Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Swift by RJ Anderson

 

About the Book

Book:  Swift
Author: RJ Anderson
Genre:  Christian Fantasy
Release Date: August 18, 2020

To save her people, a wingless girl must learn to fly.

As a piskey girl born without wings and raised underground, Ivy yearns for flight almost as much as she misses her long-lost mother. But the world outside the Delve is full of danger, and her dreams seem hopeless until she meets a mysterious faery who makes her an enticing offer: If Ivy helps him escape the Delve’s dungeon, he’ll teach her how to fly.

Freeing Richard could cost Ivy her reputation, perhaps even her life. But when her fellow piskeys start to disappear and her beloved little sister goes missing, Ivy has no choice but to take the risk.

Deadly threats and shocking revelations await Ivy as she ventures into a strange new world, uncovers long-buried secrets about her family’s past, and finds that no one—not even herself—is entirely what they seem.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Swift was an engaging read that blends Cornish folktales with the modern day human world. I had never heard of piskeys and wondered if it was a misspelling. I ended up looking it up and found out about a new to me little person.

This story starts out six years before the main action begins. Something dreadful happens that affects the life of a family- at the time, the main charactrer Ivy is 13. Ivy is a piskey girl who was born without wings, only knubs where they should have been, and for awhile had been very sickly. But as she grows and secrets of her past and of her beloved home come to the surface, Ivy finds strength to pursue the truth even when the fear is very great.

Ivy also meets some characters who actually end up being good for her and trustworthy companions no matter the scary stories that have been told about their kind. 

This story was about finding truth and stepping out of your comfort zone and realizing that fear can and will control you if you let it. This is just the first in this series and I look forward to the others. I recommend this book to adults, young adults, and even younger children who would like to listen to it. This was a fun fantasy mixed with our world fairy tale.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Born in Uganda to missionary parents, R.J. (Rebecca Joan) Anderson is a women’s Bible teacher, a wife and mother of three, and a bestselling fantasy author for older children and teens. Her debut novel Knife has sold more than 120,000 copies worldwide, while her other books have been shortlisted for the Nebula Award, the Christy Award, and the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Science Fiction. Rebecca lives with her family in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.

More from R.J. Anderson

FEAR, FAITH AND LEARNING TO FLY

What would you give to feel safe? If you could hide from all life’s dangers and anyone who might harm you, and spend your whole life in a beautiful, comfortable home surrounded by friends, family and all the necessities of life, would you?

That’s the kind of place that Ivy, the teenaged heroine of Swift, has grown up in — a glittering underground complex called the Delve, where safety and protection are paramount, and young girls especially are warned not to take foolish risks. Like climbing the wall of the Great Shaft that leads to the surface, for instance. Or going outside for any reason, except for two special nights of the year. In the world of modern-day Cornwall, the converted tin mine where Ivy and her fellow piskeys live is their only refuge from scheming faeries, greedy humans, and their deadliest enemies of all, the spriggans. And since Ivy’s mother was stolen by the spriggans six years ago, Ivy knows all too well how dangerous the outside world can be.

But as Ivy discovers when she stumbles on a mysterious Shakespeare-quoting prisoner in her people’s dungeon, safety isn’t everything. If “Richard” is telling the truth about what happened to Ivy’s long-lost mother, there may be more going on in the Delve — and outside it — than Ivy ever guessed. How far will she go to find the truth?

When I first started writing Swift, one of the ideas I wanted to explore was how much our prejudices and false perceptions limit us. Ivy’s been taught to fear everything and everyone outside the Delve, and that her poor health and lack of wings means she will never be worthy or whole. But when she starts to ask questions and search for answers, Ivy discovers that much of what she’s always believed is a lie.

What I didn’t realize until I’d finished writing the whole Flight and Flame trilogy is that in many ways, Ivy’s story parallels that of Moses in the book of Exodus. Like Moses when God first called him, Ivy doesn’t think she has anything to offer her people, or any chance of convincing the stern, suspicious piskey queen to set them free. But when Ivy learns to look beyond her fears and self-doubts and step out in faith — even if she’s not sure yet what it means or where it will lead her — extraordinary things happen and her world begins to change.

We all crave safety and security. But if we refuse to step outside our comfort zones or ever question our prejudices, our lives and hearts will stagnate. It’s only when we open ourselves up to truth and act on it, even if it’s hard or unpopular to do so, that we can truly soar.

