Proclaimer


"The only way to save us is to betray the king I vowed to protect."

In a story that picks up immediately where Protector leaves off, this dystopian retelling of the book of Esther continues the tale of Novalise, or Astra, the bodyguard of the king and secret follower of Alpha. Is there any way she can convince the king that the followers of Alpha are not a danger to the kingdom? Can she save her people?

Be immersed in palace intrigue as Astra seeks to gain the king's favor for her people while also balancing the romance that has been building between them. King Zadien isn't evil but he has not always listened to the best advisors. How will he react when he finds out she's an Alphanite?

From the action-packed beginning to he explosive end, Proclaimer will have you racing through the pages with unexpected twists and turns to find out how the author wraps up this unique take on a much-loved true story.

Esther was my favorite book of the Bible when I was a little girl, and it was interesting to see it brought to life in a dystopian world. I struggled a bit with the attitude of some of the characters, but  each of them undergo a transformation through the course of the story. I do think readers who enjoy dystopian young adult fiction will appreciate this one, and of course I loved tracking all the notable Esther moments as they played out in a totally new way.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.


Purchase Links

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About the Author


After a year of traveling the country in a 100-square-foot camper with her husband, daughter, and dog, Megan Schaulis was bursting with wonder and inspiration—and she poured it all into her writing.

Megan has a B.A. in Journalism from Arizona State University and is a member of the ACFW. As a special education teacher, she helped young people fall in love with reading and writing. Today, when she’s not spinning stories, Megan uses words in playful and creative ways at her branding agency. Her debut series, The Susa Chronicles, a YA dystopian reimagining of Esther, released with WhiteCrown Publishing in 2024.

Megan lives in Abilene, Texas, where you’ll find her staying up way too late reading or hiking with her family.


Author Links

Instagram | Facebook | Newsletter | Website

 

Protector


Novalise has grown up separated, an outcast from Susa's society. Her people, known as the Alphanites, have hidden in the mountains since refusing to abide by Susa's registration laws. But when Susa's new king is looking for women to join his elite bodyguards called the Protectors, Novalise is conscripted into the competition, forced to fight against nano-enhanced young women who possess super-human powers.

Zadien feels unready and unworthy to ascend to the throne after his father's murder. As he deals with anxiety, he relies heavily upon his advisors as he begins reigning over his kingdom. He needs new Protectors, and even though he has misgivings about a grand competition to sort through the candidates, he agrees to it.

As Novalise navigates the world of the Citadel and the competition among women who are not like her, she hears the voice of Alpha in her head, guiding her. She comes to surprising realizations about who are friends and who are enemies.

This retelling of the Biblical Esther story mixes a dystopian world with a little bit of American Ninja Warrior and a hint of Hunger Games. It was interesting to see different ways a story I am so familiar with translated into a completely different setting.

For me, the book was slow getting started, and I had trouble with Novalise's attitude at times. The book also used a trope that is a personal pet peeve of mine, which I realize is totally my hang-up and not the fault of the book. However, Novalise grows a lot through the course of the novel and once the story gets going there is much to draw the reader in. Action. Faith. Romance, both requited and unrequited. Though the book does come to a conclusion, there are plenty of threads left hanging for the second book in the series. I can't wait to see how everything comes together!

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Bring Her Home 


Evangeline left home as a teenager, a young woman ready to explore the world and all it has to offer. Four years later, her father King Lior is still desperately searching for her, wondering what happened to his princess and why she won't return home.

Sir Darrek would give anything to honor his king by bringing home his long-lost daughter. Now that he's found Evangeline, working as a servant and going by the name of Eva, he has no intention of leaving Cavendish Castle without her. Why would Eva stay as a servant when she has a loving and luxurious home waiting for her?

If anyone is beyond redemption, Eva believes she is. She's made her choices, is dealing with the consequences, and feels unworthy of anything more than a life of menial service. Even with Sir Darrek there to try to convince her, she will not be moved. Because if she agrees, she might lose the one thing she still holds dear above all else.

The depth of Eva's pain touched my heart. I ached for her. I related to her, even though our pain may not be the same, and I believe other readers will as well. This story has the power to change lives as it delves into real issues, real wounds, real fears. Real self-deceptions. Though Eva struggles, others love and sacrifice and never give up hoping that she will be restored to her rightful place and relationship with her father. Can she make the choice to embrace the grace offered to her?

If you've ever made mistakes, and we all have, there's something for you in this book. This was my first time reading Hannah Currie, and I was so impressed by the way she handled some really difficult topics. I'll certainly hope to read more of her books in the future!

