The Raven Saint by MaryLu Tyndall

MaryLu Tyndall has done it again. The Raven Saint is yet another awesome pirate romance. Fun and adventure on the high seas.

This is the third book of Mary Lu’s Charles Town Belles series. It features a whole different sort of heroine. Grace Westcott is as uptight and prudish as Hope was flighty and sin-ridden and Faith was proud and driven. What a study in contrasts. And as you may imagine, Grace has much to learn in order to overcome her judgmental and legalistic attitude if she is ever going to come to grips with her feelings for the roguish pirate with a heart of gold, Rafe Dubois.

The story opens as Rafe kidnaps Grace in order to sell her to a Spanish don in the Caribbean. Although we quickly come to suspect that Rafe may have some worthy motives hidden behind his abominable actions, Hope has no way of knowing this. The hero and heroine prove an entertaining and often comical contrast. As for Grace, she does her best to find God’s plan in this terrifying situation, and strives to evangelize the pirates around her, but her methods leave much to be desired. All this occurs in the first few chapters and sets the stage for a rollicking adventure.

As usual, MaryLu provides great characters, stunning backdrops, comedy, heart-stopping romance, and plenty of excitement along with strong spiritual messages. For this book she also offers a fun cast of minor characters including Nicole, the charitable prostitute, Father Alers, the backslidden pirate priest, and Annette, a mixed-race slave girl. Annette especially caught my attention. She is bitter from being rejected by both the whites and blacks. For this reason, she delves into ancient ritualistic religion, bringing an interesting dark spiritual contrast to this otherwise light and uplifting book and supplying unexpected scope and depth. I applaud MaryLu for tackling some tough subjects, as Grace is challenged at every turn to examine her motives, her heart, and the nature of true Christianity.

This book concludes the Charleston Belles series with a rousing happily-ever-after and the reunion of the seafaring sisters. If you love romance, history, and pirates, you simply must read it!

To see my review of Blue Enchantress go to: http://awesomeinspirationals.blogspot.com/2009/08/blue-enchantress-review.html

A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna White

A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna White is a novel of epic proportions that blew me away. It beautifully wove together rich history, complex characters, deep spiritual content, romance, and a mesmerizing story all in an edgy and artistic package. This book is reminiscent of the highly acclaimed Mark of the Lion trilogy by Francine Rivers, yet takes its own unique twists and turns through the Roman Empire and the lives of the early Christians.

Abigail is a dangerously beautiful Hebrew slave girl living in the days of Jesus and the early church. However, she is no typical slave. She is raised and educated as a daughter of the Visibullis house, until the son Jason, a Roman centurion returns home to Jerusalem. Jason has been lured into the sinful lifestyle of the Romans and sees Abigail as a possession to be taken at will.

The story quickly enters deep waters when Abigail struggles through the emotional turmoil of being forced into the bed of the young, handsome, and charming Jason Visibillus. She is torn between guilt, resentment, and her own very natural desires for this man who grows to love her. And this is only the beginning of the tale. Abigail will continue on through many trials, heartaches, journeys, and even a personal encounter with the crucifixion.

This story delves deep into sin and the psychological consequences it creates. The author does not shy away from the dark realities of life. Instead she juxtaposes this darkness with the light of Jesus and the power of His shed blood in a way that is almost palpable and that touched me to the core.

I loved the way author contrasted Greek and Roman philosophy and mythology with Hebrew theology. It has been a long time since I have found a novel this mentally stimulating.

While this is far from the standard genre romance, fans of romantic fiction will enjoy this book for its elaborate look at love in all its many and complicated facets. This story provides plenty of passion and the happily-ever-after romance readers desire.

A Stray Drop of Blood is an excellent example of the benefits of small press publishing. Roseanna was able to break many of the “rules” confining CBA fiction and create something unique, powerful, and memorable. In addition, this book is much longer than the standard CBA historical novel, allowing it the epic scope I so appreciated.

I could go on all day about the elements of this book that I adored. Suffice to say that I give it my highest possible recommendation. This is a story that will stay with me for many years to come.

What do you think about typical Christian books? Would you prefer to read edgier and more artistic Christian fiction?

The Country House Courtship by Linore Rose Burkard

I write this review from a different sort of perspective. Books by Linore Rose Burkard are often touted as, “Inspirational Romance for the Jane Austen soul.” Now if you love Jane Austen, chances are you’ve already discovered Linore and her wonderful books based on that glowing recommendation. But I must confess. It scared me away. I don’t hate Jane Austen. In fact, I love the Regency time period with its elegant fashions, English countryside, and London balls. I quite enjoy any movie based on a Jane Austen novel. And, I do think the books are worth reading for educational purposes. But…I feel like I’m slogging through the formal convoluted language every time I pick one up. I must admit, I have yet to make it to the end of a Jane Austen novel.

For me, pleasure reading they are not.

So it was with some trepidation that began the advanced copy of The Country House Courtship sent to me for this review. By the time I reached the second chapter, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief because I found myself enjoying the book enormously. The language rings of Jane Austen, yet is much friendlier to the modern reader. The omniscient viewpoint made me feel like I was sitting with a friend as they told me a tale and proved a pleasant change from the norm.

I’ve been steeping myself in Christian novels for the last two years. There are a lot of new stylistic rules Christian writers are supposed to follow. For the most part these rules are good, but after reading 50 or so, they become too predictable. By adopting the style of Jane Austen, Linore Rose Burkard offers a refreshing new voice to the CBA market.

Of course this also brings to mind the fact that I was recently taught at a novelist retreat that contemporary authors should never read the classics. Writing has continued developing and growing and has become stronger with time. Reading the classics will cause you to write in a way that is obsolete. Clearly the teacher who said this took an extreme attitude (and trust me, as a former literature instructor I gave him an earful), but he also had a point.

In The Country House Courtship Linore combines the best elements of Regency fiction with the best elements of contemporary writing to delightful effect. I would call these books “Jane Austen Lite,” and I mean that in the best sort of way. There is no slogging or trudging through this book. Readers can enjoy a wonderful Regency style novel that is friendly to a modern day audience.

Beatrice Forsythe is certain her older sister’s marriage to a wealthy member of the ton will secure her own prosperous future. She dreams of going to London for her first season and meeting a handsome man of good fortune. She insists that marriage should be undertaken for practical considerations until she runs into an old acquaintance, Mr. Peter O’Brien.

At age twelve, Beatrice had impetuously promised to marry Mr. O’Brien after her sister broke his heart. Now, she is faced with him once again at Mr. Mornay’s country manor, where he is applying to be the vicar. While she finds him undeniably attractive and honorable, she is more drawn to the fashionable and wealthy Mr. Barton, a new neighbor to Mr. Mornay. He is the sort of man she has always desired to wed.

The author provides plenty of interesting twists and turns as Beatrice must learn what truly matters in life. The book provides insight into human nature and relationships, as well as into man’s relationship with God.

So of course, I highly recommend this book to Jane Austen fans. However, I think anyone who enjoys romance or historical fiction will love this book as well. Great job, Linore. You’ve won me over to this style.

What about the rest of you? Do you love Jane Austen or does she scare you away? Do you have a favorite Jane Austen book or movie?