Love's Reckoning

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On a bitter December day in 1784, Silas Ballantyne arrives at the door of blacksmith Liege Lee in York County, Pennsylvania.  Silas is determined to finish his apprenticeship quickly and move west.  But because he is a fast worker and a superb craftsman, Liege endeavors to keep him in Lancaster by appealing to an old tradition: the apprentice shall marry one of his master’s beautiful daughters.

Eden is as gentle and fresh as Elspeth is high-spirited and cunning.  But are they truly who they appear to be?  In a house laced with secrets, each sister seeks to secure her future.  Which one will claim Silas’ heart—and will he agree to Liege’s arrangement?

In this sweeping family saga, one man’s choices in love and work, in friends and enemies, set the stage for generations to come.  This is the Ballantyne Legacy.

Review

This is the first novel I have read of Laura Frantz’, but I can quickly tell you it won’t be my last.  Love’s Reckoning was an absolutely amazing piece of written work.  It captured my attention from the first page and would not let go until I finished.  I often found myself thinking about the story and the characters throughout the day when I wasn’t absorbed in the book itself. 

A recommendation on the back of the book by award-winning author Julie Lessman likens Frantz’ work to that of Liz Curtis Higgs; I couldn’t agree more.  Frantz’ writing has the same character depth and heart-pounding romance as Higgs’ and fantastic story-telling.  The only part that I found lacked was the ending.  I felt it could have been re-tooled and tweaked a bit more, as some of the characters’ actions didn’t feel realistic or plausible, given what I knew about the characters and their personalities from the first ¾ of the book. 

That said, it was still a brilliant piece of work and I will read it again.  I will also be looking forward to the second instalment in the “Ballantyne Legacy” coming out in the fall of next year.  

 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Last Disciple

 

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The BEAST is on the throne.

The populace is ruled by its APPETITES.

And a DIVINE PROPHECY emerges that some would die to protect

and others would kill to snuff out.

With the empire sinking into decadence and decay, corruption has infected every sphere of Rome.  Those in power have marked Gallus Sergius Vitas, one of the last men of integrity, as a threat to be eliminated.

Followers of Jesus are hunted down and killed for sport as Nero attempts to stamp out the fledgling religion.  But the revelation of John, Jesus’ last disciple, portends a different victory, sending tremors through the empire.

Review

If this book were to be summed up in one word, it would be gripping.  Gripping in its portrayal of the manic Nero, the corruption of Rome, and the persecution of the early Christian Church.

“The Last Disciple” is set about 30 years after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The Great Fire has already ravaged Rome and the Gladiator “games” are at its peak in the Coliseum.    Added entertainment in the Coliseum are the vicious attacks on the Christians in the arena by bears, lions, and gladiators.  It was an incredibly dangerous time to be a Christian.  But it was also during this time where great courage was displayed.

This was an incredibly well-written novel.  It grabs you at the first few pages and doesn’t let you go until you’ve turned the last page, and even then it leaves you with wanting more.

There are so many characters in this book, but the viewpoints and character development and insights are so well-done, that you do not feel the slightest bit confused jumping from one viewpoint to the other. 

The story is exciting at the least and riveting at its best.  Readers follow Gallus Sergius Vitas, a non-believer, but who is very tolerant to those of the Christian faith.  He is one of Nero’s right-hand men, and tries to use this position to help the persecuted Christians, while at the same time determine why Nero is so afraid of them.  The Disciple John’s recent letter, simply entitled Revelation, has the power to send Nero over the edge with its predictions of the End Times, and ultimately Nero’s demise.

This book isn’t one to be missed.  Those who enjoyed the Left Behind series will want to dive head-first into this series.  But those who are just a fan of great Christian fiction will want to (and should!) check this out.  If anything, it will give you a great humbleness reading about what Christians past have endured, and a great appreciation for the freedom(s) we have today.

The Bridesmaid

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Come home to Hickory Hollow, Pennsylvania--the belowed setting where Beverly Lewis' celebrated Amish novels began--with new characters and new stories of drama, romance, and the ties that draw people together.

 

Joanna Kurtz has made several trips to the altar, but never as a bride. The young Amishwoman is a closet writer whose stories aren't her only secret.

Eben Troyer hopes to make Joanna his bride--if he can ever leave his parents' farm in Shipshewana, Indiana. Yet Eben's hopes to build a life with Joanna hinge on his brother's return from the English world...

