The 49th Mystic Review and Rise of the Mystics Review

Some say the great mystery of how one can live in two worlds at once died with Thomas Hunter many years ago. Still others that the gateway to that greater reality was and is only the stuff of dreams.

They are wrong. In the small town of Eden, Utah, a blind girl named Rachelle Matthews is about to find out just how wrong.

When a procedure meant to restore Rachelle's sight goes awry, she begins to dream of another world so real that she wonders if Earth might only be a dream experienced when she falls asleep in that reality. Who is a simple blind girl to have such strange and fantastic dreams?

She's the prophesied one who must find and recover five ancient seals--in both worlds--before powerful enemies destroy her. If Rachelle succeeds in her quest, peace will reign. If she fails, both worlds will forever be locked in darkness.

So begins a two-volume saga of high stakes and a mind-bending quest to find an ancient path that will save humanity. The clock is ticking; the end rushes forward.

Ready? Set?

Dream. 

Rachelle Matthews, who grew up in the small town of Eden, Utah, discovered just how wrong when she dreamed and awoke in another world. There she learned that she was the 49th Mystic, the prophesied one, tasked with finding five ancient seals before powerful enemies destroy her. If Rachelle succeeds in her quest, peace will reign. If she fails, the world will forever be locked in darkness.

In The 49th Mystic, Rachelle found the first three of those five seals through great peril and mind-altering adventure. But two seals remain hidden and the fate of both worlds hangs in their balance.

As Rachelle Matthews sits deep in a dungeon, Vlad Smith is just getting started. Thomas Hunter's world is about to be turned inside out. The mystics say that there is no defense against the Fifth Seal--but finding it will cost Rachelle everything.

So begins the final volume of high stakes in one girl's quest to find an ancient path that will save humanity. The clock is ticking; the end rushes forward.

The 49th Mystic and The Rise of the Mystics by Ted Dekker are two wonderful reads. Especially for any and all fans of Dekker and of his Circle series. I remember the Circle series being the first books of his that I read back when I was in high school and I've enjoyed his writing ever since. That being said The 49th Mystic and The Rise of the Mystics did not disappoint. I feel like you could probably pick up these books without having read the Circle series but I suggest  reading it first anyways because its great. Rachelle is a great character to follow throughout this series. As a reader I feel like you will be able to discover things about yourself along with the characters in the books. The story line is captivating and I once again fell in love with this universe jumping style. Overall Beyond the Circle is a great two book series for lovers of Ted Dekker's wonderful storytelling. 

5 out of 5 for both books. 

To Best The Boys Review

Don a disguise.

Survive the labyrinth.

Best the boys.

In a thrilling new fantasy from the bestselling author of the Storm Siren Trilogy, one girl makes a stand against society and enters a world made exclusively for boys.

Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port have received a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. The poorer residents look to see if their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope.

In the province of Caldon, where women train in wifely duties and men pursue collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.

With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone is ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the deadly maze.

Welcome to the labyrinth.

To Best the Boys by Mary Weber is a fantastical young adult book. It feature spunky characters and an interesting premise. What I really appreciated about how the author told this story is how both all types of women were validated. I hate when a book is supposed to be empowering young females to be whatever they want yet puts down the character who, like Seleni, just really want to be a wife in mother. Both cousins wanted different things yet they supported one another. Also I really enjoyed the puzzles in the labyrinth. All in all I think To Best the Boys is a great novel for young women (and men) to read. 

5 out of 5. 

I received a copy of this book from BookLook in exchange for my honest review.

With This Pledge Review

On the night of November 30, 1864, a brutal battle in Franklin, Tennessee, all but decimates the Confederacy and nearly kills Captain Roland Ward Jones. A decorated Mississippi sharpshooter, Jones has a vision on the battlefield and, despite the severity of his wounds, believes his life will be spared. But a life without his leg, he can't abide. He compels Elizabeth "Lizzie" Clouston—governess to the McGavock family at the Carnton mansion—to intervene should the surgeon decide to amputate. True to her word, Lizzie speaks on his behalf and saves not only the captain's leg but also his life.

When a fourteen-year-old soldier dies in Lizzie's arms that night, the boy's final words, whispered with urgency, demand that Lizzie deliver them to their intended recipient. But all she has is the boy's first name. And, as she soon discovers, there's no record of him ever having enlisted. How can she set out alone across a land so divided by war and hatred to honor her pledge? Even more, does she dare accept Captain Jones's offer to accompany her? As he coalesces at Carnton, romance has blossomed between him and Lizzie—a woman already betrothed to a man she does not love.

With This Pledge by Tamera Alexander is the first book in her new series The Carnton Novels. Lizzie's story is one of intense faith and love during the Civil War. I loved how Lizzie and Roland's relationship formed and grew throughout the story through their conversations and letters. As always Tamera Alexander amazes me with her attention to historical details. She does a wonderful job blending her research of the time and the people into her fictional world to create an amazing novel filled with romance and faith. If you have loved any of her past books you will not be disappointed with With This Pledge. 

