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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
Emma Engel has commented on (28) products
Afloat
by
Healy, Erin
Emma Engel
, July 09, 2013
It seems like the perfect community. And of course, floating houses are a draw all their own. But Eagle’s Talon had problem long before the work crew hit a sink hole. Now with the world in chaos, unnatural strangers delivering messages from God, and lights shining deep in the water, a small group of people must try to navigate dark waters. And getting out alive doesn’t necessarily equate with survival. When it comes to the supernatural, it is difficult to find a balance. Here in the US, we tend to spend a lot of time falling into the ditches on both sides of the road and very little time actually on the narrow strip of asphalt. Mostly, it seems that in our imperialistic and capitalistic society it is much too easy to forget about the element of “other.” When we do acknowledge it, it is often in term of either days past or the sort of thing you see other places. And it’s very easy to overcorrect off the other side of the road and attribute the spiritual too much power and reverence. In short, spiritual forces outside the realms of fantasy are a tricky subject. Which is why I’m coming to enjoy Erin Healy’s books more and more. She weaves the supernatural into our mundane lives very naturally. She allows there to be other forces at work, but the glimpses her character catch of them are always brief and often never fully explained. Often, there is a great variation in how the events are perceived by different people. What is a miracle to one is a stroke of luck to another. In Afloat, it is a child who first sees that they are not alone. Often supernatural stories take place on a cosmic scale. Afloat brings things much more up close and personal. It takes a small cast, in an isolated area, and adds angels. In fact, I think the story works best because of how removed the little community is. The entire plot rests on the characters’ shoulder, and whether the book sinks or swims depends on the reader’s ability to connect to the people in it. I personally thought the characters were superbly drawn and became very invested even in individuals I didn’t necessarily connect with. If you’re looking for a summer beach read, Alfoat might not be the best choice. It’s detail driven and if you miss even something small, it can be quite frustrating. However, it’s a definite page turner that only solidifies Erin Healy’s position as one of the best supernatural suspense writers. My thanks to Booksneeze for providing me a copy of Afloat in return for my honest opinion of the book.
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Fortress of Mist
by
Sigmund Brouwer
Emma Engel
, April 29, 2013
A fast paced first book, The Orphan King, saw Thomas coming of age, setting off to reclaim his fortress, Magnus, and successfully recapturing the legendary keep. I expected this second book to have less action and focus instead on the two conspiracies that still remain hidden in the shadows around Thomas. While these opposing forces certainly came into play, much of the story still revolved around battles and the question of Thomas’ right to the throne. The first thing that really struck me about the second book was the rampant magical use. All right. I jest. However, Mr. Brouwer is clearly in the “magic is science we don’t understand yet” camp. We learned a great deal more about Thomas’ hidden library and how it is the key to his claiming and holding Magnus. In a move very reminiscent of Mark Twain’s Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Thomas begins introducing technology to his kingdom that is centuries before it’s time. While we saw a bit of this with the powders and herbs in the first book, I had no idea that the knowledge in those books is so powerful and pivotal. You can definitely see both why the common people would perceive these things as magical and why the two societies are hell bent on obtaining them. As for the two shadow groups, I thought they managed to be both the best and weakest part of the book. We learned a great deal about them during this entry in the series. We know that one side, presumably the bad guys, are the druids. And we know that both sides really want Thomas’ books. In many ways the sneaking and the disguises feels like a medieval Mission Impossible episode. I truly enjoyed watching them plot and pull at their various webs, trying desperately to trap Thomas. I adore this take on the druids and can’t wait to learn more about them. I genuinely felt Thomas’ frustration as he tries to learn who to trust. And that there is part of the problem. I’m literally as frustrated as the main character over the lack of information. I can see the benefit to leaving the reader somewhat in the dark, but by now I think we should have learned a lot more about the “good guys.” Based on the little we’ve gleaned, they are in opposition to the druids, but who they are and their purpose in seeking the books is unclear. (As is, I might add, the origin of all this amazing knowledge.) If I were trying to bet on the outcome of the series simply based on these two books, I’d say that both sides are evil and playing Thomas. I don’t actually think that’s true, and I’m sure we’ll learn more about the Light Side down the road. However, that is the impression the group is giving at the moment. I admit it’s possibly a knee jerk reaction on my part to the fact that both sides are using young women to get at Thomas. It’s an element that seemed fitting for the evil druids, if still uncomfortable, but for the good guys to be using it just seems wrong. I would far rather have the Templar Knight be their lesion with Thomas. Where does that leave me with the Fortress of Mist book and the Merlin’s Immortals series itself? Cautiously optimistic is probably the best phrase. There’s a lot of good in these books and heaps of potential for the series. But there’s enough questions needing answers right now for the jury to be out on the series as whole. If you really love tales of Arthur and alternate histories though and are willing to give an in-progress series a shot, definitely check these books. Even you don't end up loving the whole series these first two books do provide fun reads with lots of swords and legends. My thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah for providing me with a copy of Fortress of Mist in return for my honest opinion of the book.
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Stress Test
by
Richard L. Mabry
Emma Engel
, April 10, 2013
Dr. Matt Newman has everything. An amazing gift for healing. A good job he’s leaving for an even better one. A steady girlfriend who might be The One. Then one night as he leaves the hospital, he is attacked and stuffed into the trunk of his car by men who make their plans for him very clear. Matt pulls off an escape, only to sustain a head injury from a fall. When he wakes in the hospital, he finds a homicide detective waiting for him…and a chance to arrest him for murder. Innocent of the crime, but with no ability to even prove he’d been kidnapped, Matt turns to lawyer Sandra Murray for advice and representation. There are men still trying to kill him, an assistant DA with dreams of advancement, and a detective willing to do anything to see him behind bars. Luckily for him, his lawyer is also willing to move heaven and earth to keep him out from behind those bars. The first thing that leaps off page one of Stress Test is the fact that this book is about a doctor. The description of the scene, the language used, and the complete acceptance that the reader is never going to be able to fully follow what’s happening is what makes it unusual. This isn’t a medical book a novelist researched. This is a book written by someone who can picture every tiny little detail of the medical procedures because he’s been there. The next thing you realize with a bit of shock is that while Dr. Mabry is clearly pulling on his own area of expertise to write the story, he is also a really, really good writer. We’ve all read a non-fiction book at some point that was fascinating, and the author’s passion for his subject shone…almost covering for the fact that the author didn’t know nearly as much about writing as he did about his topic. Stress Test is not that book. Dr. Mabry wields the written word with a surgeon’s precision. The other thing that I realized with some surprise as I started to think about my review of Stress Test is the fact there are really only two main characters, Matt and Sandra. However, the supporting characters are drawn so complex and realistic I had started thinking of it as an ensemble cast. From Sandra’s assistant, to Matt’s doctor, to the mastermind and henchmen, each person provided another little story, and together they built a magnificent main story line. The only thing I’m unsure of is whether Stress Test can really be called a mystery. Certainly, Matt spends most of the book racing to clear his name and discovering how and why he became a target. But enough information is given to the reader along the way that there isn’t much of a puzzle left to solve. It’s a brilliant plot device that actually adds to the suspense for the reader. You still don’t know if Matt and Sandra can put all the right pieces together fast enough. But it does leave you reaching for some term other than mystery to describe the book. I’m going to go with Crime Thriller. So don’t come expecting an old fashioned who dunnit or you’ll be a bit disappointed. But if you’re looking for suspense and intrigue, definitely check Stress Test out. My thanks to BookSneeze for providing me with a copy of Stress Test in return for my honest opinion of the book.
