Dauntless (Valiant Hearts: 1) by Dina L. Sleiman is a book set in England with a theme similar to that of "Robin Hood." While I've never been
a huge fan of the "Robin Hood" motif but I actually did enjoy this book. I liked the strong female protagonist of the story. She had a good balance
of strength, mercy, and kindness. While she was a worthy leader, she still had room to grow and needed others and the story did a good job of showing
that.
This book was written from a Christian perspective and there are strong Christian themes throughout that can be appreciated. I especially enjoyed the "Sunshine
Men," want to know what I'm referring to? Read the story!
There are also elements of romance in this story, and while I'm not usually a big romance reader, I believe this writer did a good job of intertwining
the romance into the story and making it a believable. I do appreciate that the story had a lot of other elements than romance though and that there
was more to the book than that (since, as I mentioned, romance isn't one of my preferred genres).
I would definietly recommend this book and have already added the second Valiant Hearts, Chivalrous to my TBR pile!
The Lost Pony of Riverdale (The Riverdale Pony Series) by Amanda Wills is a good book for horse lovers in the junior high age
range. Poppy moves to a new area with her parents and hears stories of an escaped pony that roams the moors. The story was fun and kept moving along.
Poppy is a well-developed character with relatable emotions and the book was well-written.
While the story is intended to be a fun read for junior high girls it also deals with serious issues and is intended to make it’s audience think. There
are plot twists that keep you intrigued and guessing. I did wish there was more about the donkey in the story, though; they can be wonderful companions!
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and believe Amanda Wills to be a talented author. I would recommend it to other readers, especially in the
intended age range!
The Pillar of Light is a Christian Fantasy Adventure, just as the book states. The story is based around a Nani, a young teen that has lost her memory
and is living with a missionary couple in Brazil. The adventure takes us to another world where a group of teens with Nani learn about each other,
life lessons, and symbolism related to Christ and Bible stories.
I enjoyed the book overall. Anna Travis is certainly imaginative and truly envisioned and created a new world, complete with strange animals, floating
spheres, and it's own kind of magic. I enjoyed the Christian elements in the story and much of the thought put behind the symbolism. It's also nice
to read a fantasy book that isn't full of dark creatures.
There were, however, a few grammatical errors and not all of the passages flowed smoothly. With a bit more practice and editing though, I think this could
really be a fantastic author. I would certainly read more of her work after reading this book.