Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Starflower: Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour

The Black Dogs are on the hunt, but who is their prey?

When a cursed dragon-witch kidnaps fairest Lady Gleamdren, the Bard Eanrin sets boldly forth on a rescue mission...and a race against his rival for Gleamdren's favor. Intent upon his quest, the last thing the immortal Faerie needs is to become mixed up with the troubles of an insignificant mortal.

But when he stumbles upon a maiden trapped in an enchanted sleep, he cannot leave her alone in the dangerous Wood Between. One waking kiss later, Eanrin suddenly finds his story entangled with that of young Starflower. A strange link exists between this mortal girl and the dragon-witch. Will Starflower prove the key to lady Gleamdren's rescue? Or will the dark power from which she flees destroy both her and her rescuer?

Pros

Throughout the book, I was constantly reminded of Francis Thompson's poem, The Hound of Heaven. It is a beautiful poem, and, it so happens, a very important theme in the book is based upon this poem and borrows its language in several places.

I FLED Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmèd fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase,	1
And unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat—and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet—
‘All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.’

This, I have to say, brightened my day. I love the weighty themes grappled with here, and I thought that the book dealt with them consistently.

The characters were sometimes a bit too cartoonish; I wanted them to be more serious, since their lives were on the line and many of the characters' snarky remarks and general response in the face of danger were extremely unrealistic. On the other hand, there are some pretty funny moments. Not realistic, but very funny. Eanrin, in particular, is a nut; but he grows on you. I do think that this type of humor prevents the book from rising to the next “literary level.” It isn't realistic enough.

Cons

The Merry Folk seem an inconsistent race of creatures, at least to me. They are “ancient in their immortality,” yet they Eanrin, Glomer, and Gleamdren behave like spoiled children. If they are ancient, they should be knowledgeable about the world and much wiser than other short-lived races.
Gleamdren was an “over the top” caricature of the damsel-in-distress princess, a character the author uses to poke fun at many of the traditional fairy tale conventions. The princess dreams of being rescued by scores of suitors and even persuades a dragon to kidnap her so that she can regain some glamor. Has she read too many fairy tales? Or too few? It irritates me when authors poke fun at sugar-coated Disney-type fairy tales, ignoring the blood and gore and dreadful but often beautiful realities that true fairy tales speak about.
The theme of temptation to achieving godhood should, I think, have been introduced sooner; it is an important theme but comes in too late.

Those are my immediate thoughts for now. I apologize for the rushed post! Perhaps I will add more later this week if I have time. For now, though, if you are looking for an entertaining read, you may want to check out the other reviews and see whether Starflower is for you.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

CSFF Blog Tour August: Eye of the Sword by Karyn Henley

The Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Tour is on the road again – and this month we're reviewing Eye of the Sword, sequel to Breath of Angel (the first book of The Angelaeon Circle, a YA fantasy series). The author is Karyn Henley, a best-selling children's book author as well as an accomplished song-writer who lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Before I begin, I must confess: I did not finish reading the whole book. I certainly intended to – but the fact is, I moved four hours away from home to an apartment just this past week, and left the book behind! Perhaps when I go back to visit family in a couple weeks, I will pick it up again and update this post. For now, let me post the Amazon summaries of the first two books, and then I'll list some of the reviews for Eye of the Sword that I enjoyed the most. Here we go!

Breath of Angel

The stranger’s cloak had fallen back, and with it, a long, white, blood-stained wing.

When Melaia, a young priestess, witnesses the gruesome murder of a stranger in the temple courtyard, age-old legends recited in song suddenly come to life. She discovers wings on the stranger, and the murderer takes the shape of both a hawk and a man.

Angels. Shape-shifters. Myths and stories—until now.

Melaia finds herself in the middle of a blood feud between two immortal brothers who destroyed the stairway to heaven, stranding angels in the earthly realm. When Melaia becomes a target, she finds refuge with a band of angels attempting to restore the stairway. But the restoration is impossible without settling an ancient debt—the “breath of angel, blood of man,” a payment that involves Melaia’s heart, soul, and destiny.

Eye of the Sword

Where angels walk the ground and the future is told in song, does a man of low rank have a chance at love with a princess?

