Kristy Cambron's "Castle on the Rise" - Lost Castle, book 2

Three timelines centered around one castle weave together to capture Ireland's history and hope for the future. Approaching the turn of the 19th century, Maeve tries to hold her estate together as  catholic fights protestant and Ireland rebels against England. During the Easter Uprising of 1916, Issy steps outside the bounds of her aristocratic upbringing to capture on film Ireland's bloody push for freedom. Today, Laine Forrester, barely holding herself together after the crumbling of her own marriage, travels to Ireland to stand by her best friend as she begins her marriage with cancer treatments.

Between the title and the subject matter, I had the song The Rising of the Moon running through my head for pretty much the entirety of the novel. I loved the history included in this book--it wasn't until college that I learned anything about Ireland's bloody history of failed rebellion after failed rebellion under British rule, and it was exciting to find a story set during some of those pivotal moments.

It figures that Eoin was my favorite hero--he and Maeve are the couple I cried over by far the most (oh, that ending . . . ). I love that Maeve's desire is to bring unity in a divided nation, while Issy's goal is to visually capture the truth of the uprising. And Laine has some powerful moments herself while standing up with her best friend as she begins cancer treatments. The hair-cutting scene was wrenching and uplifting at the same time.

The one thing that consistently bothers me about multi-timeline novels is that two--or in this case, three--stories are fit into the same space as a normal full-length novel. Thus I'm caught up in three different stories, wishing that each could be a full novel rather than a mere third of one. But to be fair they were balanced well, and I never grew bored with any of them. The two historical timelines fit really well together,  while the modern one a little less well (it had emotional stakes, like the other two, but lacked the physical stakes). Cambron went somewhere I didn't expect with one of the timelines, and it was all the more powerful for it; I loved it and thoroughly disliked it at the same time (which is to say it was really good, even if it left me an emotional wreck).

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lost Castle

1. The Lost Castle

2. Castle on the Rise

3. The Painted Castle

"The Curse of Misty Wayfair" by Jaime Jo Wright

1908: Thea Reed, a postmortem photographer, travels to Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin in hopes of finding her mother who abandoned her, fearing that the key to finding her is in the local mental asylum. However, she never expected her quest would reawaken the legend of Misty Wayfair, a murdered woman who allegedly haunts the area and whose appearance portends death. A century later, Heidi Lane receives a troubling letter from her mother--who is battling dementia--compelling her to travel to Pleasant Valley for answers to her own questions of identity. When she catches sight of a ghostly woman who haunts the asylum ruins in the woods, the long-standing story of Misty Wayfair returns--and with it, Heidi's fear for her own life. As two women across time seek answers about their identities and heritage, can they overcome the threat of the mysterious curse that has them inextricably intertwined?

Jaime Jo Wright's book just keep getting better and better all the time (and they started out as pretty impressive). Right from the first page the story grabbed me, both Thea's and Heidi's. Part of it is the creepy, dark tone that is so prevalent in Wright's stories, something thrillingly different from most anything else I typically read. And the other part is that Wright is just one good writer. I cannot say which heroine I liked more--both are compelling, sympathetic, misunderstood, searching . . . but both are strong in their own way, even amongst their myriad of weaknesses.

It boggles my mind how the author can write such a complex book, where threads from the past and present intertwine, where every scene, every page is important because the details all matter. It isn't as cut and dried as a typical mystery/suspense, where the subconscious goal of the reader is to figure out the villain or the mystery. Here I can read with such enjoyment that my thoughts aren't subtly distracting me by trying to figure everything out. I'm just along for the ride. And it's a dark, spooky, heart-breaking, yet hopeful and satisfying ride.

Depression and mental disorders are something that doesn't come up much in Christian fiction, at least certainly not to the degree that Wright has in this story (and she does a wonderful job of it, based on my minimal knowledge). What is apparent on the surface is not always indicative of the turmoil beneath, and there are a lot of characters who aren't all that they seem, like Heidi and her cheery, hopeful outward appearance that disguises her constant fear and threat of panic attacks. But some, like Rhett and his mom, are wonderfully what-you-see-is-what-you-get, in all the best ways, sharing the love of Christ with the lost.

It is spectacular. For anyone who enjoys a spooky ghost story, I highly recommend it.

"In the Shadow of Croft Towers" by Abigail Wilson

Orphaned Sybil Delafield jumps at the opportunity for a position at the mysterious Croft Towers. She believes she was hired to act as companion to a dying woman, but a highway robbery and a hostile welcome from the Chalcroft family cause her to wonder if she was actually hired to help someone spy for France. Everyone seems to have something to hide, and Sybil must decide who to trust while also coming to terms with the truth about her own past.

I enjoy a good Gothic tale, and this one definitely hit the spot. I was hooked from the very beginning. There's an ominous feel to the story; secrets, storms, and spies abound (among other things that could well spoil the story for you). And as with any book of said genre, first impressions are not to be trusted. 

I'm not sure what it is about highwaymen that is so romantic (since I'm sure the reality of them was anything but), but it is hard to resist the dashing Mr. Sinclair. Sybil herself is a compelling heroine, and I enjoyed the first-person viewpoint.

