Back of the Book:

Tipper, a young emerlindian woman, has been responsible for the upkeep of her family’s estate since her sculptor father disappeared several years ago. To make ends meet, she’s been forced to sell off the artwork he left behind. When at last her father returns, accompanied by two strangers from a distant land, Tipper discovers that her actions have unbalanced the foundation of her world and endangered her father’s life. She must act quickly to undo the threat. But how can she save her father and the world on her own? The task is too huge for one person, so she fathers the help of some unlikely companions—including the giant parrot, Beccaroon, and the artistic tumanhofer, Bealomondore—and sets out on a quest, eventually witnessing the loving care and miraculous resources of Wulder.

Join new characters and old friends in a fantasy that inhabits the same world as the DragonKeeper Chronicles, but in a different country and an earlier time, where the people know nothing of Wulder or Paladin.

My Review:

I greatly enjoyed this new foray into the world of DragonKeepers. Donita’s new book is just as exciting and humorous as her other series. The jabbering between the wizard and his librarian made me laugh out loud at times. The writing is great and easy to follow. I can’t wait for the next book to come out in this series so that the adventure can continue!

Back of the Book:

Home, Home on the Range...

As Hasley stared into the distance, movement caught his eye. He looked to his left, and saw a moving carpet of alien grass climbing up the slope beside him. More was coming up on his right.

He sighed. I hate this planet, he thought. When the grass got in the way of his gun, he swept at it, angrily. The grass swept back.

...Where the deer and the antelope play. Not on Freehome. More like the dreaded giant mosquito-like things known as “needle-nose” and the infamous “walking grass” that sneaks up and surrounds its victims.

Not only do the Rurals have Mother Nature to worry about on Freehome, they also have the city people to contend with. The Latecomers want to do away with the Rurals’ way of life. At any cost.

But the Rurals have faith...

My Review:

This book literally took me over six months to read. I just couldn’t get into it until the very end. It’s heavy in to politics. I don’t care for politics in real life, let alone in my fiction. If you like politics, though, you may enjoy this book very much.

I didn’t like one aspect of the writing style. It was very hard to tell when the story-teller’s point-of-view switched to a new person. There were no spaces or breaks to indicate that a different person was thinking than in the paragraph half a page up. I had to reread many pages because I was confused as to who was saying what. I also didn’t care for the fact that there seemed to be a good number of typos that could have easily been fixed before it went to print.

The overall story was well developed and very intricate. I wasn’t able to expect the outcome of any event and realized at the end how inter-connected every story line was. It was very elaborate and unique. Like I said earlier, you may like it if you enjoy political books. If not, the sci-fi/fantasy/faith aspects of it aren’t enough to draw in those kinds of readers, in my opinion.

Back of the Book:

In a time of peace and prosperity, evil lurks behind seemingly good endeavors.

The fantastic land of Amara is recovering from years of war as well as from the spiritual apathy corroding the Amarans’ hearts. With Kale and her father serving as dragon keepers for Paladin, the dragon populace has exploded. It’s a peaceful, exciting time of rebuilding. And yet, an insidious, unseen evil lurks just beneath the surface of the idyllic countryside.

As Kale and her father are busy hatching, bonding, and releasing the younger generation of dragons, the light wizard has little time to develop her skills. Her husband, Sir Bardon—despite physical limitations—has become a leader, serving under Paladin. When Kale and Bardon join the dragons on a quest to find a hidden colony, they encounter sinister forces. Their world is under attack by a secret enemy…can they overcome the ominous peril they can’t even see?

Truth has never been more important, nor so difficult to discern.

My Review:

I greatly enjoyed this last book in the DragonKeeper chronicles. It was great getting to read about the continuing adventures of Kale and her dragons. I also love the comical interaction and humor Donita weaves into the story. It was a great tale of good overcoming evil that I’m sure anyone who’s read the other books will enjoy.

