Friday Fiction Fix: "Hood"

Beginning next week, posting during November will be reduced. Posts will go up on Fridays, but watch out for pop-up posts during the week, word wars, and other NaNoWriMo fun. 

The Short:

Hood

King Raven #1

By: Stephen R. Lawhead

5/5 Stars

What: A young prince finds that he is his people’s only hope of freedom—but will his brash, strongheaded ways cause him to fail?

Recommended to those who like: Fantasy, Robin Hood, Loosely Christian

The Long:

Bran ap Brychan is the reluctant prince of a piece of Welsh countryside. He wants nothing to do with the kingship or his father, but he seems to be doomed to be drawn into the conflict brewing between the Welsh lords and the invading Normans. However, when the conflict comes to a head, he’s forced to step up and become the leader he was born to be.

I remember trying to read this book a few years ago, but I didn’t finish it before the library wanted it back. (Silly libraries—wanting books returned to them). I’m not sure whether it was some maturity I’ve gained in the past few years, the gloomy weather, or the fact that I just wanted to sit down and read a book from start to finish in a couple days that compelled me to finish it this time around.

I enjoyed it, too. The weather has suddenly turned cold here in the Midwest and this was the perfect book to read. It’s relatively realistic fiction for fantasy, but it’s eerie and a bit gritty, perfect for some gloomy, rainy weather. However, that does make this book better suited for teens and older audiences.

The pace is a little slower than many books and takes several Tolkien-esque detours, so if you’re looking for a book that’s fast-paced and action-packed, I would steer you away from this one. (One detour in the middle of the book caused people on Goodreads a certain amount of consternation and star-reduction). The castle politics and larger political scene can also be a bit mind-boggling at times. This is on par with much of Lawhead’s other works, such as Taliesin, so if you’ve read those you have an idea of what to expect.

Also on par with Lawhead’s other work is the somewhat ambiguous Christian nature of the story. I’m expecting him to come out with a bit of a clearer message with the next installment, like he has in his other stories. This story planted a seed of Christian thought, but it hasn’t quite sprouted yet.

The Bottom Line: This grim fantasy story is well-suited for teens and up who are looking for a more ponderous read. 

What's your favorite fall read?

Are you NaNo'ing this year? Find me on the NaNo site under the name R. Lutz!

Pictures from Wittenburg

As we wrap our celebration of the 500th anniversary of the reformation, I thought that I would share a few pictures from Wittenburg, Germany that I took on my trip over the summer. Hope you enjoy!

Downtown Wittenburg. If you're looking for Luther gifts, you can find it here.

A monument to Luther, about halfway between the two churches he's come to be associated with.

The Theses doors. All 95 theses are printed on them. The original wooden doors were lost.

The Schlosskirche (castle church) where Luther nailed the Theses. The top of the tower has the opening lines to "Ein Feste Burg" (A Mighty Fortress is Our God).

The Stadtkirche (city church) where Luther preached regularly.

Inside of the Stadtkirche.

Luther's House, which is now a museum.

The altar piece in the Schlosskirche. 

The stained glass at the front of the Schlosskirche. For perspective, this is above the altarpiece shown in the picture before. Aside from being beautiful, it was a powerful reminder that, at the end of the day, Jesus is above all else--even famous, snarky theologians. 

Sequel Review: "Fortress of Mist"

I would highly recommend reading The Orphan King prior to picking up his sequel. I'l be back with a new series next week!

The Short:

Fortress of Mist

Merlin’s Immortals Book 2

By: Sigmund Brouwer

4.5/5 Stars

What: Two opposing forces have their eyes set on Thomas, new Lord of Magnus, as the centerpiece to their schemes.

Recommended to those who like: Fantasy, King Arthur/Merlin, intrigue, Christian

The Long:

The tension continues to build right from where The Orphan King left off. While I would definitely recommend reading these books in order, you can easily pick up Fortress of Mist after taking a break from the series; the offer provides enough of a recap to make the story understandable if you have some memory of the characters.

Thomas is placed in an ever deepening web of deceit, intrigue, and plots as the new Lord of Magnus. Two groups seem to have their sights set on his soul and knowledge, but which is worthy of his allegiance? Can he even rely on the wisdom of his departed mother? What if he was wrong about who he could trust all along?

The resulting tale is a quick read and could easily be enjoyed by younger audiences (through early teens—some violent scenes), though older readers will also likely enjoy he captivating, twisting storylines just as well.

The Christian message is more fleshed out in this book than the previous book, but continues to complement, rather than overwhelm, the main plot lines.

