Rachel Rossano - Honor

Honor
Novels of Rhynan Book 2


By Rachel Rossano


Available on Amazon




Product Description (from Amazon)

The Earl of Dentin excels in his position as Securer of the Realm. But the king’s order to pluck an orphaned child from a loving home unsettles Dentin. When a dark-eyed woman challenges his honor regarding the mission, Dentin finds himself unable to justify his actions or get her out of his mind. Something about her lack of fear intrigues him.

Lady Elsa Reeve attempts to avoid the marriage of convenience her brother and mother demand of her. She understands the need to pay off her brother's massive debt. She only wants her family to consider her wishes in the process.

As Elsa becomes further entangled in a snare of her brother’s creating, only one man defends her. But can she trust Dentin, her unlikely champion, and his motives? With a murderer on the loose, Elsa’s fate in jeopardy, and a traitor plotting against the king, Dentin finds his priorities shifting in an unexpected direction.

About the Author (from Amazon)

Rachel Rossano specializes in clean romantic fiction set in historical-feeling fantasy worlds. She also dabbles in straightforward historical romance and not-so-strict speculative fiction.

A happily married mother of three small children, she divides her time between mothering, teaching, and writing. She endeavors to enchant, thrill, entertain, and amuse through her work. A constant student, she seeks to improve her skills and loves to hear from readers.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

After reading and reviewing Duty, the first novel of Rhynan, I was eager to learn what happened next, and was thrilled when the author offered me a review copy. It did take me a while to actually get to read the story, but that was not for lack of eagerness. I just had a VERY busy last two weeks.

Once I opened up the book and immersed myself, I couldn't put it down ... except that I had to go to bed. First thing the next morning, I was reading again, and was finished by noon. The plot twisted here and there, and while I'll admit that I could see where it was going by the time I was halfway through the book, things were just so convoluted, I still couldn't put it down!

Dentin, the hero, is not a young man, nor does he have many friends. As the Securer of the Realm, he holds many secrets, and has gained more than his share of enemies as he performs the king's bidding. And, as the book opens, he fears making an enemy out of one of the few friends he has, as the king desires to take custody of the child Sir Irvaine and his wife have been fostering, and thus gain a level of control over him.

Elsa, the heroine, is caught in a situation typical of medieval heroines. Though her father has promised her choice in her marriage, her brother wants to marry her off to pay his "debts of honor," and her mother is pressuring her to marry soon - after all, her younger sister has just been married, why hasn't she?

Normally, their paths wouldn't cross, nor would he take especial notice of her ... but she has taken interest in the young boy he must pluck from his foster parents and - though she doesn't know it - has become entangled in a plot involving the princess herself. Although he's just trying to keep her safe, he finds himself caring for her - as he has never cared for a woman before.

When her father's murdered, the game changes completely. Her previous marriage choices disappear as her brother promises her to one of the most despicable men in the kingdom, thus dooming her to a life of misery.

Compared to the previous book, this story had the better plot. As much as I loved Duty, there were a few moments I lost track of what was going on. With Honor, I was frustrated by the multitude of secrets, but I always had a firm grasp of what was going on. Part of this was the fact that we had narration from both the hero and the heroine. I would have preferred it if the author hadn't used first person for both of them, but it was well marked, and there were only a few times where I lost track of who "I" was.

I will say that I preferred the romance of the first book, however. Elsa and Dentin were sweet, but I think it went a bit too fast, especially for two people who didn't fall in love easily. Also, Dentin called himself "unmarriagable" because of something in his past, but I don't think we ever learned exactly what it was. I would have liked a bit more closure in that area.

Worldbuilding was well-done. It's set in a fictional medieval set of countries that, apart from the fact that didn't actually exist, could well be our own world. We see more into the politics and power-play in this book, and I enjoyed seeing how she built the laws of her country.

I loved the story, just as I have loved everything else of Rossano's work that I have read. I'm thoroughly looking forward to the next book!

Note: A sweet romance for those who love romance, and filled with lots of political intrigue if that's what you prefer.

Genre/Theme: Romance, Christian, Non-magic fantasy

Reading Level: Mature TEEN - high school to college 
Profanity: NONE - no offensive language. Several distasteful characters swear, but we're never told what, exactly, they say
Sexuality: SUBTLE - hinted, but not explicit. Kissing and a few veiled references to the marriage bed. 
Other: 
Lots of fighting, including a duel to the death. There are no battles, as in the previous book, most of the power-play is political. Elsa receives some abuse from her potential husband. 

Alison Pensy - The Emerald Staff

The Emerald Staff
A Custodian Novel



By Alison Pensy


Kindle Edition Available

Product Description (from Amazon)

Publication Date: April 22, 2011

Faedra was enjoying the fact that everything was back to normal, well as normal as it could get when you had the ability to manipulate energy, were protector of an ancient Fae amulet, and lived with a fairy guardian 24/7. Her dad had even started dating. Yes, all was right again in Faedra’s world, or so she thought…

About the Author (from Amazon)

Alison was born and raised in England and grew up near a medieval city called Norwich, which is where much of the inspiration for her young adult books comes from. She has traveled extensively and the experiences and inspiration gained from that are priceless. 
Moving to the States in 2001, Alison started out in California, but the pace of life for a country girl was overwhelming and she eventually settled near a small town in mid Missouri with her menagerie of animals.
Alison also runs a tax and accounting business, which keeps her very busy during the day and especially for the first few months of the year where she goes into "headless chicken" mode.
Alison started writing a few years ago when she became so fed up with the real world, she decided to create her own. 
Alison also writes adult romance under the pen name Adrianna Blakeley.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

After I reviewed book 1 of the Custodian Novels, The Amulet, the author found my review and asked if I would like to read and review the next two books as well. I agreed, and she sent them to me.

Unfortunately, that was about the time that my life went crazy, so it's taken me a lot longer than I would have liked to get around to reviewing.

The book begins a few months after The Amulet, Faedra has begun to settle back into her life as the custodian, and has almost gained control of her Energy-manipulation power. All is going well, Faen, her Guardian and boyfriend, has started college with her, and her father has even started dating again!

She hasn't met the lucky lady yet, but her dad says that she'll be at the approaching Halloween party that they're hosting. Faedra is delighted … until the lady walks in the door. Turns out, it's the woman who killed her mother, and tried to kill Faedra in book one. Let's just say, Faedra takes exception.

Trying to control her energy power and not reveal to the whole party that she's not a normal human, she goes outside with Faen to blow some steam. However, Mr. Bennet and the girlfriend soon follow them and the girlfriend forces him to do a big reveal – he's not Faedra's real dad. Then she makes her dramatic exit, Mr. Bennet in tow. She leaves behind a black stone with a red dot in the center. If Faedra doesn't turn herself in before the stone is completely red, well let's just say she won't like the consequences.

