Review: Hydrostatic: Level of Fire by C.M. Blackburn

Hydrostatic: Level of Fire

by C.M. Blackburn

Everyone plays computer games, but what happens when the computer game plays you? Joe, Lottie, and Zac only mean to try a new game downloaded from the Internet, but find themselves literally sucked in. Soon they find themselves having to beat the traps and puzzles with all the others trapped inside the game. The only way to escape is to play the game through, but they only have one life..! 

Hydrostatic – Level of Fire is part one of a series where the children have to find out who has written the game, why it is trapping children there, and beat him both in the real and the virtual worlds. 

My Take:

When Joe downloads a secret new game he heard about in an online chat room, his brother Zac can't resist helping him defeat it. The burning lava and rolling boulders appear to be too hard a trap to beat alone. But when they key in a cheat code that appears at the bottom of the screen, they are digitized and sucked into the game, along with their sister Lottie, struggling just to survive. As Zac uses his knowledge of video game mechanics to defeat deadly trap after deadly trap, the three kids realize that the sadistic game has trapped other kids in it, and that if they are going to escape the virtual death trap, they will all have to work together.

The problem is that, in a video game, you usually have extra lives. But in this one, you only have one. And if you die, you're stuck in the game... forever!

Content:

Drug Content:

G - none, unless you consider video games a drup. Which they can be. ;-)

Violence:

PG - Burning lava, crushing boulders, swinging bladed pendulums, arrow and spike traps. The usual fare for video games, but the damage, the pain, and the blood in this game are very real. One injury nearly kills a character.

Language:

G - squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

G - This is a preteen kids book, no worries on this front.

Christian content:

Nada. The kids learn some valuable lessons about sticking together, about leaving nobody behind, and the responsibility of sacrificing for the greater good. Hopelessness, fear, and despair are met with encouragement, exhortation, and courage. While the book doesn't give a nod to faith of any kind, it does emphasize how these siblings look out for one another, no matter the cost.

Final analysis:

Weighing in at just over 100pp paperback, this MG scifi-fantasy was a quick read. While it read in parts like a walkthrough of a custom Minecraft level, or a hi-res VR version of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the stakes couldn't be higher, and the kids were very aware of it. The characters were believable and likable, and the action was intense in places. The book was obviously geared for MG readers ages 9-12, and would be enjoyable for them, but teens might find the book a bit young for their tastes. Some plot twists made the story line intriguing, and I found the ending satisfying. Five Stars!

Review: Incursion (Catalyst Moon #1) by Lauren L. Garcia

Incursion (Catalyst Moon #1)

by Lauren L. Garcia 

The One god shaped the world to exist in perfect harmony...until Seren, the second moon appeared, bringing magic and throwing humanity into chaos. Now, mages are captives, guarded by high walls and highly-trained sentinels, men and women who ingest a dangerous substance to gain an immunity to magic. Only then can they protect the world from the magic-users and abide by their oath: Honor. Service. Sacrifice. Kali, a crippled mage, travels to Whitewater City to meet with a powerful healer. When her sentinel escort is decimated by monstrous bandits, she is left in the company of a single sentinel, Stonewall, a man with nothing left but his chosen name and his faith in the gods. Together, they must survive demonic creatures, bloodthirsty nomads, and a strange magic never seen before. But with every strife comes a discovery of new landscapes within each other's hearts.

My Take:

Kalinda Halcyon is a mage crippled by a childhood injury, a magic user kept locked in a bastion to protect the rest of the world from her and those like her. When a letter from an old childhood friend offers a possibility of healing for her injury, she leaves under guard by two squads of Sentinels to travel to Whitewater, wearing handcuffs of hematite and treated like a dangerous criminal.

While in transit, the carriage and guard are attacked by a band of Canderi raiders, not the usual ilk after a mage's blood to use in healing, but ones that move and fight like raging rabid animals, with eyes that glow like stars. Although the small band of raiders should be easy work for two squads of trained and fully armed Sentinels, the guard is quickly overwhelmed and slaughtered, and only the quick thinking of the sentinel Stonewall, and some errant magic from Kalinda, help them escape, alone. 

Now, magically transported several days' journey in the wrong direction, Stonewall and Kali attempt to complete their journey and report the incident with the demon-possessed raiders, while dealing with their own embedded distrust and innate fear of one another.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - A fair amount of drinking occurs, some to excess. Hematite is used as an addictive and slowly deadly poison, that the Sentinels drink to prevent vulnerability to magic, and aid in strength and stamina in battle.

