Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanne Bischof, 2018

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When Aven Norgaard leaves Norway to serve as housekeeper to her late husband’s cousins in Appalachia, she expects lads in need of care, not three grown men—each in need of a wife and bound by a powerful brotherhood. As the men carve out a living by brewing artisan liquor, young Haakon’s pursuit tempts Aven’s lonely spirit . . . but it is his deaf brother, Thor, whose silent strength shows her the depths of real love.

Unable to speak to any woman, Thor Norgaard never anticipates Aven will befriend him, let alone treat him as her safe harbor. Though hard cider is their livelihood and his greatest talent, he fights his way to sobriety with Haakon’s help, defying the bottle for Aven’s hand—only to face a battle of the heart that tests even the strongest bonds of brotherhood.

(341 pages)

You might think that this is just another cheesy Christian old-timey romance. To a certain extent, you would be right.

But to shove Sons of Blackbird Mountain into the same category as so many of the throw-away novels in that category doesn't really seem fair to it. Because, while I may have been a bit cynical going in, I quickly realized that Bischof has a serious gift for storytelling. Her prose is beautiful and absorbing, and the characters are drawn so well they feel like people you could actually meet in real life.

Perhaps this is because the characters are flawed. And not just the typical "stubborn and quick to righteous anger" flawed, but actually screwed-up people with struggles and challenges. Both Thor and Haakon make big mistakes at different points in the story, and there is no softening or pooh-poohing away the badness of what they do.

Along the same vein, Aven's hard background is laid out for the reader to see: her illegitimate birth in a nobleman's house, her mother's death at a young age, her childhood in a workhouse and her marriage at 17 to a Norwegian stranger who shipped her from Ireland to Norway, her husband's addiction to alcohol, etc. Plus there's an entire storyline about the KKK and their attacks on a black family close to the Norsgaards.

That's not to say that Sons of Blackbird Mountain is a depressing book, though. In fact, if anything, I'd still say it errs on the side of optimism! Thor got away with a lot of bad things when he was an alcoholic, and everyone waved away a lot of things I would have had a very hard time swallowing. I loved that he is deaf, because there are so few books out there with hard-of-hearing characters (and Bischof did an amazing job describing his lifestyle!), but I was a little taken aback by how well he and Aven connected when she literally didn't even understand sign language! Like, seriously.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed reading Sons of Blackbird Mountain even when I had to fight back an eye-roll or two at the most ridiculous plot turns. I loved the characterizations and the way nothing was sugarcoated, and I highly recommend Sons of Blackbird Mountain for those of you who are interested.

I do just have to add a trigger warning for this book, though: there are two scenes where sexual assault is implied (once it is a misunderstanding, the other time it never goes past PG-13).

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to participate in a TLC tour.

The Sisters of Sugarcreek by Cathy Liggett, 2017

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Many lives were changed the day a fire burned down Faith Community Church, devastating the small town of Sugarcreek, Ohio.Now a young Amish widow, Lydia Gruber faces an uncertain future. Her husband, a craftsman and volunteer firefighter, always took care of everything, keeping her isolated from others in their community. Without anyone or any skills, how will she survive?With the death of her beloved aunt Rose in the fire, single mom Jessica Holtz inherits Rose's Knit One Quilt Too cottage. Though determined to keep the shop open in her aunt's memory, she doesn't know the first thing about knitting and quilting and begins to see her aunt's dream slip through her fingers.When Liz Cannon lost her dear friend Rose, she also lost her partner in the Secret Stitches Society--the name they gave themselves while delivering gifts of hope to troubled folks in the dark of night. Liz convinces Jessica to keep the anonymous society going, despite the younger women's inadequacy with knitting and sewing needles. But soon Liz has problems of her own as the life she has rebuilt for herself begins to crumble again.When Liz and Jessica choose Lydia for their first mission, the three women cross paths and form an unlikely friendship in the aftermath of tragedy. As they walk together through triumph and heartbreak--through grief and new chances at love--they begin to discover that with friends by your side, a stitch of hope can be found anywhere.

