SENTINEL by Jamie Foley | An Allegorical Thriller Reminiscent of Rick Riordan

★★★★☆

The adventure begins...

I'm not one for thrillers or anything labeled "supernatural" -- it's just not my thing. But Jamie Foley's Sentinel -- the first in a striking new trilogy -- is an exception.

Darien Aetherswift's life isn't perfect. And neither is his sister Tera's. Their life is modest, cramped into a tiny apartment and repair shop filled with frequent calls to their insane mother, haunted by the memory of their father's death.

And then the meteor storm comes.

Suddenly, Darien and Tera's barely-manageable life spirals out of control, and, little do they know, they're being hunted.

THIS. BOOK. Y'ALL. Just... i cant words.

First off, CAN WE TALK ABOUT JET? bc Jet had to be my favorite part of this book.

An ex-sniper, Jet cares about two people, and two people only. The first is his sister, Aleah. The second... well, you'll see. 😉

But Jet is seriously A WHOLE BUNCH OF MUSCLES AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF AWESOME. He mentors Darien throughout the novel (and hates his guts... Jet and Darien should be every bromance's goal 😜), is desperately fond of people (but still a military man at heart), and is basically every character's Prince-Charming-to-the-rescue. (Seriously, he's amazing. Reason #10898945 you should read this novel.)

Secondly, the plot + the writing. Think a lighter, Christian version of Rick Riordan... but with angels' besties and element-wielding teens instead of Greek mythology and demigods. Got a clear picture? Yeah, IT'S EPIC. 😻

Just... go read this book, guys! You won't regret it. 💜

You may want to know: There is a fair bit of violence, along with some supernatural (but allegorical) elements.

NOTE: I received a free ebook copy of Sentinel from the author, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Click here to read my Goodreads review.

❤, the Book Dragon

DANDELION DUST by Faith L. Potts | A Stunning, Modern Romance Filled with Parables of Christianity

First of all, my apologies to Faith for this review taking so long in the writing! Life kinda swallowed me whole. 😉

Now, on to the review...

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★★★★★

(4.5 stars)

For one small moment, Charity's life was perfect -- until a fraction of a second changed everything.

When Faith announced the release of her debut novella, I was ecstatic. A modern, Christian romance featuring two young adults? With a coffee shop or two, and a dash of four-wheeling thrown in? SO MUCH YES. So when the opportunity arose to review Dandelion Dust, I jumped at the chance... and I was not in the least disappointed. 💕

Charity Grace's life is perfect. Four years ago, a mission trip to Guatemala revealed a newfound friend in Hannah Traven, an Oklahoma native. Now, Charity's off to college... and she and Hannah's older brother are dating, completely head-over-heels for one another.

...And then the phone call comes, and Charity's world begins to crumble. For, "like a speck of dandelion dust riding the tides of a prairie wind, life is fleeting"... and her boyfriend's life hangs in the balance.

FRENS. This book... *sighs* I laughed, I cried, I adored it.

Each character was so human, so flawlessly crafted that one could easily believe them to be a friend or family member.

AND THE ROMANCE. *flails* Gaaah, the romance! It. Was. Adorable. Ryder and Charity were so sweet and natural together! I'd readily describe it as one of the most realistic inspirational romances I've ever read.

My, my. The plot, the themes, the writing... it was all woven together so beautifully. Everything about this book was perfect. 💗

For a truly inspiring tale of God's unwavering love, I whole-heartedly recommend Dandelion Dust!

You may want to know: Although one character is injured in a quad accident, the story does not dwell on the specifics of the incident itself (a.k.a. there's no gore). This book does carry a bit of romance, but I'd readily deem it void of anything questionable. 🙂

NOTE: I received a free ebook copy of Dandelion Dust from the author, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Click here to read my Goodreads review.

❤, the Book Dragon

THE NOTES IN OUR HEARTS | A Thoughtful Short Story ft. Multi-Generation Romances

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★★★★☆

San Francisco, 1993: Olivia Hartford is a theatre manager on the hunt for a musician-for-hire. But when her grandmother reveals a heartbreaking past and Olivia uncovers a shocking secret, her entire world is tossed on stormy seas. For better or for worse, there is more to this story than she ever could've imagined...

Oh, how nice this story was! The romance was positively charming, and I loved how several generations were pulled in and woven through! And that gentlemanly respect for marriage... YES. It was wonderful, and so needs to be in YA fiction, more! 😄 Four stars!

You may want to know: This book was completely clean, and seemed void of anything questionable. 🙂

NOTE: I received a free ebook copy of The Notes in Our Hearts from the author, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Click here to read my Goodreads review.

❤, the Book Dragon

THE SOUND OF SILVER | An Emotion-Packed Sequel to THE SOUND OF DIAMONDS

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★★★☆☆

She fights for faith. He fights for honor.

I read and reviewed The Sound of Diamonds, book one in the Steadfast Love trilogy, back in April, as a part of The Sound of Emeralds anniversary tour. After thoroughly enjoying it, Rachelle was so kind as to offer me a free ebook copy of its sequel in exchange for an honest review (I'm so sorry this took so long in the writing, friend!).

The Sound of Silver picks up immediately where book one left off. Dirk has just rescu-- well, spoilers, m'dear. Spoilers. 😉

Character-wise, loved how much Cade and Ian were further developed! The difference between them was much clearer than before, and I totally ship Cade and Margried and Ian and a certain someone!

However, I felt a great deal less connected to Dirk and Gwyn. I wanted to shake them and another main couple so I could remind them that THEY BELONG TOGETHER! But several of these issues were well resolved, by the end. 😸

Though I didn't love The Sound of Silver quite as much as The Sound of Diamonds, don't let my lower rating deter you! If you enjoy Christian romance set in the late middle ages, then I'm sure you'll enjoy this!

