Fortress of Mist: Sigmund Brouwer

   Secret identities, unknown enemies, suspicious allies? What else could you want? Sigmund Brouwer really went all-out with this page-turner. You never knew where Thomas stood with someone or what their motives were. Did they want to help him maintain his strenuous hold on Magnus? Do they want to swipe control of Magnus away from Thomas? In this book you never know.  It's a page-turning adventure filled with mistrust and intricate plots.
   Thomas is an intriguing character. To his peers he seems exceptionally wise, but in reality he actually gained this knowledge from a stash of hidden books no one knows about. He is a cunning man and he uses every advantage he can to keep a hold on Magnus.
   Due to his book stash he was able to conquer Magnus a supposedly unreachable province and he gains control of Magnus without the loss of a single life. Due to this he impresses his peers and commands the respect of his troops. Where you go in Fortress of Mist you never know.

This book was provided free of charge by Multinomah publishing

Seismic Influences: Priscilla Audette

   In Seismic Influences we join main character Joy in the early years of the sexual revolution. Joy tells us about the ups and downs of the 70's and the different types of people their were. Over-all I greatly enjoyed Seismic Influences. I was up all night reading it. My favorite part about this book is the fact that you never know what's going to happen. It's a mystery the whole time.
   There are definitely some interesting people involved in the storyline, each with their own motive. There is the very sick-minded owner of the restaurant. The married detective who works the murder of the body she finds. The Mississippi Cowboy. The jewelry store owner with a hidden profession. And the runner of an escort service.
   The end was never quite clear. You never know what's going to happen.

Chasing the Lost: Bob Mayer

   Chasing the Lost follows a group of ex-military,an ex-ranger, and a veterinarian as they attempt to rescue a boy Cole Briggs from kidnappers demanding $50 Million dollars in super-bowl bets from his father. His mother Sarah Briggs runs to Chase as she's being pursued by her son's kidnappers. It's a race to the short deadline that's been set.
   Wow. This definitely took some unexpected turns. All in all I loved it. There were a lot of technical details, but the story was still easily understood. I loved how all the ex-service men reacted when they were suddenly thrust back into action in a way none of them could have expected.
   With a fast moving plot and an ending that will stun you, this makes a perfect read for pretty much everyone. Absolutely amazing.

White Lies: Alice Sabo

   White Lies revolves around an actor (Asher) who's struggling to piece together his life after it was torn a part by alcohol and drugs. It starts out with him being falsely accused of murdering a former manager of his who had stolen money from him. During this book it delves into his experiences with recovering lost friendships, finding love, and solving the mystery surrounding his false charges.
  
   He learns how to walk the straight and narrow, while narrowly avoiding temptation. A murder investigation is the last thing he needs while trying to recover his life again. Through an intricate plot Asher discovers himself facing numerous charges, that make it nearly impossible to guess the ending.
  
   White lies was an amazing book. I got it in the mail and I had it read a few hours later. It was a page-turner that left me craving more when it ended. I truly hope to have the privilege of reviewing more of Alice's books. She is a truly talented author, and I hope she finds a successful career that fully utilizes her talents.

Francesca of Lost Nation: Lucinda Sue Crosby

   Francesca of Lost Nation follows Francesca, 59 and her granddaughter Sarah, 10 in their adventures. I honestly don't have much to say about the novel. I thought the writing tended to be a bit bland at times. There was nothing really wrong about the writing it just wasn't my style. 
   It felt kind of like a historical fiction piece. So if you like a story filled with an antiquated feel to it. I recognize it was well written; however, it didn't really capture my attention.
   I think that if there had been a little more action and less description that it would be a much more interesting read. So I think you should get this if this kind of thing appeals to me, but it wasn't really up my alley.
   Other people greatly enjoy this story due to its odd sense of humor and sensitivity; however, this kind of book was never very appealing to me. For me it failed to draw me into the story.

   A free copy of this book was provided by the author for reviewing purposes. 

