Heartless


Cover Art
Heartless
Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Bethany House Publishers

My friends and readers, try to hold in your amazement: I have found it. What, pray tell, have I discovered? A fantasy I actually like. No, not one I tolerate, not one I find passable, but one I actually like. As in, I want to read the next books in the series pronto.
The storyline was engaging and easy enough for even me to understand; it had some great characters and some not-so-great ones, and overall, I really want to read more of the Tales of Goldstone Wood.
This book takes place in a fantasy world. I have pretty strict requirements about fantasies in regard to magic, and I was happy to say that, though I could certainly be wrong, I don’t remember the word “magic” even being used. Yes, there were crazy creatures, and people turning into dragons, and weird abilities and beings called faeries; however, it was all a part of this fictional world, and there were no spells/sorcery or such.
As for characters, I liked Una at the beginning, but she started to annoy me not quite halfway into the book. Aethelbald was another story. He was great. I also really liked Una’s brother, Felix. I didn’t think I would at first, but once he started becoming friends with Aethelbald, he began to grow on me J My favorite character that I want to learn more about? Sir Eanrin. Apparently, though, he doesn’t get his own story until book four…argh!!!
I got this ebook awhile ago for free on CBD.com, but I wasn’t particularly interested because I thought the cover looked kind of creepy. I guess this is a classic case of a “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Thankfully, the other books in the series don’t look quite so…strange.
Also, though this was a fantasy, I could see the Christian morals/principles/allegories very clearly, so I really liked that as well.

Objectionable content: There was some violence, and some “magical-type” abilities and such.
                                                                                      
Rating: 8 ½ 

Comments

  1. GraceDecember 13, 2012 at 4:46 PM

    Hi!

    I saw that you wanted to read more about Eanrin, but his book is not until number four. It is a prequel type, taking place hundreds of years before "Heartless." I read it, and it shouldn't ruin the other books for you if you wanted to go ahead and read it :-).

    Have a lovely week,
    Grace

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In This Moment

Image
  In This Moment Gabrielle Meyer Bethany House Publishers Maggie inherited a gift from her time-crossing parents that allows her to live three separate lives in 1861, 1941, and 2001. Each night she goes to sleep in one time period and wakes up in another. Until, that is, she turns twenty-one, when she will have to forfeit two of those lives--and everyone she knows in them--forever. In 1861, Maggie is the daughter of an influential senator at the outbreak of the Civil War, navigating a capital full of Southern spies and wounded soldiers. In 1941, she is a Navy nurse, grappling with her knowledge of the future when she's asked to join a hospital ship being sent to Pearl Harbor. And in 2001, she's a brilliant young medical student, fulfilling her dream of becoming a surgeon, yet unable to use her modern skills in her other paths. While Maggie has sworn off romance until she makes her final choice, an intriguing man tugs at her heart in each era. The mysterious Brit...
Read more

The Seamstress of Acadie

Image
As 1754 is drawing to a close, tensions between the French and the British on Canada's Acadian shore are reaching a fever pitch. Seamstress Sylvie Galant and her family--French-speaking Acadians wishing to remain neutral--are caught in the middle, their land positioned between two forts flying rival flags. Amid preparations for the celebration of Noël, the talk is of unrest, coming war, and William Blackburn, the British Army Ranger raising havoc across North America's borderlands. As summer takes hold in 1755 and British ships appear on the horizon, Sylvie encounters Blackburn, who warns her of the coming invasion. Rather than participate in the forced removal of the Acadians from their land, he resigns his commission. But that cannot save Sylvie or her kin. Relocated on a ramshackle ship to Virginia, Sylvie struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. When her path crosses once more with William's, they must work through the complex tangle of their shared, shattered past ...
Read more

Before Midnight

Image
this is the cover of the book I had, but I thought this cover was really pretty! Before Midnight Cameron Dokey Simon and Shuster I’ve heard of this series for a long time now, but I hadn’t gotten a chance to read any of the books until just recently. I really did enjoy this retelling of Cinderella, although there were things about it I didn’t care for. However, it was one of those books whose flaws you don’t notice until you’re done reading and sit back and reflect on the story. One thing I did like about this book was the way it was written, and that it really drew me right in. The twists on the story of Cinderella were interesting, and a few were unexpected. Another thing I liked was that the main character was called Cendrillon , the original French version of the name Cinderella , and that her nickname was Rilla. However, the romance wasn’t really as great; it felt like almost an afterthought. The Prince was barely in it, and their relationship wasn’t given ...
Read more