Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Bright Thoughts on Tales of the Bright Realm

         M.W. Sonier's Tales of the Bright Realm: The Peril of Astriel is a refreshingly light adventure book that deals with heavy subjects in beautiful way.  The narration reads so that the young can understand it but the young at heart will be swept away with it as well.  From a good King and Prince to an evil warlord this book has everything a reader needs to spend an enjoyable evening in another world.  There is beauty and wonder, there is danger and suspense.  There is a father-son relationship that is healthy and to be sought after and loyalty as used to be found of old but is sadly lacking in this day and age.  It is a strong book and a deceptively simple one. The sequel can not come quickly enough. It should be read in schools!

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

The Pharaoh's Treasure

     Mesu Andrews' The Pharaoh's  Daughter was an unexpected treasure.  Starting off with a text peppered with so many foreign terms from Egypt was daunting but the further the story progressed the less the terms stopped the flow and the more hard it was to put the book down. Each chapter began with a piece of scripture that set the tone for the coming chapter.  This story was full of pain and torment, and yet there was something so rich and endearing about the characters that no matter how sad the plot was there was still hope.  Starting from Judges 13:18 "Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding." to the continuous theme of names and their meaning, The Pharaoh's Daughter deals strongly with identity and where one finds their meaning and worth. The plot is full of turns that propel the reader on and on until a huge twist that was completely unseen changes everything and leads to a brilliant ending that brought tears.  Having a free reviewer's copy from Waterbrook Press allowed this treasure to be unearthed and greatly enjoyed.