Browsed by
Author: Celeste

Book Review: Flameheart (Flameheart Chronicles #1) by Dalton and Emily Bequette

Book Review: Flameheart (Flameheart Chronicles #1) by Dalton and Emily Bequette

Comments 0 Comment


Flameheart by Dalton Bequette
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The description for Flameheart captivated me from the moment I read it, and saw the lovely cover art attached to the story. Flameheart is something of a portal fantasy, a book about books and a world containing a vast array of other worlds within it, worlds of which most inhabitants are wholly unaware and unsuspecting. It’s a love letter to stories, and to the weight the hold in our lives. …

Read More Read More

Book Review: Caligo (Sequel to the Nightingale Trilogy) by J.J. Fischer

Book Review: Caligo (Sequel to the Nightingale Trilogy) by J.J. Fischer

Comments 0 Comment


Caligo by J.J. Fischer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have a confession to make: I preordered this standalone sequel to the Nightingale Trilogy before I had even started the first book. I was that sure that I would love the series. That bet paid off. It’s not often that every single book in a series is a five-star read, but the Nightingale saga was that for me. And that includes Caligo. This sequel was just as fantastic as the main trilogy, if not even better. …

Read More Read More

Book Review: Memoria (The Nightingale Trilogy #3) by J.J. Fischer

Book Review: Memoria (The Nightingale Trilogy #3) by J.J. Fischer

Comments 0 Comment


Memoria by J.J. Fischer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely incredible. I was captivated by Calor. I was entranced by Lumen. But it is in Memoria that I found myself the most profoundly moved. Not because it was an excellent story, expertly told. Not because I had fallen in love with the characters and was so deeply invested in their stories. While all of those things were true, and all of them contributed to making this trilogy as wonderful as it is, those components were merely the foundation, the setting of the stage for the Truth that Fischer so brilliantly displayed through this work of fiction. …

Read More Read More

Book Review: Lumen (The Nightingale Trilogy #2) by J.J. Fischer

Book Review: Lumen (The Nightingale Trilogy #2) by J.J. Fischer

Comments 0 Comment


Lumen by J.J. Fischer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lumen is the second installment in the Nightingale trilogy, and it picks up right where Calor left off. The pace is fast and the tensions are high from the very first page. The cast is still wonderful, and I’m enjoying getting to know them more deeply. Fischer does a wonderful job balancing their strengths against their weaknesses. She also does a lovely job of weaving subtle strands of Greek myth into her world in a way that only serves to deepen the story. There are subtle nods throughout, especially seen in the naming of places and even certain characters. …

Read More Read More

Book Review: Calor (The Nightingale Trilogy, #1) by J.J. Fischer

Book Review: Calor (The Nightingale Trilogy, #1) by J.J. Fischer

Comments 0 Comment


Calor by J.J. Fischer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Calor is the first installment in the Nightingale saga, a completed epic fantasy trilogy followed by a standalone sequel. The entire series is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved short story, “The Nightingale,” and also includes notes of the Hades and Persephone myth. I was enraptured by Calor from the very beginning. The worldbuilding is fascinating, the characters are compelling and sympathetic, the writing is lovely and incredibly engaging, and the pacing never falters.
…

Read More Read More

Book Review: Darkfell by Amanda Wright

Book Review: Darkfell by Amanda Wright

Comments 0 Comment


Darkfell by Amanda Wright
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Darkfell is a timeless, refreshing take on classic fantasy tropes that deserves shelf space alongside The Chronicles of Narnia and Dekker’s Circle series. Like the aforementioned works, Darkfell tells a powerful, fantastical tale on the surface, with layers of spiritual depth underpinning the plot. I love finding Christian fantasy that is actually, unabashedly Christian, not simply clean and penned from a Christian worldview. Darkfell is unashamedly Christian. While the plot is propulsive, the characters engaging, and the worldbuilding exemplary, this is a story that would quite literally fall apart without the Creator holding it together. Which is a writing decision that I love, because my story would also fall about without Him. …

Read More Read More

Book Review: Illuminary (The Sceptre and the Stylus, #1) by Chawna Schroeder

Book Review: Illuminary (The Sceptre and the Stylus, #1) by Chawna Schroeder

Comments 0 Comment


Illuminary by Chawna Schroeder
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I’ve been eagerly anticipating Illuminary since it was first announced. A Little Princess is one of my favorite books of all time, so the idea of a fantasy reimagining of that classic story was immediately appealing to me. While I could absolutely see and feel that inspiration in this series opener, it never felt derivative in any way. Illuminary is a refreshingly unique tale, packed with more action and adventure and faith than I expected to find. …

Read More Read More

Book Review: Earthbound (Of Earth and Sky, #1) by Katee Stein

Book Review: Earthbound (Of Earth and Sky, #1) by Katee Stein

Comments 0 Comment


Earthbound by Katee Stein
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Earthbound has been on my radar for a while now. With threads of The Stormlight Archive in its words of power, Dune with its gargantuan subterranean monsters, and even Empire of the Vampire in terms of certain relationship dynamics and quasi-religious political machinations, this sounded like an incredibly promising science fantasy that would harken back to powerful stories I’ve loved in the past while still being a tale wholly its own. And that’s exactly what Stein delivered in this first installment in the Of Earth and Sky duology. What I didn’t anticipate was just how tense and heart wrenching a story it would be. Earthbound is nothing if not intensely unique and totally unforgettable. …

Read More Read More

Book Review: Above the Circle of Earth by E. Stephen Burnett

Book Review: Above the Circle of Earth by E. Stephen Burnett

Comments 8 comments


Above the Circle of Earth by E. Stephen Burnett
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Above the Circle of Earth is a standalone work of science fiction that explores an aspect of the expansion of the human race into space that we don’t often contemplate: the mission field. Imagine a world that is edging closer to a utopia from a secular perspective, but in which those who practice one of the current world religions find themselves relegated to preserves. These preserves are seen as a blessing by many in these faith communities, as it provides them with protection and insulation from the outside world. But how does this effect the Great Commission? We as Christians were commanded to “go ye therefore,” so should we be content to stay in our own insular bubbles because it’s safe and inoffensive to the outside world? And what about when planets beyond Earth begin to be populated? Do we let entire worlds of people live and die without ever hearing the Gospel of Jesus? When we neglect to share our faith out of fear, do we realize the blood that’s on our hands? …

Read More Read More