Pillars of Barabbas: Q & A with author M.D. House

 

Book: Pillars of Barabbas

Author's Name: M.D. House

Author’s city: Smithfield, UT

Publisher: Independently published

Release Date: March 23, 2021

Format: Paperback

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

  

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YHWQ166/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Author’s Website: www.mdhouselive.com

Author’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/LiteraryThunder

Author’s Twitter: www.twitter.com/real_housemd

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In I Was Called Barabbas, author M.D. House offered his vision of Barabbas’ life by imagining what came after his momentous encounter with Jesus of Nazareth. 

Pillars of Barabbas continues the story, finding the man they called Barabbas a long way from the wretched prisoner once released by Pontius Pilate in lieu of Jesus. He and his wife Chanah are growing in regard among the leadership of Christ’s fledgling church, which is expanding and thriving.

But increasing Christian influence breeds jealousy among several Roman governors and senators. How will Emperor Nero react? Can the apostle Paul soothe the moody young ruler?

The Parthian Empire is also a problem, including in Africa, where the former centurion Cornelius has become a prominent Christian leader. Will the Christians be able to flee, or will they have to fight both the Romans and the Parthians?

Just in time for Easter, Pillars of Barabbas brings the early years of the church into vivid detail, following the saints who sacrificed everything to bring Christ’s message to the world.

TALKING POINTS:

●       Triumph through adversity, which the burgeoning church of Christ experienced

●       Every soul is precious, which lies at the heart of the Savior’s message

●       As Christians walk through the Lenten season and celebrate Easter, this book can help reflect on sacrifices the early saints made to spread Christ’s message

●       Well-researched novel that stays true to historical context and real events associated with the Roman Empire

●       Weaves significant Biblical figures, including Paul, Peter, Luke, and others, throughout the novel alongside historical figures like Emperor Nero

●       Illustrates the important role women played in the early church leadership

Author Q&A

Pillars of Barabbas

By M.D. House

 

1. Book 2 of the Barabbas series, Pillars of Barabbas, seeks to imagine how Barabbas, the prisoner released in exchange for Jesus, continued to progress after accepting Christ and joining himself to the body of the church. How did you come to visualize his path?

My original plans for Barabbas have evolved in surprising ways. To a large degree, I, too, have been led on a journey of discovering possibilities, seeing things I hadn’t contemplated before.

That evolution occurs as I study the history—including the New Testament of the Bible—and continually try to place myself in the full milieu of that time period, recognizing how similar those people were to us. Ideas come, and the links in the chain form. It is an incredible—and deeply fulfilling—process. The final product is astounding to me, because it’s not what I expected.

Review: An Extravagant Death by Charles Finch

An Extravagant Death (Charles Lenox Mysteries, Book #11)

by Charles Finch

Release Date: February 16, 2021

2021 Minotaur Books

Kindle Edition; 288 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250767134

ASIN: B08BYD4215

Genre: Fiction / Historical / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary

London, 1878. With faith in Scotland Yard shattered after a damning corruption investigation, Charles Lenox's detective agency is rapidly expanding. The gentleman sleuth has all the work he can handle, two children, and an intriguing new murder case.

But when a letter arrives with an unexpected invitation, he's unable to resist the call of an old, unfulfilled yearning: to travel to America. Arriving in New York, he begins to receive introductions into both its old Knickerbocker society and its new robber baron splendor. Then, a shock: the suicide of the season's most beautiful debutante, who has thrown herself from a cliff. Or was it a suicide? Her closest friend doesn't think so, and Lenox, sacrificing his plans, travels to the family's magnificent Newport mansion in the guise of an idle English gentleman. What ensues is a fiendsh game of cat and mouse.

 

My Thoughts

An Extravagant Death is the next entry in the Charles Lenox Mysteries and while I enjoyed it, for me it was definitely the weakest book of the series.  Usually it would be called a misfire in a series, but I don't want to necessarily say that as there was still a lot of good things about this book; unfortunately, the mystery was the weakest point, and perhaps, the character development.  