Violence:

PG-13 - The possessed Calderi have a penchant for ripping their enemies to pieces. Several citizens are wounded with badly festering gangrenous and deadly wounds, nearly at death's door, and Kali uses almost all her life force healing them. A soldier's helmet is turned red-hot, burning his scalp and partially blinding him. Some wounds are described in a bit of detail, but it's not gratuitous.

Language:

R - the F bomb is dropped 17 times, and other profanity is scattered throughout. 

Adult Content:

PG-13 Some passionate kissing occurs in several places, and there's a steamy encounter.

Christian content:

None. The sentinels and many of the townsfolk believe in a One true god, but they also believe in many sub-gods, similar to some early pagan religions. The sentinels appear devout, and sometimes offer small sacrifices to them at travelers' cairns. There is a prolonged conversation between the sentinel and the mage, who is a non-believer, about the merits of faith vs unbelief. Internal dialog (thoughts) describe both party's decisions not to drive the other away by attempting to force their views on an unwilling party. Deliverance by the One god is referenced in several situations. A people group is oppressed and subjugated, and the wrongness of this is discussed multiple times.

Final analysis:

Incursion was an action-packed adventure with some solid truths to convey, along with good character development and a gripping plot. The stakes were set high, and some mysteries were left unsolved, leaving plenty of room for the reader to salivate over the next book. The antagonists, such that they were, were well developed also, and even the minor characters, along for only a chapter or so, had depth and a character arc.

I was impressed with the quality of writing in this book, although the profanity was a bit off-putting, and the paganism was an issue I'd want to discuss with my teens if they read this. There's good discussion points in several places along the journey, and the questions raised by the novel are issues we must all deal with - issues of faith, family, loss, class distinction and hatred of those different than ourselves. Good character development and depth, action throughout, immersive world-building, Five Stars!

About the Author:
I've has been a storyteller all my life. I started writing down my stories at the age of twelve; two decades and over two million words later, I'm still going. My writing process often begins with a question: what if? Hot on the heels of those two words, other questions like “how?” and “why?” will follow. Inspiration comes from everywhere, though music compels my muse like nothing else. Sometimes a song will strike me, and I won't know why until I'm working on a particular character or scene; then, everything will crystallize in my mind. “Of course! This is how it should go.” 

My work is extremely character-driven; they are the heart and soul of my stories, and much of my story crafting is centered around them. As a matter of fact, In addition to Incursion and its subsequent stories, (tentatively titled Breach, Storm, and Surrender), I have about four or five other stories outlined, taking place at various points in the world's history, with more ideas in the awnings. My hope is to create a fantasy world of dazzling breadth, so stick around. The fun is just beginning. :)

In addition to living in various fantasy worlds of my own making, I earned a BA in English Literature and married my high school sweetheart. I live in North Florida with my husband, and enjoy hiking, weightlifting, kayaking, looking at pictures of food, and dancing at music festivals. 

Review: An Empire in Runes (The Runes of Issalia #3) by Jeffrey L. Kohanek

An Empire in Runes (The Runes of Issalia #3)

by Jeffrey L. Kohanek

A Long Forgotten Magic That Might Save the World…Or Destroy It

Led by a boy named Brock, a small team of teens urgently assembles a force to confront an army of monsters, one that ravages and destroys anyone or anything in its path. 

In a race against time, Brock attempts to train a group of recruits to wield the powerful magic known as Chaos, a magic that he himself is still learning to master. All the while, they must remain vigilant against a secret organization within the Ministry that will do anything to prevent the return of Chaos.

As foretold by an ancient prophecy, the human army must face and defeat their ancient enemy on the Tantarri Plains. For if they fail, all will be lost.

My Take:

When Brock Talenz, member of an outcast class known as the Unchosen, pays to have a rune tattooed into his forehead to mark him as Chosen instead, he unwittingly embarks on a journey not just to save himself from a life of starvation and poverty, but to save the world. A world that is governed by those who resist saving at every step. Brock soon discovers that he can wield a powerful magic known as Chaos, a magic too unpredictable and powerful to be considered 'safe' - a power banished hundreds of years ago, its very memory stamped out.

In a race against time, Brock must gather what forces he can, from all corners of Issalia, to face an invading horde of giant monsters, Banshees ten feet tall with razor sharp claws, who can freeze their enemies with fear by simply screaming at them. But can he stay ahead of The Hand, the mysterious secret organization bent on stamping out Chaos?

