Wolves Among Us: A Novel Review

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(More customer reviews)Shades of Salem Witch Trials! This historic novel so scared me, that I actually had to put it down and walk away. Of course, I did pick it back up and finish reading it. I am so very thankful that I live in the 21st Century and not the 16th.
I quickly connected to the protagonist, Mia, and her sickly child, Alma. What a heavy load of problems Mia bears. She's married to hard-to-please Bjorn, the stern sheriff and cares for his bedridden mother. Even the ladies of the small village shun her. This gives Mia a very lonely existence. I hurt for her. As the plot unfolds, I feared for her.
An extensive Author's Note section, along with Discussion Questions and Supernatural Housekeeping are all included at the end of the novel.
Thank you to Bonnie at Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and David C. Cook for my copy.

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This richly imagined tale takes readers to a tiny German town in the time of "the burnings," when pious and heretic alike became victims of witch-hunting zealots. When a double murder stirs up festering fears, the village priest sends for help. But the charismatic Inquisitor who answers the call brings a deadly mix of spiritual fervor and self-deceptive evil. Under his influence, village fear, guilt, and suspicion of women take a deadly turn. In the midst of this nightmare, a doubting priest and an unloved wife—a secret friend of the recently martyred William Tyndale—somehow manage to hear another Voice…and discover the power of love over fear.

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Ties that Bind (Ribbons West) (No 3) Review

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(More customer reviews)The book i think was the best of all three. Really, it helps to know that the authors believe in God and that they can weave him into a book. You could almost make it an adventure book and a religious one too and that is what makes me feel good reading this book. This also ties it up and that way you won't have to wait for them to make the next one which i hate to wait. But this is an excellent book and i would recommend it to anyone.

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The Civil War has ended, and the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads are locked in a high-stakes competition to link the eastern states with their western counterparts. Jordana Baldwin's writing catches the attention of an eastern newspaper, and she takes on the guise of a man to report on the progress of the rail line...and to spy for the Central Pacific. She continues to correspond with Captain Rich O'Brian, who now works for the Union Pacific. When they meet again, romantic sparks fly, but Rich's past still looms between them. Will competing interests keep Jordana and Rich apart...or bring them together?

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Separate Roads (Ribbons West) Review

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(More customer reviews)I really, really, really enjoyed this series. All three books of the Ribbons West series. The characters are delightful. They are well developed. I have recommended this book to others.

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Behold Your Queen: A Story of Esther Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been searching for this book, and other Gladys Malvern books, for some time and when I found them, because they were so rare, they were hundreds of dollars. Whoever had this reprinted, THANK YOU!
I am stunned at how well this book stands the test of time. I first read this book in the 5th grade, many many years ago and when I happened upon this reprint, I scooped it up. I was not disappointed and devoured this book, even shedding a few tears as I read the story.
If you are between the ages of 8-?, Christian, Jew, Biblical history buff, homeschooler, or just like a good read with plenty of suspense, you will most likely enjoy and appreciate this story of Esther. It will also give you an enlightened sense of history, and especially clue you in as to why certain things happened the way they did in Bible times. It has a beautiful female hero, a despicable villain, a handsome king, and a whole lot more, but I don't want to spoil the story for you. Reading this again makes me want to do further research on that period and I'll be cracking my Bible open for the first time in a long time to read the Book of Esther.

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It is the ancient days of the Persian Empire. Hadassah was content in her quiet life in the Jewish quarter of the city of Babylon with her uncle Mordecai, who had raised her from childhood.But she was old enough to be married, and yet her uncle hadn't arranged a marriage for her. Meanwhile in Shushan, King Ahasuerus' marriage to the vain and selfish Vashti has ended, and a new wife must be found. Why not bring to him the most beautiful women of the kingdom, and let him choose? And so the loveliest young women of the empire are selected in local contests, and Hadassah is among those chosen to go to Shushan to meet the King.But as a Jewess in a foreign land with powerful enemies to her faith, she must conceal her true identity and take the Babylonian name of Esther.Will she find love with a man she has never met?And can she survive in a strict royal court controlled by the evil prime minister Haman, who wants to destroy her people?Out of print for 40 years, this special edition contains the original text of "Behold Your Queen!" in a large, trade size paperback, suitable for collecting.

