What I've Been Reading
Quick Lit Reviews
So... My quick reviews have been lacking recently. I keep reading and writing them on Goodreads, but I haven't had the time to sit down and formulate this collection. And to be honest, that makes me sad. I love these posts, and hearing from you all! So here's my list from the last few weeks. I hope you can find a book or two to add to your list!!
I don't know about you all, but January was a crazy month! With school starting again, and sports... well I am glad I have my calendar on an app on my phone that reminds me each day what is coming the next day, and then reminds me with enough heads up for drive times, because wow... life can get chaotic! All that said, I blew through books this month and last as I spent a lot of time waiting in the car for my kids to get picked up and such.
Welcome to Sneak Peek Saturday on Reading List!
Current book:
The Shattered Vigil
Patrick W Carr
Goodreads Summary:
Victory over the dark forces during the feast of Bas-solas should have guaranteed safety for the continent. Instead, Willet and the rest of the Vigil discover they've been outsmarted by those seeking to unleash the evil that inhabits the Darkwater. Jorgen, the member of the Vigil assigned to Frayel, has gone missing, and new attacks have struck at the six kingdoms' ability to defend themselves.
Just when the Vigil thought they had quenched the menace from their enemy in Collum, a new threat emerges: assassins hunting the Vigil, men and women who cannot be seen until it's too late. The orders of the church and the rulers of the kingdoms, fearing the loss of the Vigil's members altogether, have decided to take them into protective custody to safeguard their gift. On Pellin's orders, the Vigil scatters, leaving Willet to be taken prisoner by the church in Bunard.
In the midst of this, Willet learns of the murder of an obscure nobleman's daughter by one of the unseen assassins. Now he must escape his imprisonment and brave the wrath of the church to find the killer in order to turn back this latest threat to the northern continent.
Sneak Peek:
"'Do not speak to me of what is possible when I have seen it with my own eyes! Do you think your solders can withstand a charge of gifted, King Rymark?"' pg 166-167
Initial Thoughts
I am so grateful that Carr is writing these epic fantasies. While they are clearly Christian fiction, the audience is in now way limited to Christians, and for that reason, I recommend these books... to everyone, period.
Here are some rules if you decide to join in:
• Pick up whatever book you are reading (non-fiction, fiction, children's... really the sky is the limit)
• Open to any page you have already read
• Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page - make it interesting without flipping to a ton of different pages.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away -- You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so we can all add your book to our To-Be-Read lists!
You can leave your teaser, author, and title in the comments (click over to the web version if you're on the mobile site). Or write up your own post and join us weekly! Then you can share your link in the comments, and I will stop over and leave you a comment!!! YAY!
• Open to any page you have already read
• Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page - make it interesting without flipping to a ton of different pages.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away -- You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so we can all add your book to our To-Be-Read lists!
You can leave your teaser, author, and title in the comments (click over to the web version if you're on the mobile site). Or write up your own post and join us weekly! Then you can share your link in the comments, and I will stop over and leave you a comment!!! YAY!
***Are you a new blogger? Looking for some help in getting regular content up? Join in with my weekly Sneak Peeks... it's a super easy way to get up a regular post, and you can join me on the journey! Just shoot me an email (link in the footer) and I'll help you get started!
Linking up with these fun hops, check them out!
The Shattered Vigil
Patrick W Carr
For those of you who have been around Reading List, you might remember a book I shared with you last January - The Shock of Night by Patrick Carr. I was excited because the writing was reminiscent of JRR Tolkien. It had been a while since I had picked up a well written, Epic/High Fantasy book, and the whole thing thrilled me.Well, the second book in the series was recently released, and I was honored to receive a copy of it. Now, while, I know most of you stop over to get my perspective on books, I thought, just this once, it might be fun to get my husband's point of view on a book. You see, these books are perfect for the men in your lives, because they are full of adventure and mystery that appeals to all, which is part of why the series reminds me of Tolkien. So, just this once, will you allow my husband to share his thoughts on this book? Let me know what you thought of the different perspective!
Story Overview
The kingdoms established by Patrick Carr in the first book of Darkwater Series have been shaken by the events of the last book. Allegiances are strained between the kings, queens, and the religious authorities. Evil lurks in the shadows looking to corrupt them all. Caught between these three vying parties is the Vigil and it's newest member, Willet Dura.
Personal Likes
One of the things that drives me to fall into the world an author creates is a sense of realism. The world has a sense of reality because the characters, specifically those in the Vigil, and those in the nobility of the kingdoms make decisions based on motives that are logical based on their understanding of the situations going on around them.
The older members of the Vigil do not yet trust the newest member, Willet Dura, and for a good reason. He has a dark past that they cannot understand. They fear his dark past will allow the rampant evil that they have kept at bay until recently will provide their enemy a tool to use against them within the Vigil itself.
I also greatly enjoyed the politics of move and counter-move employed by their nobles, regents, and church officials as they seek to protect or expand their personal power. The thinking behind actions is explained clearly so that readers without the understanding of the power struggle that goes on among such lofty members of society will understand why the characters undertake the actions they do and behave in the way they do publicly, and take on a different approach privately.
Personal Dislikes
There was very little to not like in this book. The author did a good job of reestablishing the world so a reader that skipped the first book of the series could pick it up and find it enjoyable. I personally was not a fan of the author's habit of switching back and forth from first person perspective, usually from the perspective of Willet Dura, to third person narration. I only noticed this after passing the halfway point in the book so it did not detract from the book in a significant way.
Reading List Rating
I enjoyed this book, so I'm going with four stars (hearts). It was not perfect, but it played with one of my favorite perspectives which is those of actions driven by logical, thought-out motivations for each character. Who someone is, what they know, and what they want or need to accomplish can drastically alter why they make the decision they make and the author did a great job of not just writing a compelling story with the right of mixture of action, introspection, mythology, and suspense.
My Suggested Audience
I think teenagers and adults alike will enjoy this book. Teenagers will enjoy this book from the perspective of the younger acolytes, or apprentices, as they don't always have all of the information within the story. Adults will enjoy the more nuanced elements of this book, namely the psychological aspects of motivation, power, and duty. I am an avid fan of the Game of Thrones series (book and show) and people who enjoy the series because of the politics of power and rich mythology will enjoy The Shattered Vigil.
(If this series sounds even vaguely interesting, you might want to check out By Divine Right, a novella, that is free! The novella introduces you to Willet and this amazing new world.)
(If this series sounds even vaguely interesting, you might want to check out By Divine Right, a novella, that is free! The novella introduces you to Willet and this amazing new world.)
Wondering Questions to Consider
The concepts of hierarchy tend to get lost in today's society, as we strive for more equality (which is good). How do you deal with the hierarchy of characters in Epic Fantasy books? When should leaders exert more power for the betterment of the people, and when should they step back?
"Join or die? Thank you. No." #TheShatteredVigil @Reading_List1
Are you a High/Epic Fantasy fan? Are you a Tolkien fan? Do you and your husband ever read the same book just to talk about it later?
I'd love to hear from you, please leave me a little note!
**If you are considering purchasing this book, please consider using the affiliate link here - it doesn't cost you anything extra, and it would simply make my day!! In fact, just click through and do your shopping, even if you decide not to get this particular book. TIA
***If you're interested in writing a book review on Reading List, please message me on the Facebook page! If you're curious about a book, ask me... I love to hear from you! If you would like your book reviewed on Reading List, email me: the link is at the bottom of this page.
**** Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, BethanyHouse
See where I share my posts!
