Alison Palmer’s review of The Hidden Sun
The Hidden Sun by J. Lloyd Morgan is an enjoyable story of a woman facing her destiny for being queen with a difficult decision. As the new queen, she is required to enter into an arranged marriage and the person who has been chosen for her leaves her nervous and uncomfortable. Things have been slightly off in his corner of the kingdom for many years but it is unclear what is really happening. She’s worried for her kingdom and worried for her heart. It’s not bad enough that she is supposed to enter into a marriage she does not want but doing so would require her to put aside the love she feels for a man who has proven himself good and true.
It’s an interesting and compelling journey to take with the characters. I enjoyed my time within The Hidden Sun’s pages very much. And bonus: I loved the naming conventions of many characters. Some people might find them a little cheesy but for me they were plain fun.
I actually think that The Hidden Sun’s best quality comes in the form of the moral message woven into the story, mainly: the differences between right and wrong and the long-term consequences of both. While the logical choices of right and wrong may be clear enough, in every situation you’ll find multiple shades of grey that make it hard to see where such choices could lead. Morgan’s approach is to take the stand that wrong choices, even when you feel they have been justified by good reasons, will have far reaching consequences which are rarely good.
The story is engaging and enjoyable, with the added layer of a “moral of the story”, this might be a good choice if you happen to have a teenage child on the verge of life and finding themselves getting a little lost in the mists of life. Those who have a good understanding of the gospel or just find themselves struggling a little will find a great story that lets them see the consequences of someone’s actions from a safe distance. It allows them to look at their own choices with a different perspective.
For this aspect alone, I would recommend The Hidden Sun find a place on your family’s bookshelf. Pick up a copy and see what little messages you can find hidden in it that seem to speak directly to you and your life’s journey.
“A Bookworm’s Tale” review of The Hidden Sun
I am a big fan of unique names, so seeing so many of them in this book excited me. Not only were the names unique, however, but the characters themselves all had unique and well defined personalities. You could easily fall in love with the characters, even several of the evil ones.
The plot was always twisting and turning, making certain events very unexpected. I often cried out in protest or surprise while reading it, because of something that had happened with no previous foreshadowing to lead up to the event. I certainly wanted to keep reading to see what might happen next.
The first line of the book, “The sun’s playing hide and seek,” ties the whole story together in a way so that all the characters introduced halfway through the book, and the periods and time that the story skips all make sense and fit right into the plot of the story.
This novel’s mix of fantasy and romance drew me in and kept me in and I can’t wait for the next book to come out.
Review of The Waxing Moon by Mandi Tucker Slack
For those of you who have read J. Lloyd Morgan’s The Hidden Sun, the long-awaited sequel if finally here. Filled with intrigue, adventure and a little romance, The Waxing Moon will leave you reading long into the night.
When the inhabitants of a small village in the north suddenly disappear, the people of Bariwon are left feeling uneasy. Trying to discover the fate of the townspeople, King Rayne sends a scouting party to investigate, but when the party discovers a secret passage hidden deep within the formidable mountains they discover things are worse than they feared. When the scouting party is attacked by a band of ruthless warriors, Snapdragon, a newly appointed Royal Guardian, is Bariwon’s only hope. As he unravels the mysteries of the tunnel, he learns of an ancient secret that could change the kingdom of Bariwon forever.
I have to admit, I don’t usually read books in this genre, but I loved The Hidden Sun, and when asked to review The Waxing Moon, I was ecstatic. The characters are very well-developed. Snapdragon is definitely a surprise. In the beginning, his character is full of flaws. He’s reckless, easy to anger, and trying much too hard to prove himself to world. But as he begins his journey, his growth and change are evident. His character develops in a way that will leave you cheering for this young hero and anxiously hoping for his success.
The story-line is paced to perfection, and the plot is very well developed. I give J. Lloyd Morgan five-stars and can hardly wait to read the next book in the series.
