Friday, February 28, 2014

Book Review: Martyr's Fire

Martyr's Fire by Sigmund Brouwer (Book 3 in the Merlin's Immortals series)

Posing as a beggar, Thomas escapes Magnus after fifteen men, who are calling themselves the Priests of the Holy Grail, arrive and take control of the castle through wondrous acts and apparent miracles. With the help of his longtime friend Gervaise, Thomas sets out on a journey that leads him to the ancient Holy Land. Unaware that Katherine and Hawkwood are watching over him, Thomas is tested in his beliefs and comes face to face with the ancient power that the Merlins and Druids have long been searching for.

I chose this for my next read from Blogging For Books because it was pretty much the only thing I had to pick from, and it was short so I knew I could read it in a timely manner. As it is the third installment in a series it was a little confusing in some parts as most of the characters had already been introduced in the previous books and the plot was set, but I didn't find it to be too terribly hard to follow. Toward the beginning I thought it to be kind of boring and it didn't really grasp my interest. Still I read on, and I'm glad I did! It actually turned out to be a fairly entertaining read with likeable characters and it was well-written. Also, it was kind of funny as I'm reading along and all of a sudden Robin Hood is randomly thrown in it! Anyway, the only downside is that the story leaves off in the middle of things so now I must read the next book in the series! Anyway, not a terribly amazing book but entertaining enough to keep my interest.


I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for this honest review.


Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Book Review: A Kiss In Time

A Kiss In Time by Alex Flinn

Talia fell under a spell. . . .
Jack broke the curse.

I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it
was so enchanting, so hypnotic. . . . 
                  
                   I was looking for a little adventure the day I ditched my 
                   tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-
                   looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind.

I awakened in the same place but in another
time--to a stranger's soft kiss.
                
                  I couldn't help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to
                  kiss someone. I didn't know this would happen.

Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have
brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away 
with this commoner!

                  Now I'm stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of
                  her jewels. . . . The good news: My parents will freak!

A Kiss In Time is a modern retelling of the story of Sleeping Beauty. I found it to be a pretty enjoyable read! It was pretty funny at some parts and was a quick and easy read. It was fast paced and kept my interest until the end. Though not being a Christian book, it did have some worldly stuff in it, but nothing too bad. Probably a little better in that sense than Beastly, which is written by the same author. Overall a good book that I would recommend to others and I know I would be interested in reading more of Flinn's modern fairy tales.


Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Book Review: Paper Roses

Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot (Texas Dreams book 1)

Her future stretched out like the clear blue Texas sky. 
But a storm is coming.

Leaving the past behind in Philadelphia, mail-order bride Sarah Dobbs arrives in San Antonio ready to greet her groom---a man she has never met but whose letters, her paper roses, have won her heart from afar. But there is a problem---Austin Canfield is dead, and Sarah cannot go back East.

As Sarah tries to reconcile herself to a future that is drastically changed, Austin's brother Clay wants nothing more than to shake the Texas dust from his boots, but first he must find his brother's killer. And then there's Sarah.

Something is blooming out in the vast Texas landscape that neither Clay nor Sarah is ready to admit, and the promise of redemption blows like a gentle breeze through the prairie grasses.

At first this book was terribly slow moving and way too descriptive for my taste, lingering far to long on the character's thoughts and feelings, but after a while it seemed to be a bit less descriptive and I did enjoy it. It still was rather wordy and a book that was nearly impossible to read quickly; sometimes it seemed like the author threw in big words just because, as if flaunting her word knowledge. Still the story did have depth and that's what kept me interested. I had to keep reading to discover who Austin's killer was! As far as the romance part it was predictable, but still sweet. I really liked Clay. He was probably my favorite character in the book. Not a super thrilling story that everyone simply must read but still worth the read. I'd give it a 3.5.