Christmas Traditions is a boxed set of Christian romance novella’s. Each one is a stand alone book, or the first book in separate series, and by different authors. All were good, some I loved! As a whole I give the set four stars. I really enjoyed them. Great read for the holidays. I can recommend for teens and up, though written for adults. Where I could, I wrote individual reviews for each book.
| “Unintended Target” by D.L. Wood was a great read. Christian romance, with a twist. There is mystery, action, and romance. I really enjoyed it and will be reading more from this author. The characters are fleshed out, the story is well written. I can recommend for ages 16 and up, though written for adults. The Christian message isn’t “in your face” but is simply a part of who the characters are. A good read! I give it four stars. |
The final book of “The Goldstone Wood” series, if you don’t count the two novella’s. I loved this one too. What can I say. My kind of fantasy, allegory. I am going to be sad to see it end. There is a lot more of one of my favorite characters in this one, “Monster” the man who is a cat. I loved these as much as Narnia and almost as much as Lord of the Rings! Five plus stars and a new favorite fantasy author.
What the book is about:
As sea levels rise and livable landmasses shrink, the Reorganized United States of America has instituted population control measures to ensure there are sufficient resources and food to sustain the growing population. Birth authorization must be paid for and obtained prior to having a child. Someone must die before another can be born, keeping the country in a population neutral position at what experts consider to be the optimal population. The new laws are enforced by a ruthless government organization known as Pop Con, responsible for terminating any children resulting from unauthorized births, and any illegals who manage to survive past their second birthday, at which point they are designated a national security threat and given the name Slip.
But what if one child slipped through the cracks? What if someone knew all the loopholes and how to exploit them? Would it change anything? Would the delicate resource balance be thrown into a tailspin, threatening the lives of everyone?
And how far would the government go to find and terminate the Slip?
In a gripping story of a family torn apart by a single choice, Slip is a reminder of the sanctity of a single life and the value of the lives we so often take for granted.
My Review:
Another great one from David Estes! I thought the “Dweller” series was great, this one is even better. So though I can’t give more than five stars (that’s my star value for Dweller) this one was so much better even. Great characters. This author is great at fleshing out his characters. You feel like you’ve known them your whole life. He also has a canny way of getting into the head of teens. There is a great mix of humor, action, suspense, and some romance. The romantic side is clean and sweet, yet full of teenage passion as well. No swearing, no sexual content (other than a retelling of an attempted rape, not explicit. There is some fighting. I can recommend this book for teens and up. Great story about hope, loyalty to friends and family, and how sometimes the lines between good and evil are blurry. Already reading book two.
As a post script, I appreciate that Mr. Estes puts his book on Kindle unlimited!
Final book of the series, sad to see it end. I loved the set and this one was the best of all. Great writing, it sucks you into the story. The characters were great and the whole plot rocked your emotions one way or another. Humor, sorrow, hope, and just about every other one you can imagine. Well done! A new favorite author to add to the list. I give it five stars. I also recommend to anyone who loves fantasy or Christian fiction. Great for teens and up. No sexual content or swearing, lot’s of fighting and violence.
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What is the book about? With the King Near Death, Will the Kingdom Fall?
When Sarin Valon, the corrupt and dangerous church leader, flees the city of Erinon and the kingdom, Errol Stone believes his troubles have at last ended. But he and his friends still have dangerous enemies working against them in secrets and whispers.
In a bid to keep them from the axe, Archbenefice Canon sends Martin and Luis to Errol’s home village, Callowford, to discover what makes him so important to the kingdom, and in that journey they discover amazing new secrets about the workings of Aurae.
Back in Erinon, Errol is unjustly accused of consorting with spirits. Convicted, his punishment is a journey to the enemy kingdom of Merakh, where he must find Sarin Valon and kill him. To enforce their sentence, the church leaders place Errol under a compulsion–he must complete his task, or die trying.
My Review:
| What a great sequel. Hero’s Lot is book two of the “Staff and the Sword” Christian Fantasy Trilogy. So far I am very much enjoying these books. Some of it mirrors our own Church history, but most of it is pure fantasy. The main character is so real, flaws and all. All of the characters are well rounded and make you feel like you know them personally. I have laughed and cried, gotten angry and sad, but always had a hard time putting them down. Worth the money to buy them, or find them at the local library. Book one is offered free, Kindle version on amazon, book two is 5.99 and three is 9.99. I downloaded the free one, couldn’t find book two at the library, so purchased it, now I am borrowing book three! Will be checking out more from this author, be forewarned this is not a light read! It will take some time and some emotional toll. I give it five stars! No swearing or sexual content, there is fighting and violence. I can recommend for teens and up. |
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What the book is about: Will Aoleon and Gilbert discover the truth at last? It’s been one difficult challenge after another, but Aoleon, Gilbert and their friends (Bizwat, Helios, and Zoot) make it to their final destination: the secret Martian base located under the Great Pyramid of Cydonia. But their adventure isn’t over yet. Not by a long shot! Not only must they infiltrate a secret underground facility guarded by legions of sentrybots to find and rescue Aoleon’s parents, but they also must face their toughest test yet. Can Gilbert help Aoleon rescue her parents and stop the Martian invasion once and for all? Read the exciting conclusion to the Aoleon the Martian Girl series to find out!
My Review: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the last and final installment of the “Martian Girl” Series. All five were fun and pack full of action and great graphics. The pictures are not your run of the mill illustrations, but bright computer animated through out. There is some violence, no swearing, and loads of age appropriate humor. This one closes the series with our heroes saving not only earth, but Mars as well. Gilbert finally decides, after all the danger and adventure, that home isn’t so bad, even with homework and milking the cows.
I liked it and gave it four stars.
I can recommend for ages 9-13, unless you love sci fi and are a kid at heart.
Get your copy here: http://www.amazon.com/Aoleon-The-Martian-Girl-Science/dp/0979128595/ref=pd_sim_sbs_14_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0W8AQS743SA721ZCP958
The Author: Mr. LeVasseur enjoys crafting good stories based on lovable characters designed to translate well to multiple media formats such as books, games, movies, and toys. He lives in New York when he is not commuting between Southern California and Olympus Mons, Mars. His hobbies include writing, 3D animation, musical composition, and intergalactic space travel. He also enjoys various sports such as skiing, running, and exospheric skydiving.
Author’s Website: http://brentlevasseur.com/
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/embed/eA1b6G876V0