Faedra decides to see if there's any way to rescue him. She travels back to the Faerie world and discovers that the only way of tracking her father's kidnapper is to find the Emerald Staff … which belongs to a dragon. Not only is finding him hard enough, but he won't give up the staff unless they return to him his only egg (which he lost in a bet when he was a younger dragon).

Overall, I liked this book. Tension was higher than the book before, but less mystery when it comes to the villain. There were many twists and turns, some of which I smelled coming, others caught me completely by surprise. The old characters are as charming as they were before, and the new ones were delightful. For the most part. There's one character that shows up at the end that's not so nice … but he was well done, nonetheless.

My one annoyance with this book was the fact that the main romance is a forbidden romance. It was fairly well done, and I already knew about it from the first book, so it wasn't so bad. Forbidden romances just annoy me, so no offense to the author. Also, one of the new characters, while he is charming, borders on the too charming. I liked him, felt sorry for him even (since he's the last of his kind), but I was slightly annoyed with him.

But apart from the romance, I really enjoyed the book. It's a very interesting twist on fairies, though not extremely radical.

Genre/Theme: Fantasy, Romance,

Reading Level:  TEEN - upper elementary to middle school 
Profanity:  LOW - few mildly offensive words 
Sexuality:  MILD - descriptions of affection/desire There's quite a bit of kissing between Faedra and Faen, and there's one character who's described as having “thought with what's in his pants”Other: Lots of fighting, especially with magic. Nothing graphic, though.

Rachel Rossano - Duty

Duty
A Novel of Rhynan


By Rachel Rossano


Kindle Edition Available




Product Description (from Amazon)

Duty to King

Tomas Dyrease, the newly made Earl of Irvaine and the village of Wisenvale, owes his good fortune to his king and the recent civil war. When his benefactor demands Tomas marry the cousin of a noble, he obeys. However, no one warned him that she wasn’t a typical noblewoman.

Duty to Others

Brielle Solarius struggles to keep her village from starvation under the new Lord Wisten, her cousin. The men rode off to war and never returned. The remaining women and children face a dire winter if they do not find a solution soon. When she learns her cousin sold her into marriage to save his life, she isn’t surprised. However, she is taken aback by Lord Irvaine’s unpolished ways. Was this man a noble or a foot soldier?

Duty to Each Other

Bound by the words of their vows, they face a rough future. They must forge a marriage while battling betrayal, accusations of treason, and villains from the past. Survival depends on their precarious trust in each other. Failure could mean death.

About the Author (from Amazon)

Rachel Rossano is a constructor of sentences, a creator of metaphors, a painter of word pictures, and a storyteller. Or, at least she attempts to be one. Producing novels, novellas, and short stories, she endeavors to enchant, thrill, entertain, and amuse through her writing. Above all else, she attempts to glorify God with every tale.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

I believe I have mentioned that I’m not usually one for the romance genre. However, I do find romances involving arranged marriages intriguing, so when the author, a fellow homeschooler, asked for reviewers for her newest release, I volunteered.

The story begins with Brielle’s discovery that her cousin has given her in marriage to the new lord of Irvaine. She isn’t too pleased with this, since she and her cousin have never gotten along. However, since the king is the one who gave the orders, she has no choice.

Tomas, her new husband, is a good man, though very rough around the edges. While he does insist that they show affection in public so that certain people don't get suspicious, he allows her her space when they're in private, allowing them to get to know each other.

Of course, once they are married, he must continue his journey to his new castle. That's when the plot starts thickening. A messenger follows them with the news that her village has been attacked and the women that had been in Brielle's charge are in danger - and Brielle's cousin is one of the attackers. When they reach Kyrenton, the capitol, more treachery awaits. The wife of the former Lord Irvaine is desperate to keep her position, and one of the lords had an old grudge against Tomas.

The book is fast paced, but there were only a few times that I became confused as to what was going on. I was impressed by how she handled delicate issues, and I was on the edge of my chair while Brielle was on trial because she was suspected to be in league with her cousin. The scene where Brielle is forced to take part in the big battle was well done and believable.

My only complaint is the fact that, while Brielle seems to have a strong faith in Kurios, which is what they call God in Rachel Rossano's world, I didn't feel that this faith was integral to the book. Yes she prayed to him often, but I felt that she relied more on duty and her own strength instead of that faith. However, that was just one drawback in an otherwise wonderful book.

Genre/Theme: Romance, historical fantasy

Reading Level:  Mature TEEN - high school to college 
Profanity:  NONE - no offensive language 
Sexuality:  MILD - descriptions of affection/desire – Frequent kissing between Brielle and Tomas, as well as mentioning of the marriage bed. The previous Lady Irvaine tries to seduce Tomas. It is mentioned that soldiers, after taking a city, have a tendency to take advantage of the pretty girls.
Other: There’s a war going on in this book. People fight. People die. Descriptions are kept to a minimum.

Nancy Sprowell Geise - The Eighth Sea

The Eighth Sea



By Nancy Sprowell Geise


Kindle Edition Available



Product Description (from Amazon) 


Publication Date: January 1, 2012
Have You Found Your Eighth Sea? In the cold, black hold of a sailing ship, a young woman lies dying, tormented that her death will mean nothing. No one will know. No one will care. Only the will to find a purpose for her life keeps breath in her exhausted body. Far away, a soft Carolina breeze touches a mother’s face as she peers into the night sky, agonizing over the loss of her infant daughter nineteen years before. A haunting vision that will not leave her—it whispers of a living tie, still unbroken, to that baby long ago. Worlds apart and unaware of one another, the mother and daughter fight their lonely battles for survival. Between them—a man rising to greatness with the new America will bring them together. The themes of this story are deep and universal: a long journey; separation and return; uncertainty; searching and finding; the search for understanding God’s will amidst tragedy; and finally, the realization that people can be bound together forever. The Eighth Sea is a passionate love story involving two unforgettable characters—Brenna and Nathan. Their story is our story—finding our place in the world, the meaning of our lives, our way home. Brenna's solution is to set sail beyond the only world she has ever known and into her eighth sea. The story is inspirational, and its romance is deep and enduring. Struggling to triumph are three major characters: Brenna—determined to find her place in the world yet haunted by the shadows of abandonment and self-doubt; Emily—plagued with grief over the loss of her only child an unable to shake a disturbing sense that something is unresolved; and Nathan—strong and charismatic, discovering that in his search for Brenna, he has found himself. Their story is a tribute to the human experiences of good overcoming evil, the power of persistence, seeking God, and finally, of love enduring against all odds. The Eighth Sea—finding the meaning of our lives, our way home.


About the Author (from Amazon)

Biography
Nancy was raised in Ames, Iowa and is a graduate of Iowa State University. She and her husband Doran have lived in Austin, Texas; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Topeka, Kansas.

