Is life worth risking to learn about?  This story deals with a country facing these choices.  In this story, the author captures the adventures of Brielle, her family, and her friends as they flee from evil.  Brielle, who is fifteen, is the main character and we get to hear her innermost thoughts as she faces circumstances she was never prepared to believe could happen.  I love that Brielle is a strong yet unpretentious young lady.  She knows her place within her family and despite fears and challenges, she knows without a doubt that they love her for who she simply is.  Her honesty, integrity, and family first values make her an ideal character for real life girls to look up to. 

Throughout this book, there are several main characters that interact.  With a wonderful dash of dread and mystery, these characters are willing to risk it all for their belief in the Creator, who is.  Set in a time when owning The Forbidden Book (the Bible) was punishable by imprisonment and most often death, this story is reminiscent of the Dark Ages when Bibles were banned.

From beginning to end, this story was easy to read.  This sweet, little book could easily have been 100 pages longer in order to expand upon the emotions and thoughts of the characters but it’s also just right as it is.  The people have depth and energy which are easy to relate to.  Some have to choose to risk it all and be involved or shrink back and fade into the shadows.  There is a theme that runs through this book that emphasizes that although the Creator may not prevent bad things from happening, He will always be there at the side of those who choose to believe in Him.  The author has done a beautiful job of not going into detail when bad things happen, making this a family friendly book that would be a great read-aloud for the family.

Review of an Advance Reading Copy provided by the author

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None 

Violence/Gore:  A man hits another man with the hilt of his sword & knocks him out; mention of a teen boy’s father who was killed previously, no details; mention of a man who previously helped kill another man, no details; a man was going to kill a baby but she was saved, some detail but not gory; the Creator was killed by death on a tree, no details; a woman dies of old age; a father, mother, & teen daughter are arrested and imprisoned for a contraband item; a man slaps another man hard on the face & throws him in prison; a family’s house is set on fire, minor injuries, some detail, not gory; children are taken hostage by slave traders & sold into slavery; mention of a teen girl’s father & brothers who were previously killed, she & her mother sold into slavery, the mother dies, not detailed; mention of a few battles, some dead by the sword, some by falling to their death, not gory but one mention of dead bodies on the ground; a beast attacks a city, buildings burn, threat of death, not gory.

Sex/Nudity:  None

Mature Subject Matter:

A tyrannical king, soldiers, homelessness, murder, death of a mother-type figure, unlawful imprisonment, blindness, slave traders, children sold into slavery, theft, arson, fire, evil beast, death in battle.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None