"The Personifid Project" by R.E. Bartlett

Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Realms (September 30, 2005)
ISBN-10: 1591858062
ASIN: B003E7EZCK

In the future of our world, human souls can be transferred to machines called Personifids and live forever. Sounds like a sweet deal, right? Aphra, our heroine, thinks so too. That is until she overhears something she shouldn't at the Personifid company she works at, Sevig Industries. Then she witnesses her only human friend, Ryan, murdered in front of her eyes. Suddenly she finds herself on the run for her life, leaving the only place she has ever called home, Min city. Rescued by a man named Birn and his wife Lavinia, she learns of their weird way of living, and their ancient beliefs in a god called the Tri-Une-Soul. Eventually, she becomes seperated from her rescuers and learns there is a bounty on her head. The only question is, why?

Aphra, spends most of her time working, or with her android companion Michael and her computer Marlene. She doesn't have much experience with real people, who she finds odd and unpredictable.
Gun, Lavinia's cousin, is stoic and mysterious. As the story unravels, we learn more about him.
Lavinia, used to work with Sevig and date him. After faking her death, she lives outside of Min City in secret.
Birn, is Lavinia's husband. He's good-hearted and laid back. He's the one who finds Aphra and takes her home with him.
Antha, is Aphra's brother, whom she hasn't seen since they were kids. Since he erased his memories, he doesn't even believe her at first when he claims they're related. His sarcastic and humorous comments endeared him to me immediately.
Sevig, is our villain. We don't know too much about his past, except that he used to date Levinia. He is cold hearted and determined to finish what he and Lavinia started years ago, no matter who has to die.

The best sci-fi book I have ever read, though I admit it's slim pickings when it comes to this genre in the Christian publishing industry. Even smaller than fantasy, I believe.
Bartlett makes all of the scientific inventions completely believable, from the luminere's that transport you around the city to the flying cars that talk (I want one of those, btw).
The story is well paced, and after the intro, it really kicks off. There is never a moment where nothing interesting or exciting doesn't happen.

For extreme originality and a thrill ride of a novel, I give "The Personifid Project" four stars. Also, if you liked "Gundam Seed Destiny" you'll probably like this book. The villains in both stories share ideas about perfecting humanity.

If you want to learn more about this New Zealand Author, check out her website.

You can buy her book here for a great deal.

Up next, I'll review "The Prophecy" by Dawn Miller.

"Dragons of The Valley" by Donita K. Paul

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (September 21, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1400073405
ISBN-13: 978-1400073405

The second in the Chiril Chronicles, Tipper and Bealomondore are whisked away to the secret land of the Kimen, along with two of the statues. When they learn that Verrin Schope has vanished, they set out to find him, along with Fenworth, Hollee, and Librettowitt. They find trouble instead when Tipper breaks her ankle, and a creature called the Growl tracks them, intent on killing Fenworth. Everything comes to a head when the Grawl recruits evil monsters called Schoergats and plans to kill all of the dragons of Chiril.

Hollee, our only new addition, is a young, female kimen who is sent to watch over Fenworth. She has a strong curiosity and a whimsy, likeable charm. Although I admit, I always kind of liked not knowing anything about kimens. They seem less mysterious then they used to.
The grawl, a hafling, is our new villain. He is much like an animal and seems to have vanquished any human feelings. He only knows how to kill and is an excellent bad guy.
Bealomdore proves himself as my favorite character, the only one that develops. He learns in his sword skills and his understanding of Wuldar. And we learn about his past and his family. Also, I was pleased to see he seemed to be developing a crush on Tipper and there were quite a few moments they shared together that proved they were becoming closer. Unfortunately, this doesn't go anywhere and left me feeling cheated.

I have the same critique as I did with the first book. Because of their lack of appearances in this book, neither Tipper nor Jayrus' character evolve at all. I was sorely disappointed to find that their relationship was just as predictable as the first. Jayrus is still perfect, and Tipper eventually grows a desire to know Wulder, but it does little to change her character.

The story is well paced, switching back to Becaroon, Bealomondore and Fenworth. And there plenty of action scenes, including a near death experience for our beloved Bealomondore. Because of this and the development of Bealomondore, I still give it three stars. Just as good as the last.

If you wish to learn more about the great books by Donita K. Paul, check out her homepage.

If you want to buy this book, you can get it at Amazon.com.

Up next, I'll review "The Personifid Project" by R.E. Bartlett.

"The Vanishing Sculptor" by Donita K. Paul

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (June 2, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400073391
ASIN: B0044KN2Y8

In the first book of the Chiril Chronicles, it's another time and another place, a country called Chiril that has no knowledge of Wulder. There we meet Tipper, a young emerlindian girl who is just trying to make ends meet. Because her father vanished a long time ago, she has to get by by selling things from her large home. Her life is disrupted when a artist named Beaulomondore shows up wanting to meet her father and study under him. After deceiving him, she discovers her father one night, but he vanishes as soon as he appears. Eventually she discovers he is stuck between a gateway and the only way to restore him is to retrieve three statues she sold a long time ago that contain a healing power. With the the help of her father's foreign, new friends, (familiar to us) Wizard Fenworth and Librettowitt, along with Beaulomondore and Becaroon (her guardian), they set out to find them before her father vanishes forever.

