"The Sanctuary" by Ted Dekker - A Book Review

*** WARNING: THIS REVIEW IS CONSIDERED PG-13 ***

    The Sanctuary is the gripping story of vigilante priest Danny Hansen, who is now serving a fifty-year prison term in California for the murder of two abusive men. Filled with remorse, Danny is determined to live out his days by a code of nonviolence and maneuvers deftly within a deadly prison system.
    But when Renee Gilmore, the woman he loves, receives a box containing a bloody finger and draconian demands from a mysterious enemy on the outside, Danny must find a way to protect Renee while at the same time Renee enacts a plan to free Danny from incarceration.
    They are both drawn into a terrifying game of life and death. If Renee fails, the priest will die; if Danny fails, Renee will die. And the body count will not stop at two.

    The Sanctuary follows the story of Danny Hansen, priest-turned-vigilante-turned-Christian, and the woman he loves, Renee Gilmore.
    Danny has taken a vow of nonviolence and turned himself in for the murders of to abusive people. While in prison, he is faced with the questions: "How far am I willing to go to protect the one I love? How far am I willing to go to defend the innocent?" The Sanctuary is a tale that centers around grace, mercy, love, and "situational" ethics. Danny doesn't want to compromise his beliefs in order to conform to Warden Pape's twisted take on the grace of God.
    Renee loves Danny. When she receives a threat on his life, of course she would stop at nothing to warn him.
    There are points in this book where characters do things that they normally wouldn't do, all in order to help the one they love.
    A recurring theme in The Sanctuary is that of rape. Danny's first victim was a pedophile, who, with the help of his father a judge, escaped and killed someone he had raped whose testimony sent him to jail. This was what caused Danny to become a vigilante. In prison, rapists are referred to. And it is implied that one prisoner has raped another.
    When Danny is first transferred to Basal Facility, Pape's "Sanctuary", Warden Pape gives him a list of things you are not allowed to do. Among these things was masturbation, pornography, and any form of homosexuality.
    Language: Scr**ed, b*st*rd, b*lls, cr*p
    Sexy Stuff: References to rape; the term "b*lls" is used a couple of times; Danny is stripped completely naked and Renee is stripped to her underwear, though neither are sexually assaulted; Danny cuts the pedophile's penis off in an act of vigilantism;
    Violence: Danny and Renee both remember several of Danny's acts of vigilantism; Renee shoots a crooked judge's toes off; Danny shoots guards in an attempt to rescue Renee; a boy's finger is severed;
    Scary Images: Other than action sequences, or sequences of violence, there are no scary images.
    At times, the message of love that Ted Dekker is trying to get across can seem a bit shady, though at the end it becomes much clearer. There were frequent points in this book that made me uncomfortable reading, which included the references to sexual violation.
    All in all, I did enjoy The Sanctuary by Ted Dekker, however I enjoyed it less than I did some of his other works.
    I would not recommend this book to anyone younger than 16 years of age.

4 of 5 stars!

God bless,

Brian

I'm a Liebster Blog Award Nominee!

Leah over at Apassionata has nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award! Thank you very much, Leah!

About the "Liebster Award": Bloggers nominate other bloggers that they enjoy with less than 200 followers. It doesn't matter what kind of blog you have, or in what language. If you have a blog, then you can be nominated! It's to get to know new bloggers a little better and go networking with them. It's gone on for a few years already. It's unending!

The rules:

1. List 11 facts about yourself

2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger who nominated you left

3. Ask 11 new questions for those you nominate

4. Choose 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers to nominate

5. Go to each blogger's page and let them know about the award

6. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog

Shall we begin?

11 Facts About Me:

1. I'm a passionate Christian

2. I am a musician in my church and out

3. I like to travel

4. I am a PK (Preacher's Kid)

5. I have so many books, they don't all fit on my bookshelf

6. I am a huge fan of sci-fi television

7. I am a senior in High-school

8. I used to want to be an actor (not so much anymore, now that I'm older)

9. I'm not very athletically inclined, though I do enjoy the occasional bout of basketball.

10. I was born in May

11. Answering these questions was surprisingly slightly difficult for me.

Questions from Leah:

1. Would you rather be respected or loved? - I believe that it is more important to be loved because God is, after all, love itself. So, even though it would be nice to be respected, I would much prefer to be loved by those around me. But we do need to remember, as older Christians, younger Christians look up to us and follow our example. They respect us.

