Christ's Bridge: CSFF Blog Tour

Showing posts with label CSFF Blog Tour. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

The Shock of Night by Patrick W. Carr (Book Review!)

The Shock of Night (The Darkwater Saga, Book 1)

by Patrick W. Carr

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Fiction / Fantasy / General

Publisher- Bethany House

Copyrighted- 2015

Number of Pages- 462

Age Group- Adult

Description of Book- paperback, $15.99, ISBN: 978-0-7642-1346-5

One man is murdered and another mortally wounded.

Willet Dura, reeve to the king of Bunard, must investigate. When he arrives, the mortally wounded man, a priest, touches him, screams in a foreign language, then dies. Willet must investigate? More people die and Willet has no idea what is happening in his town. After the priest’s death, Willet finds that when he touches people he can see into their thoughts. This is a gift he’s not supposed to have. It puts him in danger more than ever before.

Will he find the murderer? Who are the people who are trying to take him for their own?

About the Author- Patrick W. Carr currently lives with his wife and children in Nashville. He has been a high school math teacher, draftsman, and more. He was born during the height of the Cold War tensions on an Air Force Base in West Germany.

My Thoughts- I thought this was a long, but good book. It dragged sometimes, but I stuck with it and I was really glad.

I thought this was a good book for men. I am glad that there are good books out there for men. So many times it seems as if there are not very many good books for men.

Willet Dura was a good man. He has done a lot of things he shouldn’t have. He’s been to the Darkwater Forest and has been given a gift, that many would like to have, but he can’t give back. All of those experiences make him a complex character.

My favorite character was Bolt, because he was loyal to Dura, but also loyal to the Vigil (the group of people who want the gift). Gareth was another character I liked, because he too, was loyal to Dura.

This book ended on a cliff hanger, Dura needs to find a way to break his engagement. Now, I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

I recommend this book!

Informational and Purchasing Links-

The Shock Of Night - http://www.amazon.com/Shock-Night-Darkwater-Saga/dp/0764213466/

Author Website - http://www.patrickwcarr.com/

Participants’ links:

Thomas Clayton Booher Keanan Brand Beckie Burnham Carol Bruce Collett Carol Gehringer Victor Gentile Rebekah Gyger Bruce Hennigan Janeen Ippolito Carol Keen Rebekah Loper Jennette Mbewe Shannon McDermott Meagan @ Blooming with Books Rebecca LuElla Miller Joan Nienhuis Nissa Audrey Sauble Chawna Schroeder Jessica Thomas Robert Treskillard Shane Werlinger Phyllis Wheeler Nicole White

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of The Shock of Night, by Patrick W. Carr, to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of CSFF Blog Tour. All links were current when posted.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

The Fatal Tree by Stephen R. Lawhead (book review)

The Fatal Tree (A Bright Empires Novel, Book 5)

by Stephen R. Lawhead

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Fiction / Fantasy / General

Publisher- Thomas Nelson

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of Pages- 356

Age Group- Adult

Description of Book- Hardback, $26.99, ISBN: 978-1-59554-808-5

The Fatal Tree, by Stephen R. Lawhead, is the final book in The Bright Empires Series. There are some weird wrinkles in time all over the earth, that nobody can ignore. Kit, Cass, and Mina are trying to come together to solve the problem at the Spirit Well. They are having a hard time getting to the right time and place. They are unable to get to the Spirit Well, because there is a very dangerous yew tree growing over the portal.

Will they be able to save the world? Will their nemesis, Lord Burleigh be able to help them?

About the Author- Stephen R. Lawhead currently lives in England with his wife. He is the author of The King Raven Trilogy, The Song of Albion Trilogy, and The Dragon King Trilogy.

My Thoughts- The end of a series. I have enjoyed reading the Bright Empires Series. The fourth book, The Shadow Lamp, was very interesting and this one, The Fatal Tree, was excellent.

I really enjoyed having the list of characters and their descriptions. It would have helped me if the people had been organized by their relationships or importance in the series. I would have liked a complete table of contents, because there were a couple of chapters titles I could not read. I also wanted to know what the titles were, because I wanted to go back and look some information up, I had to flip through the book to find it.