Nothing Down: Mike Reuther

   I'll admit that I'm not a Baseball fan. I'm basketball through and through, but like it says on the back of the book 'You don't have to be a Baseball fan to enjoy this page-turning novel'. This is entirely accurate. Nothing Down is about a rookie Major League Baseball player, Homer Newbody, who is quickly ostracized for publicly stating that he'd happily play for nothing more than 'meal money'.
   This story really is captivating. The way Homer is willing to stand up for his beliefs even if they're not popular. This story really shows a strong faith in America, for the fact that he isn't interested in money like so many people are.
   This is a surprisingly touching tales about sticking to your morals no matter what, and following your dreams.
   It really was a page-turner. This story about a young American hero was brilliantly told.

This book was provided for free for reviewing purposes by the author.

Judge: R.J. Larson

   Judge is a pretty good book. What I got from it is the infinite is kind of like god. With prophets and holy missions.
   Kien Lantac didn't expect to be sent on a special mission from the Infinite on his first day of military leave. He's frustrated because his mission has absolutely nothing to do with his skills as a military judge in training. His job is to warn the people of ToronSea against turning against the Infinite in favor of a goddess that is quickly becoming the popular way of worship.
   Ela of Parne is the Infinite's chosen prophet. She is sent to Parne to try and rid the town of their unholy notions. However when she gets there she doesn't quite get what she expected.
   Although I'm usually pretty against books with religious undertones I thought this was an exciting tale that leads you through all of the different obstacles that Ela and Kien must face together and separately. This is an exciting tale that captures your attention from page one.
   It shows the importance of keeping true to yourself no matter what the consequences. That makes a pretty good story to me.

   A free copy of this book was provided by Bethany House publishers for reviewing purposes.   

The Scrolls of Xavier: John A. Ashley

   Okay, this was a pretty interesting science fiction genre novel. I was really impressed by the descriptiveness of the story. I always thought what made a good novel was the feeling you got when you read it. If you felt like you were right there with the characters while they're jumping through hoops to survive. When you find yourself rooting for the "good guys" to win. That's what makes a good novel.

   John Ashley certainly managed to accomplish that here. I felt myself hoping the characters could pull through just one more time. John Ashley certainly didn't disappoint with this story.

   I loved how the plot developed in completely unexpected ways. I've always hated being able to guess the ending of a story, but I never had to worry about that with this story. The characters were enticing, and the romance was complicated. All in all I would definitely recommend this story to anyone interested in a good science fiction book.

   A free copy of this e-book was provided by the author for reviewing purposes.

The Tainted Coin: Mel Starr

   The Tainted Coin takes place in a very early setting, 1367, to be exact. It takes place in Bampton where Master Hugh is enjoying the quiet life, until a badly beaten man is found under the porch of St. Andrews chapel. The beaten man is a traveling merchant of sorts. The oddest thing of all, in my opinion, is the fact that there's an old, corroded coin found in his mouth.

    First of all I did like the over-all sound and feeling that came from this creatively drafted story;however, due to the time period it was set in, I found it a bit difficult to follow.

   I do have to admit it's an enchanting little story; however, I may wish it wasn't true. I did like it over-all, but if you don't have penchant for understanding old texts it won't be any easier for you to decipher The Tainted coin than it was for me.

   Don't get me wrong, I loved the feelings that and setting the author incorporated into his novels, but I had to reread things a couple of times before I completely understood it. Which, of course, takes most of the fun out of it. Although I have to admit it was a little interesting to try to puzzle out the mystery. I wonder who'll try next.

   In my opinion if older stories interest you more than you'll love this book, but if you prefer modern work akin to Stephen King or Dean Koontz than you should probably steer clear of this book.

  Although I could never become a true fan of this book I'll admit if you like historical fiction this will probably appeal to you. I didn't like how hard the book was to follow, but I did think it had a classically antiquated feel to it.

   Another reason I was never quite able to get into this book was because I had not had the fortune of obtaining the books that were a prelude to The Tainted Coin; I strongly feel that prier knowledge to the series would have led to a better reading experience.

A free copy of this book was provided to me by Kregel at the expense of Kregel for reviewing purposes.  

