Tag: book review

The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest: A BookLook Blogger Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Fairy tales are my new favorite genre since discovering Melanie Dickerson’s books. I never really thought about fairy tales for adults even though some of my favorite movies are these classic stories. I was eagerly anticipating her newest installment and was not a bit disappointed!

This story centers around Odette, the orphaned daughter of a wealthy merchant being raised by her uncle and burdened in her heart for the other poor children and orphans of her village. During the day Odette teaches and trains the littlest ones ignored by most of society. At night she illegally poaches from the King’s forest to help feed the destitute. She remembers very well the pain of losing her parents as well as what it was like to beg, steal, and live without while she waited for her uncle to come claim her.

Odette is passionate and beautiful, desired by many men in her village, but her uncle has allowed her the freedom to choose whom she will marry rather than force an unwanted man upon her. Enter Jorgan: The forester to the Margrave who is out to seek revenge for his adopted father’s death by a poacher. Circumstance brings them together and attraction keeps them seeking one another’s company, but the complicated matter of Odette’s nighttime occupations presents a very real problem, not to mention danger.

As usual with Dickerson’s novels I was drawn into the story within just the first few paragraphs. I loved that Odette was more than just a pretty face and in fact is irritated by those who only see her outward appearance and nothing more. She is more super hero than fair maiden as her one desire is to provide for the poor orphans in her community. This retelling of Swan Lake with overtones of Robin Hood will capture your interest and heart and pull you into its medieval backdrop.

Read this and you will fall in love with the fairy tale all over again.

Disclaimer: I received The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest as part of the Booklook Blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. These opinions are my own. 

Dinosaurs for Kids: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Have you had a chance to check out the updated Master Books website? It has had an beautiful upgrade which is both aesthetically pleasing and streamlined for easy searching. I’m more excited than ever to share with you books from this publisher through the Moms of Master Books review group!

Up for review today is Dinosaurs for Kids by Ken Ham. This is such a fun look at the life of the dinosaurs from a biblical perspective. My first impression of this book was it would be attractive to every little boy I know! Oh my how menacing this giant reptile seems! Even though I felt this was a really fun cover for boys, I wasn’t at all surprised it was quickly snatched away with gusto by my daughters.

I like how facts ranging from how dinosaurs were given their names, to what did dinosaurs eat, to how to we reconcile dinosaurs with our understanding of Scripture are covered in a kid-friendly, but very honest way. The visually stunning paintings give beautiful renderings of the many varieties of dinosaurs which are similar to others I have seen in museums and books.

My girls enjoyed reading this together and by themselves. We looked at some of the sections together, but whenever I wanted to pick this up to look at again together, we had to go on a search around the house because it had inevitably been taken somewhere else to read during their afternoon quiet time.

During this particular reading the girls were studying about the different names of the dinosaurs and how to pronounce them. They would practice pronouncing each name and try to remember what it meant. Their pronunciations are fairly good since they are fans of the kids PBS show about dinosaurs. Even though this show has an evolutionary perspective, I do not have a problem with my girls watching it because they are very much aware of evolutionary theory and thinking. We talk about it a lot. I’m not afraid for my girls to learn about this alongside of Creation because I have the Word of God as my foundation. This is why I am so grateful for the resources from Master Books. They help me show why we believe in a 7-day Creation and how to balance it with what secular sources teach.
We love visiting science centers and museums. I am always excited to share these experiences with my daughters. We openly discuss the information provided deciding which parts can be known as fact from observation and which are assumptions based on evolution. My girls are quite knowledgeable of these things because of our Master Books. They ask very good questions and I love it when they ask things like, “How do we know that?” Sometimes the answer is because the Bible tells us, sometimes the answer is because we can observe it, and sometimes it is simply a guess based on what we know from the Bible and observations. Being honest with them about what we can know and what we can’t know for certain helps them in making their own conclusions.

Once again Master Books has provided us with a fun resource to learn about science from the perspective they were created by God at the same time as all the other land animals. This one will be a treasure for many years to come!

