#musicmonday: Lions and Dragons | Zach Williams

#bookreview | Amber Eyes | S.D. Grimm + blog tour!

Amber Eyes by S.D. Grimm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If Scarlet Moon was thrilling, Amber Eyes just upped the ante even further. I don’t know how I’m going to survive until January 2019 for Black Blood. (I mean, I will, but still…) On a pure visceral, emotional level, Grimm is a pro-manipulator. By the time you’re midway through the book, you’re struggling with hope and fear and joy and frustration and ALL THE FEELS. Which was why, after finishing the book on Friday night, I had to go to sleep to deal instead of writing the review right away.

This book’s Ultra-frustrating Persons Award goes to Thea. Mostly because she is so extremely cryptic that you can’t decide whose side she’s really on—if she’s on any side. Because this clearly isn’t turning out to be black-and-white good vs evil, Feravolk against the Mistress of Shadows at all. Thea has concealed motives of her own, Franco seems to serve the Mistress but has other personal ambitions, the various camps of Feravolk and leaders still don’t exactly see eye to eye, and the Deliverers haven’t exactly fallen into line either.

Because if Love was important in Scarlet Moon, Individual Agency seems to be the theme of Amber Eyes. Serena has to decide between risking her safety to heal people or obeying the council and staying safe. The Healers must decide if they will help the Deliverers or stay hidden. Ethan can no longer lose himself in revenge, not without terrible repercussions, and he must learn to use his gift appropriately. Ryan still struggles with the black lion venom and with acknowledging that Jayden has agency of her own. Jayden… is not *as* frustrating in this one—she’s better at letting the others take care of her—but she’s still struggling with her Blood Moon gift and her destiny. Because right now, her gift is harming more than helping, and she doesn’t see how it can be very useful at all. And in the midst of all the conflicting hints and prophecies and orders and directives being thrown at her from all sides, she must learn to step up into her role as Deliverer, not mere camp follower.

Additional plus point: all the wonderful mythical creatures are coming out of the woodwork! Unicorns, kelpies, phoenixes, pegasi, gryphons, dragons, oh my!

Note: I received a digital copy of this book from Unicorn Questor for the Amber Eyes Blog Tour. I was given the book with no expectation of a positive review and the review is my own.

View all my reviews

About the Book

Destiny can be cruel. Darkness retreated from the light of the scarlet moon, but has since grown even stronger. The Mistress of Shadows has found a new pawn—one that may be the key to unlocking the door to her underground prison. Now evil threatens to escape its shackles and destroy the land. In the aftermath of loss and betrayal, Jayden’s fight with the enemy still isn’t over. But while she isn’t sure she can stop the Mistress alone, leaving her friends might be the only way to keep them from being consumed by the darkness. With lives hanging in the balance—and no time for error—can Jayden make the right choice?

Amazon — Barnes & Noble — Christianbook.com

About the Author

S.D. Grimm’s first love in writing is young adult fantasy and science fiction. She is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency and author of SCARLET MOON. She currently has four books under contract, including the remainder of her YA fantasy series Children of the Blood Moon. When she’s not writing or editing, Sarah enjoys reading (of course!), practicing kickboxing and Brazilian jiu jitsu, training dogs, and binge-watching shows with great characters. Her office is anywhere she can curl up with her laptop and at least one large-sized dog. You can learn more about her upcoming novels at www.sdgrimm.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter | Spotify

Facebook Launch Party

Calling all book readers! Join author S.D. Grimm as we chat about her fantasy novel Amber Eyes on January 30th from 8 PM to 11 PM EST (6 PM CDT and 5 PM PST). Grab your favorite drink and snack and be prepared for a fun time of chatting with SD, games, and giveaways. Special guests Nadine Brandes, Lindsay A. Franklin, and Sara Baysinger will also be sharing their books and joining in the fun.

RSVP Today

Giveaway

Want to dive into a new world? Enter to win a signed copy of both Amber Eyes and Scarlet Moon, a grimmlie dragon of the dragon on the cover (made by the author), a charm bracelet (made by her Captain America), and a $10 amazon gift card. (US only. Sorry!)