I’ve loved writing Ivy’s story. I hope you’ll love reading it, too.

— R.J. Anderson (www.rj-anderson.com)

Blog Stops

Inklings and notions, August 31

Blogging With Carol, August 31

Through the Fire Blogs, September 1

Pause for Tales, September 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 2

Worthy2read, September 3

Texas Book-aholic, September 4

The Book Chic Blog, September 4

For Him and My Family, September 5

deb’s Book Review, September 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 6

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 7

Mia Reads, September 7

Artistic Nobody, September 8 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

For the Love of Literature, September 9

Daughter of Increase, September 9

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 10

Simple Harvest Reads, September 11 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Vicky Sluiter, September 11

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 12

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, September 13

 

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, R.J. is giving away the grand prize package of a signed and personalized bookplate, two bookmarks, and two beautiful blank-inside notecards with artwork by Kirk DouPonce and Rory Kurtz!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fff5/swift-celebration-tour-giveaway

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Escape to Vindor by Emiily Golus

About the Book

Book:  Escape to Vindor
Author: Emily Golus
Genre:  Young Adult Fantasy
Release Date: December 1, 2017

For as long as she can remember, Megan Bradshaw has imagined herself as the heroine of Vindor, her own secret world populated with mermaids, centaurs, samurai, and more. When school pressures and an upcoming move make life unbearable, Megan wishes she could escape to Vindor for real.

And then she does. Megan finds herself trapped in Vindor, with flesh-and-blood versions of her imaginary characters. Dreaming about being a hero and actually fighting monsters are two very different things–especially when the Shadow, the frightening creature now tearing Vindor apart, is one Megan doesn’t remember putting there.

Megan, playing the part of her alter ego, Selena, embarks on a dangerous journey, accompanied by a know-it-all centaur and a goblin she’s not sure she can trust. Will the Shadow destroy her before she can find a way to save her world?

Click here for your copy.

My Thoughts:

This was a fantastical read with great world building that really pulls you into another place. Megan Bradshaw is a girl with problems. She is bullied at school, she is no good at sports, and she and her mom and brother are getting ready for a big move to a new state and a new school. Megan is obviously not ok with this. So what does she do? She loses herself in her make-believe world of Vindor.

Well, she thought it was make-believe until one day she gets transported to this medieval realm and she is the hero. Imagine that. Just like she has always dreamed up. Except Vindor is not so make believe anymore. She must first get her bearings and then figure out what evil is lurking in the shadows there. Here she is looked up to and regarded as most important, but her self-doubts and insecurities continue. Many kids and adults can relate to those whispers. But she is now the hero and she and her new friends must find a way to save Vindor.

If you are looking for a great read for your kids, older or younger, I would recommend this fantasy. The creatures and the world are easy to imagine and the story is quite exciting with real life lessons to learn and apply. 

I received a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Emily Golus has been dreaming up fantasy worlds since before she could write her name. A New England transplant now living in the Deep South, she is fascinated by culture and the way it shapes how individuals see the world. Golus aims to create stories that engage, inspire, and reassure readers that the small choices of everyday life matter.

Her first novel, Escape to Vindor, debuted in 2017 and won the Selah Award for young adult fiction. Its sequel, Mists of Paracosmia, released in April 2019.

Golus lives in Upstate South Carolina with her woodworking husband, an awkward cat, and the world’s most talkative baby.

More from Emily

In Escape to Vindor, teen Megan Bradshaw spends nearly every quiet moment she has in a world of her own imagination. Writing this part of Megan’s story came naturally to me, because that was the way I spent my adolescence, too.

While other girls were thinking about—I don’t know what they were thinking about, actually. Boys, maybe?—I was creating epic melodramas about rival mermaid queens or magical rainforest civilizations. The world of my imagination filled my quiet life with vivid technicolor.

My stories also helped me survive. Worldbuilding was a welcome escape from my ever-growing list of fears.

See, I was the extra-good girl, the one who followed every rule to a T, always giving a hundred and ten percent. Few people suspected I did all of this not because I had a lot of drive and confidence, but because I thought I had to be extra-perfect in order to be loved—by people, and by God. I had a deep-seated terror of making one little mistake, losing my way, and being abandoned forever.

The world of Vindor started out as a private daydream, a way for me to work through my anxieties. But as I grew, I discovered something amazing—and the story took an unexpected turn.