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Captives
by
Jill Williamson
Emma Engel
, April 08, 2013
Have you ever read a book, and then struggled to decide if you liked it? After all, people died horribly and unimaginable suffering was visited upon the protagonists. You can't really walk away with a, "well that was fun!" And yet, you are glad you read the book...more than that, you are grateful. It reached down inside of you and forced you to deal with ideas and emotions you hope will never see the light of day outside the pages of a book. You come away stronger, more aware of yourself, your world, and your beliefs. Captives was one of those books. It isn't a fun Sunday afternoon read. It isn't a book you go around summarizing easily. You remember trying to explain Hunger Games to someone the first time? "It's a book about a bunch of kids getting put into an arena to kill each other. Which they do." On the surface, the plot leaves you reeling. But of course, we're talking about the surface. The part that allows the real plot to function. Captives is a hard book that doesn't really belong in the hands of younger readers. But because it is a hard story, it is a great story. So don't hand it to the ten year old who loved the Blood of Kings Trilogy. Read it yourself and grow from it. And look forward to someday working through it with a teenager who is asking the questions Captives makes you answer. How far is too far? Will having everything make me happy? Does the end justify the means? Can I save humanity if the price is my family? My thanks to Jill Williamson for providing me with an ARC of Captives in return for my honest opinion of the book. For more about Captives and my full review of the book, check out my other internet home, http://lytherus.com/ where Jill is participating in the author spotlight feature with a giveaway, an interview, and a guest post.
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Learning to Love Passion Compassion & the Essence of the Gospel
by
Heidi Baker, Rolland Baker
Emma Engel
, April 04, 2013
I’ve been procrastinating on this review. I really, really wanted to like this book, but in the end, the honest fact is that I struggled to read this book and even once I finished, I never really enjoyed it. However, I am certain that my dislike of it is personal and really shouldn’t be taken into account when judging the book. So how to go about reviewing it? Let me explain where I’m coming from. First, I read a lot. As in generally a book a day. Secondly, I studied writing and literature all through high school and college. Third, I actually do a fair amount of writing. So when I encounter a book that has no discernible structure, plot, or even central idea, it drives me up the wall. I don’t read books for a scattered handful of short vignettes. I might read a collection of short stories, but even there, the stories tend to be longer than a few paragraphs. Learning to Love reminded me of when I stumble across an interesting blog and go back to the beginning and read through the post. (And yes, doing that bothers me too.) Very little tied together. Some wasn’t even in chronological order. Were all the little snippets an interesting look at mission work in Africa? Absolutely! If they had brought them together as a narrative would I have loved the book? Yes! Was there anything about the actual content that bothered me? No! So I didn’t like the book. But I disliked it for a very personal and probably very petty reason. The structure proved an insurmountable problem for me, but that in no way makes Learning to Love a bad book. Anyone who enjoys missions stories and doesn’t get hung up on things like grammar and structure should really check it out. It just wasn’t for me. My thanks to Bethany House for providing me a copy of Learning to Love in return for my honest opinion of the book.
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Through a Screen Darkly Looking Closer at Beauty Truth & Evil in the Movies
by
Jeffrey Overstreet
Emma Engel
, March 22, 2013
Sometimes when it comes to books about entertainment, it seems like one more tomb on the subtle details of Lord of the Rings or the Christian themes in Matrix will break the bookshelf. However, if you enjoy watching movies in any fashion, I strongly recommend you find a copy of Mr. Overstreet’s book Through a Screen Darkly. Even if you have to weed out a few books to make room, it’s worth it. Most of the books about books or movies take sides. Either they believe their subject is good and that everyone needs to see that way, or they believe is bad and needs to be shunned by all until it disappears. Through a Screen Darkly happily meanders between the two camps calling for a cease fire. No one movie is focused on. Rather, the topic is the experience of watching movies and how it affects Christians. I nearly put the book down when the apostle Peter showed up. “Ah. The author believes that all things are permissible, and that there is no such thing as a bad movie. Why read more?” Fortunately, I continued and a few pages later I found myself deeply absorbed in Mr. Overstreet’s personal opinion of the command to Peter. He suggests that the idea of all things being permissible might mean that a movie you think of as bad is really good…for the right person. He acknowledges the obvious point that the goal should always be coming closer to God, and there are films out there so unhealthy they never accomplish this and should be avoided by all. But he suggests that the second clause of “not all things are good” is where our focus should be directed. Suppose I find myself unable to watch a film like the recent Looper (my example, not his) and watching it would cause me to stumble and draw away from who God wants to me to be. That makes the movie “not good” to me. However, I read reviews from trusted Christian sources praising the movie and the hard themes it forced people to deal with. Instead of using my lens of “not good” to criticism them and demand that they agree with me, I need to recognize that for them, it was good. And since all things are permissible, rather than fighting over my idea of good versus his idea of good, I should acknowledge the good the movie did for that person. Doesn’t ever make it good for me, but it gives the other viewer a platform for thoughts and ideas that are uplifting and glorifying and might not have been achieved otherwise. I found this the most original and encouraging section of the book, but it was only a section. Many other aspects of the experience of watching movies and how to use those points of agreement of disagreement in dialog and relationship are covered. Movie apologetics aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but if you have even a cursory interest in the subject, I highly recommended this book. And even if it’s not something you’ve thought too much about before, you might find some of Mr. Overstreet’s hypotheses fascinating.
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The Sky Beneath My Feet
by
Lisa Samson
Emma Engel
, March 15, 2013
Beth’s life has been pretty steady. Her husband, Rick, works as the Men’s Pastor at a large and growing church. Her two teenage boys are being �" well, teenagers, but overall they seem fine. The church is giving them a month long sabbatical, and one of her friends has lent them keys to a Florida vacation home. A perfect life right? When old friends reappear on Beth and Rick’s doorstep to offer them a high profile job at another, even larger church, the invisible fault lines in the family begin to crack. Rick retreats to his shed turned man-cave to pray and seek the Lord’s guidance. His family is left to carry on, explaining to their neighbors and friends why their husband and father has suddenly become a hermit, and Beth begins to seek a deeper meaning in her own life. Where does the book without a genre go? Where few books can apparently. While much of the story centers on Beth trying to understand and cope with her husband’s very unexpected actions, this isn’t really a story about romance. While part of the plot is driven by Beth suddenly waking up to the fact her life has lost direction, it isn’t really a story about identity crisis. While drugs, protestors, and halfway houses figure largely, it isn’t really a story about losing one’s faith. What this is a story of is one family that stumbles, falls, and, through God’s grace, arrives at a point of clarity. Beth is the story’s narrator, but by the end, the reader has deeply connect with her, Rick, their sons, their friends, their elderly neighbors, protestors on the street corner, girls fighting with drug addiction, and a maybe nun. There isn’t a nice one line lesson the book sums at the end. Rather, The Sky Beneath My Feet is as brilliant a portrait of humanity as the mural described in its pages. I loved the fact that while Beth clearly felt her husband was having some kind of break down and wasn’t above snarking about it (very loudly where he could hear in his shed), she never stopped caring about him. Even though she found his actions both unfathomable and hurtful, there was never a moment she stopped worrying about him. As for Rick, as misguided as his quest was, he walked away from it freely acknowledging both the good that had come from it, and the harm it had done to both him and his family. Similarly, there was definitely a few jabs at the phenomenon of mega-churches, Jesus fish, and the Church with a capital C, but none of them came across are either preachy or judgmental. Rather, they seemed part of an overall tone that sometimes we have to step back from our lives and laugh. And sometimes we have to step back and seek out things that need to be changed. My thanks to BookSneeze for providing me with a copy of The Sky Beneath My Feet in return for my honest opinion of the book.