In Camrithia, a land of shadows and mystical secrets, Trevin lives to serve King Laetham. But his heart belongs to the princess, Melaia. When the King sends Trevin on on a dangerous quest to find the missing comains—captains in the king’s army—he must leave Melaia to the advances of a swaggering Dregmoorian prince.

Challenged to prove his worth, Trevin throws himself into his quest. Striving to prove his love, Trevin undertakes a second mission—find the harps Melaia seeks in order to restore the stairway to heaven. Through fire caves, rogue winds, and murderous threats, Trevin remains steadfastly dedicated to his quest—even when he is falsely accused of a heinous crime. As Trevin’s time runs out, he realizes he must face the shame and horror of his own past and the nightmare that has come to life. Will he have the courage to finish what he has started?

Praise for The Angelaeon Circle (Amazon)

“Karyn Henley spins a lyrical young-adult tale of mythical and legendary beings, of reimagined angels and terrifying malevolents, in a small kingdom where the world’s fate rests on a young priestess’s shoulders.”
—Kathy Tyers, author of Shivering World and the Firebird series
“Karyn Henley’s novel starts with a jolt, grabs the reader by the collar, and doesn’t slow down one minute. This author infuses her text with imagery, suspense, and a cast that will appeal to all ages. In addition, it has a feeling that I can only describe as “folklorish,” with all the best elements that come with that—music, magic, and mystery. I think it’s destined to become a classic.”
—Kathi Appelt, author of The Underneath, National Book Award finalist, Newbery Honor Book, PEN USA Award
“This lusciously written fantasy has it all: epic battles, earthbound angels, immortal humans, and a bright, engaging heroine. Henley’s young priestessturned-warrior is forced to put her past together like a jigsaw puzzle with pieces so sharp they cut. Her story is nearly impossible to forget, so readers will be eager for more!”
—Louise Hawes, author of Black Pearls: A Faerie Strand, AAUW Juvenile Literature Award nominee; Gold Award, Hall of Fame, teensreadtoo.com

Book link - http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Sword-Novel-Angelaeon-Circle/dp/030773014X/ Author’s Web site - http://www.karynhenleyfiction.com/Karyn_Henley_Fiction/welcome.htmlAuthor Blog - http://www.maybeso.wordpress.com/Author Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karyn-Henley/140411189331787?v=wall

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Thoughts on God, Beauty, and Ethics...

The more I think about God, the more appreciation I have for beauty in every aspect of life.

Consider a simple orange. In terms of function, the orange, like any other healthy food, satisfies your hunger while strengthening your body. It's good for you, physically.

But think of its beauty, too. What a cheerful, vibrant color! Strip off the peel and enjoy its citrus perfume filling your nostrils, or pop a slice into your mouth and savor the sweetness on your tongue. God gave us five different senses to enjoy the beautiful things that He made! When planting Eden, “the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.” It seems apparent that God designed his work to be both functional and beautiful. The “function” of an orange is wrapped in a form that creates a wonderful experience for the one who eats it.

In a Christian view, I think this applies to every category—food, sex, and marriage come to mind automatically. But there are exceptions—a lot of them. This world is cursed, and “the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth,” longing for restoration (Romans 8:22). Just this morning—to give a somewhat trivial example—I watched a moth struggling violently to shake off the sticky cords wrapped around its body and escape the advances of a persistent spider. The spider was equipped with remarkable tools that allowed it to ensnare and devour an insect several times its size; but the form didn't exactly “beautify” the function of those tools. All of creation is cursed. Nothing is wholly the way it used to be; everything has been marred, one way or another.

That being said, I think the basic principle remains. Creating beauty is a means to glorify God, to imitate God out of admiration for what He has already created. Strictly speaking, beauty is not necessary—but it is good, and its source originates in God. Also, God gave us the ability to create beautiful things, to enjoy beautiful things. After all, we were made in His image.

How might that apply to our daily lives? To our jobs? Even to how we spend money? There are so many different categories to which the principle can be applied. When you decorate your home, when you design a church (or any building), when you write a thank-you note, when you critique a poem, when you write a poem, when you compose music, when you prepare a meal—all are opportunities to create beauty, to imitate God. It takes effort, thought, and sometimes money. But it is a worthwhile endeavor. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. But so do oranges. And hopefully, so will we--in our thoughts, with our hearts, by our actions, and through our creativity.

