Angel Fall by Cameron Luck

Three angry and heartbroken siblings are traveling between their divorced parents when their plane crashes over the ocean. The children awake to find themselves adrift in Boreth, another world of ancient devastation and evil. The siblings will face frightening challenges, terrifying choices, and great temptations before reaching their final destination.












The Review:
My Ranking: 8 out of 10
Ages: 16 & up

When I first got Angel Fall, I was expecting to read a neat fantasy that sort of sent the reader into what heaven and hell might be like. The story sounded really neat – three kids who find themselves in an alternate world that has a striking resemblance to heaven and hell. So I dove in, expecting a Narnia-like book. Boy was I wrong, and it affected how much I liked the book! For the first 100 pages, I couldn’t understand a thing. To me, it was the weirdest book I’d ever read. I put it down for a while and just yesterday picked it back up. After a few chapters, I was interested in what was going on and realized why I wasn’t enjoying it – I was trying too hard to match up who was who. Was the dog character supposed to symbolize Jesus? Or was it the baby? Or that other character? And who is God? And the angels? What about the Holy Spirit?
Once I stopped imagining it as a Narnia-like book where each character represented a real being I started enjoying the story. By the end, I was able to look back and recognize who represented who and also was able to give it the higher rating that I did.

The writing style was easy to read, but the story itself was very complicated. If you are a slower reader and not a speed reader as I am, you would probably be able to understand the plot and characters better. It took me a while to figure out what was going on, and even by the end I was still a bit confused, but the story was very unique and had a lot of great elements to it that made the book an interesting read.

The characters were all well fleshed out and enjoyable to read about. Tori was probably my favorite of the three. The beautiful and outspoken nine year old was a great character who’s charms and faults were laid out nicely and made it easy for the reader to love her. Both Amanda and Alex were very interesting characters, also, and they made the story engaging.

There is a bit to warn about in this book. A few curses were spoken throughout the book, including jack*** and a**. They also use the word “screwed” or “screw” in meaning of teasing. Alex sees a girl who is purposely tempting him and it says he found her to have the body of a goddess. A girl tries to lure Alex to her bed several times by saying he could rest on her bed. Alex kisses her hard and it says “the response was amazing” and goes on saying how her arms wrapped around his neck and she returned his kiss with fury. It is obvious she is bad and trying to lure him.
During one of Amanda’s scenes, she has flashbacks of a night where her uncle forcefully violated her. There was not much detail – it just says she saw a man on top of “another her” and then later when she has to redo it to conquer the memory, she says she feels his crushing weight upon her. No more description is used.

This book was not quite what I expected, but was interesting and enjoyable nonetheless. I think a lot of fantasy readers would love this book. I myself am a huge fan of fantasy, but it took me a bit to get into this book. Still, it ended well and I was able to sit back and let out a contented sigh. :)

I received this free book in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor

Two friends face the Dark Knight’s deadliest scheme, but only one knight has the courage to overcome.

Sir Quinlan leaves his boyhood friend to serve the Prince, fighting a battle darker and more intense than any he’s ever known. The mysterious Sir Baylor recruits him into the ranks of an elite unit of knights known as the Swords of Valor, but when tragedy strikes and everyone blames Quinlan, the Swords of Valor disband, ending a legacy of heroic deeds.

Alone and despairing, Quinlan wanders the kingdom, fleeing his past. His providential encounter with Taras, a mysterious Silent Warrior and former trainer of Valor Knights, offers Quinlan a chance to redeem himself and learn the ways of the secret warriors.

The training is grueling, and just when Quinlan seems to have left his failures behind, he receives an impossible challenge from the Prince—one that will force him to face his past…and the mighty men who blame him for the tragedy that ruined them.

Can Quinlan reunite the Valor Knights in time to save the people from the Dark Knight’s evil plot to rule the Kingdom of Arrethtrae, or will the Valor Knights lose the most important battle of all?



The Review
My Ranking: 10 out of 10
Ages 10 & up

I have read several books by Chuck Black and absolutely LOVE his books, so I was extremely excited to receive Sir Quinlan in the mail. Eagerly, I dove into it, expecting a great adventure. I was not disappointed! Sir Quinlan actually may be my favorite of his books that I've read so far! Granted, I have not read many(only the handful I have been able to get my hands on), but this book was exceptional.

Black's writing style is so easy to read - as soon as I finished Sir Quinlan I passed it to my 10 year old brother, knowing he would be able to fully understand and enjoy it. He's vivid and I love his style - so easy to comprehend! :) I felt as if I were diving into the land of Arrethrae...something only skilled authors can make me do.