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Someone to Blame
by
Susanne Lakin
Emma Engel
, March 03, 2013
A story of grief and of family, Someone to Blame is the story of one family’s quest for healing and one town’s quest for justice and how they come to intersect. I deeply love Mrs. Lakin’s Gates of Heaven series, but I wasn’t really certain what to expect from Someone to Blame. What I found was a truly unique story about faith and loss. So many Christian fiction books seem to follow the same the formulas, and I enjoyed Someone to Blame almost as much for its originality as for the wonderfully crafted characters and deeply moving story. The story shifts between several different characters perspective but mostly revolves around Matt and Irene, and their daughter Casey. Having recently lost both of their sons, and older brothers for Casey, through tragedies, the family relocates to a small coastal town in Oregon, trying desperately to cope with their loss and not lose each other in the process. Arriving at nearly the same time is Billy Thurber, a young man from up in the mountains who instantly sets the town on edge with his harsh manners and hardened look. When things start going missing in the town, suspicion falls on Billy and when Matt realizes that fourteen old Casey might be interested in the older boy, he allows his grief and anger to start thinking for him. However, Irene also meets Billy without knowing his connection with the rest of her family, and he provides a very different outlet for her as God once again brings her a boy in need of a mother. With a touch of mystery, a great deal of individual expressions of grief and then healing, and some of that small town Mitfordy love and community, Something to Blame is wonderful book. It is however, very much not a book for young readers as it contains flashbacks and scenes of extreme violence. And I can see it being inappropriate for readers who are bothered by depictions of accident victims and suicide. My thanks to Zondervan for providing me with a copy of Someone to Blame, in return for my honest opinion of the book.
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Deception
by
Randy Alcorn
Emma Engel
, March 01, 2013
I have read and reread both Deadline and Dominion several times over the years, so when I saw this in a ebook bundle, I was intrigued by the title The Ollie Chandler Series. After all, while the detective was a memorable side character in the two novels, he was exactly that �" a side character. However, the third book, Deception, is narrated by the sarcastic detective and brings his character’s story to completion. Using Ollie as the main character for this book was a stroke of genius. Much of the other two books were focused on bringing contemporary issues to light. While there were elements of mystery, the main characters uncovered answers through a combination of basic intelligence and sheer dumb luck. In Deception, watching the mystery unravel through the eyes of trained detective raised not only the stakes, but the caliber of the case. All three of the books are well written stories that take on hard issues with an undaunted honesty and a Christian worldview lens. Mr. Alcorn never flinches from the facts about his subjects even when they are dark or disconcerting, so I can’t recommend these books for young readers or even as read alouds. However, older readers looking for some great suspense and mystery stories should definitely check out all three books. Reblogged from my site: www.myrdan.com My thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah for providing me with a copy of The Ollie Chandler Series, in return for my honest opinion of the book.
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Damascus Countdown
by
Joel C Rosenberg
Emma Engel
, February 25, 2013
Most doomsday scenarios find people stockpiling canned goods and reaching out to estranged friends and family. In the case of David Shirazi, he’s not preparing for the end of the world; he’s trying to stop it. With the Middle East turning into a massive warzone, the American forces are pulling back. But the CIA has one last agent in the field, and he will stop at nothing to save the world. Joel C. Rosenberg is well known for writing political thrillers and up until this last book, I’d have said his newest trilogy had almost too much in common with his previous five book series. Maybe the situation in the Middle East has come to the forefront of our news so often lately that it detracts from the fiction element for these stories. Still, they are very well written books, and I’ve been looking forward to the conclusion. And what a conclusion it was! Damascus Countdown not only perfectly tied up all the various plotlines of the trilogy, it gave all the different storylines a common ground they previously lacked: humanity. Mr. Rosenberg always does a fabulous job researching his books, but there was almost too much politics and policies in the first books. In this book, each political move is being made by very human characters that Mr. Rosenberg skillfully fleshed out. Even as the characters worked at cross-purposes and strove for different goals, you could sympathize with what each was trying to accomplish. You felt the desperation behind each move as Israel launched a preemptive strike on Iran. You felt the sense of moral superiority crash from under the feet of a man who ordered an attack on a high profile target…only to find out they had bombed a bus full of children. And above all, you felt David Shirazi come into his own. Up until this last book, I felt that as a character David was a little lost. I mostly contributed this to fact he spent large portions of each book undercover. It’s hard to get a perfect sense for a character that is constantly playing other characters. But in Damascus Countdown, I felt that David really benefited from losing the support structure he was accustom to and having to strike out on his own. It was a little Jack Bauer-ish, but it did wonders for the character. I found it particularly fascinating that as David literally did everything and anything in his power to stop the war around him, he didn’t spend a lot of time scrutinizing his actions. Many Christians would be hesitant to take the steps he does, but at this point in the story, David knows exactly what is as stake, and he shows no hesitation. Yet, even though he clearly felt it necessary, I’m not sure he ever thought it was “good.” Instead, he had more of “the sin be upon my head” attitude. So often we talk about self-sacrifice in terms of the hero of a story laying down his life or offering it in exchange for another’s. While David certainly had no qualms about risking his life, I felt that his sacrifice was something far greater as he placed not just his body, but his very soul between the world and the forces of evil. As I turned the last page, I was surprised to feel that the story I’d just read was deeply connected to C.S. Lewis’ Last Battle. That it was a picture of a time and an event where truth and understanding are so jumbled together that was really matters in the end is keeping your oath for your oath’s sake. And that higher powers than the human mind will have to sort out in the end what was truly right. My thanks to Tyndale House for providing me with a copy of Damascus Countdown, in return for my honest opinion of the book.
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Broken Wings
by
Shannon Dittemore
Emma Engel
, February 12, 2013
Having a demon with a personal grudge against you is bad enough. But having that demon report back to Lucifer himself about you personally is even worse. The skies above Stratus, Oregon become crucial as the best of both heaven and hell converge for war. Brielle is thrown into the middle of conflicts on both the spiritual and mortal plans as the world around her crumples. Secrets are literally unearthed, Heaven’s plans for her future seem to be shifting, and Jake can only help her so much as her father’s return to alcoholism exacerbates his dislike of the young man. Frequently I find I love the first book of a series, and then find that in subsequent books I dislike or become bored with the direction the author takes their story. As much as I loved Angel Eyes a few months ago and eagerly anticipated the next book, once I actually had a copy of Broken Wings and read the back, I wondered if, yet again, this would be a series I abandoned half way through. Father dislikes boyfriend who is keeping secrets sounded like it might have become too angst filled for my tastes. But once more this series has surprised me, and I found myself enjoying Broken Wings even more than I had Angel Eyes. In many ways, I now feel that Angel Eyes was almost a prequel book. While plenty happened, all the action seems to have been nothing more than the set up of a far more spectacular board game. All the return characters are once more beautifully drawn (including my personal favorite: the orange tutu), but several new characters join the cast and are, if anything, even more complex and fascinating. Once again, the most stunning aspect of these books is how the author handles the supernatural. I have found no other novel that handles the subject so reverently. Writing about angels and demons is a tight rope with too alien on one side and too familiar on the other. Yet so far, this series has managed to stay on that narrow margin and make it look easy. These angels are anything but human, and yet they are filled with a fierce love and gentle tenderness towards humanity. They will never be our buddies, but they are not the remote protectors portrayed in other books. And if the demons in the previous book weren’t scary enough, the picture of the sublimely beautiful Lucifer seated on his throne in unbridled arrogance and fear is definitely an image that stays with you. If you’re fond of speculative fiction, I really can’t recommend these books enough. There are still enough moment of “fantasy action, extreme peril, and thematic elements” to earn it a strong PG-13 through my eyes, so keep it out of the hands of really young kids. Other than that, strap yourselves in for a profoundly beautiful action adventure. Reblogged from my site: www.myrdan.com My thanks to BookSneeze for providing me with a copy of Broken Wings, in return for my honest opinion of the book.