Disclaimer: I was provided this book to review as part of the Moms of Master Books review program. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions are my own. 

Fairy Tale Romance Collection by Melanie Dickerson: A BookLook Blogger Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Like most girls, I love a good princess story. Some of my favorite stories growing up were fairy tale stories. Good versus evil, conflict, good wins…it doesn’t get much better than that! At least I thought it didn’t.

Melanie Dickerson is an author I only recently discovered. I had the chance to review The Princess Spy. At the time I had no idea this was part of a series of princess novels written by her! I was delighted to have the chance to review the entire collection. This collection includes all of the previously published titles in the Fairy Tale Romance Collection: The Healer’s Apprentice, The Merchant’s Daughter, The Fairest Beauty, The Captive Maiden, and The Princess Spy.

Only after I began reading more from this series did I realize that these are actually loosely based on well-known fairy tales. This made them that much more fun for me! I’ve always loved the classic fairy tales and reading these updated versions have been simply delightful. I’m so glad I had a few days without a lot to do so I could read to my hearts content. Whether you fancy Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella, the Princess and the Frog or Sleeping Beauty or perhaps even Snow White, you will find a heroine in one of these brilliantly crafted novels.

The best part of this series is that woven throughout these classics are stories of faith. I’ve never before read fairy tale stories which made me feel closer to God. The journey the characters take with their faith is never forced or tossed in as an after thought. I love how even in the fairy tale setting I can relate to the struggles the heroines and heroes face. These stories were excellent reminders that God sees us all as individuals, no matter our status, and pursues us relentlessly.

While these are classified as young adult novels, which I definitely no longer am, I thoroughly enjoyed each story. My daughters are still too young for young adult literature, but in the not to distant future I’m going to very much enjoy sharing this collection with them.

Disclosure:  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook.com® <http://BookLook.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Deception on Sable Hill: A Booklook Blogger Review

Grace-Filled Writer
Last year I read one of the best fiction books I’ve come across in a very long time. Secrets of Sloane House by Shelley Gray was one of those novels you lose sleep over as you convince yourself that just one more chapter won’t hurt your sleep any. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and my delight was doubled when I discovered the second book in the Chicago World’s Fair Mystery series!


As much as I loved the first book in this series, I think this second one may be even better! I love a good historical novel, especially when the history is intertwined seamlessly as it is in Shelley Gray’s novels. I never feel like I’m reading a textbook as I do with some author’s and I’m always drawn to learn more about the time period presented. 

The story opens where Secrets of Sloane House left off. The main characters were introduced towards the end of the previous novel and I was excited to see them more fully developed. Eloisa is a socialite, the woman every man desires to have on his arm, and the victim of rape. This secret which she guards very closely threatens to tear her apart as news begins to increase of the Society Slasher who is attacking women of her social standing all over the city. 

In the midst of the turmoil Eloisa is drawn to an unlikely man for comfort and refuge. Sean Ryan, an Irish policeman from a very poor background, becomes the one person with whom she feels safe. Their social differences are enough, however, to give pause to even a friendship. As their relationship grows, so does the fear and danger gripping Chicago’s elite. 

Intrigue, romance, and faith are woven together into a beautiful novel. I had to force myself to set this aside and not simply read it in one setting. Although I love to read, there have been few books in recent memory which have captivated me as Shelly Gray’s have. I hope there are more novels to come in this excellent series!

Disclosure:  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook.com® <http://BookLook.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

A Plague of Unicorns: A BookLook Blogger Review

Grace-Filled Writer

I remember getting the list of books I would read for my adolescent literature class in college and anxiously perusing the list of authors. I recognized most of the names, but Jane Yolen was one I had never read. After the one required book by Yolen I was soon checking out one after the other from the library knowing each would be an excellent read. I was over-the-moon excited when I saw her name appear with an opportunity to read another of her novels!