Quinlan was just awesome. I absolutely loved this character who was a bit timid about himself. After blaming himself for a tragic event, Quinlan no longer thinks he is worthy to serve the Prince. He struggles to except who he is and understand that the Prince has called him, and he must put aside his lingering doubts and self-pity and except who he is. I related to this character in so many ways. I loved all of his quirks and characteristics - I know that if I met Quinlan in person he would be one my closest friends.

The lessons in Black's books are always excellent, and this one wasn't any different. One of my favorite parts was when Taras was beginning his training with Quinlan...

Lesson 1: Know who you are.
Lesson 2: Know who you want to become. 


What an excellent piece of advice! Something a lot of people should hear and acknowledge. And that was only a small thing that really stood out to me personally. There were so many other lessons in these books - they're just awesome!

Content wise...the best thing about these books is there is absolutely NOTHING in them. Awesome, no?
Struggling to find something, the only thing I could come up with is some mildly violent scenes where people are sword fighting - but nothing gorey or anything.

To conclude, these are amazing books that I couldn't recommend more. They would make excellent family or individual reads. Definitely keep your eye out for these - you won't want to miss them!

I received this free book in return for an honest review from Waterbrook Multnomah publishing group. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Waterfall and Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren - A 2-in-1 Review!

Most American teens want an Italian vacation, but the Bentarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives there with their archaeologist parents. Stuck on yet another hot, dusty dig, they are bored out of their minds. until they touch handprints in an ancient tomb and find themselves transported back in time.

Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead. But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever.












My Review:
Rating: 10 out of 10 stars
Ages 15 & up




Lisa T. Bergren's River of Time series was highly recommended to me by my reading companion, Katy. When I read that it was fantasy and set in medieval times - and that Katy was recommending them because she LOVED them - I knew that I had to check them out because Katy doesn't like fantasy. I do, on the other hand. 

So when I was in my hometown last week, I borrowed it and read them both in 4 days - and that's between hanging out with my friends and preparing for graduation! They were both awesome. Everything Katy said they were. I was immediately enraptured by this interesting and gripping story. They are easily in my top 10 favorites!!

In Waterfall, I immediately liked Gabi. She was fun and adventurous - she reminded me SO much of my friend, Katy!! On the other hand, I am a perfect replica of Lia - a little quiet at first but as soon as you get to know her you find her just as fun as Gabi - though a little more reserved. In Waterfall, I was left wishing I had gotten to know Lia more...but these longings were put to rest when I read Cascade. The same with Marcello - while I liked him in the first one, I didn't feel a connection with him. In Cascade, I got to know him a lot better and really began to like him - though Luca still was number 1 in my mind(funny, since I am most like Lia. ;) ).

Gabi was so adventurous and outgoing - she made me laugh on more than one occasion! I thought her and Marcello were perfect together - Marcello strong and serious, Gabriella bold and courageous. They made quite the couple and I ached for Gabi through some of the decisions she had to make. While I never did fall completely in love with Marcello(and only because I like the more outgoing type generally), by the end of Cascade I really liked him. Luca, on the other hand...

I fell head over heels for Luca - at least as much as you can with a fictional character. ;) I loved his personality and found him quite charming, which is funny since him and Lia are an item. ;) They were so funny - I loved how Lia refused to admit that she liked him yet in times of peril and uncertainty it was quite obvious that she did! I liked how I got to know these two characters better in the second one. 

Lia was, well, me with a bit more shyness in her. Other than that, she was exactly as I am. As I read through Cascade, I remember repeatedly telling myself "Oh wow, that's something I would say/do!". She was an expert with the bow and arrow - something I have wanted to learn for as long as I can remember! And she got Luca - my favorite hero in the series! ;)

What amazed me most about Bergren's novels was that she managed to execute the first person writing to perfection. I have read more than my share of books that were in the first person and they were horribly written. Bergren succeeded greatly in capturing my attention and holding it from the beginning to the last page - and then leaving me craving more! I felt as if I were in the book - was Gabi. It was amazing! I greatly commend Bergren on her writing.

As for content, there is a bit to warn about. Some suggestive remarks are made about Gabi dying her skirt up so she could ride a horse properly, making Gabi wonder if they thought she "slept around".
There is a part in Waterfall where Gabi is nearly forcibly violated during a battle. Nothing happens but intentions are clear. For the time it was in, Bergren handled this excellently and I was happy with it. Also, towards the end of Waterfall one of the men - obviously very bad - threatens to do evil things to Lia, his captive, if Gabi did not carry out her end of the bargain, saying things like "Let the men have fun with her", etc. This is obviously suggestive but nothing more descriptive was said along those lines.  In Waterfall, other than that there was just kissing and hugging in moderate amounts.
Talks about Gabi breathing in Marcello's scent, occasionally, and she is obviously physically attracted to him, as well as emotionally. She calls him hot, several times.

