"The Restorer's Son" by Sharon Hinck

[reviewsbyerin]

 


Kieran of Braide Wood never expected to be the next Restorer. He seems the least qualified - he's half Hazorite, he isn't sure he completely believes in The One, and his relationships with his family are complicated. Plus he's just been banished from the clans! Where is The One and what is He thinking?! 

Meanwhile Susan returns to this other world when she discovers that her son Jake has found the portal. As she and her husband frantically track their 18-year-old, they worry that he has fallen into the hands of the Council and is being manipulated for nefarious purposes.

I really relate to much of Kieran's internal struggle. On page 58 Kieran muses: "How did [Susan] contain the horrible anger at being chosen for something she didn't want to do?" Yes indeed. Many times what God calls us to do is so wonderful that it takes our breath away. But sometimes it's so hard that all we can do is fall on Him and trust that He knows what He is doing because we certainly can't see how it is going to work out. Sometimes there's anger and questioning and tears. This is a path I'm familiar with, too.

Kieran is about to have an encounter with The One that will forever change his life and and the shape of his future. The One makes no mistakes. He's not looking for amazing people, he's looking for amazing obedience. Like Kieran in Chapter 29, we may find that "He wouldn't release me from this path, but He understood my struggle. ... It was enough."

It turns out that Kieran is one of my favorite literary heroes. As I said in my review of the first book of this series, I do not read much fantasy, but these have captured my heart in a special way and I know there will be more rereads of them in the future!