The Bottom Line: I would recommend this fantasy series to fantasy fans who enjoy a touch of intrigue.

Hound Dog Harmonies: "The Lutheran Song"

I'm going to be a terrible blogger and inflict "Lost and Found" on you twice within a month.

Unfortunately, this song doesn't really have any themes to analyze, but it does list off people who are--or were at one point in their lives--Lutherans. With no further ado, you can check the Famous Lutherans Song

If that wasn't enough Lost and Found for you, you may be slightly crazy, just like me you can also search for their songs about the LCMS and ELCA. (Unfortunately, they don't have a WELS song that I can find.) I think you'll recognize the tune right away.

Next week I'll be wrapping up my Reformation series with a series of pictures I took in Wittenburg, the birthplace of the Reformation.

Friday Fiction Fix: "Chains of Gwyndorr"

The Short:

Chains of Gwyndorr

The Poison Tree Path Chronicles #1

By: Joan Campbell

5/5 Stars

What: A young aristocratic woman is a prisoner in her own home, but maybe the stone she’s found will provide her way of escape.

Recommended to those who like: Fantasy, Christian

The Long:

Wow, what a pleasant surprise! I picked up this book during an online sale and didn’t expect a whole lot out of it. The worldbuilding, characters, and plot sucked me right in.

Shara is the adopted daughter of two aristocrats. However, she’s not allowed to leave the house and it seems that her parents are interested in just about anything but her. One day, she finds a magical stone that may hold the key to her past—and her future.

But her future looks more uncertain by the day. Her freshly rekindled friendship with the low-born stable hand seems to be causing more trouble than even her headstrong nature could. The law’s on his tail for teaching low-born children how to read and saving them from the raids that send them to the deadly Rif’twine forest. If he’s not careful, he’ll be sent there himself.

The resulting story is one of intrigue, friendship, and excellent worldbuilding. The author opened the story by giving us a load of mysteries and she revealed just enough at a time to keep me drawn in. She left quite the assortment of mysteries to keep me intrigued for the next installment, as well.

The book has some Christian undertones, but nothing strong as of yet. I look forward to seeing how those themes might be explored in the next book, which was just released.

The Bottom Line: This Christian fantasy was a pleasant surprise and has a lot to offer to fans of the genre. I would definitely recommend it!                                                                                                                     

The Luther(an) Tag

Alright, here's a little impromptu fun to share around as part of our celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. All are welcome to participate, even if you aren't Lutheran.

What significance does the 500th anniversary of the Reformation hold for you?

Like Luther, I was not born a Lutheran. I was a "latecomer" and therefore have a weird perspective on Lutheran-y things. On one hand, I think it gives me the clarity to prioritize Scripture over other things (like the liturgy) that can be a bit more difficult for life-long Lutherans. This also makes me hesitant to place too much emphasis on Luther. (He was, after all, just a man--and he would have been the first to admit it).

On the other hand, I'm quite happy to be a Lutheran, especially since I've more or less consciously chosen to be here with the other back row-sitting, coffee slurping, change-resistant folks who have a theology that I can agree to in good conscience.  This gives me a sense of pride and belonging that I didn't always get growing up in an inter-denominational school, where the theology and style often made me raise my eyebrows a bit. 

Regardless, 500 years is quite the momentous occasion. It brings a sense of pride that I'm part of something so storied and historic. My trip to Germany was organized, in part, to be part of the celebration of the anniversary, so that's a pretty big piece.

Going forward, I hope the anniversary inspires a steadfastness in the faith for myself and my fellow Lutherans, especially as the culture (here in the U.S.) seems to be changing so rapidly. 

List up to 5 of your favorite Luther quotes.

"Are you ignorant of what it means to be ignorant?"

"To go against conscience is neither right nor safe."

"I have held many things in my hand and lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess."

"The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship."

"Peace if possible. Truth at all costs."

List up to 3 of your favorite church/Luther websites (serious or otherwise).

The Lutheran Satire

Bring some thick skin and a desire to laugh at yourself or others (especially "experts" on the internet). No denomination is off-limits, including Lutherans themselves. "Horus Ruins Christmas" is highly recommended.

Worldview Everlasting

Nerd-dom meets pointed theology. Bible Studies to current events.

Table Talk Radio

They excel at mediocrity! Everyone's second favorite theological game show, containing hits like "Praise Song Cruncher", "Church Sign Theology", and "Iron Preacher".

Which version of "A Mighty Fortress" is your favorite?

