CSFF: Martyr's Fire: Merlins Immortals by Sigmund Brouwer

Song Stuck on the Brain: Radioactive by Imagine Dragons


Today I'm touring with the CSFF blog tour:

Martyr's Fire

         Book 3 in the Merlin's Immortals series           

 

 

by

 

Sigmund Brouwer

 

 

 

 

MY TAKE:

 

Merlin's Immortals has been a tremendous series. Set in 14th century England Thomas finds himself the unwitting pawn between two very secret organizations. SO secret, he doesn't even know why they're so desperate to haunt his every move. Spies, secret passages, magic like miracles to confuse and control the masses. Thomas has decided he is on his own to fight this and find the truth.

One of the things I love most about this series is the intricacies of the plot. Who's really a friend? Is this character a mere peasant or a secret Immortal or Druid? I also love that although the author brings in what seems to be magical or fantasy, he also explains the science behind it. Proving that often what seemed impossible was mere slight of hand or chemistry.

The series has been exciting, fast paced and addictive. I can't wait to see more.
 

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

 

Will this dangerous quest lead the outcast Orphan King toward an ancient secret—or to certain destruction?
Posing as a beggar, Thomas escapes Magnus after fifteen men, who are calling themselves the Priests of the Holy Grail, arrive and take control of the castle through wondrous acts and apparent miracles. With the help of his longtime friend Gervaise, Thomas sets out on a journey that leads him to the ancient Holy Land. Unaware that Katherine and Hawkwood are watching over him, Thomas is tested in his beliefs and comes face to face with the ancient power that the Merlins and Druids have long been searching for.

Enter the world of Merlin’s Immortals, where ancient secrets and evil conspiracies take you on a breathless adventure of discovery, intrigue, and hidden knowledge.

 

If you haven't read book 2, Fortress of Mist, be sure to check it out HERE.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

Sigmund Brouwer is a well-known author in evangelical Christian circles. He has written scores of books across many genres, from children's picture books to scientific thrillers, and more.

Born in 1959 as one of six children to a family with Dutch heritage, Brouwer is a native of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. He is married to Christian singer Cindy Morgan and has two daughters. Brouwer divides his time between Nashville, Tennessee and Red Deer, Alberta, and enjoys sports such as ice hockey and golf.

A favorite cause of Brouwer's is to encourage non-readers to begin reading. He visits schools and speaks about writing often. He likes to tell people he had the worst grade in his English class at one point during his childhood, and that it took him ten years to get his first book published. - NewReleaseTuesday

Check out the other tour members at:

Red Bissell
Beckie Burnham
Theresa Dunlap
Emma or Audrey Engel
Victor Gentile
Nikole Hahn
Becky Jesse
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Rebekah Loper
Jennette Mbewe
Amber McCallister
Shannon McDermott
Meagan @ Blooming with Books
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Writer Rani
Nathan Reimer
Jojo Sutis
Steve Trower
Phyllis Wheeler
Deborah Wilson
Rachel Wyant


In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

The Orphan King by Sigmund Brouwer

Today I'm reviewing for Waterbrook Multnomah.

The Orphan King

 

by

 

Sigmund Brouwer

MY TAKE:

I'm a huge fan of anything Merlin or King Arthur related, so when I saw a new series for young adults featuring the famous legend I had to read it.

Merlin and Arthur aren't presented in book one, instead it's the story of a young man denied his birthright that is set on a mission to become the hero he was born to be. Along the way he gathers a band of friends to join him in his mission. Whether friends or foes isn't always evident and it's the mystery and journey of a hero that makes the book addictive and irresistible. Loved it, can't wait for book two.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The future of the Immortals is in the hands of an orphan

My greatest fear was that they would find us and make of us a sacrifice beneath a full moon. Now you, Thomas, must help us destroy the circle of evil.

The last words of a dying woman would change the life of young Thomas. Raised behind monastery walls, he knows nothing of his mysterious past or imminent destiny. But now, in the heart of medieval England, a darkness threatens to strangle truth. An ancient order tightens their ghostly grip on power, creating fear and exiling those who would oppose them. Thomas is determined fulfill his calling and bring light into the mysterious world of the Druids and leaves the monastery on an important quest.

