Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: Visited by Janine Caldwell

August 19, 2013Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18Aliens, Janine Caldwell, Visited, WishesKasey

Visited
Janine Caldwell
CreateSpace
Published May 23, 2013

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Seventeen-year-old Joanna Murphy is all set to being a glorious senior year, one that will climax with the realization of her dream vacation: a backpacking trip through Europe with her mom. That is, until Mom and step-dad Stan drop the baby bombshell. Joanna rages at her mother’s starry-eyed ignorance, crushed that the trip is now canceled and her senior year will now be all about the new baby. Stan has already crowded the quiet home, and once the new baby arrives, how much time will Mom have left for Joanna?

Retreating to her special place, Joanna climbs out to the rooftop of the two-story desert home, wishing her life were different. When a falling star changes course and bolts directly toward her, Joanna loses her balance and tumbles down the rooftop. She wakes in the hospital, miraculously alive and unhurt, but her life doesn’t seem spared any damage. Mom greets her, but there’s no Stan, no pregnancy, and never was as far as Joanna can tell. What does this mean?

As Joanna flounders, trying desperately to understand why things are suddenly different than she remembers before the fall, a mysterious boy approaches her with an important clue: he rescued her after the fall and healed her body.

To sci-fi geek Joanna, this is the best news ever! It wasn’t a shooting star she saw, but instead an alien. How awesome is that? Her very own visitor from outer space. Her new friend, who calls himself James, warns Joanna that he has been sent to earth on an important mission, one which will be opposed by a dangerous enemy. Joanna promises to keep James’s mission and his true nature a secret, but she can scarcely contain her excitement.

As senior year begins, Joanna continues to find pieces of her life missing or out of place. No more volleyball? Ouch. And she has the boyfriend of her dreams?! Awesome! Only, why is that not as easy as it once seemed it would be?

A determined Joanna wrestles to understand and accept this new life, but the changes continue to spiral around her. Her mother plunges into depression borne out of her loneliness, and Joanna realizes maybe she’d been selfish to resent Stan’s presence in her life so much. But how can she return her life to the state it was before?

Finally, Joanna confesses her feelings to James and he reveals the truth of his mission to her. It is a truth Joanna never expected to encounter, and one which changes everything.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild and infrequent.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content (Spoiler Alert)
James has a mission to save Joanna. A sci-fi fan and subscriber to the hope that life exists on other planets, Joanna believes he is an alien who has come to visit earth. She discovers he has been sent not by aliens but by God to inform her of his existence and convince her of the benevolence of his plan for her life.

Violence
James and his enemy engage in some sort of battle which mostly happens off-scene. No graphic details.

Drug Content
Joanna discovers several empty wine bottles and a bottle of pills left behind by her mother. Mom appears intoxicated and in need of medical attention.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Finding Angel by Kat Heckenbach

August 12, 2013Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18Finding Angel, Kat Heckenbach, Toch IslandKasey

Finding Angel
Kat Heckenbach
Splashdown Books
Published August 28, 2011

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Angel Mason can’t remember anything about her life before she was about seven years old. Fractured memories linger: a terrible forest fire and a cruel man. She remembers nothing about her parents or where she belongs.

She has grown up in a loving foster family, but an inexplicable longing refuses to leave her alone. If only magic were real. She tries to dismiss the idea as silly, and the result of reading too many fantasy novels. When a mysterious boy turns out to be more than he seems, Angel must choose between her life with the Masons and her forgotten past.

As Angel dives into her new world, she begins to recover more pieces of memory. If she continues to push for the pieces, perhaps she will discover the memory she wants most of all: to see her mother’s face.

But Dawric, the villain who took all that away from Angel lurks out there somewhere, and a prophecy foretells he will return to finish Angel once and for all. Hidden in her homeland, Angel learns more about her past and the magic she possesses. Will she learn to use her Talent in time to stop Dawric from destroying all she holds dear?

Angel’s curiosity and love for others is endearing as is her cousin Gregor’s bravery and protectiveness. Heckenbach creates a magical story in her enchanting world of Toch Island, a place veiled by magic so that only those with magical ability can find it. Finding Angel is filled with noble virtue and memorable characters both human and animal. While the climax may stretch the reader’s willing suspension of belief, (even the hero calls out the villain on his conflicting arguments) the story’s true power is in its virtue: honor and justice.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Brief scenes in which animals are harmed. Few graphic details. A man is swallowed by fire and earth.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Chronicles of the Dragon Pirate by David Talon

August 8, 2013Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18Chronicles of the Dragon Pirate, David Talon, Dragons, PiratesKasey

Chronicles of the Dragon Pirate
David Talon
Mill City Press, Inc.
Published May 8, 2013

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As a powerful Dragon, young Tomas Rios has always known he would be sought after by pirates and pirate-hunters, not to mention vile Shadowmen. His Dragon abilities allow him to command and give strength to ghosts of a race from the past, settlers of the city Atlantis. His abilities also allow him to heal others, so Tomas lives a quiet life in his grandfather’s apothecary shoppe.