You may want to know: There is some detailed kissing, as well as mild violence.

NOTE: As mentioned above, I received a free ebook copy of The Sound of Silver from the author, in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Click here to read my Goodreads review.

❤, the Book Dragon

CLOAKED by Rachel Kovaciny | A Captivating, Old West Retelling of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

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★★★★★

A story of love. A story of fear. A story of hope. A story of courage.

Have you ever read a book that makes you crave an adventure? Perhaps a story that sparks a desire for travel, or independence? A story that simply sweeps you off your feet, whisking you away and inspiring that sense of wanderlust? For me, that story was Cloaked, by Rachel Kovaciny.

Mary Rose arrives in Wyoming with few expectations; all she knows is that she's to meet her grandmother, an estranged -- and possibly wealthy -- member of the family. But when a striking accountant enters the scene, Mary Rose realizes that her newfound adventure was merely a mirage... and she might just need to flee for her life.

Oh, this book was wonderful! Like the sunrise on a chilly spring morning, this book held such a glow of warm familiarity. The writing style was direct and to-the-point, but also maintained a bit of elegance. The characters were all so real: Mary Rose with her curiosity, Jubilee and Hauer with their friendship and laughter, Mr. Linden with his charms...

Cloaked was so amazing! I highly recommend it, and I would read it again in a heartbeat. ❤

You may want to know: There are some implications, including brief and un-descriptive "touching" and a forced kiss. There is some mild violence, as well as a very light romance.

NOTE: I received a free ebook copy of Cloaked from the author, in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Click here to read my Goodreads review.

❤, the Book Dragon

COILED by H.L. Burke | A Sweet, Mythological Romance

{Image provided by H.L. Burke.}

★★★★☆

(3.5 stars)

Greek mythology retold. A giant, man-eating serpent. A rejected princess with a hideous curse and an astounding gift.

From the moment I first heard about H.L.'s upcoming novel to the moment I saw the cover, I knew this was a story I wanted to read.

A retelling of Eros & Psyche, as well as a Beauty & the Beast retelling in its own right, Coiled is the story of Laidra -- a girl forced into hiding by her own family, treated as if she was the child who was never meant to be, and thrown into political schemes as bait for a monstrous snake.

The characters -- Calen is so adorable! Which is saying a lot, because I hate snakes. But (thankfully!), Calen was no problem for me! He was such a cute, lovely little ginormous guy! 😊

ZEPHIA. She was probably my favorite character in the entire book! A clever, powerful demigoddess, daughter to a wind god? Yes, please!

And Valen. Uhg, Valen. He and his father are both such terrible people that I love/hate it. The pair of them would both, without a doubt, qualify for Paper Fury's "best worst villain to hate".

The romance -- The romance was definitely sweet. As the story progressed, however, I felt like the affection between Laidra and Calen was starting to be displayed a little too physically. A good dose of innocence in the romantic area would've been preferred, but otherwise, the romance was considerably clean. (See notes below.)

The writing -- H.L.'s voice is fast-paced, but not too much -- just enough to keep the story going at a likable, adventure-ready pace.

The setting -- The mythology elements shown through just enough to deliver an allegorical tale evidently set in a fantasy land inspired by ancient Greece. And, being the Greek mythology nerd that I am, I loved uncovering the subtle little references to characters such as Theseus and Perseus!

The plot -- About halfway through, when a certain unfortunate event occurred to a certain primary character, an unforeseen journey came into view. I tend to prefer romance in a story when it's "all or nothing", so I personally would've liked that journey to... not exist? It was certainly enlightening and relevant to the story, but I would've preferred to focus on the relationship between the main characters.

This made for such a lovely read! I'd recommend this to anyone searching for a sweet, romantic read with mythological elements thrown in. 🙂

You may want to know: There are some brief and rather undescriptive references to nudity, as well as strong suggestions/implications. There is violence and references to warfare, along with the involvement of "gods", drinking, magical elements, and kissing. The "ba-word" is used once.

NOTE: I received a free ebook copy of Coiled from the author, in exchange for my honest review.

Click here to read my Goodreads review.

❤, the Book Dragon

Breaking News: The Book Dragon's Reviews Have Drastically Decreased in Size!

Hello, my friends!

As you may have noticed, it's been a few months since I last posted, and my posts' number is rather few and far-between.

I've still been rating books, and you're more than welcome to send me a friend request on Goodreads! My reviews have been much shorter, though -- typically just a few words in summary of my thoughts.

Towards the end of last school year, I started to realize just how much time it takes for me to write a normal/decently sized review -- at least an hour, sometimes more. Between blogging elsewhere, writing, acting, and still being in school (and attempting to maintain a life... somewhat), writing full reviews is no longer at the top of my priority list.

But please note that I still write small reviews. I don't always take the time to include content, but if a book I read is bad or strictly contains inappropriate content, Lord willing, I will mention that.

And that was the sole purpose of this blog -- to provide Christian readers with more reading material. But, the more involved I've become with the author community, the easier I've found it to find clean reading material (just take a look at my oversized TBR pile).

Granted, I plan to still post here with full reviews from time to time. Lord willing, there will be another review here by the end of this week. But I fear that my posting here will be rather lacking -- at least for a while.

Again, if you'd still like to follow my reviews, just shoot me a request on Goodreads! I love connecting with friends and fellow readers. ❤

Thank you for being you! ❣ God willing, I'll see you all soon!

❤, the Book Dragon