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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

3 Awkward Reasons Why I Avoided This Review

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Some books are really difficult to review, and Unwilling Promise is definitely one of those books. I'm not sorry I read it, but what to say? via @chautonahavig

“The book holds so much promise!”

“Good one.”

I blinked.  “Huh?”

She eyed me with a twinkle I’ve seen all my life.  “The title. It fits the title.”

Insert groan here.

Still, jokes aside, I still had no idea how to review a book that didn’t quite meet my hopes and expectations but that I still saw value in.

3 Awkward Reasons Why I Avoided This Review- unwilling promise

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.  Additionally, I received a free review copy and chose to review it without compulsion or compensation.

3 Awkward Reasons Why I Avoided This Review

Sometimes a book is so good that you tend to overlook flaws in favor of its virtues.  Other times, it’s so bad you can’t even see the virtues.  But what do you do when you see so much potential and promise… but it doesn’t quite make it?  It took a while for me to formulate my thoughts, and I’m not sure I’ve done a good job.

Unwilling Promise. It’s not an unfamiliar story.  A woman, near to her death bed, goes on a search for a wife and mother for her husband and children. However, author Emily Yager sets it in Minnesota with Ukranian immigrants and offers quite a bit of insight into Ukranian culture. It had everything I generally enjoy, and yet at the end of the book, I didn’t know how to review it.

First: 

The characters have everything I like in characters. Nither Sergy or Klarysa are perfect people.  Wounded and grieving for different reasons, both should be sympathetic characters.  But something isn’t quite right.  I think perhaps in this case, we just needed more time with them.

Second: 

Much of the plot felt disjointed and choppy. Again, I think it’s because the author didn’t take the time to fully develop it.  Some things, like how a villain was handled, left me unsatisfied. Part of this problem is compounded by historical anachronisms that jumped out at me. It is, however, a short book–just 111 pages, so if you’re doing a reading challenge, you might find it a good choice for a “short book” option.

Third:

This one tells me that what the book needed most is a good, solid edit–both developmental and grammatical. Those who struggle with typos–both punctuation and word choice/spelling–may find this one difficult to get through.

All in all, Unwilling Promise has a whole lot of potential, but it didn’t quite reach the mark. I hope the author keeps writing and considers a revision of this book, because I really think she has what it takes to craft a good story that would make me keep reading. Recommended for people who enjoy learning about new cultures, Minnesota history, and marriage of convenience stories and who aren’t bothered by weak editing.

Unwilling PromiseAbout Unwilling Promise:

Klarysa Tutko, a young single mother, moves to Caribou, Minnesota, where her family is now living, to put her life back in order. All she wants is to leave the past in the past; though a family friend has other ideas and persuades her to make a promise that she is unwilling to keep.

Author Bio:

Emily Yager writes Inspirational Romance novels set among the lakes, rivers, and north woods of Minnesota. Is the author of the Pursuing Voyageurs series.

When Emily is not writing, she is doodling over her notes, listening to music, searching for a new history book to explore, or dealing with the dramas of a bi-polar prima donna canine and writing puppy sidekick, Xian. She lives on the family farm in northwestern Minnesota.

Social Media Links:

Facebook @emilyyagerauthor (https://facebook.com/emilyyagerauthor/)

Twitter @TheEmilyYager (https://twitter.com/TheEmilyYager/)

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 164: A Chat with Christian Fantasy Author, Ernest Yip
byChautona Havig

When I talked to Ernest Yip last month, I was crazy excited to learn about his fantasy novel, The Shattered King, an allegory about the attributes of God. Ernest talks about his inspiration, how he got started, and what’s coming next for us. I loved hearing more about the story and my copy is on its way to me now. EEEP! Listen in to learn more.

Note: links are affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Experience the Attributes of God in a Whole New Way

In the tradition of Pilgrim’s Progress or the parables of Jesus, Ernest Yip brings us a story that introduces to a King like no other through the various attributes our main character meets through out the book. I love a good allegory, and listening to Ernest talk about his book had me choming at the bit to get started.

Though written for teens, The Shattered King is sure to appeal to anyone who loves fantasy and adventure. I especially love how it is a great introduction to who God is without being a heavy or preachy tome of apologetics. Instead, we’re taken on an adventure to discover it all for ourselves.

I can’t wait to see what Yip does next!

The Shattered King by Ernest Yip

Finding his way home means finding something else first—someone else.

When a dark force shatters the benevolent and mighty king Eloa, the land of Astrea lies broken and dying. Though Eloa lives, he is a shadow of his true self, unable to restore his kingdom unless he is reunited with the living Fragments of his being and made whole again.

Catapulted into this unfamiliar world and gifted with a magical sword, teenager Jax faces the ultimate test—finding the lost Fragments of Eloa. Only by fulfilling this quest will he be able to return home. But there are new forces in power, forces that will do whatever it takes to thwart Jax’s efforts and defeat Eloa.

But Jax will soon find that Eloa is no ordinary king, and neither are his Fragments—

A creator of living stone beings A father of orphans in a storm-filled land A desert warrior of limitless power

And they aren’t the only ones out there…

Encounter the Fragments of The Shattered King, a tale of danger and discovery that explores timeless truths about the world we live in, where justice and mercy are sometimes the most powerful weapons.

You can find out more about Ernest from his WEBSITE.

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