The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul

The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul Trade Paperback: 398 pages Publisher: WaterBrook Press First Released: 2009 Author Website

Source: Review copy from publisher

Back Cover Description:
Return to the world of the dragon keepers, where the fate of three missing statues will determine the fate of the world.

Tipper, a young emerlindian woman, has been responsible for the upkeep of her family’s estate during her sculptor father’s 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 whole 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 her world on her own? The task is too huge for one person, so she gathers the help of some unlikely companions–including the nearly five-foot tall parrot, Beccaroon, and the aristocratic 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.


Review:
This is a Christian allegorical fantasy novel. Though I haven't reviewed Donita K. Paul's "DragonKeeper Chronicles" series here, I thoroughly enjoyed them and they're the favorite books of my 11-year-old assistant. She reads them again and again. Though you don't need to read those books to understand this one, I'd suggest reading them first because I like them better.

The Vanishing Sculptor is a good book with enjoyable and entertaining characters. However, I don't think this book had the right primary viewpoint character. Jayrus is the character most necessary to the quest and who develops the most, but he's not a viewpoint character. On the other hand, Tipper is very impulsive and enthusiastic, but serves mainly for reader laughs and as hostage/bait. She's not necessary to the quest and plays only a minor role in the success of the last battle.

The beginning of the story is a smidgen slow, but the pacing picks up once the travelling begins. The world-building is good, but the author tends to use unfamiliar names for things (whether unique to her world or not) without giving the reader a good idea of what they are. There is a glossary in the back, though, and the book is understandable even without it.

The text rarely tells which direction the group is travelling. However, the map at the front of the book doesn't agree with the direction and distances that are given in the text, which I found confusing.

All that said, I suspect that most young adults and many adults will thoroughly enjoy the book. Since all the Christian elements are allegorical and sometimes a bit non-obvious even for Christians, non-Christians will probably also enjoy the book.

There was no sex, cussing, or gore. Overall, I'd rate this "good, clean fun."


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Chapter One
Beccaroon cocked his head, ruffled his neck feathers, and spread his wings, not to fly, but to test the air. He stretched, allowing his crimson wings to spread. The branch beneath him sank and rose again, responding to his weight. Moist, hot air penetrated his finery, and he held his wings away from his brilliant blue sides.

“Too hot for company,” he muttered. Having declared his opinion, he rocked back and forth from one four-toed scaly foot to the other on the limb of a sacktrass tree. The leaves shimmered as the motion rippled along the branch. “Where is that girl?”

His yellow head swiveled almost completely around. He peered with one eye down the overgrown path, and then scoped out every inch within his range of vision, twisting his neck slowly.

A brief morning shower had penetrated the canopy above and rinsed the waxy-coated leaves. A few remaining drops glistened where thin shafts of tropical sun touched the dark green foliage. On the broot vine, flowers the size of plates lifted their fiery red petals, begging the thumb-sized bees to come drink before the weight of nectar broke off the blooms.

Beccaroon flew to a perch on a gnarly branch. He sipped from the broot blossom and ran his black tongue over the edges of his beak. A sudden breeze shook loose a sprinkle of leftover raindrops. Beccaroon shook his tail feathers and blinked. When the disturbance settled, he cocked his head and listened.

“Ah!” he said. “She’s coming.” He preened his soft green breast and waited, giving a show of patience he didn’t feel. His head jerked as he detected someone walking with the girl.

“Bah!” The word exploded from his throat. He flew into a roost far above the forest floor where he couldn’t be seen from the ground.

He watched the approach of the girl placed under his guardianship. Tipper strolled along the path below. She wore a flowing, golden gown over her tall, lean body. She’d put her long blonde hair in a fancy braid that started at the crown of her head. A golden chain hung from each of her pointed ears. And she’d decorated her pointed facial features with subdued colors, blue for her eyelids, rose for her lips, and a shimmering yellow on her cheeks. Beccaroon sighed. His girl was lovely.


Read the rest of Chapter One.

Author Quirks: Candace Calvert

I'm starting a new blog feature: a single-question author interview featuring the authors of books I've reviewed. We're starting off with Candace Calvert, author of Critical Care.


What's a quirky or little-known fact about yourself, your writing, and/or one of your novels? (For example, you can tell us about a non-standard pet you have, an unusual way you do your writing, a strange real life incident that inspired a scene in one of your novels, or so on.)



Candace Calvert's answer:

In my new Mercy Hospital series, I invite readers to “scrub in” on the fast-paced world of emergency medicine, with all its gripping emotion. But I try to temper those nail-biting scenes with moments of warm humor, because (after my long decades in the ER) I know what a life-saver that can be. Like the very real time when . . .

A favorite ER doc—an infamous jokester named Norman--teased us incessantly about “having to work with an all female crew.” He was merciless in his eye-rolling melodrama. So . . .

I had custom tee shirts printed: a variety of pastels (in sizes to fit the smallest and the largest of us) with glittering neon letters that read: “NORM’S ANGELS”—ala the vintage TV show, “Charlie’s Angels.”

