Jude Allman has been hiding a very long time. Jude has a secret. He was once very famous for doing something he had no control over. In fact, he did it three times. Jude died - and then came back to life. The notoriety he gathered, plus the fact he had no idea how it happened, drove him into seclusion. This period of seclusion has now come to a screaming halt, literally.

The Hunter, as he likes to call himself, enjoys stalking little girls. He revels in the hunt and kills them when the thrill is finished. As the Hunter’s activities escalate, Jude begins to realize he may have the power to stop the abductions. When the Hunter gets too close to those Jude loves, then he knows he must act.

T.L. Hines gives us a new and completely different angle to the idea of near-death experiences. This is a suspense-driven novel that at it’s core examines the concept that some people are here for a specific purpose. While it took a few pages for the story to get moving, once it did the author was able to keep the momentum building. The point of view shifts between several characters, effectively hiding the identity of the Hunter until the very end.

I enjoyed reading this book as much as T.L. Hines’ second story - The Dead Whisper On. Both books are published by Bethany House, a company that focuses on fictional stories with a spiritual twist. Mr. Hines definitely accomplishes this with Waking Lazarus. The reader is guided blindly through the minds of the characters, wondering which one is the Hunter. I found myself flipping back and forth, trying to match clues mentioned before with what I was reading at the time and attempt to nail the bad guy.

Although filled with suspense and some violence, this is not something that should cause nightmares for the faint at heart (like me!) In addition, while the story skirts the edge of believability, it doesn’t defy the theology of the mainstream believer. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read from a new author. I will be impatiently awaiting the third story from Mr. Hines. I do not think he will disappoint.

This book is put out by one of my favorite publishing houses, Bethany House. T.L. Hines offers us stories set in the real world twisted with a bit of the supernatural. The beginning of this particular story was a little creepy in a “Friday Fright Nite” sort of way (the kind that gives you shivers but not nightmares). As I delved into the story, I couldn’t put it down. From the introduction of a very unlikely heroine, a past-her-prime demolitions expert turned garbage collector, to the explosive culmination at the end readers will be hooked.

Candace “Canada” MacHugh lives in Butte, Montana, a place that has some very weird stuff going down. Not only is Canada talking with her dad, who died eleven years ago, but people are burning to ash without warning. Add to the mix one scary non-dying being that is trying to kill her and you have an in-your-face story just made for a rainy day.

There were several things I liked about this book. I wasn’t able to figure out where he was going with the plot. I love stories that are unpredictable. I also enjoy figuring out who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy, and there were plenty of questions raised in the story on that front. I also like the concept of the supernatural existing side-by-side with the everyday existence.

However, I missed a crucial turning point in the story as thirty pages were left out during the physical construction of the book. This was a major drawback and I spent several pages trying to catch up. (Anyone buying off the shelf needs to check after page 96.) I know I wasn’t able to make some connections until later on in the story because of this.

I didn’t let this stop me though and still feel I enjoyed the book. It delivered a delightful type of creepy, not a lot of gore or grabbing of the ankles from beneath the bed. However, there were certainly some breathless scenes. (Let’s just say, for arachnophobes like me - oooooo yucky!) If this book hadn’t been missing the pages, I would have given it a 9.0. As it was, I felt like I needed to mark it down. I still liked the book enough that I shall look up T.L. Hines’ previous book Waking Lazarus.

In this, the fourth and final book of The Legend of the Guardian-King, Hancock brings to a close most of the plot threads that had been carried throughout the series. She also seems to branch out somewhat with some new characters and more insight into some of the familiar ones. The reader will get the expected final battle and for the most part, questions will be answered.

This book begins just a short period after the denouement of Shadow over Kiriath, finding Abramm making his way to Chesedh on foot. He has joined a small group of religious refugees also headed to Chesedh. Abramm and his group end up snowed in at a remote monastery for some time. Learning new languages, strengthening his physical form and his religious beliefs, Abramm spends the time at the monastery wisely, even though he wants to move on as soon as possible. While there he also gains a new enemy in the form of a Shadowed shape shifter. Meanwhile, his wife Maddie has taken refuge in Chesedh at her brother’s court. While her brother is off leading the war, she must live under the petty rule of his wife. She has also caught the eye of an exotic stranger who courts her with wonderful gifts and companionable conversation. Abramm’s good friend Trap, now married to Abramm’s sister to protect her and her child, is also at the court in Chesedh. Among the exiled Kiriathans, Maddy is the only one who believes that Abramm and their two children are alive. After a shared dream that may be more than it seems, Maddie believes even more strongly that Abramm is alive and he decides to change his plans and attempt a revolution from within the enemy territory.