I will say that it didn’t have the grand, we-won’t-survive this mentality, though. The other books have had such huge battles and enemies that you didn’t think anyone will be about to triumph over evil. I didn’t get the same feeling with this book. The characters weren’t beaten to a pulp and barely survived like in previous ones. They emerged generally unscathed even if the story took a lot of twists and turns that you wouldn’t have expected. It was well written, though, and I enjoyed it.

Back of the Book:

Bethia Rayborn, soon to be betrothed to her childhood beau and happily employed as the wardrobe mistress at London’s Royal Court Theatre, is quite certain all her dreams have come true. But then the drama unfolding in her own life begins to overshadow that of the actors and actresses onstage. When a distant relative misinterprets her intentions and sets his affections on Bethia, pursuing her with unrelenting persistence, she must take drastic measures to ward him off. Her pursuer does indeed disappear, but Bethia is left as the unsuspecting victim in a plan for revenge that will threaten her love and her livelihood.

My Review:

Wow. This book was all over the place. It was very intricate, with at least four story lines going on at the same time. They all intertwined in the end, like you would expect, but I didn’t expect the story to have such a huge scope. It was an enjoyable read, though.

I liked that Lawana showed how revenge can be harmful to the person giving it as well as to the person receiving it. She also covered important things like equality of people, selfishness, the rose-colored love glasses, gossip, and so many more. I was reminded of some things I need to be doing as I saw them played out in the character’s lives.

However, if you are looking for a heart-warming love story, this is not it. I don’t want to go into details of why it isn’t, because that would give important aspects of the story line away. There are actually three love stories going on, but other, overarching, plot lines take the lead. I enjoyed reading it and did get attached to the characters, but I was left sorely disappointed as it felt like things were cut off, suddenly, at the end.

Back of the Book:

Twenty-eight-year old Emma Browning has experienced a good deal of life in her young age. Proprietor of Emma’s Boardinghouse, she is “mother” to an array of beefy, unkempt, often rowdy characters. Though many men would like to get to know the steely, hard-edged, yet surprisingly lovely proprietor, none has truly succeeded. That is, not until the town’s new pastor, Jonathan Atkins, takes up residence in the boardinghouse, affecting not only her with his devout faith and strong convictions, but her clientele as well. Emma clings desperately to her stubborn ways, refusing to acknowledge God’s love—until all of Little Hickman witnesses a miracle—the conversion of her abusive and alcoholic father, Ezra! Only then will Emma begin to experience God’s transforming power at work.

My Review:

Sharlene has woven another wonderful, heart-warming book about the people of Little Hickman Creek. You couldn’t help but understand how they felt about every situation. The growing attraction between Jon and Emma was well-written and so touching. My heart melted when I read how Jon felt about wanting her. If only all guy’s hearts were that transparent!

The pull that God had on their conscience was evident when the characters had to decide between following their own desires or the tug that God was administering. Sometimes the still, small voice is hard to ignore. Other times our own wants willingly drown it out. Sharlene was able to write this difficult tug of war into the story, and I was able to draw parallels from my own life. I greatly enjoyed this and the other spiritual things that were discussed.

I’ve never experienced Bible verses coming to mind when in a jam, though, so I’m not sure how believable that part of the story is. But maybe that’s just how my brain works and other people are able to hear a verse or truth from the Bible when needed. They were definitely needed for the story, though.

Overall it was a great book, and I’m sad that this is the last one in the series. I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future.

Back of the Book:

Are they willing to risk love and freedom for queen and country?

Heather Gordon has enjoyed the privileges of sixteenth-century Scottish nobility her entire life. Despite this comfort and ease, she years for a more fulfilling existence. Her prayers are soon answered—though not quite the way she expected.

Duncan Mackenzie has never known a life beyond the rugged Highland countryside. When a daring rescue is planned to free Mary, Queen of Scots, Duncan finds he is the key to unlocking the fortress where she is imprisoned. But first he must shed his rough Highland ways and learn to behave as a fine gentleman—something only a member of the nobility can teach him.

