I really enjoy sci-fi, but I don’t enjoy sci-fi featuring aliens for the most part. Aliens schmaliens. Don’t get me started!
Ahem.
Thankfully, John W. Otte has penned Numb – a stand-alone sci-fi tale that takes place in a post galactic imperalism/expansion, but sans aliens! Woohoo! As a nice bonus it also includes some faith-based themes of dead religion vs. a life lived by the direction of the spirit. Sort of a reformation-persecuted church in….spaaaaaace. But less corny than that, trust me.
Crusader is a church-sanctioned assassin. The Ministrix says kill, he does. It’s all for the good of his soul and helps him work towards alleviating an ever-presence sense that he’s not right with God. Or so they tell him. Thankfully he’s pretty much immune to feelings, both physical and emotional (hence the book title) because of some church tinkering. That is, until his feelings go ablitz and a mission goes wrong when he fails to eliminate target Isolda Westin. It’s a wild dash-and-chase ride after that, full of political maneuverings, action, and grit.
It’s probably too gritty to make it as a mainstream CFBA-style read, hence the Marcher Lord Press imprint (man, I love those guys). There is some true-to-the-story action and violence, but the language is clean, and the male-female character interactions are squeaky as well.
It’s SO nice to be able to read sci-fi without scanning for humanistic/evolutionistic tendencies and Otte delivers. Good fun read, recommended!
Check out the book here on AMAZON (Kindle and Hard Copy available)!
Check out the other CSFF bloggers on tour and see what they have to say!
Julie Bihn
Jennifer Bogart
Keanan Brand
Beckie Burnham
Pauline Creeden
Vicky DealSharingAunt
Carol Gehringer
Victor Gentile
Rebekah Gyger
Nikole Hahn
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Emileigh Latham
Rebekah Loper
Jennette Mbewe
Amber McCallister
Shannon McDermott
Shannon McNear
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Joan Nienhuis
Nissa
Faye Oygard
Writer Rani
Nathan Reimer
Jojo Sutis
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Shane Werlinger
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
I’m fussy when it comes to fantasy. My first genre-love when it comes to reading, but after becoming a Christian I totally stopped reading for a time. After a few years I was able to start reading again, but selectively. I had to use discernment and hedges for myself to keep my heart stayed on Christ. Thankfully, Patrick W. Carr’s is one fantasy series that I can recommend without reservation (and without making disclaimers and warning notes!) When the third and final installment in the series – A Draw of Kings - came in the mail, I cried. Really, I did. The story got off to a bit of a bumpy start with A Cast of Stones, the first novel (my review here). Our main hero was entirely unlikeable and it took a while for him to journey through an incredibly authentic process of change and maturation. After reading The Hero’s Lot (book two, no review yet) it was bookish love, all together and entirely. So, book three, I couldn’t wait to get started!
Now, it’s always tricky to review second and subsequent novels in a series for fear of giving away plot points in the earlier books for new readers. What can I say? We see a lot of the princess Adora in this book, making her a much more real character. We also see more Liam than we normally do, which is nice – he still seems like a distant figure in many ways. Sadly though, we don’t really feel Errol as much in this book as we have in others. That being said, it could simply be that there is a lot going on. What with all the diplomatic missions, church reformation, exotic voyages, political machinations, war, and demonic beings – times are busy in Illustra!
After finishing the series, I can say that the story isn’t as much of a pure parable as I thought it might be. It does deal with the themes of sacrificial love, redemption, the struggle between the forces of darkness and of good played out on a human scale, but it isn’t a straight across parallel like you find in some Christian fantasy. I’m good with that. While it is definitely an adult-level fantasy, and includes some war and violence, the romances are tender, sweet, and for the most part, chaste. There are a few kisses (three-four?), but that’s througout the entire series. I’m thankful for that, it means my fantasy loving children will be able to read it at earlier ages once they can handle the political alliances and battle scenes.
Now, I have to admit, series finales are tough to write, and A Draw of Kings wasn’t my favorite of the series, that would be book two, The Hero’s Lot. Still when all is said and done, the series closed well, and I recommend it highly as a favorite Christian fantasy series of mine. I’m keeping my books on the shelf!
CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT AMAZON.COM OR CHRISTIANBOOK.COM!
A Draw of Kings is on tour this week with CSFF, so don’t forget to read what other bloggers have to say!
Gillian Adams
Jennifer Bogart
Keanan Brand
Beckie Burnham
Mike Coville
Pauline Creeden
Vicky DealSharingAunt
Carol Gehringer
Victor Gentile
Rebekah Gyger
Nikole Hahn
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Jennette Mbewe
Amber McCallister
Shannon McDermott
Shannon McNear
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Joan Nienhuis
Nissa
Writer Rani
Nathan Reimer
Audrey Sauble
James Somers
Jojo Sutis
Steve Trower
Shane Werlinger
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
Jill Williamson
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