Book Review for “Illuminated”: Book one in the White Road Chronicles- Christian Fantasy

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I downloaded this book ages ago when it was offered for free and just never got around to reading it. Man-o-man, it’s a good one. I’ll need to get the rest of the series. Christian fantasy/allegory at it’s best. This is the second series that I found this year by great Christian authors! Characters are fleshed out and flawed, just the way I like them, the story is fast paced and has a great message. I give it five stars, absolutely loved it. No sexual content or swearing, there is fighting and v I downloaded this book ages ago when it was offered for free and just never got around to reading it. Man-o-man, it’s a good one. I’ll need to get the rest of the series. Christian fantasy/allegory at it’s best. This is the second series that I found this year by great Christian authors! Characters are fleshed out and flawed, just the way I like them, the story is fast paced and has a great message. I give it five stars, absolutely loved it. No sexual content or swearing, there is fighting and violence. I can recommend for teens and up .

Oakfield

Get it here Oakfield

You can get it here today:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/587244

Here is a peak inside…

Prologue

“Where is the child?” Horace Acerbi calmly asked his son.

“Someplace safe,” answered the young man. “Did you think I was capable of taking care of a baby?”

“Your mother and I would have cared for the baby,” Horace replied as he removed a speck of lint from his suit coat.

The sixteen year old raised his eyebrows, but refused to rise to the bait. Looking his father in the eyes he waited silently.

“So you packed him off like old rubbish to be raised by strangers?” the father asked shaking his head in condemnation.

Still the young man kept his peace.

Horace walked to the window of his great domain and stood gazing out at the night sky.

“I suppose you didn’t give the mother much thought. She took the news rather hard, I am afraid. The housekeeper found her, just a short time ago, hanging from the chandelier in the nursery. It seems she used your old jump rope to do the job.”

“You lie!” the young man finally caved.

“Go see for yourself, I told them to leave her. I wanted you to see what you have accomplished by your willful disregard for propriety.”

“You want to lecture me about propriety?” yelled the youth as he ran from the room.

He took the stairs two at a time until he was on the third floor of the mansion. Blind with rage, out of breath, and riddled with guilt he burst through the door of his old nursery, and there cold and still, hung the body of the only person who had ever loved him…

Book Review for “Hero’s Lot” – Christian Fantasy

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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.

Book Review for “Shadow Hand”-YA Christian Fantasy

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Loved this installment of “The Goldstone Wood” series. We have almost come full circle. This one was a little confusing to me at first. We move back and forth through time, and it wasn’t until part way through that every thing clicked in my head. Great story. Love the author. Going to finish up the series. Five stars, no sexual content or swearing, there is fighting and violence. Great for teens and up.

Book Review for “Goddess Tithe”- YA Christian Fantasy

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Short little book that goes along with the “Goldstone Wood” series. It is officially 5.5 in the set. Great Christian fantasy, this one had some illustrations and I think would be good for younger ages as well. I give it five stars. Loved it. No swearing or sexual content, good for ages 12 and up. I highly recommend the whole series! Great allegory.

Book Review for “Dragonwitch”-Christian Fiction Fantasy

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I believe this is book five in the “Goldstone Wood” series. You know those book series that get duller, or stranger, or boring as they go on? This isn’t one of those! I loved book one “Heartless” and have continued on in the series. After reading book two, “Veiled Rose”, I decided I liked it even better. Then came “Moonblood” and “Starflower” and after reading each one I thought “This one is the best so far!” Now, book five, “Dragonwitch” so at the risk of repeating myself, this is the best one yet. I haven’t read a series that captured me like these since Ted Dekker’s “Black, Red, and White” trilogy. I think these are on the same plane as C.S. Lewis and a lighter version on Tolkien. These stories can be stand alone, but I encourage you to read them in order. That would be the best experience. You get all the twists and turns, some expected and others so very unexpected. This one had me bawling in so many places. Romance, dragons, magic, demons, witches, and normal mortals who accomplish the impossible. No swearing or sexual content, there is fighting and violence. I can recommend for fantasy lovers and Christians alike, teen and up. I give it 5+ stars and wish I could give more. Well done Miss Stengl!

Book Review for “Starflower”-Christian Fiction Fantasy

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Anne Elisabeth Stengl weaves a great fairytale/allegory in her “Goldstone Woods” series. Each book is a stand alone, but with each one we see more of the back story and how things began. The immortal characters are introduced, or re-introduced to us and we find out how they came to either serve the dragon king, or the Prince of Farthestshore. Well written, it sucks you into the story. You can’t help but feel like you are there and that you know each one of the characters. I loved “Starflower” as much as the others. It answered some of my questions about how some of characters in the first two books ended up where they were. After reading this one I found my self thinking, “oh, that’s why they called her that,” or “so he is the one the song was about.” I would give this book more than five stars if I could. No swearing or sexual content. There is violence and fighting, some scary images for youngsters. I recommend for teens and up. 5+ stars from me! If you like fantasy, but have trouble finding suitable ones for Christians, this series is it!