Review of The Zealous Star by Kim Burr
This is the last (3rd) story in the Bariwon Chronicles- I tried the first one for my kindle and was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. I then promptly bought the second and this one, the third, books in the series. I went through all 3 pretty quickly and enjoyed them very much.
This one has the characters from both the first and second books but they are older and this concentrates on their children and their adventures. It was nice to see the characters I loved from before and to get to know the new characters as well.
I wish there were more stories in this series which to me is a sure sign of a great series!
Review of Wall of Faith by Braden Bell
This book kept me up quite late into the night. It is a profoundly disturbing tale—that ends on an equally hopeful note. It is not for the easily offended or easily upset. The author confronted the fact that humans do not always live up to the best ideals of their faith. In fact, sometimes they fail spectacularly. That difficult reality caused him a great deal of difficulty at a time in his life when he was vulnerable and should have been helped by those who hurt him.
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In that sense, this book is difficult, because it shows people who are not living up to their faith. However, I noticed and appreciated that the author never attacked the faith because those who professed it were not all they should have been. In fact, that is part of the point of the book. Life is difficult, and the fact that we have faith or believe the teachings of a church will not insulate us from difficulties. But the point of faith is to give us strength—not to point out the failings of others.
This is ultimately, a hopeful story, one that reminds of us the miracles that can happen when God is allowed in our lives. It also reminds us to be kind to those who struggle and to keep Christian compassion and kindness at the center of interactions with each other.
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A very gripping, intense, soul-searching book.
Review of The Mirror of the Soul by Author Tamara Ward
J. Lloyd Morgan writes a story that transcends the written page.
In The Mirror of the Soul, expect to find a great story, wonderfully complex characters, heart-palpitating conflict with twists in the plot that will completely shock you, and a spine-tingling ending that also will make you pause and consider how the message of the book relates to your own life. And speaking about that, the book’s message, sometimes you read a book with a message and it comes off as clunky or preachy – staged. Not so with The Mirror of the Soul.
Morgan is an expert storyteller and the message of his story never gets in the way of the story.
Beautiful. Masterful.
I have to admit I was hesitant to read this book. It did not seem like it would be something that I would enjoy. I don't really care for baseball, and it features a teen boy. I was not sure I could identify with him or the book very much. Boy, was I wrong. This was a great wholesome book full of life lessons. As for baseball, there were a couple of references because Derek had been a star baseball player but there really was not much else about baseball.
I was quite surprised by how taken I was with this book. I could not put it down. J. Lloyd Morgan pulled me in from the very beginning of the book. The feelings in this book were palpable. I felt such empathy for the characters, and really cared about what happened to them.
What is really refreshing, is how wholesome the book is. This is a book that is appropriate for all ages. I would not have any hesitancy in letting my nephews that are in middle school read this one. In fact, I will be recommending this book to them. There are so many things they can learn from this book while also being entertained and engaged. This book teaches values without throwing it in your face.
Most of the characters, if not all, are Mormon. Again, this is not thrown in your face. It does talk about the values that Derek has, and that he might go on a mission. While I don't know much about the Mormon faith, I do know that they share many beliefs with Christians,.
The only problem I see that some parents might have with the book is that they might think that the book might try to convert their children. Well, they do not have to worry about this because the book does not discuss the beliefs that Mormons have. It only touches on some of the values that they have.
I give this book 5 stars. It is entertaining while also teaching values and morals. It is a wonderful book that people of all ages will love. Boys may like this more than girls but just because the main character is male. I strongly urge you to purchase and read this book. You will love it.
Review of Conversation with a Student by T. Ferguson
I've had this book sitting out on our kitchen counter for the past few weeks, and I've found my kids and hubby opening it to random spots, chuckling, then moving on to whatever they needed to go work on. It's been a fun way to find a smile - but also a great conversation tool to chat with our kids about what it means to be a responsible student and how to communicate with your teachers appropriately.