In 1979, when Nancy was a senior in high school, her English teacher Grace Bauske (Ames High School, Ames, Iowa), made an off-handed remark to Nancy that she "should be writing." That comment stayed with Nancy for many years until she finally decided to make it happen. Nancy thought about all the things she loved in stories--seeking and finding; romance; perseverance against all odds; the idea that people can be bound together forever; and finally, the universal struggle for all of us, finding our place in the world, our way home. As soon as Nancy made the decision to begin writing, the story came to her...in total.

The actual writing of The Eighth Sea evolved over several years and included extensive research of life aboard a 1700 sailing vessel and the areas of St. Christopher, West Indies (now called St. Kitts); Bath and Bristol, England; and Charleston, South Carolina.

Many unexpected events unfolded for Nancy in the process of writing the novel. One was the creation of a theme song. When Nancy worked on the book, she found find herself humming a little melody. She decided to see if she could play it on the piano. (Nancy barely plays the piano, so this was a task!) When her husband heard the song, he commented, "That sounds like your novel. You should put words to it." A light bulb went off...Nancy got a poem she had written for her character Emily. Nancy had never been able to find a place for the poem in the book. The poem basically dropped into the music. Nancy then gathered a group of musicians and they recorded the song.

The novel is, in part, about a family journeying by ship from England to America in 1769. There is a ship wreck and they think they've lost Brenna, their infant daughter, at sea (when in fact, she was rescued and raised on the island of St. Christopher). The book skips 19 years later to Brenna's life. The song is written from Emily's perspective (Brenna's mother). Emily is never able to come to terms with the loss of her daughter, always sensing that something was not right. The song is Emily willing her thoughts, through the wind and over the sea, to her lost daughter. The painting on the novel cover is of Brenna, standing on a faraway shore, listening.

To hear the song and watch the novel cover being created on canvass by artist Susan Jenkins, please visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6T1SIhdWgk

For more information about The Eighth Sea: www.theeighthsea.com

Nancy is available for presentations and book clubs. She is humbled and moved by the stories she is hearing of the ways The Eighth Sea is touching its readers. She asks that you keep sharing them with her: 8thseaauthor@gmail.com

Nancy is currently working on her second novel.

The Eighth Sea Theme Song:
Words and music by Nancy Geise; Vocals-Gyll Perkins; Piano and Score Translation-Matt Baretich; Cello-Heidi Nagel; Tin Whistle-Pamela Robinson; Orchestral Enrichment-Jerry Palmer; Technical Engineering-Russ Hopkins; Recorded and Produced-KIVA Recording Studio/Russ Hopkins Productions, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Author's photo by photographer Crystal Geise
www.crystalgeise.com

For more art by Susan Jenkins: www.susanjenkinsart.weebly.com



O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel


This book holds a lot of promise, and some genuinely “good spots” that are frequent enough to keep the reader turning pages.   Unfortunately, as a whole, I did not find the story overly enjoyable ... it was good, just not all that great.

The basic plot is a common formula.  A girl in hard circumstances runs away from them, in the process putting herself into far worse of a situation that what she was running from.  A dashing young man comes to her rescue, but because she doesn’t trust anyone, and he isn’t much for communication, things get worse and worse.  Finally, the young man rescues the girl and the rough spots are all worked out and they find themselves madly in love and get married.

“The Eighth Sea” is a Christian Historical Romance.  Yet it pulls up short on all three accounts.  There is a single Bible verse that is on her bracelet that is quoted often, plus referrals to God are frequent, but not so much a part of the story that all Christian influence could easily be removed and the story wouldn’t miss it much.  It is set in the early American days, pre-revolution I think.  Plus a good deal of time is spent on the ship, and in England.  However, it is merely set in those time periods, and doesn’t have very much to do with the story as a whole.   It probably did best in the Romance department, although there wasn’t much steam in the story, but it tried its best to be a tear jerker and with a mystery/adventure twist.   There is plenty of romance, but the characters seemed a bit shallow to me, especially our young hero, who nearly ruined his chances by “teasing” his way through the relationship.

But the worst used literary device was the flashback.  I quickly became confused whenever it was implemented, due to the fact that they were embedded.  So you have a flashback to the shipwreck where Brenna was lost, while they are on the ship, there is a flashback to them packing, which leads to another flashback of an earlier time in their marriage ... and so on, then the flashbacks end and suddenly you are ... when?   It was often difficult to keep all the timelines straight.  Fortunately, the story usually ran along without the flashbacks.

I was somewhat shocked though, when upon reaching the end of the book, to find a substantial amount of “Discussion Questions” for the story.  For those who wish to read the book in a group, I suppose this would lend itself well to the emotional side of the story.

One of the best used literary devices was the near miss.  These were skillfully used to keep the reader turning pages and well involved in the book.  Just as you think things are going to work themsevles out, the plot would take an almost sickening turn as you felt your stomach drop in dismay, as they came so close to working things out, but not yet.  One of the best scenes using this, involved a bath house, Brenna was sneaking around town at night, removing the flyers that Nathan had placed all over the English countryside.  Suddenly, she hears voices and she hides inside, moments later, Nathan and a beautiful young woman arrive.  The young woman sees Brenna, realizes who she is, and deftly avoids saying anything and keeping Nathan occupied.  Brenna is thankful that the woman didn’t give her away, meanwhile, the woman is horrified that Nathan is so close to finding Brenna, because she wants Nathan to marry her.

There are many interesting characters along the way.  Some you will adore, and others quite the opposite.  None are so well developed to make them very memorable, although I found myself liking the first mate quite a lot.

Most young romantic teens will enjoy the story.  It has plenty of good, and interesting twists in the simple plot line.




Note:  The story involves some intense themes.  The reading level is low enough that most 9 year olds could read this book, but material may not be suitable for younger readers.   Descriptions are vague enough though, that the average 12 year old could handle the book.

Each chapter ends with “thought questions” to lend itself to a group study.

Genre/Theme:  Early American History, Romance, England and Ship Life, Mild Christianity


Reading Level:  TEEN - upper elementary to middle school  -  there are a few spots that may be a problem for some younger readers.  Ages 11 and up should enjoy it.
Profanity:  LOW - few mildly offensive words
Sexuality:  MILD - descriptions of affection/desire  -- descriptions of desire from the captain, several compromising situations, attempted rape,  a wedding night, and a woman scantily clad who is trying to seduce a character.
Other: Brenna nearly starves to death, her step father is very abusive, once in England, she runs away and the man who employs her nearly rapes her and frames her for murder.

Heather Leigh Johnson - - Life -

- Life -
Star Seed


By Heather Leigh Johnson


Kindle Edition Currently Unavailable




Product Description (from Amazon) 

I have tried to explain my book in so many ways, but none do it any justice. It's about a young girl named Helen and her eight friends. They're all gifted young adults who go through life fighting evil and defending the earth. This book explains each of their gifts and unique powers, book one Life is an introduction into their world.
Helen and her friends go through events and near death situations that test them to the max. They start to train and learn how to use their powers to their full potential, because they know that one day they will have to face not only their enemies, but each other as well…….