Tipper, our young heroine, is easily a character you feel sympathy for consider her troubled life since her father disappeared. She is skeptical about his finding Wulder and she avoids discussions of him.
Beaulomondore, a tumanhofter artist who is rather an oddball considering the rest of his race, is a reluctant traveler. Much like Kale, he knows the dangers ahead and doesn't have much faith in himself. Because of his realistic attitude, he is my favorite character. :)
Becaroon, a large talking bird that watches over Tipper, is stern and befuddled by the foreigners that Verrin Schope has befriended. He is very loyal to Tipper and would do anything for her.
Prince Jayrus, a dragonkeeper, is handsome,smart, and athletic. And right off the bat we know he is Tipper's romantic interest, considering their love-hate relationship. Because of his reclusive lifestyle, I found his character unreal. He has never met anyone and yet has good manners and charms everyone he meets. He has no flaws that I know of (except being stubborn for two seconds in the beginning).
 Lady Peg, Tippers mother, doesn't fully have control of her senses. She tends to babble on about the oddest things.
Verrin Schope, Tipper's father has found Wulder and tends to share it with all of Chiril. But first he has to share it with his family.

I found the return of Fenworth and Librettowitt comforting. They add their usual funny conversations and their interesting spells. Mrs. Paul keeps her usual fast paced writing, as the group encounters many problems along the way, from convincing a stubborn prince to let them ride his dragons to sneaking into a mansion and rescuing a kidnapped Verrin Schope.
The only dark cloud over the book are certain aspects of Tipper's character and most aspects of Prince Jayrus. We know why Tipper has a crush on Jayrus, he's perfect. We know why Jayrus likes Tipper, she's pretty. Their shallow relationship is such a sharp contrast to how Bardon and Kale fell in love it's hard to believe its written by the same author. Also, Mrs. Paul makes too many references to how beautiful Tipper is, it comes off as overbearing.

For a first book in the series, Mrs. Paul shows her usual skill for an original story full of action. I give it three stars, because I have to dock one for the badly designed relationship between our heroine and Jayrus, and basically Jayrus's character in general.

If you want to learn more about the books by Donita. K. Paul, check out her homepage.

You can buy the book at Amazon.com

Up next, I'll review "Dragons of the Valley" By Donita K. Paul, book two in the Chiril Chronicles.

"Dragonlight" by Donita K. Paul

Paperback: 377 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (June 17, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400073782
ASIN: B003STCQDE

In the final installment of the DragonKeeper Chronicles, Bardon wants his wife to go on an adventure, and persuades her to leave her castle behind to her parents. Together they head out to meet up with Gilda and Regidor, who are in search of the lost Meech colony, where they wish to present their egg. Along the way, they learn about a cult that claims only they know about Paladin's truth (created by Pretender) and a hoard of small, black dragons that attack everything in their path.

Holt returns to our story and lends himself to infiltrate the cult called Paladise. Barden sees potential in the marione but Holt claims he is only doing it for the money. Regidor, using his ability to see a persons aura, says otherwise.
Seezle, a kimen, is assigned to watch over Holt. You might remember her from the first book. She is sweet and rather charming.
Sittiponder also makes a return, and is severely affected from one event. He still continues to watch over Toopka and still hears those same 'voices'.
Gilda has evolved from the last book from annoying to totally unbearable.
Toopka isn't her usual self, and Kale wonders for the first time about the doneel's history. She plays a large part in the ending and her character finally develops.

The journey to catch up with Gilda and Regidor is hampered by many things, mainly the killer dragons that come out of nowhere and are vanquished just as quickly (although not before harming Kale).
Kale and Bardon add finding its source to their list of things to do. Not to mention a mysterious growth has appeared in Toopa's chest. While Dar deems in harmless, mystery swarms around her and for the first time the reader wonders who Toopka really is. You also get an interesting look at the many other wizards of Amara.

A suitable ending to the series full of action and originality, not to mention a satisfying epilogue, I give "Dragonlight" fours stars out of four. *feels like a movie announcer* (Do people even rate books with stars?)

If your wish to learn more about the Dragonkeeper Chronicles, check out Mrs. Pauls website.

You can buy the book at Amazon.com

Up next, I'll review "The Vanishing Sculptor" by Donita K. Paul.