I wrote Escape to Vindor for the dreamers, the bookworms, and anyone who enjoys dazzling new worlds. More importantly, I wrote it for the quiet ones who struggle without anyone knowing, who need to hear: You are seen, you are known, and you are loved.

Blog Stops

Inklings and notions, March 19

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 20

Texas Book-aholic, March 21

Wishful Endings, March 22 (Author Interview)

For the Love of Literature, March 23

For Him and My Family, March 24

deb’s Book Review, March 25

Through the Fire Blogs, March 26 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, March 27

Emily Yager, March 28

Vicky Sluiter, March 29 (Author Interview)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 31

Pause for Tales, April 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Emily is giving away the grand prize package of signed copies of both Escape to Vindor and Mists of Paracosmia, an amethyst pendant, and a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/f663/escape-to-vindor-celebration-tour-giveaway

Review: Imagine The Miracles of Jesus by Matt Koceich

To Purchase

About:

The last thing twelve-year-old John Le remembers (before the world as he knew it disappeared) is flying home through turbulent skies to McCarran International Airport. What happens next can't be explained as John finds himself in the middle of a wooden boat surrounded by a group of men—in ancient Israel! 

My Thoughts:

Imagine The Miracles of Jesus continues the Imagine series where a young boy or girl travels back in time into a Bible story. John Le is the 12 year old boy who travels back during the time Jesus walked on this earth. 

What is a little bit different with this one is that Jesus, not an angel as in previous stories, knows who he is and where he is from. This story also has a  lot of spiritual warfare, especially with a certain demon that torments him. The ending was a little strange and one must remember that this is fiction. It may also be a little frightening for younger readers.

Other than that the book was enjoyable as John's faith grows on his journey.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Reviewed by Ron

Review: Imagine The Fall of Jericho by Matt Koceich

To Purchase

About the Book:

The last thing fifth-grader Jake Henry remembers (before the world as he knew it disappeared) is napping at summer camp. What happens next can't be explained as Jake finds himself surrounded by massive stone walls that rise up all around him—in ancient Jericho! Imagine. . .The Fall of Jericho is the third release in an exciting epic adventure series for kids ages 8 to 12.

My Thoughts:

Imagine the Fall of Jericho is another intense installment of the Imagine series aimed for pre-tweens. This one takes Jake behind the walls of Jericho as he witnesses the culture and the coming of the Israelites outside of the wall. He is able to meet some friends and tries to warn them and works with them as the coming of Jericho’s judgement is very near.

In our time Jake is a very lonely boy and doesn’t have any friends. He cares very much for these friends he now has as he knows only too well what is coming their way. As you can imagine they at first do not believe him but he is strange to them and his dire warnings begins to open their eyes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Reviewed by Ron

Review: Imagine The Ten Plagues by Matt Koceich

To Purchase

About:

The Second Release in an Epic Bible Adventure Series for Kids

The last thing fourth-grader Kai Wells remembers (before the world as she knew it disappeared) is being surrounded by bullies on her walk home from school. What happens next can't be explained as Kai finds herself on the run for her life in ancient Egypt! Imagine. . .The Ten Plagues is the second release in an exciting, brand-new epic adventure series for kids ages 8 to 12 written by schoolteacher Matt Koceich. The Imagine series brings the Bible to life for today's kids as they ponder what it would be like to live through a monumental biblical event. 

My Thoughts:

Imagine the Ten Plagues is the second installment in the Imagine series for middle school readers. This story focuses on Kai Wells a fourth-grader who is dealing with bullies when she suddenly finds herself in Ancient Egypt. Her adventure begins right before the first plague and she meets new allies and new enemies and gets glimpses of iconic characters. Kai gives kids a firsthand account of what it might be like to have lived during the ten plagues especially viewed through the eyes of a modern child.

These stories are interesting as they take kids back into Biblical times and even how that happens remains a mystery that continues in each story. This is a great series for kids.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Reviewed by Ron

Review: God's Crime Scene for Kids by J. Warner Wallace and Susie Wallace with Rob Suggs

About:

Hone your reasoning skills as you investigate evidence in the universe to determine the most reasonable cause for everything we see in creation.

In this companion to Cold-Case Christianity for Kids, Jason uncovers a mystery in his grandmother's attic. He and his friends, Hannah, Daniel and Jasmine, enlist the help of Detective Jeffries at the Jr. Detective's Academy. Along the way, they develop the skills needed to investigate the mystery and the evidence of God's existence. The cadets learn logical-thinking skills as they examine the contents of a mysterious box and the vast universe.

