Firefly Island by Lisa Wingate

Back Cover:

Mallory Hale's life quickly veers off course when she falls hopelessly in love. After a whirlwind romance, Mallory finds herself leaving the bustle and action of Capitol Hill for the remote town of Moses Lake, Texas--with husband, stepson, and a U-Haul in tow.
A sweet, mishap-filled journey into marriage, motherhood, and ranch living ensues, and Mallory is filled with both the wonderment of love and the insecurities of change. But what she can't shake is the unease she feels around her husband's new boss, Jack West. Jack's presence--and his mysterious past--set her on edge, and when hints of a scandal emerge, Mallory finds herself seeking answers . . . and comes to realize that the middle-of-nowhere home she wasn't sure she wanted is the very place she'll risk everything to save.


Review:

I wasn't too impressed with Firefly Island. I found it very hard to get into, and forced myself to keep reading, so I could write this review. It did thankfully get better as the book went on, but I found the plot lacking and the characters a little bland.

The novel is written in first person, which I found really distracting, especially in the beginning; it gets easier the more you read. Firefly Island is written well, but it doesn't make up for the somewhat obivious plot. The plot did get better when the mystery became more in depth, but I found it completely unrealistic.

I found the characters a little bland and had no depth. Some of the characters had some crazy and unrealistic backstories. They have their funny and heart-warming moments, but overall, I wasn't a fan.

I have discovered that Lisa Wingate isn't my kind of author, both in writting style and in content. This is not a book I would reccomend, but I know others would enjoy this book. It's just not for me.


Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr

Back Cover:

In the backwater village of Callowford, roustabout Errol Stone is enlisted by a church messenger arriving with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Eager for coin, Errol agrees to what he thinks will be an easy task, but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.

Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty nears its end and the selection of the new king begins -- but in secret and shadow. As danger mounts, Errol must leave behind the stains and griefs of the past, learn to fight, and discover who is hunting him and his companions and how far they will go to stop the reading of the stones.


Review:

I REALLY enjoyed A Cast of Stones is such a great fantasy novel. Patrick W. Carr has hit created an amazing book (with more in the series to come - yay!). It includes all the wonderful details and fantastic characters one expects in a fantasty novel, but then and amazes me with a whole new spin on the fantasy world!

The plot is a simple, but effective one. The main character Errol is from a simple background - an orphan, a drunk and a mess, but is given a task which in turn sends him on a path of greatness. A Cast of Stones reminded me a lot of the Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini. It was the same kind of plot and writing style (and also just a well written!). However, Patrick W. Carr brings something unique to the fantasy genre. Errol is on a path, not a be a dragon rider or magician, but to become a reader - someone who can cast and read lots.

I love that this is a faith-based fantasy novel. A Cast of Stones weaves in Chistian threads on the same level C.S. Lewis did in the Narnia series. Patrick W Carr was originally inspired to write this book by a verse in Bible (Proverbs 16:33), which says that the outcomes of lots are determined by God. But the threads don't stop there! Eroll is on the path of serving Deas (God), the king, and the church. Not only that, but the background story of the land and its people is strikingly similar to real life - how man sinned, but Christ came to save us, yet we are still sinful and have to fight Satan and his demons.

Don't even get me started on the characters in this book. They are so real, so easy to conjure in your imagination. This does not just apply to Errol, but all the supporting characters in the story. Everyone has their role in the story, and plays it perfectly!

It is such a vivid story, but so relateable that it is so easy to imagine and get sucked into. I couldn't put A Cast of Stones down! I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out!


Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.