2. What is a favorite quote of yours? - "When God calls us from somewhere, He leads us to somewhere else." by Caleb Bryant

3. List three of your favorite songs at the moment. - One Things Remains by Jesus Culture; Change My Life by Ashes Remain; The Power of Your Love by Worth Dying For.

4. Cows or peacocks? - Peacocks. I like birds. :)

5. Describe your style/taste in art, design, and fashion? - Art - abstract, scenery, any kind of art that is a sort of reflection of Van Gogh's Starry Night; Design - A sort of modern, but warm, inviting design; Fashion - I don't do "tacky". 

6. What place would you travel, if you could? - Rome

7. Coffee or tea? - Tea. Iced.

8. Introvert or Extrovert? - Introvert

9. What do you hope to do with your life? - I hope to continue to write and be a role model to those younger than me. I also hope to grow as a spiritual servant to others, always putting others' needs before my own.

10. What's your favorite entree? - I don't really have one

11. If you could be granted one wish, what would it be? - The ability to write a 100,000 word novel in a week!

Questions to my nominees:

1. What is your favorite book?

2. Book or movie?

3. What do you hope to accomplish by the end of 2013?

4. Fantasy/sci-fi or Contemporary/romance?

5. What is your favorite animal?

6. Do you like Doctor Who?

7. Do you enjoy social outings, or do you prefer to stay home alone with a good book?

8. Canine or feline?

9. Are you home-schooled, public-schooled, or private-schooled?

10. Reading or writing?

11. Stranded alone on an island, what would be the one thing you would want with you?

Nominees:

1. The Director

2. Chris Kolmorgen

3. Ellyn

4. Gillian

5. Jake

6. R.P.H.

7. Mirriam

8. Noah

9. Homeschool Authors

10. Galadriel

11. The Lost Scribes

And there you have it! Be sure to check out my nominees' blogs! Oh, and don't forget to link back to me and my blog!

God bless,

Brian

"From Darkness Won" by Jill Williamson - A Book Review

Achan steps into his role as Crown Prince and prepares for war. But war against whom? Could Esek still be alive? Has Lord Nathak taken Esek's place? Or is the mysterious Hadad the true enemy Achan must confront?
    Vrell has her own agenda of serving Prince Oren as a healer, but when she is stormed and lost to the Veil, Achan does all he can to bring her back. His conversations with her are strange, though, as if she has no memory of who he is.
    In a land consumed by Darkness, the fate of Er'Rets hangs in the balance as Achan endeavors to take the throne and end the reign of Darkness.

From Darkness Won, the final installment of The Blood of Kings Trilogy is an incredible conclusion to the trilogy. It drug me in and kept me under for hours at a time, until I finally finished.
    I can honestly say that I am said to say goodbye to Vrell and Achan. I truly hope that the author continues to write more stories about them.
    From Darkness Won would capture the interest of any avid reader of fantasy right away, drawing them into a land of battles, affairs, scandals, romance, chivalry, bravery, action, adventure, and raw EPICNESS!
    This has been one of the most fantastic trilogies that I have read. It is a mix of middle ages history with the perfect amount of fantasy added into the mix.
    Vulgarity/Profanity - NONE
    Sexy stuff - *SPOILERS*.......................... Achan and Vrell talk frequently of marriage and the night that would follow, though nothing is spoken outright.
    Violence - The body count is around average for an epic fantasy novel. Severed limbs, beheadings, etc...
    Scary scenes - Fantastical creatures are a-plenty, the dark knights wield dark powers, plenty of battle scenes.
    I wholeheartedly recommend From Darkness Won to any and every die-hard fan of fantasy.

5 of 5 stars!!!

God bless,

Brian

-Have you read The Blood of Kings Trilogy by Jill Williamson? If so, what are your thoughts?

My Top Ten Young Adult Books

    I got the idea to post my top ten favorite young adult books from a post over at the Go Teen Writers Facebook group. So, here is my top ten!

1. To Darkness Fled by Jill Williamson

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth

3. The Tide of Unmaking by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

5. Enclave by Ann Aguirre

6. Swords of the Six by Scott Appleton

7. Solitary by Travis Thrasher

8. DragonSpell by Donita K. Paul

9. Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis

10. The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan

    Some of you may be thinking "How dare this bloke put Andrew Klavan's The Last Thing I Remember at the VERY BOTTOM??!!" Well, I had a hard time numbering these books because they were all so FANTASTIC! Realistically, they were all close to a tie! But I couldn't do that because that would defeat the purpose of having a top ten. :) Anyway...