As the final showdown battle looms dark on the horizon, Brock gathers Unchosen Chaos-wielders beside the Tantarri raiders of the plains, and the remnants of the Holy Army of Issal for a last stand against impossible odds...

Content:

Drug Content:

G - Some drinking occurs, very light.

Violence:

PG-13 - The Banshees use razor-sharp talons to rip faces off, slice people in pieces. Banshees are decapitated pretty often, and have a habit of bashing people's heads together. Fireballs and bombs set enemies on fire, war is pretty violent. The Banshees also eat people, sometimes while they are alive.

Language:

G - squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

PG - Some kissing, and a few off screen assignations. There's a girl vying for another girl's boyfriend, wearing revealing clothing to get him interested.   

Christian content:

None. Most of the religion in the book centers around the god Issal, who developed the runes and the power behind them. While no specific prayers are voiced or quoted directly to Issal, praying to the god happens quite frequently in the novel. Many characters depend on their faith in this god, others are not really believers in anything but their own abilities. 

Final analysis:

I must say, I looked forward to this third installment in the Runes of Issalia. It did not disappoint. Like the other two books in the series, the action was rapid fire and the characters well-developed. The stakes could not have been higher, the plot solid and constantly twisting. I read most of this in one sitting, and that's saying a lot as it weighed in at 286 pp paperback. fast-paced, immersive, edge-of-the-seat action, I couldn't put it down! Five Stars!

About the Author:

Jeffrey L. Kohanek grew up in rural Minnesota where comic books sparked his young imagination, inspiring fantasies of heroes with super-powers saving the day. His tastes later evolved to fantasy epics featuring unlikely heroes overcoming impossible odds to save worlds born from the writer's imagination.

Now residing in southern California, Jeff uses that imagination to weave tales of engaging characters caught in fantastic plots to inspire young adults and the child within us all.

Review: Katana Shodan: The Scroll of the Five Masters (Katana #1) by Ken Warner

Katana Shodan: The Scroll of the Five Masters (Katana #1)

by Ken Warner

An evil lord has risen: Can Katana uncover his identity before he becomes immortal? 

Something strange happens when Katana tests for her Black Belt: she stops several attackers using only her chi. Master Osaka sends her away to the Hall of the Dragon to learn to use and control her power. Soon after her arrival, a mysterious band of warriors tries to steal the Scroll of the Five Masters, which contains the key to immortality. Katana learns that they are the Arashi, a secret society that preserves the dark art of dim mak. 

It was believed that knowledge of the art’s highest power, the death touch, was taken to the grave by its ancient master. But now a new dim mak master has risen, commanding a power even more terrifying than the death touch—and he will stop at nothing to obtain the Scroll of the Five Masters. In the end, it’s up to Katana to confront this new enemy and uncover the shocking truth of his identity.

My Take:

Katana Kahanu lost her parents not long after she was born in a fiery car crash in Hawaii. So she grew up in Vermont with her aunt. Tutored for many years in kempo karate at a dojo by Master Osaka, she unintentionally uses her chi to deflect her attackers during her trials for her black belt.

Master Osaka sends her away to the Hall of the Dragon to learn to use and control her newfound powers. The Hall teaches five different disciplines - kempo, tae kwon do, wushu (kung fu), aikido, and tai chi. The secrets of these disciplines in contained in a hidden scroll, the Scroll of the Five Masters.

Not long after she arrives, a mysterious group of Arashi warriors appear in the courtyard, trying to break into the hall to steal the Scroll of the Five Masters. The scroll, it appears, contains the secret of immortality, for anyone who can master all five disciplines. The Arashi are a secret society that preserve the dark art of dim mak.

Dim Mak's highest talent, the Death Touch, was lost when the Arashi leader Jaaku was killed a century ago. But now a new dim mak master has arisen, with a power greater than even the Death Touch, and he will stop at nothing to get the scroll and achieve immortality.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG-13 - several students use pot. It is cast in a very negative light, and there are consequences.

Violence:

PG - Most of the violence that occurs in this book is during matches, and while it might cause bruises or broken bones, it's usually light. However, one character dies when his neck is snapped, several are turned to dust by the Death Touch.

Language:

G - squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

G - Other than a slight bit of early teen angst, and references to two characters liking each other, there's no kissing, or anything beyond.   

