Gerald N. Lund begins a new series entitled Fire and Steel.  The first book in this series is A Generation Rising.  One question not answered in the introduction is how many books Lund plans to write. The series begins in Germany around the start of the twentieth century.

The characters keep readers interested and emotionally invested.  Perhaps the worst part of the book was where it ends.  Readers will not be satisfied and will want to know what is going to happen next.  Lund admits that the second book will be about a family in America so readers should be prepared to not be satisfied until at least the third installment, when members of the two main families are expected to encounter one another.

Lund ends each chapter with a summary of what liberties he took with the facts and how he chose to use them to further his story.  This is one of the best parts of the story.  Getting to read a fiction story and gather some historical truths along the way really enhances the experience.  This reviewer is certainly looking forward to reading more in subsequent installments of the Fire and Steel series.

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Deseret Book

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  1 religious exclamation.

Violence/Gore:  Report of annihilation of people during Holocaust; parent slaps a 17 year-old child; report of bombs and explosions; report of people being shot and killed; adult strikes another adult; a character grabs another; report of a man being beaten and kicked; report of a person being pushed down stairs inside of a footlocker; battle scenes in which people are shot and killed, only a couple mentions of blood; report of dead bodies all around; a man in impaled by 100 or so pieces of shrapnel.

Sex/Nudity:  Word adultery mentioned; married and non-married characters kiss and embrace; a man removes his shirt to show his injuries.

Mature Subject Matter:

War, death of friends.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Man reported to be a heavy drinker.  Beer is served many times and in two instances, is served to a 17 year-old, which is legal in Europe at the time.