                       

Death Comes In Pairs: Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton

January 14th, 2012 

 I've always loved westerns. My dad loves them and so do I. Death comes in Pairs is a western. Accused of killing two men in Douglas, Wyoming Jack Leige finds himself wanting to finally settle down in a nice quiet life. However it seems fate has other plans. Once again accused of killing two men Jack finds himself drawn to a local girl by the name of Vida Wrey. Now he has a reason to stay. If they don't hang him first.
   I loved Death Comes in pairs. My only regret was it wasn't longer. At the end of the book I found myself wanting to read more. Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton are talented writers, who built suspense to the end.
   Death Comes in Pairs brings to mind the old westerns that used to be so popular. I congratulate the authors on a job well done.

Against The Gates of Hell: Mylow Young

Against the Gates of Hell

Created by:

Mylow Young

   Against the Gates of Hell is about two twin brothers, twins Kerby and Herby Wilson. Herby's a police officer and his twin, Kerby is a drug addict. Kerby's headed down a desperate path full of Pride and self-destruction, while Herby is trying to shut out his brother at all costs thanks to his questionable life choices.   

   Herby is entangled in his own problems as he faces bitterness and resentment. All the while trying to keep away from his brother. 

   First of all the main point I got from this story is the struggle that everyone faces in their life. Some aren't as serious as this but everyone has problems they have to struggle through. Internal and external. They can be anything, but a family dispute is one of the hardest things to over-come in my personal opinion. 

   It can be incredibly difficult to over-come personal problems while you're facing separate problems outside of losing faith, or family drama.

   I think this story is an extremely helpful read. In fact the only complaint I had was the street talk was a little annoying, but I do realize it was intentional. I would really recommend this book for anyone facing a crisis of faith or family problems.
http://mpnewsroom.com/books/against-gates-hell
This book was provided for free by MP News Room for reviewing purposes.

Christy Miller Collection

Christy Miller Collection

Robin Jones Gunn

December 28th, 2012

   Okay, obviously I haven't written a post recently. However the first book I'm reviewing after my brief sabbatical is the Christy Miller Collection. This is actually a group of three books in one copy. The first book Summer Promise, the second book A whisper and a wish, and the third book Yours forever.

First of all my general opinion about the writing is although there technically isn't anything wrong with the writing style that was employed I felt it was a little dry and boring. I also thought it was a bit more dramatic than it had to be. 

First Book Summer Promise

    Christy Miller is fourteen years old and is staying in sunny California for the summer. Her Aunt Marti loves to shop, and the surfer boys are everywhere. She develops a crush on surfer Todd. Todd and his 'god-lover' friends are befriending Christy and teaching her.

   Like I said I thought the writing was a little dry, but it was rather touching. It tends to touch on religion quite a bit. Christy's reactions to the challenges she faces are definitely interesting. And a lot of the situations she faces are challenges that a lot of high schoolers have to face. Over-all I think this book is probably a good choice for anyone who likes real-life drama.

Second Book: A Whisper and a Wish

   Christy's immediate family moved to California just in time for Christy's Sophomore year of high school. However, this time she's an hour and a half away from her Aunts house where she stayed the summer so now she has to start all over making friends and trying to fit in. 

   Over-all everything is working out well until an overzealous activity during some midnight fun leads to a stay at the police station. Christy starts to question her newfound faith in god asking questions. Does God really hear every whisper, and why does he make it so difficult to know who your friends really are.

   Again I felt the same problem in the second book. The writing was a bit trite and boring, but it shows that your actions have consequences. It also admirably shows the importance of choosing your friends carefully, and making wise decisions despite pressure from so-called friends.

Third Book: Yours Forever

   Christy is back at her Aunt Marti and Uncle Bob's house for a whole week between Christmas and New Years. The good news is Todd is there too. The bad news is her Aunt Marti and all of her friends from the summer seem to be mad at her. 

   She's becoming increasingly confused because she wants to know. Is Todd hers or isn't he? She finds herself questioning God again. Why would he let everything get so tangled.

