Friday Fiction Fix: "Never to Live"

I still have some guest-posting opportunities available. Contact me using the form in the left hand column with your idea! 
The Short:

Never to Live

By: Just B. Jordan

4/5 Stars

What: A half-crazed elf, tortured to the ends of her wits, must battle personal demons—but will she become the monster she dreads most?

Recommended to those who like: Fantasy, Christian, Very Dark, Mature Teens and Up

Not recommended to those who dislike: Stories with confusing beginnings.

The Long:          

This is one of those stories that doesn’t fit nicely into a star-rating system. Some elements were 5 stars, others were definitely 3 stars. It doesn’t quite fit in with the other 4 star books I’ve rated, in spite of that being the rating I chose for it. However, to amend my entire rating system for the sake of one book would be impractical.

To start, this book is really dark. It deals with insanity, personal demons (literal and otherwise), sin, and other, ugly topics. It’s also very long, so proceed with discretion. This is not a book to take with you to a sunny beach and enjoy in an afternoon.

Elwyn was always the outcast of her village. When she’s eventually captured and tortured, she locks part of her mind away, trying to guard the memories of the task she was given. But as time passes, she feels she has more in common with the monster she’s always feared than anything she would have liked to have been.

The worldbuilding was quite original, but I didn’t feel that I had much chance to enjoy it. This book sort of chucked you blindfolded into the deep end. Trying to understand multidimensional travel (I think?) and entirely new races of beings through the eyes of a character who was losing her mind was difficult.

I honestly wasn’t sure that I liked this book until about two hundred pages or so into it. That’s a lot of reading before deciding that you like a book. I never felt like I really understood what was going on, which made it difficult for me to enjoy the story. Hence, why I considered giving it three stars.

Yet, somehow, this was one of the most thoughtful allegories I’ve read—even without having a plot that I really enjoyed. It made me think and look at my own heart and motives. It also caused me to reflect on my relationship with God and how I trust in Him. Never once did the book feel preachy or contrived. Thus, why I would have liked to have given it five stars.

I’ll have to think about this one some more and I hope to get around to rereading it one day. In the meantime, you’ll just have to rely on this bumbling review to decide whether you want to pick it up or not.

 The Bottom Line: An appropriate pick for more mature readers who are willing to take a risk on a complex story filled with both darkness and light. 

What was the last book you read that challenged you?

Friday Fiction Fix: "Raulin, Rise of the Forest King"

The Short:

Raulin, Rise of the Forest King

By: Benjamin J. Denen

5/5 Stars

What: After his family is brutally murdered, a young man embarks on a quest for revenge. But what will it cost him?

Recommended to those who like: Fantasy, Christian, sword fights

The Long:

This is a prequel to TheKeeper of Edelyndia. Those who have read The Keeper will likely enjoy the interconnectedness of the story, but this book stands very nicely on its own. You can also read an interview with Mr. Denen here.

Raulin is a young man who tries to learn from his parents as best he can. But when his family is massacred in front of him, everything he was taught is challenged. Setting out to avenge his parents, he finds himself becoming the very thing his father warned against.

The book has a lot of strong, Christian themes throughout and the character arcs are well-fleshed out. Additionally, there are some nice sword fight scenes (can’t beat a good sword fight, right?)

This book was a little more predictable than The Keeper, so I didn’t enjoy it quite as much. There is a significant level of violence in the books, so that’s something to consider. I would certainly say that it’s well done and not over emphasized or glorified. However, it’s still an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy with Christian themes.

If you’ve read the book, feel free to share your thoughts below. Please remember to be respectful of Mr. Denen and his work, as well as other commentators. I also welcome comments on what you would like to see included in the reviews. I reserve the right to remove vulgar, hateful, or rude remarks from the comments. Thanks for sharing!

A Different View from Space

For a change of pace today, I decided to head out into space and discuss three "new" sci-fi movie releases. I think that one thing we can really see from these different movies is how, even with similar premises, stories can be vastly different.

Gravity (2013)

Dr. Stone, a biomedical researcher on her first space mission, finds herself stranded alone in space, trying to make her way home. 

My rating: 3/5 stars

Interstellar (2014)

In the future, a blight is threatening  the Earth's ability to support crops. Scientists take the plunge through a wormhole near Saturn that they suspect was created by beings who are able to travel among five dimensions. On the other side, they hope to find a new world for the human race to inhabit. 

