Book Review: The Butterfly and the Violin {BookLook Bloggers}

The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron
ISBN: 9781401690601
eBook
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Retail: $15.99 (paperback)

About the book:
And then came war . . .

Today. Sera James spends most of her time arranging auctions for the art world’s elite clientele. When her search to uncover an original portrait of an unknown Holocaust victim leads her to William Hanover III, they learn that this painting is much more than it seems.

Vienna, 1942. Adele Von Bron has always known what was expected of her. As a prodigy of Vienna’s vast musical heritage, this concert violinist intends to carry on her family's tradition and play with the Vienna Philharmonic. But when the Nazis learn that she helped smuggle Jews out of the city, Adele is taken from her promising future and thrust into the horrifying world of Auschwitz.

The veil of innocence is lifted to expose a shuddering presence of evil, and Adele realizes that her God-given gift is her only advantage; she must play. Becoming a member of the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz, she fights for survival. Adele’s barbed-wire walls begin to kill her hope as the months drag into nearly two years in the camp. With surprising courage against the backdrop of murder and despair, Adele finally confronts a question that has been tugging at her heart: Even in the midst of evil, can she find hope in worshipping God with her gift?

As Sera and William learn more about the subject of the mysterious portrait—Adele—they are reminded that whatever horrors one might face, God’s faithfulness never falters.

About the author:
Kristy Cambron has been fascinated with WWII since hearing her grandfather’s stories. She holds an Art History degree from Indiana University and works as Communications Consultant. Kristy writes WWII and Regency fiction and placed first in the 2013 NTRWA Great Expectations and 2012 FCRW Beacon contests. Kristy makes her home in Indiana with her husband and three football-loving sons. Website: www.kristycambron.com Twitter: @KCambronAuthor Facebook: Kristy-L-Cambron-Author

My thoughts:

This was a very good book. It was well written and researched. The characters are well developed as well as the various scenes. It doesn't give away the ending until much closer to the end. There is left some mystery just about to the end. 

This was an easy book to get into. I read it in 2 days, without sacrificing my other duties. The paperback has 336 pages so the book is not small but it is easy to get into and keep going. Generally I have a love/hate of dual time period novels but I do think Cambron does quite well with this book. She takes the reader to just a point in one time period, to get us wanting to know what happens next, and then she takes us to a point in the other time period that helps explain the other. It flows quite well.


All wars are terrible. All wars leave scars, physically and emotionally. WWII is one of the more recent to have done so, even after 69 years. For many who were not alive during the war years, it can seem unreal; something one reads only in a book. I admit I am drawn to books that are set in the WWII period, whether about the war or not (although it is hard to find one that doesn’t center around the war). The latest book I read was very good and I would recommend it to others.

The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron is about a wealthy and talented young lady, Adele, from Austria at the start of the war. She plays violin in the Austrian philharmonic, which did not allow women to play, because of her wonderful talent. During her time with the group, she meets and falls in love with cellist Vladimir, the son of a merchant, and therefore unacceptable for her in her parents’, and society's, eyes.

The other main characters of the story are a modern-day art gallery owner, Sera, and a rich man, William, who are both tied up in a painting created during the war. Both are searching for it but for different reasons. They have to work together to find it, and in the process they figure a lot of things out about themselves. And finally, another character, key to all of this comes in towards the end.

I was unsure of the ending of this book right up to the last. But I felt the characters and scenes were well developed. There is romance in this, a kiss here and there, but easy to skim over; they do not take over the book fortunately.

Disclaimer: I received this as an ebook free for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own. See Disclosure/Policies.

Book Review: The Queen's Handmaid {LitFuse Blog Tour & Giveaway}

The Queen's Handmaid by Tracy L. Higley*
ISBN: 9781401686840
Paperback, 390 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Retail: $15.99

About the book: From the servant halls of Cleopatra's Egyptian palace to the courts of Herod the Great, Lydia will serve two queens to see prophecy fulfilled.

Alexandria, Egypt 39 BC

Orphaned at birth, Lydia was raised as a servant in Cleopatra's palace, working hard to please while keeping everyone at arm's length. She's been rejected and left with a broken heart too many times in her short life.

But then her dying mentor entrusts her with secret writings of the prophet Daniel and charges her to deliver this vital information to those watching for the promised King of Israel. Lydia must leave the nearest thing she's had to a family and flee to Jerusalem. Once in the Holy City, she attaches herself to the newly appointed king, Herod the Great, as handmaid to Queen Mariamme.