But, certain questions remain.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. How much beauty should we try to create? I think we can all agree that beauty itself is a marvelous thing, and we can be grateful that God enabled us to create it and enjoy it. But how do we balance this against other moral principles? How much money could we spend on, say, building a farmhouse out in the countryside (my own dream here—insert your own!), when we could be feeding orphans in Africa with that money? In short—when does creating beauty become unethical?

Thoughts?

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

An Insignificant Confession...

I have a confession.

Probably an irritating one. Or at least, an insignificant one. But a confession, nonetheless.

This blog is a book blog—specifically devoted to stories that are “strange, fantastic, or numinous.” Starting out as a blogger, I heard repeatedly that to blog regularly and successfully, you should have your own “niche.” In other words, blog about one topic and nothing else.

Well...

From now on, I'm just going to break that little rule. My interests are expanding—have been expanding for quite some time now—and while I would love to keep on blogging about the strange and fantastic, there are so many other topics I want to write and talk about in addition to that: gardening, homemaking, abortion, motherhood, cooking, parenting, family, America, politics (occasionally!), travel, architecture, church, Christianity, religion, historic events and places...plus a number of other things, ideas, and people that matter to me--that I think about and care about and want to write about.

You know—life in general.

Which is exactly what bloggers shouldn't do. But in a way it doesn't matter, because I'm not writing for a large audience here and I'm not writing “professionally.” I'm writing for friends, family, and anyone who happens to be interested in the same topics I'm interested in. My intent is to interact with you, share with you, and learn from you; also, to write for an audience (however small) on a regular basis in a (hopefully) engaging way.

Of course, I will still be blogging about books and fairy tales and other worlds... :)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

CSFF Blog Tour: Night of the Living Dead Christian

“Think Monty Python meets C.S. Lewis.” - Relevant Magazine

From the back cover:

What Does a Transformed Life Actually Look Like?

In his follow-up to the critically acclaimed Imaginary Jesus, Matt Mikalatos tackles this question in an entertaining and thought-provoking way—with MONSTERS!!! While Christians claim to experience Christ's resurrection power, we sometimes act like werewolves who can't control our base desires. Or zombies, experiencing a resurrection that is 90 percent shambling death and 10 percent life. Or vampires, satiating ourselves at the expense of others. But through it all we long to stop being monsters and become truly human—the way Christ intended. We just can't seem to figure out how.

Night of the Living Dead Christian is the story of Luther, a werewolf on the run, whose inner beast has driven him dangerously close to losing everything that matters. Desperate to conquer his dark side, Luther joins forces with Matt to find someone who can help. Yet their time is running out. A powerful and mysterious man is on their trail, determined to kill the wolf at all costs...

By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Night of the Living Dead Christian is a spiritual allegory that boldly explores the monstrous underpinnings of our nature and tackles head-on the question of how we can ever hope to become truly transformed.

Matt Mikalatos is the author of Imaginary Jesus. He works with a Christian nonprofit equipping college students for overseas missions. He started watching the Saturday morning Monster Matinee with his father at the age of two and as a result has a natural fear of gian irradiated insects, blood-sucking rocks, and carnivorous dinosaurs. He lives near Portland, Oregon, with his wife and three daughters. Visit Matt online at www.mattmikalatos.com.

My Thoughts...

This blurb does a good job explaining the gist of the book, so I won't go there. What I would like to touch on, briefly, are the following points:

1. Night of the Living Dead Christian is a dramatic improvement to its predecessor (Imaginary Jesus). When I read Imaginary Jesus, I found it highly offensive because of what I perceived as a flippant attitude toward what is sacred and what is holy. While Night contains similar humor, it is less offensive because the target is not Jesus (or an entire host of more-or-less imaginary constructs of Jesus), but ordinary, messed up people who also happen to be Christians. The humor does not feel mean-spirited, but actually makes a point, and addresses a real issue we need to be aware of.