Thomas quickly finds himself in unfamiliar territory, as he must put his faith in unusual companions—a cryptic knight, a child thief, and the beautiful, silent woman whom may not be all she seems. From the solitary life of an orphan, Thomas now finds himself tangled in the roots of both camaraderie and suspicion.

Can he trust those who would join his battle…or will his fears force him to go on alone?

Get a sneak peek and read the first chapter HERE.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sigmund Brouwer is not only the acclaimed author of over 40 books that include several children’s series, he is also an inspirational speaker and co-founder of The Young Writer’s Institute. He has written fiction novels such as Blood Ties, Double Helix and The Weeping Chamber, as well as a non-fiction book, Can the Real Jesus Still be Found? part of his Truth is Out There series. Brouwer has a number of series targeting the 9-15 age bracket. His background briefly playing semi-pro hockey and his interest in sports serve as an ideal framework for his Lightning on Ice and Short Cuts series. Other series include: Watch Out for Joel, The Accidental Detectives, Mars Diaries, Winds of Light, Cyber Quest, Sports Mystery Series, and Bug’s Eye View. Upcoming releases from Brouwer include installments in the Nick Barrett Mystery Series and Degrees of Guilt series.

In addition to writing a vast number of books captivating enough to get children to read Sigmund Brouwer also approaches his writing from a different angle than is seen in most books. Many of his stories are written in the first person format, telling the story only through the main character’s point of view. This point of view is naturally restricting, yet Brouwer deals with the restrictions seemingly without a problem.

His work has been esteemed in Library Journal and Booklist; he has also received the Alberta Film and Literary Writing Grant twice. His articles have been published in Canadian and U.S. publications. Brouwer has made appearances on the Dick Staub Show, 100 Huntley Street, Home Network, Moody Radio and other Christian radio shows across the country.

Sigmund Brouwer is married to Christian recording artist, Cindy Morgan. They live in both Brouwer’s hometown of Red Deer and Nashville. They have a daughter, Morgan Olivia.

You can visit Sigmund Brouwer on Facebook.

Information courtesy of Harvest House Publishers.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Flight of Shadows by Sigmund Brouwer

Song Stuck on the Brain: Million Pieces by The Newsboys

Today I'm touring a book I received free for review from WaterBrook Multnomah through their Blogging for Books program.




Flight of Shadows: A Novel

by

Sigmund Brouwer

MY TAKE:

Flight of Shadows, Sigmund Brouwer's follow-up to Broken Angel, was a very pleasant surprise. I'd read Broken Angel and enjoyed it, but had no idea that a sequel had been written. Reading Flight of Shadows was like stumbling across a group of long lost friends. Finding Caitlyn, Billy, and Theo again, and joining them on this new journey was perfect.

Brouwer's depiction of our near future is indeed dismal, with the worst in humanity on display from politics to religion. But through it all runs a very firm strand of hope. This may be speculative fiction, a story that begs us to look a little deeper at our true nature and how close we all walk the line between good and evil, but it's also a fantastic, fast paced, nail-biting read that keeps you up to all hours of the night.

I dare you not to find a part of yourself that identifies with genetically manipulated Caitlyn, or gentle giant Billy, or even street savy Razor, in some way. It's the sign of a truly gifted writer, that character's become people who live and breathe in our minds. Paper images of our own hidden thoughts and fears that allow us to imagine 'what if'. Alter egos of a sort, that give us the opportunity to explore new worlds and learn the great lessons in life, all while encouraging us to look past the evil in the world and see the hope that is still there for all to receive.

This is definitely speculative fiction at it's best.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Her genetic secret could change humanity forever.
Her DNA grants her the ultimate power.
But all she wants is to disappear.

Looming buildings rise into the sky of a near-future America, shadowing the desperate poverty of the soovie parks, death doctors, and fear bombs. In this world of walled cities, where status matters most, Caitlyn Brown is desperate to remain invisible, wrongly believing what she needs to hide is the deformity on her back. The powerful want her for so much more.