My rating: 4/5 stars

The Martian (2015)

Presumed dead after a tragic accident on a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney must find a way to survive and contact Earth. 

My rating: 5/5 stars

Comparison

While all of these movies feature space, return to Earth, some (varying degrees of) realistic science, and survival as common themes, there are quite a few differences between them. 

Gravity was my least favorite of the three, mostly because I really didn't like the main character. She seemed to have limited will to live and the relatively low interaction of characters didn't really float my boat. Much of her success seemed to rely on chance and, while it's certainly good to have a great series of challenges for characters, it felt like nothing at all went right. To me, it felt like more of a chance survival story than a true fight for survival. Others might disagree. 

Interstellar, in my opinion, had much stronger characters that had plights I could more readily relate to. One of the larger themes of the story is fighting for family. It also went beyond a simple survival story into some more abstract science concepts like wormholes, black holes, and the fifth dimension. The added science-y bits appeased my inner nerd. My main complaints about this movie were that it was really long and the ending felt a bit rushed. However, the intriguing concepts combined with the  internal conflicts of many of the characters. made for an interesting movie. 

The Martian was the funniest of the three. Watney's wit and humor added an extra layer to a movie that might have seemed dry and grim otherwise. Besides this, I found it more enjoyable than Gravity due to the fact that more characters are involved (we see some of the politics of what's going on back on Earth). Watney also has a strong will to live, even though he is far from unrealistic in his evaluation of the situation.  

All of these movies are PG-13, so don't go into them expecting them to be completely clean. If you like space-centered science fiction, I would recommend any of them. Even if you don't enjoy space movies, I'd still recommend The Martian. 

Have you seen any of these movies? What are your thoughts? And would you be interested in more articles like this in the future?

There will still be a Friday Fiction Fix this week, but I may be slow to respond to comments both on this post and on Friday's due to traveling. Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday Fiction Fix: "Knox's Irregulars"

The Short:

Knox’s Irregulars

By: J. Wesley Bush

4/5 Stars

What: On a distant planet in the future, a reluctant soldier is pushed into leadership of a hodge-podge group of militia and army regulars when a long-brewing religious war comes to a head.

Recommended to those who like: Science Fiction, Christian, Military, some romance

The Long:

I can’t say I’ve read a lot of military fiction, so this was a bit of a branching out for me. However, I did enjoy the book. The characters are witty and colorful, the action kept me interested, and there was some unique world building involved.

Randal Knox went into the armored infantry to escape his status as the Prime Minister’s son. But when the neighboring country is taken over by a militant, radical faction, he’s pushed into a leadership role he’s never desired but that God seems to will.

In enemy territory, he’s left with a group of misfits—an explosives expert of questionable sanity, his best friend, a vengeful special ops guy, a crazed pilot who knows just how to press his buttons, and a beautiful medic with a checkered past.

The resulting story loses none of its seriousness in spite of lots of wit and dry humor in it. Although the action started to get repetitive toward the middle of the story, I enjoyed the internal conflicts in many of the characters. There is a significant love element, but it doesn’t overwhelm the story or come across as too cliché. 

The Christian element of the story is strong and deals with Christian morals and trusting God during times of war. It occasionally comes across as a little preachy, but much of it was insightful and well-written.

Overall, I’d recommend this to teen readers and up who are interested in a futuristic military story with strong Christian themes throughout.

If you’ve read the book, feel free to share your thoughts below. Please remember to be respectful of Mr. Bush and his  work, as well as other commentators. I also welcome comments on what you would like to see included in the reviews. I reserve the right to remove vulgar, hateful, or rude remarks from the comments. Thanks for sharing!

I'll be out of town for a couple days, so it may take me longer than normal to respond to your comments. I'd still love to hear from you! Have a great weekend!

Sequel Review: "To Darkness Fled"

You can find my review of the first book of the Blood of Kings Trilogy here. I would highly recommend reading  the first book before continuing. 

Haven't read the first book? Come back next week for more posts and a fresh novel on Friday. In the meantime, check out some old book reviews or my Goodreads page.