    Have you read any of those books? If so, which ones were your favorites?

God bless,
Brian

Book Cover of the Week - #8

    Yes, yes, I know. I have not been taking care of my weekly BCotW's. But I'm back now! That's what's important! Right? Right.

 

This week's winner for Book Cover of the Week is......

.....

 

......

 

......

 

......

 

......

 

D. Barkley Briggs' Corus the Champion, book two in the Legends of Karac Tor series!!!!

 

Congratulations, D. Barkley Briggs!! You are the author of this week's featured novel!

 

 

God bless,

Brian

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" - A Movie Review

    On December 22, 2012, I made my first trip to see a movie in theater in 3D. That movie was Peter Jackson's adaption of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, which was The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
     The whole experience was simply amazing! The Hobbit has finally made its way to the big screen, and after much effort on the parts of the directors, writers, and actors, the movie did not disappoint. The Hobbit is a visually stunning movie experience, whether you see it in 3D or not, BluRay or DVD.
    The character portrayal was simply amazing. I couldn't help but feel giddy when the Wizard Gandalf appeared on screen, for he is such an incredible character, and Ian McKellen portrays him extraordinarily! Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield, Gloin, etc... Such amazing and entertaining characters!

    The scenery and landscape did not lack depth, and it did not have to put much effort into amazing even the most "anti-fantasy" viewer out there.
    The only language that I heard contained was "jaxie", which is a Dwarf's word for "rear-end". The violence definitely lived up to its PG-13 rating, but it was not overwhelming. Battles, severed limbs, gutted ghouls. Peter Jackson did not shy away from scary images either, and Gollum is as scary as ever in this prequel to The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
    The movie did not lack action, neither was it short on intrigue. And the swords were absolutely stunning! I want Glamdring and the Orcrist!
    I truly wish that I could go to see The Hobbit once again! And you can be sure that I will be one of the first to pre-order the DVD when it becomes available!
    Have you seen The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey yet? What did you think? If not, do you plan to?

5 of 5 stars!

 



    Here are some images for The Hobbit for you to enjoy!

 

 

 

 

God bless,

Brian

"To Darkness Fled" by Jill Williamson - A Book Review

    Enter Darkness...
    They have no choice. Chased by an evil prince, Achan, Vrell, and the Kingsguard knights flee into Darkness. They head north, for Tsaftown and Ice Island, where they must free an army that can help them fight for Er'Rets.
    Darkness sickens Vrell. How long can she keep her secret without being caught? Achan already suspects her of lying. If she is not careful, he will suspect her of treason as well. She hopes he will let his suspicions go until they reach her home.
    Achan wanted freedom, but this new journey has bound him more than ever. Sir Gavin's claims are so far fetched. First, that there might only be one God, and second, that this God chose Achan to push back Darkness, the magnificent curse of Er'Rets. Him. Achan. Barely a man himself.
    Each setback Darkness brings seems minor compared to the one choice only Achan can make. What will he choose?

    This second installment of The Blood of Kings trilogy by Jill Williamson was amazing! The prose is magnificent and graceful, allowing you to glide through the pages. The author takes you on a stunning visual journey through Darkness, and back into Light. She provides vivid imagery, and fills the pages with magnificent creatures.
    You are guided through the emotional, physical, and spiritual journeys of Achan and Vrell, the protagonists. The author is certain to prove that Achan and Vrell are not the invulnerable characters that so many writers make their protagonists out to be, providing plenty of conflict, and emotional/physical turmoil. In addition to that, the author seamlessly brings the Word and the Truth of God further into the light, unashamedly revealing God's truth to the reader who reads with an open mind and an open heart.
    This installment is more on the mature side; I would recommend it for older teens. The romance is brought up several notches, and one of the characters experiences her "month-blood". No language is used.
    The violence is also brought up a little bit. Severed arms, slit throats, and an abundance of epic battles!
    All things considered, To Darkness Fled was a highly enjoyable read, and an epic adventure that I would recommend to those 14 and up!!
    Have you read this book yet? If so, what were your thoughts?

5 of 5 stars!

God bless,

Brian

P.S. - Merry Belated Christmas!!!