>>> Entry-Form <<<

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, January 22^nd

• Book Spotlight – Backing Books
• Guest Post – Thinking Like a Fangirl

Tuesday, January 23^rd

• Book Review – Sheri Yutzy – young adult author
• Book Review & Interview – Blooming with Books

Wednesday, January 24^th

• Book Review – Deeply shallow
• Guest Post – dolphin18cb

Thursday, January 25^th

• Author Interview – Unicorn Quester

Friday, January 26^th

• Book Review – Sarah, Plain & Average
• Book Review – Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess

Saturday, January 27^th

• Author Interview – Jebraun Clifford dream.write.repeat

Monday, January 29^th

• Book Review – The Artisan Penguin

Tuesday, January 30^th

• Author Interview – Liv K. Fisher
• Review – Reality Reflected
• Amber Eyes Facebook Launch Party!

Wednesday, January 31^st

• Author Interview – So Few Books

Thursday, February 1^st

• Book Review – Lands Uncharted
• Guest Post – Quills & Inkblotts

Friday, February 2^nd

• Book Review – Thinking Like a Fangirl

Saturday, February 3^rd

• Book Review – Tricia Mingerink
• Book Review – Blushing Bibliophile
• Book Review – RJ Metcalf

Monday, February 5^th

• Blog Tour Wrap-Up – Unicorn Quester

#musicmonday: This is Me | Keala Settle

ALL THE EMOTIONS.
I'd also say that this is even stronger than the final cut.
(also amused by Hugh Jackman waving his apple in the air)

---

When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me

#bookreview: Die For Me | Dan Rix

Die for Me by Dan Rix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In contrast to most of the other Dan Rix books I've read so far, this actually appears to be the most low tech, on the surface at least. In fact, most of the story reads more like a YA mystery but then again, this is Rix, so expect some super techy reveal.

Jaden and Danae are trying to come to terms with their girlfriend/best friend's suicide/murder. Suicide because she did jump off a four-storey building, leaving behind a suicide note. Murder because she was abruptly taken off life-support by her parents that very same day with no explanation, without waiting to see if she would come out of her coma. But the more they dig into the mystery that is Sabrina's suicide note, the stranger things become. The school counsellors, Katie and Benji, start acting weirdly, as does the headmaster, Mr Feeney.

Rix spends a lot of time exploring both Jaden and Danae's feelings--both about the suicide and their relationships--and while that was interesting at first, the constant back and forth over who likes who (or not) becomes a little too much after it's been prolonged once too many times. Then again, I'm starting to age out of this kind of YA (I've said that for a while now, but yeah), so an actual teen or a younger reader might relate to this much better than I can at this point of time.

I'm not quite the best fan of the voice either, as each section jumps from POV to POV, all in the first person, so you get different sections in Jaden, Danae, Sabrina, and even Mr Feeney's voice. If you're not one who likes that kind of head-hopping you're probably gonna want to sit this one out. The good part about it, though, is that it does provide that much more tension. (Still ambivalent over the need for Feeney's voice, but whatever).

Overall, Die for Me is quite an intriguing read, at I'd say 3.5 stars.

Note: I received a digital ARC from the author. I was given the book with no expectation of a positive review and the review is my own.

View all my reviews

#musicmonday: Rewrite the Stars | Zac Efron & Zendaya

You know I want you
It's not a secret I try to hide
But I can't have you
We're bound to break and
My hands are tied

---

I just watched The Greatest Showman and I'm super impressed.

The only two voices I didn't quite like was Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson) and Charity Barnum (Michelle Williams). I don't really know why. I think Ferguson did this weird breathy thing with her voice especially in the verses of Never Enough; was it an affectation? Some accent she was using? Oh wait. She didn't actually sing; it was sung by Loren Allred. The chorus and build up was fine; she does have a good voice. I just think the verse was weird.
Williams also has a very airyish voice. I guess it just isn't solid enough for me.

#bookreview: Scarlet Moon | SD Grimm

Scarlet Moon by S.D. Grimm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Grimm throws you right into the action in Scarlet Moon, an action-packed story of love, heroism and revenge.