2. The werewolf Luther is a great character and probably saved the book on a few different levels. Matt Mikalatos's zany, off-the-wall humor can be fun, but it can also be frustrating. An overdose quickly veers towards flippancy. Luther, from whose viewpoint several of the chapters are written, helps the reader understand—and actually experience—the pain, frustration, and longing felt by “living-dead” Christians who can't seem to get their act together, no matter how hard they try. Not only does Luther counteract any tendency toward flippancy, but the character adds a whole new layer of realism and complexity to the novel. Mikalatos (as a character) will make you laugh. Luther will make you cry—and actually care about what's at stake.

Not everyone will enjoy this novel (especially if they find the humor obnoxious or feel queasy about vampires, werewolves, and zombies), but I have to say that I did enjoy Night of the Living Dead Christian, and I do recommend it. In my book, it's a keeper.

In conjunction with the CSFF blog tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

CSFF Blog Tour: The Realms Thereunder, by Ross Lawhead

Well, I'm finally blogging for the CSFF Blog Tour again! I'm still about halfway through this month's book, unfortunately—it's been a strange week for me, and I didn't get much of anything done these past couple days. But for what it's worth, here we go:

The Realms Thereunder - http://www.amazon.com/Realms-Thereunder-Ancient-Earth/dp/1595549099/ Author’s Web site - http://www.rosslawhead.com/blog/

From the back cover:

Ancient legend tells of an army of knights that will remain sleeping until the last days.

The knights are waking up.

A homeless man is stalked by a pale, wraithlike creature with a mouthful of needle-sharp teeth. Maimed animals and a host of suicides cluster around a mountain in Scotland. And deep beneath the cobbled streets of Oxford, a malicious hoard besieges a hidden city.

Freya Reynolds is a university student with a touch of OCD and an obsession with myth and folklore. Daniel Tully is living rough on the streets of Oxford, waging a secret war against an enemy only he can identify. Years ago, they found themselves in a world few know is real. They have since gone their separate ways and tried to put that adventure behind them.

But the mythical world is now bleeding into our reality—a dark spiritual evil that is manifesting itself in forgotten corners of the British Isles. Alex Simpson is a Scottish police officer who specializes in hunting mythical creatures. Together, they must confront the past, the present, and points beyond to defeat the ultimate threat to humanity.

Nothing they've seen so far prepares them for what awaits...in The Realms Thereunder.

My take on it:

I cannot, unfortunately, offer a holistic or detailed review, since I have yet to finish the book. I am mildly enjoying it so far, but it is not a book I would have paid money for. My general impression is that it is cliché. Of course, there's a fine line between a cliché and a convention of a given genre. For example, every fantasy series out there has its own version of wraithlike creatures with needle-sharp teeth...and that's not necessarily bad. But, only a very few rise above mediocrity, and perhaps my greatest criticism of this book is that, so far, nothing strikes me as genuinely memorable.

However, The Realms Thereunder seems pretty popular on this tour—so what do I know? If you'd like to hear from folks who have actually read the book, check out the links below!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

First Post!

Hello, world.

This blog is really a continuation of my old blog, which I recently decided to abandon because of irritating technical difficulties. (Plus, I was ready to give it a complete makeover.)

I love all kinds of books, but my focus here is fiction that is strange, fantastic, and/or numinous. I'll be reviewing old classics and contemporary novels alike, and if you stick around you'll hear me going on about the nature of good literature, how that relates to Christian fiction, etc. Christian authors have penned some of the greatest works of literature ever written; unfortunately, others have penned some of the worst works of fiction ever published. I'd like to explore both sides of the coin a little more deeply, if I can, through this blog.

Well, anyway, I'm Crista. I just graduated from Patrick Henry College this past May (2011) with a BA in Literature. I love coffee, dogs, and books, and my top favorite authors include C.S. Lewis, Susanna Clarke, James Herriot, Jane Austen, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Flannery O'Connor, T.H. White, and Frank Baum, among others. I think that's a fair intro for now. :)

I'd love to hear from you and get some discussions going! Make yourself at home—feel free to talk, rant, ask questions, suggest titles, whatever. Thanks for stopping by. :)

just another book bag

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