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Fearless The Undaunted Courage & Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team Six Operator Adam Brown
by
Eric Blehm
Emma Engel
, February 04, 2013
Fearless is the life story of Adam Brown, a member of the Navy Seal Team SIX who gave his life in Afghanistan a year before his team participated in the successful raid against Osama bin Laden’s compound which resulted in the terrorist’s death. At the request of his family and his surviving team members, this is a full biography, starting back with how his parents met and his rather boisterous childhood �" complete with jumping off bridges. Along the way, his life was derailed by drugs, but between God, his parents, his wife, and the Navy, he pulled himself up by the boot straps and hit the deck plates running. In the early chapters of this book, I found myself wondering why it had been written. So many of our service men and women have given their lives over the years, and the story of Adam Brown, while inspiring, seemed an odd one to single out. Yet toward the end of the book, I began to realize that the book had been written not to commemorate a certain glorious deed on the battlefield, but to honor a life well lived. This man laid down his life in a foreign country for our sake, leaving a young wife and children behind. His family and his teammates have chosen to honor his memory by sharing with us this chance to know an amazing man we will never have the ability to meet on this earth. Instead of laying a wreath on his tomb, we can express our gratitude for his sacrifice by learning and growing from his story. And perhaps it remains a little strange that one soldier has been singled out. And perhaps we have a need for many more books like this one. But for now, it is a poignant reminder that behind every name on the news was a smiling child who grew into an individual with the courage and the grace to lay down their life for us. Reblogged from my site: www.myrdan.com My thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah for providing me with a copy of Fearless, in return for my honest opinion of the book.
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Cast of Stones
by
Patrick W Carr
Emma Engel
, February 03, 2013
One of the best things about running a book review site is when you get to read a book early and help promote its release. One of the books I’ve been looking forward to sharing about is A Cast of Stones. Releasing today, this book is one that rocketed higher and higher up my rating scale as I read, quickly becoming a book I would consider vital to a list of fantasy must reads. Errol Stone’s journey is one of the best coming of age stories fantasy has to offer. Even though he is barely old enough to become a man, Errol’s fame is his ability to stay permanently drunk. Yet when he reveals a latent talent for reading lots to a local priest, a new path is chosen for Errol when a compulsion is laid on him. His only options are to present himself to the head of the Church or die…and there suddenly seem to be plenty of people happy to help him with the later. Separated from the tavern, the physical challenge of becoming sober Errol faces is nothing compared to facing the memories that drove him to drink in the first place. And the world he wakes up to is far more complex and deadly than the one he left behind. What made Errol’s journey exceptional was Mr. Carr’s willingness to take the time necessary to make the transitions believable. All too often in fantasy stories, the protagonist rapidly rises from anonymity to hero, gaining powers and positions too quickly to be realistic. While it is clear at the end of the book that Errol’s life has been radically changed, it came through hard work and a great deal of experience that has been shown to the reader. And it is also clear that A Cast of Stones is the story of Errol being formed as a character, and that the bigger story has barely begun. The book also managed to not fall into one of my pet peeves: deliberately trying to be too Christian or too secular in an attempt to please one audience or the other. Rather, Mr. Carr wrote this particular story the best he could and allowed whatever elements were necessary. Errol’s drunkenness certainly isn’t something Christians are comfortable with, but the portrayal of a very powerful but righteous Church isn’t something many secular authors would include. And all elements are there to serve the story rather than a check list. To be fair, I understand why so many books go this route, and I still love them, but it is something I tend to notice and be distracted by while reading. I prefer stories that can stand on their own without an agenda, and A Cast of Stones was certainly one of the best. A Cast of Stones beautifully weaves so many well loved themes and tropes together in a completely new pattern that there is a profound sense of “at home” even as the reader races through the pages, anxious to see what is coming next. However, be warned! The action comes to an abrupt (though admittedly pleasing) halt and the suspense for the next book begins. I know I’ll have Book 2’s release date marked on my calendar. Reblogged from my site: www.myrdan.com My thanks to Bethany House for providing me a review copy of A Cast of Stones via NetGalley, in return for my honest opinion of this book.
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Liberator
by
Bryan Davis
Emma Engel
, January 30, 2013
I always approach the last book of a series with a certain amount of trepidation. Writing a review for one is also a source for anxiety. Somehow I need to convey how amazing a book is without giving anything away for its preceding books. So, for my review of the conclusion to Bryan Davis’ Dragons of Starlight quartet, I’m going to try to focus on what I thought of Liberator itself and not just as part of the series. I will simply note that once again Mr. Davis has managed to avoid both having his ending leave the reader with more questions and having everything wrap up too conveniently, leaving readers with the warmth of a series well done. In Liberator, the war between the dragons and the humans is escalating. In attempt to halt the army of rescuers, the dragons have infected various slaves with a deadly disease. Among the sick is Koran, the Starlighter, and suddenly the rescue efforts becoming divided. Some are racing to find a cure, and others are continuing on a march to overthrow the evil dragon Taushin. And time is running out. When you read books by Mr. Davis, there are always two strengths you can count on: an ensemble cast of vividly well-rounded characters, and strong Biblical truths flawlessly incorporated in stories of swords and dragons. In the case of Liberator, some of these truths were much harder to reconcile than usual. Namely the line, “Sometimes justice triumphs over mercy.” In many ways, I think all four books have been leading to that line and that idea. Mercy and grace are at the heart of Christianity, and extending mercy is often portrayed as a Christian trait. So it’s hard and little scary to consider the idea that justice might come first. However, as I thought it over, I realized that even in the case of God’s mercy, it occurs after justice has been served, and I felt Mr. Davis showed this clearly as justice was served on the slavers and destroyers, and not the entire race of dragons. As for the characters, all of the main characters are wonderful examples of the distinction between young adult and teenager. Even though they are young, the Masters boys, Elyssa, Koran, Walter, and all the others, never once turn away from the adventures and destinies set before them. Honor, courage, loyalty, and love are traits they learn to rely on as they set out to free an entire world. While I would say that overall, the intended audience for Dragons of Starlight is probably a bit older than a series like Raising Dragons, these are the sorts of books you read aloud to the kids and look forward to seeing reenacted in the living room. Reblogged from my site: www.myrdan.com My thanks to Zondervan for providing me a review copy of Liberator, in return for my honest opinion of this book.
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Souls Gate
by
James L Rubart
Emma Engel
, January 15, 2013
Can four people change the world? Reece thinks so...more than thinks actually. He believes it with every aspect of his being. And he has received a prophecy that he will be the one to bring them together and teach them how to access their God-given powers. The Singer, the Teacher, and the Leader join him at a retreat appropriately called Well Spring…but even as the Prophecy seems to be fulfilled, many more questions arise. Who is the fourth? Can they truly master their God-given gifts? And how will they survive now that Hell has decided to take their actions personally? Unlike many stories I read, I wouldn’t call Soul’s Gate exciting. While in some ways you could say there’s a lot of action in this book, the heart of it was deeply philosophical. So it falls in the much rarer category of fascinating. It is a book about supernatural warfare, but I felt that, like its subject, the point of book kept taking place on two different levels. On the surface, it was full of demons and superpowers like many other books in its genre. However, the characters’ trips into each other's souls and the timing of the opposition they faced are what caught my eye. All three of the main characters were very good at their jobs and ministries. Regardless of anything else they felt or believed, their actions were positively influencing people toward God. Yet, it wasn’t until their focus turned toward prayer that the full assault began on their souls. The scene where a demon offers to fund a Christian radio service in return for a character ceasing her attempt to draw closer to God was chilling. It reminded me forcefully of a passage in A.W. Tozer’s That Incredible Christian. “A fourth reason is that a praying Christian is a constant threat to the stability of Satan's government. The Christian is a holy rebel loose in the world with access to the throne of God. Satan never knows from what direction the danger will come. Who knows when another Elijah will arise, or another Daniel? or a Luther or a Booth? Who knows when an Edwards or a Finney may go in and liberate a whole town or countryside by the preaching of the Word and prayer? Such a danger is too great to tolerate, so Satan gets to the new convert as early as possible to prevent his becoming too formidable a foe.” The other aspect of Soul’s Gate that fascinated me was the prophecy. Direct from the Divine prophecies aren’t something you see in a lot of Spiritual Warfare books, and, to be honest, I never thought it was well enough explained. However, what caught my attention was that none of the characters really understood the prophecy even though in many cases it was their main motivation. Much like the Biblical prophecies, human interpretations fell short or turned out to be completely wrong. Consequently while I still found the very idea of such a prophecy, even in a work of fiction, rather troubling, I did think it was remarkably well handled. So while I found Soul’s Gate a far cry from the rip roaring adventures of Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, I did feel that by appealing to the head rather than heart, Mr. Rubart delivered a compelling and timely concept: in the end it is who you are, not what you do that threatens the Enemy. Believing that we as an individual don’t really matter and calling that humility is a trick worthy of Screwtape. So don’t let teleportation and soul hopping turn you off. The real Soul’s Gate lies under the trappings. Reblogged from my site: www.myrdan.com My thanks to BookSneeze for providing me a review copy of Soul’s Gate, in return for my honest opinion of this book.