The Short:

To Darkness Fled

(Blood of Kings Trilogy, Book 2)

By: Jill Williamson

5/5 Stars

What: Achan finds himself pushed to be king, even though he doesn’t want it. Vrell finds herself tangled in an ever-growing web of lies. Lord Nathak and Esek will stop at nothing to prevent Achan from coming to the throne.

Recommended to those who like: fantasy, internal conflict, sword fights, and have read book 1.

Not recommended for those who dislike: Significant romantic plot line.

The Long:

Warning: Spoilers may lurk for those who have not yet read book 1, which I reviewed here.

To Darkness Fled did not disappoint as a sequel. So many sequels fail to build on character development or feel like they lack a clear goal for the characters, but To Darkness Fled had even better character development and internal conflict than in the first book, in my opinion.

Achan wants nothing more than to escape the throne and the pressures that are put on him—he is pressured to find a suitable wife (even if he doesn’t love her), forge alliances, present himself as a capable prince (even though he hasn’t had experience), proclaim Arman, and otherwise just be perfect. His frustration and division in character grow throughout the book.

Meanwhile, Vrell finds herself wondering if she knows anything anymore. How can she be Achan’s squire when she’s a highborn lady? More disturbing, she’s starting to feel something for him—even though she’s already betrothed. How can she keep her secret when the evidence mounts against her?

Meanwhile, the party must escape to Ice Island to rescue former Kingsguard knights, avoid Esek, and scrape up enough support for the army if Achan is to take his rightful throne.

The plot was gripping and I was really intrigued by the internal conflicts that raged throughout the book. This book does have a stronger love element than the previous novel, but the action still plays the primary role. Also, it’s not sappy.

Ms. Williamson also builds upon the allegorical elements of her work in this novel. Arman comes into play in a more significant manner and the characters are faced with a choice of which god they will serve. This heightens the plot and fits in well. I look forward to reading the final book soon.

If you’ve read the book, feel free to share your thoughts below. Please remember to be respectful of Ms. Williamson and her work, as well as other commentators. I also welcome comments on what you would like to see included in the reviews. I reserve the right to remove vulgar, hateful, or rude remarks from the comments. Thanks for sharing!

Friday Fiction Fix: "The Keeper of Edelyndia"

The Short:

The Keeper of Edelyndia

(The Keeper Chronicles, Book 1)

By: Benjamin J. Denen

5/5 Stars (And possibly going on the favorites shelf)

What: A man wakes up with no idea who—or what—he is; only that he’s powerful and that, somehow, he must cleanse the Church in Edelyndia of the corrupt and protect those who have cared for him.

Recommended to those who like: Fantasy, Christian, loose allegory, sword fights

Not recommended for those who dislike: Violent scenes (akin to PG-13)

The Long:

I will definitely be looking for more books from Mr. Denen. The Keeper of Edelyndia was well-written, fast-paced, and certainly worth the read.

Throughout the story, we follow Orron. Although powerful almost to the point of being superhuman, he has no memories of where he came from, only troubled dreams. He has a strong drive to protect the innocent.

The Church in Edelyndia has no such desire. Rather, leaders have become corrupt, sending a special group known as “Keepers” to remove 11-year old girls from their families to be taken as tributes to the capital.

Draedon is a Legion Commander of the Keepers who struggles with his duties. Can he justify capturing these young girls when he knows he would never allow his now-teenager daughter Kor’lee to be taken? But, how can he refuse his orders, especially with the violent Captain Valtor placed under his command?

The resulting tale is one of heroism, righteousness, and a quest to purify the land of those who would destroy the innocent. It has a few well-placed plot twists and believable, vibrant characters. The world building is good.

A warning to the reader: Mr. Denen does not shy away from telling the darker side of the plot (which makes the story more believable, and allows the light to shine all the brighter). I would equate it roughly on the same scale as the new Batman movies, to give you an idea. The violence is not glorified and the overall plot line conveys a Christian message.

There is an allegorical element/ strong Christian message to the story, which is one thing that makes the story great. Unlike some stories, it portrays believers as imperfect. There is also a small love element, but it does not crush the rest of the story.

If you’ve read the book, feel free to share your thoughts below. Please remember to be respectful of Mr. Denen and his work, as well as other commentators. I also welcome comments on what you would like to see included in the reviews. I reserve the right to remove vulgar, hateful, or rude remarks from the comments. Thanks for sharing!

