Daughter of Light, by Morgan Busse

Disclaimer: All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

Summary:

Recommended Age-Group: 15+
Issues of Violence: physical injuries, magic-related violence, assassination, war
Intimacy Level: mild attraction
Swearing: none
Recommendation: yes, 4.5 out of 5 stars! (see end of entry)

Blurb:

Rowen Mar is an orphan adopted into a village where she's not accepted. Her reputation sinks even deeper when a strange mark brands her as a witch and she's cast out of the only home she's known. She travels to the White City--a place she's never been, but the place her adoptive father has spent most of his life..and he's built a reputation. She arrives with hopes to become the varor to the princess--aka ferocious female bodyguard.  

Rowen is haunted by memories of when she accidentally touched a person with her mark, which revealed the evil inside a human's heart. Out of fear, she covers her hand with a glove and attempts to live without anyone knowing she is different, but God made her different for a purpose. War brews in the land and Rowen finds herself drawn to reveal and accept who and what she is, but will that acceptance distance those she loves away from her? Particularly the handsome Captain Lore?

Initial Reaction: *****

I enjoyed the fast pace to Morgan Busse's debut novel, Daughter of Light, which kept the story from dragging. There is a wide variety of characters who are more "out-of-the-box" than some of the recent fantasy I've read--a female scribe, woman bodyguard, and a blackmailed assassin. Those characters are an instant handful of gold.

Plot: *****
Rowen's journey is a great model of an under-qualified person embarking upon God's path of greater things. His calling can be intimidating and seemingly impossible, but it's important for her (and us) to take that tentative step that seems terrifying.

Daughter of Light has a similar feel to Lord of the Rings (only it's easier to read!). For those who enjoy that type of fantasy, this will be right up your alley!

Characters: *****
I had a difficult time relating to the characters, which in turn made me read the story mostly for plot-reasons than character plight. Rowen seemed very soft-hearted through the entire book, even after becoming a bodyguard and swordsman (swordswoman?). I would have liked to see a little more ferocity in her internal character--there were a lot of moments where she had to step up to bravely defend the princess, but I didn't see much confidence or determination grow from those experiences.

There were three point-of-views in this book, but Rowen's seemed to be the main one. I greatly enjoyed the assassin, Caleb's, point-of-view and looked forward to his chapters. The third character, a scribe named Nierne, caught my attention when her city was attacked. I connected with her plight the most--feeling her fear, her dread, her desperation to escape--but after her initial introduction, we only enter her head a couple more times. Not much follow-up comes regarding her city, but the way Daughter of Light ends leaves an opening for a lot more development in Nierne's besieged city. After all, we can't expect all the answers in one book. ;)

Spiritual Elements: *****

Just as the book is focused on adventure and quest for one's king/queen and country, it is focused on God's (called the Word) interaction with those He loves and pursues. This is done in a way that doesn't slap the reader across the face with Christian theology or over-the-top Christian fantasy. It touches on the Word's ability to heal and forgive.

The story also enters into the human struggle with faith, instead of thrusting every character into a "believe" moment and be a perfect apostle afterward. Characters pray out of desperation, admitting they have no faith that God will come through. A scribe who's spent her entire life copying and studying the Word's law doesn't understand His choice to allow good people to die and grows angry with Him. These moments just confirm God's faithfulness even when we doubt or don't understand.

Other:

Many scenes of battle have short graphic images--a dagger to the throat, bones splintering through a person's skin, screams of anguish. These bring the reader into the scenes, but Morgan Busse does an excellent job of giving just enough information to understand and feel what is going on without leaving a bad taste in the reader's mouth. 

Rowen is a very innocent and genuine person. When her mark leads her to see into the darkness of someone's soul, she is haunted by what she sees. Much of this includes the thoughts, desires, and memories of lust. Rowen is disgusted when she sees into the heart of a rapist. The book does not go into detail, but it informs the reader enough to know what she's seeing.

I really had to stay on my toes to keep the characters and locations straight. I have difficulty with names in general so this may not apply to all readers, but I mixed up the names of cities quite often through this book. I thought I'd also have a hard time with the characters, but the author does an excellent job reminding the reader in subtle ways who each character is.

Overall Recommendation:

Overall, I recommend this book. It's a great read and the driving idea is very original (my initial reason for stalking the release of this book). Again, I tip my hat to Marcher Lord Press for producing another inspiring book that touches the often forgotten corners of Christian fantasy. Bravo, Morgan Busse!

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, released September 2014 from Enclave Publishing. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

Reluctant Relaxation

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What does an avid reader and writer do when the doctor says, "Relax your brain."? 

She asks, "What does that mean?"

"No video games, no texting or brain-exhausting things."

Okay, I can handle that, but.... "What about reading? And...maybe writing?"

"Limit the reading. Probably shouldn't write much. Definitely no textbooks or anything."

No problem there, I think. I don't plan on picking up another textbook ever if I can help it. But limited reading? Okay, I can read with breaks. So that's what I'm trying to do (while breaking the rules and writing on my blog).

