The Proclaimer - Megan Schaulis

 

Proclaimer by Megan Schaulis

Set Up: This is book 2 of the Susa Chronicles and concludes the reimagining of Esther that we began in the first book Protector. This book picks up very close to where the first book ended. The competition is over and we are now dealing with all the events which happened during the competition and the aftermath. We continue to follow Novalise and King Zadien, but we have Declan's perspective thrown into the mix as well. Declan is Novalise's brother. The heat towards the Alphanites is increasing as the King has pretty much declared the Alphanites are public enemy number one. Both Novalise and King Zadien continue to grow closer while their lives become more complicated by the minute. There are still so many truths to discover and secrets to shed light on. The action ramps up and there are moments we don't know who to trust. We see her struggle between her feelings, and the guiding voice she hears. We also see her struggle with the opinons and plans of those around her and her own control of the situations. It is a roller coaster start to finish.

My Thoughts: 

      Let me share the opening line or two with you because in my opinion it doesn't really give any spoilers: "Zadien's words knock through my brain like a loose boulder tearing down the mountain near our compound. If I'd looked at that boulder a few seconds earlier, I'd never have imagined the damage it was about to cause. Yet, with the slightest shift of earth, the massive force let loose, and with each rotation down the slope, momentum built until nothing in it's path was safe." 

    Yep that's how it started and ya'll Proclaimer did not disappoint. I absolutely adored Protector and was so excited to read this book. It was everything I could have hoped for and more. I don't even know where to begin because like the previous book I flew through this one. I definitely need to get them in physical copies STAT. My heart broke and was put back together about a million and one times throughout this story. There are twists and turns all over the place. While we know there are certain things which will happen because Esther is our base, I had no idea how we were getting there. There were so many intricate parts, and I was here for it. 

      Again the faith was on par, just like the last book. The theme of this book in my opinion was all about boldness and surrender. We all know that God will ask us to do things which push outside of our comfort zone and it's trusting that process. Trusting that even through the hard things, and the pain, obedience always has the greatest reward because He is the one guiding our steps and who can see the whole picture.  I also think the anguish Novalise feels and the battle between not wanting to feel pain and being obedient is so real. Picking up our cross is never easy, it wasn't meant to be, because we can only become more like Christ as we are refined and in order to be refined we often have to go through fire. Yet the way she bares her heart, is so inspiring because we can all relate in some way. 

    There were two scenes that really stood out to me, and which I saved quotes from. Both closer to the end of the book which means I can't really share either quote. There is so much love and forgiveness despite the pain, and freedom when we lean into God. The first scene is between Novalise, Declan and a prisoner. He is forgiven and she is reminded of how loved she is. The second scene is when she is crying out and feeling like she can't go any further, but is reminded about who God created her to be. Both had me in anguish yet they also had me seeing the beauty of God's ways in what He commands us to do. 

    There is so much I want to say, yet so much I won't because I don't want to spoil anything and being the second book everything I say would pretty much be a spoiler. I wish I could say more, but I really don't want to give anything away, so just go read it!!! So excuse the mediocreness of this post, because there is so much I want to gush about, but simply cannot. In my head though all the amazingness of the book with all the details is running rampant. So if you have read the book and want to talk about it, let's discuss, because I would love to dive into all the details. 

    I was excited that we were able to see the story come to a conclusion, and oh what heart pounding but satisfying conclusion it was. I am also really excited about what's to come. I can't wait for the next story as we follow another character whom I absolutely adore. I love staying in a world a bit longer especially when I fall in love with the whole band of characters. If we could have a book for all her Alphanite brothers and the Enhanced she came to be close to, I would simply adore it, just saying. :) 

About the Author

 After a year of traveling the country in a 100-square-foot camper with her husband, daughter, and dog, Megan Schaulis returned home and wrote her first novel.

 Megan has a B.A. in Journalism from Arizona State University and is a member of the ACFW. As a special education teacher, she helped young people fall in love with reading and writing. Today, when she's not spinning stories, Megan uses words in playful and creative ways at her branding agency. Her debut series is The Susa Chronicles, a YA dystopian reimagining of Esther, released with WhiteCrown publishing in 2024 . She lives in Abilene, Texas, where you’ll find her staying up way too late reading or hiking with her family.