"Dragonfire" By Donita K. Paul

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (July 17, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400072514
ISBN-13: 978-1400072514

In the fourth installment of the Dragonkeeper Chronicles, we jump three years into the future, where we find Kale and Bardon, a young married couple. They have spent most of their time in the reclusive bogs and are only now seeing the signs of a growing war in Amara. The two are split up to go on seperate quests, Kale with her newly reawakend father, and Bardon with Kale's mother.

Kale's father is the only real new character as Bardon's dad isn't much involved. He is just as charming as his wife although he is somewhat unpredictable and almost carefree, which rather bugs Kale at first.
There aren't many new characters in the book, but because of the many from previous books it feels unneeded. Instead, we revisit old characters such as...
Gilda, the dragon we only visited with a small amount of time in "Dragonknight" is more developed and we learn about who she really is. She looks down on the low races and has a condescending tone, believing that the Meech race's secret home must be truly advanced and evolved.
Leetu Bends, whom has been absent since book one, finally returns. Although I find any development in her character lacking.

I admit, the first time I slipped open the book, I was extremely disappointed to discover that Kale and Bardon were already married. -_-; I had daydreamed for nearly a year after reading "Dragonknight" how their relationship would progress. I guess its a fantasy book, not romance, right?
Even so, like many Christian authors writing for young people, Mrs. Paul makes sure there relationship is seen in a certain light...rather similar to that of the later books in the "Dragons in our midst" series by Brian Davis. Romantic hints in that series are kept to a minimum. The most we see is a hug, or a kiss on the forehead...really. This is my personal pet peeve.
What, we can read about men getting their heads chopped off but sexual desire is off limits? Perhaps the authors are following strict quidelines from their publishers but if so, these bogus concepts of perfection should be stopped. That's the number one flaw in Christian fiction, portraying Christians as perfect people. We all face tempation, and no doubt sexual temptation is the most common. So why doesn't anyone acknowledge it?
Okay, had to get that out there. *sweatdrop*

Back to the review...
As for action, there is plenty, my fave scene being where Kale is trapped in burning woods. I could really feel her despair, and the best aspect of this adventure is that for the first time, Kale faces temptation herself, and makes a drastic mistake by accepting a gift from Pretender to ease her pain after the fire. They way Mrs. Paul portrayed the desire to sin, take the easy way out, and have herself healed was amazing. It truly caused Kale's character to grow and it was my favorite part of the book. And when she discovers the truth about her scars, it's really priceless.

So, I give "Dragonfire" four stars. An amazing read for fantasy lovers everywhere. :)

If you wanna check out the other DragonKeeper books, please check out Mrs. Paul's website.

You can buy her book at amazon.com.

Next up, I'll review the last book in the series, "Dragonlight".

P.S. 100 views. I must be getting popular. *crickets churp* Not really.

"Dragonknight" by Donita K. Paul

Publisher: WaterBrook Press (June 20, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400072506
ISBN-13: 978-1400072507

Unlike the first two books, the third installment of the Dragonkeeper Chronicles follows Bardon, instead of Kale. After two years finishing his training in Wittoom with Dar, Bardon sets out on a Sabbatical to decide what he wants to do with his life. Expecting r & r, instead Bardon is forced into a quest when a young Emerlindian and a Granny ask for his help to rescue her father. Along the way his patience is tested as he deals with the antics of a naive emerlindian and an overly kind granny. Not to mention a less than trustworthy tag-a-long.

N'Rae, the young emerlindian, is a beautiful girl, rather naive being that she grew up with Ropma. I disliked her instantly, as she was the kind of stereo type of perfection. Men fall for her, not caring that her mind is rather empty. Bardon seems to grow fond of her quite fast, rather unlike him. (I think Mrs. Paul was trying to make N'rae seem morel likeable to the reader, though it had the opposite affect on me.)
Granny Kye, the caretaker of N'rae, is always polite, but the way she manages to convince Bardon to help her is rather annoying. She doesn't carry the charm of Granny Noon and refuses to listen to Bardon on many occasions, without any explanation. Her one redeeming quality is her kindness, though it gets her in trouble.
Holt, ends up tagging along and is a rather shady young man. It's obvious from the start that he only cares for himself, but he finds N'rae cute.
Sittiponder, the blind boy that Toopka knew, comes along on the quest. He is patient and clever, rather the opposite of Ahneck.
Ahneck, the orant, comes along on the quest as Sittiponder's eyes. The banter between the two of them is rather funny and reminds me of Fenworth and Librettowitt.

The story is as fast paced as the last two with enough action to satisfy the reader. Although I admit the first time I read it I practically speed read until we finally bump into Kale. Seeing her and Regidor is a rewarding experience after more than half the book is empty of their presence.
Another downside could be the lack of our favorite doneel, Dar. I really missed him.
So when it comes down to it, my only real critique would be the lack of Kale, and her less than desirable replacement. (I mean N'rae, not Bardon.)