(388 pages)

This was just the sort of book I needed: fluffy yet meaningful, silly yet sweet, and full of drama that took me away from the drama in my own life.

This is a very . . . busy book. There are three main characters, all of whom have their own lives to live and storylines unique from each other. They're all brought together, in a roundabout way, by a church fire from before the start of the book that stole huge chunks of each of their lives: Lydia's husband, Jess' aunt who raised her, and Liz's church community. It was very interesting to watch them all pick up the pieces, struggling in different ways as they each began to heal and move forward from the tragedy.

But to be honest, I wish the focus had stayed on grieving and moving on and all that sort of stuff. As it went along, other storylines began to be thrown in that I didn't find nearly as interesting. Each woman gets a love interest of sorts, and of varying seriousness. I thought Lydia's potential connection with her neighbor, a very nice single man, was nice. It's not given much attention, and for good reason–she's still processing through her husband's death from the fire. I appreciated that a door was opened for her in the future, but that things were pushed so quickly that Lydia would have seemed callous about her first husband. As for Jess, hers was definitely my second favorite of the three romantic storylines. I liked Derek, Jess's childhood best friend who moves back to Sugarcreek and wants to strike up the same easy friendship they used to have. The cynical side of me thinks that he's a little too perfect, and that Jess sure gets flushed and self-conscious an awful lot around him for an old childhood friendship, and that if they were really so perfect for each other they would have figured this out long before they got to their mid-thirties. But, hey, why be critical when you can enjoy yourself instead? If I let myself ignore those things, then I can see Jess and Derek's rekindled relationship for what it is: a sweet love story about childhood best friends who were always meant for each other.

As for the third romantic storyline, I have to say that I didn't much like Liz's. Her love interest, Daniel, is just as pseudo-perfect as Derek but doesn't have a sweet backstory to excuse away that fact. He's the repairman who agrees to fix Liz's kitchen ceiling (because apparently this woman is so helpless without a man in her life that she didn't notice the ceiling was literally about to collapse? Huh?). They strike up a friendship, pour their hearts out to each other over plaster of paris, and proceed to go through a dramatic series of "will they or won't they" that was too much for my stomach. I wound up flipping through a lot of their scenes, because they just felt forced and didn't interest me the way the rest of the book did.

Oh, and I can't discuss this much but the book also includes some interesting themes about both gender roles in marriage and childhood sexual assault. I'm not sure that I exactly agree with how the former was addressed, but I thought the latter was handled very delicately.

Anyway, this is getting rather long so I'll wrap it up. If you're interested, the publisher also sent me the link to some goodies related to the book that you can check out. Here they are:

· Random Acts of Kindness Cards
· Amish Friendship Bread Recipe
· Lemon Bars Recipe
· Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
· White Chocolate Chex Crunch Recipe
· Blank Recipe Card
· Blog Post

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In the Shadow of Denali by Tracie Peterson and Kimberly Woodhouse, 2017

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Cassidy Ivanoff and her father John, a wilderness guide, work at a prestigious new hotel outside Mt. McKinley. John's new apprentice, Allan Brennan, finds a friend in Cassidy, but the real reason he's here--to learn the truth about his father's death--is far more dangerous than he knows.

(320 pages)

I hadn't read a "chick flick" book in a long while, so I thought I'd shake things up a bit. I always like books about mountain climbing, and I've never read a book set in Alaska before, so In the Shadow of Denali had all the makings of a unique and grabbing read for me.

And for the most part, it was that. The characters were slightly flat, it's true, and the romance was truely cringe-worthy (and the villain ridiculously stereotypical), but those things honestly didn't bother me as much as they probably should have. The fact is that I really loved Cassidy, who was a good mixture of sweet optimism and realistic emotions. I didn't like the men quite as much (they were all a little too perfect for my taste), but reading about Cassidy's time in the kitchen, all the foods she makes and her growing friendship with the head cook Mrs. Johnson, was what kept me stuck to the story. Mrs. Johnson is probably my favorite character, actually. I can't say much about her backstory, but I really loved watching her gruff outer shell peel away over time!