And you thought I could get through this tag without being controversial! The classic hymn that has two competing tunes, causing nearly as much consternation as what color hymnbook is the best.

I have to say that I prefer the "isorhthmic" version of the song, a.k.a. the one that's easier to sing and has eight notes instead of an overabundance of half notes.

Got an answer you're dying to share? I'd love to hear it in the comments!

Feel free to steal this tag!

Friday Fiction Fix: "Raising Dragons"

The Short:

Raising Dragons

Dragons in Our Midst, Book 1

By: Bryan Davis

5/5 Stars

What: A boy finds out that he has dragon blood—but he has no idea the trouble it will bring him.

Recommended to those who like: Christian, fantasy, middle grade

The Long:

I had a harder time reviewing this book than I thought I would. This is the book that was responsible for getting me hooked on dragons—a momentous happening, considering probably about ¼ of the books on my shelf involve the mythical creatures.  I read it close to 10 times between middle school and high school. The pages are dog-eared, and my friends and I discussed it in spurts over our lunch breaks. It was one of my favorite stories I had ever read, but I hadn’t read it since probably a year or so before I went off to college.

I approached it with a load of excitement, expecting to dive into one of my favorite stories and come out with a new, fresh perspective on it, the same way that I have with A Wrinkle in Time or The Lord of the Rings.

That didn’t happen.

It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the book—it was still a good story. It just…isn’t one of my all-time favorites anymore. That hurt a bit. I can’t relate to Billy and Bonnie the way that I used to, my inner editor found some storytelling styles that are perfectly fine for the middle grade audience (but not appealing to my current self), and I left feeling happy that I’d reread it, but oddly discontent.

Alright, enough of me being nostalgic. Let’s get on with the actual review.

Billy Bannister is your normal young man. He attends school, goofs off with his best friend, and seems to always get up too late for breakfast. That all changes in one shocking week, when he accidently sets off a fire alarm with nothing but his breath. The resulting chain of events reveals secrets that nearly everyone has been keeping—from his principal and parents to the mysterious orphan who sits next to him in history class. Everyone has their inner dragons, whether figuratively or startlingly literally. Can he and his friends escape those who will stop at nothing to destroy him?

The resulting tale is likely to resonate most strongly with middle-grade readers, but people of all ages can easily enjoy this fantasy story. The characters are quite vibrant and likable and the premise of the story is intriguing.

The Christian element to this story is definitely strong, but certainly not overwhelming.

The Bottom Line: This Christian, middle-grade story has great characters and an intriguing premise, making it a worthy pick for fantasy fans of all ages.                                                                                         

Hound Dog Harmonies: "Nailed"

The Schlosskirche (Castle Church) where
Luther nailed the 95 Theses.
The top of the tower has the opening lines
of "A Mighty Fortress is our God"
written in German.

Today we kick off our month-long celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation with a rock song about Martin Luther and the 95 Theses. 

The Short: 

Song: "Nailed"

Artist: Theocracy

Album: As the World Bleeds

Genre: Metal

Listening Suggestion: With some Abendbrot to celebrate some German food?

Christian Author Listener(s): Wayne Thomas Batson

Selected Lyrics:

Here I am, a broken man who's done all that a man can do

And found that it's only filthy rags.

Monasteries, religious schools, indulgences, laws and rules

It all added up to nothing and darkness and death.

Vanity, heartache, and emptiness...

Never fight it anymore,

For the burden on my life has been released--

Nailed it to the door...

There's fire in my spirit, and fire in their eyes,

And now they'll want to burn me alive--

Yet freedom rings. 

Unworthiness is all I bring.

The blood of Christ is all I claim,

This grace revealed everything...

You can listen to the song on the band's YouTube channel, though brace yourself for a bit of strong metal--albeit with a really cool pounding sound for the hammer. It's also fairly easy to find on Spotify.

The Long: 

While this song might not suit all tastes musically (I'm a self-professed headbanger and even I can only stand to listen to it occasionally), I think it does a good job of telling Luther's story--you might even say it hits the nail on the head. From his brokenness as a monk trying to reach God through his own works to his final reliance on Christ and realization that all the works in world won't save him, Luther's story is relayed in this somewhat angsty rock ballad.

Beyond just telling Luther's story, the song does a fair job of referencing the gospel--the fact that we can't save ourselves, that Jesus is ultimately everything, and the confidence of knowing that fact  as we face troubles in life. 

Also, let's be honest--it's just exciting to find a song about Luther. I may have had a little nerd moment when I initially heard it.

What songs about Luther do you know of?