EFR REVIEWS

BRANDES HISTORICAL FANTASIES   Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone, and the only cure to the Stone Plague is to join his father’s plot to assassinate the king of England. Silent wars leave the most carnage. The wars that are never declared, but are carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. Wars where color power alters the natural rhythm of 17th century London. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death. But what if death finds him first? Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting his eye is spreading. And if he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it will put an end to the plague—Thomas is in. The plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter King. The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of the girl Thomas loves. But...

WANTING MOR Jameela and her family live in a poor, war-torn village in Afghanistan. Even with her cleft lip and lack of educational opportunities, Jameela feels relatively secure, sustained by her Muslim faith and the love of her mother, Mor. But when Mor dies, Jameela’s father impulsively decides to start a new life in Kabul. Jameela is appalled as he succumbs to alcohol and drugs, then suddenly remarries, a situation that soon has her a virtual slave to a demanding stepmother. After she’s discovered trying to learn to read, Jameela is abandoned in a busy market, eventually landing in an orphanage run by the same army that killed so many members of her family. Throughout it all, the memory of her mother sustains her, giving Jameela the strength to face her father and stepmother when fate brings them together again. Inspired by a true story, and set in a world far removed from that of Western readers, this powerful novel reveals that the desire for identity and self-understanding is un...

LOVE LETTERS   ** Female manga artist George Asakura uses this format to present short-story style romances, depicting couples who  come together under unique / unusual circumstances. Love Letters #1 Stories 1-5 #1 "Love Letters in the Library" -- Ririko Takase is a Liza Minelli-looking librarian who finds a love letter from a secret admirer left for her at the library's return desk.  #2 "To One Who Doesn't Know Me" -- Bad boy Mosumura Yasushi writes a letter to classmate Katase Rino confessing is admiration / attraction for her. But the letter is actually found by another girl, Ayako, who is moved by his sentiments. #3 "Flowers Blooming in the Snow" -- Lonely girl Miyashita Chiyuki, struggling with depression, finds friendship through letters exchanged with Kumashiro.  #4 "Love Letter Panic" -- Tomboy Hayakawa gets a letter from a secret admirer telling her she's cute, which inspires her to embrace her girly-girl side and start ...

Harbored Secrets Trilogy  *Christian Romantic Suspense* #1 LIVING LIES In the little town of Walton, Georgia, everybody knows your name--but no one knows your secret. At least that's what Lane Kent is counting on when she returns to her hometown with her five-year-old son. Dangerously depressed after the death of her husband, Lane is looking for hope. What she finds instead is a dead body.  Lane must work with Walton's newest deputy, Charlie Lynch, to uncover the truth behind the murder. But when that truth hits too close to home, she'll have to decide if saving the life of another is worth the cost of revealing her darkest secret. ★ ★ ★1/2 Recently widowed Lane Kent, struggling with her depression now more than ever, makes the decision to return to her hometown of Walton, Georgia with her five year old son. She sets herself up as the owner / manager of The Way Station Cafe, which soon becomes a popular hangout for locals, especially veterans. But when her mind demons start...