One Realm Beyond Review

Cantor D'Ahma waited his whole life for this day. Born with a gift to jump between worlds, the young realm walker is finally ready to leave his elderly mentor and accept his role as protector and defender of the realms. But mere hours after he steps through his first portal, Cantor discovers that his job will be more dangerous and difficult than he ever imagined. The realms are plagued with crime and cruelty, and even members of the once-noble Realm Walkers Guild can no longer be trusted. To make matters worse, his first assignment---finding a dragon to assist him on his quest---has led him to Bridger, who is clearly inept and won't leave him alone. With the help of his new friends Bixby and Dukmee, Cantor must uncover the secrets of the corrupt guild before they become too powerful to be stopped. But his skills aren't progressing as fast as he would like, and as he finds himself deeper and deeper in the guild's layers of deceit, Cantor struggles to determine where his true allegiance lies.

One Realm Beyond was hard for me to get into. It took me till maybe around half way through the book to get pulled fully into the story. But then it was the same way with the first book in Dragon Keepers Chronicles and that ended up being one of my favorite series. So if the past repeats itself then, by the second book in the Realm Walkers series, I will be adding this series to my favorites shelf. So right now I still have hope that I'll love this series but I can't say I love it just yet. 

3.5 out of 5. This Afternoon Snack needed a little bit more for me. 

I was provided a copy of One Realm Beyond by Zondervan and the author in exchange for my honest review. 

The Garden Gate Review

The Pomeroys pull together in the aftermath of the storm that shook West Edinton -- and Prissie's faith -- to its very foundations. Letting go proves difficult, and holding on takes all of her courage. With the encouragement of a brother who's in on her secret, Prissie finds her feet. With the help of the bane who's now a brother, she takes a stand. As spring comes to the orchard, a cryptic remark from Abner hints at West Edinton's long-kept secret. A beloved aunt returns from overseas. A faded angel takes up residence atop the Pomeroys' refrigerator. A treasured friend must say goodbye. While ranks of the Faithful rally to defend what's most precious, Prissie discovers that angels aren't the only ones who are Sent.

The Garden Gate is the fourth book in the Threshold series, the last and my favorite! Of course I said that about the first book, then the second one, and then the third one. But I can't help it the series just keeps getting better and better! I remember when I read the first books that I was slightly frustrated with the main character, Prissie, and her attitude towards some of the other characters. But now I feel proud of her and how far she's come since the beginning of the series. 

After reading that last sentence again it sounds a little weird to say that I'm proud of a fictional character. But after 'getting to know' Prissie Pomeroy through the books I really am proud of her. 

Being the last book in the Threshold series it was bittersweet reading it. I took much longer to read this book then the others in the series (which I read as fast as I could) because I didn't want Prissie's story to end. But it did and even though, as with all last books of series, I'm sad to see it end, it ended perfectly. 

5 out of 5. An Afternoon Snack that was heavenly!

Cloak of the Light Review

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Drew is caught in a world of light - just inches away from the dark

What if...there was a world beyond our vision, a world just fingertips beyond our reach? What if...our world wasn’t beyond their influence?

Tragedy and heartache seem to be waiting for Drew Carter at every turn, but college offers Drew a chance to start over—until an accident during a physics experiment leaves him blind and his genius friend, Benjamin Berg, missing.

As his sight miraculously returns, Drew discovers that the accident has heightened his neuron activity, giving him skills and sight beyond the normal man. When he begins to observe fierce invaders that no one else can see, he questions his own sanity, and so do others. But is he insane or do the invaders truly exist?

With help from Sydney Carlyle, a mysterious and elusive girl who offers encouragement through her faith, Drew searches for his missing friend, Ben, who seems to hold the key to unlocking this mystery. As the dark invaders close in, will he find the truth in time?

...What can I say? This book has left me speechless. I loved it so much. I've loved Chuck Blacks writing ever since Kingdoms Dawn and the Knights of Arrethtrae series and after reading Cloak of the Light all I can say is...just WOW! I couldn't bring myself to put it down most of the time and when I did have to set it down I couldn't wait to pick it back up and start reading again. I don't think there was one thing about Cloak of the Light that I didn't like. Except maybe the fact that I have to wait to read the next book in the Wars of the Realm series. A book as good as the Cloak of the Light is is one you never what to end.

5 out of 5. This Afternoon Snack was one of the best ones ever!

I received this book for free fromBlogging for Books for this review.

The Dawn of Christmas Review

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This Christmas, experience learning to trust alongside the Plain folk of Apple Ridge, Pennsylvania in this heart-warming tale of second chances.

Sadie enjoys her freedom away from home and her mission trips to Peru, but after four years, her Old Order Amish family insists it’s time to come home and settle down. Levi, a bachelor who distrusts women after a family heartbreak, also has no desire for romance. To keep their families from meddling in their lives, Sadie and Levi devise a plan—but soon discover that the walls around their hearts are breaking down. Can they let go of their prejudices, learn to trust each other, and embrace a future together?