Trapped among the scheming women of Herod's political family---his sister, his wife, and their mothers---and forced to serve in the palace to protect her treasure, Lydia must deliver the scrolls before dark forces warring against the truth destroy all hope of the coming Messiah.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/uKKQP

About the Author: Tracy L. Higley started her first novel at age eight and has been hooked on writing ever since. She has authored many novels, includingGarden of Madness and So Shines the Night. Tracy is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Ancient History and has traveled through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Italy, researching her novels and falling into adventures. 

See Tracy's travel journals and more at: tracyhigley.com

My thoughts:
I rather liked the book. It is set during a very turbulent time in history with a lot of death. Higley writes about this time very well, without overemphasizing the gruesome and instead on a couple of characters. I did not like the way the book ended but I don't really know if it would have been a good idea to continue past the point that she did. Probably not. 

I thought it done well enough that I let my daughter read it as well. One thing that I really liked is the Higley took well-known characters from history and wove them into her story. Another thing is that I didn't really find the book to be 'predictable', even though it is historical fiction and the events actually took place in the past. She kept you guessing what would happen next. 

I liked the book and would recommend it to others. I have also read City on Fire, which I enjoyed as well, by Tracy L. Higley. 

***Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for free through LitFuse for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own. No compensation was given. This post does contain *affiliate links. See Disclosure/Policies.***

Read more reviews.

And a giveaway:

Tracy L. Higley is celebrating the release of The Queen's Handmaid with a fun giveaway.

Retailers + Resources gave it this glowing review: "Rich in historic detail, Higley’s vivid writing brings to life the plots and intrigues that swirled through the ancient world as alliances were built and broken on the calculated schemes of power-mad monarchs." 

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• The Queen's Handmaid by Tracy L. Higley

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 19th. Winner will be announced April 21st on Tracy's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Tracy's blog on April 21st to see if you won.

Book Review: The Force by Alexandra and Joyce Swann

Someone is murdering the world’s most beautiful women—over and over and over.

When Jarrod and Joshua Sinclair are called in to consult with the FBI about the Hollywood Starlet murders, they immediately suspect their old nemesis Josef Helmick of creating clones of famous women for a visiting Saudi prince. Wasting no time, they hire retired detective Fred Kowalski and send him to Dubai to uncover Josef’s base of operations and build a case against him for the murders.

But Fred soon discovers that Helmick Enterprises is harboring a secret much darker than human trafficking.

Fred must stop Helmick before he resurrects an ancient, diabolical Force in order to bring the entire human race under his control.

**This post contains affiliate links. See Disclosure/Policies.**

About the authors:

Joyce and Alexandra Swann are mother and daughter. Joyce homeschooled her ten children from the first grade through master’s degrees. She is a well-known author and speaker on the subject of homeschooling. For nearly a decade she was a popular column-ist for "Practical Homeschooling Magazine". She now blogs regularly on parenting, homeschooling, and Christian lifestyle issues.

Joyce and Alexandra have co-authored two other novels, The Fourth Kingdom and The Twelfth Juror, both of which were published in 2010. Joyce’s personal story of her experiences raising and educating her family is chronicled in Looking Backward: My Twenty-Five Years as a Homeschooling Mother, published in February of 2011. Her novel, The Warrior, which tells the story of one woman’s ten year prayer vigil for a man she has never met, was released in May of 2012. She is also the author of two children’s books, "Tales of Pig Isle" and "The McAloons", which began as stories that she told to entertain her grandchildren.

Alexandra is author of "No Regrets: How Homeschooling Earned me a Master’s Degree at Age Sixteen" and "Writing for Today". She has been self-employed for over fourteen years and was the 2011 Chairwoman of the Board of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She writes a regular blog, Paying for Protection, about the consequences of over-regulation and over-reaching government. Her novel "The Planner", which is the prequel to "The Chosen", was published in June of 2012.

The book can be purchased at Amazon, in paperback or Kindle version. http://amzn.to/1bLPukc {affiliate link}

**There are no spoilers in this review! Yay!**

My thoughts:

When I picked up the books by the Swanns, I was drawn into the story right away. They were interesting. I finished both The Fourth Kingdom and The Force within a short time of each other. The Force is the sequel to The Fourth Kingdom but they are stand alone books. There is enough background information given in the second book to not have to read the first. I anticipate that those who read The Force and enjoy it will want to read The Fourth Kingdom. 

The summary at the top of this review gives a good, short list of those most prominent in the book. Honestly, Jarrod and Joshua have less of a role in this book than I thought they would. My review will give you all that I didn't like, what I thought was okay, and what I really enjoyed; in that order. I don't want to leave on a negative note {wink}.