 

First of all, I will start with the setting which I loved.  Lenox travels to the U.S. in this instalment on advice from the Prime Minister in order to get away from the court proceedings occurring as a result of his previous investigation; the powers that be don't really want him testifying during the trial and the only way they can ensure this is to have him out of the country.  I really enjoyed his travels and loved how out of touch he was with American customs, constantly comparing them to how things were at home.  It was refreshing and interesting, old money versus new money.   It's funny as this book made me want to watch the movie, The Age of Innocence, again as it discusses a lot of the customs of the wealthy during this time period and I couldn't help thinking about that film while I was reading this book, especially seeing things through an Englishman's eyes.  I especially loved seeing names like Astor and Vanderbilt show up as Lenox crosses paths with the rich and influential, even garnering an invitation to the most highly sought after ball of the season, mostly due to his wife's influence.  His observations are very interesting indeed. 

Unfortunately, I though the mystery was rather weak and I easily figured out who was the guilty person.  I remember thinking, this is it?  And while Lenox' investigations did introduce you to a variety of local people and their extravagant lifestyles, there was just something missing in this book.  It was also pretty predictable, something I don't usually mention regarding these books.  For the first time, I actually found myself sort of skimming through, not really as immersed as I usually am, and that made me somewhat sad.  These books have grown so much from the first book and I have enjoyed them tremendously. 

Charles himself has grown immensely as a character, but I really wish the author would do something about his wife.  She was very interesting in the beginning, but I find her to be somewhat boring now as she is always portrayed as if she is...perfect.  The perfect hostess.  The perfect socialite.  Everyone thinks she is charming.  Everyone loves her.  Charles got an invitation to an Astor ball because of Jane.  Allrighty now.  I actually prefer characters who are flawed and she is starting to get on my nerves.  

 

Verdict

An Extravagant Death was not what I was expecting, but I did really like the conflict Charles was dealing with at the end of the book and I am curious to see where the author takes that conflict when he goes back to England.  I did find the mystery really weak, and I really wish the author would develop Jane more as a character as she is getting...boring.  I still recommend this book to anyone who reads this series, but it is definitely one of the weakest books in my opinion.  However, I am still looking forward to the next book to see what happens to Charles and what decision he makes.  

Reviw: Master Assassins by Robert V.S. Redick

Master Assassins (The Fire Sacraments, Book #1)

by Robert V.S. Redick

Release Date: March 6th 2018

2018 Talos

Kindle Edition; 504 Pages

ISBN: 978-1945863370

ASIN: B072HYX7CL

Genre: Fiction / High Fantasy

Source: Review coy from publisher

4.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

Kandri Hinjuman was never meant to be a soldier. His brother Mektu was never meant for this world. Rivals since childhood, they are drafted into a horrific war led by a madwoman-Prophet, and survive each day only by hiding their disbelief. Kandri is good at blending in, but Mektu is hopeless: impulsive, erratic—and certain that a demon is stalking him. Is this madness or a second sense? Either way, Kandri knows that Mektu’s antics will land them both in early graves.

But all bets are off when the brothers’ simmering feud explodes into violence, and holy blood is spilled. Kandri and Mektu are taken for contract killers and must flee for their lives—to the one place where they can hope to disappear: the sprawling desert known as the Land that Eats Men. In this eerie wilderness, the terrain is as deadly as the monsters, ghouls, and traffickers in human flesh. Here the brothers find strange allies: an aging warlord, a desert nomad searching for her family, a lethal child-soldier still in her teens. They also find themselves in possession of a secret that could bring peace to the continent of Urrath. Or unthinkable carnage.

 

My Thoughts

Master Assassins was an intriguing tale about two brothers who become fugitives from their land due to a series of misfortunes and mishaps, becoming known as 'Master Assassins' throughout the rest of the land because of their so-called blunders for which I'll explain.  I have never read anything by this author, but he has been on my radar for quite a while now, so when book two of this series landed on m radar, I was thrilled.  Then the publisher contacted me and asked if I would also be interested in the first book of the series realizing there would be little understanding of the second book without first reading book one.  So, I dove in immediately and I really enjoyed it, staying up late to finish it.