Heather and Duncan find themselves drawn together against their better judgment to complete this daring rescue. But in the close quarters of Duncan’s remote Highland cottage, there is more stirring than political rebellion. Deceit, betrayal, and unexpected love draw you into this gripping story.

My Review:

Kathleen has woven another fine tale filled with suspense, love, and real people you can identify with. Her writing is of the highest quality, and I couldn’t find anything wrong with the intricacies of the story at all. I enjoyed reading it, and always find my heart melting at the tender moments found in each of her books.

I sometimes wonder if there is really a strong, initial attraction to someone like the romance books often portray. Can you really be so strongly attracted to someone that you must find a way to be with them, just by looking at them? I tend to think not, but then again it’s never happened to me. This tends to be a theme in a lot of books, not just Kathleen’s. But is it reality? I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

I wouldn’t say this was her best book, as it didn’t have nearly the action as some of her others had. (I tend to like high-action books, though.) It was a well-crafted story and entertaining, though. If you like Kathleen’s other books I’m sure you’ll like this one.

Back of the Book:

As wizards battle with fiery dragons, only a hero’s noble calling can save Amara.

Three years of strife have passed since Kale and Bardon freed Paladin’s knights. Now, fiery dragons scorch their beautiful countryside as an evil husband-and-wife wizard duo fight for supremacy. The people of Amara just want to be left alone, hoping the conflict will disappear. But Paladin is dying, and Bardon and Kale—not married—must accept fateful, separate assignments if their land is to survive. Can their efforts turn the tide against their adversaries?

Kale’s responsibility is to find, hatch, and train an army of dragons by working side-by-side with the dragon keeper father she has never known. As the Amaran countrymen seek escape, she must gain a greater understanding of her gifs to overcome her doubts. And as the end drawn near, with friends and family in serious jeopardy, both Bardon and Kale must face their greatest trials yet.

Prepare to experience breathtaking adventure and mind-blowing fantasy as never before in this stunning addition to Donita K. Paul’s popular Dragon Keepers fantasy series.

My Review:

This was definitely a “breathtaking adventure” with “mind-blowing fantasy.” The level of writing is excellent. The story was complex and well-thought out. I was drawn to the book and didn’t want to put it down for even a second. I was able to easily identify with the characters and understand what they were feeling. This is, by far, her best book of the series. I really want to start into the next book right away, but unfortunately it doesn’t come out until summer of ’08.

I had a little reservation with the idea of Paladin dying as I started this book. I had been looking at him as sort of the Jesus figure in this series. Apparently I was mistaken. He’s the ruler of Amara. He can do fantastical things to heal, pull people into visions, make things appear out of nowhere, and come out of a fire dragon’s blast unscathed. He even looks almost identical to Pretender (the devil-figure). I really thought he was the earthly God-figure in keeping with the allegory. I guess this is where the book doesn’t hold up as a true allegory if Paladin is not really part of the God-head. If the people’s faith in Wulder (God) decreases, Paladin’s health declines. If their faith increases, he is well again. I don’t quite understand it, but I guess if you think of this as merely being a fantasy you don’t have to look for strict adherence to the truths of our world. Just enjoy the book.

Back of the Book:

Trapped in an evil spell... Can the Knights of Paladin be rescued?

Before vowing his allegiance to Wulder as a knight, Bardon heads to the mountains for solitude. His life is suddenly complicated by a woman and her granddaughter, N’Rae, on a mission to rescue the woman’s son trapped in a chamber of sleep. Bardon learns that more of Paladin’s knights are imprisoned—and suspects one of them is Dragon Keeper Kale’s missing father.

The secret is in their hands—and hearts.

The band travels north, uncertain of their destination and encountering numerous perils. When they unlock the chamber, they discover a dozen knights—who cannot be awakened. The journal holding the secret to rousing them is in an unknown language. How can they find the help they need, overcoming even graver obstacles, to rescue the knights?

My Review:

I enjoyed this book. It continued the story of Bardon and was filled with adventure and suspense. The humorous parts were well written, and there were a lot of allegorical references to our world.