It does have to be said, though, that the discussions of both romance and religion are almost uniformly hard to read throughout the book. The characters are so obnoxiously slap-you-in-the-face Christian (and so obsessed with making sure everyone thinks exactly the way they do) that it got a little old for me–even though I actually am Christian! It's not like they act like God makes life one big rose-fest, because all of the main characters grapple with some pretty scary/hard things throughout the book, but something about the discussions of faith just felt cheesy and unrealistic to me. There's also a fair bit of instalove, which anyone who has read this blog for long knows is a big pet peeve of mine. Cassidy and Allan barely know each other at all when they start having feelings for each other that they'd never had for anyone else in their entire lives. Despite the fact that they only spend minimal amounts of time with each other and don't really seem to have anything in common, we're supposed to believe they're perfect for each other. Meh. I'd rather have seen Cassidy wind up with Thomas, the seventeen-year-old kitchen boy who has a crush on her–I honestly liked him better than I did Allan, and the age difference could have easily become negligible if the authors had made Cassidy just a year or two younger!

Anyway, you wouldn't guess it from all the negativity in this review but I really did spend a few happy hours reading In the Shadow of Denali. Now that I'm writing out my thoughts I'm realizing just how many little things bugged me about the book, but when I was actually reading it I was sucked in nonetheless. I love Cassidy, Mrs. Johnson, and Thomas, and I have pretty neutral (though certainly not negative) feelings toward Allan and Cassidy's father John. I liked the basic premise of the story and the conflicts that came up, and I loved getting a look at what life was like in Alaska during the 1920s. We even get to read about President and Mrs. Harding staying at the hotel on their 1923 trip to Alaska right before the president's sudden death! I'd never even heard of President Harding, let alone known that he traveled to Alaska.

Basically, I can't recommend In the Shadow of Denali as fine literature. If you're looking for some clean, fluffy (and slightly preachy) entertainment set in a rural Alaska setting, though, then this might just be the book for you. If you do give it a try, comment below to let us know how you like it!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my review.

I Don't Wait Anymore by Grace Thornton, 2016

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In I Don’t Wait Anymore , Grace Thornton challenges readers to find their calling and purpose from God and go after it with completely committed hearts. Have you been waiting for life to turn out the way you expected?
You’re not alone.
There are lots of us out there who feel that way. Grace Thornton is one. She had dreams, plans, and ideas for what life should look like. For one, she thought she’d be married. She thought she’d have kids. She thought God would bring her the life she’d been waiting for because she knew He was good and she tried to be obedient.
But that’s not what happened. Not at all.
So she found herself wrestling with God. Who is He if He doesn’t bring along the life, husband, and 2.5 kids she thought He was supposed to? And where should she go from there?
When she got brutally honest with herself and asked the hard question, “Why do I think the world has more to offer than God does?” the answer was stunning. Her honesty led to the path God had for her. One that would write a story for her life that was even better than the one she had dreamed for herself.
This positive and encouraging book offers inspiration to anyone who wants to live a fulfilling life right now. Grace decided to let go of her expectations of the way life “should be” and grasp God’s hand for the adventure He had for her.
You can too.

(224 pages)

I had credit to get another book from the BookLook Bloggers program, but there weren't any books that I was dying to read. I decided to give I Don't Wait Anymore a go, to see what sort of peace Grace Thornton offers for people who don't wind up with spouses. I haven't exactly been waiting for a husband (I'm only seventeen!), but I've been facing a lot of crossroads when it comes to moving forward with my adult life and I was curious to think about what my life could be like if I never get married.