In God's Crime Scene for Kids, real-life detective J. Warner Wallace shows kids ages 8 to 12 what skills are needed to solve Jason's mystery, and at the same time looks at evidence in the universe that demonstrates God is the creator. Ultimately, kids will learn how to make their own case for God's existence.

Learn more and purchase a copy here.

My Thoughts:

Coming on the heels of Cold-Case Christianity for Kids, in God’s Crime Scene for Kids author Wallace challenges kids again to investigate God’s design in the universe. This book talks about how there is too much intelligence in the universe; it is too fine tuned for it to have come into existence from nothing. Siting examples such as an empty nest that was made by an intelligent creature to withstand falling apart if it were to fall to the functions of a motor designed by human intelligence. Such forces as chance, accidents, or even gravity do not have the ability to put together or make anything out of nothing. This book investigates that everything that is made now that we see, is made by animals or people and obviously begs us to answer the question as to why that would have been different from the beginning.

With cartoon illustrations that draw the reader in and make the author points easier to understand and easier to grasp the concepts taught; makes this a great book for kids to understand science from a creative point of view. Also the theme of making the kids detectives and looking at the information from a detective standpoint makes for an interesting read. I think these books would be fun to read as a stand-alone or as a great addition to a science curriculum.

I received a copy of this book for free through Litfuse Publicity. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the authors:

J. Warner and Susie Wallace have been training young people in the church setting for over a decade. J. Warner is a cold-case homicide detective who has been featured on Dateline, FOX News, Court TV and other crime-related television shows. A former atheist, he is the author of "Cold-Case Christianity: God's Crime Scene," "Forensic Faith," and "Cold-Case Christianity for Kids." He has a master's degree in theology and is the founder of ColdCaseChristianity.com. Susie has a master's degree in speech pathology and co-writes (and edits) all the kids books in this series. J. Warner and Susie have four children and live in southern California.

Find out more about J. Warner and at http://www.coldcasechristianityforkids.com.

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Reviewed with Bubba

Review: Imagine The Great Flood by Matt Koceich

To Purchase

About the Book:

The ocean swirled around the boy and pulled him down with unrelenting power. Heavy water churned and tugged at his flailing body like unseen hands yanking him into the watery depths. The fight was finally over. Even though he’d tried to stand up to the enemy, the waves were about to swallow him whole.

 

The last thing ten-year-old Corey remembers (before the world as he knew it disappeared) was the searing pain in his head after falling while chasing his dog Molly into the woods. What happens next can't be explained as Corey wakes up and finds himself face-to-face with not one but two lions! 

 

Join Corey and experience the excitement. . .the wonder. . . the adventure. . .as the epic story of Noah’s ark comes to life.

My Thoughts:

I am very excited that there appears to be a new series for kids on the horizon. The new series is entitled Imagine which pulls kids into a story to experience what it might have been like during a Biblical event. There are other series like this that have intrigued my children to experience different time periods and important timeline events. I like that this one focuses on Biblical events. This particular one was about the Great Flood.

My 12 year old son read this one in an afternoon. There were some things in the story that were unfamiliar to him so he and I were able to pull up scripture and see just what the Bible says. After reading this book he was curious to ask questions and learned some interesting tidbits from the Bible he was not aware of. I will pass this on to my other boys and hope they find just as much enjoyment. Looking forward to more books like this to expand my kids knowledge of the Bible in an enjoyable and imaginative way.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks by Cindy Vincent

Series: Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Caper Genre: Christian, Children's, Cat-themed Mystery, Suspense Publisher: Whodunit Press Publication date: October 11, 2013 Number of pages: 178 Buckley and Bogey, Cat Detectives, find their next case hits a little too close to home. Because someone has been breaking into houses and stealing all the Christmas presents! And the first two robberies even took place in their very own neighborhood. Holy Catnip! Of course, the boys leap in on all fours to investigate right away. Then it isn't long before they realize they are dealing with some real criminal masterminds, since these burglars know exactly how to cover their tracks. Plus, the crooks have the whole town of St. Gertrude on edge and they're threatening to ruin Christmas for everyone.