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Echoes
by
Robin Jones Gunn
Emma Engel
, January 11, 2013
I feel it’s important with this review to be upfront: I didn’t really like this book. If I hadn’t felt the need to give it my best shot, I’d probably have stopped after the first chapter. However, I think that Echoes was one of those books that might not have appealed to me but could be a great story for a different reader. I am not a reader who enjoys romance for the sake of romance. I’ve only read a couple of Mrs. Gunn’s novels, but they did fit my preferred structure of the romance adding to the plot instead of being the plot. So to some degree, I was dealing with disappointed expectations. I also didn’t feel much sympathy with the main character over the break-up that occurred in the first few chapters which really affected the overall story. I thought that the fact the relationship wasn’t working was made abundantly clear, but I felt more of the blame for that rested on Lauren than Jeff. So with these negatives chalked up against the book, why would I recommend Echoes? For three reasons. One, I am only one kind of reader, and I know many people who enjoy stories like this. It’s not a bad book just because it doesn’t meet my personal likes or dislikes. Two, it’s very well written. I think that the romance genre gets some of its reputation from the poorly written pulp fiction, and Echoes is the sort of book that rises far above that. The prose is tight, the characters are dynamic, and, moving into number three, the plot is pertinent to questions and struggles many people are experiencing right now. Once you move past the break up with Jeff, the book is really about Lauren starting to communicate with an unknown individual over the internet. As they write back and forth, she learns more about K.C. and starts to share more of herself in return. Without meaning to, she becomes emotionally invested in a relationship that starts becoming a romance…all before they’ve ever actually met. With the internet becoming more and more part of our social lives, questions about whether or not these types of relationships are appropriate and even whether they are safe are quite common, especially among Christians. I thought that Echoes handled the topic skillfully and gracefully. And of course, as a former English major, I smiled at the used of Elizabeth and Robert Browning’s story as a plot feature and a demonstration of long distance relationships. So, I can’t say that Echoes is one of my favorite books. But to put a twist on Mr. Burton’s line, “You don’t have to take my word for it.” If you’re a fan of romance novels, you’ll probably love it. I’m not a fan but would put this book toward the top of its class. Reblogged from my site: www.myrdan.com My thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah for providing me a review copy of Echoes, in return for my honest opinion of this book.
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Angel Eyes
by
Shannon Dittemore
Emma Engel
, January 03, 2013
After the murder of her best friend and roommate, Brielle moves back home to small Oregon town, her dreams, courage, and heart shattered. She begins to mechanically put her life back together, but without her passion and goal of doing ballet, it rings hollow. Until she sees a boy watching her as she dances off some steam at the local studio. Jake is new in town where most of the kids grew up together…and he’s hot. Literally. Drawn to the mystery of both the calming heat that radiates from him and to the healing power in his hands, Brielle begins to seek answers. Her entire world is once more shattered as she is forced to acknowledge empirical evidence of the supernatural, the escape and arrival in her town of the man convicted of killing her friend, and the physical changes manifesting from her exposure to the divine. She has two choices: jump in faith, or fall in fear. There are so many books about the supernatural right now both Christian and secular, the genre seems almost bled dry. When I started Angel Eyes, I felt confident I knew how the book would go. Brielle would meet an impossibly gorgeous young man, fall for him, their romance would be forbidden because he isn’t actually human (or is only partly human), and in the end either they would decided they didn’t care or Brielle would turn out not to be human too. And I was wrong. Angel Eyes is a unique book in its genre, and while the angels and demons that its title promises are there, they are written with a great deal more reverence than I’ve found in the genre as a whole. The book has many beautiful twists I don’t want to give away, but Canaan’s gift to Jake that sets the whole plot in motion is something I can actually believe an angel would do. As for Jake and Brielle, I found their relationship refreshing and fun. It was normal...as normal as they could manage with all the angels and demons anyway. All the jokes and double entendres about the literal heat that Jake gave off were actually kind of cute, and some of their exchanges including one about tutu were laugh out loud funny. Brielle is a devastated young woman looking for a friend. Jake is compassionate, fully human boy looking to help. Despite some reveals toward the end of the book, they turned into a believable couple, sort of like the kids in college everyone knew were going to get married even if it took them a while to figure it out. The peril in this book is actually pretty intense at times on both the physical and spiritual plans. And the murder of Brielle’s friend is a major plot point that is often revisited. The first few pages are actually some of the most violent as serve as a good measure for the rest of this book. But beyond that, I’d say Angel Eyes is very accessible and very safe read. For junior high readers who aren’t affected by action peril and are interested in the Paranormal genre, this is one of the few books I’d feel safe recommending., but it’s a good read for highschoolers and adults too. While Brielle is the main character, she and Jake share the pages well, and I didn’t feel Angel Eyes was as much a girl book as others of its kind. Reblogged from my site: myrdan.com My thanks to BookSneeze for providing me a review copy of Angel Eyes, in return for my honest opinion of this book.
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Replication The Jason Experiment
by
Jill Williamson
Emma Engel
, January 02, 2013
Ever since her first day of school after moving to Fishhook, Alaska, Abby has been fending off the advances of J.D. Kane. He may be the best looking guy in school…maybe even the smartest, but he’s far too aggressive for comfort. So when she finds a boy who looks just like J.D. ...minus his hair...in her room, Abby is stunned, angry, and little afraid. But those emotions will only grow as she comes to realize that this boy, called Martyr, will complicate her life and expose secrets others are willing to kill to keep hidden. You expect there to be a lot of crazy things in science fiction. It’s a given of the genre. What shocked me about Replication was how easy it was to believe in the crazy. Between the cover and the first few pages of the book, it’s not really a spoiler to call this a book about cloning. The concept of cloning already has one foot in reality, so perhaps that is why the events of Replication felt so disturbingly real. I can completely buy into the idea of an underground cloning facility hidden in a rural Alaskan town. The lies fed to the boys to keep them under control and underground sound almost plausible, and, if it wasn’t for Martyr’s curiosity, there didn’t seem to be any reason for Jason Farms to fail. The characters are this story’s strongest point. For such a secret organization to exist, function, and remain hidden requires a certain kind of a person. Each scientist and his motivation was clearly and clever drawn. From ego to evil, each man fit together into the backbone of the lab. Martyr himself made for one of the most compelling characters I’ve met this year. Both innocent and intuitive, he is spectacular picture of humanity at its most basic level. My favorite scene in the book is when, following Abby’s earlier example, Martyr prays for the first time. His complete acceptance of God from the moment he heard about Him is beautiful. Abby is skillfully drawn as the teenage daughter of a brilliant scientist who inherited her fair share of brains. Unable to leave things alone and far less sneaky than she thinks she is, Abby brings a great deal of humor to what could have otherwise been a fairly dark book. Lately there have been more and more calls for strong female characters in science fiction and fantasy, and I think Abby more than fits the bill. While the story is told from the eyes of two teenagers, the content of this book is actually very mature. From the awkwardness that ensues from Martyr’s lack of socialization, to J.D.’s blatant attempts to seduce Abby, to conversations about a rape, I feel the content warning on this book is higher than most people might expect from young adult science fiction. All of the above are handled very tastefully and exist to serve the plot rather than for shock value, but this definitely isn’t a good candidate for anyone younger than late teens. Reblogged from my site: myrdan.com My thanks to Zondervan for providing me a review copy of Replication, in return for my honest opinion of this book.