Love, because the overarching theme of this book seems to be that Love conquers all, especially Fear and Evil. She does have that little love triangle thing going on, but it's not so much a plot as a distraction. But Love here, in the more agape than eros kind, takes front stage centre, and makes every one do stupid things. Ryan, for instance, has to choose between his desire to protect his family or his beloved. Logan cannot face or confront his absconded wife. Ethan will protect Jayden at all costs. And Jayden, poor, stupid, heroic, annoying Jayden (I love her but boy, does she need a slap upside the head), is set on running away from everyone who would protect her because she loves them too much. Or running to put herself between them and danger even when she cannot do anything to save them (and actually, if she ran away, they could sort of save themselves?).

Which brings me to heroism. There's noble heroics (see: Ethan), there's reluctant heroics (see: Logan), and there is STUPID HEROICS (see: Jayden). I don't really know where Ryan fits in this. Maybe brave heroics? He's fighting to stay alive for at least half of this story, though he does get some heroic action towards the end. Anyway, Jayden is one of the prophesied Deliverers but she is inclined to stupid, short-sighted heroics where she frequently messes up escape plans because of her inability to actually run away when she needs to. I know, I know, it adds to the tension and the plot, but you'd think she'd learn after the second time or so. (But NOOOO she can't run because Ethan/Ryan might die and no one can die except her. Except if she does, the prophecy fails and EVERY ONE DIES. Right.)

Then there is revenge. Personal vendettas break from their confines every once in a while, with all the lovely tragic backstories making their appearances (sorry, I'm a sucker for tragic heroes), and whilst some of these get pushed aside momentarily to deal with current circumstances, you just know it's going to rear its head sometime in the future. Or in other (shorter) words, several characters have difficulty staying on course because they have a thirst for revenge.

AT ANY RATE. Scarlet Moon is a thrilling read for fantasy lovers.

Note: I received a free copy of this book via Unicorn Questor for an upcoming blog tour. I was given the book with no expectation of a positive review and the review is my own.

View all my reviews

The Amber Eyes Blog Tour is coming up! I'll be reviewing Amber Eyes (the sequel to Scarlet Moon) on January 24th so check back here then! 

Get Scarlet Moon on Amazon.
Get Amber Eyes on Amazon.

#musicmonday: Psalm 46 | Shane & Shane

---

I am selfishly depressed that we can't do this song in church because we don't have the musicians or the singers for it.

Down the TBR hole

I had some time (not really) so I decided to do this. I found it off one of the blogs I've been following sporadically, and since my "to read" shelf on Goodreads now stands at 432, it might be time to pare it down a little.

So yeah, it works like this:

• Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

--- ONE ---

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut's absurdist classic Slaughterhouse-Five introduces us to Billy Pilgrim, a man who becomes unstuck in time after he is abducted by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. In a plot-scrambling display of virtuosity, we follow Pilgrim simultaneously through all phases of his life, concentrating on his (and Vonnegut's) shattering experience as an American prisoner of war who witnesses the firebombing of Dresden.


Slaughterhouse-Five is supposed to be famous. Ratings are high, at 4.06/5. Robin Hobb and Lynn Flewelling rated it at 5 & 4 stars respectively, so I probably should give it a go.
Verdict: Keep, assuming I find a copy sometime somewhere.

--- TWO---

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Introducing one of the most famous characters in literature, Jean Valjean—the noble peasant imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread—Les Misérables ranks among the greatest novels of all time. In it, Victor Hugo takes readers deep into the Parisian underworld, immerses them in a battle between good and evil, and carries them to the barricades during the uprising of 1832 with a breathtaking realism that is unsurpassed in modern prose. Within his dramatic story are themes that capture the intellect and the emotions: crime and punishment, the relentless persecution of Valjean by Inspector Javert, the desperation of the prostitute Fantine, the amorality of the rogue Thénardier, and the universal desire to escape the prisons of our own minds. Les Misérables gave Victor Hugo a canvas upon which he portrayed his criticism of the French political and judicial systems, but the portrait that resulted is larger than life, epic in scope—an extravagant spectacle that dazzles the senses even as it touches the heart.

I actually started this before but got distracted halfway. I think I was ultimately bored by long descriptions of war and soldiers going to battle. At any rate, I've watched the musical.
Verdict: Delete.