My oldest daughter, Rose who is 9, read this as part of her school work, but I can honestly say I know it didn’t feel like school when she read it! More than once I caught her taking the book away from the schoolroom to read just one more chapter as she couldn’t wait to get to the end!

The reading level was probably at 3rd-4th grade and while Rose’s ability is a few grades above that, she thoroughly enjoyed the story and quality of writing. I had planned for her to read this over the course of two weeks but I was pushing it to make her stretch it throughout the week!

When I asked her what her favorite part was she told me she liked how they made up a plan to get rid of the unicorns. She really liked the adventure aspects of of this story. She really enjoys fantasy and I liked how the unicorns were given a different role than most stories. Instead of being a good thing in this land, the unicorns are actually like a plague which must be overcome. This coming-of-age story will delight all ages is a great introduction to the genre of fantasy.

I highly recommend this book and Rose has already loaned it out to her cousin to read with a glowing review!

Disclosure:  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook.com® <http://BookLook.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

I Can Learn the Bible: A BookLook Blogger Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Ever since my oldest daughter was just an infant we have made an effort to teach our children biblical truth. Rose was barely old enough to sit on her own when we started having family devotions with her. I remember clearly the sweet little board book devotional I picked out from a Christian Bookstore which was going out of business. It had just a few sentences on each page and a song to go with each of the devotions. It was great for tiny tots and we enjoyed starting out with this. We also have multiple children’s Bibles with pictures and stories and questions that we have used as they grew.

I have loved these previous resources, but I am ready for something more. Each of my girls has professed their faith in Christ and I have wanted something for our devotional time as a family which addressed more areas of discipleship.

I was so very excited to have the opportunity to review I Can Learn the Bible by Holly Hawkins Shivers. This children’s version of the Joshua Code has been exactly what my husband and I have been looking for to use with our girls. The cover of the book struck me as being adorable, but I wasn’t sure if it was going to really challenge my girls or grow them further in their relationship with Christ. They already know most of the Bible history by heart and I really wanted them to begin to engage more personally with Scripture. This sweet cover does not even begin to express the depth of truth my girls are gaining from it!

Subjects ranging from world view to your purpose as Christian are covered in a very real, yet understandable way for elementary children. Many of the topics were not ones I had really thought about addressing with my daughters who are 9, 7, and 5. I love answering their questions, but with this devotional we have been able to have a more direct, proactive approach to discussing certain topics. A key Scripture verse is included for each week as well as discussion questions and challenges for you as a family. It also ends with a suggested prayer to help you guide your children to know how to pray about what they are learning.

We are at war with our culture for the hearts of our children. I need as many weapons, both defensive and offensive as possible. Through resources like this we are more prepared for the battle and are preparing these sweet little hearts to know how to live godly lives.

Disclosure:  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook.com® <http://BookLook.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Beneath the Forsaken City: A Tyndale Blog Network Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Beneath the Forsaken City by C. E. Laureno is a young adult fiction novel, set in an ancient time with magic and intrigue. This Celtic fantasy is like no other book I’ve read and it has been an interesting trip away from my usual choice in fiction.

C. E. Laureno is an award winning author with an unending imagination. The world she has created in her series The Song of Seare is beautiful and inspiring. I struggled to really get into the book from the beginning, and so I did a little research. What I discovered is this is the second book in a trilogy. My main reason for having a hard time fully understanding what was going on was I have not yet read the first book in the series.

Beneath the Forsaken City begins with a newlywed couple escaping danger created by the evil Druids who rule Seare. The groom, Conor,  leaves knowing that he will have to return in order to free Seare from the reign of the Druids. Just when the couple feel a small breath of safety the tragedy of a storm at sea separates them, neither knowing if the other is alive. Aine, the bride, is washed ashore in one place and Conor in another, resulting in the fight to survive and find one another.

Throughout the novel both Conor and Aine must learn to follow the leading of Comdiu, the One we would call the God of heaven. Each takes a different path and must struggle to lean on Comdiu alone, a journey they struggle through.

