Book Notes: New Year, More Book Reviews - January 5, 2022

 Welcome back to the Scenic Route! It's a new year and I'm happy to say I read plenty books last year. There are so many books, in fact, that I'll probably have to skip a few reviews or risk overloading y'all. Since I don't want to do that, I'm going back to two reviews per post, unless I'm sharing reviews on books in a series of which I've read more than two. Today is such a day. I know! I know! Let's get on with it! :D

Book Review: I Am Man (I Am Man #1) by Valicity Elaine

I AM MAN by Valicity Elaine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, Wow! Gotta Read All Three Books

I am impressed. It's not often I will pick up a sci-fi series written by a Christian, but I am so thankful for taking a chance on Valicity Elaine. This book has a riveting plot, relatable MCs, a despicable villain, and lots of twists to keep the reader guessing. The book world is rich, too, and I found it ease to immerse myself in the story. I am going to buy book two now and start reading!
If you enjoy books in a series, sci-fi adventure, post-apocalyptic, or similar books, give this series a try.

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Book Review: I Am Lost (I Am Man #2) by Valicity Elaine

I AM LOST by Valicity Elaine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Seriously Good, Unputdownable Book

Yup. I'm sold on this series. It's exactly what I needed to bump out of the romance genre for a bit and refresh my mind. The author is writing from a Christian perspective, but I think any sci-fi/post-apocalyptic fan would have no trouble reading this series. It's clean, but there are some heavy undertones which make me want to suggest this to readers 16 years and up. I'm definitely purchasing book 3 when it's published. No matter how long that takes, it should be well worth the wait.

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Book Review: I Am Broken (I Am Man #3) by Valicity Elaine

I AM BROKEN by Valicity Elaine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Still Turning Pages in This Series

I'm still enjoying this awesome series and looking forward to reading more. There was only one thing which disappointed me in this book, but most readers will not be bothered by it. My personal preference, as a Christian, would be to see main characters who are heroes adhering to Christian morals. Or if they don't, seeing them recognize the sin for what it is and take whatever steps needed to get back on track. I expect villains to act without regard to good morals, but not heroes. As I said, this is a personal preference. The book is still technically clean, but the reader won't be left in the dark as to what occurred. I still recommend the series and plan to finish it. I like how the plot is moving along at this point and hope to see a lovely redemption arc. Even if that doesn't happen, I can truly say this series was worth the time and money!

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You'll notice my dividers are missing. I thought it might be best since these are books in a series. Now, here's a little more on what I think about these books. 

There are several little mistakes in the technical writing, but they didn't really pull me out of the story. The book world was so fascinating, I totally decoded any problems automatically as I went. That could partly be because I have two dyslexic kids who I taught/teach at home (my oldest is in his 20s now, my youngest is still at home). Anytime they write papers, I have to decode their work because words are just troublesome things for them. 

Anyway, back on track... It made me so happy to find another author claiming Christianity and writing in the fantasy/sci-fi genre and doing it so well! Until I hit extra-marital sex in book three. Having said that, I do realize that in a post-apocalyptic, FICTIONAL, world, that could be how things work. But from the Christian author standpoint, I do believe we should strive to create hero characters who exhibit the moral system we ourselves learn through scripture.

One might say that was the only thing that went contrary to scripture in our heroes' lives, but it's such a major thing...and they show absolutely no regret over their actions. Then again, we aren't really privy to anything that might look like marriage in our world. It could be they are viewing that joining as consumation of a marriage-type contract. I'm certainly going to keep reading to find out if there's more on the subject. 

It seems like the books are leading more toward following the life of one of the other main characters, at least for a time. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes. I love the diversity of life written into the books. The way the author includes pieces which build tension has really kept me hooked. 

I'd recommend these books for 16 and up, mostly because the topics covered in the books are HEAVY. The villain does some pretty twisted things and there are instances of drug abuse. 

Thanks for stopping by to check these out today! If Valicity Elaine's work is any indication, indie authors are becoming more and more good at what we do. That's excellent news because that means more people will give indies a try than ever before. That encourages me.