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!! And Cindy Woodsmall's The Dawn of Christmas is just the book to read to start the season off right. Short and oh so sweet I loved every minute of Sadie and Levi's story. The Dawn of Christmas was the first book I've read in the Apple Ridge Novellas and while I read it without the first two and enjoyed it immensely I wish I had read the others so that I could understand some of the other characters more. But all in all I loved it.  

5 out of 5. A perfectly light and sweet Afternoon Snack. 

I received this book for free fromBlogging for Books for this review.

Burning Sky Review

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“I remember the borders of our land, though I have been gone from them nearly half the moons of my life. But who there will remember me? What I have seen, what I have done, it has changed me.

I am the place where two rivers meet, silted with upheaval and loss.

Yet memory of our land is a clear stream. I shall know it as a mother knows the faces of her children. It may be I will find me there."

Abducted by Mohawk Indians at fourteen and renamed Burning Sky, Willa Obenchain is driven to return to her family’s New York frontier homestead after many years building a life with the People. At the boundary of her father’s property, Willa discovers a wounded Scotsman lying in her path. Feeling obliged to nurse his injuries, the two quickly find much has changed during her twelve-year absence—her childhood home is in disrepair, her missing parents are rumored to be Tories, and the young Richard Waring she once admired is now grown into a man twisted by the horrors of war and claiming ownership of the Obenchain land.

When her Mohawk brother arrives and questions her place in the white world, the cultural divide blurs Willa’s vision. Can she follow Tames-His-Horse back to the People now that she is no longer Burning Sky? And what about Neil MacGregor, the kind and loyal botanist who does not fit into in her plan for a solitary life, yet is now helping her revive her farm? In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, strong feelings against “savages” abound in the nearby village of Shiloh, leaving Willa’s safety unsure.

Willa is a woman caught between two worlds. As tensions rise, challenging her shielded heart, the woman called Burning Sky must find a new courage--the courage to again risk embracing the blessings the Almighty wants to bestow. Is she brave enough to love again?

Burning Sky by Lori Benton was a wonderful and exciting. I quickly fell in love with Willa and felt for her during her struggles throughout the book. All of the characters are wonderfully developed and are all quite different. Each with distinct characteristics that pull you that much more into the story. The story will tug at your heart and you will invest a lot of emotions into it. As her debut book, Lori has done a great job.  

5 out of 5. An Afternoon Snack that will burn in you mind long after you've set it down. 

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

The Captive Maiden Review

Happily Ever After ...Or Happily Nevermore? 

Gisela's childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son. But since her father's death, each day has been filled with nothing but servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela learns the duke's son, Valten---the boy she has daydreamed about for years---is throwing a ball in hopes of finding a wife, she vows to find a way to attend, even if it's only for a taste of a life she'll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valten's eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined.

      Melanie has done it once again with The Captive Maiden, she took a much loved fairy tail and retold it in a wonderfully new and entertaining way. Every page held my attention and I didn't ever want to put it down. I also loved how Melanie brought back Valten from The Fairest Beauty to star as the main hero in this story. All I can say is that this book was absolutely perfect in every way. Fairy tale lovers are sure to love The Captive Maiden as well as all the other fairy tale retellings by Melanie.

5 out of 5. This Afternoon Snack was done to perfection.

I was provided a copy of The Captive Maiden by Zondervan and the author in exchange for my honest review. 

Critical Reaction Review

When a Warning Siren Screams in the Desert Night, 

the Worst Has Happened

After turning out plutonium for the Cold War, the shuttered Hanford Nuclear Facility's poisoned buildings may be a bigger risk than ever. The men who guard the facility from sabotage or monitor its buildings are told the dangers are under control. But then the worst happens--a thunderous explosion in the dead of night.

Kieran Mullaney survived the blast, but when threats and silence meet his attempts to discover what really happened, he reconnects with an old friend--inexperienced lawyer Emily Hart. Convinced Hanford is hiding something, they also realize their case is sunk without more help. 

Emily's estranged father, Ryan, has the courtroom experience they need, but he's grown jaded and weary of the profession. Still, it's a chance to rebuild ties to Emily, and the deeper he digs, the stranger--and more dangerous--the case gets.

Critical Reaction by Todd M. Johnson was a very interesting book. I have never been a very big fan of these types of Political/Legal Thriller books .  But I have been known to pick up a book by Joel C. Rosenburg or Randy Singer and enjoy it a lot. And today I have now added Todd M. Johnson to my 'like' list next to them. I quickly got caught up in the story and felt like it was all really going on. Definitely had me living in the book.
So if someone like me, who isn't big on this genre enjoyed reading this book, I'm positive those who do will love it. I for one plan on leading my copy to my friends who enjoy reading John Grisham books.

4 out of 5. This Afternoon Snack was full of flavor.

I got a free review copy of Critical Reaction from Bethany House Publishers in return for my honest review.