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Judgment at Proteus Quadrail Book 5
by
Timothy Zahn
Emma Engel
, January 01, 2013
An original villain, a harden PI, a beautiful girl, and space trains filled with aliens...can it get any better? How about the final book of the series actually tying up all the loose threads and leaving the reader satisfied as they turn the last page? With stunning settings, compelling characters, and a provocative plot, the entire Quadrail Series is a must read for science fiction fans. Timothy Zahn has never failed to produce magnificent stories, but Judgement at Proteus is his finest to date.
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Sneak
by
Evan Angler
Emma Engel
, December 19, 2012
Logan Langly is on the run. He not only flunked out of his Pledge, he escaped DOME custody. Now one of the Markless, he is trying to rescue his sister who he found out is alive, stay alive himself, and come to terms with some very stark truths about the world he used to believe in. The best thing about this book? Getting some answers to all the questions I was left hanging with after Swipe. The worst thing about this book? All the new questions waiting for Book 3. The genre “Dystopian,” while not new, has exploded over the last few years. The sweeping popularity of The Hunger Games has lead to authors and publishers scrambling to fill the new demand. As always, these new books are really mixed bag, but some deservedly shine out of the shelf as good stories and good representations of the genre. The Swipe Series is one of them. In many ways deeper and more complex than some of the more famous titles, Swipe and now Sneak present a perfect world that is built around a society where all individuals are “Marked.” The Mark is required for jobs, food, transportation, and medical care. Once a child turns thirteen, it is pretty much assumed they will Pledge and receive their Mark. One group of Markless called the Dust are trying to make a stand, and four friends must decide whether or not they will stand with them. As the second book of the series, much of narrative split between the two factions of the Markless and DOME. Within the two groups Mr. Angler constantly shifts narrators, presenting the reader with a plethora of paradigms from which a clear picture begins to emerge. One of the things I love about this series is how noble the American Union sounds on the surface, and Sneak spends a fair amount of time showing why it seems so good on paper and why it is so terribly scary. Even if the plot wasn’t so gripping, I would read these books for the Dust alone. Honestly, a companion novella of their escapades would be amazing. There is a beautiful humor to their chaos as they fall just shy of Lord of the Flies. Almost surprising for Dystopian book, Sneak is free of strong language and scenes of societal depravity. There is a great deal of peril, and the plot hangs on an understanding of politics and social structure so I would only recommend it for Junior High and up. Like many such novels, unless the reader enjoys the Dystopian style, Sneak would probably come across as just plain weird. It is the second book of the series, and I think it would be almost impossible to follow the plot and characters without reading the previous book, Swipe. Reblogged from my site: myrdan.com My thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing me a review copy of Sneak via NetGalley, in return for my honest opinion of this book.
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House of Mercy
by
Erin Healy
Emma Engel
, December 18, 2012
Some people feel a profound need to fix the world. Beth Borzoi does and learns the hard way that it is not her place to try and mend everything. Her mistake could cost her family everything. In attempt to right her wrong, Beth sets out on a quest to find her estranged grandfather…but she is being led by a wolf. The very wolf that had seemed to launch the nightmare her life had become. I have a confession to make. I needed something to read, and I picked House of Mercy because it had a horse on the cover. I knew nothing about the author and had heard nothing about the book which normally makes me hesitant to pick something up. But House of Mercy is one of those books that once you’ve read, you pick up a copy every time you see it because it seems you’re always giving your copy away. “You haven’t read it? Here, take mine!” Mrs. Healy’s website mentions her interest in “thin places,” and I think that is what sets this book apart. Many authors write either fantasy or realistic fiction, but a few, like Mrs. Healy, tell realistic stories that contain glimpses into something “other.” I found the way the novel approached the supernatural fascinating...completely scriptural, but allowing for a mysticism modern culture often shies away from. Instead of portraying the supernatural in a Christian light, it is portrayed as part of Christianity. There are starting to be a fair amount of Christian books that depict the supernatural in the form of demons and angels, but Beth’s story is far more internal. In many ways, it reminded me of the Native American practice of young people going on a spiritual journey to find themselves. A great deal of emphasis is put on Beth’s full name and its meaning. The wolf who lead her, while flesh and blood, has strong elements of a spirit guide. And above all, Beth starts on the path of learning and understanding how her gift is to be used. I found the quarrelling among the siblings, Beth’s alienation from the family, and her friendship with Jacob unusually well written. Often these are elements that I feel detract from a story, but they flow into the narrative and add a depth to Beth’s story. The characterizations of her grandfather and Cat were stunning. I loved how carefully we are introduced to them, and that first slight hint that our first impressions of Cat might be wrong. Even Beth’s brother Levi has a great deal of depth to him although on the surface he comes across simply as an antagonist. There is a scene between him and Beth in the family graveyard that tells the reader almost as much about what drives Levi as you learn about Beth during the entire book. And of course, the most careful drawn character in the book is that of Mercy...in all interpretation of the word. While I highly recommend this book for adults, there are several disturbing and violent sections that make it questionable for a younger audience. Mature elements aside, I don’t see many kids younger than highschool age being able to follow and appreciate the themes the book is structured around. Reblogged from my site: myrdan.com My thanks to BookSneeze for sending me a review copy of House of Mercy, in return for my honest opinion of this book.
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Walking With Bilbo
by
Sarah Arthur
Emma Engel
, December 17, 2012
There are a myriad of books about the various themes and ideas presented in Lord of the Rings. I have always enjoyed mining them for a new interpretation or a clever detail I’ve previously missed. The three books of the trilogy themselves hold up to countless rereads and yield deeper and richer thoughts each time. But Tolkien nut though I may be, I’ve always considered The Hobbit to be a fairly lightweight kids book. So when I heard that Sarah Arthur had written a follow up to Walking with Frodo that was focused on The Hobbit, I was immediately intrigued. While it might be tempting to assume that this is an attempt to cater to the hoards of people who will be watching The Hobbit in theaters this month, I found it a truly thought provoking book that gently suggested I may have dismissed its source material a little too quickly. Unlike Peter Jackson, Mrs. Arthur doesn’t feel the need to focus on what things will become in the next books. The Bilbo she examines is much the same Hobbit I met so many years ago: a funny, rather bumbling character that pulls it all together at the end. However, she looks at him and the journey he takes through the lens of scripture, and I at least, was surprised by the Bilbo I was reintroduced to. Mrs. Arthur presents The Hobbit as a journey…but this is not the journey to Mordor and back. Rather it is a journey of becoming. Instead of the tearing down Frodo experienced, Bilbo is built and matured. Lord of the Rings may have been the story of the Everyman succeeding when all the great and mighty failed, but this book presents Bilbo as the true Everyman, and his story, is our story as faith opens our eyes to whole new world. The scripture Mrs. Arthur uses and the questions she ends each chapter with were amazing springboards for further thought and study, and I’ve been rereading The Hobbit and seeing it in a whole new light. The book is set up like a devotional, with short chapters that can be read quickly and then contemplated throughout the day. I decided to read it as such and found it a much better way to take in all the new ideas. I read Walking with Frodo straight through and am sure I didn’t retain as much that way. So it’s probably best to take it in smaller sections at least. Otherwise, I could see some people finding the layout distracting. Reblogged from my site: myrdan.com My thanks to Tyndale for sending me a review copy of Walking with Bilbo, in return for my honest opinion of this book.