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In the Shadow of Lions (Chronicles of the Scribe, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ginger Garrett's "In the Shadow of Lions" tells the story of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation in 16th century England. She tells her tale through two main characters. The first, Rose, a fictional creation, is a despairing young woman ready to give up on life. The second is Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry the Eighth. Their stories are dictated by a supernatural being called the Scribe to a dying woman in the present day.
I found this book to be a frustrating, unfulfilling read. A major flaw in the novel is the portrayal of Anne Boleyn. I've read many, many books about Anne over the years, both fiction and non-fiction. Anne Boleyn was a woman who not only fascinated a king, but has also fascinated historians and readers in the centuries since her death. In Garrett's portrayal, she's a rather flat and uninteresting character. I never got a sense of why Henry became so obsessed with her or how she was able to keep his devotion for so long. There was nothing to explain her allure. Henry himself never emerges as a very well defined character.
"In the Shadow of Lions" also contains the most negative portrayal of Sir Thomas More I have ever read. There's no doubt More could be virulently anti-Protestant, but this book takes his actions to the extreme. His daughter, Margaret, is an extremely inconsistent character, one moment treating Rose as an ally and at others treating her more as an enemy. I felt very removed from this book; it was hard to truly feel involved with the story or the characters.
There were many other things about this book that bugged me, but I'll just mention one more. Anne and Henry's daughter, Elizabeth, was born on September 7, 1533. In this book, Anne is two months pregnant shortly before Christmas. There's no way the timeline would work out for a September birth. Garrett never gives a date for Elizabeth's birth, but she does say she's born in winter. A woman can't be over two months pregnant in late December and give birth in a winter month unless the baby is extremely premature, which was not the case, or the baby is in the womb for over a year. I kept thinking I was missing something but I've read it over twice. It just absolutely makes no sense.
I suppose this book might be more appealing to a reader of Christian fiction than to a reader of historical fiction. The historical oddities, at any rate, might be less off-putting.
I really wanted to like "In the Shadow of Lions." I was looking forward to reading about Anne Boleyn from a different viewpoint, one that explored her role in the Protestant Reformation. Unfortunately, the poorly developed, inconsistent, and often unlikeable characters made this more of an exercise in frustration. One of the first things I noticed about this book was the beautiful cover. It's too bad the contents inside didn't live up to it.


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The Scribe: Silas (Sons of Encouragement Series #5) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I was a child, I became an avid reader when I picked up my first secular novel, and I was particularly facinated by historical novels because of my love for history. When I became a Christian, I was in such love with my Savior Jesus Christ that I couldn't get enough of Christian literature. I put aside novels for years. I never thought that there were good Christian novels available, except for romances and the like which only seemed to arouse in me sinful passions and desires. I ran across Francine Rivers somewhat inadvertently. It had been so long since I read a novel that I decided to try once more. "The Scribe" was the second of her books that I read within a couple-week period. I was shocked by the expertise of skill of her writing. She intrigued every facet of my interests, from a good story, to a historical drama, to a Biblical edification. Though much of the story of Silas's personal life in this book is fictional, the concept behind the fiction is so real-to-life for any Christian, that I was greatly helped in the Christian walk. This book is particularly a story of encouragement. Its center is God and the glorious strength that He gives to pick up His despondant servants. The book exalts Jesus Christ and magnifies the unchanging faithfulness and goodness of the Lord. I highly recommend it!

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Behind the men who shaped history are the heroes who forever changed it. The Scribe, the fifth and final book in the Sons of Encouragement series, beloved author Francine Rivers illuminates the life of Silas. Like the other Sons of Encouragement, this book tells the story of a lesser-known biblical character who made an impact on eternity. The Scribe tells the story of Silas, the man behind the spotlight who recorded most of the New Testament Scriptures we read today. In classic Francine Rivers style the story lets readers grasp the Scriptures in a whole new light-from a perspective never before imagined. Along the way readers will be captivated by the growth of the early church and the trials Paul suffers before he is martyred for the cause of Christ.

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