Even so, it's a worthy book in the series with the same originality we have seen before from Mrs. Paul. I give "Dragonknight" four stars. :)

If you want to learn more about the Dragonkeeper Series, check out Mrs. Paul's homepage.

You can be the book at Amazon.com.

Next up, I'll review "Dragonfire" by Donita. K. Paul.

"The Candlestone" by Bryan Davis

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Living Ink Books (September 25, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0899571719
ISBN-13: 978-0899571713

In the sequel to "Raising Dragons", Bonnie is just about to have her adoption finalized by Walter's parents when her father shows up, claiming that her mother is still alive. Reluctantly, Bonnie returns to Minnesota with him. Meanwhile, Billy and company discover a death certificate for Bonnie's mom and head to bring her back home. Then Bonnie trusts her dad and tries to rescue her mom from a candlestone, only to become trapped inside it herself.

As for our new characters...
Ashely, is a teenage genius hired by Bonnie's dad. She envies Bonnie for her faith but doesn't trust anything she can't see for herself. She is completely motivated by saving her own dad from his failing health.
Karen, the oldest of the girls living at the lab, is probably one of favorite characters. I love the banter between her and Walter. She shares the same sense of humor as he does.
Bonnie's dad is actually hard to figure out. One moment you are sure he is a villain and the next you think he might actually care about his daughter. The suspicion involving him is drawn out well.

The scientific notes about the lab are interesting and give the story a sci-fi feel. They keep the story from feeling cheesy. I mean, turning yourself into light and traveling inside a stone? Sounds, unbelievable, but the author makes it seem real.
This story is just as fast paced as the first, but we see some real character development, mainly in Billy, as he decides what he truly believes in. But *cough* it comes about in an odd way...

The criticism I have first of all, is an aspect of Bonnie's character.  Billy reads her journal where she spouts words like a veteran poet. The flowery writing made me grimace. No one talks that way. No one writes that way. It just sounded unnatural.
My second, *spoiler alert* is when Billy kills a man who kidnaps him. He does it from behind, even after having read a prophecy that says only cowards kill from behind. So he should have waited until the man turned around and shot him? Billy protected himself and the others the wisest way he knew how.
Try this: Billy remembers the rule, gets shot, has to be taken to the hospital and never saves Bonnie. The end. God isn't a magic genie who will make a bullet vanish, and sometimes you have to do unsavory things. Like taking a life at all.
I think the author was trying to get Billy to learn that Christians don't live their lives like other people and wanted to do it in a dramatic fashion that wasn't preachy. -_-; But it came off more like a useless code of honor that could get people killed.

Even after my ranting I still believe it is a very original plot for the sequal to "Rising Dragons", so three stars.

If you want to me find out more about Bryan Davis and his many books, see his website.

You can buy the book at Amazon.com.

Next up, I'll review, "Dragonknight" By Donita. K. Paul

"Dragonquest" by Donita. K Paul

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (June 7, 2005)
ISBN-10: 1400071291
ISBN-13: 978-1400071296

Kale Allerion is finally where she was headed to in the first book, "Dragonspell". She is living in the hall and serving under Paladin as a Leecent. But she has only been there a month when she is set out on another quest to visit the now hatched meech egg she fought to rescue from Risto. But this time, her companion is not Dar, or Leetu Bends, instead it's Lehman Bardon, an older, stiff student who up until to know, has completely ignored Kale's existance. Along for the trip, is a young, homeless, doneel girl, who happens to be put into Kale's care after she saves her from being punished for stealing food. To complicate dealing with a mischievous doneel and a reclusive Lehman, Kale discovers that her mother is alive, then two show up both claiming to her real one.

Kale, although now under Wulder, still faces doubts about her own abilities and if she can get along with Bardon. The same realistic feelings she had in the first story make her my favorite heroine in all of Christian fantasy.
Bardon is a stoic loner, and recites Wuldar's tomes without any passion, although he truly believes them. He is mysterious but a certain fact is eventually revealed about him.
Toopka is a charming edition to the story, and some of things she blurts out will leave you smiling and maybe even laughing. She is stubborn but good hearted and grows fond of her new caretaker quickly.
Regidor, the meech dragon is intelligent and witty, although rather proud in the start. He learns at an amazing pace and quickly becomes an asset as a wizard and a fighter.
Cam, our newest wizard, is a lake wizard and a distant cousin of Fenworth's. The conversations between the two of them are perhaps even more entertaining then those between Fenworth and Libretowitt in the previous book. :)

The development of the characters is the strongest asset to this story, although it is just as action packed as the first. Kale's growth in the first was obvious, she was a slave and then she is a servant of Paladin. But to see Bardon's attitudes change and Regidor mature into a fighter and a dragon versed in the ways of Wuldar is quite rewarding.

Again, my only crituque is the climax, although we see a battle, it seems all to short.

My favorite book out of the series, I give "Dragonquest" a full four stars for an excellent cast of characters and an exciting plot.