I didn’t like the fact that we were reading about mostly new characters for most of the book, though. I missed Kale and her dragons. Having everyone together at the end of the adventure was fun, even though I missed reading about them for the entire book. I’m glad I read it and can’t wait to start the next book.

Back of the Book:

A dragonkeeper of Paladin, Kale is summoned from The Hall to The Bogs by the Wizard Fenworth to serve as his apprentice and tend his newly hatched meech dragon, Reigidor. But Kale isn’t going alone. The Hall is sending a student to monitor her performance and report back to the scholars. Worst of all, it’s Bardon—an older boy Kale finds irritating but who at least can hold his own in a sword fight.

Meanwhile, the Wizard Risto has seized another meech dragon, bringing him dangerously close to gaining the power he seeks. So with only a motley band of companions, Kale sets out on a desperate quest to rescue the second meech, to free those dragons already enslaved, and to thwart Risto’s devious plan. It’s up to Kale to lead the search and to embrace the role that’s rightfully hers. But will her efforts be enough to save the land of Amara from the dark future that awaits at Risto’s hands?

My Review:

I didn’t think this book was as heavy on the allegory as the first one (DragonSpell), but I still loved it. I got to read more about Kale and watch her develop. The characters are starting to feel like a family, and reading about their lives is wonderful. And the Wizard Fenworth was a great comic relief as usual.

I didn’t have the same trouble I had last time of being able to follow along with the story. Her writing was clear and flowed smoothly. It also felt less like a children’s book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the rest in the series.

Back of the Book:

Once a slave, Kale is given the unexpected opportunity to become a servant to Paladin. Yet this young girl has much to learn about the difference between slavery and service.

A desperate search begins...

A small band of Paladin’s servants rescue Kale from danger but turn her from her destination: The Hall, where she was to be trained. Feeling afraid and unprepared, Kale embarks on a perilous quest to find the meech dragon egg stolen by the foul Wizard Risto. First, she and her comrades must find Wizard Fenworth. But their journey is threatened when a key member of the party is captured, leaving the remaining companions to find Fenworth, attempt an impossible rescue, and recover the egg whose true value they have not begun to suspect…

Weaving together memorable characters, daring adventure, and a core of eternal truth, Dragonspell is a finely crafted and welcome addition to the corpus of fantasy fiction.

My Review:

The only thing I didn’t care for was part of her writing style. I was confused many a time while reading about an action sequence. It seemed like she would leave out whole thought processes or events. I had no idea how the characters went from situation A to suddenly having situation B going on. (And after starting the next book in the series, I can see that her writing has improved.)

The only thing I didn’t care for was part of her writing style. I was confused many a time while reading about an action sequence. It seemed like she would leave out whole thought processes or events. I had no idea how the characters went from situation A to suddenly having situation B going on. (And after starting the next book in the series, I can see that her writing has improved.)

Also, this book felt like it was written for a sixth grader in some instances with the sentence structure and vocabulary, but in another sense it had so many large allegorical concepts that it felt like it was written for an adult. The description didn’t lie—it really is a book for all ages. I really liked it, though, and will definitely be reading the rest of the series.

Back of the Book:

Phillip de Tollard, the illegitimate son of a powerful English lord, is sheltered by his father but given no claim to an inheritance. Gareth, the legitimate son, is cruel and abusive to his stepbrother. When their father suddenly dies, Gareth falsely accuses Philip, and he escapes with only his life to begin wandering as a fugitive and mercenary.

Philip and his longtime friend Beatrice have come to love each other, and she awaits his return, fervently hoping circumstances will change. But when she finds herself at the mercy of Gareth, who will stop at nothing to acquire her estate, she strikes a most grievous bargain.

Bitter and angry, Philip devises a dangerous plan for vengeance. But love and hate both have consequences, and he must face the truth that God will not be ignored.

My Review:

Hmmm... What to say... I liked the book, but I was also frustrated with the book. This is not a short book--448 pages. It seemed to drag on and on when I was only half-way through. I understand that all of the things that happened in the book were useful for advancing the story, but I didn’t find myself particularly drawn into reading about them.

