Rutabaga's Reads 2020: Part 2

The amount of inspirational fiction I read each year is a comparatively high percentage. I’ve never crunched actual numbers, so while it doesn’t surpass young-adult fiction, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s close. Here is the first inspirational fiction post of the year. You’ll likely notice that all of the titles were released last year; I simply did not get to reading them in 2019.

A Song of Joy (Aug. 6, 2019) by Lauraine Snelling.

*This is the final novel in a tetralogy.*

Life in Minnesota has taken a far different turn than Nilda Carlson could ever have imagined. Blessings abound on the farms that her family resides on, as do blessings in her city life in Blackduck with her wealthy employer, Mrs. Gertrude Schoenleber. Nilda misses spending time with her family and the satisfaction of a hard day’s physical labor. Yes, one’s busy from sunup to sundown, going to bed exhausted, but it’s rewarding to reap what one’s sown while working amongst family. Fortunately, working with Mrs. Schoenleber is rewarding, too. The experience she is gaining is tremendous, and she’s proactive with philanthropic opportunities, which are important to her, being a recent immigrant. Unfortunately, there is one Crawford Galt of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency who’s been sent to investigate a death. Galt’s presence doesn’t help Nilda’s nightmares, though an unplanned visit home appears to nix those. How can Nilda defend herself against one who’s come into this with a closed mind? Did the deceased’s mother send him?

            As if that were not enough on her mind, Nilda is realizing she has feelings for Fritz Larsson, the handsome schoolteacher and church organist who gives her piano lessons. But Nilda’s suddenly caught the attention of an affluent and rather pompous young man from the Twin Cities. What’s a gal to do? Will Nilda adopt the role of budding socialite and move to the Cities? Or will she remain humble and God-loving, one bare foot in the farm life and the other, elegantly-shoed one in the small city?

            I adore Snelling’s Under Northern Skies series. She writes so realistically that I catch myself thinking things such as, “I should go hitch up the buggy,” or “It’s time to churn butter again,” when, in reality, I know how to do neither of those things. The author has created a character in Nilda that has been given a wealth of opportunity while also keeping her humble and wanting to stay close to her roots, those roots being family, faith and hard work. I highly recommend this story and series to anyone who enjoys inspirational, historical fiction.

The Timepiece (Sept. 17, 2019) by Beverly Lewis.

*This is a sequel in an unnamed duology with recurring characters from other books.*

The arrival of Adeline Pelham has complicated things for the Miller family, already under scrutiny for Earnest’s lack of forthrightness 20 years previous. The oldest Miller, Sylvia (Sylvie), now no longer Earnest’s only daughter, is struggling. She sees her dad bestow interest in the things Adeline does that he never showed when Sylvie was learning them and notices how much more talkative he is around Adeline. Is Earnest trying to make up for lost time? Then there’s Sylvie’s beau, Titus Kauffman, who’s not only overly critical of this new development, but who tends to discount Sylvie’s trustworthiness by association of her dad’s Englischer past. Who doesn’t hold a judgmental attitude toward Sylvie or her family? Andy Zook. Will Adeline’s arrival be the last straw for Hickory Hollow’s Old Order Amish community? Or will God light a new path for the Miller family?

            Whereas I struggled with Sylvie in the first book, I tolerated her well in this installment. She has her own, very human, struggles in accepting Adeline, as do her siblings (all younger brothers), but as she grows, so her mind and heart do as well, opening up space for the love of a newfound half-sister. The fictional setting of Hickory Hollow in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, continues to sound idyllic. Lewis continues to be the gold medalist, in my opinion, of Amish fiction. She writes with faith, depth and heart without overlooking the tough stuff.

Vow of Justice (Aug. 6, 2019) by Lynette Eason.

*This is the final novel in a tetralogy.*

When FBI Special Agent Lincoln (Linc) St. John is told his partner, Allison (Allie) Radcliffe, is dead after an explosion, he is devastated. When he discovers that their boss, Henry Ogden, led everyone to believe she’s dead because Vladislav Nevsky won’t look for a dead person, and Allie has gone along with it, Linc is furious. It is only after talking to Allie that Linc calms and reluctantly agrees to go along with her “death,” keeping it even from his primarily law enforcement family. He makes sure to stick close to her as much as possible. Nevsky’s 17-year-old daughter, Darla, has evidence that could put her dad away for forever, and now she’s missing. Allie has made finding and protecting Darla her priority. She’s put Darla above taking down Nevsky and Gregori Radchenko, the latter of whom has very close ties to her past. Allie tries to do this while maintaining a low profile, but it’s hard to appear dead when one can’t stay ahead of the bad guys. They’ve checked vehicles and clothes for trackers, and there isn’t anything on or in Darla’s backpack. So how do Nevsky’s men know where they are? And when Allie finds herself confronting Gregori, will she choose justice or revenge?

