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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Restoring my faith in great fiction, April 22, 2008
This review is from: The Restorer's Journey (The Sword of Lyric Series #3) (Paperback)
Another winner in the Sword of Lyric series by Sharon Hinck, The Restorer's Journey is an action-packed fantasy grounded in harsh reality. The narrative alternates between two main characters: Susan, the Restorer/soccer mom from the first book, (The Restorer) who becomes a prisoner of the Rhusicans while her son Jake, the new Restorer, tromps around trying to find both his bearings and his courage.
Jake struggles with his new role as the Restorer and tries to triage the multiple injuries of the land - plus rescue his missing mother. Not a stand-out leader initially, Jake is knocked around, beaten up, tied up and taken for a forced march, and more - but recovers from everything until he learns to follow the One's direction and truly be a leader for the people. After seasons of trial and suffering, the People of the Verses begin to restore order and return to their sacred roots.
In the meantime, Susan is kept a prisoner of the sadistic mind-reading Rhusicans. Through her experiences of deprivation and mental torture, Susan connects even deeper with the One. The strength and reality of Susan's relationship with the One unhinges the Rhusicans and literally rocks their world.
All in all, it's a riveting story. This is not a sweet bedtime book with a happy little moral at the end - it's not a standard fantasy novel in any way. It's a harsh spotlight revealing a couple of very real characters in deadly situations that don't play out easily. Both Jake and Susan suffer terrible things, yet each does so with an amazing attitude of gratitude to the One whom they serve. They continue to seek His face and direction regardless of their individual circumstances, whether they are running for their lives, or trapped and alone with no hope for relief or release. It's truly an astounding book to read. We all face trials and difficulties in our own lives. We may at times petition God to help us out of our troubles. But it's rare to choose to remain in the trial so that we might find God's will for us, for our lives. I know it's a struggle for me personally to be faithful and trusting when it seems like everything is crashing in around me. But it's good to be able to take comfort in a book that tells it like it is, and doesn't make light of life. Books like The Restorer's Journey are real sources of inspiration. It doesn't need to be non-fiction to be encouraging. And this book proves it.
Sharon Hinck has truly become one of my all-time favorite authors. She has shown time and again that she can tell an awesome story and make it hit home with depth, passion and conviction. Her books have an honored spot in our home library, and I hope that many will find her works as enjoyable as I have.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing!, April 14, 2008
This review is from: The Restorer's Journey (The Sword of Lyric Series #3) (Paperback)
Susan and Mark Mitchell have returned from Lyric through the portal in their attic, shaken by the telltale signs of the Restorer, exhibited by their son Jake. There is little time to contemplate the implications when the self serving Cameron of Lyric and the mind swaying Rhusican, Medea, sweep back into their home and their lives, stealing Susan away.
Desperate to save his mum from their clutches, Jake re-enters the portal transporting himself back to Lyric, but the familiar has all but been replaced by fear and despair. Cameron has produced previously unseen Verses, divided the lands and proclaimed himself King of Lyric. Driven by a courage he didn't know he had, Jake seeks out the exiled guardians but falters as he is suspected of being a traitor.
Meanwhile, Susan is fighting a losing battle, physically held captive by the Rhusicans, but overwhelmed by their power they exact over her mind, sending her spiralling into loneliness and despair as their poisonous thoughts strip her of dignity and hope.
I doubt that any words from me can do this unique series justice but I will try! Sharon Hinck's storytelling is masterful, from her creation of the magnificent world of Lyric to the fascinating characters that reflect so much of the human heart and circumstance. Sharon engaged my heart, mind and soul in The Restorer's Journey, more powerfully even than in the first two books, The Restorer and The Restorer's Son. I believed, naively it now seems, that Sharon couldn't exceed my expectations a third time, yet she did, in every imaginable way. Each emotion and thought of her characters seared into my mind as if they were my own, from torment to fear, from relief to joy. Sharon writes with authority and an understanding of the human heart which is oftentimes both painful and confronting to read. Despite this, a steadfast belief and hope in a power greater than us all underscores each page. There is a profundity to Sharon's words in this tale, about the challenges of suffering, the need for healing and the beauty, depth and power of God's love, that I am still contemplating and hope to for a long time. I count it a privilege to have read such an inspiring, challenging and engrossing story.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Satisfying conclusion to the series, March 18, 2010
I was very impatient to read this book after the first two in the series won my absolute and undying respect. I'm only sorry I didn't get to it during a truly dark period in life when it could have had a powerful effect. But in the years between books two and three I shifted between five countries and could not carry much reading material.
No matter. This book was worth the wait. Picking up the story of Jake as he tumbles into his role as Restorer, the ride is wild from the beginning. Trespassers from Lyric invade the family home and drag Susan back with them to torment her mind. Jake lands up with a remnant of rebel guardians who distrust him completely, and comes to recognise his calling is not just to free his mother.
This is a tale about restoring justice and truth, and resisting lies. But it's also about a young man finding his identity and task. We get to see inside Jake's head a lot, and while I'm unqualified to say whether an eighteen-year-old guy would really think like this, I have to remember his heritage comes from two worlds. It is definitely a highlight to see him face down his enemy.
In the meantime Susan struggles with mind games akin to torture. The parallels to depression are clear, and the metaphor extends so far as to offer a way out - only by total trust in God when there is nothing else to lean on.
This is a good solid conclusion to the series, leaving plenty of room to imagine even more. The final result is brilliant and certainly not what I expected. Lovely work as usual from Sharon. In a word - classic.
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