The Movement of Rings

*EBOOK EDITIONS ON SALE NOW*

The Movement of Rings
A Novella
Sequel to The Movement of Crowns
(Historical Fantasy, Love Story)

A 25 Favorite Books pick on Tell Tale Book Reviews, 2013

“As I said about its predecessor, Rings is a joy to read. The story is always inspiring, especially to young women… 5/5–wonderful!”  ~Kelly Smith Reviews
“With fully developed characters, a bit of sass and spirit, faith woven within, and turmoil mixed throughout, The Movement of Rings is an outstanding sequel.” ~Savurbks

“Another great trip to a faraway land! Are you ready? Even better than the last!” ~Jeni’s Bookshelf
(Find more reviews on the Interviews, Reviews, and Responses page.)

What lies deeper than fear?

The Mundayne empire has prospered under the rule of King Aud, a ruthless man of war. Naona, a spirited imperial servant who holds Aud’s favor, enjoys pulling pranks on her peers around the king’s estate. But the time for laughter spoils when the citizens of Munda begin to oppose the taxes that pay for Aud’s wars.

After meeting the princess of Diachona, Naona must choose between remaining loyal to her king and becoming another nation’s ally. With the rise of unrest in Munda, how can Naona’s heart survive intact: intact enough, even, for a chance at love with a foreign man?

Find The Movement of Rings at your Amazon store, in print and for Kindle.

Also available at Barnes & Noble (in print and for Nook), and as an ebook at Apple, Kobo, and Smashwords.

Don’t miss the final book in the series, The Movement of Kings, or get the entire series in one volume.

 

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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

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 Book Thief by Markus Zusak

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

(Click the title to find the book description/blurb.)

A young girl, Liesel, in Nazi Germany, with stolen books as her prized possessions. Her foster family, secretly, illegally sheltering a Jew. Life, Death, and the power of words meet in The Book Thief, a novel by author Markus Zusak.

I picked up a copy of the film based on this book, but I didn’t want to watch it without reading the original story first. So I read it.

I stopped reading for a while, toward the middle of it. Stopped, sighed, and wept after reading about Liesel reading one of her books, one she didn’t steal. I guess the rest of my weeping during a number of other scenes was just more of a deep, inward groan.

There were also parts that made me smile, and times when I had to pause and shake my head at some of the brilliant turns of phrase that fill this novel: ironic, ominous, and beautiful turns by turns.

Having already caught snatches of praise in the wind about this book, I did my best not to hear too much more before I read it, since a book’s wide acclaim doesn’t guarantee that I’ll personally love it. And, honestly, it’d be one thing for an author to use tragic themes from World War II and the Holocaust and to merely write a grim, sad novel, as grimness and sadness alone aren’t enough to make a novel resonate with me.

But to tell a raw, nuanced, layered, crushing, bittersweet, and haunting story that affirms life even in the midst of death… That’s something else. That resonates.

A singular work, this is.

__________

Note to my blog readers: along with depictions of wartime violence, this book contains a moderate amount of profanity.

 

Midnight is My Time by Mike Dellosso

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. Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

Midnight is My Time by Mike Dellosso

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

(Click the title to find the book description/blurb.)

Horrendous circumstances have made an outcast out of Andy, who’s been traveling solo through this post-apocalyptic world. But he’s no longer alone after he meets Missy, a blind woman with an inexplicable gift in Midnight is My Time, a novel by author Mike Dellosso.

I’ve read ChristFic novels about end times before, and while some aspects of this story were pretty predictable to me, it turned out not to be something I would’ve expected on the whole. It uses a couple of theological elements in ways I haven’t seen before in fiction.

Now, dangerous setups feel contrived to me when they hinge on someone walking into a situation that doesn’t make the most sense for the character, which happens a time or two here. I also think some repetitiveness, unsurprising minor villains, and places where the narrator states the obvious dulls some moments that could’ve been sharper.

My interest waned through a few slower parts, and though the main characters aren’t supposed to know their purpose for some time, I’m not sure the story ever makes the point of their purpose too clear. Perhaps the full significance is dependent on the reader’s prior biblical knowledge, or there may be a sequel coming.

In any case, I think the read does get stronger as it goes along, and I really liked the messages about memories that haunt us and pivotal choices we make about ourselves. This was my first time reading this author, and I plan to do so again.

_________

Note to my blog readers: not out of keeping with the subject matter, this novel contains some moments of gruesome violence.

 

The Man Who Could Transfuse Time by Dennis E. Hensley

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. By The Vine Press provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

The Man Who Could Transfuse Time by Dennis E. Hensley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(Click the title to find the book description/blurb.)

His gift allows him to take time from one person and to pass it to another: to make one human being older and the other younger. So he’s constantly on the run from people who’d try to abuse his power. But his own age and his latest exploits may force him to stop running in The Man Who Could Transfuse Time, a novel by author Dennis E. Hensley.

After reading, I learned that an earlier version of this novel was originally published back in the 1980s, co-authored by Hensley and Holly G. Miller. So the story’s setting in the ’80s makes sense.

I ate up this intriguing science fiction novel in about two and a half sittings, as the tale pretty much cuts to the chase and moves at a lively clip. There are dashes of humor and danger, many moments of wonder, and various ideas about making the most of one’s life or squandering it. About living according to one’s original purpose and design–or not.

Now, while I appreciate that the story doesn’t drag, there are times when it seems rushed or somewhat choppy. The romantic thread in particular escalates at a hurried pace, making the romance feel a bit flat and not the most convincing, and a momentous spiritual decision by two of the characters toward the end is rather sudden.

While there isn’t an excess of head-hopping, there were times when a switch in the point of view would catch me off guard. Also, the narrator occasionally “tells” or spells out too much, and the characters’ dialogue becomes unnatural a few times. It’s as if they’re trying to describe themselves or events to the reader, not to each other.

Nevertheless, even for someone who doesn’t read a ton of sci-fi, this novel kept me engaged from start to finish. And isn’t its book cover awesome?

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New Release Giveaway for The Man Who Could Transfuse Time

One winner will receive:
~an autographed paperback copy of The Man Who Could Transfuse Time
~a $25 Amazon gift card
~a $10 Starbucks gift card
~The Man Who Could Transfuse Time coffee mug

Giveaway ends April 30, 2018.
Enter the giveaway here.

 

Coming Home: A Very Short Story by Steven F. Freeman

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.

Coming Home by Steven F. Freeman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(Click the title to find the book description/blurb.)

Josh has been battling loneliness in the months since his former fiancée abruptly called off their wedding. Now the arrival of a mysterious package with an insistent message could take Josh around an unexpected bend in Coming Home: A Very Short Story by author Steven F. Freeman.

While I’ve got a few of his thrillers waiting in my library, this is my first time reading this author. Just needed a little tale to snack on, and I ended up enjoying this tale more than I thought I would.

Some of it is on the corny side, but not necessarily in a bad way, especially for romantic folks who appreciate feel-good reads. I like a quick and simple story that still has something “different” to it, something worth guessing about, as this one has.