I was very sad through most of the book. Nothing good ever seemed to happen to the characters. It was just one bad thing after another. I was starting to get depressed with the way things were going. Were Philip and Beatrice ever going to be together?

However, I did think it was good to write a book that showed the fact that bad choices cause bad events. What you do (or don’t do) has far reaching consequences for more than just you, and those consequences can last for decades. Only when you turn to God and seek His will you find the inner peace and clear conscious you need.

I did enjoy parts of the book, though. I liked the action sequences. Judith also did a good job at helping the reader understand what the characters are feeling. Her writing style was very clear and easy to read. Plus, the book was not predictable at all, and the end result was pleasant. So I’m glad I read the book. It was a nice way to pass the time and did make me think about what would happen if you ignore God.

Back of the Book:

Beth MacKay, is home again, back to Culdee Creek where her loving family has been waiting for five years. When she left to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor, she was hopelessly devoted to Noah Starr, the minister of Grand View’s parish, and utterly heartbroken at his marriage to someone else.

Little Beth is all grown up now, over her childish crush and brandishing a fierce determination to proves she’s not just an illegitimate half-breed, but as Dr. Elizabeth MacKay, Beth is carrying more than just a medical degree; the wounds of her childhood have compounded with a newer hurt that festers deep inside.

Noah is widowed now, a single father to Emily, his handicapped baby girl. His heart is also ragged, torn by grief and a growing sense of disillusion with the pastorate. Had he only imagined his calling to the ministry?

Noah’s and Beth’s lives soon become intertwined as they both exercise their gifts and serve the people of Grand View. These two injured souls risk everything as they are irresistibly drawn to each other and the healing grace of their Father.

My Review:

This was an interesting conclusion to the series. I wasn’t able to predict how the events would occur, and they did take some fascinating twists and turns. I liked seeing how Beth and Noah were able to help each other move through their pain, and Kathleen showed a different side of a man’s desires by talking about lust vs. love. I liked reading about something different than the norm.

However, as much as I enjoyed the book, I didn’t think it was “the best book ever” like I often find myself thinking after a great read. It was OK. It was a story to help me pass the time. I laughed with the characters. I could identify with their hurts and fears. But I would describe it as an average book. Kathleen’s Highland Hills series is much more exciting. Maybe (like I’ve said before) I just like the adventure books more, and this is a good out-west series.

Back of the Book:

Claire Sutherland swore she’d never trust a man with her heart and her future. That is, until she met Evan MacKay. From the first moment the tall, dark-haired American arrived on the parish church grounds, Claire found herself strangely drawn to this man and the close ranch community he describes to her. After a whirlwind courtship Evan and Claire journey to Colorado to begin a new life together as husband and wife.

Though nervous at the prospect of leaving the familiar Scottish highlands, Claire yearns to be part of a real family for the first time in her life. But when confronted with her husband’s old flame, frustrated with her brother’s erratic behavior, and plagued by the haunting secret of her past, insecurities rush in and Claire wonders if she’s make the biggest mistake of her life.

Wavering between desire to completely trust her new husband and family and fear that the whole truth will cost her everything, Claire struggles to find a faith that can sustain her. Only when she trusts God with her past and the people she loves will she finally be able to become a trust Lady of Light.

My Review:

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. It took place in Scotland, and had the high emotions involved when two people discover that they love each other. It was charming and romantic.

Then they returned to Colorado, and things changed. Instead of reading about a blossoming love it's about two people trying to figure out how they can keep their marriage working. That can be a perfectly fine thing to read about, but I prefer to read the beginning things, more. Evan and Devlin had to deal with their hatred, there were all sorts of angry encounters, and Claire's insistence on relying on herself for everything started getting on my nerves.

It was an OK book. I read it to find out what happens. I didn't hate it. I also didn't love it. I really prefer Kathleen's works set in the Scottish Highlands. I'm going to read the fourth book about Beth because I want to know what else happens to this family. Hopefully it will be better.