   This book focuses more on her relationships and how difficult they can be for a teenager. You're never quite sure where you stand, and how to go about confronting a person you're interested in.

   Again I think Robin Jones Gunn, the author of the books, could use a little work on how to make a story show an image better, but it was still a good read. 

   Over-all I think the Christy Miller series is a good book to read for a teenager facing difficult decisions.

   A free copy of this book was provided by Multinomah publishing for review purposes.

Adrian: Shubhi Singh

Adrian

Authored by:

Shubhi Singh

December 1st, 2012

   Okay, first of all I should mention that this book was written by a middle-schooler so obviously there will be a lot of errors. Now on to the review-

Adrian is about a orphan, Adrian,who is adopted by the Wildes. Although Mr. Wildes does not participate in any abuse toward Adrian, he knows that it happens at the hands of his wife and son, so I don't believe he is a completely innocent party.
   I had a few problems with this book. First of all the idea revolving around a group of supernatural creatures was just kind of thrown in there. I didn't think there was really any reason for making it a group like that.
   Also he was put into an orphanage at the age of eight, but he supposedly had a girlfriend and was leader of a group of these supernaturals before the age of eight. Like I said a lot of things didn't really make sense in this book.
   Over-all I think she could be a good writer if she were a little older, and had a lot more practice, but right now I think she should postpone publishing anymore books, and wait until she's a little older.
   I received a  free copy of this book compliments of Dorrance Publishing Company.

If interested in a copy of this book follow the link below-
http://www.dorrancebookstore.com/adrian.html

The Unnamed:Jennifer L. Oliver

December 4th, 2012
   The Unnamed is a short novella, a prequel to Haedyn. The first chapter of The Unnamed is about a Demon Azazel who is bound and determined to corrupt souls. Willing to go so far as to create his own predestined evil souls. By demons having sex with humans he hopes to create souls that he can turn evil.
   The second chapter of The Unnamed is about a blind orphan, Haedyn, who never quite fit in with the other children. However when she's confronted with pure evil she must make a choice. To allow this demon to train her, to make her evil, or try to find peace with the humans.

   Both chapters have their strong points. I thought the first chapter was more entertaining, however; the second did a better job of painting an image. The first chapter, although the idea was captivating, could've done a better job of using descriptive words to make a better image of what was going on.
 
   Over-all I thought it was an interesting start to a larger storyline and I can't wait to read more.

   This book was provided, in an e-book format, for free by the author for review purposes.

The Lie: Ken Ham

   The Lie is a christian book that says why people need to believe in everything the Bible has to say. His book talks about why Genesis is important to the Gospel. The Lie also talks about how the Bible's version of creation impacts the understanding of the bible. And of course he talks about how Evolution cannot fit with the Bible's version of creation.
   Obviously this book is explaining why evolution cannot be true. To remain impartial I won't discuss my own beliefs concerning the creation of the earth.
   For that reason my review will be relatively short. Over-all it was well-written, but extremely boring to read. I've never been a big fan of religious books so that definitely influences my review, However I would definitely recommend this if you were a die-hard christian. It brought up some interesting points (which I won't tell for fear of giving spoilers) I think most Christians would love to explore.
   The idea behind this book was meant to be informative about how Christian leaders have been misled, and belief in evolution and complete belief in the bible do not coincide. I don't necessarily agree with the authors points that were made in the book, I do think some interesting points were made. 

Authors website www.answersingenensis.org 

this book is published by Master Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing Group. http://www.newleafpublishinggroup.com/product_info.php?products_id=1017 

A Christmas Home

A Christmas Home

Greg Kincaid

November 13^th, 2012

A Christmas home is a touching story about a boy, Todd, with a learning disability who works in a animal shelter. In the month of December the shelter manager, Todd’s best friend, Hayley gets some bad news. Due to budget cuts they can no longer afford to fund the shelter.

Throughout A Christmas Home Todd, Hayley must work with shelter volunteers Laura and Doc Pelot to come up with a place for each new dog to live before the first of the year.