It turns out I Don't Wait Anymore is actually a devotional, so each chapter offers a specific Christian lesson and then has room for you to answer a specific question about your own relationship with God. I don't usually use devos (I always forget to do them), so it took me a little while to get through this one. I wound up doing it in spurts over the course of a few weeks: some days I did three, and others I did none. If you did one chapter a day, though, it would take about two weeks. There's a very pretty light-brown ribbon you can use to hold your place, and the paper itself is thick and smooth - very luxurious, and great for writing on. The pages are all white where the text is, and then a very pretty shade of light green underneath it.

So yeah, physically the book is great as a devo. What about the text itself? Well, I have to say that it's truly wonderful to see how God has blessed and shaped Grace Thornton's life. Her insights on what it means to follow God (to bring Him out of your pocket into every area of your life, and to focus on pursuing Him instead of on what you get out of Him) are convicting and thought-provoking. It's wonderful to see all of the amazing opportunities Grace has gotten (including moving to England for two years!) - opportunities she wouldn't have had if she'd been married. She also has a lot of God-loving friends (none of whom I could ever keep straight) to cheer her on, which is really great.

No book is perfect, though, and I do have a few small troubles with I Don't Wait Anymore: for one thing, every couple of pages a line or two is offset into its own paragraph, put into a slightly larger font, and made green instead of regular old black. This is done to emphasize particularly meaningful or impactful statements/thoughts, the way they do it in magazines, and it looks very pretty when you flip through the book. Here's the problem, though: you know how in magazines the lines that are made big are ones that are also still in the articles? Well, here they took lines from the devo and highlighted them right where they were. To read what Grace is trying to say, you have to read the highlighted text in context along with all of the normal-sized text surrounding it. I kept accidentally skipping over the ornamented text, though, and then I'd have to go "wait, that's not just ornamental!" and go back and read it. That got kind of annoying after a while, but it certainly wasn't a deal-breaker.

Anyway, I'm no devo expert - I've done a grand total of two in my life - but I really enjoyed this one. If you're a Christian (female or male) who struggles with finding God's plan for your life, then I highly recommend this book. It definitely made me look at my future in a whole new light.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the BookLook Bloggers program in exchange for an honest review.

Diary of a Jackwagon by Tim Hawkins and John Driver, 2015

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He s a comedian. He s a YouTube sensation. And now he becomes an author. Best known for his song parodies and riffs on yoga pants and homeschooling, Tim Hawkins now shares his perspective on life in the 21st century in his long-awaited debut book.Tim's topics are as wide-ranging as his stand-up comedy including marital communications ( Marriage needs a challenge flag, like in pro football ), worship music( Pick the right key, because I m not Barry White and I m not a Bee Gee ), and food( Eating a Krispy Kreme donut is like eating a baby angel ). Diary of a Jackwagon reveals a witty and relatable voice reminding readers that for life's many difficulties, laughter is always the best medicine when there aren't any pills left.

(224 pages)

I feel like my dad would like this book a lot more than I did.

Not that Tim Hawkins isn't funny - he is, of course. He's one of the funniest Christian comedians out there! But a lot of his jokes revolve around things I really can't relate to. I mean, I can relate to a Taylor Swift song by using my imagination. I can relate to husband-wife jokes by thinking about my parents. But I'm-a-forty-year-old-man jokes? And I-love McDonald's-food-jokes? And I-have-road-rage jokes? Yeah, I'm not using my imagination with those.

Because I'm not a forty-year-old guy, and discussions of Tim Hawkins' copious wiry back hair really doesn't appeal to me. It's actually really gross. And I hate McDonald's food, my family doesn't drink soft drinks, and we only get donuts when people who like donuts have a birthday (so, like, twice a year). And I'm a sixteen-year-old girl with a learner's permit, learning to drive in Maryland where just about everyone needs some serious road-rage counseling (like, for real - this one guy almost drove me into a ditch once, my third time out. And this mom in a minivan gave me the finger while illegally passing me because I was - *gasp* - actually going the speed limit). So jokes about all three of these categories kind of . . . miss me. Go past me. Over me. Under me. Whatever, It's too bad, because that's what a lot of the book is made up of.

