I have only read a few "fantasy" Christian genre books. I'm always a bit hesitant because I think it's a fine line between the "fantastical" and faith. Well, let me say for the record, F.A.R.I.E.S. combines both in a spectacular way.
When M.C. sent me her book and told me to be brutally honest, can you imagine my first thought? Oh boy, this isn't going to be that great if she wants my "honest" opinions! I proceeded with caution and was immediately swept into a new world following the journey of Mellie.
We're introduced to numerous creatures that all live below the earth.Each of these characters factor into Mellie's immersion into this new world. She learns about "fantastical" beings and that she has been "chosen", but she has no clue what that means or what's expected of her. Thankfully she makes friends with creatures of different shapes, sized and abilities.
Mellie is 12 and so is my son. I can't picture him acting as "mature" as she is so I kept imagining her more like a 17yr old. That was probably the hardest thing for me to wrap my mind around. Mellie has a lot of learning to do and her group of friends each add an element to her learning. She also has a lot of growing up to do and learning about putting others first and not being so selfish. Being young, you can forgive her lack of maturity.
It's wonderful that her instructors see her gifts of being the Chosen by the One (God). The One has given her abilities that stand out from others and with the help of her instructors and her friends she is able to hone those talents. I loved that part of this story. Her friends love her no matter what. They accept her just the way she is. There are so many wonderful underlying messages!
One of my favorite parts of this whole book is how M.C. adds scripture into conversation that sounds like it fits so well. It's not preachy, but encouraging. The scriptures are perfectly placed and directs the characters and the reader to Him.
The adventures in F.A.I.R.I.E.S. will appeal to adults and youth alike. I was excited to get to my reading every night and as I'd read, my thoughts would go to my boys and how much they would enjoy this. That's a great appeal for me, a book I can share with my kids. They don't like boring books and my 12yo wants to be taken on an adventure. M.C. definitely provides that throughout the entire story!
I also enjoyed the illustrations provided by M.C. I liked seeing what year she did each one and would look for those. I didn't see them in every single one, but you can tell she had this book in her head for a very long time!
Like I told M.C., the only part I didn't like was the ending because I have to wait for the second book! =) Don't you hate it when you finish a book you've thoroughly enjoyed and know you have to wait at LEAST a year before the next one comes out? LOL
If you're looking to go on an adventure, this would be the perfect book. If you're looking for a book that is family friendly and you can read with your tween or older, I would highly suggest grabbing this book and adding it to your reading list this year!
I want to thank M.C. for sending me her book for review. She knows I've been looking forward to reading her debut novel since she announced it at F.I.R.S.T.!
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