CFBA: Moonblood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:



Moonblood

Bethany House Publishers (April 1, 2012)



by

Anne Elisabeth Stengl

MY TAKE:

Moonblood has been a highly anticipated book for me. I love fairytales and fantasy of all sorts, but the author doesn't write just any old fluff, her stories are meaty and full of deeper meanings. Not quite Grimm Brothers, but so much more than Disney. I love Disney, I think I've seen more princess movies than my nieces, but the Tales of Goldstone Wood series has stood out from the rest with its depth and color. So very alive and three dimensional. My only wish is that I could have read them all back to back rather than waiting between publishing dates. I find that my poor memory has a hard time retaining so many details when I read as much as I do between releases. It all came back as I was reading, but I know it would have been even more incredible if I could have imersed myself in that world from begining to end. Which I will probably do at some point down the road - a long weekend with Anne Elisabeth Stengl and dark chocolate.

For those of you that are new to the series, you have an advantage. Be sure you have all 3 books on hand and dive in.

You can see my reviews for the other books in the series by following the links:

Book 1: Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Book 2: Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Moonblood Draws Near, and Soon the Dragons Will Wake

Desperate to regain the trust of his kingdom, Prince Lionheart reluctantly banishes his faithful servant and only friend, Rose Red. Now she is lost in the hidden realm of Arpiar, held captive by her evil goblin father, King Vahe.

Vowing to redeem himself, Lionheart plunges into the mysterious Goldstone Wood, seeking Rose Red. In strange other worlds, Lionheart must face a lyrical yet lethal tiger, a fallen unicorn, and a goblin horde on his quest to rescue the girl he betrayed.

With the Night of Moonblood fast approaching when King Vahe seeks to wake the Dragon's sleeping children, Lionheart must discover whether or not his heart contains courage before it's too late for Rose Red . . . and all those he loves.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Moonblood, go HERE.

DOWNLOAD BOOK ONE: Heartless on Amazon Kindle for FREE!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she enjoys her profession as an art teacher, giving private lessons from her personal studio, and teaching group classes at the Apex Learning Center. She is married to the handsome man she met at fencing class and lives with him and a gaggle of cats. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. Heartless is her debut novel.

Anne Elisabeth is also the author of the Tales of Goldstone Wood, a series of fantasy adventure novels told in the classic Fairy Tale style.

Heartless wins Christy Award

Buy Heartless on Amazon

Congratulations to Anne Elisabeth Stengl for winning the Christy Award in the First Novel category for Heartless. Way to go!!!

CFBA: Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Song Stuck on the Brain: Heartless by Kris Allen

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:




HeartlessBethany House (July 1, 2010)




by




Anne Elisabeth Stengl




MY TAKE:

What a fantastic debut! Stengl blew me away with Heartless. Although it's obvious that the story is very allegorical in nature, it was told in a way that didn't throw me out of the story line by it's heavy handedness. Not always an easy thing to do. Prince Aethelbald was an obvious favorite for me from the very first moment his very "stodgy" self appeared. I appreciate a man with his traits. And yet I couldn't help but remember what it felt like to be in Una's head with all her romantic fairytale notions. I'm not sure any of us truly out grow those fantasies, but her journey to understand the worth of true love is a story well worth reading and taking to heart. Especially as it compares to our journey to find Jesus and the true love He offers.

Her representation of evil and dragons were truly unique to me as well. I've never seen dragons represented in quite this form and I applaud her creativity. This book is so worth reading. I adore fantasy, but I really believe that this can be appreciated by those outside the typical fan base.


ABOUT THE BOOK :

Princess Una of Parumvir has come of age and will soon be married. She dreams of a handsome and charming prince, but when the first suitor arrives, she finds him stodgy and boring. Prince Aethelbald from the mysterious land of Farthestshore has traveled far to prove his love--and also to bring hushed warnings of danger. A dragon is rumored to be approaching Parumvir.

Una, smitten instead with a more dashing prince, refuses Aethelbald's offer--and ignores his warnings. Soon the Dragon King himself is in Parumvir, and Una, in giving her heart away unwisely, finds herself in grave danger. When Una makes the wrong choice, catastrophe ensues for the princess and her family, and love, courage, and trust are needed when darkness engulfs the kingdom.

Only those courageous enough to risk everything have a hope of fighting off this advancing evil.

There are some delightful things and scenes: the Twelve-Year Market that appears in its own good time and sells fairy goods; a clever blind cat who is invariably underfoot and has, of course, a secret!

If you would like to read the first chapter of Heartless, go HERE.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she enjoys her profession as an art teacher, giving private lessons from her personal studio, and teaching group classes at the Apex Learning Center. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. Heartless is her debut novel.