Christian content:

None. While there's a lot of discussion about chi and the abilities it provides, the requirement of it for life and it's flow through the body, it's never really tied to it's Eastern Mysticism faith, that I recall. As a martial arts centered novel, that's not unexpected. The importance of friendship, honesty, loyalty, and trust play a large part in this book, as well as self-sacrifice. 

Final analysis:

This was an exciting ride. The martial arts were well-described and the chi abilities thought out and almost plausible. I could seriously see myself at some of those martial arts competitions, and the action sequences described in the battles with the Aroshi had me there in the thick of it. The settings were reasonably immersive, and the main characters had good dimension and were easy to identify with. The antagonists were pretty well fleshed out too, the action was excellent, and the pacing was steady. The stakes were high, the plot well constructed, and a good set of moral lessons packed in for good measure. Five Stars!

About the Author:
Ken Warner grew up reading science fiction and fantasy. His favorites at an early age were The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. When he began his martial arts training in high school, he heard many myths and legends about masters who possessed mysterious powers, typically attributed to their internal chi energy. He often thought these legends would make a great story.

Ken dabbled in creative writing while still attending Notre Dame High School in West Haven, CT, completing several short stories. He attempted his first novel while a student at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, but never completed it. He always wished someone would write an epic fantasy series drawing from the vast mythology of the martial arts world. Nobody ever did, so he finally began planning such a series himself in 2005. The story revolves around Katana Kahanu, and the special relationship she shares with her teacher, Master Osaka.

Ken wrote the first book, Katana Shodan: The Scroll of the Five Masters in November of 2006. In December of the same year, he wrote the second novel, Katana Nidan: The Unwritten Koan. He completed the first draft in only ten days. Since then, he has finished the entire Katana series, as well as several other novels and short stories.

Ken graduated from Wesleyan University in 1993 with a BA in English and astronomy. He holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in the art of Kempo Karate. He has also trained extensively in traditional Chinese Kung Fu. From 2006 until 2012, he was the assistant coach for 100 Percent Performance, a sport karate team that became one of the most successful in history. The team won the ISKA World Championship for Team Demo in 2009, 2010 and 2011. These performances were televised on ESPN2.

Review: Dejado de lado - Left Out by Gabriela Arellano

Dejado de lado - Left Out

by Gabriela Arellano 

(ENGLISH) Kena's birthday is coming. The cub invites all his classmates to his party, except one: Bako. Kena's mom intervenes to have Bako invited as well.
At the end, Kena realizes that a single act of friendship can lead to a beautiful outcome.

(ESPAÑOL) El cumpleaños de Kena se aproxima. El cachorro invita a todos sus compañeros a su fiesta, excepto a uno: Bako. La mamá de Kena interviene para que Bako sea invitado también. Al final, Kena descubre que un sólo gesto de amistad puede conducir a bellos resultados.


My Take:
Dejado de Lado, or, Left Out, by Gabriela Arellano, is a delightful tale involving Kena the Hyena and his upcoming birthday. He's invited everybody who's anybody, but he refuses to invite one classmate: Bako. Kena's mom hatches a plan to make sure Bako gets invited. 

Content:
Well, this is a children's picture book, and is squeaky clean on every level. The main issue that is covered in this beautiful little book is the idea that excluding someone can be cruel, and one should consider the feelings of others. Also in the mix is the hope that when you reach out to the kid who doesn't quite seem to belong, a glorious friendship can develop, and a child invited into a circle has a better and happier future than the one who has to deal with everyone else's back.

The side-by-side dual language format, Espanol beside English, makes this book, like all the books in the Kena the Hyena series, an excellent language tool for both English and Spanish. 

Unfortunately it appears the book is currently not in print. Here's hoping it becomes available. It would make a good addition to most preschool and first-grade classrooms. Five Stars!

About the Author:
(ENGLISH) I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Down there, I studied Majors in Literature and Law. In the United States I taught Spanish in a Montessori school grades 1-12. I'm also a prolific author of several blogs in English and Spanish.

I always wanted to be a writer, and I've written hundreds of unpublished poems and tales since age 8. But it took an additional uprooting experience to finally burst me into a real writer activity. As a mother of a bilingual child I was desperately digging into the major libraries looking for good quality reading material in English and Spanish. I was looking for books that had both languages in the same text. The experience was quite frustrating because of the small number of titles published and the deficiency in their artistic quality, or due to the extreme simplicity of their plots (presumably fit for children 5-year-old and younger, but not for my elementary student daughter). I shared my experience with other mothers of US origin, and found that many of them wanted to teach Spanish to their children, but lamented the lack of sufficient English/Spanish bilingual quality literature. Consequently, I decided to write the books for my child by myself and also put them in the market for those who feel are facing the same kind of literature vacuum.

