The Lost Castle

The Lost Castle by Kristy Cambron, summed up in one word:

AMAZING!

I loved this book immediately, and therefore tried to read it at a normal person’s pace… BUT It pulled me in fast and well…. 5 hours was all it took. Time seemed to whirl past me as I furiously read this novel. To be Honest, any historical fiction works have me itching to read them, but I am rather picky about the ones I read. Thankfully Kristy Cambron’s tale did not disappoint!

Bridging the past to the present in three time periods- the French Revolution, World World II, and present day- The Lost Castle is a story of loves won and lost, of battles waged in the hearts of men, and of an enchanted castle that stood witness to it all, inspiring a legacy of faith through generations.

The three different stories all focus on a strong female- Aveline, an aristocrat in hiding during the French Revolution, Vi, who is on a mission and also hiding in Nazi-occupied France, and Ellie, our modern-day heroine who is searching for answers and connecting the secrets of the past.

The descriptions were phenomenal. Everything came to live through the imagery words and it really did feel like a fairy tale, adorned with the most glorious sights and scenes. There are dark and sad moments, but so many happy times too. The theme of the story is faithfully living the life God gives each of us.

While I was preparing for this review, I found out that this book is only the first of a 3 part series, and I honestly let out a squeal of delight! The second book is set to come out in 2019 and is also set in three time-periods BUT IN IRELAND (All the heart eyes)—during the revolutionary era of the late 18th century, Ireland’s turbulent Easter week of the 1916 Rising, and present day.

For anyone who has ever travelled to Ireland knows of its ASTOUNDING BEAUTY with lush sweeping GREEN magnificence. I was breathless during my entire trip there, and it is clear that my immediate fangirling is quite appropriate!

Lastly a huge shout out to the cover designer because both books deserve a standing ovation, they are absolutely stunning!

--Candace--

For more information on The Lost Castle by Kristy Cambron, visit our website here.

If I Live

If I Live is the third book in Terri Blackstock's If I Run Series. This series is a shoe-in for sucking you into a reading vortex, since I read the first two books in 8 hours. I paused life completely. Literally did nothing but read, I think I barely ate that day because that would mean I’d have to stop reading and clearly that would have been the end of life as we know it. So it’s a big deal, folks. Because us millennials love our food, especially all the hipster trends like avocado toast.

Book 2 ended on cliffhanger and I gut-wrenchingly waited 12 WHOLE MONTHS for this last book to finally come out, so if you haven’t read this series yet, you are surely blessed because you won’t have to endure that pain & suffering.

All I can say is WOOWOWOWOWOW.

This was an amazing close to an incredible trilogy. The suspense did not let up and I was left gasping for breath at a couple of points, dying to skip ahead and find out what had happened… But I behaved.

The premise of the series is basically about a girl named Casey Cox, who is framed with murdering her best friend. She is on the run for her life and oh the intenseness of it all. Dylan Roberts is the private investigator who was hired to hunt her down, however he now believes Casey and fights to expose the truth, with hopes of finally freeing Casey. But Detective Keegan is desperate and fighting for his control. He’ll stop at nothing to shut up Casey—and Dylan, and anyone who gets in his way. Death is frequent within the series, as evil is very present within the pages. Murder is a major part of the plot, so the body count is high. LOTS of people die. Some of the violence definitely gets disturbing. I’d only recommend this series for 16+.

GOODNESS! The suspense! I was literally on the edge of my seat reading the entire book. The author tackles tough issues of horrifying evil with hope and justice. It’s not just an incredible page-turner; it’s a story with depth and truth to it.
 

It was such a delight to finally see Casey learn to trust God and to grow in her faith despite her circumstances. I loved the strong Christian message in this book, and the assurance given to readers that nothing is too big for God's sacrifice to offer forgiveness for—but that believers should be ready to count the cost and give up their sins.

--Candace--

For more information about If I Live by Terri Blackstock, visit our website here.