Hayley seems resigned to sending them to different shelters, unfortunately those shelters don’t embrace the same no-kill policy they live by. However Todd seems determined to find each furry companion a new home before the start of the year.

Over-all I found this novel extremely touching. I am personally a dog-lover and I believe each dog, or cat for that matter deserves a loving home. In  A Christmas Home is truly an amazing story that delves into what a young  man is willing  to do to ensure the safety and happiness of pets.

The main characters drew my attention to them because of their strength in character, and their amazing ability to take everything in stride, but still fighting back.

I expected the story to revolve more around the two dogs Gracie and Christmas, although they didn’t have as big of a role as I’d thought they would they captured my attention.

The only flaw I found in A Christmas home involved the sentence structure. Although there was nothing grammatically wrong  with  A Christmas Home , some of the sentences sounded a little choppy. I also felt that on a couple of occasions when  he was telling about their everyday, mundane life he broke the show, don’t tell rule. It felt like someone was talking to me explaining what was happening. Besides that it was excellently written, and it made sense.

This is an absolute must-read for animal lovers. If you care about animals, and want to read a story that highlights the plight all dogs face.  I truly love how accurate the story was when it came to telling  how the animals suffers when a lack of funding shuts down a shelter.
A free copy of this book was provided by WaterBrook Multnomah publishing for review purposes.

               

A Boy Called Duct Tape

Created by:

Christopher Cloud

November 11th, 2012

   Pablo Perez is a poor boy, teased at school because of his sneakers held together with duct tape. His mother works at a minimum wage job that has given her arthritis, and his little sister Pia, has a leg that was injured in a car accident. The same car accident that killed their dad.
Pablo's luck seems to change when he dives into a swimming hole to fetch a skipping rock for his sister, but the 'rock' he finds turns out to be a $20 gold coin worth a little more than $6,000. Swindled out of the coin by the Blood brothers, Pablo, Pia, and their cousin Kiki go to the outlaws festival and discover a $1 treasure map. Everyone believes the map is a hoax, except for the Pablo, Pia, and Kiki. With a spelunker, Monroe Huff, they discover the cave and go through harrowing trials to find the lost treasure of Jesse James.
   They discover the Blood brothers followed them to their destination when the two groups meet the surviving brother forces them at gunpoint to help him get the treasure for himself. It takes all of their wit to survive this adventure.

   First of all I would like to start by saying this was a book written for middle school kids. The simplistic writing style makes it easier for younger ages to understand the story. Despite the limitations imposed by the reading level of middle school children The Boy Called Duct Tape was eloquently written, and captured my attention until all hours of the night.

   The children had me rooting for their success and the Blood brothers were adequately portrayed as the greedy treasure hunters they were.

   As I said the writing was easy to understand, and the story was well thought out. Christopher Cloud created a brilliant masterpiece filled with adventure, treasure, and greed.

   

   A free copy of this book was provided by the author for this review.