About the Author (from Amazon)

No Author Description available

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

When this book showed up on my kindle (my mom has a habit of just sending me books that she thinks I might like) it was the cover art that initially made me want to read it. I had no idea what the book might be about – all I knew was that it was probably a CreateSpace publication, and, if so, that the author used the same template that I had used for my own book.

So, not seeing anything else that was interesting me at the present second, I pulled it up and started reading. The prologue was interesting enough – and didn’t give me any clue  as to what the book might be about, other than the fact that a major change had happened to the main character over the course of the book. Thinking back on the book … I’m still not sure what the prologue was doing in the book. It really wasn’t needed. Sure, it was intriguing, but the actual first chapter was pretty intriguing, too.

The book starts with Helen, the main character, and a small group of people being held up at the bank by a group of three masked men. They’re all scared, but the men claim that they don’t want their money, or to kill them – only to find something of great importance to them. One of them walks over to Helen and takes her hand … and she feels drawn into his beautiful green eyes …

Eventually, they are rescued. When Helen talks to her dad, who is in the law enforcement, later, she finds out that every report given by the group had been different … and that when they had played the security tapes, it had only been a group of people apparently scared of their own shadows – no masked men … and no Helen either. Did I mention that it was her birthday?

From there, things go chaotic and confusing. Helen seems to be living her birthday over and over again – with no real rhyme or reason – including one day she wakes up to find that she is dogsitting a dog that she hasn’t had to dogsit in two years!

During these crazy dreams, the green-eyed guy shows back up, as well as another good-looking guy to whom she is also drawn. Cue my eyes rolling. The second guy seems to be a good guy who is protecting her from the first for some reason she has no idea.

At long last, however, these dreams seem to come to an end and she gets shipped to her grandmother’s for her protection. She hasn’t seen her grandmother since she was a baby. Once at her grandmother’s it is revealed that her mother was some sort of alien, and that she, Helen, is a star seed. Oh, and that she also has the cool power of being able to travel places instantaneously – and even though time.

I don’t regret reading this book. It was very interesting, and the romance wasn’t too bad. However, it needs a good editor. Not for spelling or grammar ... but more to straighten things out. The book was told in first person present tense, which I found awkward. Present tense was fine for the prologue ... but the rest of the book would have been much better in past tense.

My big issue with this book is this: while most of the book was from Helen’s POV, there were two chapters from the POV of two other characters! While I have read some books that successfully switched POV in a first-person book, this book was not one of them. The first time it happened, it was told from Meadow’s POV. Meadow hadn’t even been mentioned until that point! It took me a long time to realize that the POV had switched, thinking instead that the book had merely jumped forward in time. True, the author had marked the chapter with Meadow’s name … but that still didn’t mean that I would catch on that the POV had changed. Then, as soon as the chapter was over, we were back to Helen’s POV and I was left thinking … “What…?” The second time it happened, the character had already been introduced, though he was the weakest character in the book, and I had already had experience with the sudden POV changes, so it wasn’t as bad. Still, this did not work well for this book.

However, the plot itself was pretty good, with no huge plot holes. It is the first book of a series, though it is the only book out. I found the book intriguing, and would probably continue the series if I get my hands on the upcoming books.

Genre/Theme: Sci-fi, fantasy, romance


Reading Level: TEEN - upper elementary to middle school
Profanity:  NONE - no offensive language to
LOW - few mildly offensive words. I don’t rememeber any, but there may have been one or two mild words.
Sexuality:  SUBTLE - hinted, but not explicit. Helen finds herself attracted to the two young men, and does some description of how hot they are, but they don’t do anything beyond protecting each other and some hugging.
Other:
Quite a bit of fighting in the second half of the book. Nothing gory happens, though.

Tom Upton - Just Plain Weird

Just Plain Weird


By Tom Upton



Kindle Edition Available 




Product Description (from Amazon)

Travis MacDuff has always led an uneventful life. His greatest concern was making the high school football, until an odd girl moves in next store, a girl whose secrets threaten not only his existence but the existence of everyone on the planet.

About the Author (from Amazon)

Tom Upton was born in Chicago. He attended Columbia College, where he studied writing and film.
     Upton has written Just Plain Weird, a young adult novel, Scarecrows, a very dark tale of horror, and Mourning Doves, a short story collection.
     His other interests including animal rights and senior and disabled rights.
     He is writing the Freaky Jules e-book series, a young adult paranormal series of novellas. Freaky Jules #1 (Vanished) and Freaky Jules#2 (Pants on Fire) have already been published. Freaky Jules#3 (Hellhounds) will be available shortly.
     He now lives in the rural Midwest, with his wife and two teenaged daughters.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra

I read this book because I wanted to know what the moon and earth had to do with the girl next door’s secret. It took me a while to get in to. I read a bit, then put it down to read something else … then picked it back up to read it some more …

Neither the romance nor sci-fi are my favorite genres, though I read both. Really, the only reason I read this was to find out what the girl’s secret was. When the secret was revealed, I only kept reading to see where it would take the story. There were many times I almost put the book down, and a few times that I actually did so and went and read another book for a while.

The bulk of the story takes place over less than a week, with several weeks squeezed into a few paragraphs between the third and fourth days, and an epilog that covers several months, so it’s a pretty action-packed story.

There were pretty much only six characters in this book: Travis, Eliza (the girl), his mom, Doc (her dad), Raffles (his genius best friend) and the space ship. There was also the president, but that was only over the radio. The book is told in first person from Travis’s point of view … understandable, since the author is a man. Eliza is the second-most important character, being the driving force of the romance portion of the book. She’s also the one who drives the car all over town and over the cliff…

Yeah … she’s a little … well, as the title puts it, just plain weird.

The other characters were mostly background characters and appeared only to move the plot.

The story begins with Travis spying on his new neighbors from his tree house. Thing is, he hasn’t seen anything going on over there since they moved in – no one going in or out, no lights in the windows – nothing. His friend Raffles discovers him spying and decides that Travis is … well, he decides that Travis needs to stop spying and just go over next door and introduce himself. They do so, and meet the dad, who invites them in. While inside, they meet Eliza, and the only intelligent thing Travis can say in the presence of pretty girl is: “She needs a tan.”

As they head back to Travis’s house, Raffles makes a startling announcement. The house was somehow bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. He thinks that it is because they weren’t actually in the house, but instead far away, and that Eliza and her father are aliens.