Now that I got all of the technical items out of the way, I can discuss my favorite parts. My favorite character in this book was Lord Burleigh. He was the antagonist throughout the series, but he changed thanks to the effort of Engelbert Stiffelbeam, the man he assaulted. It was while Burleigh was in jail that Etzel, Engelbert, visited him once a week to bring him food. Etzel was being a wonderful Christian, he was drawing people to Christ through his actions, not his words or lack there of. I personally feel that is one of the best ways to draw people to Christ. I thought all of the other characters were well developed, but they did not come close to Lord Burleigh and Etzel.

Since I had read the other books in the series, I knew the plot, what the ley lines were, and who the characters were, but I do not think this book would be hard to follow if you were new to the series. You may want to start at the beginning though to get the whole story.

This is an excellent book and I recommend it to all. The book, Hood, from the King Raven series, looks interesting. I was able to read a short excerpt in the back of The Fatal Tree. I will be reading it soon.

Informational and Purchasing Links-

The Fatal Tree - http://www.amazon.com/The-Fatal-Tree-Bright-Empires/dp/1595548084/

Author Website - http://www.stephenlawhead.com/

Author Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephen-R-Lawhead/84503526872

My review for The Shadow Lamp- http://www.christsbridge.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-shadow-lamp-by-stephen-r-lawhead.html

Participants’ links:

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of The Fatal Tree, by Stephen R. Lawhead to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of CSFF Blog Tour. All links were current when posted.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

The Warden and the Wolf King (Book Four of The Wingfeather Saga) by Andrew Peterson

The Warden and the Wolf King

(Book Four of The Wingfeather Saga)

by Andrew Peterson

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Fiction / Fantasy / Young Adult

Publisher- Rabbit Room Press

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of pages- 524

Age Group- Young Adult

Description of book- hardback, $22.99, ISBN: 978-0-9889632-5-2

In the final book, The Warden and the King, of The Wingfeather Saga, by Andrew Peterson, the Jewels of Anniera are hard at work trying to save the people of Ban Rona. The Jewels are Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli, children who are the heirs to the crown. Janner is the Throne Warden, Kalmar the King, and Leeli is the Song Maiden.

Life is very difficult for them and the people they are with. Gnag the Nameless and the Fangs of Dang are about to attack and they now have Bat Fangs.

Unexpected help will come for Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli in the form of other children and the sea dragons and more. Will their help be enough to save the people from being Fangs.

About the Author: Andrew Peterson currently lives in Nashville with his wife and children. He has written On the Edge of the the Dark Sea of Darkness, North! Or Be Eaten, and The Monster in the Hollows. He is also a singer and songwriter.

My thoughts: The Warden and the Wolf King, by Andrew Peterson was an excellent ending to the exciting Wingfeather Saga. I had not heard of or read any of the other books, before I signed up to review this book. As soon as I knew I was going to be reviewing this book I checked out the other books in the series from my local library. While it is not necessary to read the other books before you read this one, I would recommend it. There are references to things that happened in the other books, so it would be good to know what could be missed.

I do wish that Peterson had put a synopsis of the other books at the beginning of this one. I needed a reminder of what all the important characters had been doing up to the beginning of this book.

I enjoyed reading more about Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli. I was impressed with all that they accomplished even though they were young children. If I was Leeli’s age I don’t think I could stay up all night playing music to keep everybody’s spirits up while they were fighting the Fangs and Bat Fangs. Kalmar had a lot of courage, because he was still determined to be the king even though he had been turned into a Fang. I was proudest though of Janner, because he really became determined to become the Throne Warden and take care of Janner. You will have to read the book to see what I mean, I do not want to spoil anything.

I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of this book.