November 10th, 2012

Return of the High Protector

Created by Bob Craton

   Synopsis provided by amazon

Destiny brings a thirteen year old boy and girl together in a wilderness when she escapes from kidnappers and he flees enemy soldiers. Her name is Caelia and she comes from a community hidden in a cavern. He has spent all his life hiding and only learned his true identity two days earlier. They journey together searching for her family and the secret buried chest he seeks.
Elsewhere, a remarkable young woman named Graice travels with her mentor Sybille and a man named Holder. Sybille has foreseen that Graice is needed for a task vital to the world in Abbelôn, the beautiful peaceful city captured years earlier by brutal men called the Zafiri – and Sybille’s visions are never wrong. Continuing her efforts begun in Part I of the story, Graice does her best to help Holder, who lost his memory around the same time Abbelôn fell. She and Sybille already know he was once someone important. With the help of the man known as the Wise One of Lucidus and others, they continue the seemingly hopeless journey toward Abbelôn. When they reach the Pàçian Mountains, they enter the caverns of Annâles-Scientia – Caelia’s home. The people there recognize Holder, calling him by his real name Breyon, and rejoice at his return. Graice discovers that the amulet she wore as a newborn (the only survivor of a shipwreck) is more important than she ever could have expected. Thanks to Graice, Breyon recovers his complete memory and now knows the tragedy of his past.
Across the land, anxiety increases. An army raised by the Zafiri threatens Anglio, a small city on the edge of the civilized world. The pompous monarchs of the Great Cities promise aid but are really only concerned about their own vanity. Fortunately, arms makers in those Cities have invented powerful weapons named for an old word meaning destruction – cannons. Without the approval of their own rulers, a small group of men rush to deliver these weapons before Anglio is attacked.
In Zigor, home of the Zafiri, enemies not only have weapons of their own but also breed monstrous beasts and yet preparations for the war move slowly. Deceit, mistrust, and jealousy are standard character traits among the Zafiri; and the the Overlords who rule spend more time blaming, backstabbing, and conniving against each other than anything else.
When Graice and Holder reach the Pàçian Mountains, they enter the caverns of Annâles-Scientia – Caelia’s home. The people there recognize Holder, calling him by his real name Breyon, and rejoice at his return. Graice discovers that the amulet she wore as a newborn (the only survivor of a shipwreck) is more important than she ever could have expected. Thanks to Graice, Breyon recovers his complete memory and now knows the tragedy of his past.
Having been raised in secret, the boy actually knows little about his own background, but Caelia still recognizes who he really is. When they dig up and find a book about the history of his family, it confirms her guess. “You must come home with me,” she insists and he agrees, but they suddenly realize that Annâles-Scientia isn’t home for either of them – Abbelôn is. They can’t go there yet, but a wild ride on the mighty horse Glori takes them to the caverns. When the two burst through the entrance, the people there – Pàçians – rejoice to see Caelia and gasp in astonishment at him. In the middle of all the people – his people, not just Caelia’s – he declares his identity. The only four people who can free Abbelôn and save the world are now united.

The thrilling sequel to Journey to light, kept me entertained to all hours of the night. I honestly thought it was better than the first one. I had been rather vague with my review of the first book because I needed to read more of the story to get a better picture. The second book captured my attention with an amazing storyline, and an impressively written plot. 

 This series has a beautifully rendered plot, that really holds a readers attention, although the plot was extremely complicated I still enjoyed it. Great plot, excellent dialogue, and the story obviously had a lot of thought put into it.

  The second book left me dying to read the third book: And the Young Shall Lead You Home. I would suggest that anyone looking for a good read should read this series.

   A free copy of this book was provided from the author for this blog.

Angel's Heart: The Keeper

Created by:

Lisa Bilbrey

Synopsis from amazon 

 Unaware of an age-old prophecy, secret societies, and an enemy she doesn’t know she has, Sophie Crenshaw thinks of herself as just being average. Along with her two best friends, Deva and Tabitha, Sophie sets off on what she thinks is a normal vacation. What she doesn't know is that everything she thought she knew about who she is, and what she can do, is about to change. Thrust in a world she knows nothing about, Sophie tries to find her true self, without losing her grip on her own sanity.

   Henry Chang lives in world full of magic, where the stories over the legendary Angel’s Heart are spoken in whispered conversations, and midnight meetings. His job is to protect the Heart, keep it safe from anyone who wishes to hurt it or its Keeper. In a divine moment, he's tied to the Keeper’s heart forever. While trying to understand his own feelings, Henry does what he can to support Sophie, and keep her from falling apart.

   With the help of Willow Crest members, who are sworn to protect her, without ever meeting her, Sophie will struggle to get control of her feeling and new found powers. Or will it be too much for her to handle? Will their growing love give Sophie the strength and courage to face the greatest challenge of her young life?

  

   Well, first of all Angel's Heart is a little harder for me to review because I don't usually read romances. Although Angel's Heart was filled with romance blossoming between several couples, as well as the continuation of other love, it was also an intriguing thriller. 

  

   The one thing I truly enjoyed about Angel's Heart is the fact that it continually kept me guessing about what was going to happen. 

   Angel's Heart was excellently written, and definitely left me wanting to read more. 

