Browse by Topic: Fantasy
Rescue, Responsibility, and Risky DecisionsAlex feels the weight of responsibility for everyone in Artimé on his shoulders as its mage. As we learned in the previous book, Sky’s mother is alive but enslaved by pirates on the Island of Fire. Alex has committed to rescuing her, but he wants to do it the right way, through careful planning and with the right …
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Learning to Lead When Everything Falls ApartIsland of Fire improves on the first two books in the Unwanteds series. In the earlier books, the story sometimes felt slow, and I did not always have a clear sense of where everything was going. We learned about Artimé and Quill, and there were battles and struggles to survive, but I never quite felt that there were …
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Aftermath of Conflict: Survival, Power, and LeadershipIsland of Silence is the second book in The Unwanteds series, and it largely deals with the aftermath of the battle between Artimé and Quill from the first book. Artimé has survived and is now able to come out into the open, as well as allow travel between Artimé and Quill. As such, many of the Necessaries in Quill …
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Creativity, Survival, and Hope in a Dystopian SocietyThe Unwanteds is a middle-grade fantasy novel set in a dystopian society called Quill, where citizens are divided into three groups: Wanteds, Necessaries, and Unwanteds. At the age of 13, children undergo a yearly judgment in which any sign of creativity is deemed undesirable. The only catch is that those labeled …
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The Conclusion Where Divine Providence, Mercy, and Faith All Come TogetherThe Return of the King is another great book in the Lord of the Rings series and the final volume in the epic quest to destroy the One Great Ring of Sauron. I read this book years ago and watched the movie version, but I remembered that there were a number of parts I did not fully understand, such as the Paths of the …
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Rich in Christian Themes, Oral Culture, and Divine ProvidenceThe Two Towers is the second book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. After more than 15 years since I last read it, I found it amazing to pick up on more details and themes—and to appreciate just how well-written this series truly is. The narrative splits into three interwoven storylines: (1) Aragorn, Legolas, and …
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A Thrilling Trilogy Conclusion in the Fight Against Child TraffickingMegan says, “I’m always troubled when I hear about people dying.” This is one of the reasons I love this book—and the Astral Alliance series—so much. At the Speed of Mind takes on the evil of child trafficking with love, mercy, and resolve. Megan is determined to fight for the kids without compromising her moral …
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Action-packed, heroic, and morally groundedThis is another good book and a very enjoyable read! I must say, I’m perhaps even more hooked on this series now than when I first started it. The story is pretty action-packed. You know that saying about real-life events where all you can say is “You can’t make this stuff up!”? Well, that’s exactly how this series …
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Moral Struggles, Survival, and the Rescue of the OppressedThis story takes place in space and weaves an intriguing narrative around the main character, Megan, who is branded a pirate. She fights for survival and strives to do what is right, especially after learning about child trafficking and making it her mission to free the enslaved children. Although still a child …
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Learned More on a Second Read of this Great NovelIt has been over a decade since I last read The Lord of the Rings, so I decided to pick it up again. It is amazing how many details stand out upon rereading, even though I am already very familiar with the story. I chose to revisit this book as a way to relax—what could be better than a great novel? This story is …
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