--- THREE---

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Here lives an orphaned ward named Lyra Belacqua, whose carefree life among the scholars at Oxford's Jordan College is shattered by the arrival of two powerful visitors. First, her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, appears with evidence of mystery and danger in the far North, including photographs of a mysterious celestial phenomenon called Dust and the dim outline of a city suspended in the Aurora Borealis that he suspects is part of an alternate universe. He leaves Lyra in the care of Mrs. Coulter, an enigmatic scholar and explorer who offers to give Lyra the attention her uncle has long refused her. In this multilayered narrative, however, nothing is as it seems. Lyra sets out for the top of the world in search of her kidnapped playmate, Roger, bearing a rare truth-telling instrument, the alethiometer. All around her children are disappearing—victims of so-called "Gobblers"—and being used as subjects in terrible experiments that separate humans from their daemons, creatures that reflect each person's inner being. And somehow, both Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter are involved.

I initially wanted to read this because it was supposed to be written as an antithesis to the Narnia series. Reading the synopsis doesn't make it sound very enticing... but I already have the books (all three).
Verdict: Keep, only because I already have the books so I might as well read them.

--- FOUR---

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be...well...a lot less than the man of her dreams? As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears. Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere. What's it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex. In short, it's about everything.

This is a classic. EVERYONE QUOTES IT. I've watched the movie, which was wonderful. The book can only be better, right?
Verdict: Keep.

--- FIVE---

1984 by George Orwell

Among the seminal texts of the 20th century, Nineteen Eighty-Four is a rare work that grows more haunting as its futuristic purgatory becomes more real. Published in 1949, the book offers political satirist George Orwell's nightmare vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality. The brilliance of the novel is Orwell's prescience of modern life--the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language--and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell. Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written.

Another book that everyone quotes. I have this strange sense of knowing too much about it that I can't tell if it's second-hand knowledge or if it's from actually having read the book. In a way, it sounds like something I would read, but it's also from that era where I find most of the stuff hard to get through. So I don't know.
Verdict: undecided.

---

Well, that's five!

... I'm not very good at deleting books off my TBR, am I?

#bookreview: Once We Were There | Bernice Chauly

Once We Were There by Bernice Chauly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Once We Were There is dark and gritty, as fueled by drugs and sex as its setting in late 1990's - early 2000's Kuala Lumpur.

The story itself is a story of profound loss. It's the story of a woman first losing herself in her anger and her politics, then losing herself in family and motherhood, losing the child that has become an extension of her self, losing herself to drugs, and finally at the end of it all, trying to discover who she is, who she's meant to be after she's lost everything. And it does feel like Delonix Regia has no sense of self for most of the story--she is defined by the people and events around her. Whenever anything goes wrong, or she is at a loss, she turns back to alcohol and drugs.

Set against the backdrop of the 1998 Reformasi until Anwar's release in 2004, the events of the times weave in and out of the plot. Del and her journalist friends protest Anwar Ibrahim's arrest. They start an independent journalism site on the internet, the first of its kind. Del finds purpose in this. But as the romance takes over, and Omar, and subsequently Alba, becomes her world, this fades away, reappearing only in spurts: the lost appeal, subsequent protests, Mahathir's resignation, Pak Lah's win during the GE, Anwar's release. Little sound bites that are soon forgotten, stuffed in to tell you what year it is by now. By the middle of the novel, it doesn't really feel important anymore--it's just Kuala Lumpur. The journalistic beginning feels like an excuse for a social commentary on the times.

You could also say that undue emphasis is given to this recounting of history, evidenced by the fact that although the book description says "But when their two-year-old daughter Alba is kidnapped, Del must confront the terrible secret of a city where babies are sold and girls are trafficked", this event only happens 2/3rds of the way through the book. It feels terribly unbalanced, plot-wise, unless this is the way things work with literary fiction? (I read mainly in the fantasy/scifi genre, where inciting incidents usually take place in the first quarter.)