   The only flaw I could really find was the fact that Henry used the word 'baby' too often, it felt over used. Other than that I thought Angel's Heart was a compelling story, filled with intrigue. 

   Over-all I'd give Angel's Heart a 4 star review, because it was excellent, but I still felt that it could use a little improvement.
A free e-book copy of this book was provided by  Renaissance Romance publishing for review.

November 3rd, 2012

Journey to Light: Part I of The High Duties of Pacia (Kindle e-book)  

Created by:

Bob Craton

  Synopsis from Amazon.com

   Imagine a world populated with the entire spectrum of humanity. Good people, ordinary citizens of small cities, fear attack from brutal and powerful men called the Zafiri. Great Cities are divided between the decadence and splendor of the wealthy and the deprivation and squalor of the poor. An organization of women known as the Sistéria is widely known but little understood. Its members have the talent to use ‘effect,’ the ability the read and control the emotions of others, and sometimes to have prescient visions of the future. And people in Pàçia, a land with an ancient history set apart from the rest of the world, were once gentle, kind and peaceful. Their leaders did not have the power to rule or command; they had duties to fulfill – High Duties which for millennia helped make the world a better place. That is, until twelve years earlier when the Zafiri invaded Pàçia with a massive army, capturing the beautiful city Abbelôn and crushing the gentle people. Now the rest of the world is threatened by more war and destruction.

   Then an extraordinary young woman named Sistére Graice crosses paths with a man unlike any she has met before. Her ‘effect,’ her ability to control everyone else, has no power over him. Known only as Holder, the man has no memory and doesn’t know his own identity. Graice’s mentor Sybille hires him as a guide for a journey she and Graice must make, partly so they can keep him close until they discover his secret. As they travel, Graice tries to help Holder recover his memory. While he is in a drugged sleep, she ‘sees’ into his mind and discovers small fragments of past events, all involving a beautiful golden-haired woman. When he wakes, Holder still does not remember these scenes but Graice gains clues about his identity. The women now know who he is (or was) but do not tell him. He must remember on his own for the recovery to succeed.

   In the backwaters of the land meanwhile, a boy age thirteen travels with his aunt (his sole surviving relative) hiding from enemy spies by moving constantly and using false names and disguises. When he complains that he knows nothing about his parents, she reveals his family name and bits of its history. Later, she gives him an amulet and implies he will wear it someday. It’s an Emblem of High Duty, she says. His grandfather and mother had held two of the three High Duties before they died.

   A girl named Caelia, also thirteen, hides from the same enemy. She lives with her parents and many other refugees in a cavern where her father searches for secrets of the Anziên people, a civilization which collapsed 3,500 years earlier. Named after a legendary heroine from antiquity, Caelia is unusually bright and mature for her age and her shining red-gold hair sets her apart. Girls with that hair color are born once in a millennium, people say, and everyone in the community loves Caelia. At this point, even the girl herself doesn’t know why they do. When she wants to leave the cave on an adventure, everybody objects but no one can say no to her. She gets her way and departs with a trading expedition.

   Along their separate paths, Graice and Holder are attacked by a monstrous creature; outlaws kidnap Caelia and drag her into a forest wilderness; and enemy soldiers close in on the boy, causing him to flee for his life. Not only do all survive but the encounters also reveal hidden secrets. The story continues in Return of the High Protector: Part II of the High Duties of Pàçia. 

   I was actually contacted by the author and asked if I would read and review the first book of his trilogy. Although this wasn't what I'd normally read I decided to give it a chance, because I wanted to expand my genres of books I read. So I was a little hesitant when I started to read, but that didn't last long. 

  The story instantly captured my attention with the excellent dialogue, well-composed sentence structure, and complicated storyline. Each character was complex and intriguing making me want to know more about them. I really connected with Holder the mysterious man with no memories of growing up. 

   Journey to Light was a story filled with mystery and intrigue, keeping me guessing. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a fascinating read, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. 

   The only flaw I could find was it jumped around maybe a little too much, but it held my attention to the last page.