The Last Protector by Daniel Starr (with Review)

Scrornuck Saughblade, a tall, red-haired young man who wears a kilt and packs a "magic" sword, thinks he's just doing a good deed and maybe meeting a new girlfriend when he wades into a Saturday-night bar brawl to rescue serving-wench Nalia. Jape Phelps, the Ranger whom Scrornuck is sworn to protect, knows better: Nalia's ability to duck a punch before it's thrown is the visible display of a much deeper talent, a talent that just might save the world when the "streams of time" cross two weeks hence.

Read more about how Starr created his world's religion, Spafuism: Faith-Filled Fiction



Mini Review by Karina:

FTC Disclaimer: All I know was I was standing in this incredibly long line waiting to go on some crazy ride I wasn't looking forward to but my kids were clamoring for, when the tall, skinny bearded guy in armor and carrying the most freaking-amazing sword I'd ever seen pops into line in front of us. He said, "Expect a book. Review it. The fate of Topeka* depends on it!" and he's gone before anyone can protest his cutting into line! Well, the book showed up in my e-mail. I didn't pay for it. I'm not getting paid for it. But the fate of Topeka* is in my hands...

The Last Protector is laugh-out-loud funny with some very clever details. I enjoyed the characters and the general plot quite a bit, but I must admit, the details appealed the most to me. Things like The Sacred Yellow Bricks left behind when the construction crews got laid off, or the employees that magically appear to return your shopping cart for you. The "freaking-amazing sword" was a wonderful piece of high-tech placed into a medieval setting--a nanotech blade controlled by the grip and mental imaging of its bearer. Daniel Starr is full of creative ideas like that, woven into the book with a sense of fun. This is one I plan to read to my kids (9-16, who still love bedtime stories).

*Actually, it's spelled Taupeaquaah in the book, but how was I to know?

Review of Freedom by Matthew Pinto

Summary:

God has revealed His mystery of love through the Word made flesh Theology of the Body. This phrase is not only the title of a series of talks by the late John Paul II, it represents the very logic of Christianity. The Theology of the Body calls us to encounter the living, Incarnate Christ and to ponder how His body reveals the meaning of our bodies. This is where God meets us: in the flesh. Therefore, the theology of the body is for every-body. And, as you ll see from the stories in Freedom: 12 Lives Transformed by the Theology of the Body, John Paul II s teaching appeals to all different kinds of people: married, single, consecrated celibates, professionals, stay-at-home moms. And, as this book also demonstrates, it s not just for Catholics either. It s for anyone hungry for the meaning of life. For, as the Pope said, the TOB affords the rediscovery of the meaning of the whole of existence, of the meaning of life. In Freedom, you will meet 12 people who, through the Theology of the Body have encountered Jesus Christ in the flesh, who offered the truth that set them free. Through their new-found freedom, these people have come to rediscover the meaning of their very existence. Many have had dramatic, life-altering experiences; others had buried truths, innate in all of us, awaken within them. All of them have discovered for themselves that the Theology of the Body answers the two most fundamental questions: 1) What does it mean to be human? 2) How do I live my life in a way that brings true happiness and fulfillment? These are questions we all long to find answers to, and the world offers no shortage of answers. But the longer we seek, the clearer we begin to see the best the world can offer are counterfeits that wound us, betray us and leave us wanting. Sadly, the truth of the Christ s teaching on sex is confirmed in the wounds of those who haven t lived it. Our longings for love, intimacy, and freedom are good, but the sexual revolution sold us a bill of goods that simply can not satisfy. We haven t been liberated - we ve been bound and trapped. But here s the Good News: if we read the signs of the times, we will realize the Theology of the Body is not a fad. God is doing something. A new sexual revolution is underway spreading slowly and quietly in human hearts that welcome the truth that this Polish Pope proclaimed about the human person. The predominant cultural ideology will collapse when enough men and women realize who they really are and to what bodily glory the en-fleshed God calls them to. The TOB revolution is beginning to take root in one person, one body at a time. The world is a mission field ready to soak up John Paul II s Theology of the Body, and it s already changing so many lives around the world. In Freedom, you ll meet 12 people who asked the same questions you have and are here to proclaim from the rooftops: This is what you ve been looking for all along! In Freedom, you will discover the power of the Theology of the Body in the lives of: A man who was liberated from his addiction to Internet pornography. A woman who, after suffering terrible abuse by her family, was freed from a life of poor self-esteem, eating disorders, and drug addiction. A young mother whose woundedness from past sexual sin and a teenage pregnancy was healed, allowing her to become the wife and mother her family needed. A priest who learned how to live his priesthood mystically united with Jesus, the divine Bridegroom. An evangelical Christian whose relationship with Christ was deepened by a new-found appreciation for the Incarnation.

Review:


I've not read John Paul II's Theology of the Body, but I've heard that it's a powerful work with the ability to transform lives. Freedom demonstrates this with twelve stories of people who found healing and new direction for their lives in the writings by one of the most insightful and beloved popes of all time. Here are testimonies of Catholics who found freedom from the pain of abortion, the shackles of abusive relationships, and society's philosophies on birth control. I wish I'd had this book many years ago; I might have learned things then that took me years of experience to understand. I recommend this book for Catholics and for Christians who want to be inspired by stories of those who came to understand God's plans for us and our human bodies.

Review of The Knight by Steven James

Steven James has written another compelling thriller with The Knight. I'm again amazed at his ability to weave together such complex tapestry of facts and events without confusing the reader but keeping them guessing until the end.

I'd been warned that The Knight is a darker book than his previous ones, and half-expected that I might not be able to finish it. (My imagination is too active, and I have tossed out books by some best-selling authors because they are too sick.) However, James manages to write about a truly sick, sociopathic killer and some hideous crimes without making me feel personally soiled by the images. (Although, I must admit, the snakes freaked me out, but that's a personal issue.) Don't get me wrong--I was on the edge of my seat at times, and Giovanni (the murderer) made my skin crawl, especially when he was remembering his grandmother's murder. This is an engaging book.

I've enjoyed learning more about the characters, especially the relationship between Patrick and his stepdaughter, Tessa. The warmth, the humor, the fumbling attempts to do the right thing. As a mom of teens, I want to shout advice to poor Patrick, but the whole relationship is very believable--and very touching. This time, Patrick handles some tough issues, and I admire his resolutions. No, no spoilers--go read the book.

In fact, go out and get your copy--or order it by clicking on the Amazon link. This is a terrific thriller, a solid mystery, and a great story.