The next day, Eliza comes outside for the first time to do yard work – her dad took the tan comment seriously, you see. She complains to Travis, and he offers to help her. By the time they’re done, they feel as though they’ve known each other for a long time, and she offers him a ride in her dad’s Lexus. They’re both fifteen, by the way …

During this ride, she drives them off of a cliff and into a lake. Despite not knowing how to swim, Travis manages to get out, and rescue the unconscious Eliza. Next thing he knows, he’s at Eliza’s house again, and there is no sign of the injury he sustained in the fall.

After that, the secret of how their house is larger inside than outside is revealed, and it isn’t too far off from Raffles’ guess. Travis ends up being the pilot of an alien spaceship, and able to communicate with it telepathically.

Eliza’s mother, it revealed, is not dead. Instead, she is stuck in the future, due to an experiment that Eliza’s dad had done when the alien spaceship could travel temporally.

They make an effort to undo this … but end up completely altering the earth’s history … and killing all of earth’s inhabitants … and breaking the moon, which happens to be my favorite part of the book.

There were some editing issues … or, rather, quite a few. One of the amazon reviewers remarked that it looked like it was written in Notepad. I don’t think it was that bad, but it definitely needs some editing. The plot, however, was pretty much sound. The only thing that confused me there is that when Travis’s much older author brother is first mentioned, I got the impression that he had already published a book, but later, during the epilog, he publishes his first novel. It’s not important to the plot, however, and not a huge issue.

I could probably tear this book apart over the romance. It was pretty strong. However, since I had known it would be there before I started reading, it didn’t bother me as much as if it had taken me completely by surprise. There were times when it made me want to put the book down, but then it would return to the “Save the world from the disaster we caused” part of the plot, and I would be fine again. I did skim over the worst of it.

I did enjoy this book, for the most part, however. There were plenty of hilarious stuff … and the concept was quite intriguing. It’s not a book that I would read a second time, but I don’t consider the time I took reading the book as completely wasted either.


Note: While many of the reviews on Amazon say that this is fine for children as young as nine, I disagree. There are some pretty scary scenes, as well as some heated scenes that, though they weren’t very descriptive, still almost made me put the book down.

Genre/Theme: sci-fi, romance, time travel, space travel, paradox


Reading Level:  Mature TEEN - high school to college
Profanity: LOW - few mildly offensive words. I don’t remember if there were any for certain, but I think there were some lighter words.
Sexuality: MILD  to  OBVIOUS Travis and Eliza go physical fast – her driving it, as he’s actually holding back. They make love in the car. Later they take a shower together. Descriptions are not very in depth, though, mostly limited to the fact that it hurt.
Other:  There are some bug-like aliens (about seven feet long) that try to get Travis and Eliza. Travis manages to shoot it with a gun.

Nancy Kelly - In His Good Opinion

In His Good Opinion
Brides of Pemberley


By Nancy Kelly


Kindle Edition Available




Product Description

Mr. Darcy Speaks from the Heart:
Pride and Prejudice from his Point of View

Though tired of Society's manipulations, Darcy never thought to be enchanted by a country maiden. Yet on a visit to rural Hertfordshire, Elizabeth Bennet captivates him. Lovely and vivacious, she is everything he is not, and everything he longs to have.

Unfortunately, her connections put her decidedly beneath him, and the improprieties he observes in her family do not win his favor. Putting her firmly out of his mind, Darcy returns to London, but Elizabeth is not so easily forgotten.

When chance throws them together, Darcy can no longer deny his love, but Elizabeth, put off by his manners, refuses him. To change her mind, he must set aside his proud ways and learn how to please a woman worthy of being pleased. It takes a serious incident for his true character to shine, and for Elizabeth to learn just how valuable is…

His Good Opinion


Includes an excerpt of Caroline Bingley by Jennifer Becton


About the Author

Nancy Kelley is a Janeite, an Austenesque author, and a blogger. During the writing of His Good Opinion, a version of Mr. Darcy took up residence in her brain; she fondly refers to him as the Darcy in My Head, or DIMH. If Nancy could possess any fictional device, it would be a Time-Turner. Then perhaps she could juggle a full-time library job, writing, and blogging; and still find time for sleep and a life. Until then, she lives on high doses of tea, of which DIMH approves. You can find Nancy on Twitter @Nancy_Kelley, on her blog, and on Indiejane.org.



O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel


This is a rewrite of Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, written from Mr. Darcy’s point of view.  I had thought I had read Pride and Prejudice, but after reading this book, I realized that I had never finished the book, although I had watched a movie.  Even so, I have read several other Jane Austin books, and this book seems to have the language down rather well.

After reading several reviews by devoted Austin fans, it appears as if the lengthy sections of conversations that have such a wonderful Austin feel to them, are in fact, Austin’s exact or nearly exact words.  I cannot vouch one way or the other.

Overall, I was not overly impressed with the book.  Some parts felt too much as if it was merely borrowing wholesale from the original book, and other parts felt forced and shallow.  Some may argue that Mr. Darcy was in fact, a rich and very shallow man to begin with, and that may well be true.   One thing the book did well, was show how Mr. Darcy came to face his faults and inconsistencies, and then went about to change how he thought about others and then rectified the mistakes he had made with others lives because of his pride and prejudice.

Nancy did an admirable job of rewriting the original book from a new point of view.  But in doing so, she doesn’t step out enough to get a good feel for her own writing ability.   Those who enjoy Jane Austin books, may very well enjoy this peek into Mr. Darcy’s thoughts and motives.    I never felt compelled to put the book away and move to another while reading it, on the other hand, I did not stay up until late into the night finishing the book either.   I think Jane Austin would have approved.


Note:  Jane Austin is sometimes difficult to follow, so this is not recommended for a younger reader.  It may be suitable as a read aloud for a parent to explain as it goes along.

Genre/Theme:   Romance, Classic Rewrite, Historical Fiction

Reading Level:  TEEN - upper elementary to middle school
Profanity:  LOW - few mildly offensive words – almost none
Sexuality: SUBTLE - hinted, but not explicit  -  marriages, arranged marriages, and the sister’s indiscretion running away with a soldier.
Other: No violence really, some may object to the roles of men and women as the book stayed true to this era

Alison Pensy - The Amulet

The Amulet
A Faedra Bennet Custodian Novel


By Alison Pensy



Kindle Edition Available


Product Description (from Amazon) 

To seventeen-year-old Faedra, faeries were nothing more than the figurines she collected and displayed in her curio cabinet. She was in for the surprise of her life.

Faedra had no idea that faeries controlled nature, and with a book no less. Nor did she know that her ancestors had protected an ancient fae amulet for thousands of years. An amulet that if ever was reunited with the book would give the wearer power to control the weather, too. She didn’t know all this because the one person to teach her died when she was just six years old. Well, now it was time for her to find out…

A letter from the grave reveals her true identity the day of her eighteenth birthday. But she barely has time to digest the revelation when she is plunged into a fight for her life and that of mankind.