Informational and Purchasing Links:

The Warden and the Wolf King - http://www.amazon.com/Warden-Wolf-King-Wingfeather-Saga/dp/0988963256/
Author Website - http://www.andrewpeterson.com/books/

Participants’ links:

Keanan Brand Beckie Burnham Pauline Creeden Vicky DealSharingAunt Carol Gehringer Victor Gentile Ryan Heart Bruce Hennigan Jason Joyner Carol Keen Krystine Kercher Shannon McDermott Meagan @ Blooming with Books Rebecca LuElla Miller Nissa Nathan Reimer Chawna Schroeder Jojo Sutis Rachel Starr Thomson Shane Werlinger Phyllis Wheeler

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of The Warden and the Wolf King, by Andrew Peterson, to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of CSFF Blog Tour. All links were current when posted.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Dreamtreaders by Wayne Thomas Batson (Review)

Dreamtreaders

by Wayne Thomas Batson

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Juvenile / Action & Adventure / General

Publisher- Thomas Nelson

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of pages- 296

Age Group- Older Juvenile

Description of book- Paperback, $9.99, ISBN: 978-1-4003-2366-1

Wayne Thomas Batson has written another interesting book. Archer Keaton is only fourteen, but he is only one of three people in the world who is a dreamtreader. His job is to protect people from the Nightmare Lord. The Nightmare Lord gives people all over the world bad dreams. Life is not going so well for him in the real world or in the dream world. His friends are spending time with the new guy and he cannot find the other dreamtreaders.

What will he do?

My thoughts:

I thought this book was interesting, because Archer was only fourteen and was one of only three people who was designated to protect the earth from the Nightmare Lord. I do not think I would have had a young teen to help protect the world. They just are not developed enough mentally. It shows too, because he does not know everything he needs to and the end of the book shows that.

I thought Thomas Batson did a good job of character development and plot. I felt like I was there with Archer each step of the way. My favorite part of the book was on pages 49 and 50 when Master Gabriel and Archer were discussing anchors. Master Gabriel said that we all need anchors in our lives. If we don’t have anchors we drift from the truth. And our world is drifting from our anchors.

The thoughts in this book are very important for all of us, especially the younger generation. This is certainly a book they should read. Please find a copy for them today.

Informational and Purchasing Links:

Dreamtreaders - http://www.amazon.com/Dreamtreaders-Wayne-Thomas-Batson/dp/1400323665/
Author Website - http://www.enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com/

Participants’ links:

Beckie Burnham Jeff Chapman Pauline Creeden Vicky DealSharingAunt Carol Gehringer Victor Gentile Rebekah Gyger Christopher Hopper Jason Joyner Carol Keen Jennette Mbewe Shannon McDermott Meagan @ Blooming with Books Rebecca LuElla Miller Nissa Nathan Reimer Chawna Schroeder Jojo Sutis Steve Trower Shane Werlinger Phyllis Wheeler

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of Dreamtreaders, by Wayne Thomas Batson, to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of CSFF Blog Tour. All links were current when posted.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Numb by John W. Otte (Review)

Numb

by John W. Otte

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Science Fiction

Publisher- Marcher Lord Press

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 404

Age Group- Older Teen and Adult

Description of book- Paperback, $15.99, ISBN: 978-1-935929-99-4

Isolda Westin is Crusader’s latest target and he is an assassin for the Ministrix. He is unable to feel emotion or pain, which makes him the best person for the job. Something changes for him from the first moment he sees her photo, he experiences panic. He realizes as soon as he sees Isolda that he will never be able to kill her. He does not know what to do, so he befriends her.

Will he be able to keep her safe from Ministrix’s other assassins? Will they be able to learn why it is so important that Isolda should be killed?

My thoughts:

When I first began reading Numb, by John W. Otte, I was not sure what to think. I thought I was not going to like it, but the more I read the book, the more I liked it. I was sad when I finished the book. I was really caught up in the lives of the characters. I hope there are more books written with Crusader, Isolda, and the others.

I thought it was interesting that there were different types of religious groups who thought they were right and everybody else was wrong. There were the Ministrix, Praesidium, and the people who lived at the Catacombs. I saw a lot of similarities to religious groups of our world. It was a revelation to me as how a group can always think that they are right and the best.

I think that many people would enjoy reading Numb. It is not a book that only science fiction readers would enjoy. Please pick up a copy today.