If you want to see more of Donita K. Paul's books, which I suggest you do, check out her website.

You can can buy her book at Amazon.com

Up next, "The Candlestone" by Bryan Davis

"Raising Dragons" By Bryan Davis

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Living Ink Books (June 25, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0899571700
ISBN-13: 978-0899571706

Billy Bannister has always had problems, mainly his hot breath that has gotten him the nickname "Dragon breath" at school. But his breath is the least of his problems when Billy learns his father is a dragon, making him one too. Not to mention his principal is actually a slayer, determined to kill both Billy and his dad. Along the way, Billy learns that the new girl at school, Bonnie Silver, is actually a dragon too. They flee together on a plane only to have Bonnie kidnapped and the plane destroyed, with only Billy and his mom surviving. Billy heads out to prove his dad is alive and save Bonnie.

Billy is your average teenager, just concerned with fitting in and staying out of trouble. His reactions to the events around him are what make him realistic. He is doubtful of his abilities and even his own father. He has little to no relationship with God.
Bonnie has an amazingly pure heart, which is a miracle considering how she has had such a hard life as an orphan. My only complaint is that her perfection becomes a little jarring at times. She is the perfect christian girl we all want to be and in the scene where she prays and recites scripture like a poet made me wince. But other than that part, she seems real and it's hard not to feel for her.
Walter is the most likable character. He says the silliest things that make you laugh out loud. I think he made the book. :)
Mr. Hamilton, is Billy's history teacher who becomes something of a mentor to all three young heroes. He is slightly eccentric but lovable in his knowledge and bravery.
Mr. Whittier makes a convincing villain as he truly believes he is in the right, and must destroy all of the remaining dragons.

There really isn't any weak points in the first of this series. Later on, it's easier to criticize the characters. But in book one they are fresh and enjoyable.
Having Merlin as a prophet rather than a wizard is a unique twist and believable since the tales surrounding him and Camelot are shrouded in mystery.

I give it four stars, for a very original story full of detail. ^__^

To see more of Bryan Davis's many books, check out his homepage.

You can buy his book at Amazon.com

Next up, I'll review "Dragonquest" by Donita K. Paul

"Dragonspell" by Donita K. Paul

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (June 22, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1578568234
ASIN: B003STCQOI

Warning: This is the first Christian fantasy book I ever found, and I found it by chance browsing at the local library, having no idea I had just found an author that would rival J.K. Rowling on my favorites list. How is that a warning? Dunno, just wanted to tell you how I discovered her. :) It was fate.

Kale is a fourteen year old o'rant girl who has lived her entire life as a slave in the country of Amara...until now. She is sent to live at the Hall in the large city of Vendela. But her journey is put on the back burner when Kale discovers she has an amazing gift that allows her to find dragon eggs. This gets her into trouble and she is rescued by Leetu Bends and Dar the doneel. Together the three set out to find an important dragon egg that must be found in order to keep it out of the enemies hands. Along the way they are joined by wizards, librarians, and many new dragon friends.

Kale hoped to be a servant rather than a slave but winds up with more than she bargained for. She is isn't particularly skilled at anything other than finding dragon eggs. So she doesn't come off as the perfect heroine and is easy to like.  She becomes a hero reluctantly, knowing the dangers that many fantasy-book characters never even think of.
Dar easily becomes my favorite, as a doneel he is only four feet tall with dog-like features of fur, pointed ears and a beard. The distinct characters of his race make him charming and easy to love.
Leetu Bends is beautiful and a skilled warrior, but Kale is her first pupil and she makes some mistakes in her teaching ways.
Wizard Fenworth is lovable and the one character that will make you laugh out loud. I love the conversations he has with Librettowit, the librarian who gets dragged along.
The minor Dragons that are born throughout the book are charming and you have a hard time not sympathizing with the major Dragon, Celisse.
Paladin is like the father Kale never had. Although he only just met her he treats her like he has always known her.

My only real criticism is the climax, it seems a little too short. Instead of fighting our villian, Risto, we simply meet him and escape. But, looking back on the book, it makes sense. Kale hasn't yet learned to fight, only to tap into her mind speaking abilities and trust Wulder.

The strongest points are really the variety of original races, such as Doneels, O'rants, Emerlindians, and many more. Not to mention the unique monsters, plants, and even food. Daggart, anyone?

For creative characters, a detailed world, and a unique plot, I give "Dragonspell" four stars. ^__^

If you want to check out more of the DragonKeeper Series, go to Donita K. Paul's official website.

You can buy the book for a GREAT deal at Amazon.com

Next up, I'll be reviewing "Dragons in our Midst" by Brian Davis.

"The Door Within" by Wayne Thomas Batson

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Lost Chapter edition (April 8, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400310113
ISBN-13: 978-1400310111

I'm not dead. Hooray! And I'm finally getting into reviewing fiction I like-fantasy!

