The Heart's Pursuit: A Book Review (And Tarzan.)

  Hey ya’ll! I guess it’s obvious that I haven’t been posting this week. Know why? It’s tech week for Tarzan! In this show I get to walk around on my knuckles and make ape noises. It’s very physically challenging but super fun and I’m having a fantastic time. We open tomorrow night! WHOO! 

 So I’m going to review The Heart’s Pursuit by Robin Lee Hatcher. I received this book through BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

 

A jilted bride desperate to save her family from ruin.
A bounty hunter seeking vengeance for a ravaged past.
An arduous trek toward justice--or redemption.

Silver Matlock and Jared Newman know traveling together is a bad idea. Bad for Silver's already tarnished reputation in her small Colorado town. Bad for bounty hunter Jared's secret, single-minded mission for revenge. But Silver is determined to track down the rogue who left her at the altar and stole the last remnant of her father's fortune. And Jared's in a hurry to hunt down the murderer who destroyed his family--even if Silver is too distractingly beautiful for comfort.

The pair takes off over mountain and desert, past bleak homesteads and raw mining towns, hot on the trail of the two villains who took what wasn't theirs to take. Soon supplies dwindle, secrets emerge, and suspicion leave Silver and Jared at odds when they need each other most. To confront an enemy deadlier than desert rattlesnakes and rocky cliffs, Silver and Jared must learn to forgive and trust and face the question they haven't dared voice: What happens next?

I liked this book. It was a Western, which I’ve only read a few of, and it was pretty good. The characters were cool. I love the name Silver. Silver herself was an opinionated woman with a strong desire to help her family not go into poverty. She had some admirable qualities even if she could be stubborn at times. Jared was also interesting. Imagine hunting for someone for years, and only having that on your mind… With a mission for revenge he soon finds that some other things might be more important. There was a good supporting cast as well, some appearing for a chapter, others many more.They all played their part well, and some I may have liked to see more of. 

 The plot was pretty good. There were times I wish more would have happened concerning certain situations, but over all it turned out pretty good. There were some things involving saloons I wasn't a big fan of, but such is a novel. Overall it was pretty good. I wish there were a little more to the plot and characters, but it was satisfactory. 

Mrs. Hatcher managed to write an intriguing Western that caused me to stay up a bit too late a couple of times. You can purchase the book on Amazon or many other places.

~ a rambling author

In the Shadow of Jezebel: A Book Review

 Hey all! I took last week off. I was working on finishing up the book I will be reviewing today since it's due. So, I'm switching things around this week, doing books today, and my life post on Thursday. Hope it's not too confusing. But now, I'm going to review In the Shadow of Jezebel by Mesu Andrews.  I received this book from Revell books in exchange for my honest review.

Back cover: Princess Jehosheba wants nothing more than to please the harsh and demanding Queen Athaliah, daughter of the notorious Queen Jezebel. Her work as a priestess in the temple of Baal seems to do the trick. But when a mysterious letter from the dead prophet Elijah predicts doom for the royal household, Jehosheba realizes that the dark arts she practices reach beyond the realm of earthly governments. To further Athaliah and Jezebel's strategies, she is forced to marry Yahweh's high priest and enters the unfamiliar world of Yahweh's temple. Can her new husband show her the truth and love she craves? And can Jehosheba overcome her fear and save the family--and the nation--she loves?

 This was the first book I read by Mesu Andrews, and I'm telling you, the title alone was intriguing! If you know anything about the Jezebel written about in the Bible, you know she wasn't good news. I actually hadn't planned to request another book to review, but when I saw this one I couldn't resist. I love Biblical fiction, and this time period of the Bible especially intrigues me.

So let's start with the characters. Jehosheba is our protagonist. She is the daughter of King Johoram of Israel, and the step daughter of his wife, Athaliah, as she was born to one of his other wives. She was adopted by Athaliah because of her lack of daughters. Jehosheba is an interesting character. At the start we are tempted to dislike her because of her unkind treatment of her maids, but as we read we learn of Sheba's fears and insecurities and discover that there is more to her than a shallow princess who worships a false god. I think the author did a fantastic job in starting and finishing Jehosheba's character arc. There's also Jehoiada the High Priest, an "angry old goat" according to many in the book. It was neat to see the story from his perspective as well, and God's plan for him revealed. Each member of the supporting cast was well-written, and held something deeper. For a while, I was even wishing for Sheba's half-brother, Ahaziah, to find the truth... even though I already knew the ending to that thanks to the word of God. Yes, I enjoyed all of the characters, but want to give special mention to the author's portrayal of Jezebel and her daughter, Athaliah. They were portrayed in such a creepy, different way. It was well done, and made me afraid to meet up with them anywhere. The downright evil seen in their souls was chilling.

 Now the plot. It was very interesting. It covered a pretty big stretch of time... but all added to the story. It was eerie learning about all the practices of worshiping the god Baal, and goddess Astarte, and uplifting to hear about worship in the temple of Yaweh. It's not often that an author can transport you back to the times of high priests, and the ark, so flawlessly, but Mrs. Andrews made me feel like it was all real. Even though I may have read the Biblical account of this many times, it is so interesting to see it written out as a story. I even enjoyed reading about Israel, in all of its depravity, and all the court intrigue kept me reading late.

 I really liked this book. It was thorough, and you could tell the author did her research. I enjoyed each small thing that was included, like the special attention to description of the High Priest's garments, etc. This book was happy, but also sad, in a way, because it reveals the depravities of a land that forsakes God, almost in the same way our country seems to want to head. At any rate, I appreciated the author's attention to detail, and her attempt to keep it Biblically accurate. I loved this story, and I recommend this for readers 15 and up.