Review

Book two in the “Home to Hickory Hollow” series, The Bridesmaid follows Joanna Kurtz and Eben Troyer, whose chance meeting embarks them on a sweet and tender love story.  Though separated by state lines, Joanna and Eben kindle their love through letters and Friday night telephone dates.  However, it isn’t long before things begin to complicate their long-distance relationship.  Eben cannot leave his family farm unless his brother LeRoy returns from the English world to take up partnership with their father in working the farm.  Joanna’s storywriting lands her in great disapproval with Hickory Hollow’s Preacher, which prevents her from transferring her church membership to Eben’s church.  The spark of love between Eben and Joanna that started out so vibrant and strong now has a possibility of being snuffed before it can thrive, and Joanna’s sister’s admonition of being “three times a bridesmaid and never a bride” is starting to feel like the truth.

I really enjoyed this novel.  I had described the first novel in this series, The Fiddler, as “…a refreshing escape…”, and The Bridesmaid is no different.  Beverly Lewis brings her readers on yet another escape, but this a very sweet one.  Mrs. Lewis’ writing is so effortless and easy to read that I thoroughly enjoyed every moment spent reading The Bridesmaid.    

 
The Bridesmaid is book 2 in the "Home to Hickory Hollow" series. A review of the first book, The Fiddler, can be found here.


Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Song of the Ovulum

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It has been fifteen years since Billy and Bonnie Bannister helped repel the demonic assault on Heaven.  Now they and Ashley Foley sit in a maximum security prison where the authorities conduct experiments on them to learn the secrets of long life.

Earlier, the world’s acceptance of dragonkind crumbled, and the Enforcers took the infant twins born to Billy and Bonnie and stole Excalibur.  The Enforcers hoped to develop a weapon to battle the dragons that are sure to try to rescue their allies.  All the while, a great secret from the past is being revealed to Bonnie through a dream.  Joran and Selah, teenaged children of Methuselah, have been trapped in a strange world for centuries, yet still able to manipulate certain events in our world during that time.

Walter Foley finds the Bannisters’ son and hopes to use his dragon traits to help him rescue the prisoners.  In the meantime, an ancient demon locates the Bannisters’ daughter and plans to use her to help him discover the hiding place of the most powerful ovulum in the world and squelch its protective song.  With that ovulum in his possession, he will be able to conquer and control both Earth and Second Eden.

The fate of two worlds now rests on the Bannisters’ two teenagers who must use their dragon traits and their innate courage to battle demons, a sorceress, and enemy soldiers in order to rescue parents they don’t even know.

Review

For those who are new to Bryan Davis and his books, Song of the Ovulum is the first in his newest series “Children of the Bard”.  This series follows his two previous series, “Dragons in our Midst” and “Oracles of Fire”.  Don’t be afraid to pick up this novel without reading the previous series however, as there is an excellent recap at the back of the book which explains all that happened previously.

Bryan is a veteran fantasy author, and his expertise clearly shines in Song of the Ovulum.  It is a richly woven tale with unique characters and multi-layered plots deeply ingrained with Biblical truths.  Song of the Ovulum will take you on a great fantastical journey and is sure to be a pleaser to young readers.

 

Book has been provided courtesy of Foundation Distributing, Inc and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from AMG Publishers.

Precisely Terminated

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With microchips implanted in their skulls at birth, the slaves of Cantral and Cillineese have laboured under the tyrannical rule of the nobles and their computers for centuries.  Monica, a noble who avoided the implanting and escaped a death sentence at the age of four, is now sixteen and is in hiding.  She lives with the slaves inside the walls of the Cantral palace, pretending to be one of them while the slave council plots a way to use her chip-less state to destroy the all-powerful computers that strike down any hint of rebellion.

 

The fate of millions rides on Monica's shoulders.  As the only chip-less person in the world, she must find a way to destroy the computers and free Cillineese from the nobles' iron fist before they strike with the ultimate punishment--death for everyone inside the city walls.

 

Review

 

Precisely Terminated is a debut novel from young Amanda L. Davis, the daughter of Bryan Davis, who himself is the author of the “Dragons in our Midst” series. 

 

This novel follows Monica, a noble turned wall slave, who escaped from being implanted with a computer microchip when she was only four years old.   In the cities of Cantral and Cillineese, microchips are implanted in every human being.  Powerful computers monitor each person’s microchip, and thereby each and every step a person takes for the rest of their lives.  For the nobles, it is ensuring they stay within the boundaries of their city walls.  But for the slaves, it ensures that they follow a strict daily routine: breakfast, work, lunch, work, supper, bath, and finally sleep.  If the slaves are not on schedule, or in a place that it not within their work area, (i.e. in a library when they should be cleaning a noble’s bedroom) the chip will give off powerful shocks increasing with intensity, ending with a final deadly shock.