In Cascade, there is a scene were Gabi is captured and the bad man from before in Waterfall rips her shirt off. She does have cloth wrapped all around her torso and chest because her ribs were broken before, but it is a suggestive scene and it says that the guy looked toward the belt of her pants. The scene ends there and nothing happens, but once again it is suggestive. Gabi was also pretty beat up and a doctor had to look her over. Nothing descriptive, but we do know he had to heal her thighs and ribs. 

Also, Gabi is put in a cage and is hoisted many feet into the air. It is dark outside and she has to pee, so she goes. It says some of the men hooted, but since it was night and she was so far up we know that it was only because either 1) one of them got peed on, or 2) they could hear it hitting the ground. Either way, it does say that. 

Another thing in Cascade is that one of the men is carried through a city naked or barely clothed - I don't remember. In fact, I don't remember it at all but Katy said she remembered something like that in there when she read it. :)

Other than kissing and hugging, that's all.  Reading this all may make you think "wow, that's a lot of stuff 'bad' in this book", but really Bergren handled it all exceptionally well. I was amazed about how well she handled it all. :)

All in all, these two books are incredible and I recommend them to teenagers and adults alike. But be warned - once you pick up these books, you will not be able to put them down! 

Review of the third book in the series - Torrent - to come! :D

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling - A Detailed Review

The Review:

My Ranking: 7 out of 10
Ages: 13 & up




UPDATE 10/15/2011 -- After much discussion and debate between many different people involving myself, I have come to some different conclusions about these books. I hope to write another post someday and expound on my new ideals. Suffice to say, while I still don't read the books really, I have a different view on Harry Potter and no longer completely condemn it. 


While being written later than I'd hoped, I am still pleased to be able to present the first review of my review series on the best selling books by J.K. Rowling - the Harry Potter series. 

I have heard many different opinions on the Harry Potter series and have been told on more than one occasion that I can't argue against them if I haven't read them, which I actually found very reasonable. So I amended the situation. Being 16 and deeply rooted in my faith, I took a paper, a pen, numerous opinions of the books, and God's word into battle as I dove into the first book of the series - The Sorcerer's Stone. 
Many Christians would look at the title - The Sorcerer's Stone - and immediately have red flags pop up simply because of the word "sorcerer", which is completely reasonable to me as I would do, and do do,  the exact same thing. The back cover will only make one even more wary -

"Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He's never worn a Cloak of Invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.

But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter."

I found many ups and downs in this book and if it wasn't focused around witches and wizards than I would really enjoy the story - it's well written and interesting. I will be starting this review with the downs. 

First off, God distinctly points out that witchcraft is wrong. 

There shall not be found among you anyone ....that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. Deuteronomy 18:10

A few of these words when in Hebrew have specific meanings, forbidding fortune tellers, snake charmers, and sorcerer's who speak spells to harm people, among many others.(You can see the rest HERE)
Considering the book is called The Sorcerer's Stone, I think that it's a bit obvious that Sorcerers are involved. And yes, the wizards, witches, etc do cast spells on each other. While at least in the first book there was no summoning spirits or anything, they did cast spells...with intent to harm. Forbidden.

The fact that there is a verse in the Bible that clearly says that is wrong bans me from approving this book. It revolves around witches, wizards, spells, potions, flying broomsticks, etc. Something that people don't seem to completely realize is that witches, spells, etc are very real, and these books have led many children astray. 

Some may say that the kids in the book aren't performing actual real life witchcraft and aren't like today's witches. Well, then they shouldn't be called witches. I can't say that this is acceptable for children to read when it commends something that really exists and makes kids yearn to follow in Harry Potter's foot steps and become a witch/wizard. Though the type of magic Harry and his friends do is not real, other witchcraft is and when children go looking for magic and find out what real witchcraft is, they may find they like that just as much. 

Okay, aside from the fact that it is about witches and sorcery, I did find some good things in the book.

First off, the characteristics of a person outshine their outer appearance or abilities. There is a strong message that loyalty, love, joy, and friendship are more important than accomplishments. This is a very good message that many kids need to hear and I do commend Rowling for making this a strong aspect. Another thing is that love conquers death in the end. Because of someone's loving sacrifice, a character survives an ordeal. It was a good message that I appreciated.

I have read many reviews on these books and recently read that there are even some verses mentioned in the last book and there is a message. I found this on the subject - 

Not far away is the Potters' tomb, with a different inscription: "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." The quotation is from 1 Corinthians 15: 26, part of a long passage about the resurrection. In Godric's Hollow, Rowling begins to reveal that, like Narnia, her world has a "deeper magic." Love, expressed as substitutionary sacrifice—choosing to lay down your life for your friends—has a power that Lord Voldemort, like the White Witch before him, is blind to. That blindness becomes his undoing—with the help of Harry and his friends. 