While it wasn't hard to figure out the mystery of Sybil's family, I was thoroughly surprised by several other revelations in this complex tale. I didn't catch a single spiritual element to the story, but it was a clean read and highly enjoyable. I really enjoyed the author's voice, and I will gladly read whatever else she has to offer!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Most Anticipated Christian Fiction of 2019!

Looking ahead to 2019, here is my most anticipated Christian fiction. When the titles are released for fall 2019 (generally around March), I will no doubt be adding to this list!

Historical:

  

January: A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz (Revell)

January: Flights of Fancy by Jen Turano (Bethany House); American Heiresses, book 1

February: Between Two Shores by Jocelyn Green (Bethany House)

  

February: A Return of Devotion by Kristi Ann Hunter (Bethany House); Haven Manor, book 2

February: The Sky Above Us by Sarah Sundin (Revell); Sunrise at Normandy, book 2

March: Far Side of the Sea by Kate Breslin (Bethany House)

  

June: The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White (Bethany House); The Codebreakers, book 1

June: The King's Mercy by Lori Benton (Waterbrook/Multnomah)

June: More Than Words Can Say by Karen Witemeyer (Bethany House); Patchwork Family, book 2

  

August: Finding Lady Enderly by Joanna Davidson Politano (Revell)

September: Diamond in the Rough by Jen Turano (Bethany House); American Heiresses, book 2

November: A Pursuit of Home by Kristi Ann Hunter (Bethany House); Haven Manor, book 3

 

December: The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen (Bethany House)

December: The Major's Daughter by Regina Jennings (Bethany House); Fort Reno, book 3

  

Dual Timeline
December: Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright (Bethany House)

  

Contemporary
May: Sweet on You by Becky Wade (Bethany House); Bradford Sisters, book 3

May: Wooing Cadie McCaffrey by Bethany Turner (Revell)

Fantasy:
May: Flight of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse (Bethany House); Ravenwood Saga, book 2

"With This Pledge" by Tamara Alexander - Carnton, book 1

With the battle of Franklin happening within sight of its windows, Carnton Plantation is turned into a field hospital for the thousands of Confederate soldiers being mowed down in this decisive battle of the Civil War. Level-headed Lizzie Clouston, governess of the McGavock children, is drafted as a nurse, where she meets--and makes promises to--the soldiers at death's door. To one, she promises to send a message to his mother, and to Captain Roland Jones, she promises to keep the surgeon from amputating his leg--though without amputation, his chances of survival are slim. Though promised to another, Lizzie is drawn to Roland in a way she has never felt toward her fiance. Yet even without her fiance standing between them, their opposing morals promise to keep them apart--and Lizzie will do what is right, whatever the cost.

I love it when stories are based on history, and this one is even more tied to it than most, being based almost entirely on historic and personal accounts--including love letters--of people at Carnton Plantation during the battle of Franklin and its aftermath, even the primary love story, which feels like a tale of fiction it's so beautiful and well-written. I was impressed by the strength and faith of Lizzie and the McGavocks, their generosity to those in need, and their honor in their dealings.

One thing, the story is bloody. How can it not be when in five hours nearly 2,000 Confederates were killed and another 5,000 gravely wounded? But if you've read Lynn Austin's Fire by Night or Jocelyn Green's Wedded to War, this is similar in depth of surgical detail, but from the unique perspective of a household that was given little say in becoming a hospital (and yet gave freely and generously anyway).

One of the most fascinating things about this story--as with the most well-written stories about the Civil War--is the moral dilemmas presented in it. The things that, viewed from a distance, seem black and white, yet when up close and personal, are heart-breakingly gray. We think of slave owners as evil, yet as Roland points out, he was taught to love the Lord by men who owned slaves. Did that make him, his father, and his grandfather evil, in spite of their otherwise upright natures? We rejoice because the battle of Franklin heralded the end of the war, and the end of slavery--both good things--yet what a cost . . . all those boys mowed down in an open field. Brothers, fathers, husbands, sons; saved and unsaved, morally upright or plain evil. None had a chance.

It reminds me of the last few chapters of the book of Judges--not so much because it, too, is essentially a civil war, but because for so long, men ignored what God says is right and instead did what was right in their own eyes. And when we do that, soon there is no good solution anymore. Wrongs are committed to right the original wrong in hopes that the ends justify the means, but ultimately, everyone loses. I think on that, the widows of both the North and the South would agree, as would the orphans, and the childless mothers.

In case you hadn't figured it out, it's quite the thought-provoking story; extremely well written, heart-wrenching yet inspiring at the same time. And it is the winner of the 2019 Christy Award for Best Historical Romance!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Carnton
0.5: Christmas at Carnton
1. With This Pledge
2. Colors of Truth

Related Nashville Novels (contain some cross-over characters/connections to Carnton):

Belmont Mansion
1. A Lasting Impression
2. A Beauty So Rare
3. A Note Yet Unsung

Belle Meade Plantation
1. To Whisper Her Name
2. To Win Her Favor
2.5 "To Mend a Dream" (part of the novella collection Among the Fair Magnolias)
3. To Wager Her Heart