The 2nd Custodian Novel, The Emerald Staff is now available on Kindle

About the Author (from Amazon)

Alison Pensy was born and raised in England. She grew up near a medieval city, which is where much of the inspiration for her books comes from. Moving to the States in 2001, she eventually settled near a small town in mid Missouri with her menagerie of animals. Alison also runs her own tax and accounting business, and started writing when she became so fed up with the real world, she decided to create her own. Please visit her blog at www.alisonpensy.blogspot.com. She loves to hear from her readers, so feel free to leave comments or ask questions.

O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Kendra


The description of this book intrigued me. I’ve always had an interest in fairies, and so I had my mom send it to my Kindle so that I could read it. When it got there, I pulled it up and started to read.

 First off, I loved the “once upon a time,” beginning. Now, I understand that many people find that sort of thing boring and uninteresting, but I love a good “once upon a time,” and this book did a really good one. And I loved Faedra’s name. Faedra … it’s so … fairy-like. And Bennet reminded me of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which happens to be the sort of romance story I like.

Also, I enjoyed how the “letter from the grave” worked out. I must admit, I had had my apprehensions, but, as it turned out, the letter was more of an, “emergency backup plan in case I die before my daughter turns 18” that the mother had already written before she had died. Or, at least, that’s how I understood it from the text, and, had I not read “letter from the grave” in the book description, I would have had no cause to suspect that the mother had written it after her death.

But the description could have warned me about the romance! The moment Faedra’s love interest appeared in his true form and his physical description was given … well, it was obvious that he would be her love interest. And it went way too fast, despite several comments that neither realized they were falling in love. On his end, it was believable … but hers …

And, I learned by reading the sneak peek chapter from book 2, it’s a forbidden romance. Personally, I believe forbidden romances are overdone and cliché. I had been hoping that the man would be as he was supposed to be, her guardian. Sort of a second father figure, or maybe an older brother.

But, no, he had to be a love interest.

I digress.

I liked his younger sister, however. She is probably my favorite character in the books, but I can’t tell you why, exactly. She’s spunky, and sort of a tease, sweet, yet strong at the same time.

Romance aside, let’s examine the plot.

The plot took a while to build up. There were tons of mysteries, such as why Faedra’s hands had started randomly heating up, and what those strange eyes were in the forest that spooked her horse, and what about the fairy-shaped birthmark on the back of her neck? The mysteries built up until her eighteenth birthday comes around and they are all explained.

Then she has a birthday party where she is attacked by some redcaps - troll-like creatures.

So she goes to the Fae world with her Guardian and his younger sister to tell the Fae king. Turns out an important magic book has been stolen and the three have to go rescue it, along with the king’s daughter who was also kidnapped.

If it weren’t for all the romance at this point, I would have completely loved it. It is fast paced, though completely logical, and full of twists and turns, some of which I did not see coming.

So, while this isn’t on my list of top ten best books I ever read, I did enjoy it, and will probably read its two sequels if I can get my hands on them.


Note: While I didn’t care for the romance, most teen girls would, so don’t listen to me there if you actually like romance.

Genre/Theme: fantasy, fairies, romance

Reading Level: TEEN - upper elementary to middle school
Profanity:  NONE - no offensive language as far as I can remember.
Sexuality:  SUBTLE - hinted, but not explicit (some kissing.) Rape is hinted at.
Other: There is a bunch of fighting, particularly fighting with magic.  There is some drinking at Faedra’s eighteenth birthday, and she gets somewhat tipsy.

Yvonne Anderson - Story in the Stars

Story in the Stars
Gateway to Gannah


By Yvonne Anderson



Kindle Edition Available 



Product Description (from Amazon) 

The inhabitants of the planet Gannah are known as bloodthirsty savages who once tried to conquer the galaxy. Now a plague has ravaged the planet and only one survivor remains, a young woman named Dassa. Pik, the doctor from the League of Planets assigned to her case, hates everything Gannahan and wishes every last one of its people had died. Bereft of everything she's ever known, Dassa clings to her God and the story he has written in the stars. He has given her an assignment: to return to Gannah and replenish it with a new race of people. But she must first overcome the prejudice of the entire galaxy and recruit her de facto enemy, Pik, to help her

About the Author (from Amazon)

Anderson writes fiction that takes you out of this world. Story in the Stars is the first in her Gateway to Gannah series.

Visit her Website



O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel


When we were contacted by the author to review her book, I jumped at the chance.  Christian Science Fiction is very rare, and even rarer is Christian Sci-Fi that is well done.
The comments on Amazon were encouraging, so I volunteered.  I certainly am glad that I did!

“Story in the Stars” gets off to a slow start; at least it did for me.   It took a while to get to know Dassa, and I never could quite get my initial image of Pik being human looking out of my head, probably from watching too much Star Trek.  This book did have the world feel of Star Trek – the technology was more primitive, the people groups were all different.  It had a taste of Federation.. but called it the League of Planets.

In the first part of the book, the action is occasionally somewhat jerky, Yvonne would make a short comment about changing location (from one ship to another for instance), and then back peddle the story or make some explanation, then slide back to the location without additional warning ... this left me flipping backwards in the story a few times to find the missing details.  They were always there, I just missed them.

Also, some of the conversations were somewhat flat, especially if the conversations drew out long and without any action – such as the investigation “courtroom” scenes.

But then Yvonne found her groove, and the story just really took off.  I finally figured out where the Christian part of the story was, and began to get a feel for her point of view there.  Bible stories wove in and out with delightful effect.   And, it was a stroke of genius that the most war-like race of people were the bringers of the Good News.  From a gospel standpoint, the story was amazing, and I didn’t feel like the Bible was endlessly quoted in order to add word count – it was part of the story – the story itself breathed the Gospel.  In fact, the book contained very little fluff filler.  Almost every part of every page either furthered the story or helped the reader understand their characters better.  Shaky start – but a solid finish.



Basic Plot (not in the order of the book’s telling)

Gannahan people are a peaceful race, but are attacked.  They defend themselves, since they live on a harsh planet, become “blood thirsty” and begin attacking and destroying other civilizations.  As they conquer, their King begins to notice that every planet has a Story in their Stars.  It leads him to Earth, where he makes a heart changing discovery.  Eager to share with his people and others, he returns home to find that the Karkar have created a plague that has wiped out the Nasi left to guard their planet, and the ships autopilot course has brought the ships home.  He has the ships sunk to avoid spreading the virus.

Years later, nearly a millennium,  the plague wipes out the entire planet – Dassa was on her final mission to become a Nasi, and arrives at the palace already full of extensive death, a call was made for help, by the time help arrives as the Karkar, Dr. Pik, with the antidote, Dassa is the only living soul left.  Only her husband is still alive, somewhere off planet.  But she never sees him again.  Dassa is the last Gannahan left – and apparently the only soul in the entire galaxy left willing to keep and believe the gospel.