            Concluding the Blue Justice series in a high-stakes, inspirational, romantic suspense novel, Eason shows us why she remains top of her game with the good guys dodging bad guys and bullets. The story leads readers on a swiftly-moving trajectory where to lag could get you killed and idle moments are few. As with the other books in the series (and a short story), I love that this series features siblings of a family, an entire family that I wish were my friends growing up. Although I enjoyed this story, I will express one disappointment. Eason normally keeps me guessing, but I knew who the unnamed bad guy was right away. I was reading along and thought to myself, “I bet this is a bad guy.” And I was correct.

            Book One: Oath of Honor

            Book Two: Called to Protect

            Book Three: Code of Valor

            Novella (in a multi-author short story collection): Code of Ethics

Rutabaga's Reads 2020: Part 1

Presenting my first young-adult (YA) compilation post of 2020!

Girls of Paper and Fire (Nov. 6, 2018) by Natasha Ngan.

*This is the first novel in a trilogy.*

The residents of Ikhara belong to a caste system wholly dependent on their appearance. The Paper caste comprises of those fully human, yet they are oppressed and often thought of as less than human. The Steel caste contains human-demon hybrids that may serve others but are not slaves. The Moon caste includes those who are fully anthropomorphic; they are known as demons. Every year, the Demon King (a bull form) invites eight Paper Girls into his Hidden Palace of Han. It is touted as a high honor, and their families receive extra benefits, but the girls are prisoners, concubines to a brutal and markedly unstable king. Lei would not have caught anyone’s attention, but with eyes the color of liquid gold, “a symbol of the heavens’ good fortune,” the 17-year-old is kidnapped from her dad’s herbal medicine shop in the small village of Xienzo and presented as the first-ever ninth Paper Girl. She wants to resist, but with the threat of her dad’s and Tien’s (a Steel caste worker who’s like family; she affectionately calls Lei a “little nuisance”) blood on her hands, she goes with the king’s general. She has hopes of discovering the whereabouts of her mother, abducted seven years before. She can hardly face the idea of being summoned to the Demon King’s bedroom even though it is the main reason any of the girls are there in the first place, but she discovers friendship with some of her fellow courtesans, including Aoki, the twins Zhen and Zhin, and Wren, the most latter of whom she acquires a very special bond but who also has secrets that she doesn’t want to share, lest she endanger Lei. How will she survive the treacherous court of the Demon King?

            A land of magic, a severe imbalance of power, a strong heroine, forbidden romance and a dangerous kingdom form the intricate layers of a darkly gorgeous story that is lush in its glittering extravagance, compelling in its terrifying portrayal of sexual violence and the threat of it and powerful with dangers looming from multiple sides. The imbalance of power makes me angry and reading of these characters with their pretty, made-up faces and fancy garments representing various Asian cultures to ready themselves for a terrible king’s desires makes me want to spit fire. A story for mature readers with its take on forced prostitution, this is a YA fantasy story that is extremely unsettling and maddening. I commend Ngan’s writing in managing to create a main character who is empowered despite everything. I cheered, I got mad, I was disturbed, and I still want to battle demons. Through the intensity of it all, I have managed to get caught up in this world … with fangs bared, claws out and teeth gnashing.

Scavenge the Stars (Jan. 7, 2020) by Tara Sim.

*This is the first novel in a purported duology.*

In this gender-swapped retelling of “The Count of Monte Cristo,” Amaya (a.k.a. Silverfish a.k.a. Countess Yamaa) Chandra has worked for years on a debtor ship, told she was sold off by her mother for the misdeeds of her deceased father. The Brackish is a debtor ship of children slaves who are starved, abused and worked almost to death. They’re under the greedy eyes of Captain Zharo. On what should be Silverfish’s last day, she rescues a man called Boon. He promises her unimaginable wealth and revenge against Kamon Mercado, a merchant in the neutral colony of Moray, part of the republic of Rehan under the figurehead Rehanese ruler, between the ever-feuding Rain and Sun Empires. So Amaya takes on the persona of Countess Yamaa and is trained in the ways of the elite to impress the vain and wealthy denizens of Moray. Her aim is to get close to Kamon’s son, Cayo, but she realizes he isn’t like his father at all. And she can’t get close to Kamon’s youngest, a daughter named Soria (she’s two years younger than Cayo), as she has fallen ill with the dreaded ash fever. That’s what took their mother years back, and there is no cure. They cannot figure out where it originated, but Cayo is determined to make his sister well. The only medicine on the market is terribly expensive, and his father is not the rich man he once was. To what ends will Cayo go to get the medicine Soria needs? Will he return to his ways in the Vice Sector? Can those ruled by avarice who also rule their sectors be overthrown by a young man braced with determination and light pockets or a young woman with a fake name and deep pockets of questionable origin?