​But figuring out the identity of the Christmas Crooks isn't the only mystery around. After all, Buckley had just been adopted from the cat shelter this year, and this was the first he'd ever heard about Christmas. And he quickly finds out there is a lot to learn! From Christmas trees to Santa Claus, and jingle bells to the birth of baby Jesus, the real meaning of Christmas is a mystery to him. But he and Bogey can't really enjoy any of it until the Christmas Crooks are caught. That's because it becomes very clear, very quick — these Christmas Crooks have set their sights on the boys' house, too! And the burglars are headed straight for their door. Holy Mackerel!

The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks is an enjoyable, cute read.  While I am older than the intended audience, I still (remarkably) found this book interesting.  The characters were quirky (my favorite was Bogey), and while I do not particularly enjoy movies or books in which the main characters are animals the author actually made this story work.  The cats were cute, and I loved the whole cast from The Wise One (the eldest cat in the house) to the Princess (the newest addition to the family and a possible love interest for Buckley????).

I read the book aloud to my three younger brothers while staying at my grandmother’s house, and they all enjoyed it (especially my eleven year old brother).  My grandmother even listened and later commented that she thought the book was good (and she doesn’t even like books!).   I think this is a great read for younger readers (with the occasional older reader who likes a cute mystery) and I look forward to more books about the BBCDA (Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Agency)… you know, to read aloud to my brothers of course…

I received a copy through Singing Librarian Books Tours for an honest review and the opinions are my own.

Reviewed by Nicki  

1. Each of the Buckley and Bogey books features an adoption scene where a homeless cat is given a forever home.  In one episode it was a cat who needed to be rescued from a bad situation, and another time two “special needs” cats were adopted.  I always get a little emotional when I write this little sideline to my stories, yet my real goal here is to encourage people to adopt cats who need a home, especially shelter cats.

2. In the book, Buckley is shown a plastic Santa Clause ornament that is hanging on the lower branches of the tree and put there for the cats in the family.  In real life, an ornament just like it is hung on our main Christmas tree every year, along with a few other unbreakable ornaments.  We often find them on the floor or around the house.  But it doesn’t matter, since we simply put them back on the tree.  No problem.  We learned long ago, that, if we wanted to have a decorated Christmas tree and cats, it was a very good idea to leave ornaments “just for them” on the lower branches of the tree.

3. Early in the story, there’s s a scene where the Princess runs straight up the Christmas tree and knocks it over.  This actually happened in real life . . . in fact, it happened many, many times the first Christmas after we adopted the real Princess Alexandra (Lexie).  She would run as fast as she could and leap onto the tree with enough momentum that it would fall right over, and the branches would go flying.  I probably should have been upset, but honestly, it was so hilarious that I’d laugh till I had tears rolling down my cheeks.  Especially when I saw the wild-eyed, quizzical expression on her face each time.  Finally, my husband invented a “Lexie proof” Christmas tree stand, and the tree stayed upright from then on.

4. I always include three of my other cats in the Buckley and Bogey books, too — Miss Mokie, aka The Wise One;  Libby, aka Lil Bits;  and Lexie, aka Princess Alexandra.  I wrote them into the first three books in the series, and sadly, not long after I’d started the fourth book, Miss Mokie and Libby passed away within a month and a half of each other.  They were 21 and 20 years old, which is remarkably old for cats.  Funny, but somehow I had the idea that losing an older cat might be easier, considering they’d had a nice long life and weren’t in the best shape near the end anyway.  But oddly enough, I found it was even harder to lose a couple of feline friends who’d been part of my life for a couple of decades.  I went through a very rough grieving process.  And even though they are gone, they will forever be in my heart.  And I decided to write them into the fourth book and all subsequent books anyway.

5. My favorite scene in this book is the night when Buckley finds himself locked out of the house.  That’s when he cuddles up in the Nativity Scene on the front yard to stay warm, and looks up at the night sky, trying to find the brightest star out there.

6. I completed this book in August.  So the whole time I was writing and dreaming of snow and Christmas decorations, it was actually about a 100º here in Houston, with 99% humidity.   Hmmm . . .

7. The Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers are set in a fictitious town called St. Gertrude.  Why St. Gertrude?  Because the real St. Gertrude of Nivelles, who lived in the seventh century, was known as the Patron Saint of Cats.