The Door Within Trilogy is about a teenager named Aidan, whom after finding ancient scrolls in his basement, crosses a bridge that he finds in his mind. There ends up in a place called the "Realm", where Glimpses, counterparts of actual humans on earth, make their home. The Realm is a place of honor, castles, kingdoms, and knights. There he gets caught up in the battle to tell others about the truth and save them from King Rucifel, who betrayed King Eliam and murdered hundreds. After being trained as a knight Aidan and eleven others set out the nearest kingdom, which is undecided in it's loyalties.

Aidan, having just moved far away from his only friend, Robby, is easy to like. He's all alone in a new place, and angry at his parents about having to move. His desire for truth is his main driving point.
Gwenne is pretty, smart, and a good fighter. But she doesn't come off as overly perfect, so she still retains her realism and likability.
Valithor, the leader of the knights has a very distinct way of speech and his stern way of teaching. Think of a drill seargant with a sense of humor.
The twins, Nock and Bolt, are entertaining, and almost as bold as Valithor.
One weak point is that many other knights simply get a name and a very small part. Because of this, we don't really get to know any of them.

The strongest points are the different creatures, like moonrascals (which I'm pretty sure are adorable), spider lanterns, and a giant spider that grows a new set of legs every five years.
When it comes to allegories, we've all read about characters who represent Jesus, God, Satan, ect. But The scrolls Aidan finds in the beginning of the story actually represent something too. The scrolls are a copy of a book that claims to know the origin of the universe, have been around for thousands of years, and are available in every bookstore. The scrolls are the Bible. Talk about original. Mr. Batson deserves your respect for that idea alone. :)

I give "The Door Within" three stars, for an original fantasy world and story idea.

If you want to check out the other books by Wayne Thomas Batson, which I suggest you do, check out his website.

You can buy this book at Amazon.com for $10.

Next up, I'll review one of my favorite books, "Dragonspell" by Donita K. Paul.

Martyr's Song, book 2 "When Heaven Weeps" by Ted Dekker

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 084994516X
ISBN-13: 978-0849945168

Jan Jovic, after witnessing the murder of an innocent priest and young girl in Serbia, during WWII, has moved to America and made a fortune with the book he wrote, summarizing the events that changed his life and converted him to Christianity. His perfect plants to marry a beautiful co-worker, Karen, go up in flames when he ends up saving a young woman named Helen, who happens to be a drug addict. His closest friend, Ivena, convinces him to help the poor girl, and both lavish her with clothes, food, and a home. In no time at all Jan has to admit he has fallen in love with this woman, but things can't be easy. Even after revealing to his friends that he has married a drug-addict, he faces the wrath of one man who has supplied Helen-a dangerous man called Glen Lutz. Jan does everything he can to help Helen, but both of their lives end up threatened.

Jan's character is hard to understand at certain points. You know he has turned his life around, but upon falling in love with Helen, we are not truly informed of what motivated him to be with Karen in the first place.
Helen, at first, is someone you can feel sorry for. Her life has basically sucked and she now only lives for the feeling of drugs. Time after time, even after Jan has married her and fought for her, she continues to return to Glen. And I do mean, time after time...after time, after time...after time. A lot of times!
Ivena is probably the most like-able character. She is like a mother to Jan and the wisest person around being as she witness the events In Serbia. She is the one who convinces Jan that his motivations have changed since WWII and now revolve around the money he makes for his ministry.

I admit I have my share of complaints in this book, the main one being how fast Jan falls for Helen, and the irrationality of how he treats her behavior. There never seems to be a moment, where he says, "maybe she won't change, maybe she doesn't want to, maybe she's using me", and I thought that doubt would have crucially improved his character. And the scene where Jan admits he loves her, is rather cheesy-granted, these things are hard to write without coming off that way but still, it was cheesy.
But even with all of my complaints, one thing makes this book worth reading-the close up accounts of drug addiction. Of all the christian authors I have read, none has ever been brave enough to show such things. These sort of things are often viewed from the far away lense of  "I'm a Christian, so don't show me these things". Not in this story.

For that alone, I would give it three stars. No avoiding the dirty truth here.

You can buy it at Amazon.com for a decent price.

If you want to learn more about the many books that Dekker has written, see his website.

Next up, I'll review "The Personfied Project".

"Wormwood" by G.P. Taylor

Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Firebird (September 22, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0142404691
ISBN-13: 978-0142404690

Wormwood takes place in eighteenth century, same as "Shadowmancer". Our main characters are a young girl named Agetta Lamien, who is a maid to the other main character, the wealthy Dr. Sabian Blake. He is a man obsessed with science or more specific, his newfound book, the Nemorensis. Agetta pays him no mind, only happy to swipe money for herself. But when a beautiful, wealthy woman directs her to a bookstore, promising her fortune and happiness, she befriends the owner Thaddeus. He then confides in her that he lost the Nemorensis, and Agetta finds herself promising to bring it to him. Meanwhile, Blake announces to the Royal Society that "wormwood", a comet, is on it's way to strike London. After stealing the Nemorensis, Agetta decides to free Tetagus, an angel that her father had secretly locked up. Together, they head to see Thaddeus.
Eventually, Agetta discovers that the wealthy woman she met is not even human, and plans to use the young girl for her new body.

