Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Veiled Rose is a fantasy adventure. But it's one I can't quite figure out. In one way, it has the feel of a children's story, written in the language you usually find in kid's books. Yet it is complex enough a story to confuse me. There are things that seem unexplained to me. When I requested the book, I didn't realize it is book two in a series. Though book one apparently deals with entirely different characters (I haven't read it), I wonder if maybe it set up the background for this story and the world that both take place in. That would explain the details that are never explained, as though the reader is assumed to already have a foreknowledge of some things.

That said, if you start with book one of the "Tales of Goldstone Wood" series, Heartless, you will enjoy this book even more than I did. For I did enjoy it. I love fantasy stories.

Leo is stuck at Hill House for the summer. He is a boy who is tired of the indoors and the company of his boring cousin. When tales of a monster begin circulating, that's all the motivation he needs. He sets off into the forest with his beanpole-weapon in hand. He doesn't realize that what he will find there will alter the course of his life.

Rose Red is a girl who hides in the forest, guarding a secret. Her friends are an imaginary friend and a goat. But her life is changed when she meets Leo. Together they have adventures and hunt the monster. But how far will their quests lead them?

I don't want to tell you more for fear of giving something away. Let me just say: read Veiled Rose!

I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

J.R.R. Tolkien by Mark Horne

J.R.R. Tolkien by Mark Horne is a Christian Encounters biography. It gives an overview of Tolkien's life, faith, and writings and how they are all tied together.

Only a few of the things you will learn when you read this book are:

Tolkien was born in South Africa and lived there until he was 3 years old. But this childhood in Africa did not influence his writing as much as you would think. Instead, it was the beautiful English countryside to which his family moved that left an enduring impression on him. This can be seen in the description of Shire found in his Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Tolkien's mother's faith and his own played a crucial role in his growing-up years and influenced the rest of his life as well.

Who were the Inklings? What was their original name? And what impact did they have on each other's lives?

Read J.R.R. Tolkien to find out! You'll be glad you did.

I was really excited to have the opportunity to review this book. Tolkien is one of my favorite authors, and I am always interested in learning more about him. One of the things I appreciated most in this biography was the amount of material it presented. While most biographies are long and include every possible necessary and unnecessary detail about the person's life, this biography is short, concise, and interesting. Tolkien led a fascinating life, and this book does not bury the interesting details in heaps of boring facts.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Booksneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."