5 out of 5. 

I received a copy of this book from BookLook in exchange for my honest review.

The Light Before Day Review

After three years on a whaling voyage, Henry Macy returns to Nantucket to news that his grandmother has passed, bequeathing her vast fortune to him and his sister, Hitty. And it was truly vast. But Lillian Coffin was no fool. The inheritance comes with a steep cost, including when they should marry and whom--a Quaker in good standing, of course. But if they relinquish the inheritance, it all goes to Tristram Macy, their father's thieving business partner.

As Hitty and Henry seek a way to satisfy the will's conditions, they'll be faced with obstacles on every side--and it may be that Lillian Coffin will have the last word after all.

The Light Before Day by Suzanne Woods Fisher was a great read for a cozy afternoon. It is a good blend of historical tidbits and romance that is sure too have you engrossed until the very end. I enjoyed Hitty and Henry's close sibling relationship throughout the book as they both dealt with their respective little love triangles. The Light Before Day is the final installment in Suzanne Woods Fisher's Nantucket Legacy series and I think that everyone would agree that it was a wonderful ending.

5 out of 5. 

I received a copy of this book from Revell for my honest review.

A Sparkle of Silver Review

Ninety years ago, Millie Sullivan's great-grandmother was a guest at oil tycoon Howard Dawkins' palatial estate on the shore of St. Simons Island, Georgia. Now, Millie plays a 1920s-era guest during tours of the same manor. But when her grandmother suggests that there is a lost diary containing the location of a hidden treasure on the estate, along with the true identity of Millie's great-grandfather, Millie sets out to find the truth of her heritage--and the fortune that might be hers. When security guard Ben Thornton discovers her snooping in the estate's private library, he threatens to have her fired. But her story seems almost too ludicrous to be fiction, and her offer to split the treasure is too tempting to pass up.

A Sparkle of Silver by Liz Johnson is a sweet story and was perfect for a quiet afternoon of reading. Millie and Ben's treasure hunt was full of intrigue, mystery and the perfect touch of romance. Each characters struggles throughout the story made them very easy to connect with as the reader. A Sparkle of Silver is the perfect start for Liz Johnson's newest series and is a must read for fans of the Prince Edward Island Dreams series. 

5 out of 5. 

I received a copy of this book from Revell for my honest review.

Freedom's Light Review

A young lighthouse keeper must navigate the dangerous waters of revolution and one man’s obsession with her to find safe harbor with the sea captain she loves.

Hannah Thomas believes she’s escaped Galen Wright’s evil intentions by marrying an older lighthouse keeper. Seemingly safe in faraway Massachusetts, her world is upended when John is killed in one of the first battles of the Revolutionary War. Hannah is allowed to continue the difficult task of tending the twin lighthouses in John’s place, though she faces daily disapproval from John’s family. She thinks her loneliness will subside when her younger sister arrives, but she finds Lydia’s obsession with Galen only escalates the dangerous tides swirling around her.

A stormy night brings a shipwrecked sea captain to Hannah’s door, and though he is a Tory, her heart is as traitorous as the dark-eyed captain. Even though she discovers Birch Meredith isn’t the enemy he seemed at first, Hannah isn’t sure their love will ever see the light of freedom.

Freedoms's Light by Colleen Coble was an engaging blend of romance, faith, history and suspense. I felt drawn into to the narrative very quickly and grew attached to Hannah and her story through-out this novel. I also found the relationship between Birch and Hannah to be charming and engaging as I got to see them come to trust and love each other.  I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical romances with a suspenseful twist. I would also recommend many of Colleen's other books as well!  

5 out of 5. 

I received a copy of this book from BookLook in exchange for my honest review.

A Rumored Fortune Review

Tressa Harlowe's father did not trust banks, but neither did he trust his greedy extended family. He kept his vast fortune hidden somewhere on his estate in the south of England and died suddenly, without telling anyone where he had concealed it. Tressa and her ailing mother are left with a mansion and an immense vineyard and no money to run it. It doesn't take long for a bevy of opportunists to flock to the estate under the guise of offering condolences. Tressa knows what they're really up to. She'll have to work with the rough and rusticated vineyard manager to keep the laborers content without pay and discover the key to finding her father's fortune--before someone else finds it first. 

A Rumored Fortune was an amazing second novel by Joanna Davidson Politano. Tressa's story throughout this novel captivating, it was so easy to get pulled into her treasure hunt. A Rumored Fortune is an engaging story that I think is the perfect blend of mystery and romance set in the Victorian era. It's filled with several interesting characters that are sure to peak your interests. Joanna Politano is sure to quickly become one of your favorite authors as she has become mine!

5 out of 5.  

I received a copy of this book from Revell for my honest review