She’s forced to take flight again, relying on the help of Razor, a street-smart illusionist she can’t trust. Her only hope is to reach friends already tracked by government.

With a twisted bounty hunter in full pursuit, she and Razor begin to learn the unthinkable about her past and the unique gifts of her DNA. It leads Caitlyn to a choice between the two men who love her, and whether to keep her freedom or sacrifice herself to change human destiny.

In this lightning-fast chase through an all-too-plausible future, best-selling author Sigmund Brouwer is at his best. Flight of Shadows is a terrifying ride into the heart of compelling moral questions about science and society.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sigmund Brouwer is the author of eighteen novels with nearly three million copies in print. His recent novel The Last Disciple was featured in Time magazine and on ABC's Good Morning America. Sigmund is married to Christian recording artist Cindy Morgan, and they and their two daughters divide their time between homes in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and Nashville, Tennessee.

CSFF: Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer

Song Stuck on the Brain: Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard


Today the CSFF is touring:

Broken Angel

by

Sigmund Brouwer

MY TAKE:

Very original, extremely intriguing, and thoughroly thought provoking. I enjoyed this book tremendously, as much for the intrigue and characters, as the political controversy. It's a great read.

I hate giving away surprises, so I'm going to avoid mentioning the very big surprise ending. However, the rest of the story is just full of what if's and near future maybe's, so there's plenty to discuss.

Sigmund's story is set in the near future. An America divided by religion. The Outsiders governed much like our modern society only much advanced and obviously dabbling in some science best left alone. The other half of society is being goverened by a religious faction that controls the population with Nazi like precision. In the middle is the Clan. Rumored to be terrorists, yet possibly the salvation to those fleeing to the Outside.

The story shows the extremes that our country is headed for if we don't take notice and make changes. It suggests that the Christian Right Wing group will one day go too far and that the country is headed for division between fundamentalists that distort the true Christian beliefs and Liberal leaders that have no morals. In the midst of all of this is Caitlyn, a unique and deformed young woman trying to escape to the outside.

I'm not sure I believe that what is presented is what will happen to our country, but I can see how the possibilities are there. The question that stood out the strongest in mind as I read, was, Am I willing to fight for my beliefs and where do I draw the line? It's something we all have to ask ourselves. Who knows how soon the answer to that will be required of us?

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Her birth was shrouded in mystery and tragedy.
Her destiny is beyond comprehension.
Her pursuers long to see her broken.
She fights to soar.

In the rough, shadowy hills of Appalachia, a nation carved from the United States following years of government infighting, Caitlyn and her companions are the prey in a terrifying hunt. They must outwit the relentless bounty hunters, skirt an oppressive, ever-watchful society, and find passage over the walls of Appalachia to reveal the dark secrets behind Caitlyn’s existence–and understand her father’s betrayal.

In this engrossing, lightning-paced story with a post-apocalyptic edge, best-selling author Sigmund Brouwer weaves a heroic, harrowing journey through the path of a treacherous culture only one or two steps removed from our own.

Watch the Music Video for Beautiful Bird sung by Cindy Morgan. It's the theme song for Broken Angel.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sigmund's faith is an integral part of his creative goals. Although an overt Christian agenda doesn't appear in his novels, an underpinning of morality and redemption make his books more than tools of escape. Not surprisingly, on of his greatest writing influences is C.S. Lewis. "C.S. Lewis is definitely one of the writers I admire most," Sigmund says, "He wrote as well as possible, knowing that the Truth would speak for itself. He always tried to be logical, and true, and never tried to inject things for the sake of putting them in there. He's the one who said, "There's no Christian way to write, just as there is no Christian way to boil an egg. Writers, whether they are Christian or Agnostic, have to follow good rules of writing and he did. And because of that, the Truth spoke for itself."


Sigmund is married to Christian recording artist Cindy Morgan. The couple and their two young daughters divide their time between homes in Red Deer and Nashville, Tennessee.