 

As Monica is without a chip, she is the only hope that the slaves have of ever being able to shut down the computers and free the slaves from the nobles’ rule.  What follows is a twisty maze of events Monica embarks on her quest to find the computers and shut them down.

 

I confess that I haven’t read much by way of dystopian novels, the only ones being the widely popular “Hunger Games” trilogy (which I quite enjoyed), so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I cracked open Amanda’s book.  In many areas, I was pleasantly surprised.  Amanda has her own unique writing voice and style, and it is very consistent throughout the novel.  She has a wonderful imagination and an eye for detail.  I did feel, however, that Monica’s character could have been a little less antagonistic – it felt like she was constantly bickering and complaining to the other characters, and it got rather tiresome to read. You could call Monica a bit of a “reluctant heroine” by the way she viewed her mission.

 

That being said, Precisely Terminated is a fine debut novel for Amanda L. Davis, and shows a lot of promise.  I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Precisely Terminated to youth readers interested in a little sci-fi/dystopian drama.

Book has been provided courtesy of Foundation Distributing, Inc and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from AMG Publishers.

Lethal Legacy

 

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A determined daughter...

A skeptical detective...

A deadly secret...

 

The police say her father's death was a suicide.  Kelly Warren says it was murder--and she has new evidence to prove it.  Detective Cole Taylor doesn't put much credence in her claim, and nothing in his case review suggests foul play.  But when he digs deeper and discovers startling information linking her to a long-buried secret, the danger escalates.  Is history repeating itself?  And who wants Kelly silenced?

 

Review

 

Lethal Legacy follows commercial artist, Kelly Warren, on her quest to get the truth behind her father’s sudden and unexpected death.  The police have ruled it a suicide, as for all intents and purposes, that’s exactly what it looks like.  However, Kelly knows her father, and is certain that he would never, ever do such a thing.  Five months after his death, new evidence surfaces, which Kelly hopes will be enough to reopen her father’s case file.

 

Detective Cole Taylor chalks the new evidence up to simple coincidences, and believes the matter is open and shut.  He is far more interested in the striking redhead who brings in the evidence.  However, he is strict about mixing business with pleasure and does his best to keep his feelings at bay.  When an attempt on Kelly’s life happens, everything changes.  Suddenly all things are not as they appear.  Committed now to protecting Kelly Detective Taylor will do whatever it takes to get the real story behind her father’s death.

 

Book three in the “Guardians of Justice” series, Lethal Legacy is a book that has it all.  Romance, suspense, riveting plot, and high-octane action.  In the two days it took  me to read this novel, it proved very hard to put down.  Irene Hannon has perfected a great recipe for novels, as proven by the two previous books in the series (which I proudly own and display on my bookshelf), and her other series, “Heroes of Quantico”.  I could say with almost complete certainty that you would be guaranteed a good read with any novel that Irene writes.  Do not miss this novel!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Firethorn

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Former Marine and current Nightshade team member Griffin Riddell is comfortable.  So comfortable he never sees the setup that lands him in a maximum security prison, charged with murder.  How will he ever prove his innocence stuck behind iron bars?

Covert operative Kazi Faron is tasked with reassembling Nightshade.  She's convinced whoever set up the fugitive also dissected the black ops team.  But breaking Griffin out of a federal penitentiary amid explosive confusion may turn out to be her last assignment, because Kazi has a secret - and it could get everyone killed.

As Kazi and Griffin race to rescue the others and discover the traitor, love awakens in their hearts.  Can a covert operative and the felon she's freed overcome their mutual distrust long enough to save Nightshade?  Will anything prepare them for who - or what - is coming?

Review

I seriously devoured this book.  In two work and horseback riding-filled days.  It made me late for work at least once, and caused me to stay up late each night to finish that "one more chapter". 

What made this novel so good to me?  The characters were real and well developed.  They were multi-faceted as characters should be, because that's what we are as humans!  You felt their emotions as easily as if they were your own, and truly cared for them. 

 

The story was non-stop excitement from the first page.  Ronie's familiarity with the military is clearly evident in this book and gives a sense of realism to each scene.   

It is by far one of the best novels I have read this year.  The saddest thing about finishing the novel was that it was the last one in this amazing series - "Discarded Heroes".  I can't wait for the next novel from Ronie!