But then there are the homeschooling jokes and the church jabs, and I am so totally there. He's a Christian homeschool dad pointing out some of the biggest misconceptions about homeschoolers (and some of the biggest idiosyncrasies in Christian culture), and I was a Christian homeschooled girl lapping it up. My absolute favorite part of the book was Hawkins' chart depicting all the different forms of arm-waving during worship songs (with labels such as "my fish was this big," "Rocky," and "touchdown"), which made me laugh so hard my sides ached. It felt good to laugh like that.

So yeah. Marriage, food, aging, homeschooling, and church - these are the topics of the bulk of Hawkins' book. Is he as funny in writing as he is in person (or, er, in YouTube)? No. It's impossible to get the comedic timing and inflection that he puts into his live acts. Diary of a Jackwagon is still pretty funny, though, and even though I didn't like it as much as I hoped I would, I'm still glad I got the chance to read it - and now I've passed it on to my parents, who I think will probably find it funnier than I did.

[Edit: I finished writing this post a week ago. Since then both of my parents have read it, and I think they actually disliked it.]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through the BookLook Bloggers program in exchange for an honest review.

Project Inspired by Nicole Weider, 2015

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Nicole Weider is on a mission: to help young girls avoid the traps that culture sets. The trap that baits you into thinking you must sacrifice your self-worth in order to be beautiful and popular. Nicole launched Project Inspired in 2010 (www.projectinspired.com), a website for teen girls that analyzes pop culture and explores ways girls can live in their authentic beauty.
In Project Inspired, Nicole shares tips for you to stay true to yourself--to how you were created to be--as well as how to dress modestly yet fashionably, how to make a positive difference in the world, and how to enjoy your teen years while standing firm in your faith. With photographs, real behind-the-scenes stories from inside the fashion world, and an honest look at living a life that looks great on the outside and feels great on the inside, Project Inspired is a book you'll turn to time and time again.

(176 pages)

This isn't really what I was expecting. I requested it from a Christian book catalog, but the synopsis doesn't really sound that religious so I thought it was going to be mostly more general advice, not Christian-specific. That doesn't mean I'm not the target audience (after all, I am very much a Christian teenage girl!), but it does mean my blog isn't quite the target I thought it would be - I try not to stray too far into Christian books when I do my reviews, but oh, well. Non-Christian readers, just skip over this one, I guess.

Anyway, on the whole I really liked Nicole's tips. At times they seemed kind of random (and in the beginning I thought the entire book would be full of outfit tips!), but she makes a lot of great points. I can't say that all of the fashion terms really registered with me (what the heck is a "studded cross body" purse? And who actually worries about the oils in her hands being bad for her face?), but I think that's just because I'm not nearly as dressy as a lot of my peers. A few days after reading Project Inspired I was sorting through all of my clothes, getting rid of those that don't fit or that were too heavy for summer (yes, I waited until August to put aside my winter clothes). I found myself thinking about some of her tips as I considered what outfits I could make with the leftover clothes, and whether I needed to buy any more (the answer: yes. After getting rid of all the winter clothes, I have like ten tops, five skirts, and four pants. I put them all on hangars and they didn't even fill up my closet).

With the life and faith advice, I appreciated that Nicole was very nonjudgemental, and very focused on God's forgiveness. I didn't agree with her on a few points (for example, she believes gender roles are necessary in healthy relationships), but on the whole she had a lot of strong advice about staying pure, actively cultivating strong friendships, and looking for good boyfriends/husbands. I checked out her website very briefly, and found a lot of really great advice (and some I, again, was a little meh about) couched in very loving terms. I believe Nicole honestly has a passion for helping girls "enjoy [their] teen years while still standing firm in [their] faith."

