but if you're looking to be pulled into a wild ride of a tale, keep looking elsewhere.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

"Rise of the Mystics" Book Review

If being bitten by a spider turned Peter Parker into Spiderman, than I'm pretty sure Ted Dekker was bitten by a unicorn. The imagination on this guy! "Rise of the Mystics" is definitely in my top three books of the year. Not only was it engrossing and entertaining, it catapulted my faith light years ahead.

I'm not making that last statement lightly. By the end of reading "Rise of the Mystics" I honestly felt like God had used it to tear away a veil from my eyes and I was free to love and trust. One of my co-workers had been giving me a hard time regardless of the kindness I showed her and suddenly, it didn't matter anymore. I was free to love her.

For better or worse, "Rise of the Mystics" is book two of the "Beyond the Circle" series and in all truthfulness, if you're going to grasp what's going on, you need to read the "Circle" series first. That means to get to this book, I highly recommend you read 5 others first. But don't dismay - those 5 books are amazing too. I LOVED the Circle series. Because they are an allegory for the story of God and Man, it gave me an appreciation for what we lost at the Fall and what we gained at the cross in a new way. Plus, they are fantastically entertaining.

Don't let the title make you think this is a New Age novel. Not even close. This is a novel that invites you to rise above what your eyes see and understand the huge inheritance we have as Children of God - an inheritance that starts now, not after we die.

I can not recommend this book highly enough!!! Two extremely enthusiastic thumbs up.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond" Book Review

It's funny, I have big feelings about this book. I just don't know what they are. 

I'm going to go with positive ones though.

"The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond" is really two stories in one -set generations apart. Slowly, as the book moves forward, the two stories become increasingly intertwined. Author Jaime Jo Wright did a great job of bringing them together - especially since at the beginning they seem to have nothing to do with one another. The many plot twists and reveals was great too.

My only criticism, and it's totally likely to be on my part, not the book's, is that at the beginning, I couldn't keep the characters straight. Maybe there were too many introduced all at once. It's a hard hill to overcome though given that, like I already mentioned, this is two stories in one book so double the names is needed.

Though there is violence, there's nothing gruesome or disturbing. Just an enjoyable mystery with many "I didn't see that coming!" moments.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

49th Mystic by Ted Dekker (Review)

Things to know before reading "The 49th Mystic".
1. Do not, I repeat, do not read this book until you've read The Circle Series by Ted Dekker. (which I promise you will love)

2. Know that this is book one. Argh! I have to wait until October 2018 for the second one.


Even though it's plain to see, right there on the cover the words "Beyond the Circle", I didn't realize "The 49th Mystic" was an off shoot of that series. I LOVED the Circle Series so it was a pleasant surprise but if you haven't read that first, you might feel lost.

Ted Dekker has an incredible mind that sees the world and God's plan is a fresh new way. I've grown up in church and love Jesus but still, when I read the Circle series and now "The 49th Mystic" some truths, perhaps because they are turned into allegories, suddenly seem obvious.
*Of course what we are is beyond what we see!
*My real identity is not what the world has named me. My identity is In Christ. That's how I could sign my letters.
How is it I needed a novel to re-enforce that? I kept having small epiphanies.

I also loved that, just like The Circle Series, there were two interconnected stories going on at once. One of the stories takes place in a different time in a seemingly different realm. Perhaps the reason this resonated with me is because there ARE two realms. The natural and the spiritual. And they are connected. Yet separate. Yet connected.

Mr. Dekker's ability to bring a story to life in vivid fantastical color is astonishing. Sir, I applaud you!

Unfortunately, even though I would easily score The Circle Series a 10 out of 10, I found "The 49th Mystic" a little repetitive. The story line is awesome. Who thinks of these things? But as the main character learns God's deep truths, they are repeated a lot. It got to be a bit much. However, I'm already anticipating getting my hands on book 2.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."