Overall, however, the novel works. It reads almost psychedelically, jumping between viewpoints and timelines, rushing in and out of events but also lingering in the here, the now, the never-ending painful present. I hesitate to say that it's brilliant. I disliked the first awfully long chapter (all the chapters are awfully long and could have been broken up at multiple points), wondering where Chauly was going with her part-novel, part-history lesson, part-social commentary. Yet, having finally pushed through, it feels like this disjointedness, this floating story, this bits-and-pieces cobbled together thing, finally makes sense in the light of the ending. Or I could just be extending literary grace and purpose to something that has no reason.

Personally, I don't see myself revisiting Once We Were There. It's not one of those stories that have gripped me in any specific way. However, I do not regret reading it either; it's one of those books that you feel you should read, at least once in your lifetime.

It's unapologetically Malaysian, though at times Chauly tends to overexplain as if pandering to the international crowd, and it's what the Malaysian English fiction scene needs more of.

View all my reviews

#musicmonday: You are the Beauty | Gungor

This is one of the oddest yet most fascinating songs I've heard in a while.
Which, I guess, is a good way to start off a new year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

#fridayflash: A Hitch in the Plans

"I would like to kiss you," she says.

"Oh." He cocks his head to one side, left eyebrow raised. "Why?"

She shrugs. "Why not?"

He stares at her for a little too long and she finds herself staring back, that space in the back of her head suddenly mute.

"Never mind," she finally says.

But as she turns, before she can flee, his hand is grasping her wrist and pulling her back, fixing her on the spot. Her cheeks burn.

"Why?" he asks again.

There is gold in her mouth, rocks on her tongue, a blissed, hateful void in her thoughts. She doesn't even know why she'd brought it up in the first place--it was too forward, too sudden. It wasn't what she'd planned--except wine, too much wine. Despite the fact she hasn't touched any of it.

"I'm drunk," she offers, wincing as his eyes narrow. Hormonally drunk, maybe, though he can't know that.

"You never drink," he says flatly.

"Oh?"

"And I would smell it on you if you had."

"The fumes..." She stops as he shakes his head. It's a flimsy lie anyway.

"What do you want?"

She straightens her back, grasping at the last straws of her dignity. "I thought I made that quite clear. Did I mumble?"

"That's not what you really want, is it?"

"It's not?"

"Is it Katherine? Is she putting you up to this?"

Her throat is too dry, too scratchy. She desperately needs a drink, alcoholic if possible--something to silence the emptiness of her mind. His grip is tight and binding and she wants to run away, but she also wants to lean in. Lean in and kiss him. Except she can't.

"Lady Katherine has nothing to do with this," she manages, dropping her eyes. "If you... do not require my services, I would like to retire for the night."

He makes an odd sound at the back of his throat and she looks up at him sheepishly. That hadn't come out quite as she intended.

"I meant..."

"I know what you meant. Go."

She curtsies and scurries away.

###

She's in the nearest nook, chest heaving as she leans against the wall, when a whisper startles her.

"Your Grace?"

She waves it, her, away, eyes still closed.

"His Highness is asking after you," the voice says again much later.

"Why? To gloat in my humiliation?" It's sharper than she intended.

"He thought you'd like something for your hand." It's him this time, his voice dry and amused.

She opens her eyes, staring at him confused before following his gaze.

"You've been bleeding on my floor for quite a while, my servant tells me."

"Oh."

"How?"

"I... I don't remember." It's probably from when she stumbled in here, flailing at the walls in a flurry of tears. Why hadn't she just gone straight to her rooms?

She watches numbly as he gently cleans and binds the gash on the back of her hand. "I should go."

"Back to your rooms?" He takes her hand to escort her.

She wonders why she doesn't pull her hand away. "Back to my home." It's obvious she's failed. She's not what he wants.

"Ah," is all he says.

At her door, she smiles and thanks him again. He bows slightly, ever the perfect gentleman. And then he is gone. She closes the door behind her, cutting off the sight of his retreating back and the receding hope of an alliance with his house.

Tomorrow, she would have to make her plans anew.

#bookreview: Between the Lanterns | J.M. Bush

Between the Lanterns by J.M. Bush
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'd rate this more of a 3.5 (but you know, rounding) mostly because it gets pretty slow going in the middle.