(ESPAÑOL) Nací en Buenos Aires, Argentina y actualmente estoy radicada en Nevada, Estados Unidos. En Argentina. estudié en la Universidad de Buenos Aires las carreras de Letras y Abogacía. En los Estados Unidos enseñé español en una escuela Montessori para los niveles de primaria y secundaria. También soy una prolífera autora de varios blogs en español e inglés.

Siempre quise ser una escritora, y desde los 8 años he escrito cientos de cuentos y poemas que no han sido publicados. Ya a los 40 años de edad, la experiencia personal del desarraigo, viviendo a 5000 km de mi país natal, y el deseo de proveer a mi hija una educación bilingüe, finalmente me decidió a asumir más activamente la tarea de escritora. Viviendo en los Estados Unidos, y con pocos libros en Español para leer a mi hija, comencé a frecuentar regularmente las cadenas de librerías más grandes de los Estados Unidos buscando material de lectura en español e inglés en un mismo texto. La experiencia fue bastante frustrante debido al escaso número de títulos publicados y a la deficiencia en su calidad artística. Asimismo, comenté mi experiencia con otras madres de origen estadounidense y muchas de ellas me manifestaron su deseo de enseñar español a sus hijos pero se lamentaron de la carencia de suficiente literatura bilingüe español/ inglés de calidad. Así que decidí escribir por mí misma los libros bilingües a dos columnas para mi hija, y también ofrecerlos en el mercado para aquellos padres que como yo sienten que existe un vacío en el mercado de libros bilingües para niños en edad de escuela elemental.
Espero poder ayudar a los niños de otros padres a moverse al siguiente nivel de lectura y comprensión de narrativas en su segunda lengua.

Review: Soul Set Free (The Roman Soul #2) by Reagan Colbert

Soul Set Free (The Roman Soul #2)

by Reagan Colbert

"Marcus quickly descended the steps as the heavy door was shut and barred behind him. His plan was to rush back to his original post, praying the entire way that Justus had not discovered his absence.
He took two steps forward, and felt a firm hand on his shoulder. A rush of panic swept through him. With a desperate prayer on his lips, Marcus whipped around to face whoever it was, and in the darkness saw only two eyes and a glint of armor."

Two weeks after receiving forgiveness from the Man he had crucified, Marcus has committed his soul to the Son of God. But he knows that his time as a secret disciple is limited, and that he can only keep his soul hidden for so long.
Not even Justus knows of his conversion, but it soon becomes clear that Marcus can no longer remain a soldier. His decision leads him on yet another journey, this time fearing for his very life. Each turn takes him to places he never could have imagined, all on a quest to again see the disciples, and perhaps even Christ Himself.
Through the obstacles of his newfound faith, will Marcus' soul finally be set free?

My Take:

When Marcus, a Roman soldier, becomes a believer in Jesus, he knows the cost. Death. Once discovered, his only future would be disgrace and execution at the hands of those who shared his quarters. Roman soldiers were required to worship only the Roman gods. Yet, despite the fact that his were the hands that drove the nails that hung Jesus on a cross, this Jesus, risen from the dead before his very eyes, forgave him. The love pouring out from the Son of God had penetrated the hidden soul of the battle-hardened Roman centurion, and he would never be the same.

Marcus could not keep his secret for long from his best friend and fellow soldier, Justus. But Justus was loyal to Rome, a model soldier, and there was no doubt that he would turn Marcus over to be executed, despite their friendship.

Content:

Drug Content:

G - Very little drinking is depicted, and what is, is not to excess. 

Violence:

PG - A soldier is wounded, bleeding profusely.  

Language:

G - Squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

G - Arranged marriage is discussed briefly. Propriety is honored in travelling.   

Christian content:

This is a biblical retelling of the aftermath of the resurrection of Jesus through the eyes of a converted Roman centurion who witnessed the death, burial, and resurrection of the Son of God. It is liberally dosed with prayer, faith, poignant passages concerning salvation. The cost of following Jesus is discussed frankly, and the risks are accurately depicted, as well as the divine protection and provision of God. It is solidly Christian. 