When an illness strains the relationship between a local tribe and the powerful order Draco Dominus, Tomas is called in to heal the afflicted. But as the negotiations go awry, Tomas must flee for his life and freedom. He accepts passage aboard a merchant vessel which is captured by pirates.

Sworn to serve the captain and promised to a member of the crew, Tomas struggles to win the trust of the crew and learn to survive in their midst. A dark enemy sets his sights on Tomas as well. Shadowmen, eaters of human flesh, seek Tomas for the strength of his gifts. An uneasy truce may lie between them, but how long can such a deal last between men such as these?

In a novel which blends fantasy with history, readers meet pirates on adventure in the high seas, hear tales of Sir Francis Drake, a Dragon himself in this telling, and glimpse the struggle between the Catholic church and Huguenots. Rather than large scaly lizards, Dragons are simply men (or women) who can bond with ghosts of the former settlers of Atlantis, who appear to have something of a more typical dragon-like form. These ghosts can animate objects but are usually otherwise invisible to human eyes.

Chronicles of the Dragon Pirate is sort of Pirates of the Caribbean meets Eragon, moving through some heavily detailed narrative, peppered with intense action sequences. Tomas desires to live an honorable life, to be faithful in love, and to protect those who serve him. It is easy to admire such a man. Readers looking for romance may be disappointed, though, because from the outset the romance is sort of a given, leaving no question about whether or not the hero gets the girl.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Moderate. Infrequent profanity with crude language appearing more often. (Think pirates.)

Sexual Content
Because of Tomas’ nature as a Dragon, he will go into “heat” several times in his life, during which time, human females will be drawn to him like moth to flame. While this event is not depicted in the story, it is referenced several times. One captain, a woman with quite a sexual appetite, fervently lusts for Tomas, promising that despite their rather large age difference, he will learn to enjoy sharing her bed. Tomas falls in love with a girl who we understand to be bisexual, and while she promises to remain faithful where other men are concerned, she refuses to give up relations with women.

As Tomas and his love approach their betrothal ceremony, their captain makes them promise not to have “carnal knowledge” of each other before then. The pair are mostly faithful, excepting a brief graphic incident when they venture to an isolated place away from captain and crew. Following the betrothal ceremony, another brief scene shows the couple consummating their relationship.

The pirates look forward to visiting Tortuga to take up with easy women. Evil Shadowmen keep human females as pets, using them for torture and pleasure at whim. Characters and scenes reference these ideas, but no graphic descriptions occur.

Spiritual Content
In St. Augustine, Tomas’s mother is shunned by clergy because of her past Huguenot beliefs. Tomas believes as he is taught by a Catholic priest, though there is some question as to whether Dragons are accepted into the church. A couple of characters pray the rosary in time of need.

Violence
Several scenes show battle violence, including some graphic descriptions of death of or caused by evil Shadowmen. Some of the descriptions are pretty graphic. Most scenes are brief.

Drug Content
What are pirates without their bottles of rum? (One captain at least, prefers red wine.) Hangovers seem to be a routine part of life, though the main characters do not over-indulge.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Dragonwitch by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

July 25, 2013Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18Anne Elisabeth Stengl, Dragonwitch, Giveaway, Tales of Goldstone WoodKasey

Dragonwitch
Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Bethany House
Published July 15, 2013

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Lord Alistair, heir to the Earl of Gaheris, finds his sleeping hours plagued by night terrors prophesying his death and his waking ones by his mother’s political schemes to make him king. Alistair resigns himself to a loveless marriage with Lady Leta, the daughter of the second-most powerful earl in the land. Leta appears to meekly acquiesce to the plans made for her. Inside her, however, a battle of wills rages, and the rebellious Leta will not so easily be silenced. Befriended and challenged by the reclusive Chronicler, Leta begins to desire more for herself than a lonely life as a silent and powerless queen.

As Alistair’s uncle, Earl Ferox’s life draws to its end, he reveals a secret that sends the entire nation reeling and upsets all plans to unite the people under one king. In the midst of this chaos, an evil army marches, determined to destroy the would-be king and his people and capture the fabled House of Light. Meanwhile the Dragonwitch waits, searching for the enchanted sword which ended her first two lives. Only a hero can wield it.

Once again, Stengl excels at drawing readers into the world of faeries and monsters. Dragonwitch reveals more story surrounding Starflower, as earlier Goldstone Wood novel Veiled Rose added to the series beginner, Heartless. Fans will enjoy piecing scenes from the two stories together as well as the cameo appearances by beloved characters from previous stories.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing.

Spiritual Content
Spiritual references are more understated in this novel than in previous books in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series. The Prince of Farthestshore (who seems to represent Jesus) makes a brief appearance. The idea that God has a plan, and it may not look like our plan, is discussed more than once during the course of the story.

Some characters are part of a cult in which they worship and serve the Dragonwitch. An acolyte first defends her goddess, but later sees her as an imposter who imprisons and abuses her people.

A mysterious narrator recounts the tale of two brothers given gifts by the true God who use those gifts to spread light and justice. One brother carries a lantern and the other a sword.

