Book Review: The Bells of Paradise

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   Only a madman would go into Faerie of his own accord.

   The one thing John the blacksmith loves more than his peaceful, hardworking life in Middleton Dale is the tailor's free-spirited daughter Janet. But unlike John, Janet dreams of adventure beyond the Dale. And when her dreams lead her into Faerie to be captured by a dangerous witch, John realises he must dare the perilous realm of the Lordly Folk to free his bride.

   A poignant and profound retelling of the Grimms' fairytale Jorinda and Joringel, set in the fantastical realms of Elizabethan folklore. Novella, approximately 25,000 words. — Synopsis from Goodreads

   I’ve never read a story quite like The Bells of Paradise, nor a character quite like John. John is the steadiest hero I have ever run across, and, truly, therein lies his greatness and heroism. He does not want fame or fortune, he is content to be a blacksmith in Middleton Dale and live his life married to the girl he loves, raise a family, and do honest work. But he loves Janet and when she is taken from him, he is willing to brave anything to bring her back, even the ever twisting and changing realm of faerie.

   Suzannah Rowntree has taken another fairytale I am unfamiliar with and made me fall in love with it. The lush historical setting of Tudor England and the eerie enchanted world of faerie turn out some of Rowntree’s finest writing. The supporting characters stand before you daring you decide whether they are friend or foe. Yet again, the author has managed to weave in a hint of allegory and strong theme without once detracting from the story, but enhancing it instead. Honestly, everything is so vivid and full of life in this story, I barely know how to put how much I loved it into words.

   I highly recommend picking up this latest addition to Ms. Rowntree’s fairytale retellings. This is not just a tale of adventure and heroism. In the words of another reviewer who summed it up just right, “It’s about the price of a cup of coffee, and gives you soul food that lasts much longer.”

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Resist by Emily Ann Putzke

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Munich, Germany 1942—Hans Scholl never intended to get his younger sister involved in an underground resistance. When Sophie Scholl finds out, she insists on joining Hans and his close friends in writing and distributing anti-Nazi leaflets entitled, The White Rose. The young university students call out to the German people, begging them to not allow their consciences to become dormant, but to resist their tyrannical leader and corrupt government. Hans knows the consequences for their actions—execution for committing high treason—but firm in his convictions, he’s prepared to lose his life for a righteous cause. Based on a true story, Hans, Sophie and all the members of The White Rose resistance group will forever inspire and challenge us to do what is right in the midst of overwhelming evil. — Synopsis from Goodreads

  It was with mixed feelings of excitement and dread that I read Resist by Emily Ann Putzke— excitement that I was finally able to read it and dread that it wouldn’t live up to my high expectations. I needn’t have worried. Once again, Miss Putzke has delivered another solid piece of historical fiction, only this time it’s a true story.

  The story of Hans and Sophie Scholl was unfamiliar to me before I read about them on the author’s blog. Their outstanding courage and steadfastness to their beliefs in the dark times of Nazi Germany is powerful to read. They are forgotten heroes whose story needs to be told. In Resist it has. And their story should make us think. I appreciated the author’s decision to include the White Rose leaflets in her novel. It gives the reader a higher appreciation of the risks the group ran and the words they were willing to lay down their lives for.

  A trademark I’ve begun to look forward to in Miss Putzke’s work is strong, clear characterizations. Hans, Sophie, and their friends jump off the page and into our imaginations as living and breathing men and women. They are historical figures that have come to new life through the author’s words and their story touches you all the more because of it.

  I highly recommend Resist to lovers of historical fiction, true stories, or readers with even the slightest interest in WWII. If I have one content warning for readers it would be a splattering of language throughout the book— it is mainly confined to several utterances of what is considered “mild” language.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.