Lightning

Fans of such films and books like Hunger Games and Divergent will love the Stone Braide Chronicles series, now into its second novel Lightning. This is definitely NOT a series you can just pick up any of the books and hope to gain an understanding as to what is happening, but once you begin, you will find yourself on a very different adrenaline rush adventure you will not want to see come to an end. With each novel in this series, author Bonnie Calhoun has only excelled at pulling out all the stops in her ability to transport the reader into a vastly different world than the one we are living in, in this case a post apocalyptic America, now named TicCity, the remainder of what used to be Atlantic City. It's the only thing remaining, a billboard baring the partial name.

The citizens refer to the nuclear war as the Time of Sorrows and now they have taken to rebuilding what remains of the world now that survivors have begun populating the earth again. The people that arrive from the sea are referred to as Landers, and Selah Rishon, has just be transformed from a Lander to what is called a novarium. With this recent change in her body, she is having what is referred to as "Lightnings" or burst of power that her fellow mind reading recipients can feel but no one can explain what is happening. All Selah knows is that if her father, Glade and his team can not locate what is referred to as the Third Protocol of Landers, Selah will fracture and she will cease to exist.

Meantime there are those who believe that within Selah's blood lies the answer to immortality and they will stop at nothing to harness that power. The search will lead them to the Mountain, where her family and friends have ventured in search for any answers that might help her, but first she has to figure out who she can trust, and who she can't. The only problem is the Mountain is where her and her father were held captive against her will and it is the last place where she had ever hoped to venture back. What is she willing to risk to discover the answers about her future and her past?

I received Lightning by Bonnie Calhoun compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Revell Publishing Group for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this novel to review, and the opinions contained here are my honest and personal ones. This is such a great novel because if you have been following the series up to this point, it has been a true nail biter all the way, just getting tidbits each time Bonnie publishes a full length novel of the prequels that go in between each of them. This is definitely something that hasn't been done before and for me this is what makes it work so well. It's combining a bit of science fiction along with a post apocalyptic dystopian element that catapults you on to each new addition. For me this one is an easy 4.5 out of 5 stars, but trust me start at the beginning. I have listed the series below for you to ensure you are reading them in order. (1) Tremors - Prequel, (2) Thunder - First novel in the series, (3) Aftershock, prequel to Lightning, and (4) Lightning, the Second Novel in the Series.

For more information about Lightning, Bonnie Calhoun or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Lightning by Bonnie Calhoun

You can find Bonnie Calhoun on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Lightning, please visit Christian Fiction Blog Alliance's book tour page. 

Thick as Thieves

For girls 14 to 18 that are looking for a great series set back in the late 1800's that involve horses, you'll want to pick up Thick as Thieves, the first book in the Circle C Milestones Series, from Susan K. Marlow. As a young girl myself growing up there is such a connection with the love of a girl and her horse and that is why I absolutely recommend this book to your young readers as well.

Andrea Carter, who just turned 14, is the youngest on the Circle C Ranch but is about to get the surprise of her life when her Palomino, Taffy gives birth to two twin colts, Shasta and Sunny. As she tries to keep up training them, she still has to deal with attending school. Her mother is less than pleased when she brings  home less than favorable marks, which her mother suspects is caused by all her free time being used for training horses instead of studying. So until she can bring up her marks, she will have very limited time with them. Running a cattle and horse ranch is extraordinary busy but none more so than when suspected cattle thieves are slowly thinning the herds from the local ranchers.

Andi thinks things will go fine with the extra study time, until she is assigned as a seat mate at her desk in school with Macy Walker who will be the straw that breaks the camel's back at school. Before the end of her first day, Macy has given Cory, a classmate, a black eye, pulled more than one girls hair and has challenged the teacher to punish her if he dares. It will be all she can deal with if Macy gets her suspended from school for hitting her, then she will have even less time to work with her colts than she does now and forget raising her marks if she is kicked out of school. How can one girls life get so complicated?

I received Thick as Thieves by Susan K. Marlow compliments of Kregel Publications for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. If you have a young adult who loves horse adventures, trust me, pick up this entire series. While this is the first in the Circle C Milestones, readers will enjoy learning more about Andi's life on the ranch with the Circle C Adventure Series and Circle C Beginnings as well. For me, this was an easy 5 out of 5 stars because I grew up loving books like this one. I only wish there were more to read when I grew up as there is now. This is such a great adventure and shows how difficult it is for Andi to maintain her Christian upbringing in the face of adversity and that just makes it all the more enjoyable because it is so real for teens in those situations!

For more information about Thick as Thieves, Susan K. Marlow or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Thick as Thieves by Susan K. Marlow

You can find Susan K. Marlow on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Thick as Thieves, please visit Kregel Publications book tour page. 

Wonder

If you have never read Travis Thrasher's novels, he pretty much has a novel written to meet every interest but for me, nothing is more thrilling than to find Christian authors who know how to keep you glued to their novels, add the element of suspense and things that go bump in the dark, and you have me on their waiting list for the next one!

In the coming of age series geared more for the young adult or teen fans, The Books of Marvella have struck a cord in this book lover's heart! To say that there is something evil coming in the town of Appleton, earmarks what you will find when you enter the life of Brandon Jeffrey, a senior struggling to make his way in a difficult world marked by two unsolved murders involving teens that have happened in his town.

To say that the town is on edge is an understatement. Parents are concerned that their teens don't go out at night or alone until the person or persons responsible are caught. There is something brewing with an elderly man known as Otis who owns the quarry. Late at night he can be seen burying things in the back of his house but no one knows what is is. Now it seems he has formed a following when Brandon's best friend Devon, takes up watching his nightly activities believing he is behind the sinister evil building in town. Brandon doesn't want anything to do with stalking people at night especially when he is dealing with his own abusive alcoholic father who almost killed him in a car accident, watching over his younger brothers, keeping the secrets of the abuse from his mother, and trying to win the girl of his dreams.

Sounds like the typical life for a senior teen living in Appleton right? Now that school is back in session, all those summer escapades have not been forgotten. Brandon's intervention with the school's bullies, who also happen to be on the football team, have not gone unnoticed. Brandon's ex girlfriend, Taryn is stirring up trouble for Marvel on Social Media sites and Marvel still believes she will die doing something for God's glory and it will happen sooner than everyone believes. So just what is hiding in the shadows of Appleton? Only time will tell.

I received Wonder by Travis Thrasher compliments of NavPress, a division of Tyndale House Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. The best part of this entire series, is the tension that Travis is building but not sharing what is really going on. He is keeping that just beyond what the reader can see, but the suspense element that keeps coming from each of this novels is growing. Evil is slowly showing itself in the unexplained and just who is the hippie older man, Phil who shows up just when Brandon seems to be willing to take unexpected risks? We know he works at the record store with Brandon, but is there a spiritual element here at work as well? All I can tell you is that I can't wait for the next novel and poor Travis Thrasher can't write fast enough for me. This one hits it out of the park again with a stellar 5 out of 5 stars! Suspense fans looking for a bit of the creep factor, pick this entire series and Solitary Tales as well. This is the second novel in The Books of Marvella series with Marvelous being the first. Start there before reading Wonder or it simply won't make sense.

For more information about Wonder, Travis Thrasher or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Wonder by Travis Thrasher

You can find Travis Thrasher on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Wonder, please visit Tyndale House Publishers website.