~ a rambling author

Princess Jehosheba wants nothing more than to please the harsh and demanding Queen Athaliah, daughter of the notorious Queen Jezebel.
Her work as a priestess in the temple of Baal seems to do the trick. But when a mysterious letter from the dead prophet Elijah predicts doom for the royal household, Jehosheba realizes that the dark arts she practices reach beyond the realm of earthly governments. To further Athaliah and Jezebel’s strategies, she is forced to marry Yahweh’s high priest and enters the unfamiliar world of Yahweh’s temple. Can her new husband show her the truth and love she craves? And can Jehosheba overcome her fear and save the family–and the nation–she loves?
- See more at: http://www.mesuandrews.com/books/in-the-shadow-of-jezebel/#sthash.yMqQLMdb.dpuf

Princess Jehosheba wants nothing more than to please the harsh and demanding Queen Athaliah, daughter of the notorious Queen Jezebel.
Her work as a priestess in the temple of Baal seems to do the trick. But when a mysterious letter from the dead prophet Elijah predicts doom for the royal household, Jehosheba realizes that the dark arts she practices reach beyond the realm of earthly governments. To further Athaliah and Jezebel’s strategies, she is forced to marry Yahweh’s high priest and enters the unfamiliar world of Yahweh’s temple. Can her new husband show her the truth and love she craves? And can Jehosheba overcome her fear and save the family–and the nation–she loves?
- See more at: http://www.mesuandrews.com/books/in-the-shadow-of-jezebel/#sthash.yMqQLMdb.dpuf

Outcasts: A Book Review

I didn't get to post Thursday, so you'll be getting two book posts this week! Today, and Thursday. Anywho, I told ya'll I was reading One Realm Beyond, but something interesting happened. I temporarily misplaced that book, so I decided to take that as my cue to read Outcasts by Jill Williamson. I finished it in a couple days, so here's my review for that. I'm back to reading One Realm though. ;)  (This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.) You might want to read Captives before you read this review.

Back Cover: Since entering the Safe Lands, Mason has focused on two things: finding a way to free his village from captivity and finding a cure for the disease that ravages many within the walls of the Safe Lands. After immune-suppressive drugs go missing in the clinic, Mason discovers his coworker, Ciddah, may know more about the Safe Lands than imagined...and may have an agenda of her own. At the same time, Mason's brother Levi is focused on a way to free the remaining Glenrock captives, while Mason's younger brother, Omar, decides to take the rebellion against the Safe Lands into his own hands as a vigilante.

Soon all three brothers are being watched closely--and when Mason stumbles onto a shocking secret about the Safe Lands meds, his investigation just might get those closest to him liberated.

 This is the sequel to Captives which I reviewed a few months ago. I don't even know how to describe how much I love this book. Jill Williamson amazes me with each new book I read by her. It seems there is nothing short in her imagination. 

 Let's start with the characters... Mason was his usual adorable self, but this book escalated his cute intelligent side even higher. I never understand why the smart guys are always treated as if they aren't as good as the brawny ones. In fact, of the three brothers that are the main characters of this series, Mason is still my favorite. Levi was still being tough and commanding, but now he had even great responsibility, and it was interesting to see that play out in his character, and how he realized he had some things in his own life that needed work. Omar took this book as his way to start redeeming himself. He represented the prodigal son well, wanting to return to old life, but still stuck in the halfway point, giving in to addictions and sin. This book made me like him a little better and hope that he would find his way home, because inside, he really is just a small boy wanting to be accepted. And of course, I can't leave out Shaylinn, the final main POV character. I love Shaylinn. She's the most interesting girl character, and this book fleshed her out even more. I love how she is encouraging to everyone, and always wants to see the good in Omar, believing in him, even when he inadvertantly caused all the trials she currently is facing. All the other characters were great as well, and I enjoyed each one. 

 And the plot... well... it continued from the first book, and built, and got better, and it was really good. I can't say a lot about it without going into too much detail. But at the end of the book I had been happy, sad, angry, and all kinds of emotions. She proceeded to end it with a terrific (ha...) cliff hanger, and left me feeling sorry for myself that Rebels, the next book, isn't out yet. 

  I always take something away from Jill's books. They aren't just stories told to entertain, but they always hold deeper meaning that you can weigh, and consider. I love a book that gets me thinking and has some "meat" to it, so to speak. I'm so glad I've discovered this author who I can trust to always make me think while also providing an invigorating, fun, perplexing, wonderful read.

 Anyway, this was a great book! I recommend it to anyone fifteen and older. Here's just a word of caution. Jill wrote these book for an obviously older audience of YA readers. I would not give this book to a twelve year old. It deals with several mature things including teen pregnancy, drugs,  and promiscuous relationships. It's all important to the theme of the story, however, and the setting, which is basically a big "Vanity Fair" from Pilgrim's Progress. (Mrs. Williamson doesn't go into too much detail, however, and uses class.) As they often say, "Find pleasure in life," and many characters do, but they learn that pleasure that comes from sin isn't really pleasure at all.

 Great book!

 

What I'm Reading....

  So, I don't have a book review today, but I'll share with you what I'm reading, and it's a plus that it has a beautiful cover.

One of the things I'm trying to do with my new Book Thursdays is to share covers that are beautiful, or that appeal to me. This one definitely fits into that category. I love the color choice, and the mysteriousness of the figure on the front. It's just all so great.

 I'm reading this book to review, actually, but I must say I'm enjoying it so far. I'll finish... it's quite a chunky book. It may be next week, or two weeks from now, or... who knows? But since I'm having a good time reading it, it shouldn't take too terribly long.


What are you guys reading?

 Don't forget to ask Elric questions!

 ~ a rambling author