Cloak of Scarlet

 

Description

She was an orphan of no importance . . .

He was an ordinary knight serving the baron . . .

Suddenly the kingdom depends on both of them.

Violet Lambton never imagined herself as anything but average. Adopted as a young child, she’s content with her comfortable life in her small medieval town with her faith, her books, and her baking . . . and the vivid red cloak her grandmother gifted her. Her one dream: to find a love that is pure and true. Then, her beloved grandmother is robbed by the villainous Baron Dunham. Outraged, Violet finds herself in the midst of the action and determines to put an end to the evil baron’s mis­treatment of the hardworking people.

Sir Merek, a knight in the service of Baron Dunham, has pledged his life to fighting injustice and defending the weak. But when he encounters the spirited and beautiful Violet and discovers the depths of the baron’s treachery, he realizes that serving his employer is not serving the kingdom—and so he sets out on a daring journey to go behind the baron’s back to expose his deceitfulness to the king.

But before Merek and Violet can act to bring the corruption to light, Violet is captured and brought directly to Dunham—where she shockingly discov­ers a secret that shakes her entire world . . . and the future she dreams of. Thrown together in the baron’s quarters in a race against time to save the lives of their loved ones and themselves, Violet and Merek must learn to trust each other to expose Dunham’s treachery to the king—all while suc­cumbing to their growing feelings for each other. Can the two find their happily ever after against all odds, or will the wolves amongst them drive them apart?

From New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson comes a thrilling retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood,” where two hearts must learn to trust themselves and each other in order to save a kingdom.

Review

I really, really wanted to love this book. A medieval read with knights, a damsel in distress, and an evil baron sounded so promising! And I really appreciated the strong faith messages shown throughout the pages. Unfortunately, the story fell flat for me, and I wasn't even able to finish it. The evil baron was almost cartoonish in nature and the budding romance between Violet and Marek wasn't very believable. The writing lacked a smooth flow, and the plot was rather simple. I hate writing negative reviews, and while there are a lot of readers who thoroughly enjoyed this book, "Cloak of Secrets" just wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for a copy of this book!

The Woman from Lydia

Back Cover

Widowed Euodia, known to her neighbors as "the Lydian woman," seeks to make a fresh start by moving to the foreign city of Philippi. She finds new purpose after meeting Paulos, apostle to the Gentiles, who opens her eyes to helping those in need, particularly women and those who have been enslaved.

Retired Roman soldier Hector has settled in Philippi with dreams of a future filled with wealth and status, pooling his army earnings with Lucius, his fellow comrade-in-arms turned business partner. His hopes are dashed, however, when Paulos robs their youngest enslaved girl of her lucrative ability to foretell the future, rendering her worthless to Hector's ambition.

Determined to find someone to restore the girl's valuable "gift," Hector is willing to travel to the ends of the earth to do so. Following close behind him, Euodia and her servants embark on a journey to rescue Sabina and set her free forever.

Review

This was an engrossing piece of historical fiction that explores a "what if" question of the Lydian woman referenced in the Biblical book of Acts. I thoroughly enjoyed the rich historical details  - there were so many interesting facts about the customs, culture, and even wardrobe peppered throughout the pages. And the story itself - my goodness, what an adventure! The best part of it all was how the Gospel is steeped in every written line. It was a beautiful story to read where the love of Christ and the transforming power of His grace is exemplified through Euodia and her fellow believers. Not much is said in the Bible about the "seller of purple", but I love Angela Hunt's spin on Euodia's tale. The Woman from Lydia will greatly appeal to fans of historical fiction, and I highly recommend it.

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