Friday, December 20, 2013

Martyr's Fire by Sigmund Brouwer

Martyr's FireMartyr's Fire by Sigmund Brouwer is Book 3 in Merlin's Immortals series. Thomas has lost Magnus to the Priests of the Holy Grail. Druids are behind the takeover and they will stop at nothing to kill Thomas.

With a bounty on Thomas' head, every move could be his last. He makes a daring attempt at seizing a hostage for ransom but that backfires. He doesn't know who to trust in a game with deadly consequences. Many of those he had trusted had betrayed him. He isn't sure any longer who are friends and who are enemies.

And he desperately needs to plan how he can recapture his kingdom. Not an easy task when you question everyone's motives--are they a friend or a clever foe (Druids in disguise)? The story twists and turns with readers gaining insight into Thomas through the internal dialogue shared. Thomas' childhood is still shrouded in mystery and those who can shed light on his past are quickly diminishing.

While the reading level and chapter length make the book accessible to young readers, I would recommend it for ages 10 and up. The action moves quickly, the chapters are short and it's not an overwhelmingly long book. The violence was kept in check for the most part (although there was reference to heads being mounted outside a city wall). With a bit of editing for younger audiences, this could be a possible read aloud.

There were a few times when the story leaped in time and location rather abruptly as if  fast-forwarding the storyline. I found that just a bit confusing and disappointing. I want to experience the scene changes not just have them glossed over. The book also comes to a rather sudden ending leaving the readers hanging; hopefully Book 4, Blades of Valor, will bring everything to a satisfactory conclusion.  You can read the first chapter of Martyr's Fire here.

Martyr's Fire can be purchased directly from WaterBrook Multnomah (where you can also pre-order Blades of Valor as an e-book).  You can also find Martyr's Fire at one of the following retailers:

There's still time to purchase e-book versions for Christmas!

You may also want to check out Sigmund Brouwer's website to learn more about his literacy work with children. Visit WaterBrook Multnomah to read his biography and check out of some of his other titles.

Hope your holidays are blessed~

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Martyr's Fire for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

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