Once again, in this book as with the last, while reading of Abramm’s connection to his god Eidon, I was terribly confused. These books are touted as well-respected allegories. While I am not trained to truly discuss the religious aspects of the book as it relates to Christianity, I can certainly discuss the religion as written on its own. The faith portrayed in these novels is not only contradictory, but seems to be illogical. Though I quite understand that matters of faith cannot be judged with cold logic, human reactions should be. In my mind, the characters don’t seem to follow any sort of logic at all. As ever, this is only my personal opinion and it would seem that I am in the minority as the previous three books have all won Christy Awards, given to novels that specifically address Christian themes and world views. Regardless of the religious merit of the story, the seeming illogic took a great deal of away from my enjoyment of it.

Any reader without an issue with the religious aspect will most likely enjoy this one as much as the previous three. There is a good amount of action, romance, wrongs being righted and evil being defeated. As a bonus, there are even dragons. At the end however, I felt this was the weakest of the series. With plot inconsistencies, poor flow cohesion and interest, this book seemed to have been written and published in a rush without careful planning and editing.

Shadow over Kiriath, the third in the Legends of the Guardian-King series by Karen Hancock begins where The Shadow Within left off. After the final battle against the morwhal that ended the last book, Abramm has been left with disfiguring scars on his face and a crippling scar on his arm. His disappointment over being left in such a shape by his god who could easily heal him colors all his encounters throughout this book. Attempting to help provide protection for his kingdom, no matter the cost, King Abramm agrees to an alliance with Chesedh, a neighboring kingdom. The alliance is to be sealed with Abramm’s marriage to the First Daughter of Chesedh, who he has never met. Meanwhile the intrigue within his own realm continues. His brother, Gillard, after the near fatal encounter with the morwhal, is stolen away to become a rallying point for Abramm’s enemies, and enemies along his own border begin to harass the king and his subjects.

This book spans a great deal of time, much longer than the previous works where the longest stretch dealt with Abramm’s stint as the White Pretender. There is still a lot of action in this one but a great deal of it occurs off stage where the reader only hears about it second-hand through the characters after the fact. While this is a completely viable way to relate a story, it seems to be a break from the former books where the bulk of the action happens first hand in front of the reader. It gives the book a rushed feel as if the author wanted to bypass the actual story to get to the end. Also, many of the details of the action that get brought in later have the feel of patches as if they were just tossed in later to fit the ending that had already come about. It is quite possible that this feeling is completely incorrect and perhaps the lack of first hand action is due to time constraints, word count restrictions or something else, but regardless of the cause the effect is that the reader feels the rush.

My other issues with this book come about through the discussions of religion and since I am not a theologian, I will not go into detail other than to say that I found these discussions to be a complete distraction from the story itself. This has been my least favorite book of the series so far as the writing and story seemed to take a backseat to the religion. There were plot holes and odd leaps without background that made it flow a lot less smoothly than the first two of the series. However, some may find it more entertaining if what they are looking for is more romance, less action and more religion.

In The Shadow Within, the second in the Legends of the Guardian-King series by Karen Hancock, Abramm Kalladorne is returning to his homeland to take up the crown that he never wanted. His kingdom has been poorly governed by his self-centered brother Gillard, leaving it open to attack by the Armies of the Black Moon, and to secret plotting by the hosts of The Shadow that riddle the realm.

Abramm returns to Kiriath and immediately rids it of its most immediate threat, a giant kraggin that had taken up residence in Kalladorne Bay. His heroic effort against such a huge, Shadowborne beast makes him a hero in the eyes of his countrymen. This, in part, is the reason he is able to take back the crown from his brother. However, now that he has it, he has to deal with the inadequate defenses, the Shadow infested palace, the Shadows hidden minions that try to convert him and courtiers and ambassadors that have their own agenda. He must do all this while continuing to hide his Terstan shield, the mark on his chest that clearly denotes his faith in Eidon. Unfortunately, a majority of the people of Kiriath is distrustful of the Terstans and feels that they are part of the Shadow and are therefore evil.

Trying to discover who he can trust while at the same time preparing his country to repel an armed attack by the Armies of the Black Moon creates quite a bit of stress for the newly crowned King of Kiriath. Adding to his difficulties, the son and second daughter of the King of Chesedh are in Kiriath to negotiate a treaty whereby that country and Kiriath can work together to defeat the Shadow’s army and which gives Abramm the hand of the First Daughter of Chesedh in marriage.

