The Prophet Book Review

Book One

SUMMARY:  Platitude is a sleepy little town nestled in the mountains right in the middle of nowhere.  Lightning bugs tease the children on long summer nights, the sweet scent of lavender fills the spring air, and demons swarm the town, blocking out the sun.  Their goal is to ensure an entire generation is lost to the lies of darkness.

     Aegeus, a warrior of the King, has been assigned to lead a team of angels to Platitude.  But this mission is unlike any mission they have ever undertaken.  Each of the twelve humans carries burdens deep within their souls, and one of them is rumored to be a prophet.

     To help the twelve, discover who they really are, Aegeus must embark on his own journey of self-discovery.  Soon, it becomes clear that the humans are not the only ones being hunted and destroyed.  The fate of Aegeus himself may lie in the hands of the very human he was sent to protect.

REVIEW:  If you like Frank Peretti's novels Piercing the Darkness and This Present Darkness, you will enjoy reading The Prophet.  It is the first book by new author Dr. Ande Edwards.  The story is divided between the spiritual realm and the physical one.  Angels have been put in charge of twelve humans who are charged to help Christians fight against the dark forces of evil.  Only thing is: the humans don't know this is their job.  As they deal with difficulties on the college campus where they work and study, the twelve find strength in each other, their faith and, most importantly, prayer.  There were times when the story switched from the human realm to the angelic and back that made it a little harder to adjust.  But the longer I read, the more accustom I became to the switch.  Also, the humans are only referred to by a number (One, Three, Twelve, etc.) instead of their names.  It would have been nice to have a List of Characters to help me remember which person held which job and how they were connected to each other. There were a few times it would have been helpful when important events occurred to help keep the characters straight in my mind.
     I really enjoyed reading this book.  Ande Edwards did an excellent job.  I look forward to the second novel and the rest of the books in this series.  Hope it's not a long wait.

This book was provided by a family member of the author. 

 I was asked to post an honest review of it.

Dr. Ande Edwards is a bit of a mess.  She is an artist living in a cupcake-loving scientist's body.  Ande has always loved writing and photography.  But somehow, through the crazy sort of path only God can steer you down, she ended up studying the sciences.  The idea of writing a book was far from view.  She discovered Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker long after the rest of the world, but they inspired her to consider the spiritual realm in a different way.  She seeks to explore the spiritual battle that rages around us through the eyes of an artist and a woman of faith and science.  You can follow Ande on Facebook and Twitter.

Grounded Hearts Book Review

SUMMARY:  A brave midwife.  A wounded pilot.  A risky secret.
     In the midst of World War II, Ireland has declared herself neutral.  Troops found on Irish soil must be reported and interned, no matter which side they are fighting for.  When midwife Nan O'Neil finds a wounded young Canadian pilot at her door, she knows she's taking a huge risk by letting him in. Not only is she a widow living alone, but if caught harboring a combatant, she'll face imprisonment.
     Still, something compels Nan to take in "flyboy" Dutch Whitney, an RAF pilot whose bomber has just crashed over County Clare.  While she tends to his wounds and gives him a secret place of refuge, the two begin to form a mutual affection - and an unbreakable bond.
     But Nan has another secret, one that has racked her with guilt since her husband's death and made her question ever loving again.  As Nan and Dutch plan his escape, can he help restore her faith?

REVIEW:  While parts of this book was interesting, there are quite a bit that I found a little disheartening and concerning in a book that was supposed to be Christian fiction.  While reading, I learned about Ireland's neutrality during World War II and how difficult life could be for those who were found helping anyone involved in any way with the action.  In Grounded Hearts, the militia groups, and their affiliates, would arrest anyone thought to be harboring, in their eyes, a fugitive.  When Nan took in Dutch after he crashed his airplane in a nearby bog, she decided to hide him while he healed from his injuries.  Doing so, she took a great risk to her reputation as the local (and only) midwife for the area.  Also, reading about the treatment of the arrested fugitives in Ireland was eye-opening and shocking, in a good way.  The adventure Nan and Dutch had trying to get him across the border to Northern Ireland was funny at times.  I also liked how Nan steps out of her comfort zone and finds there is more to life when you just take a little risk.
     One disheartening and concerning part was how the local Irish men were portrayed.  They were shown to be ignorant, overbearing, and totally clueless about the actions of their wives.  All they were concerned about was having the house taken care of and their needs met.  They were portrayed as being drunk as soon as it was "socially acceptable."  As their wives took control of the situation Nan found herself in, the men of the village didn't have a clue about what was happening.  While I like having strong women characters, I don't like it at the expense of the men.
     Another concerning part was how the attraction between Dutch and Nan was illustrated.  There were times when I became a little uncomfortable reading about how they felt and what each other found attractive.  It was more descriptive than I usually find in Christian novels and was mentioned at every turn.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group and Waterfall Press 

for review without any compensation.

Jeanne M. Dickson was born into an Irish American family, the only girl surrounded by four brothers.  Her grandmother lived with them and was a constant source of stories about life in Ireland and about saint and ancestors long gone from this earth.  Jeanne credits her mother, her aunts, and her grandmother for her love of storytelling.