8. I sometimes write friends’ cats into my books as well.  For instance, Ranger, a Tonkinese kitty who is in two of the books, belongs to my friend who spends most of the year traveling in an RV with her husband, and takes Ranger with them.  She once sent me a picture of Ranger going nose-to-nose with an Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park, so Ranger quickly became an adventurer in the books.  And Luke, the church cat in one book and mentioned in another, is the late cat of an online friend who plays piano at her church.  His real name was Ebony, and he is also forever immortalized in my books.

9. Most of my cats nap in my home office while I write.  It makes for such a cozy atmosphere.  And Buckley, who is the narrator of the series, frequently sits on my desk.  Considering he’s a huge Maine Coon Cat, this can make things a bit challenging, especially when he wants to lie on top of the keyboard . . .

10. I'm always a little surprised whenever I finish writing a book.  I look back and think, where did that come from?  I especially like the "feel good" ending in this book, which takes place right on Christmas Eve.  I not only wrote about the true meaning and spirit of Christmas, but I felt it the whole time I was typing away.  And since Christmas is my favorite time of the year, this book has a special place in my heart.  As the story talks about the joy of giving rather than receiving, I feel like this book is my Christmas present to my readers. 

Cindy Vincent, M.A. Ed., is the award-winning author of the Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Capers, a mystery series for kids and cat-lovers that features the adventures of two black cat detectives. And yes, as she is often asked, Cindy used her own black cats, Buckley and Bogey, as the inspiration for the series, since they seem to run surveillance on her house each and every night. Cindy is also the creator of the Mysteries by Vincent murder mystery party games and the Daisy Diamond Detective Series games for girls, along with the Daisy Diamond Detective novels, which are a spin-off from the games. She lives in Houston, TX with her husband and an assortment of fantastic felines. Cindy is a self-professed “Christmas-a-holic,” and usually starts planning and preparing in March for her ever-expanding, “extreme” Christmas lights display every year . . .

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Giveaway

Review: Sunborn Rising: Beneath the Fall

Sunborn Rising: Beneath the Fall is the best vivid fantasy YA book of the year." --Entrada Publishing

On a distant world of forests floating on an ocean around a star,

a blight threatens to plunge all life into darkness.

But three friends seek the light.

Together, they will Fall and be lost.

And at the very Root of darkness, they will find themselves.

But will it be enough to help them find their way home?

The world of Cerulean

Light and water flow from the ocean into the roots of the Great Trees, up through the boughs, and out over the lush canopy. But the once vibrant treescape has grown dim over generations of arboreal life, and the creatures of the forest have forgotten the light.

Barra, a young, willful Listlespur, finds her late father's hidden journal, and reads about the old world and the mysterious plague her father believed destroyed it. He wrote that he warned the Elders. He urged them to take action. Those were his last words.

Together with her two best friends, Barra will explore every bark, wood, and leaf of the Great Forest to relight her world and complete her father's story, even if she has to travel beneath the Fall.

​

​Buy the book:   Amazon ~ Author Website

My Review:

Sunborn Rising Beneath the Fall is a fantasy novel about a world called Cerulean.  This world is becoming dark due to a plague and a young girl like creature named Barra is trying to find out what her late father knew through reading his writings.  This world is described as “great trees floating on an ocean surrounding a star” and is a story of friendship, love, and some creepy bad guys. 

I have been reading this one out loud to my boys of various ages and I will tell you that this particular fantasy novel stands out due to its incredible and beautiful artwork.  This makes the story much more interactive for my kids, especially the younger ones who can’t wait to see the next picture.  In a world with so much technology around us, this book actually catches the eye and the kids think it is cool.  Fantasy, for myself, is hit or miss, especially as I try to imagine a world that is so different from the one I live in, so this novel works for me too.  This story also continues at www.sunbornrising.com.

I received a copy of this book for an honest review through iRead Book Tours.  The opinions are my own.

Author's Bio:

Aaron Safronoff is author of the Discovery Award winning science fiction novel, Spire. Since his debut, he's published a sequel, Fallen Spire, and a novella of literary fiction, Evening Breezes.

​

Safronoff's diverse background includes the formal study of computer science, bio-chemistry, and culinary arts. However, most of his career has been in the videogame industry in quality, production, and design.

Today, Safronoff is the co-founder and Chief Storyteller of Neoglyphic Entertainment, and is busy writing his fifth novel, the second installment of the Sunborn Rising series.

​Connect with the author: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

Book Trailer:

You can also find more videos here:

http://www.sunbornrising.com/nav_media.cshtml

Sunborn Rising Wins Art Award!

Winning Art Work