Informational and Purchasing Links:

Numb - http://www.amazon.com/Numb-John-W-Otte/dp/1935929992/
Author Website - http://johnwotte.com/

Participants’ links:

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of Numb, by John W. Otte, to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of CSFF Blog Tour. All links were current when posted.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

A Draw of Kings by Patrick Carr (Review)

A Draw of Kings (Book 3 of The Staff and the Sword Series)

by Patrick W. Carr

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Fantasy

Publisher- Bethany House

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of pages- 464

Age Group- Older Teen and Adult

Description of book- Paperback, $14.99, ISBN: 978-0-7642-1045-7

In the last book, A Draw of Kings, in The Staff and the Sword series, by Patrick Carr, the battle between good and evil has truly begun.

The king has passed away and now Duke Weir is acting ruler. He plans to marry Adora. Errol and the others have different plans, there is one big problem. They have been imprisoned by the Duke.

There is still no rightful heir, the country of Illustra is on the verge of a civil war, and the barrier has fallen. What will happen to Illustra and its citizens? Will Errol be freed? Who will become king?

My thoughts:

I am always sad when a good series comes to an end. I really enjoyed A Draw of Kings, by Patrick W. Carr, the last book in The Staff and the Sword series.

There were so many twists and turns. I was not sure who was going to win or who was going to be the new king. I could not make up my mind whether to root for Errol or Liam. They were both people who would have made a good king. I must say though, I was very surprised by the ending.

The one thing I would change about this book is that there was no description of the previous books, A Cast of Stones and The Hero’s Lot. I always like to catch up when I begin the next book in the series.

I highly recommend A Draw of Kings to all older teens and adults. Please buy a copy today and tell your local library if you like the book.

Informational and Purchasing Links:

A Draw of Kings - http://www.amazon.com/Draw-Kings-Staff-Sword-Patrick/dp/0764210459/

Author Website - http://patrickwcarr.com/

Participants’ links:

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of A Draw of Kings, by Patrick W. Carr, to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of CSFF Blog Tour. All links were current when posted.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

One Realm Beyond by Donita K. Paul (Review)

One Realm Beyond (Book One of the Realm Walkers)

by Donita K. Paul

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Teen Fiction

Publisher- Zondervan

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of Pages- 416

Age Group- Young Adult and Adult

Description of Book- paperback, $12.99, ISBN: 978-0-310-73580-9

In One Realm Beyond, by Donita K. Paul, Cantor D’Ahma is ready to become a realm walker. He leaves his mentor and goes through the portal to the realm where he will find the dragon who will help him on his adventures.

A mor dragon named Bridger finds Cantor and is determined to stay with him. Cantor wants to find a different dragon. They find that the realm is unlike what his mentor taught him. It is a lot more dangerous and most of the Walkers Guild had become corrupt.

He makes friends with Bixby and Dukmee, but will they be able to help Cantor? Are they to be trusted?

About the Author- Donita K. Paul currently lives in Colorado. She is a former teacher and has won multiple awards.

My Thoughts- One Realm Beyond, by Donita K. Paul, was an awesome book! I could not stop reading it. The dialogue were very well done. I was able to laugh and cry with them. With the seriousness of their various situations, it was great to have a comedian like Bridger.

Bridger was not only an extremely talented shape shifting mor dragon, but he was very funny. He would use his humor to diffuse situations and draw people to him, especially Cantor. Cantor did not want Bridger as his constant.

Paul did a wonderful job of including the idea of God and the spiritual world as C.S. Lewis and Chuck Black did in their series. There were many times that I would come across phrases about character and strength that really struck me. They made me want to be stronger in the Lord, read His word, and be more like Him. Paul has written a book which will be a classic for many generations. The Lord has blessed her with a gift that she has fortunately shared with us, the readers.

I highly recommend that both teens and adults read One Realm Beyond, Book One in the Realm Walkers. You won’t be disappointed.