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I want to thank the publisher and Band of Booksters for a copy of this book to read and review, all opinions expressed are most definitely my own. 

Thank you for taking the time to read what I have to say, and I hope you have a blessed day. 

With Love,

Melanie

Northargyle Abbie - Janelle Leonard

 

Set Up: In this story we have Abigail who is a pastor's daughter and works at a museum. She has a passion for history and the creativity to come up with witty placards. She inherits a cottage in Australia after her grandmother passes away. A cottage she never even knew existed. With this cottage comes the mystery of her grandmother's real life, the island of Northargyle, and the mystery around a lost princess. Along the way she meets some shady characters as well as some great friends. We accompany her on her journey of faith and discovery, as she unravels the mystery that is her grandmother's life. She accomplishes this with the help of Colter who is a local who helps her find clues to the mystery she is trying to unravel. His sister is there as well. The dynamic him and his sister bring to the story adds wonder and a beautiful view of true friendship. 

My thoughts: I really enjoyed the story and was drawn in immediately. Although I have read other books by Jane Austen, I have never read Northanger Abbey, and therefore didn't have that as a background so I don't know how it compares. Now I want to definitely read it because I enjoyed this spin of it so much.The placards Abigail writes at the beginning of each chapter were such a fun addition to the book. I absolutely adored the faith content in this book, as well as the mystery. I was trying to put the pieces together as Abigail was tying to them together, and she is the much better detective than I am. I also appreciate that the romance was natural, and really not the center of the story. I am finding that stories in which the romance is there but secondary to the plot line and full of depth are the stories I am drawn to. I also loved the family dynamics. The love the family had for one another even with squabbles was so tangible. Not to mention the fact that she had only brothers and I just loved the banter there. 

The themes of service, sacrifice, hope and faith are intricately tied together throughout the novel. I think we can learn so much from how these characters, even in their pain and heartache, relied on the Lord. They didn't sit in their feelings and let their feelings guide their decisions. They had faith even when life got hard, and trusted in God's plan. I think it is so important for us to see this emulated in books, because it is how we should live life as Christians. This book definitely encompassed what the Christian walk should look like. Life should consist of obedience to the Lord, and accepting His will no matter what. We should be going to Him with all of our concerns and waiting for answers, making sure we are quieting down enough to listen. We must remember that our timing is not His timing, and surrendering to His will will always produce fruit.

I really enjoyed the journey we got to go on with Abigail. I think part of the journey began when Colter asks her the question "why not you?" This question is a great one for us to ask ourselves as well. Why don't we do that thing? God may ask us "why not you, you are the one I am choosing to send." We forget too quickly that God pushes us outside of our comfort zone that He asks us to do things that are going to stretch and grow us, but ultimately will accomplish His will and give Him glory. We were created to glorify Him in every thought, word, and action. We are to share His story, to fullfill the path He has for each one of us, and it will look different for each one of us, but it will involve us being pushed and stretched because that is where sanctification happens. This book really demonstrates taking leaps of faith, trusting even though we find the task scary. It demonstrated how we won't get it right every time, because we are not perfect, but even through those mistakes God has a plan for us. 

Such a wonderful read. I didn't go into too much detail on the book specifics because I didnt' want to give anything away, but this is definitely a must read. 

Here is a link to the book information if you would like to check it out: Northargyle Abbie

About the Author: Janelle Leonard is a Jane Austen fangirl with an overactive imagination who creates web-twisty plotlines from her home in Pennsylvania. When she's not writing, reading, editing, drinking coffee, or working at an elementary school library, she's finding creative ways to procrastinate. Janelle and her hubby have successfully raised three boys, losing lots of brain space to turbos and mufflers. She is passionate about living authentically while serving and encouraging others to see their worth, using writing as a key to unlock worlds of possibility.

Here are some of the places you can interact with the author:

Website | Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook

I want to thank the publishers for a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not required to provide a positive review and all opinions expressed are mine alone.

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. I hope you check out the book and have a blessed day. 

Melanie