Dassa goes to earth to become a teacher ... and years pass.

She feels Yeshua calling her back to her planet ... and she is to bring Dr. Pik with her.  Theirs is a strange relationship.  He is not full Karkar – and the only one of his race of mixed blood.  Yet, he feels strangely compelled and attracted to this female – the lone survivor of her race – a race that his planet has hated and wished dead for nearly a millennium.   How does he allow her to tug at his feelings like she does so often?   She is strange, amazing, and frightening, she knows nothing of correct society – he cannot understand her at all.  Hate and fascination and compassion war within him.  All she asks of him is his forgiveness – and his race never forgives anyone, ever.

Together, they travel across the galaxy in a tiny ship.  But what will they find when they reach Gannah?  Will they reach an understanding?  Can Dassa learn to love Pik with God’s forgiveness and love?  Can Pik learn to forgive and accept the truth of the Story in the Stars?

---

I finished the story at 2:30am, having been compelled to keep reading page after page as the slow and steady mystery of what had happened and why it had happened began to piece together.  My heart was impressed with the impact of the story – years ago, like Yvonne, I had been impressed by the Story in the Heavens.  I wanted to write a story, and had a few rough ideas, but no idea how to proceed.  There aren’t many Christian Science Fiction books, and most are so poorly written and overpriced, that they are not worth reading, so I was at a loss for the time and inspiration to follow through.  But here I found the things I had wanted to say and write – no, not the exact same story – but the heart and soul of the book – it echoed my thoughts and feelings.  I finished this book with a gigantic grin on my face.   How inspiring!

What a story of love, and forgiveness, of sacrifice and redemption, and grace and obedience. What a beautiful picture of God’s story this book painted.  I was most pleased by the author’s closing comments.  It has been a great struggle today, to not go ahead and pick up the second book.

This book and the world of Gannah, does perhaps have a chance to become very popular among our youth and young adults of today’s churches.   This is one of the best written Christian Fiction books that I have read in many years.  Not to say that I’ve read very many lately, but very few were able to pull off a story that glorifies God while still compelling the reader to continue to turn pages, preaching through the actions and not sermons or pages of scripture.  There is too much God in the story to please many secular readers, but even this attitude, shutting God away and trying to dispose of Him, is addressed.  Still, the story is quite compelling enough to draw in a curious reader, and many will very much enjoy the book in spite of the Godly message.  This book is very much on par with the average published secular science fiction.  I very much enjoyed the world of Gannah!

O.Scarlett! guest REVIEW by V. Kathie (age 14)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I started reading it to find out why my mom was enjoying it so much. I was enthralled, it had a rather rocky beginning that did not totally make sense but after I got to about the third chapter I was hooked. In my opinion this is twice as good as Star Trek. Same feel but different. When I met Pik the first thought that came to mind was “Oh look, she took Spock’s mannerisms and Dr. McCoy’s career and stuck them together in one character.” I am a huge Star Trek fan, the only thing I have against Star Trek it is its evolution. And this book practically eliminated it. Yes the Captain, and Pik brought evolution up but it never was presented as truth. For me this book had the perfect amount of gore, romance, creation, science, medicine, and spaceships to keep me happy throughout the book. I believe if this book was ever discovered in Christen circles it will become a best seller. I could not put it down till I was done with the entire thing.
I especially enjoyed the fact that she taught Hebrew in the course of the book.



Note:  Depending on a child’s ability to handle violence, this book could be enjoyed by most Jr. High students, and a few in upper elementary.  Violence is not the theme of the book, but is “extreme” (not graphic) on the rare occasions that it occurs.

Genre/Theme:  Science Fiction, Romance, Christian, Survival
Reading Level:  Mature TEEN - high school to college  (ages 12 and up)
Profanity:  MODERATE - mild words & a few stronger expletives  -  most of the words were “modernized” but were  spoken by rough characters and pirates during the travels.
Sexuality:  SUBTLE - hinted, but not explicit  -  Extremely rare, one mention of porn early on viewed on the doctors computer ... this was not the theme of the book, and it was a very modest and good taste when it occurred ... with the exception of the pirates threats – what they would do with Dassa and the other women.
Other: Dassa comes from an extremely violent race – due to the extreme danger of her home planet.  There are descriptions of death and dying from disease. Dassa kills two pirates with her bare hands, removing a windpipe of one and later destroys a dozen dog like creatures.  Descriptions are brief and not overly graphic, but they are rather horrific.   The book also includes descriptions of Dassa’s people conquering the galaxy while being “blood drunk”. 

Arlene Radasky - The Fox

The Fox
By Arlene Radasky

Kindle Version Available 



Product Description
Dramatic in all the right ways, The Fox by new author Arlene Radasky does for bog bodies and Druids what no author in time has ever done; she celebrates ancient history, endless romance and undying love. Brilliant and utterly breathtaking, Radasky’s is a powerful new voice in romance, fantasy, and historical fiction. Bravo!

The Romans’ path of destruction jeopardizes a Caledonian clan unless they are able to strike a bargain with the Gods, which ultimately means a human sacrifice. Jahna is a member of this first century tribe. She has the power to merge minds, which she chooses to do with a twenty-first century woman, Aine MacRae and her contemporary, a young man Lovern, to whom she was hand-fasted in her time and of whom she shared a child, in order to save her people. In the name of the gods, Lovern was killed. Druids place his body in the sacred Black Lake, but through a visit from his ghost, Jahna sends their child away thus securing their bloodline. In the midst of madness, Jahna lives just long enough to reveal to Aine, her grief. Two thousand years later, in the year 2005, Aine is hoping to reestablish her career as an archaeologist and assists in the excavation in the Highlands of Scotland of a first century Caledonian chieftain’s tomb with fellow archaeologist, Marc Hunt. As the fates align, Jahna, guides Aine to one bronze bowl, then another, and when she is led by a ghost, Aine uncovers a two thousand year old man encased in a bog. As the circle goes unbroken, a heart’s chains are loosened and it is understood that Aine and Marc are able to rediscover their past love.

About the Author
A scholar of ancient history, Arlene Radasky is fortunate to have walked upon each of the seven continents on the earth. For the past two decades she has worked with a number of nonprofit organizations including the American Red Cross and Hospice of Santa Barbara. She currently lives in California and is a proud mother and grandmother. This is her first novel.


O.Scarlett! REVIEW by Rachel

I’m not actually sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book, a short fun children’s book, maybe?  Especially considering how cute the little fox is on the cover.  But fairly early in the book, you realize that the fox represents Lovern, and the border is the clan colors.

There are many areas of history that I find fascinating, and anything concerning the Roman Empire will usually catch my eye.  An added bonus was that this was also about Scotland and archeology.