This continuation of the saga is just as fast-paced as the first. Abramm’s life as King is full of plots, counterplots, splinter groups of ardent Mataians, hidden Shadow supporters and nosy researchers. They all conspire to make Abramm’s life difficult. Again and again his faith in his god is tested. He is told that he must abandon his belief in himself before he fully embraces the strength of his god. Again, these characters are well-founded in a fully realized fantasy world. Increasingly, however, the need to give up all of oneself to that faith is emphasized. Personal conversation with a god who wants his subjects to be all they can be but at the same time be only what he wants them to be colors this story. Here is an example of a conversation between Abramm and his god, Eidon that occurs while Abramm is attempting to defeat a Shadow beast called a morwhol:

“I want to stay here, Eidon. In you.

You are in me, Abramm. No matter where you are. As I am in you.

But…it is so hard.

You thought it would be easy to walk into your destiny? That all would just be handed to you?

No, my Lord. I knew it would be a battle. I just did not expect to fight myself so much.

And so this trial has made you stronger, and that much closer to becoming the man I wish to make of you.

I thought you had already done that.

Oh no. I have only just begun. But do not fear. Along with the trials I will bless you beyond your wildest dreams.”

Time and again the author creates situations where the main character must disavow any and all personal desires and needs in order to defeat the Shadow. While people of faith may find this a satisfying allegory, anyone without that faith in a god may find that it leaves a bit to be desired. It is clear that this series is expressly designed to be enjoyed by those of Christian faith. They can be enjoyed by others as a series of pure fantasy, but I will warn that at times it can become a little preachy. I will also add that this book would be difficult to read as a stand-alone; it relies very heavily on events that happened in book one and doesn’t recap those incidents well.

Faith. Faith in your God. Faith in the love of your family. Faith in friendship. Faith is something that we all hold dear. How else do we live if we cannot trust in the relationships we hold? If we have faith in a god, what do we do when that faith is contested? If we are in love, what happens when that love is denied? If we have faith that our family loves us, regardless of our differences, where will we go if that love is not forthcoming? This is the premise this series is based upon. The Light of Eidon is the first of four novels by Karen Hancock that deals with this crisis of faith.

In this first book, Hancock has created a character as devout in his faith as he can be. Eldrin has denounced his right to the throne of Kiriath and has been studying his faith for eight years. His next step is embracing his faith and becoming a full-fledged brother of The Brotherhood of the Mataio. To do this he must embrace the flames of Eidon. However, before he can do so, he is captured by the Terstans. The Terstans are those of an opposing faith to the Mataians. All his life he has believed that the Terstans were evil and anathema to the Light of Eidon. He then learns that his father the king is dead, along with two of his brothers, and that the ruling council has reinstated his right to the throne. Raynen, his eldest remaining brother is a Terstan and currently king. He is rescued from the Terstans by his brother’s own guard captain, Trap Meridon. Once back in his order, all doesn’t seem as it should. He now has doubts about his own faith and the men who run the order. The doubts about his fellow Mataians and his personal crisis of faith force him to look behind the scenes for more information. He discovers that his order isn’t as it should be and that the man who had been his teacher, the Father of his order, is in actuality in league with the Shadow. More doubts hound him. Escaping the Shadowborne control of Searal, the Head of the Mataian order, he is then betrayed and sold into slavery by his two remaining brothers. With him in his exile is Trap Meridon.

Now, Abramm Kalladorne, reverting to his birth name and Trap Meridon are embarking upon a new journey. Recognized as a Kalladorne prince, Abramm is turned into a gladiator among the famous gladiator games run in Esur. Taught by the best and facing his new destiny, Abramm is made into the White Pretender, a character that lampoons the kings of Kiriath. Against the odds, he defeats all comers and becomes the most revered and feared gladiator and is being pushed into becoming the figurehead of a revolution.

What will become of him? Will he ever be able to go back home? I’ll not give any spoilers here but it is an action-filled book that never seems to slow down. This is a fast-paced story with realistic characters and a struggle of good versus evil that is no more clichéd than that of many other modern fantasy epics. However, there are quite a few plot points that were clearly manipulated for a desired result that don’t necessarily fit into the fantasy world she has created. Most of these are just holes that could have been filled in but never were. In spite of this, it is quite a decent read. The action never slows and the characters, for the most part, act characteristically within their world; making for a relatively smooth and quick read.