Agetta comes from a poor family that runs a small inn. She has a rough father and a drunkard for a mother. Feeling no direction in her life, she is easily swayed into stealing from her employer.
Blake develops from a power-hunger scientist to a confused student as he discovers the trouble he is in. I didn't dislike him, but found myself wishing I knew more about his history, or family. Not even his age is mentioned.
Tetagus, apparently an angel whom has fallen from grace, decides to watch over Agetta. His motivation doesn't seem clear though. He does not believe he can be redeemed but still wishes to do good.
Abram, Blake's own guardian Angel, is one of the more unique characters. His honesty along with his wit made me pause and take note after he spoke.
Yerzina, the main villain of this story, is a creature that has lived for centuries, and she finds a new body when her current one is ready to pass on.

The flaws I noticed didn't hit me at any one moment but were similar to "Shadowmancer", his previous book. Just a lack of detail on things I decided I wanted to know. Like, who was the woman Tetagus fell in love with? How long ago was it? Had Tetagus ans Abram ever tried to stop Yerzina before? They made it obvious they knew of her past deeds. Maybe It's just my interest in angelic warfare stories but I did also wish to know more about Blake, as I previously stated.
The only other flaw, I think, was the lack of meetings between the two main human characters-Blake and Agetta, although it seems essential to the story. Perhaps when they met near the end, if there had been a moment of clarity-Agetta's guilt over causing trouble and stealing, Blake's new found forgiveness. But any feelings or a new relationship being formed is left to the imagination, as the book seems to cut right off after the villain is vanquished.

For a story so full of twists, I only wrote about half of them in the summary, I'd give "Wormwood" three stars. Just as creative as the first book, with a ghost, a man made of dirt and clay, and a Diakka to fuel the imagination.

If you want to learn more about the many highly underated books that G.P. Taylor has penned, just check out his homepage.

You can buy it at Amazon.com.

Up next? Dunno...perhaps a Ted Dekker novel.

"Marduk's Tablet" by T.L. Higley

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Incorporated (September 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1586607685
ISBN-13: 978-1586607685

Emilie Nazzaro is just trying to finish college and is none too pleased when she is whisked off the street and offered a job to translate a tablet that took her own father away from her. Somehow, she ends up traveling to Israel, and working at a dig site. After being warned about thieves, she has a hard time making friends. Things are hardly uneventful though, when the first time she touches the tablet she gets a vision of ancient Babylon. The affect vanishes, but every night from then on, she dreams of the detailed life of a priestess. Suddenly she wonders if perhaps she truly was a Priestess in a past life. Happy to further herself from the flirtatious Jack, she accepts an invitation for dinner from a handsome stranger named Sheldon Gold, but her anxieties lead her to suspect him as well. Eventually, Emilie finds herself in jail, accused of stealing the tablet herself! After getting bailed out, she sets out the capture the thieves, on her own.

Emilie loves history, and has immersed herself in her work. Although she is hesitant to turn to God, she is not close-minded, and is willing to consider all options. Because of her father rejecting her, she hasn't had any close relationships.
Jack Cabot is not what he seems. He finds himself attracted to Emilie because she seems to actually see he is wearing a facade. But, due to rejections of his past, he doesn't trust her.
Margaret is the nice woman you would want to sit beside you at church. She is confident in her beliefs but is completely calm and respectful.
Jenn, Emilie's roommate, is confident in her beliefs as well, but they are her new-age religion. She seems rather angry at times, which clues you into the effects of her lifestyle. She is condescending to Margaret, and unwilling to hear an opinion other then one she agrees with.

My favorite aspect of this book is that it deals with a belief outside of Christianity, mainly the idea of reincarnation. I have read more Christian-fiction than I can remember, and I have no memory of this belief being mentioned. Most books just mention the evils of witchcraft if they mention any other belief.
There is plenty of suspense in this book, thanks to Jack, who made me constantly wonder whose side he was on. Jenn, and Sheldon also have secrets, and did I mention the moral struggles of Victor Herrigan?
The perspective switches from Emilie, to Jack, and even to Victor sometimes. But it never bored me or made me anxious to get back to our main character, as I have sometimes experienced with other books.

For lots of suspense and good characters, I give it three and half stars.

Go to the author's website to learn more about her historic-fiction.

You can buy it used at Amazon.com.

Up next, I'll review "Wormwood" by G.P. Taylor.