Between the Lanterns is a Southern love story set in a futuristic, heartless, soulless New Dothan. As in really heartless and really soulless, where everyone is all teched out and thinking only of themselves. Yet in the midst of these near-robots, Samantha - a cook who wants people to eat Real Food instead of Nutricator slop - meets August - a tinkerer who longs for the good old days where people sat down and talked and were kind to each other - between the lanterns on West Main Street.

The soullessness of the society grates on you after a while, and you're left wondering if people are really capable of being that heartless. (Maybe they are, but probably not in the quantities you meet in this book). The warm, kindly, openness of Sam and August rubs off on you too, and you start to wonder how these two got to be who they are because it hardly seems like there are any good role models for them to follow after.

The middle of the book (somewhere around the 1-hour mark) gets a little draggy. Things happen and things happen and more things happen. It doesn't look like the book is heading anywhere fast. Then Bush gets a little sneaky by throwing in a medical diagnosis and NOT TELLING YOU WHO IT RELATES TO. Aha! Something is about to happen! And the story picks up again from there as he keeps you guessing for pages until the denouement. (And then it's heart-wrenching, of course.)

In the midst of all that, Between the Lanterns plays briefly with the themes of ascension and explores the concept of the soul. Is our consciousness equal to our soul? Is there a heaven? What happens if we finally manage to upload our consciousness into tech? Do we get to live forever?

I liked the second half of the book more than the first. The tension is heightened, and it also feels more thoughtful as the Luries figure out a balance between Sam's severe dislike of tech and August's constant tinkering with it. The first half, especially the second quarter, is very much a setting up phase--an explanation of all the things that need to happen to bring them to the right emotional mood for the rest of the events that follow. (Or maybe I don't tend to like Southern stories all that much, and there was not enough other stuff to distract me from it.)

All in all, Between the Lanterns is worth pushing through, mostly because I liked the ending.

View all my reviews

#musicmonday: I Won't Let You Go | Switchfoot ft. Lauren Daigle

[Verse 1: Jon Foreman]
When it feels like surgery
And it burns like third degree
And you wonder what is it worth?
When your inside's breaking in
And you feel that ache again
And you wonder what's giving birth?

[Pre-Chorus: Jon Foreman]
If you could let the pain of the past go
Of your soul
None of this is in your control

[Chorus: Jon Foreman]
If you could only let your guard down
If you could learn to trust me somehow
Well I swear, that I won't let you go
If you could only let go your doubts
If you could just believe in me now
I swear, that I won't let you go
I won't let you go

[Verse 2: Lauren Daigle]
When your fear is currency
And you feel that urgency
You want peace but there's war in your head
Maybe that's where life is born
When our façades are torn
Pain gives birth to the promise ahead, yeah

[Pre-Chorus: Lauren Daigle & Jon Foreman]
If you could let the pain of the past go
Of your soul
None of this is in your control

[Chorus: Jon Foreman & Lauren Daigle]
If you could only let your guard down
If you could learn to trust me somehow
Well I swear, that I won't let you go
If you could only let go your doubts
If you could just believe in me now
I swear, that I won't let you go

[Bridge: Lauren Daigle & Jon Foreman]
I won't let you go
I'll always be by your side, yeah

[Chorus]
If you could only let go your doubts
If you could just believe in me now
I swear, that I won't let you go
I won't let you go

[Interlude: Jon Foreman & Lauren Daigle]
I won't let you go
I won't let you go
I won't let you go

---

because christmas is really God saying I won't let you go.

Advent: Divinity in Chains

But you are Divinity,
bound by the chains of humanity.
God made man,

...and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...

might contained
in frailty,
restrained by a form

...and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father...

taken willingly, lovingly,
eyes fixed on eternity.
And all you are,

...he made himself nothing... 

all your glory,
constrained
in the very jars of clay

...by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness...

you formed.
Bound only by
your Word and Will.

...he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross.

---

Why lies He in such mean estate,

Where ox and donkeys are feeding?

Good Christians, fear, for sinners here

The silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spears shall pierce him through,

the cross he bore for me, for you.

Hail, hail the Word made flesh,

the Babe, the Son of Mary.