To read more, be sure to visit the other tour members at:

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Janey DeMeo
Jeff Draper
Karina Fabian
Mark Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Katie Hart
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Magma
Margaret
Shannon McNear
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Steve Rice
Ashley Rutherford
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika or Mir's Here
Sean Slagle
James Somers
Donna Swanson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Laura Williams

CFBA: Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


Broken Angel


(WaterBrook Press (May 20, 2008)


by


Sigmund Brouwer


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sigmund Brouwer is the author of eighteen best-selling novels for children and adults. His newest book is Fuse of Armageddon and his novel The Last Disciple was featured in Time magazine and on ABC’s Good Morning America. A champion of literacy, he teaches writing workshops for students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner city Los Angeles. Sigmund is married to Christian recording artist Cindy Morgan, and they and their two daughters divide their time between homes in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and Nashville, Tennessee.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Her birth was shrouded in mystery and tragedy.
Her destiny is beyond comprehension.
Her pursuers long to see her broken.
She fights to soar.

A father's love for his daughter…a decision that would change both their lives forever. But who is she really─and why must she now run for her life?

Caitlin's body has made her an outcast, a freak, and the target of vicious bounty hunters. As she begins a perilous journey, she is forced to seek answers for her father's betrayal in the only things she can carry with her─a letter he passes her before forcing her to run, and their shared memories together.

Being hunted forces Caitlyn to partner with two equally lonely companions, one longing to escape the horror of factory life in Appalachia and the others, an unexpected fugitive. Together the three will fight to reach a mysterious group that might be friend or foe, where Caitlyn hopes to uncover the secrets of her past...and the destiny she must fulfill.

In the rough, shadowy hills of Appalachia, a nation carved from the United States following years of government infighting, Caitlyn and her companions are the prey in a terrifying hunt. They must outwit the relentless bounty hunters, skirt an oppressive, ever-watchful society, and find passage over the walls of Appalachia to reveal the dark secrets behind Caitlyn’s existence–and understand her father’s betrayal.

Prepare yourself to experience a chilling America of the very near future, as you discover the unforgettable secret of the Broken Angel.

In this engrossing, lightning-paced story with a post-apocalyptic edge, best-selling author Sigmund Brouwer weaves a heroic, harrowing journey through the path of a treacherous culture only one or two steps removed from our own.

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

CFBA: Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer

Song Stuck on the Brain: Who Knew by Pink

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:

Broken Angel

by

Sigmund Brouwer(WaterBrook Press (May 20, 2008)




ABOUT THE BOOK:

Her birth was shrouded in mystery and tragedy.
Her destiny is beyond comprehension.
Her pursuers long to see her broken.
She fights to soar.

A father's love for his daughter…a decision that would change both their lives forever. But who is she really─and why must she now run for her life?

Caitlin's body has made her an outcast, a freak, and the target of vicious bounty hunters. As she begins a perilous journey, she is forced to seek answers for her father's betrayal in the only things she can carry with her─a letter he passes her before forcing her to run, and their shared memories together.

Being hunted forces Caitlyn to partner with two equally lonely companions, one longing to escape the horror of factory life in Appalachia and the others, an unexpected fugitive. Together the three will fight to reach a mysterious group that might be friend or foe, where Caitlyn hopes to uncover the secrets of her past...and the destiny she must fulfill.

In the rough, shadowy hills of Appalachia, a nation carved from the United States following years of government infighting, Caitlyn and her companions are the prey in a terrifying hunt. They must outwit the relentless bounty hunters, skirt an oppressive, ever-watchful society, and find passage over the walls of Appalachia to reveal the dark secrets behind Caitlyn’s existence–and understand her father’s betrayal.

Prepare yourself to experience a chilling America of the very near future, as you discover the unforgettable secret of the Broken Angel.

In this engrossing, lightning-paced story with a post-apocalyptic edge, best-selling author Sigmund Brouwer weaves a heroic, harrowing journey through the path of a treacherous culture only one or two steps removed from our own.

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


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sigmund Brouwer is the author of eighteen best-selling novels for children and adults. His newest book is Fuse of Armageddon and his novel The Last Disciple was featured in Time magazine and on ABC’s Good Morning America. A champion of literacy, he teaches writing workshops for students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner city Los Angeles. Sigmund is married to Christian recording artist Cindy Morgan, and they and their two daughters divide their time between homes in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and Nashville, Tennessee.