As I said before, this is a great departure from the genre of literature I usually gravitate towards. While the story-line itself was engaging, I found myself bogged down by the unfamiliar names of people and places, having a hard time keeping it all straight. I think this may have been a bit easier had I read the first novel in this the trilogy. The other struggle I had as I read was the amount of description for the violence. I know I am personally more affected by both reading and watching violent things, even when they aren’t very graphic. I have to say as far as that is concerned, the author did a good job keeping the amount of blood minimal compared to most popular novels, but it was still too much for me to comfortably read.

If you have an interest in reading Celtic fantasy, this is an excellent read for you. While it isn’t one which particularly delighted me, the story is well written and in my opinion would be incredibly engaging for anyone who loves this genre. I have a strong feeling my oldest daughter will particularly enjoy this book when she is a bit older.

Disclaimer: I received a paperback copy of Beneath the Forsaken City from Tyndale Publishers as part of  the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review and did not receive any other compensation. 

The Princess Spy: A BookLook Blogger Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Who doesn’t love a spy novel? How about a princess story? In my mind, those two do not really go together, which is what intrigued me about this novel. Neither genre are typically one which pulls at me, but I thought I should give this a try and boy am I glad I did!


The background for this story is a princess who is struggling to find her match for marriage. While her father and mother have done their best to find the perfect mate, but Margaretha does not fit well with any of the men she has been paired with. Her outgoing and talkative personality turn many men away or force her to tell her parent’s she’s not interested.

While her latest beau shows some promise, she is still not drawn to him in the way she wishes. Still, she tries her best. At the same time a stranger has appeared on her father’s land and she is one of a few privy to his arrival. He speaks a language foreign to her German ears, yet he intrigues her.

This delightful mystery unveils with each turn of the page and I was quickly drawn into the intrigue. Unexpected twists and turns paired with romance create a beautifully woven tale which you will be unable to put it down!

This is the first novel I have read by Melanie Dickerson and I enjoyed it so very much I’m looking forward to reading more of her works soon. I’m sure you will love this as much as I did!

Moses Leads the People: A BookLook Blogger Review

Grace-Filled Writer

My girls are always excited when I get new books for them to review. This time I received Moses Leads the People, an I Can Read book from Zonderkids. This book is part of the Adventure Bible series. She also reviewed the bigger kids full version of the Bible which she absolutely loved. This shorter version of the history of Moses is perfect for her and right on her reading level. 
This is a great series of books to use with early readers because for many kids they are already familiar with what happened. Grace was so proud of herself to be able to read this on her own. She was quite giddy as she ran off to her room to read during her afternoon quiet time. She returned about 20 minutes later and said, “Mommy! I read all the words by myself!”
The beautiful pictures only add to the loveliness of this book. The artistry engaged my daughter as well. She spent quite a bit of time gazing at all the lovely illustrations while she was reading. I loved watching her because she would turn a page and take in the entire illustration before starting to read the words. She was so sweet about it!
I highly recommend any books from this series for your early readers. There are several in this series from the Adventure Bible. You can find these books at Christian bookstores and online retailers. If you’re looking for a last minute Christmas gift for young readers, look no further! 

TOP 5 Moms of Master Book Reviews!

Grace-Filled Writer
Top-5-300x200

Each year the Moms of Masterbooks team gets to pick their top five picks from all the wonderful resources we are given to review in the year. This is a tough thing to do. They are all so amazing and useful. However, since I have to narrow it down to five , here they are…

I don’t have kids old enough to use these yet, but when I do I can’t wait! This is solid, but concise, meaty and brief. It is perfect for the middle school crowd! 
Nothing short of absolutely stunning and biblically deep.
Funny, engaging, and accurate! 
Perfect for the layperson or student looking to increase their understanding of biblical languages.
And my number one pick is…..
This one kept me engaged personally more than any other. The many flood legends intrigue me so much and I loved how this book brought them all together in such a tactile way. 
Looking forward to being a part of this team again next year!
Merry Christmas everyone!