Review: A.D. 33

A.D. 33 by Ted Dekker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time has moved on, yet Maviah is still trying to find her way in this world ruled by men. She has overcome being an illegitimate female to become the Queen of the Outcasts. She rules with the truths she has learned through Yeshua (Jesus) and continues to fight for those who trust in her protection. Her group of outcasts has been traveling the desert, but peace is not easily found when the surrounding rulers become fearful of her power. Maviah wants to find Yeshua for his help, but her plans are quickly sidetracked when she discovers he is approaching his own death.

A.D. 33 is the second book in the series and picks up not too long after the ending of the first book. Maviah’s story continues to be told with Yeshua’s teachings woven within. Readers who are looking for more about Jesus will be disappointed in this tale, but if they know it is a story about the time surrounding his crucifixion and the period leading to Pentecost, then readers will be pleased with the storyline. Dekker has written a satisfying historical fiction book with a strong Christian message within.


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Review: Inherit the Stars

Inherit the Stars by Tessa Elwood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The house of Fane has three daughters. The oldest is in a coma and may be unplugged to advance the second daughter to heir status. The second daughter is pledged to marry Eagle from the house of Westlet in order to unite the houses and avoid the collapse of their people. Asa is the youngest daughter and she has other plans. She poses as her older sister during the wedding ceremony and now the families must decide if the blood bond should be honored or if this traitorous act was willfully planned by the ruling adults. Asa and Eagle have had a tumultuous start, but will they be given the opportunity to discover if a real bond is possible? Will the needs of the people be too large to overcome in the time they have available?

Inherit the Stars is the first book in the debut series by the same title. Elwood has created a world full of interesting characters and personal drama that will delight readers who don’t mind a little sci-fi with their romance. Although this does take place in a world that has interplanetary systems that includes space travel and other scientific discoveries not of this world, the science fiction aspect is light and can easily be digested by readers who don’t normally pick up that genre. This book is not very long and readers will quickly travel from subplot to subplot until the final revelation that will leave them hanging. All will be looking for the next book to discover what these planets will do to continue their survival.


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Review: Ashley Bell

Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bibi Blair has a bright future. At 22 years old she is already a published author and living her dream. That is until her doctors tell her that she has less than a year to live … and then she is cured. She doesn’t know how a cancer can go from being symptomatic to remission in two days, but she isn’t going to spend too much time thinking about it. Through a series of odd circumstances she begins to believe that she has been spared a death by cancer in order to save a girl named Ashley Bell. As Bibi tries to discover who Ashley Bell is and what she can do to save her, she is pulled deeper and deeper into the dark world of criminals and conspiracies. Can she save Ashley Bell before she is killed herself? Was she really cured of cancer to possibly die another horrendous way?

Ashley Bell is the first book in what may be the next series penned by Dean Koontz. The story itself seems to be psychotic until the weaved together storylines begin to show themselves. The adventure is constantly changing, yet predictable and the ending felt forced in order to set up additional books. Although I gave it a 4 star status, it was more a 3.5+ star rating. I considered giving it a lower rating because there just seemed to be something missing from the bigger picture. It will be interesting to see where Koontz will go with these characters in the next novel.


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Review: Find Me If You Dare

Find Me If You Dare by Vicki Leigh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Caelum, Daniel and Kayla have been using the five weeks since the battle to train and prepare for what comes next, yet when a message arrives referencing the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the group understands the time for training has come to an end. Now that the group is aware of Richard’s plan to use the four Magus born on Halloween, they try desperately to stop him before the first Horseman is released. They can’t stop the loss of thousands of lives, but will they be able to protect the people closest to them? Can Kayla fight her father with her own dark magic without losing herself in the process?

Find Me If You Dare is the second book in the Dreamcatcher series. The action is intense and the story moves along quickly, yet I still found my mind meandering and needing to force myself back to the story itself. Since the book is not long, I was able to keep going and when I reached the end I still felt ho-hum. This is an OK book and I will give the third book a try, but if it gives me the same vibes at the end I will need to pass on the rest of the series.


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Review: The Revenge Artist

The Revenge Artist by Philip Siegel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Becca had a great part time job. Students would pay her $100 via PayPal and she would break-up a couple. She was good at it to, until she went legit. Now, for $100 via PayPal, she will help you get together with your crush. She won’t help just anyone; you must pass her scrutiny and truly be crushing on the other person. Unfortunately, there is a new Break-Up Artist on campus and this person has one goal in mind … REVENGE! Can Becca figure out who this crafty individual is before more relationships go south? Will her relationship be able to survive the Revenge Artist?

The Revenge Artist is the entertaining and delightful sequel to The Break-Up Artist. Readers who enjoyed the high school escapades and witty dialog in the first book will relish diving deeper into the social drama of Ashland High. Siegel has taken his characters into territories that many teens skate around, but don’t really want to venture into. At just over 300 pages readers will be able to whip through this fast paced mystery and try to discover who the Revenge Artist is along with Becca and her friends. A great read that will delight many.


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Review: Escape from Witchwood Hollow

Escape from Witchwood Hollow by Jordan Elizabeth Mierek
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Everyone in the small town of Arnn is familiar with the legend of Witchwood Hollow. You don’t want to venture into these woods, unless you don’t want to ever leave them. The witch that inhabits the land is unforgiving and ruthless. Honoria doesn’t believe in witches or ghosts. She lost both of her parents in the attack on the Twin Towers and has entered the hollow and left unscathed. Can the magic within Witchwood Hollow reunite Honoria with her parents? What will happen to the residents of Arnn if the witch becomes active again?

Escape from Witchwood Hollow is a stand-alone novel with some magic, mystery and history all rolled into a seamless storyline. Readers will travel between the 1600s, 1800s and 2001 with characters that have independent stories that slowly contract into one large web. I kept trying to figure out how they were connected and how the story would wrap up, yet Mierek was able to keep me adjusting my predictions until the last couple of chapters. A good quick read to satisfy readers tired of series fiction.


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