---

Firman itu sudah menjadi manusia dan tinggal antara kita. Kita nampak kemuliaan-Nya, kemuliaan yang diterima-Nya sebagai anak tunggal Bapa. Melalui Dia, kasih Allah dan Allah sendiri ditunjukkan kepada kita.

Yohanes 1:14

#bookreview: Mythic Orbits 2016 | Travis Perry (ed)

Mythic Orbits 2016: Best Speculative Fiction by Christian Authors by Travis Perry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

TBH Mythic Orbits wasn't exactly what I expected. (Actually, I don't really know what I expect these days.) The title and the cover made me think that it might be more space/scifi than it actually turned out to be; 'speculative fiction', of course, is a rather large umbrella term (though 'Mythic' is also another clue). The actual stories, however, are skewed to the more paranormal/fantasy side of things.

There isn't any single unifying factor that ties these stories together, other than that large umbrella term 'speculative fiction' and the fact that all writers are professing Christians. This resulted in a rather mish-mash offering (this is explained in the Editor's Introduction), in which case it comes across as more of a sampler than anything else.

Mark Venturini's The Bones Don't Lie is a stellar start to the book; fantasy with a slight religious bent.
The Disembodied Hand (Jill Domschot) turned a little more paranormal (and slightly creepy) as was Richard New's Escapee. Though I have to say I didn't quite expect the twist at the end of the latter.
Nether Ore by Kirk Outerbridge was another excellent piece -- and one of the more scifi ones, also with a lovely twist at the end! I'd like to read a sequel to this if there is one. (It's also a story I could imagine becoming a full novel, if it isn't already one)
Cindy Emmet Smith's A Model of Decorum was slightly predictable as a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, but still very well-crafted. I rather enjoyed it, even though I could see the ending from miles away.
Dental Troll (Lisa Godfrees) was sheer fun -- and a little younger, whilst L Jagi Lamplighter's HMS Mangled Treasure kept that light, humorous tone in a rather more serious (and disturbing) story.
Another more scifi offering was Domo by Joshua M Young, with sentient robots slightly reminiscent of Asimov.
Cameo (Linda Burklin) went back to something more fantasy, featuring a magical artifact with time-travelling properties and a murder mystery to solve. It had me thinking of Skyping Back in Time which has roughly the same premise.
Going back to the more freaky/weird were Clay's Fire (Kat Heckenbach), Ghost Roommate (Matthew Sketchley) and Baby, Don't Cry (R V Saunders) in a WTH, Paranormal, and Scifi way respectively. Oh wait, and
The Water Man (Sherry Rossman) as well, which I don't think I really got.
The final story in the anthology was Kerry Nietz's Graxin. It's a well-written story about an AI in space, reminiscent of Quinn's Containment. (Though Graxin was first published in 2012, so should that be the other way around?)

Anyway, as you can see, Mythic Orbits 2016 seems to have a little bit of everything, which makes it a rather hard thing to define.

Note: I received a sponsored copy of this book by the publisher for review purposes.

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#musicmonday: O Come, O Come Emmanuel | For King and Country

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Key of David, come

And open wide our heavenly home

Make safe the way that leads on high

And close the path to misery

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

Won't you come

Won't you come

---

I was originally searching for a more classic, soulful rendition of this song but THIS pretty much sums up all the emotions I was looking for. 

Advent: Pilgrims and Promises

O come, Thou Key of David, come,

And open wide our heavenly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

---

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:13-16 (NASB)

---

Advent is longing; for a home we long for but have never seen, for a place we travel to from birth to death.
But what is home? 
Is it this skin we inhabit, this land we lay claim to, this earth we war over?
Or is home where our hearts reside, nowhere but everywhere, in spaces of love and family, friends and kin--whether by blood or spirit, flesh or soul; this nebulous feeling of safety and familiarity and rightness.
And we long, because this is not our home. This is our not yet, the yet to come, the yesterdays for our tomorrows and we know--oh how well we know--that we are pilgrims passing through.

This world is not our home.
There are promises yet to come.

Keep safe the paths that lead us yet to home.

---

Sebaliknya, mereka merindukan sebuah negeri yang lebih baik, iaitu negeri yang di syurga. Itulah sebabnya Allah tidak malu apabila mereka menyebut Dia sebagai Allah mereka, kerana Allah sudah menyediakan sebuah kota untuk mereka.