I received my copy of the book from the author. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Shadowed Loyalty
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Come along for the tale of a mafia family—where everything, including love, is more than it seems. When the man Sabina loves turns out to be an undercover Prohibition agent charged with bringing down her father, her heart nearly shatters under another loss. She's forced to turn to the one man she'd rather not ask for help—her fiancé.

This story is full of twists and turns, wounds and mendings. Lorenzo is determined to leave the tradition of his family and forge a new, honest life for himself, but can Sabina really leave the mafia lifestyle behind? If she found love in the arms of another man, why would she agree to continue their engagement and fulfill the future they once dreamed of together?

Roseanna wrote this story a dozen years ago, and I think the youth of it shows. I didn't agree with the way physical love was portrayed, and in the same vein did not appreciate that one character visits a prostitute multiple times for her services. I just felt like those things could have been handled differently. I also wish the setting was more vibrant. I've visited Chicago several times, and I understand it looks different now than it did in the 1920s, but I wish there had been more references to historical landmarks or even Lake Michigan.

There were many things the novel did well, and my favorite aspect involved family. Both Sabina and Lorenzo love their families very much, but their families (like most families!) have issues. Fortunately, not all of our families are in the mob! However, learning to leave behind any toxic or unhealthy family traits is something I feel many readers will identify with. Are we brave enough to embrace healthier approaches to life, or will we be stuck in what we've always known?

If you're interested in reading a book about a mafia family during the Prohibition Era, make sure to add Shadowed Loyalty to your To Be Read stack.

I received my copy of the book from the author. All thoughts in this review are my own.


About the Author

Roseanna M. White

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books...to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

Follow Roseanna: Blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter

About The Book

Shadowed Loyalty

Shadowed Loyalty

Sabina Mancari never questioned her life as the daughter of Chicago's leading mob boss until bullets tear apart her world and the man she thought she loved turns out to be an undercover Prohibition agent. Ambushes, bribes, murder, prostitution—all her life, her father sheltered her from his crimes, but now she can no longer turn away from the truth. Maybe Lorenzo, the fiancé who barely paid her any attention in the last two years, has the right idea by planning to escape their world. But can she truly turn her back on her family?

All his life, Lorenzo's family assumed he would become a priest, but he has different ideas—marrying Sabina and pursuing a career in the law. Despite his morals, he knows at the core he isn't so unlike his mafiosi father and brothers. Has he, in trying to protect Sabina, forced her into the arms of the Prohibition agent bent on tearing her family apart? How can they rebuild what has so long been neglected and do it in the shadow of the dark empire of the Mafia?

Shadowed Loyalty, set amid the glitz and scandal of the Roaring Twenties, examines what love really means and how we draw lines between family and our own convictions, especially when following one could mean losing the other.


Stray Drop of Blood 


I have so enjoyed Roseanna M. White's recent releases that I've slowly been making my way through her earlier works. I was not entirely sure what to expect with "A Stray Drop of Blood," but that was okay - once I got into the novel, every time I thought I had figured out what would happen next I was always wrong! That's some strong storytelling right there.

Our heroine is Abigail, a young Hebrew slave who lives in Jerusalem. Her mistress is also Hebrew, while the master is a Roman soldier who believes in the One True God. Despite being a slave, Abigail is treated more like a daughter, loved and educated throughout her upbringing.

Things shift drastically when the master's son Jason returns from Rome, having been away for several years. Seeing Abigail's beauty, he believes he must have her for himself, no matter the cost to Abigail or his parents.

Tensions run high in Jerusalem as the words of the teacher Jesus are much reported, and Barabbas wreaks havoc in the streets as he leads an uprising. From the fateful Passover day that changed the course of the world to the beginning of the church in Rome, Abigail's tumultuous journey will keep you glued to the pages.

This book does not shy away from the debauchery of the times, so I would not recommend it for readers under 18 years of age. If sexual assault or abuse is a trigger I would also caution readers to look elsewhere. For a technical note on the writing, I found the vast number of point of view characters to be a different approach. In general I do not prefer to have so many come and go, though it helped with the suspense of never knowing which direction this story would turn. Overall this book was quite reminiscent of a classic story I loved as a teenager: "The Robe" by Lloyd C. Douglas. I would recommend "A Stray Drop of Blood" for adult readers who enjoy Biblical fiction or looking into life as it might have been at the time of Jesus.

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