The unsuspecting physician showed up for his next ER shift to find himself completely surrounded by his doting all-female crew (from front office registration staff to RN’s) proudly proclaiming his name. It was the first time we’d ever seen the man (blushing and) speechless. I’ll never forget one of the patients saying, “Oh, how lovely. Is that your hospital bowling team?”

The yellowed and aging photo of that zany moment is still floating around in a desk in some California ER. A testament to the therapeutic value of humor. Life gets gritty, real, and many times far too tragic, in the world of emergency medicine. Staff camaraderie—a laugh, a well-timed hug—is priceless.

Perhaps that’s the reason why-- in CRITICAL CARE-- that nurse Claire Avery nearly sits on a chicken at Daffodil Hill. Or why Dr. (“McSnarly”) Caldwell makes a fool of himself trying to dance “The Watermelon Crawl.”

Sometimes you just have to laugh.

Ms. Calvert, thank you for taking the time to tell us more about yourself.

And the Winner Is...

Wow, we had a lot of people enter the contest for a copy of "Critical Care" by Candace Calvert! I'm excited. Using a random number generator and numbering the entrants in the order I received them, the winner is:

Sharon54220

Congratulations! I'll be contacting you for your address.

Veiled Freedom by Jeanette Windle

Veiled Freedom by Jeanette Windle Trade Paperback: 493 pages Publisher: Tyndale House First Released: 2009 Author Website

Source: ARC I requested from the publisher

Back Cover Description:
Land of the Free . . . Home of the Brave

Kabul, 2001—American forces have freed Afghanistan from the Taliban. Kites have returned to the skies. Women have removed their burqas. There is dancing in the streets.

Eight years later, Afghanistan is a far cry from those first images of a country freed from Taliban rule. When Special Forces veteran Steve Wilson returns to Kabul as security chief to the minister of interior, he is disillusioned with the corruption and violence that has overtaken the country he fought to free. Relief worker Amy Mallory arrives in Afghanistan ready to change the world. She soon discovers that as a Western woman, the challenges are monumental. Afghan native Jamil returns to his homeland seeking work, but a painful past continues to haunt him.

All three are searching for truth and freedom when a suicide bombing brings them together on Kabul's dusty streets. But what is the true source of freedom—and its cost?


Review:
Veiled Freedom is a Christian contemporary fiction book. It has some romantic elements, but it's not a romance. It has moments of great suspense (and could easily have been a suspense book), but it doesn't fit that genre either. Basically, it's a well-written fiction book that gives the reader an excellent idea of what life is currently like in Afghanistan.

The book was clearly well-researched. The world-building was excellent, making life in Afghanistan come alive in my imagination. The pacing was good though generally a bit slower than most modern novels. The characters were interesting and realistic.

There were three main characters, but I cared the most about Jamil and the secondary native characters. I rarely felt that Amy or Steve personally had much at stake; they generally wouldn't lose much if they failed. I was most engaged by the locals, who could easily lose everything--even their life--if they, Amy, or Steve failed. I wish more of the story had been from Jamil's viewpoint, but that may be a personal preference.

Religion (both Christian and Muslim) played a major role behind how several of the characters acted. Amy was conflicted about wishing to share her Christian faith when she knew anyone she converted could die for it, and many of the Muslim characters' actions came from their religious beliefs.

There were a lot of acronyms and military jargon in the story, but the author continued to remind the reader of what they meant. Any difficulties in remembering what they referred to didn't last for long.

There was no sex, and I don't recall any cussing. Overall, the book was enjoyable and very informative. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to know what's going on in Afghanistan right now. I'd rate this book "good, clean fun."


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Prologue
Kabul
November 13, 2001

"Land of the free and the home of the brave."

The radio's static-spattered fanfare filtered through the compound wall. Beyond its shattered gate, a trio of small boys kicked a bundle of knotted rags around the dirt courtyard. Had they any idea those foreign harmonies were paying homage to their country's latest invaders?

Or liberators, if the rumors and the pirated satellite television broadcasts were true.

Scrambling the final meters to the top of the hill, he stood up against a chill wind that tugged at his light wool vest and baggy tunic and trousers. Bracing himself, he turned in a slow, stunned revolution.

From this windswept knoll, war's demolition stretched as far as his eye could see. Bombs and rockets had left only heaps of mud-brick hovels and compound walls. The front of an apartment complex was sheared off, exposing the cement cubicles of living quarters. The collapse of an office building left its floors layered like a stack of naan bread. Rubble and broken pavement turned the streets into obstacle courses.

But it wasn't the devastation that held him spellbound. So it was all true--the foreign newscasts, the exultant summons that had brought him back, his father's dream. Kabul was free!


Read the rest of chapter one.

Discussion on Christian Speculative Fiction

Over at My Friend Army (a book blog), Amy asks:

How do you feel about speculative fiction in general and specifically how do you feel about Christian speculative fiction? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages that you see to Christian speculative fiction?

