book reviews |
book reviews |
A sequel to The Black Douglas TrilogyMulti-volume, multi-genre author introduces us to her latest work of historical fiction, “The Douglas Bastard” is the sequel to the Black Douglas trilogy: King Robert the Bruce and the Black Douglas are dead — and Scots once more must fight for their freedom. Young Archibald, the Black Douglas's bastard son, returns from exile to a Scotland ravaged by war. With treachery and danger on every side, he must learn to sleep with a claymore in his hand and one eye open because even his closest friend may betray him... Content warning: violence against a child This is a marvelous book! I love historical fiction it’s my third favorite genre. Books centered on the United Kingdom are particularly attractive to me because much of my heritage comes from there. The author has taken a minor figure and walked with him through the major events he would have faced and been involved in. She did a great job! I love how she wove so many minor details of daily life into the story. I felt I was right there with Archibald. His struggles with being the bastard son of a noble included repeated bullying by his peers. He held his own with even odds. The fights, jousts and war scenes were brutal like daily life for most people. The dialogue came across quite real. This is a great read and I award 4.9 stars. You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Douglas-Bastard-Sequel-Black-Trilogy-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-the-douglas-bastard https://www.barnesandnoble.com/the-douglas-bastard You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/TomlinJeanne http://www.jrtomlin.com http://jeannetomlin.blogspot.com I have reviewed another book by the author: www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-wayward-alliance Copyright © 2022 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction
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At the Edge of the Jordan: What Waits for Us After This Life and Why It Matters by Leah Chrest5/28/2022 Debut author, Leah Chrest introduces us to her fiction story about the afterlife: What waits for us when we die? How can the truth of heaven revolutionize our faith? In this unique work, Leah Chrest, a lifelong Christian, draws from both hundreds of near-death experiences and the Bible to create a captivating tale of faith and personal transformation. Based on the NDEs of Nancy Rynes, Rev. Howard Storm, Dr. Eben Alexander, Mary C. Neal, George Ritchie, and dozens more, Aislinn's story will answer your heart's deepest questions and inspire you to live a more peaceful, inspired, faith-filled life. Journey with Aislinn, a young woman who is no stranger to grief, having lost her sister and grandparents in the span of just a few years. On her honeymoon, Aislinn drowns in a freak surfing accident. Her soul leaves her body and enters heaven, where she meets with Jesus and has the innermost questions of her soul answered:
If you have always wondered about near-death experiences, this well-researched narrative account will warm your heart and inspire you to live with deeper purpose and meaning. A fascinating story with tantalizing glimpses of what heaven and hell might be like. It’s an emotional rollercoaster at times with the death of loved ones and suffering being part of the story. Those darker moments are balanced with healings and connecting again with family members. I found the footnotes to be interesting and they add a welcome depth to the story. I enjoyed them as an information junkie. However, you can enjoy the story quite well without reading any of the footnotes. The story easily stands on its own. I give “At the Edge of the Jordan” 4.8 stars. You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/At-Edge-Jordan-Waits-Matters-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-at-the-edge-of-the-jordan You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/ChristianMedit2 http://thecontemplativechristian.com https://www.instagram.com/christianmedit2/ https://www.youtube.com/c/christianmeditation https://www.facebook.com/christianmedit2 Copyright © 2022 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Jacqueline Mead introduces us to her children’s book, “The Tales of Mr. Mouse and Friends”: Join Mr. Mouse as he tends to his award-winning garden, makes friendships, meets Hilda his future wife, all the while drinking lots of tea and eating lots of cake. Mr. Mouse is a popular character whose door is always open, who is on hand to help anyone who needs assistance, who will rally around a worthwhile cause and who is highly thought of throughout the woodland community. Each chapter is a short story of its own and set in a season, there are twelve chapters following Mr. Mouse over three years. Read about the woodlands during a harsh winter when the woodlands are covered in six-foot snow drifts, during spring when the season is changing from winter, summer when Mr. Mouse’s award-winning gardens are at their best and autumn when the trees and plants are losing their leaves. Mr. Mouse with a house on the River Louse will become a favourite bedtime story for your children. I enjoyed this book a lot. My two granddaughters did also. The casual rhyming was clever and the character names were pleasing. I loved the illustrations also, they are soft, the pastels are easy on the eyes. Each chapter has a full-page illustration. They look nice even on my Kindle. Each chapter is its own story. That makes for a pleasantly short read for bedtime, leaving time to answer questions a child might have. The overarching theme of the book is that family and friends are important and worthy of attention. Another wonderful theme is caring for your surroundings and environment. You are going to enjoy this peaceful visit to the river and woods where Mr. Mouse and his friends live. You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Mr-Mouse-Friends-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-the-tales-of-mr-mouse-and-friends https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-tales-of-mr-mouse-and-friends-jacqueline-mead You can follow the author: @Jackiem158 http://www.jacquelinemead.com Copyright © 2022 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction A Battered Mother’s Message to Her Son |
Time Trap is a wonderful adventure story for middle grade children and above. The story clearly depicts how brutal life was in Victorian England if you didn’t have any money. The author is smart by not explaining how the time travel mechanism actually works. We see it all from the perspective of the two teenage boys. They are unexpectedly thrust backwards in time and struggle to locate the people who might be able to help them return to their time. I enjoyed the accents as portrayed by the people who live in Victorian England. The use of the environment as an important aspect of the experience the two boys had is quite good. The action is excellent and very important to the story. I award 4.8 stars to Time Trap. | Time trap 2 is a fun extension of the story from Time Trap. Instead of Jamie and Todd being trapped in Victorian London, their scientist friends, Hector and Catherine, from that period appear in modern London. Hector and his wife are chasing another time traveler, Travis, who is seeking to further the goal of world domination by a shadowy organization. Travis has obtained an early model of the Gatling gun from the 1860s and is taking it to the American Colonies in the 1770s. If he is not stopped, Western History will be radically changed. More great writing in a very exciting story! I give Time Trap 2 a score of 4.9 stars. |
An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather.
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