            The smell of corruption practically wafts from the pages in this novel at times darkly shimmering and overpoweringly rancid. Even corruption has politics, and coupled with a knife-wielding, 17-year-old girl with revenge on her mind, the adventures are perilous and full of attitude. "Scavenge the Stars" is diverse on multiple levels without drawing attention to the diversity, be it by race or orientation or what have you, and those are always points in an author's favor. The characters aren’t outward heroes; they have flaws and make bad judgment calls, too. The setting is lush in its danger and the world-building detailed, though the ending felt a bit rushed, and I wish the book contained a map (I do appreciate good maps of fantasy worlds). I look toward the sequel, but am keeping my guard up. One never knows what malice awaits!

Someday (Oct. 2, 2018) by David Levithan.

*This is the final novel in a trilogy.*

It turns out A isn’t the only one who moves from body to body every day. One such person, known as X, is desperate to meet A, and he decides that Nathan will get him to A. Nathan, a person that A lived as for a day, realized he was missing a day of his life. Normally, A is meticulous in covering evidence of his visits, but enough of something stuck with Nathan that he felt affected. He keeps thinking “Rhiannon,” which brings him to her door. Rhiannon is now dating Alexander, and he’s a good guy, but she isn’t over A. A disappeared, assuming they could never have a real relationship, but Rhiannon is adamant that he shouldn’t have made that decision for the both of them. They eventually decide to meet up, and Nathan finally reveals that X (formerly Reverend Poole) has been stalking him. In X’s desperation to meet with A, he goes so far as to assault Nathan. X is clearly not a good (or stable) person in any form he’s in, nor does he want to be. A knows this and yet he also looks forward to the conversations, having never met anyone who body jumps as he does. Will X’s words be so convincing as to fool A into thinking he’s trustworthy? Or will A work with Rhiannon and Nathan to force X out? Is that even possible?

            The concept of someone living out one’s life in a different body every day intrigued me, which is why I read “Every Day” back in 2016. I got through this entire book before realizing I was not, in fact, reading the second installment, but the final one, and, honestly, I didn’t think I was missing anything by not reading “Another Day.” Levithan tells the story through the primary characters of A, Rhiannon, Nathan and X and also includes insight from other body jumpers of a multitude of ages, giving more credence to the fact that A and X are not alone. The concept is unique, and the author provides a diverse cast of characters for A to inhabit. It isn’t only that he might be male or female for the day, tall or short, Caucasian or not, but that he may inhabit someone who’s battling mental health issues (and not winning), bullying or poverty. “Someday” isn’t primarily a relationship story, but more one of morality. If you jumped bodies every day, would you strive to better the person or would you be destructive, knowing the consequences would be placed on an unwitting individual as you moved on without a worry? What does your soul say?

"Out of the Embers" by Amanda Cabot

Out of the Embers (Mar. 3, 2020) by Amanda Cabot.*

Now a 23-year-old woman in 1856, Evelyn Radcliffe is homeless once again. The orphanage that became her refuge 10 years before and later on her workplace has been burned. Arson is apparent. Only she and a young orphan girl named Polly have escaped (she won’t share her last name). Evelyn’s certain that the fire is related to her parents’ murder a decade earlier, so she flees with Polly to Texas Hill Country and, specifically, Mesquite Springs. She finds shelter in the home Wyatt Clark lives in with his mom, Isolde, and younger sister, Dorothy. Wyatt is a horse rancher who became one out of obligation when his dad was killed, but his greatest desire is to make the ranch successful so he can get out of Texas. Evelyn just wants to feel safe and keep herself and Polly (whom she’s referring to as her sister) safe. A skilled cook, she opens up the one restaurant in town and quickly becomes known for her oatmeal pecan pie. She’s captured the attention of two men who seem to be in competition with each other: Sam Plaut, the town’s handsome lawyer, and Caleb Smith, considered the town’s handsomest bachelor who’s the son of the town’s blacksmith and who also works at Circle C Stables for Wyatt. But it’s Wyatt that makes Evelyn feel safe and who Polly has declared she wants for a daddy. It’s Wyatt that she finds easy to talk to. And now when Wyatt thinks of leaving, he realizes how much he’d miss Evelyn. With someone likely looking for Evelyn (or Polly), can she and Wyatt build a relationship amidst fear, stress and turmoil?

            Although this inspirational prairie romance was at times sickly sweet, a modicum of suspense and a clearly wicked antagonist kept the first in the Mesquite Springs series pretty lively. The romance did get to me, though. I’m not an eye-roller, but more than once did I want to roll my eyes. If I read one more line along the lines of, “He couldn’t stop thinking about kissing her lips,” I was going to go with a resounding no to any interest in the remainder of the series. And that would’ve been unfair, as this is the first I’ve read from Cabot. Sappy sweet aside, I did root for the main characters and supporting characters like Isolde, Dorothy and Caleb. I appreciate the strength of the women and how the tension and suspense of the plot kept the story moving forward.

            Thought: With such an emphasis on Evelyn’s oatmeal pecan pie, I was expecting there to be a recipe at the end of the story and felt let down when there wasn’t.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”