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Starflower
by
Elizabeth Camden
Emma Engel
, December 12, 2012
Starflower is the newest entry in a series that is fast becoming one of my favorites. Most of the books I read are intended for YA and older, but a few like the Tales of Goldstone Wood, while great for any age, are being added to my read aloud to the children list. Instead simply retelling specific fairy tales, these books use the traditions and tropes of the genre to tell new stories and as a result are a truly refreshing read. Starflower itself is something of a standalone and can be easily pick up without needing to read the previous books. The premise is simple and well loved: a dragon has kidnapped the princess, and two suitors must try to rescue her with the understanding that whoever succeeds will win her hand in marriage. But below the surface this book is anything but simple, starting with the fact that the dragon usually looks like a human. The narrative weaves back and forth through several sets of characters providing multiple viewpoints into what ultimately becomes the story of two women who are facing the same evil in very different ways. The writing style is a little old fashioned as fits the genre but is never hard to follow. It comes across a little like a mash up of George MacDonald and Princess Bride with honor and virtue juxtaposed with a startlingly dry humor. There’s a scene with frogs that’s laugh out loud funny. And there’s “fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles…” If you start this too late at night, you will be trying to staying awake to finish it. While I look forward to this being on the family read aloud list, there are some very dark elements to the story which would probably go over the heads of most very small children and be worthy conversation topics with most teenagers, but could be too much for those in between. The most glaring one is the cultural practice of one land which places a curse on all infant girls so that they lose their voices. Blatantly referred to as slaves, they are never permitted the literal ability to speak for themselves. This is a powerful element in the story as one girl escapes to the outside world and begins to walk a different “Path.” However, it could raise questions and concepts grade-school children aren’t ready to cope with. Beyond that, I can whole-heartedly recommend Starflower as well as the other Goldstone Wood books. There is no bad language or innuendo and even violence is kept to a minimum. They are a particularly good fit for fantasy loving teenagers, though probably leaning a bit more toward being girl books. Definitely don’t be afraid to jump into the series with Starflower, but keep an eye out for the other three books as well. Reblogged from my site: myrdan.com My thanks to Bethany House for sending me a review copy of Starflower, in return for my honest opinion of this book.
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Unstoppable The Incredible Power of Faith in Action
by
Nick Vujicic
Emma Engel
, December 09, 2012
Unstoppable is the sort of book that’s hard to review. It’s tempting to just say, “You really need to go read this book,” and leave it at that, trusting the book to speak for itself. But of course, the point of a review is to encourage the reader to try the book in the first place, and after that, it’s always up to the story. The trouble I have with many non-fiction inspirational books is their tendency to offer formulas or blueprints for how to succeed. And if you disagree with one point, or one step doesn’t apply to you, the rest of the information can seem equally invalid. Rather than take this approach, Mr. Vujicic takes a very conversational approach. He tells stories of problems he’s faced and questions he’s struggled with, and he shares what helped him. At that point, it’s up to the reader whether the book is an amazingly inspiring story, or a source of inspiration. You might think from the cover that the focus of the book is overcoming the obstacle of living without arms and legs, but most of book focused on much more mundane issues. Handling failure, overcoming depressions, coping with bullying, dealing with financial trouble, and falling in love are just a few, and Mr. Vujicic weave his own stories through the big picture issues with humor and humility. His constant conclusion that the answers lay with God and a relationship with Him never came across as trite. Rather, they seemed a gift. Some people possess the rare ability to make themselves completely vulnerable to others. Telling stories about their lives and their trials isn’t egoistical, it is an offering. It gives us a chance to learn from them and since they have no way of knowing what God can use, they give it all. One person might take comfort in the fact that another person has overcome childhood bullying. Another might be consoled that moments of doubt aren’t signs of a weak faith. Mr. Vujicic is one of the people who can extend this grace, and I would encourage you to give Unstoppable a try. You have no idea what might be waiting. Reblogged from my site: myrdan.com My thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah for sending me a review copy of Unstoppable, in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.
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Halflings
by
Heather Burch
Emma Engel
, December 08, 2012
This book intrigued me. Most books I can read through and decide easily whether I liked or disliked it. I might even be able to label it “good” or “great.” With Halflings, not so much. I found myself equally drawn in and pushed away as I read through a book the jacket blurb had made sound so straightforward. After mulling it over for several days, I decided that what troubled me was the question of originality. I’ve lent my copy to friend who I know hasn’t read some books that I have been exposed to just to see how she reacted to Halflings without that particular filter. And in fairness to what really was a good book, I’m going to review first and then rant. Halflings is mostly the story of one, normal human teenager girl Nikki Youngblood. The story starts though, on not so normal of day. Fleeing through the forest after randomly being set on by four dog-like creatures, Nikki receives help from a most unexpected quarter, three Halfling boys. Drawn into a world of angels and half-angels, Nikki starts to realize how complicated the world really is. Hellhounds want to kill her, secrets her parents had kept from her start coming to light, and what is she to make of the three gorgeous boys suddenly assigned to protect her? Mace, Raven, and Vine are having problems of their own, and not all of them are centered around the human girl they think is their heavenly assignment. For one thing, they’re trying to figure out how they fit into a heavenly world they are banned from and an earthly world forbidden to them �" and what’s really left for them without those two. Halflings is well paced, well written book that breathes life into a variant world. The characters are well drawn, although a few of the secondary characters never really got enough page time for them to really shine. I felt a few of the romantic moments seemed a little forced and slowed down the plot, but not to the point they detracted from the story. I can, and have, recommended this book for high school age readers with the warning that it is primarily a romance, and a love triangle at that. I’m going to guess it falls a little more on the girl book side of things even though I’m sure boys would enjoy it too. Now for the problematic. First, this really is a book for teenagers. I would say that close to ninety percent of the YA fiction I read successfully bridges age gaps. They make good read alouds for kids younger than their target audience, and they are an enjoyable, if somewhat easy, read for adults. Halflings didn’t quite pull this off. I still enjoyed it, but the entire time a little voice was saying, “what a good book for teenagers.” Not, “what a good book for me.” Naturally, there isn’t anything wrong with a book appealing to a small audience, but it did impact my satisfaction in the story. Secondly, this book screamed Twilight. A little bit of Mortal Instruments too, but mostly Twilight. At first, I thought I was being ridiculous, and that two books from the same subgenre of YA Paranormal Romance are bound to have similarities. After all, how many high fantasy stories seem like Lord of the Rings spin-offs? Most of the books that come to mind to be honest. So of course the three boys are unreasonably handsome. Or course the level headed young lady who has never been preoccupied with boys before becomes obsessed with them. That’s the bread and butter of Paranormal Romance. But more and more there seemed to be small details, unnecessary to the story, that bore a striking resemblance to Stephanie Meyer’s books. The eye color being an indicator of whether a Halfling was choosing a higher path or giving into his more base nature. The intrinsically good but deeply tormented Halfling rivaling for Nikki’s affections with the more natural, but more dangerous boy. The reveal of “how we really look.” The fact that the price of their love was damnation. The predatory vibe the boys give off. In all fairness, they did spark instead of sparkle, but still. What I think really bothered me was the fact that this was a good book. Occasionally, I’ll read something that has a great deal of potential that it ultimately falls shy of, and I realize that it could have been an amazing story in the hands of someone else. Twilight was like that. The series had the potential to be a truly epic saga. By the second half, I would say that it started to really come into its own, but the weight of the first two books, which are impossible to skip if you want to have a clue what’s going on, still drags it down. Yet, Ms. Burch has taken essentially the same story and done it justice. In all the ways Twilight failed, it succeeded. Don’t get me wrong �" there is never a moment I feel like I’m reading Twilight fanfic with the names changed. It is its own story. But I can’t help but feel there are deliberate parallels with Twilight written in just to encourage Twihards to read the book. And I just can’t help feeling that Halflings will never get the chance to shine in its own right if readers keep seeing Twilight behind its pages. Even it’s by far the superior book. Reblogged from myrdan.com My thanks to Zondervan for sending me a review copy of Halflings, in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.