I will be out of town this weekend, so it may take longer than normal for me to respond to your comments. I'd still love to hear from you!

Friday Fiction Fix: "A Cast of Stones"

The Short:

A Cast of Stones

(The Staff and the Sword Book 1)

By: Patrick W. Carr

5/5 Stars (and possibly being added to the favorites list)

What: A village drunk finds out he’s a reader—someone with the ability to cast lots predicting the future.

Recommended to those who like: Loose Christian Message, Fantasy, Redemption stories, sword fights, good world building

The Long:

When I find a free book, I don’t always have the highest expectations. But even had I paid something for this one, I wouldn’t have been disappointed.

A Cast of Stones blew me away. It’s one of the best Christian fantasy books that I’ve read in a long time. The world building is original, the writing is fantastic, and the plot is gripping.

Throughout the story, we follow Errol, the village drunk who can’t seem to go one night without getting kicked out of a tavern. One day, a church messenger gives him a message to deliver to a priest in the wilderness. Though he has no love for the church, the money proffered will be enough to keep him in ale for a few weeks.

His journey eventually takes him across the kingdom and thrusts him deep into church politics. The old king is dying and the race is on to find a replacement since has no heir. But someone wants to keep Errol from ever being of use to the church, though he can’t see why he’s important.

Much of the story focuses on the concept of “readers”—people with the ability to carve and cast lots to determine where others are, who is responsible for assassination attempts, whether someone is alive or dead, what decisions people will make, etc. The concept is intriguing and well explained.

The fantasy/medieval elements are well woven together and the world building is convincing. There is a Christian message to the story, but it certainly doesn’t overwhelm the plot and it doesn’t come across as a sermon. Even Christians are portrayed as flawed, which was well done and refreshing .

Again, I can’t say enough about this book; I was truly impressed by it—even more so due to the fact that this was Mr. Carr’s first novel. I look forward to reading more of his writing, especially

the rest of  this series.

If you’ve read the book, feel free to share your thoughts below. Please remember to be respectful of Mr. Carr and his work, as well as other commentators. I also welcome comments on what you would like to see included in the reviews. I reserve the right to remove vulgar, hateful, or rude remarks from the comments. Thanks for sharing!

Friday Fiction Fix: "Masters and Slayers"

The Short:

Masters and Slayers

(Tales of Starlight Book 1)

By: Bryan Davis

5/5 Stars

What: A fiery sword maiden and chivalrous young man set out to free humans on another world from their dragon captors.

Recommended to those who like: loosely-Christian, fantasy/sci-fi blend, sword fights, dragons, good world building.

Not recommended for those who dislike: More mature subject matter (nothing inappropriate, but definitely more suited to young adults and up)

The Long:

If you like dragon books, Mr. Davis is the author for you. Masters and Slayers is book 1 of the Tales of Starlight series for young adults. The series will be a companion to the Dragons of Starlight series, which is intended for more of a teen audience.

                

This is one of the first “adult” fantasy books I’ve seen come from a major Christian publishing house, and it’s well done. While the story is linked in to a previous series for a younger audience, it stands well on its own. If the series succeeds, I think we can look forward to more books that discuss serious subject matter in a Christian speculative fiction context.

                

Seeing as this is a book for mature audiences, it does discuss some more mature subject matter. It isn’t anything inappropriate, but this is a book more suited to older teens, young adults, and adults due to discussion of adult topics such as sexual sin. This, in my opinion, makes the book more believable and adds some new dynamics to the characters that give them depth and realism. Topics are handled from a Christian worldview.

                

The setting is interesting; while some technology is advanced (video tubes activated by genetic material), others lag behind (much of the fighting is done with swords).

Throughout the story, we follow Adrian Masters, a young peasant from the planet Major Four who seems stuck in the old ways of chivalry. His friend Marcelle is a fiery shield maiden who often lets her emotions get the better of her.

               

Together, the two of them secretly are part of a society that wants to travel to Dracon, a planet in their solar system that is supposedly inhabited by dragons. Though few believe the rumors anymore, the legends say that dragons there once took humans from Major Four captive as slaves. They seek to free these slaves and rescue Adrian’s older brother Frederick, who they believe is lost on the other planet.