I'm an evangelical Christian. My favorite genre has always been fantasy novels whether they are Christian allegory or not. I've never seen any problem with Christians reading speculative fiction. After all, Jesus taught using parables, and Christian authors basically kicked off the fantasy genre. In my mind, science fiction and fantasy novels are essentially very long parables about people exploring moral issues. Using a made-up setting allows the reader to see these issues in a new light.

I don't feel this is so true any more since fantasy is moving away from the traditional good vs evil and hero vs villain format to using selfish main characters that want 1) to survive and 2) whatever makes him or her feel good. The themes of hope and redemption seem to have been tossed aside. I want my traditional fantasy back. :(

As to Christian speculative fiction, I think it's easy for authors to be too heavy-handed in their Christian symbolism or to play up to secular fiction trends and lose sight of the message they're sending in their novel. (Every novel has a message whether it's obvious or not.) At this point, I'm happy with speculative fiction that has Christian values (even if there is no obvious Christian element in it) and well-written Christian fantasy novels.

What do you think?

Giveaway: Critical Care

Critical Care by Candace Calvert Trade Paperback: 293 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Released: June 2009

I loved this book so much, I decided to share the fun by holding a contest for my copy (it looks like new) of Critical Care by Candace Calvert. You can learn more about the book by reading my review.

Due to shipping costs, this contest is for USA residents only.

To enter the giveaway:

1) you can twitter me saying "@genrereviewer Enter me to win CRITICAL CARE. The title of a future book in the series is ________." Hint: Look here.

OR

2) You can leave a comment to this post asking to be entered and giving the title of the second or third book in the series. (Critical Care is the first book in this series.)


The winner will be randomly selected. I'll announce the winner at 3:00 PM (Central Daylight Time) on June 21th on this blog. If you entered using twitter, I'll send you a @ or DM telling you of your win and asking where to send the book. If you entered using the blog comments, you'll need to leave your e-mail address or check back to see if you won so you can e-mail me your shipping address.

I hope everyone has fun with this!

Critical Care by Candace Calvert

Critical Care by Candace Calvert Trade Paperback: 293 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers First Released: 2009 Author Website & Twitter

Source: Review copy from publisher

Back Cover Description:
After her brother dies in a trauma room, nurse Claire Avery can no longer face the ER. She's determined to make a fresh start--new hospital, new career in nursing education--move forward, no turning back. But her plans fall apart when she's called to offer stress counseling for medical staff after a heartbreaking day care center explosion. Worse, she's forced back to the ER, where she clashes with Logan Caldwell, a doctor who believes touchy-feely counseling is a waste of time. He demands his staff be as tough as he is. Yet he finds himself drawn to this nurse educator . . . who just might teach him the true meaning of healing.


Review:
This novel is a romantic ER drama. Readers who like ER dramas will probably love this novel. However, even if you don't normally care for ER drama (like me), I'd recommend you give this book a chance. It's a great book.

The pacing was excellent, with tension high from the very first page. The book was well-written with very likable and realistic characters and an interesting plot. The world-building (i.e. details of the medical trade and so forth) was excellent, bringing the story alive in my imagination without getting too technical or slowing the pace.

As for the romance, both main characters were better people for having met the other. Their strengths and weaknesses force the other person to grow--and I like that.

My only (minor) complaint is that use of symbolism in the book got a smidgen heavy-handed at the end.

Christianity was portrayed in a remarkably realistic manner, with several of the characters struggling with hurt and disappointment with God for letting bad things happen to them. Specifically, the main focus was on why God doesn't answer prayers in a way that made sense to them. Yet the book never got preachy. I think non-Christians would enjoy this book unless dead-set against anything that portrays Christianity in a positive light.

There was no sex, cussing, or gore. Overall, I'd rate this book "very good, clean fun."


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Chapter One
Don’t die, little girl.

Dr. Logan Caldwell pressed the heel of his hand against Amy Hester’s chest, taking over heart compressions in a last attempt to save the child ’s life. Her small sternum hollowed and recoiled under his palm at a rate of one hundred times per minute, the best he could do to mimic her natural heartbeat. A respiratory therapist forced air into her lungs.

Don’t die. Logan glanced up at the ER resuscitation clock, ticking on without mercy. Twenty-seven minutes since they’d begun the code. No heartbeat. Not once. Time to quit, but--he turned to his charge nurse, Erin Quinn, very aware of the insistent wail of sirens in the distance. “Last dose of epi?”

“Three minutes ago.”

“Give another.”

Logan halted compressions, his motionless hand easily spanning the width of the two-year-old’s chest. He watched until satisfied with the proficiency of the therapist’s ventilations, then turned back to the cardiac monitor and frowned. Asystole--flat line. Flogging this young heart with atropine and then repeated doses of epinephrine wasn’t going to do it. A pacemaker, pointless. She’d been deprived of oxygen far too long before rescue.

Logan pushed his palm into Amy’s sternum again and gritted his teeth against images of a terrified little girl hiding in a toy cupboard as her daycare burned; and a frantic search in a suffocating cloud of smoke, amid the chaos of two dozen other burned and panicking children.


Read the rest of chapter one.