Customer Reviews

The Veiling Society

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Following in the tradition of other Christian allegories, such a Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress or the classic Hind's Feet in High Places, J. C. Lynn (Jessica Sandoval) offers her Veiling Society for today's adolecents.

The story follows Ashley, who has recently lost her mother in a drunk driving accident and subsequently moved from Florida to Washington, who one day stumbles into the land of Specifia, wherein the abstract concepts of earth are incarnate. There she is guided by Sense and Crazy, both of whom work for Wisdom, to combat the Destroyer, his demon, IT, and their city, Society, in order to free the seven sisters (generally named after the gifts/fruits of the Spirit) and restore the crumbled city of Innocence. Along the way, Ashley comes up against several humorous puns in the vein of Lewis Carroll - such as literal saddlehorses - and fanciful gizmos to rival Harry Potter's world - such as the weather making airplane.

Fun and games take up approximately half of the book, but the true story begins once in Society. Ashley, Sense and Crazy are captured by IT and given new, brainwashed personas. They are Providentially saved by Conscience; and Ashley is guided to "the building" to face the cardinal vices and free the sisters - of whom Ashley has been revealed as one: Youth. The story ends with Ashley's return home and the hope for the conversion of her small family. Although Lynn hints that the devil is still lurking out there, and that both Ashley and the reader should keep on guard.

Wonderfully, the morality for this book is excellent. The connections between the various allegorial figures, the virtues which are employed to overcome the vices - everything leads to a correct (and relieving!) morality. The content is tense, but not graphic; and the language and characters are eminently suitable for the book's target audience of pre-adolecents. However, for the adult, a few of the allegorical figures/places (such as the Love Forest) might cause a groan or two, and Lynn makes no bones about veiling God's voice or His Son's: both speak directly and in BOLD LETTERS to Ashley throughout nearly the entirity of the story. The first section of the book includes almost no conflict as the companions journey through Specifia, to the story's slight detriment. However, this lack is more than made up in the second half of the story which takes place wholly in Society, and which begins to take on a mild form of Orwellian atmosphere.

Pre-teens and those who enjoy allegorical puzzles will enjoy The Veiling Society.

Ashley, a nine-year-old girl who has recently lost her mother, finds herself in a strange land called Specifia. In Specifia, things are exactly what their names imply. Sitting on a sleeper sofa makes one fall asleep. Looking out a storm window, one always sees a stormy scene. Puns are taken very seriously. But the story is not all silly puns. There are also some exciting adventures involving an evil presence called IT, who works for an unseen power known as The Destroyer. They have created great dangers to the Specifians, including a deadly desert and the corruptive city of Society. These elements have also affected the outside world. It is up to Ashley to stop the spread of the desert and free the rightful rulers of Specifia. The book is fun and entertaining. It is reminiscent of the Oz books by L. Frank Baum, the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis, and some of the fantasy of J.R.R. Tolkien. But it also has an element that is often missing in modern fantasy. Instead of revolving around so-called adult action, this book's main thrust is a message of hope, love, and forgiveness. Without ever becoming "preachy," J.C. Lynn offers readers clear examples of good will, positive ethics, character counts, and common sense. The characters are instantly engaging, and I hope we will be seeing them again in a sequel. The story moves along swiftly and should appeal to anyone who enjoys a good adventure. The cover is a beautiful full-color photograph showing a collage of objects that appear in the story. The interior illustrations (also by the author) are charming. Overall, this book is a very nice production that deserves a place of honor on any fantasy lover's bookshelf.

Hey Jessi, You bg wenier! whats up"? its angie from TTC, why dont you write a book on clays redwood? you seem to have wuite an interest in that!! hahahah