What I did not like: this book is so dark. It has evil at its core and while reading it, it is obvious. I was hooked with the book right off the bat but there were so many times I thought, 'ugh, I don't want to read this anymore.' The writing is done well though; the gorier scenes are so mild, I know. So with that said, that I think this book is very dark in nature, there is something that is mixed throughout -no, not mixed but rather covering and weaving itself in between- and that's goodness. But since this is a Christian book, it isn't just 'goodness', it's God's goodness. I still struggled with the darkness of the book but I understand why it was written that way {I think}. Life, real life, isn't all puppy dogs and kittens; it's venomous snakes and murderers sometimes. Through all of life however, there is God. Whether one believes in Him or not.

What I thought was 'okay'/could have been improved: some of the dialogue and writing were...not so much under developed but perhaps over developed. People say not to compare but honestly who doesn't? We all have authors that we love, for whatever reason, and we measure others by that favorite author. While I may not have a favorite author, I do have a prefered style of writing and all books are measured to that. This book did not measure to that standard through the entirety of the book. I will say I found the dialogue much better than the first book. It was and still is hard to put my finger on why it bothered me when reading but it did and had a lasting impression.

There were fillers; too many fillers. There were some situations that were mentioned in the book that, since they were mentioned at one point they had to be dealt with later in the book. Or did they really? There was one or two that I'd forgotten about by the second mention of them and had to flip back some pages to refresh my memory. Probably faulty reading on my part. The other one that I can recall just seemed to be too far off the main point of the book. It was a good inclusion but it didn't really feel like it actually fit in the book. 

Finally, I loved the inclusion of God in this book. It is throughout the book. If it weren't for that, this would not be a book I would feel good about recommending. It seems to me that quite a few of the "Christian" books I've read skirt around God but still try to retain that "Christian" tag on their book. I really liked the way the Swanns were able to portray the strength of the main characters' resolve {Jarrod and Joshua}. 

The writing style {with the exception of what I've mentioned previously} is good and it hooks right away. It kept me reading, on the edge of my seat you might say. I enjoyed the scene descriptions for the most part and could place the characters in the scene. And as twisted as some parts were, I could imagine it actually taking place. There are twists that I did not see coming- that's always a good thing in a suspense book!

Those who like more suspense and action books, with a hope of good prevailing over evil- perhaps Ted Dekker books?- might like this book. 

You can purchase the first book at Amazon, in paperback or Kindle version. http://amzn.to/GScBQq {affiliate link}

Visit Frontier Media's website: http://frontier2000.net/

Follow Frontier 2000 Media  on their Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/frontier2000mediagroup 

Follow Frontier 2000 Media on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Frontier_2000

Follow Alexandra Swann on Twitter: http://twitter.com/alexandraswann

Book Review: A Man Called Blessed {BookSneeze}

A Man Called Blessed by Ted Dekker and Bill Bright

ISBN: 9781401688790

Paperback, 360 pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Retail: $16.99

About the book: 

One man holds the key to locating the Ark of the Covenant--but he's hidden deep in the desert and no one has seen him since he was a boy.

In the explosive sequel to Blessed Child, Jewish soldier-turned-archaeologist Rebecca Solomon leads a team deep into the Ethiopian desert to find the one man who may know the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. Such a discovery would bring hope back to her people. Her search brings excitement and danger--including unexpected love and a discovery far more powerful than even the holy artifact.

Meanwhile, Islamic fundamentalists dispatch Ismael, their most accomplished assassin, to pursue Rebecca and the man she's searching for. These men fear that the Ark's discovery will compel Israel to rebuild Solomon's temple--on the very site of their holy mosque in Jerusalem. But the man they seek is no ordinary man.

His name is Caleb, and he too is on a mission--to find again the love he embraced as a child and to share that love with the world.

About the author:

Ted Dekker is a New York Times best-selling author with more than five million books in print. He is known for stories that combine adrenaline-laced plots with incredible confrontations between unfrogettable characters. He lives with his wife in Austin,Texas. 

My thoughts:

I believe this is my first Ted Dekker novel. It is a sequel to Blessed Child but I didn't find it necessary to have read that one first (since I haven't yet). Reading this book, A Man Called Blessed, there were a few snippets of history that I probably would have had a better idea of what was going on if I had of read the first book. 

The main characters are Rebecca Solomon and Caleb. Other characters that have a part in this book are David Ben Solomon (Rebecca's father), Avraham (a soldier on the mission with Rebecca), Zakkai (a professor and archaeologist), Ismael (the assassin and son of Abu Ismael), Abu Ismael (Syrian general, Palestinian), Jason and Leiah Marker (Caleb's adoptive parents), and Father Hadane (a 'monk' in the desert).
There were a few parts where I could feel my eyebrow go up in a "what sort of hollybaloo is this?" kind of look. But I got to thinking that really, the book is about God doing impossible things. So for me to think "That's impossible!" in a book, of fiction no less, is a little silly. After I let go of that line of thinking and just took it as it came, I really enjoyed the book. I wouldn't mind reading the first book, Blessed Child, for the background and for a good adventure read.