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Crater
by
Homer Hickam
Emma Engel
, December 03, 2012
Moontown is like any other American mining town, full of long shifts and kids dreaming about the outside world. Except, of course, it’s on the moon. Sixteen year old Crater Trueblood is one of the few who seem happy working helium-3 mines, unlike his best friend Pedro. But Crater is a rare, honest man in a world full of people running from their pasts, and the Colonel has a job it seems only Crater is qualified for �" a job that becomes more and more like a quest the further Crater gets from Moontown. The clock is ticking, genetically modified warriors are hunting him, and the Colonel’s granddaughter has caught his eye, and those are only the beginning of the problems Crater will face as he crosses the moon. I am probably not the most impartial reviewer for this book. As a teenager, I watched October Sky, a movie based on Homer Hickam’s life, and it remains my favorite movie. The story of a young man doing what seemed impossible to follow his dream was deeply inspiring. I have read all Mr. Hickam’s Coalwood books and several of his novels and jumped at the chance to give his new YA book a try. Many of his other books contain language or situations that make them questionable for younger readers, and I had high hopes that Crater would prove to be a book more accessible for younger fans of his life and works. It turned out that Crater lived up to those hopes as well as the precedents for well rounded characters and exciting plots that Mr. Hickam’s other books have set. Despite the fact that Crater was intended for a younger audience, I found it a compelling read. It raised deep questions about the definitions of “living” and “human” and about what bravery really looks like. I loved the numerous nods to real people and events from the space race. But what was truly astounding was the amount of detail that went into the settings. On one hand, we’ve all seen pictures of the moon, but on the other hand, I doubt many people really understand what setting up a colony on the moon would entail. Despite the old western town feel of the setting, it is made abundantly clear that very little is standing between the characters and death. Despite the bucket load of information weaved naturally into the narrative, I did find myself wishing for more explanations occasionally. One of the great things about the story is that Crater actually doesn’t know all that much about the moon outside Moontown, so the reader can discover it along with him. But I still felt like there was a great deal more to know about gillies, Umlaps, and especially the crowhoppers. However, since Crater is the first book in the series, it’s quite plausible that more answers await in future books. I know that I for one will be eager to return to the world of Crater Trueblood and to the Moon. My thanks to BookSneeze for sending me a review copy of Crater, in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.
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Real Life, Real Miracles: True Stories That Will Help You Believe
by
James L. Garlow and Keith Wall
Emma Engel
, November 26, 2012
I struggle with the concept of miracles. Or, at least, with the concept of direct divine intervention. Most of the arguments I’ve heard both for and against have felt like they go too far in their respective directions. To completely deny the existence of spiritual guidance, intervention, and warfare comes in conflict with the Bible. Yet, frequently the arguments for these things seem to take the other extreme path of attributing every small occurrence in our daily lives to them. This seems self aggrandizing to me at best. So my one line summary of my personal belief in miracles is that they did and do occur, that the “classification” of what is and isn’t a miracle lies outside to scope of human understanding, and that we tend to be too quick to use the word thus rending it somewhat mundane and trivial. Because this can be such a murky theological topic, I tend to do a lot of reading on the subject. Real Life Real Miracles turned out not only to be a truly unique book in its field, but also a riveting read. From the synopsis, I knew that the book was based on real life events that defied rational explanation. However, I expected the stories to be framed with expose and Biblical examples of miracles. Aside from a short prologue and epilogue, Real Life Real Miracles is a collection of individual stories that stand on their own. The authors never step in to make a point or to draw the reader’s attention to certain detail. You can almost hear a drawling voice saying, “The facts, ma’am. Just the facts.” And it really works. By presenting these stories unbiasedly, the authors have left readers free to draw their own conclusions. This is a powerful twist as it leaves the book free to appeal to many people who might have differing opinions on the subject. And I think that there is something about stories like these that really resonate with other Christians even apart from the subject of miracles. We tend to be living lives other people around us don’t get. I loved stories like the one about a seven year old boy whose brain tumor disappeared. His father accepted the miracle and was champing at the bit to move on with life while the doctors were running test and trying like crazy to find something else wrong with the boy, something that could explain away the unbelievable. What I walked away from this book with was a reaffirmation of what I already believe. That Christians can find in within themselves to accept the impossible because we believe in a God who doesn’t have human limitations and specializes in what we see as impossible. That whether or not you want to label such things as miracles, there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit does guide and shelter even in today’s world. That the Bible isn’t a closed book, but part of an ongoing saga we are participants in. While that’s what I took away from Real Life Real Miracles, it is the kind of book that can reach out to many on an individual level. So if you’re looking for something besides affirmation, don’t assume that’s all the book can offer. I could definitely see this book as part of family devotional. The stories are short and would provide excellent opportunities for discussion.
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Christmas Home
by
Gregory D Kincaid
Emma Engel
, November 12, 2012
I really love animal stories but have tended to stick to non-fiction in the past. However, I’m starting to realize that some of the animal based stories coming from Christian authors are filling a real void for me as the stories are about creation from a Biblical viewpoint. I picked up Mr. Kincaid’s book expecting it to be one of those and found to my surprise while those elements were there, it was less about a dog and more about people. It took me a bit to get into the story since it is a sequel to a book called A Dog Named Christmas which I haven’t read. A Christmas Home did a good job standing on its own after the first fifteen pages or so and since the prologue had hooked me before the book really started, it didn’t really matter. I did get a feeling I should know who the McCrays were, but the characters quickly spoke for themselves. The premise revolves around the closing of the animal shelter in a small town that is struggling to cope with the economic downturn. Many families are having to give up pets as they readjust their lifestyles, and the shelter is needed more than ever, but budget cuts and reallocations leave no room for it. As much as this could have become a book focused on saving the shelter and the animals and had plenty of material, Mr. Kincaid focused instead on the shelter employees and volunteers, particularly Todd McCray, a young disabled man who had found his calling in life at the shelter. And perhaps someone to share it with him. I really loved the themes and tone of this book. Being an animal lover and, I tentatively use the word, environmentalist, I am too familiar with the call to save animals coming at the cost of humans. This book never suggested that animals should come first, but it also never lost sight of the fact that we are responsible for animals. It’s easy to focus of the big issues of endangered species and rainforests, but Mr. Kincaid’s story suggests sometimes we miss the need right in our own backyard. Setting aside the stories of the animals and the shelter, this is also something of a coming of age story. I don’t know Todd from the earlier book, but I felt there was significant growth to his character as the plot progressed. He started as a mature young man, starting out in the world with his first job, and grew into a man of leadership and vision. I loved that his relationship with Laura was a token romance or over romanticized and felt natural and organic to the story. As far as an audience for this book, the writing was very clear and the content very clean so I would say age appropriateness would be determined more by the reader’s reading level. While it takes place at Christmas, I wouldn’t classify it as Christmas story at all and certainly wouldn’t regulate reading it to that season. But it’s definitely something I would recommend people who like animal stories should look for or even if you’re just in the market for an uplifting read. I also enjoyed perusing Mr. Kincaid’s website: http://www.gregkincaid.com/ I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
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