The book is written in first person – usually from Jahna’s viewpoint, but quite at least a third of the book is written from Aine’s point of view, and a few places are from Lovern’s.  This may sound confusing, but the author was careful to label who was speaking first  person, and the date.  The book begins with Jahna in 72AD October.  She is serving her uncle in his home, not as a servant, but with her mother and because her uncle’s wife is dead.  She is 16, and despite trying to avoid her uncle’s glance – she is brought forward to be assigned a husband – one she has no love for the boy or his work.  She is devastated, but determines to be a good mate during the year of handfasting.  The boy is no more pleased than she, as his heart was set on another girl.  But such is the way of the clan.

Jahna is telling her life story – to Aine – through dreams that pass through time.  Aine lives in modern day London and is an archeologist.  She and Jahna have been dreaming together since their childhood.  Jahna also dreams of a boy, who takes a fox as his name sign.

While the book gets off to a slightly shaky start, as it was difficult for me to get a feel for what was going on right away, by the time I finished the first two chapters, I was completely intrigued – and I couldn’t wait for Aine to unearth the bog man ... which I expected to happen fairly early in the book.  Chapter after chapter sped by with discoveries of bones, bowls, ashes, homes, and so much more ... but no bog man.  I felt keen disappointed when he finally showed up in the story.  (This based on the product description from Amazon.)

Because of the first person nature of the book, I was really able to get to know the two main girl characters.  They are strong and determined, and I found myself hoping that their stories would have good endings.   Most of the important characters were well developed.  I’ve got a great imagination, and the pictures were so plainly painted with the authors descriptions, that you could almost smell the peat moss burning, and feel the cold of winter.  This was a story that drew me and kept me so involved with the life and love of the characters, that many times, I found hours had gone by without my noticing.

BASIC PLOT

This is such an amazing book with so many twists and turns and unexpected discoveries and surprises.  Unimportant comments that make the reader shake their head in early chapters, hold vital clues later in the book.  This basic plot holds so little of the story, and none of the magic that takes you back into time, to experience the magic, the book must be read in it's entirety.

Jahna is planned to be handfasted to one of the boys of the tribe, she is 16.  A big winter ceremony is being planned, and her handfasting, and others, will be officiated at the event.  That night her uncle brings home a nearly starved druid.  She knows him.  He is the boy that she has had passage dreams about and with.   He knows her, the gods have sent him here to marry her.  Lovern convinces the uncle to handfast the boy to another girl, and save Jahna for him.

Eventually the two marry, but they don’t have a child, in spite of the dreams that Jahna has of a girl child.  They live with Jahna’s mother, who is increasingly ill with a cough that torments many of the tribe – a side effect of burning the peat moss in too closed in of an area.  Johna becomes Lovern’s assistant and begins to learn about healing and helping her tribe.

The Romans are an ever increasing threat to their lives.  Traders cease to come, rumors abound.  During a trip when Lovern is gathering supplies, Jahna goes to gather herbs, and a man shoots an arrow through her leg, brings her back to his camp, and rapes her repeatedly.  He has no plans to keep her alive when he is ready to travel again, so he doesn’t feed her much, not that she is hungry, as her leg is getting infected.  She is rescued, but feels great shame and will not go to Lovern when he returns until they have performed a ritual and sacrifice with a white stag.  She is finally pregnant with a girl child – Jahna’s mother dies soon after she is told this news.

Life goes on, but when the clans join for information and trade, the druids single out Lovern for a spying mission into the heart of the Roman camp.  When he returns, the druids demand a return to their old ways and a human sacrifice – a willing one, in hopes of appeasing the gods and saving their way of life and the life of his daughter.  Will his sacrifice be enough to save them all?

While the story of Jahna and Lovern is unfolding in the past, tossed in and out of the chapters, is Aine’s story.  She is an archeologist, and recently has escaped an abusive marriage.  She’s trying to get her feet under her again, and make up for the time she lost in her marriage.  She joins an old friend, Marc, on one of his digs, and through a dream, Jahna shows her a copper bowl.  This bowl will be one of the more important finds of that dig and will show up much later in the book in Jahna’s story.

Later, while exploring the countryside, Aine has a deep conviction that she needs to dig the area.  She is convinced that their is much to find here.  But the odds are against her, she has very little money, and the farmer’s son wants to sell the family land to a hotel chain.  When Aine tells Marc about her dreams, he thinks she is crazy – but chooses to help her out for a short time anyway.   The clock is ticking, her money is running out fast, so when a tunnel collapses on top of Aine, trapping her inside, will she be able to hold onto her dream?   Will she be able to piece together the story that Jahna is trying so hard to tell to her?


The reader is taken on a heart wrenching epic tale.  Because the story is unfolding from the past and the present simultaneously, the reader has a unique insight into the archeological finds, gaining knowledge that the modern archeologists will not posses.   It is a story that allows the reader to connect the dots for themselves.  Just enough adventure to keep the reader involved, just enough romance to stir the heart, just enough danger to keep your palms sweaty, and just enough mystery to keep you guessing until the very end.  This was a lengthy read of well over 400 pages, but rarely did the story slow or lag to make me very aware of the length – and usually this was during Aine’s parts of the book.

I found it very difficult to pull myself back into the present once I reached the end of the book.  For days afterwards, I wanted to pick it up and read more, but the book had ended.   It wasn’t a rosy and happy book – but perhaps, it showed a good picture of what life was like for the people who were being conquered by the Roman Invasion.


Spiritual Content:
Jahna and Lovern are the spiritual leaders of their tribe.  There is a great deal of religious explanation, and ritual.  They talk directly to the gods in their dreams.  Jahna can see people on the other side of death, and helps the dying cross over.  Blood sacrifices are performed often.


Note:   Most of this book would be a fascinating conjecture of the life of the people living in Scotland around 80AD, even for readers as young as 12, but there are 4 areas where the book dips into the Mature reads – there are several love scenes between both couples, Aine and Marc, and Jahna and  Lovern.  In one full chapter, Jahna is captured, raped, and starved.  The rescue is quite bloody.  Lovern is sacrificed.  Parents should read this book before allowing a younger child to read it, to see if it is more than they want their child exposed to.

Genre/Theme:  Historical Fiction, Romance, First Century, Roman Invasion of Scotland, Archeology

Reading Level:  Mature TEEN - high school to college  - due to graphic nature of a capture and rape in one chapter, also blatant but short descriptions of sex between characters
Profanity: LOW - few mildly offensive words  -  there were a few words I found offensive, but others may not be offended by them.  Usually the offensive language was in the modern time.  Including using the name God.
Sexuality: OBVIOUS - blatant sexuality in text, but not explicit  - descriptions of body parts and reactions to them.  Most of the details are spared the reader.   ....  The sexuality during the rape chapter is far more blatant and offensive.
Other: human sacrifice, eating meat raw and bloody, rape, war and fighting, slavery, abusive marriage