Book Review: Wings of Glass {Tyndale}

Wings of Glass by Gina Holmes
ISBN: 9781414366418
Paperback, 384 pages
Publisher: Tyndale Fiction
Retail: $13.99

From the back cover:

On the cusp of adulthood, seventeen-year-old Penny Carson thought she’d found her Prince Charming in farmhand Trent Taylor. With flashy promises and a handsome face to back them up, Trent was her escape from an overbearing father and her one-stop-sign town. But Penny’s happily-ever-after lasts no longer than their breakneck courtship.

Out of options, she resigns herself to the fate of a woman controlled by a man with no control…until a welding accident at work forces Trent to finally allow Penny to take a job cleaning houses. Here she meets two women from very different worlds who open up her life to endless possibilities, teach her to live and laugh again –and lend her their backbones just long enough for her to find her own.

***************************************

When I started to read the book I was initially turned off by the writing style; it feels like a first person narrative. That alone didn’t bother me but Penny is an “uneducated” woman who has poor grammar and speaking skills. She writes like she thinks. I had to let go of my feelings of superior thinking/speaking abilities (it’s all in my head- it’s not reality!). Once I did, I felt like I was actually listening to Penny as she talked. Holmes however quickly made me get over my standoffish approach that I normally take with books. It really drew me in fairly quickly.

The beginning of this book starts out as a letter to Penny’s son, written by herself. She’s been waiting 10 years for a baby and although we figure she must have had one finally, we still get to see her pain. But it’s not just because she’s not been able to have a child that she is in such pain –physical as well as emotional and mental –but because her husband is physically, emotionally and mentally abusive. The book starts out showing the temper of Trent; he punches her for saying something; something he thought was lippy. In the next moment he’s all lovey-dovey and demeaning –at the same time!

Penny is so taken for granted by Trent! He treats her terribly and is never happy with how she cooks food, cleans, shows him love. He is the stereotypical abuser. But it’s the one that is behind closed doors. The one that outsiders do not see. Holmes doesn’t shy away from sharing the violence but she definitely doesn’t make it in-your-face-continuous-gore.

The many things that are present in this book are present in the lives of true sufferers of abuse. Penny hasn’t spoken to her family the entire time she’s been married when the book starts. It’s after she becomes pregnant that Trent allows her to call. The isolation of Penny is almost complete. Then Callie Mae stops by the house. Callie Mae is a Christian inviting Penny to church. But it’s obvious from the start that Callie Mae knows what’s going on in that house.

The book is very engaging. I stayed up all night reading this because I was so involved. Sometimes I felt the hurt and anger that Penny felt; the rejection. Then I felt the anger and indignation of Callie Mae or Fatimah (the two ladies that ultimately give Penny the help she needs, even when she throws it away). I also felt the hope. The unrealistic hope that each time Trent said he would treat her better, that he truly would.

It is so so easy to say that we wouldn’t stay in a situation like Penny –but until we are truly in that position, we will. never. know.  Period. For us to judge (even though we feel that we are not) another who stays with our words of “I would never allow that to happen…” is so terribly wrong. Reach out to that person. They most likely will reject your help. Expect that but don’t keep silent.

This was a truly good book. Not because of the subject matter. It gave me the heebie-jeebies thinking about reviewing. It is such a tough subject. What makes this book so good is as it says on the back: Wings of Glass is  powerful, can’t-put-down novel, so real that it reads like a memoir. (Liz Curtis Higgs) This could be what it is like, even still downplayed though, in the life of an abused woman.

This book has very definite adult topics. There is abusive behavior, drinking, smoking cigarettes and illegal substances, and murder. The language is very subdued even in the worse parts. I would not recommend this for those who are terribly sensitive but it is a very well done book, given the subject matter. I also hesitate to recommend it for teen reading. But I do think this could be beneficial reading for teens in the dating scene –it isn’t about dating violence but it does tip you off to some character traits an abuser has. They can’t hide them all (the traits). But I would recommend this for both men and women in general.

I would also say that this shows somewhat how the cycle continues and continues until the chain is broken. It is talked about often through the book.

***Disclaimer: I received this complimentary book from Tyndale House Publishers (Tyndale Blog Network)  to review. All opinions stated are my own. See Disclosure/Policies.***