So yeah. I might refer back to Project Inspired in the future for some clothing tips as I work on sprucing up my wardrobe, but I don't think I'll be frequenting the website with any regularity. I love the idea of it, though, and may check back now and then just to see what sort of things people are talking about. I don't know if I'd really recommend this to anyone, but I certainly wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it, either - and if one of my friends is interested by my copy, I'll probably just give it to her.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through the BookLook Bloggers program in exchange for an honest review.

Honoring God in Red or Blue by Amy E. Black, 2012

Note: Before I post this review, I want to make a public service announcement. The fine people over at Bookshop Talk are throwing a huge giveaway where you can win up to ten books of your choice! Mention I sent you and I get an extra entry. Pretty please? *puppy dog eyes* I want to win a copy of Shannon Hale's Princess Academy: The Forgotten Sisters, because my lousy not-so-nice library doesn't carry it.

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Politics isn't a four-letter word.
Everyone's been at that dinner party. The conversation takes a political turn. The arguments start, the atmosphere grows tense, and all that remains is a hopeless stalemate and an awkward silence. Makes you wonder . . . is thoughtful and productive dialogue about politics even possible?
In Honoring God in the Red or Blue, Dr. Amy Black addresses the debaters as well as those intimidated or annoyed by the debaters; political junkies and the contented uninvolved. She explains the purposes and limitations of our system and helps readers create realistic expectations for government. While God's truth is perfect, human application of it is not, a reality that shouldn't deter us from engaging in debate and staying informed. Rather, it should challenge us to raise our standards for how we speak about the issues-and those in office. It's time to approach political divides with an extra measure of grace. Success begins with seeking God's honor first and foremost, regardless of where we fall on the political spectrum. Don't limit yourself to chatting about the weather.
(208 pages)

I chose this book partly out of curiosity and partly out of an ornery desire to read a book I didn't like, just so I could write a bad review when it started telling me how to vote to be a good Christian. No, I don't normally pick out books so I can give them a bad review - that would be really nasty! I was just in a controversial mood because of some stuff in my personal life (one word: evolution), and wanted to take someone to task for their "holier than thou," "God is on my side" attitude.

Unfortunately for me, this really isn't a book I can write that review for. To be fair, though, I don't really feel the need to write that review anymore either, so that works out well. I actually really loved the attitude Black takes in the book: she reminds the reader again and again that compromise is key, that nobody knows for a fact what God's stance is on each and every political issue, and that demonizing opposing opinions is the opposite of showing 1 Corinthians love for our fellow man.

Okay, so I love Black's stance on the whole political tangle. What I didn't love so much was all the detailed explanations. The whole middle of the book focuses on explaining the government system, the  political parties, some of the main views of what Christian participation in politics should look like, and more. The explanations are very informative, but they make the whole book drag for someone who already knows some of the material, and doesn't care about the rest. 

However, I wouldn't write the book off for its slow middle because I'm sure lots of people would find it very helpful. If you're looking for something that will give you the tools necessary to form your own opinions, then this is the book for you. It lists out websites and resources you can use to verify facts and wade through propoganda, and I'll definitely be using some of them during the next presidential election. There's nothing I hate more than being told to think a certain way just because someone else did the thinking for me, so I love how Honoring God provides tools to help me understand what's going on and form my own opinion, instead of just accepting everything at face value.

All in all, this is a great book for someone who wants to approach politics with an open mind and a willing heart. I seriously doubt that anyone, no matter what their political views, could take offense at anything Black says. It's a great book because everyone can get something from it, and come away with a better attitude toward people with opposing views. It's a great starting place for cultivating critical thinking and in politics, and one that I will most likely turn to as a resource when it's time for me to vote.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Leaving Fishers by Margaret Peterson Haddix,1997

Synopsis (click the cover to view the book on Goodreads):
Dorry is unbearably lonely at her new high school until she meets Angela and her circle of friends. She soon discovers they all belong to a religious group, the Fishers of Men. At first, as Dorry becomes involved with the Fishers, she is eager to fit in and flattered by her new friends' attention.