Final analysis:

Reagan Colbert has done it again. The characters, their trials and struggles, are real, as is their faith and devotion. The antagonists, too, are three-dimensional. The setting is realistic, the pace is steady, and the action gripping. The stakes are high, and the message is abundantly clear. This novella is, as the first one, packed with action, adventure, and a solid Christian message. God loves us, and wants to set us free. Five Stars!

About the Author:

Reagan Colbert is a fiction author with a driving passion to bring glory to the name of Christ. When she was fourteen years old, the Lord gave her the call to be a writer, and she has followed her calling with a passion ever since. 

In 2015 she finally started her author blog, www.fiction4hisglory.com, but could not have predicted where God would bring her. In just six months her blog was picked up by other Christian bloggers, and that was when the Lord decided (much to her amazement) to hand her a book. Through unbelievable obstacles, that book, "The Hidden Soul" was published on Amazon in April of 2016, two days after her nineteenth birthday.

Three months later, "The Hidden Soul" had gained a unanimous five-star rating, and she published the sequel, "Soul Set Free".

Her life's mission is summed up in the one verse that she always comes back to: "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men." ~ Colossians 3:23

Review: Land of the Two Rivers: A Novel of Shinar (The Children of Ararat #2) by Scott R. Rezer

Land of the Two Rivers: A Novel of Shinar(The Children of Ararat #2)

by Scott R. Rezer

One family survived a cataclysm...
Their descendants rebuilt the world...
Their names grew into myth and legend...

In the world born after the Flood, the old ways have begun to reawaken; knowledge of the one True God has dwindled to only a faithful few. Slowly, the prophecy of Noach begins to cast its long shadow across the lives of his childrens' children, affecting the lives of generations yet to come. But when a brilliant star appears in the heavens like a newborn sun, will it herald the fulfillment of their long-awaited hopes... or will it usher in the dawn of a new age of wickedness and rebellion?

My Take:

In the centuries following the world-wide cataclysm known as the Great Flood, patriarchs such as Noah and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, rub shoulders with their fourth and fifth-generation descendants. As their offspring multiply and spread out, replenishing the earth, the old wickedness, thought dead and gone by the flood, begins to rear its head again, and whispers of the Nephilim, descendants of demons, return to haunt men's dreams. 

In this masterfully crafted epic novel concerning Arphaxad, descendant of Shem, and Cush, belief in the one true God Yahweh has once again dwindled to a scant remnant, while old beliefs from before the flood resurface strongly, with their pagan rituals, blood sacrifices, mystical powers and hedonistic sexual rites.

Follow Arphaxad as he struggles to have faith in his Kenaanite steward accused of murder, and Gomer, whose devotion to an outcast produces tragedy and death; travel with Cush, who learns of antediluvian powers while pursuing a son headlong into an appointment with destiny. 

Content:

Drug Content:

PG-13 - In one scene a pair of naked drunken lovers careen into Arphaxad. A town of drunken men turn very deadly. Wine is a common beverage, but is rarely depicted in excess.

Violence:

R - A man is tortured to death, a kidnapping turns sour and a character is nearly stabbed to death. The wound turns gangrenous. A man is beaten nearly to death, flies infest the wounds. A man is shot in the head with an arrow, the description is somewhat graphic. Some people are burned to death, their homes engulfed in flames. A man is shot in the throat with an arrow. 

Language:

G - Squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

PG-13 - As stated earlier some drunken naked lovers run by. There are several mentions of the priestesses and their sexual rites, though none graphic.   

Christian content:

Faith, redemption, the sanctity of human life, even salvation and the promise of a coming Redeemer, play heavily throughout this work. While false religions get almost equal time on stage, the spiritual wickedness and demonic influences behind them is abundantly clear. The darkness of hatred, murder, and race war is set in contrast to redemption, self-sacrifice, trust, hope, and love across any boundaries and against all odds. This is a faith-filled book and the hope of a Redeemer is clear. 

Final analysis:

This work was an amazingly immersive plunge into the past. Scenery was three dimensional, characters were well developed, the stakes were very high and the plot gripping. Faith played center stage, while God's protection and battle with darkness was depicted through plot rather than on-screen. While at times the pace seemed a bit slow, the story was involving and the characters real and the plot riveting. Five Stars!

About the Author:

Scott R. Rezer was born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania in 1963. He met his wife and best friend while serving in the U.S. Air Force. They have two grown children and live in the Southwest. He is an indie published author of six historical fiction novels ranging from the Civil War to the Crusades to ancient history. Two of his books have garnered Editor's Choice selections by the Historical Novel Society (The Leper King and Shadow of the Mountain).