Eubeltic Descent by Nadine C. Keels

Eubeltic Descent
First in the Eubeltic Realm series
(Historical Fiction • Historical Fantasy)

“There are so many brilliant aspects to explore…you’ll be thankful that this isn’t the only book Keels has written about the Eubeltic Realm.” ~Indies Today
“Part history, part fantasy, part inspiration, totally engaging… Sharing her mastery of language, Nadine Keels hits the high mark yet again.” ~Savurbks

Your soul will remember… 

As a woman who wasn’t born to wealth or privilege, Abigaia has mastered the art of thievery. And she’s come to hate it. Not only is she plagued by guilt, but her shadowed upbringing and silent ways cause most of her town to question her sanity.

Yet, Abigaia’s eccentric father always taught her to be proud of her heritage. Her ancestry lies across the sea, in a prominent realm she’s read about but has never seen.

The man who desires Abigaia’s hand in marriage doesn’t share her hope of seeing the Eubeltic Realm. But disaster erupts in their path, and Abigaia’s dream may have a greater purpose—if that famed domain of her ancestors is now in crucial need of her.
~*~
The Eubeltic Realm series is historical fantasy: fictional history in a completely fictional world.

Pick and click a store below to get a copy of Eubeltic Descent

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And don’t miss the next book in the Eubeltic Realm series, Eubeltic Quest.

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The Divine Symphony by Calvin Miller

Book reviews are subjective. I tend to rate books not according to how “perfect” they are, seem to be, or are said to be in general but rather to how perfect they are to me.

The Divine Symphony by Calvin Miller

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was drawn by the beautiful titles gracing the pairing of biblical allegory novellas in The Divine Symphony: A Requiem for Love and A Symphony in Sand by author Calvin Miller.

I enjoyed the lyrical flow in this mix of biblical fiction, fantasy, and poetry that tells of Regis and Regina, a man and woman at the heart of creation, as well as their Maker’s plan for their descendants’ redemption.

Granted, it bothered me to see how much time the first allegory spends on Regina’s downward spiral and not on Regis’s. If he were so strong in the Earthmaker’s love and truth and wasn’t dealing with his own hard struggle, wouldn’t Regis have been strong enough in his convictions not to give up all that was sacred and eat the forbidden fruit when Regina asked him to? Might he have thought there could be another way?

Also, there were times I got lost in the second allegory and couldn’t see the point behind certain developments.

Nevertheless, haunting passages would grab me and resonate, like:

Hate is bread—baked slowly
In the oven of our narcissism
And eaten with such haste
That we devour our hands,
And never notice till
We reach to touch what we adore
And find our fingers gone.

My goodness. Think about it.

And of course, given the core of the second allegory, the characters sometimes break into ebullient song about the incomparable Child soon to come to earth:

“The vast Earthmaker, cosmic in His Grace,
Has locked Himself within a little space.”

“Let every mountain range declare with joy
The lion roars and God is born a Boy.”

Indeed, this author’s work sings of tragedy and triumph in a literary symphony that resounds with hope.

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Redeeming Love is Now a Movie. But…

I’ve loved Christian Fiction since my adolescence. As a bibliophile who’s also a cinephile, I’m usually excited when movies are based on ChristFic novels, even when the movies aren’t perfect. (Which most movies in general aren’t anyway.)

I won’t be watching the upcoming motion picture based on the novel Redeeming Love, though. As someone who tried the novel years ago, I was in the apparent minority of ChristFic lovers who didn’t love the book. Some of my issues with the story are similar to particular issues I recently had with a different novel, but I think Redeeming Love presents a more glaring picture. (And before anyone asks, yes I realize the story is based on the biblical book of Hosea.)

Possibly, the story for the screen has been revised so that the central “romantic” relationship is no longer an abusive one. I don’t know. But as I already felt a stab of dread while watching the movie trailer, I may just check out reviews of the movie after it releases, as it’d be hard for me to sit and watch the whole movie for myself to see how the central relationship plays out this time.

When you’ve experienced real-life abuse that claimed to be love, and you eventually recognized the abuse for what it was…

…certain stories hit you differently.

Because ChristFic remains special to me, it’s never my aim to bash the genre or the authors who write in it. Christian Fiction authors are just as human as anyone, and I believe that on the whole, we’re doing the best we know how.

Still, as the genre is gradually changing to move forward, I believe it’s incumbent on those who truly care about the genre to not only be honest about the parts we love but also about the deep concerns we have—so that this relatively young genre can continue to mature and increase in relevance.

Previous writers have already tackled the serious issues I have with the novel. You can check out one article here. And you’ll find an in-depth look at the novel from an abuse survivor here.

Be advised that the two articles above contain a minimal amount of profanity and are not written by ChristFic fans, and some of the writers’ reflections extend beyond the novel itself. But I think the writers explain the basic issues in a way that’s accessible for people rather familiar with various kinds of abuse as well as people who are less familiar.

I’m not out to attack the movie or to tell others not to see it. Rather, I’m saying if you have an honest interest in this topic, I hope you’ll be open to give the concerns above some careful thought.

Lost and Found by Jessica Marie Holt

Book reviews are subjective. I tend to rate books not according to how “perfect” they are, seem to be, or are said to be in general but rather to how perfect they are to me.

Lost and Found by Jessica Marie Holt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loss.
Grief.
Compassion.
Wisdom.
Changes of heart.

Hope.

Yes, Lost and Found by author Jessica Marie Holt is only about thirty pages long. But by no means is it a light, thin, or simplistic tale.

This powerful story is as contemplative, understated, and lovely as its book cover, with a depth of emotion and understanding. The few characters feel like real, ordinary people, experiencing the painful and beautiful wonder that is life. Life that goes on.

I never say anything too specific about the events in this author’s short stories. I really couldn’t do the plots justice without giving too much away. But I can’t recommend her short stories enough, especially to fans of serious, substantive, and ultimately uplifting fiction.

As I’ve said before, this author is one of the best short story writers I’ve found. And maybe one of these days I’ll get through one of her quick reads without crying.

Just maybe.

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Sign Up for Deals on Christian Books!

Attention, fellow lovers of Christian and wholesome fiction!

There’s a new site where you can sign up to get emails about free and discounted books:
BookDeals!

My favorite part as a subscriber to this site is that besides the general market and nonfiction genres, there are so many Christian fiction genres to choose from. (Most other sites only have one or two ChristFic choices, ya’ know?)

Subscribing is free! You can sign up and pick your genres here.
(And authors, you can submit your upcoming deals here.)

Click the BookDeals image below to check out some current deals! Like one of my books,
Eubeltic Descent. 🙂

Pick up a book of hope and inspiration today