[After speaking about Lewis and how he didn't start out by writing his books with a Christian minset - it just weaved itself in] Something similar seems to have happened to J.K. Rowling. She began writing about wizards and quidditch and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, and somewhere along the way, Christ began to whisper into the story.

Read the whole article here.

While I myself can see how some may come to this conclusion , I don't think Christ being revealed through a series about witches is right. Obviously God is not okay with witches. I do find the lesson in love conquering a good one, but to say it revolves around Christ is a little far fetched, in my opinion. There was no source of ultimate power - in fact, in at least in the first book there is no known source of power. We are left wondering where magic comes from, and I assume the reader is supposed to believe that it comes from within one's self...or something. I don't really know.


So, now that I've gotten through the ups and downs, let me answer a few arguments I've heard from both sides of the HP debate. I'll be doing this for each review I write on these books.

"Harry Potter is too realistic and will make kids believe they can be like Harry Potter" 

My Opinion: As a sixteen year old, I did not find this book realistic at all, besides some of the minor things the witches do. Trolls, dragons, ghosts, talking pictures, magical trains, flying broomsticks, and many other aspects made it completely obvious that it is a total fiction. But, considering this book is for younger children between the ages of 8 and 13, I wouldn't be all too surprised if a child didn't come to the same conclusion. I would not recommend this book to children who are young and not rooted deeply in their faith or don't know the truth about witches.

"You can't say Harry Potter is bad and accept C.S. Lewis' and J.R. Tolkien's books."

My Opinion: Well, I actually love Lewis' and Tolkien's works. They are amazing stories and they do have a big difference - the source of their power. Yes, a wizard is involved in Lord Of The Rings, but he is not a wizard on his own accord. He was given his power by a higher source. The same thing goes for the Narnia books - the powers come from a higher source: Aslan. Both of these higher source's can represent God. Harry Potter on the other hand, at least in the first book, has an unknown source of power. We are left to assume it(magic) just chooses people or that it's in one's self. There is no greater source of power.


That all being said, I did enjoy the book and found many of the lessons in it noble, I just wish just a few things could change. While I would deter young children from reading this book, older teenagers who are grounded in their faith may find this book interesting; though I don't necessarily recommend it. Of course, this is just my opinion and convictions. I simply wrote this review to answer questions that anyone may be having when choosing to read this book or give it to their child. If you have any questions or arguments regarding my review, feel free to leave a comment - I love hearing my reader's opinions and am open to discuss them. :-)

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Kingdom's Dawn by Chuck Black - Book 1 of The Kingdom's Series

Sixteen-year-old Leinad thought he was a common farmer’s son, nothing more. He wondered why his father had trained him for years to master the sword—not exactly a tool of the trade for farmers—but one tragic event initiates a world of revelation.



Only then does he begin to understand his calling—a calling no other man in the entire kingdom of Arrethtrae can fulfill—a calling given to him by the King Himself.


Teamed with a young slave girl, Leinad is thrust into adversity and danger—for the Dark Knight and his vicious Shadow Warriors will stop at nothing to thwart the King’s plan to restore the kingdom. Leinad will need more than a sharp blade and a swift hand to fulfill his mission and survive the evil plots of the King’s sworn enemies!


Journey to Arrethtrae , where the King and His Son implement a bold plan to save their kingdom; where courage, faith, and loyalty stand tall in the face of opposition.; where good will not bow to evil—and the future of a kingdom lies in the hands of a young man.


The Review:
My ranking: 10 out of 10
Reading level: 10 & up

The Positve:
Ranking in my top ten, Kingdom’s Dawn by Chuck Black captivated my attention from the first chapter. The story of young Leinad as he struggles through the book to stay loyal to the King, even in the midst of many toils, demonstrates the loyalty we should have to our King, the LORD. The book had some very good values in it, teaching that faith, love, and loyalty to our King will result in a prosperous life, and though hard times and trouble will come, that steadfastness and belief that the King has a plan for our lives and trusting in Him is the right thing to do. Kingdom's Dawn is the Bible retold in story form, which was very interesting. Kingdom’s Dawn would be good to read together as a family and compare the happenings in the book to the happenings in the Bible. The discussion questions at the back of the book would be great to ask children and get them thinking.

The Negative:
I was unable to come up with any negative aspects of this book.

To Sum It Up:
I highly recommend Kingdom’s Dawn. Whether you’re 10 or 30, you will thoroughly enjoy the journey of Leinad and his friends as they learn the true meaning of loyalty and how to dedicate their lives to the One who gave life to all.


To read more about this series, go here.
To purchase this book, go here.

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