Violence
Battle violence. Some brief details are given.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

BOOK GIVEAWAY!
Like the sound of this book? Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy! Contest begins July 25, 2013 at 7:53 am Eastern Time and ends Sunday July 28 at midnight Eastern Time. (Must have US address to win.)

To enter, scroll to the top of the blog post and leave a comment about one of your favorite fantasy characters. One random commenter will be chosen to receive a FREE copy of the book.

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Review: Gates of Paradise by Melissa De La Cruz

July 22, 2013Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18Blue Bloods Series, Gates of Paradise, Melissa De La CruzKasey

Gates of Paradise
Melissa De La Cruz
Hyperion
Published January 15, 2013

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Through her mother’s shared memories, half-angel, half-human Schuyler knows her destiny is to serve as the guardian of the Gate of Paradise, to protect it from Lucifer and the armies of Hell. What she doesn’t know is Lucifer has already set a plot in motion to overrun the gate and take back Paradise, and to succeed, he has employed his most cunning weapons: the twins, Jack and Mimi. Though the twins had returned to Hell as covert agents of Heaven, Jack and Mimi soon discover that fooling the Prince of Darkness isn’t as simple as they’d believed. When Lucifer tasks the twins with killing their lovers, Jack and Mimi’s tight bond begins to fragment. Only a powerful weapon can stop Lucifer from destroying the gate and taking what should never be his.

The final chapter in the Blue Bloods series, Gates of Paradise brings a large cast of characters to the stage, many of whom have more than one name, depending on where they are (heaven, earth or hell) and who addresses them. Readers may find this confusing. The story world, which will be well-known to readers of the series, may further mystify readers joining the tale in this last novel. Angels on earth become vampires, who possibly thirst for human blood.

While these references and name changes don’t directly impede the reader’s enjoyment of the plot, it does sometimes become difficult to keep track of who is who. A character glossary would have helped tremendously. Still, it cannot be overlooked that De La Cruz weaves an intense story of passion and sacrifice, and spins together past and present in the high-energy conclusion of her best-selling series.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Moderate to Severe.

Sexual Content
References to promiscuous behavior and a few sex scenes.

Spiritual Content
While the characters are identified as angels or demons, these labels don’t follow the Christian understanding. A character who lives in Hell and serves Lucifer or belongs to his army is a demon. Heavenly angels and their allegiance is implied, but very vague. While on earth, these beings become vampires, regardless of their origin.

Violence
Some battle violence. Usually brief.

Drug Content
Several scenes depicting parties where characters consume alcohol.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Sneak Peek: Dragonwitch by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

July 15, 2013Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18Anne Elisabeth Stengl, Dragonwitch, Giveaway, Tales of Goldstone WoodKasey

Dragonwitch
Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Bethany House
Published July 15, 2013

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

The Twelve came to the doors of Omeztli Tower and their voices carried from the ground to our high perch above.

“Cren Cru commands. Send us your firstborn.”

I clutched Tlanextu’s arm in terror. I could not bear to lose him! He took my hand and held me gently.

Then we saw a powerful form rising up from Itonatiu Tower. It was Citlalu, our father. He flew across the city, his wings like a griffin’s, like a roc’s, blocking the sunlight from view they were so vast! He landed before us, and I shivered with fear and love at the sight of him, for he was King. A true King. Not like the foolish little kings we see nowadays wearing crowns, waving swords and scepters, ruling by feeble kinship-rights. He was King of Etalpalli, bound to the realm by his own blood, by the beat of his heart. He was strong as the nation itself, stronger, I thought. The pinions of his wings were like daggers, like swords, and he shouted down to the Twelve below:

“Be gone, back to your master! You will take none of mine into that Mound, not while I have life yet coursing through my veins!”

His voice shook the foundations of Etalpalli. I thought the Twelve would run, would scream with terror, would flee the storm of his gaze.

They did not. They merely turned and retraced their path to the Mound and the concentric circles of bronze.

But the next day, they returned. Once more they called up to the heights of Omeztli: “Cren Cru commands. Send us your firstborn.”

Once more, my father denied them.

About Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Anne Elisabeth Stengl is the author of the award-winning Tales of Goldstone Wood series, adventure fantasies told in the classic Fairy Tale style. She makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a passel of cats, and one long-suffering dog. When she’s not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and studies piano, painting, and pastry baking. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University.

Tour Schedule

Don’t miss the opportunity to learn more about the Goldstone Wood series with reviews, interviews, giveaways and more on these other great blogs. Be sure to visit the Tales of Goldstone Wood blog for a chance to win the first five Goldstone Wood novels!

July 14 – Day 1

Rebecca’s Book Blog – Interview

Jennette Mbewe – Sneak Peek

Bluerose’s Heart – Top Tens List

The Wordsmith’s Shelf – Sneak Peek

The Wonderings of One Person – Guest Post

Seasons of Humility – Interview

Worthy 2 Read – Guest Post

The Endless Road – Interview

Tea and Bree – Interview/Sneak Peek

JoJo’s Corner – Interview

July 15 – Day 2