"The Face of God" by Bill Meyers

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (July 1, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310227550
ISBN-13: 978-0310227557

On a trip to Jerusalem, Pastor Daniel's wife is murdered, and he discovers its over an odd stone that a merchant pushed into his hands. Still reeling from her death, he isn't ready to deal with his rebellious son, Tyler, and the possibility that his stone might be one of the twelve stones representing the tribes of Judah from Biblical times. Could it really reveal the face of God? With prompting from Tyler, Daniel heads back to Jerusalem in search of answers. There he meets two very different woman, Nayra and Professor Helen, who help him discover the whereabouts of the other stones. Because of this, Daniel catches the attention of Muslim terrorists, who are also after the twelve stones, and wish to see the "face of God" for themselves.

Daniel, our main character, develops pretty well throughout the story. His faults are brought to light, although I felt that one of the examples of his bias, was rather contrived; I am talking about Nayra of course.
Tyler is your typical young person, who grew up in the church and is rather ignorant of  other religions. Because of this, I found him just a tad annoying, considering how much he disrespects his dad.
Helen is Jewish professor, who, after being abused by her uncle as a girl, no longer trusts men, instead she uses them to further her career. Daniel, with his sincere heart, and kindness, baffles her.
Nayra, the young Muslim girl, bothered me immensely. She insults every religion other than her own and is obviously a bigot, treating Helen with weariness because she is a Jew. She has also apparently never heard about 9/11, and never saw Islam murders until the end of the book. She did not seem to realistically portray a Muslim girl.

A major plus for this story is the history lessons you get. You learn all about Israel. I felt inclined to get out a pencil so I could underline things and take notes.
The story is well paced, and my only real complaint is Nayra. The author may have wished to portray Christians as tolerant with Daniel's respect for Nayra, but it looks more like ignorance and stupidity. There could have been good tension between the two as Daniel strived to show a young, blind girl the love of Christ, but instead, we just respect her because she is religious. Even though she is the only flaw, I felt she alone changed this book from good, to below average.

In the end, I would rate it two stars.

You can buy "The Face of God" at Amazon.com and read it for yourself.

If you wish to learn about the many books that Bill Meyers has written, check out his website.

Next up, I'll review "Marduk's Tablet" by T.L. Higley.

Cape Refuge #1, "Cape Refuge" by Terri Blackstock

Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Zondervan; First Paperback Edition edition (April 1, 2002)
Language: English

Cape Refuge, is an Island located near Georgia, where sisters Morgan and Blair have grown up watching their parents take in people with no place else to go. However, Hanover House is threatened with being shut down by the city when their parents are both found murdered. To make matters worse, Morgan's own husband, Jonathan, is the prime suspect, the murder weapon having belonged to him. Both sisters can't seem to leave it to the police, even if the head cop is a long time friend, Cane. Blair investigates in the library she runs, but instead of finding the murderer, she discovers some unsettling things about her dead parents, and the scar that mars half of her face. And Morgan is forced to decide if she will run Hanover house when a young runaway shows up. One by one, the obvious suspects-those staying at the Hanover house-seem less likely. Eventually, it all hits the fan when an intriguing cover up is discovered, and the real reason why Morgans' and Blairs' parents were killed is revealed.

Morgan follows her parents faith in God. She was apparently the happier, more popular of the two sisters in her youth. But Morgan shows no condescension in her beliefs, and attempts many times to show her sister love. Compared to Blair though, her personality feels weak.
Blair is defined by the burn scar on her face she has had since she was a child. Because of it, she hates her appearance, and stays closed off from everyone, except her sister. Because of the pain she experienced, she stays happily in the land of facts and figures, not bold enough to trust something she can't see.
Cane is the head cop at Cape Refuge, and although he went to school for years to earn it, it is suggested that the townspeople think he got the job because of his relation to the mayor. Cane grew up in school with Blair, although her defensive personality kept them from getting close.
Jonathan is devoted to his wife and overprotective, although his personality isn't developed much.  However, he has a fiery temper which leads him to an argument with Morgan's parents before their death. His relationship with Cane is explained, but not shown very well.
Sadie, a young runaway, is a a sweet, likable young girl, who has a strong conscious and is determined to make a life for herself and save her baby brother.

The only weak points I could point out are the lack of development with Morgan and Jonathan as well as their lack of personalities. The relationship between the two of them is really the only thing that defines them. Morgan's motivation throughout most of the book is to free her husband from jail. As this is only the first in the series, there leaves plenty of time for development. I would really have liked to see more of the history of how Jonathan and Morgan met, as well as Morgan's past. More is revealed about Blair, because an incident in her past pertains to the present.

A mystery/romance novel well worth your time, I rate it three stars.

You can buy Cape Refuge at both Amazon.com and Christianbook.com.

If you want to read about all of the books that Terri Blackstock has written, check out her homepage.

Next up, I'll review "The Face of God" by Bill Meyers.