But the Fishers make harsh demands of their members, and Dorry must make greater and greater sacrifices. In demonstrating her devotion, Dorry finds herself compromising her grades, her job, and even her family's love. How much is too much? And where will the cult's demands end? 
(272 pages)

I first read this book many years ago while reading all of Haddix's books, and then I wound up getting it for Christmas from my parents (who took me to a bookstore, let me pick out a bunch of books to buy, then paid for them and hid them until Christmas). I enjoyed rereading this old book - no, I don't think "enjoyed" is the right word. I "liked" getting to read it again, I'll say that. It's not really so much of an "enjoyable" read - it's more of a "meaningful, thought-provoking" read.

First, it's kind of misleading of the synopsis to refer to the Fishers as a cult. Dorry doesn't realize it's a cult throughout the majority of the book; she has been brainwashed into believing she is a member of the true church, carrying out God's mission on Earth. It is fascinating being inside Dorry's mind, watching how the Fishers manipulate Dorry into submission to their customs over the course of several months. Of course, I'm sitting there mentally screaming, "Quit doing what you're told! No, don't feel like a bad Christian because you didn't fast on Thanksgiving!" But even though it seemed obvious to me that the FIshers were a cult (partly because the synopsis refers to it as "the cult"), I could still understand every step of Dorry's journey, could see how the Fishers made her believe she was on the right path to Heaven.

Approaching this book as a Christian, I found it fascinating to see my religion twisted around and skewed: many truths were actually used correctly to draw Dorry in (truths about the love of Jesus and the interdependance of the body of Christ), but as she went deeper into Fishers they told her more and more lies in a way that sounded like truth.

I don't think you need to be a Christian to read this book, because it's still a fascinating look at the phsycology involved in joining a cult. If you're at all interested in cults, then this is the book for you.

DragonSpell by Donita K Paul, 2004

One Dragon Egg Holds the Key to the Future.

Once a slave, Kale is given the unexpected opportunity to become a servant to Paladin. Yet this young girl has much to learn about the difference between slavery and service.

A Desperate Search Begins…

A small band of Paladin’s servants rescue Kale from danger but turn her from her destination: The Hall, where she was to be trained. Feeling afraid and unprepared, Kale embarks on a perilous quest to find the meech dragon egg stolen by the foul Wizard Risto. First, she and her comrades must find Wizard Fenworth. But their journey is threatened when a key member of the party is captured, leaving the remaining companions to find Fenworth, attempt an impossible rescue, and recover the egg whose true value they have not begun to suspect… 

This is a great book for any fantasy lover.

I'm going to say that right now. If you are not a Christian, that does not exclude you from these great books, but if you are a Christian, they're that much better.

Kale is the proverbial orphan, down-on-her luck and unconfident in herself. She found a rare dragon egg in her home town, and is now on her way to deliver it to the great scholars of Wulder (a great creator parallel to God) for them to take care of. She is bright, lovable and sweet, and but she also can be clumsy, unconfident to the point of crippling herself, and over-dependant on her feelings rather than the council of older and wiser people. 

She is waylayed on her journey and told she must travel another path, and along the way she discovers secrets about her family and her abilities that she never knew before, learning to know Wulder and Paladin (A Jesus equivalent) in the process. 

This is a very richly imagined world, with dragons as well as Doneels, O'rants, and Emerlindians (all races you will soon learn to know and love). It is wonderfully written and a fantastic start to a series I have read many, many times over the past few years. When it comes to Christian fantasy this is some of the best I've found.

For those of you who like romance, this series does have some. By the end of the series - well, I won't spoil it, but SOMEONE might just be married. For those who don't like romance, this book has none and the books that do have it are not overpowering. A wonderful, well-balanced book for any reader, I completely and whole-heartedly reccomend these books to any who is interested!