Yesterday, on my way to my internship, I was rear-ended (see the details here), which resulted in a concussion and some other muscle sprains. My brain needs to heal. I like to think that it will heal from reading. The doctor thinks otherwise. Thankfully, this is not permanent (as far as we know). 

In conclusion--I have not been reading or blogging much because my speech-therapy internship has been a 10-week, sprint-to-the-finish, last-hurrah before graduating with a Master's Degree. Now that I finally have a doctor's note demanding I rest...my reading is still limited.

So, my dear readers--please be patient with me as my traumatized brain heals and as my internship comes to an end. I can say with all honesty that I've been counting down the hours to when I could delve into some more book reviews for you. They shall return in greater force when God's finished teaching me how to rest and heal.

Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.

The Shifter, by Janice Hardy

Disclaimer: All reviews are the result of my personal opinion from a Christian stand-point. These reviews are provided for those who share my beliefs and morals, to help guide what fiction a reader may wish to pick up. For those who do not share these beliefs, please refrain from hateful comments. It is due to rude commenting that I must now include this note prior to all reviews. For more information, visit my purpose behind this blog. Thank you for your understanding.

Summary:

Intended Age-Group: 10+
Issues of Violence: physical injuries, magic-related violence, blackmail, some torture-like scenes.
Intimacy Level: Mild affection
Swearing: none
Recommendation: 4 out of 5 stars

The cover looks like snow and light. Even more delightful was the description on the back cover--something new. A story that didn't sound generic.

Blurb:
Janice Hardy weaves a tale about 15-year-old Nya the Shifter. Nya is a bold, brave, protective older sister who has the ability to shift pain from someone and transfer it into someone else. She's always wanted to be a Healer, but Healers transfer pain into a giant slab of a magical stone called pynvium instead of people. Nya is a freak on her home island of Geveg because of her unusual skill. She can be blackmailed and abused if anyone with power finds out that she can put pain into people instead of the Slab. And this is just what the people with power seek to do when Nya makes a fatal mistake.

Characters: *****
Nya's character acted her age and it was interesting to watch the changes her character took as she was further and further blackmailed. How far would she go to save her sister? Were her choices ethical? What would you have done in her situation? I love her's spunk and loyalty to her friends and family. She sees the whole picture of things and addresses all issues instead of just her initial goal. This is admirable, but at the same time she often finds herself biting of much more than she can chew. 

Nya is a likeable character with her own flaws. She desires to do good things, but is constantly thrust in difficult situations with no clear-cut-right answer. When Healers from the League of Healers start disappearing on the brink of war, Nya's focus is turned to the safety of her sister, Tali, a Healer who lives and trains at the League. When Tali is reported missing, chaos strikes. Not only is Nya thrust into the thick of things, but her heart won't allow her to just save her sister. She wants to uncover the answer to all the disappearances. She allows nothing to stop her. Not until the pain of her island is relieved. 

I love first-person books because I feel more in the head of the character, but it was a squeeze with Nya. The development was limited, but what really solidified the "flat" feel of characterization was the lack of development in side characters. I wanted to know more about the cute boy and his family, more about Tali and why she didn't try to help Nya from dying of starvation more than she did. Characterization is the main story-driver for me and The Shifter just didn't leave me feeling like I'd read about a real human being (even though it's fiction).

Plot: *****
I enjoyed this book--it was a quick and fast-paced read, though it wasn't a top-notch page-turner. Toward the end as the action rose, too many "surprises" popped up to save the day. Nya discovered more and more secret skills that happened to fit the exact need for the current crisis. They seemed like cop-outs for the author when she didn't know how to handle the situation. These different skills would have been more believable and, in my opinion, appropriate had they been introduced at times other than the middle of the crises.

Spiritual Content: *****

The "deities" throughout the novels are called Saints. The way Nya thinks of them refers to multiple saints, kind of like the Greek gods. She prays to different ones for luck, guidance, healing, etc. The prayers or mentions of saints are frequent throughout the book, though nothing ever really comes from her prayers. Her relationship with the deities was nonexistent. They were made of stone and acted like stone, typical of all gods apart from the Living God.

Other: There's not much in this novel that I'd label as "inappropriate". There's a brief mention about Nya kicking a man who had pinched her "nowhere proper". There's also insinuation about show-girls and possible prostitution, but nothing is said flat-out. I don't think there's anything worth fussing over.

Overall Recommendation:

I recommend this book, particularly for its originality and thought-provoking aspects. It brings up a lot of questions about pain, human suffering, and sacrifice. It's appropriate for the intended age group (10 and up). Put that fascinating cover on your shelf!

Violence Level: ***

Romance Level: **

Christian Focus: *

Readability Level: ***

Story Depth Level: ***

Recommendation: ****

For a more detailed explanation of the above ratings, visit the 6-Point Nutshell post.



Nadine Brandes is an adventurer, fusing authentic faith with bold imagination. She writes stories about brave living, finding purpose, and other worlds soaked in imagination. Her debut dystopian novel, A Time to Die, releases 2014 from Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction. When Nadine's not taste-testing a new chai or editing fantasy novels, she is out pursuing adventures. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband. You can find out more about Nadine and her books at http://nadinebrandes.com.