              

While the story takes some time to build up in action, it becomes a fast read as you progress. You can also tell that the book is supposed to be linked to another book, as the occasional odd reference to minor characters is made. This doesn’t detract very much from the story. The tale has Christian principles and values and many of the characters speak of the “Creator” and the “Code”, but this certainly doesn’t overwhelm the plot.

If you’ve read the book, feel free to share your thoughts below. Please remember to be respectful of Mr. Davis and his work, as well as other commentators. I also welcome comments on what you would like to see included in the reviews. I reserve the right to remove vulgar, hateful, or rude remarks from the comments. Thanks for sharing!

Sequel Review: "Isle of Fire"

I didn't want to cheat you guys out of a fresh book this Friday, but I did want to share my thoughts on Isle of Fire, sequel to Isle of Swords by Wayne Thomas Batson. Hope you enjoy, and I'll see you back here Friday for a fresh book! 

I'd love to hear your feedback regarding how I should handle sequels and series. 

The Short:

Isle of Fire

(Sequel to Isle of Swords)

By:

Wayne Thomas Batson

5/5 Stars

What: The pirate crew of the Bruce seeks out other pirates to join forces with them in ridding the seas of more dangerous criminals; Cat must come to grips with his past; The Brethren seek to eliminate The Merchant, a dangerous arms dealer.

Recommended to those who like: Pirates, sword fights, sailing, more historical setting, Christian themes

Not recommended for those who dislike: Some gruesome scenes (PG 13)

The Long:

                If you have not read the first book, be warned! Spoilers ahead!

                

This book is a well thought out sequel to Isle of Swords. Unlike so many sequels, it manages to continue character development, keep the stakes high, and still be a well-rounded story. If you enjoyed the first novel, you’ll certainly enjoy this one!

                

In the book, Cat must come to grips with having Bartholomew Thorne as his father. And now he realizes that it is not certain that his father is dead. Faced with this past, troubling memories, and fits of violence that he has difficulty controlling, much of the book is spent following his inner journey. When he is asked by the Brethren to seek out the notorious arms dealer known as the Merchant, he accepts.

                

Meanwhile, Captain Ross and the crew of the Bruce face disbandment by England. Together with Commodore Blake, they must find ways to defeat enemies new and old.

                

As in the first book, we have plenty of cannonfire, colorful side characters, and duels. Violence, love element, and historical elements are comparable to the first book.

              

I would highly recommend this sequel. It has a satisfying ending and the series does not appear to continue.

If you’ve read the book, feel free to share your thoughts below. Please remember to be respectful of Mr. Batson and his work, as well as other commentators. I also welcome comments on what you would like to see included in the reviews. I reserve the right to remove vulgar, hateful, or rude remarks from the comments. Thanks for sharing!

Friday Fiction Fix: "Resistance"

The Short:

Resistance

(Ilyon Chronicles, Book 1)

By:

Jaye L. Knight

5/5 stars

What: A “half breed” man struggles over if he has a soul while a young woman fights to maintain her faith in the den of the enemy.

Recommended to those who like: stories with internal conflict, fantasy, Christian allegory, a good sword fight, and interesting world building.

The long:

I found this book perusing through the Christian Fantasy/Sci Fi catalog on Amazon and needed a book to read, so I figured I’d give it a try.

I’ll admit, I was a little reluctant to try it. I’m still new to walking off the beaten path to find Christian speculative fiction. Some of the books have flopped epically for me. But Resistance did not disappoint!

The thing that really struck me about the book was the amount of internal conflict within it. Jace is genuine in his struggle against his own internal flaws, doubts, and fears. Everyone tells him that he cannot have a soul, for he is a mixed-race man. He’s one of the more realistic characters that I’ve read in Christian fiction recently.

Kyrin is also lovable. As somewhat of a tomboy and independent young woman myself, I found it easy to associate with her. She fights to maintain her faith, even though it may cost her life as an assistant to the Emperor. She also struggles with how to witness to others, as well as how to reconcile what she’s heard about others to what is reality.

The action sequences were well-paced and logical in this fantasy novel. The overall pace of the book was better than many. It was predictable at times, but not overly so.

If you’ve read the book, feel free to share your thoughts/opinions below. Please remember to be respectful of Ms. Knight and her work, as well as other commentators. I also welcome comments on what you would like to see included in the review format. I reserve the right to remove vulgar, hateful, or rude remarks from the comments. Thanks for sharing!