Ibrani 11:16 (Alkitab Berita Baik)

---

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

#bookreview: The Tethered World | Heather LL FitzGerald

The Tethered World by Heather L.L. FitzGerald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

TLDR: The Tethered World probably works better for younger audiences. I'd put it at the younger younger end of YA, maybe even MG, even if the main character is sixteen.
--OR--
One of those books where first person POV just doesn't work for me.

---

Sixteen-year-old Sadie Larcen wakes up early one morning to discover that her parents are missing. When Great Aunt Jules turns up at their doorstep, she learns something even worse: they've been kidnapped by the not-so-fictional creatures her mother has been studying. Which all seems legit crazy, but she soon finds out it's not when she's sent into the Tethered World to rescue them along with her three of her younger siblings--the twins, Brady and Brock, and Sophie.

FitzGerald has created a colourful world where Gnomes, Dwarves, Leprechauns, Trolls, Ogres and Nephilim live in a secret underworld that's tethered to our own--accessible by dragon, of course, because how else would you get there? Sadie and her siblings are in for a great adventure as they try to save their parents as well as their long-lost great-aunt. They fight trolls and ogres, get tricked by mischievous leprechauns, get soothed by motherly dwarfs and yelled at by soldierly ones, and learn to rely on and work with each other.

The Christian content isn't overly smothering; it's presented as a fact of life. The Larcens and the denizens of the Tethered World (at least the good ones) believe in God, so they tend to pray when things get bad, or when they're in need of help. The Tethered World itself is presented as a sort of New Eden, after the first one was closed off after the Fall (hence, the Nephilim). I don't have any opinions, good or bad, about the theology behind that.

Unfortunately, I didn't really connect that well with Sadie, which is probably the main cause of my ultimate meh-ness about the book, since she is the main protagonist and it is her point of view. On the surface, she seems like a very real 16YO. She tries her best to lead and guide her siblings, but she's also selfish and afraid and somewhat distracted by handsome princes. She's definitely in over her head and it shows, even if that showing comes up in her berating herself for her failures, both real and perceived.

I guess I also get the feeling that the author is trying a little too hard. There are copious snarky jokes, often with a book or movie reference, and whilst I can get the occasional need to compare this fantastic world with Narnia (and the like), it gets a little too much. It just seems a little... dated? (DO kids talk about Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Three Musketeers, Indiana Jones, and Peter Pan nowadays? Hi-Ho Silver? And that much John Wayne? Planet of the Apes I can forgive-there have been recent remakes.) I guess it just seems a bit too over done and maybe a bit forced. (Or maybe that's a quirk of how homeschooled Americans speak, I wouldn't know.)

Still, The Tethered World is overall a pretty interesting read, suitable for younger audiences looking for adventure and fun.

Note: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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#musicmonday: Jealous Kind | Jars of Clay

One hundred other lovers, more, one hundred other altars
If I should slow my pace and finally subject me to grace
And love that shames the wise, betrays the heart's deceit and lies
And breaks the back of foolish pride

You know I've been unfaithful
Lovers in lines
While you're turning over tables
With the rage of a jealous kind
I chose the gallows to the aisle
Thought that love would never find
Hanging ropes will never keep you
And your love of a jealous kind
Love of a jealous kind

---

Slow.
Slow your pace.
Subject yourself to grace.

Advent: Look, your Light has come

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

---

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness will cover the earth
And deep darkness the peoples;
But the Lord will rise upon you.
Nations will come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.

Isaiah 60:1-3

---

Yet it's hard to remember the light in the midst of the night, when the walls press in around you and the darkness closes in.
It's hard to remember to come up to breathe. It's hard to remember that there are things other than what holds you down. That there are other things, good things. Beautiful things.

That there is rest.
That you will rise.
That there is more than this.

Because your light is coming -
Behold, your Light has come. 

---

Bangkitlah, dan bersinarlah, hai Yerusalam, 

kerana cahaya penyelamatanmu sudah datang;

Tuhan menyinari engkau dengan kemuliaan-Nya

Yesaya 60:1

---

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel