My Review of The Restorer

Song Stuck on the Brain: Getting to Know You from The King & I

Day 2 of the CSFF blog tour for:

The Restorer

by

Sharon Hinck

My Review:

Susan Mitchell is a harried mom of four kids and the wife to super fab hubby, Mark. Worried that his wife's stress level will be her undoing, he builds her a 'Moms Only' room in the attic where she can escape the crazy day to day madhouse and spend time with God's word and her journal. Sounds great, but in her very first visit to the attic, Susan hears voices whispering under the eaves. While searching for the source of the voices and hoping she's not gone round the bend, she's sucked through a portal into an alternate universe.

Thrown into a strange land and gifted with extraordinary abilities, Susan discovers she is the long awaited Restorer. Everyone believes she's been chosen by The One to save their land and turn their hearts back to the Verses, or word of God. But Susan doesn't feel qualified or able to do the task set before her. She's just a soccer mom, can God really use her to save this world?

I am so psyched by this book. I loved Sharon's Becky Miller books, but in my opinion, Sharon has outdone herself. The Restorer is fantastic. I suppose in some ways it's not fair to compare the Becky Miller books to The Sword of Lyric series. I mean the Restorer is Fantasy after all, but the plot and characters are just so phenomenal. The alternate world Sharon created seems more real to me than the one Susan left behind in her attic. And plot twists! I reached the halfway point in the book and about dropped it when I discovered the big secret Susan's husband was hiding. Fantastic. I never saw it coming.

This book is so compelling on so many levels. It's exciting as an adventure story. The sword fights and intrigue keep you turning pages frantically. Then there's the spiritual aspect. Just like Kathy Tyer's Firebird Trilogy, the scripture verses and spiritual insights are so flawlessly interwoven with the story that one would be lost without the other. I found myself wanting to learn the scripture verses so that I can speak them as well. The spiritual elements are just so moving and beautiful.

Now I'm counting the days until September 10th when book two, The Restorer's Son is released. I'm desperate for more of this world that Sharon has created. She just made my favorite author list.

A.

CSFF: The Restorer by Sharon Hink

Song Stuck on the Brain: "Give me gas in my Ford, Keep me truckin' for the Lord..." I was teaching this old camp song to the kids today and it got stuck. There are several verses, but I could only remember two.

Today the CSFF Blog Tour is featuring:

The Restorer

by

Sharon Hink

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Susan Mitchell needed a change—any kind of change. Nearly twenty years of marriage to her college sweetheart, Mark, had given her two teenagers and two grade-schoolers, along with miles of unmatched socks, sticky countertops, and the ever-growing hum of sheer bedlam. When had she become so . . . insignificant? Hadn’t God once had a plan for her?

Well, at least Mark had a plan: for an attic hideaway free of iPods and science projects and cookie crumbs. But before Susan can finish her first journal entry, she finds herself pulled through a portal into a world grappling for its soul and waiting for a promised Restorer. Someone does have a plan for her—one she never would have imagined. While she struggles to adapt to a foreign culture full of unfamiliar technologies and taboos, she faces unexpected battles, mind-poisoning enemies, and a profound spiritual journey. Her adventure will forever change her family, her faith, and how she experiences love—from the One.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sharon’s undergrad degree is in education, and she earned an M.A. in Communication from Regent University in 1986. She spent ten years as the artistic director of a Christian performing arts group, CrossCurrent. That ministry included three short-term mission trips to Hong Kong. She has been a church youth worker, a choreographer and ballet teacher, a home-school mom, a church organist, and a bookstore clerk. One day she’ll figure out what to be when she grows up, but in the meantime she’s pouring her imagination into writing. She’s published dozens of articles in magazines and book compilations, and released her first novel in 2006. In April, 2007, she was named “Writer of the Year” at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference.

When she isn’t wrestling with words, Sharon enjoys speaking to conferences, retreats, and church groups. She and her family make their home in Minnesota.

FUN STUFF:




Read the first chapter of The Restorer here. Be sure to visit Sharon's blog and website too. She's got a lot of fun information.

MY TAKE:

I haven't read this one all the way through... yet. But I have to say I've been really excited to see how this one reads, because I loved her Becky Miller character. If you'll remember I've posted about The Secret Life of Becky Miller before. Sharon has a great writing voice, and this book looks to be just as fun to read. If you've read The Restorer already, I'd love to hear what you think of this exciting new series.

A.

Be sure to check out the other blog tour stops.

Trish Anderson
Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Grace Bridges
Amy Browning
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Frank Creed
Lisa Cromwell
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Russell Griffith
Jill Hart
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Heather R. Hunt
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Kait
Karen
Dawn King
Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Rachel Marks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
John Ottinger
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika Schultz
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Jason Waguespac
Daniel I. Weaver