Informational and Purchasing Links-

One Realm Beyond - http://www.amazon.com/One-Realm-Beyond-Walkers/dp/0310735807/
Author Website - http://www.donitakpaul.com/

Participants’ links:

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of One Realm Beyond, by Donita K. Paul, to review from Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour and Zondervan. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of CSFF Blog Tour. All links were current when posted.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Outcasts by Jill Williamson (Review)

Outcasts (Book Two of the Safe Lands Series)

by Jill Williamson

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Juvenile Fiction / General

Publisher- Blink (Zondervan)

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of Pages- 416

Age Group- Young Adult and Adult

Description of Book- paperback, $9.99, ISBN: 978-0-310-72424-7

In Outcasts, by Jill Williamson, things are coming to a head. Everybody has their own agenda and they think they’re. This book focuses less on Mason and more on his brother, Omar, and their friend, Shaylinn. They are younger than everyone else and they want to show that they can help everyone too. Levi and Jordan disagree with them and everyone else. They just want to save the rest of the Glenrock people from the government, then leave the area.

What is going to happen? Will Omar and Shaylinn have a say in what happens?

About the Author- Jill Williamson currently lives in Oregon with her husband and children. She has written other books and has won the 2010 Christy Award and the Epic Award for By Darkness Hid.

My Thoughts- Outcasts, by Jill Williamson, was a book I would usually begin reading and then put down and not finish. It wouldn’t be because it wasn’t well written. It would be because of the subject matter.

There were two people who really stood out to me, Shaylinn and Omar. They were both young adults and were facing some tough situations, but their spiritual gifts began to shine through. Shaylinn had the gifts of writing and encouragement. She used those gifts to write notes to different people in the Safe Lands. She gave some of those notes to Omar and they helped him. He had also been sending messages, it was to the general public via the ColorCast. I was impressed that the youngest people in the group who were the ones trying to make a positive impact.

I enjoyed all the references to God and faith. It showed me how important they are and how I can apply my faith in my life. I highly recommend Outcasts.

Informational and Purchasing Links-

Outcasts - http://www.amazon.com/Outcasts-Safe-Lands-Jill-Williamson/dp/0310724244/
Author’s Website - http://www.jillwilliamson.com/

Participants’ links:

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of Outcasts, by Jill Williamson, to review from Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour and Blink (Zondervan). I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of CSFF Blog Tour. All links were current when posted.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Merlin’s Shadow by Robert Treskillard (Review)

Merlin’s Shadow (Merlin Spiral Series, Book 2)

by Robert Treskillard

(I received this book for review purposes.)

Genre- Juvenile Fiction / General

Publisher- Blink (Zondervan)

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of Pages- 432

Age Group- Young Adult and Adult

Description of Book- paperback, $9.99, ISBN: 978-0-310-73508-3

In Merlin’s Shadow, by Robert Treskillard, Merlin is on the run with his friends and young Arthur.

Merlin has a lot of trouble as he travels north. He is trying to keep away from Vortigern . Merlin’s sister, Ganieda, is also trying, with her Druid skills, to keep them from succeeding. The further north they go the more trouble they seem to have. Merlin discovers they need to sail to the far north to get rid of an ancient evil.

Will they succeed? Will Vortigern or Ganieda stop them?

About the Author- Robert Treskillard currently lives in Missouri with his wife and youngest child. He has a BA in Biblical; Theological Studies.

My thoughts- I thought Merlin’s Shadow, by Robert Treskillard, was an exciting book. I have enjoyed reading and studying about the myth and truth surrounding Merlin and King Arthur for years. I liked the subject so much I even made a class for it when I was in school.

Treskillard has done a wonderful job of weaving fantasy with reality. This was a book I could read over and over again. I am sure I could learn something new each time.

One of the most important parts for me was the Christian strength Merlin provided for his group. He learned how important faith and hope was. He was beginning to learn about God and how He relates to us.

There is a lot of magic in this book, because of Merlin’s sister, Ganieda, who is a Druid. You will have to decide if you want to read it, because of that reason. I highly recommend it though. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

Informational and Purchasing Links-

Merlin’s Shadow - http://www.amazon.com/Merlins-Shadow-Merlin-Spiral-Treskillard/dp/0310735084/

Author Website - http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php

Participants’ links:

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of Merlin’s Shadow, by Robert Treskillard, to review from Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour and Blink (Zondervan). I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of CSFF Blog Tour. All links were current when posted.