 

The tale is told through Kandri's eyes, but it took me a while to figure out that my confusion about the world-building was quite deliberate as you learn everything through his eyes.  And as Kandri doesn't have a lot of knowledge about the world in which he lives, details are scant and you are left wondering about the details at times.  And the world is quite intricate, with a lot going on. I actually really liked this way of writing, once I understood, as it made me pay attention to the details that were revealed, and it made me a lot more patient as a reader reading this story. I figured I would learn the necessary details when I needed to.  

 

Kandri and Mektu are lowly corporals in the Chiloto military, but they were recruited through force, coercion, and deception, all told through flashback episodes as they flee the situation in which they found themselves.  You learn their native land is steeped in religious fanaticism mixed with dangerous magics, led by a woman with a motive nobody really understands, except for dominance and destruction.  Again, these details are told to us through Kandri's experiences and through flashback episodes and the details don't necessarily give us the full picture at this point.  I enjoyed Kandri's point of view as he is the more serious of the two brothers and needs time to think through things before he does them, while Mektu is the impulsive one, mischievous and foolish, but definitely not naive.  I found Mektu to be really annoying at the beginning, but he definitely grew on me throughout the book and ended up being my favourite character by the end of the book.  Their relationship is troubled, based on their past history, again told through flashbacks, but they need to depend on each other to stay alive. I really couldn't decide how much of a master manipulator Mektu really was in this book, but I think we have only learned a little bit about him and that he is much more capable and much more sly than the author let on at this point.

 

The story was really good, and you learn that their country is quarantining from the rest of the world due to a deadly plague from which the Chiloto people seem to be mostly immune.  Their unfortunate deed was quite serious though, and the two boys are hunted down by teams of elite killers who will stop at nothing to capture them and torture them  for what they have done.  We follow them as they cross barren landscapes that used to be great seas and once huge empires and I was fascinated with those details, craving to learn more about the previous occupants.  Again, the author hints at the boys' lack of education about their world and teases the reader with a couple of details, sometimes told through dream sequences, without giving us more information.   Because the boys find themselves in one remarkable situation after another, and survive, they are looked upon with awe, but really, it is just pure luck that they survive.  So, the term "Master Assassins" is kind of a joke in this book, and I thought that was hilarious.  

Verdict

Master Assassins was definitely not what I was expecting, but that made it much more fun to read and I enjoyed following Kandri and Mektu as they raced to reach the desert and make their escape.  I would have liked to have seen a bit more character development from some of the other characters as there were other interesting characters in this book other than Kandri and Mektu that I really liked, but maybe more emphasis will be on them in the next one.  Master Assassins was a strong first entry in this series, and I am definitely looking forward to the next adventure for our erstwhile assassins, Sidewinders. 

 

Review: Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher

Amelia Unabridged

by Ashley Schumacher

Release Date: February 16th 2021

2021 Wednesday Books

Kindle Edition; 304 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250253026

ASIN: B088BB5BRH

Genre: Fiction / YA / Contemporary

Source: Review copy from publisher

2.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

Eighteen-year-old Amelia Griffin is obsessed with the famous Orman Chronicles, written by the young and reclusive prodigy N. E. Endsley. They’re the books that brought her and her best friend Jenna together after Amelia’s father left and her family imploded. So when Amelia and Jenna get the opportunity to attend a book festival with Endsley in attendance, Amelia is ecstatic. It’s the perfect way to start off their last summer before college.

In a heartbeat, everything goes horribly wrong. When Jenna gets a chance to meet the author and Amelia doesn’t, the two have a blowout fight like they’ve never experienced. And before Amelia has a chance to mend things, Jenna is killed in a freak car accident. Grief-stricken, and without her best friend to guide her, Amelia questions everything she had planned for the future.

When a mysterious, rare edition of the Orman Chronicles arrives, Amelia is convinced that it somehow came from Jenna. Tracking the book to an obscure but enchanting bookstore in Michigan, Amelia is shocked to find herself face-to-face with the enigmatic and handsome N. E. Endsley himself, the reason for Amelia’s and Jenna’s fight and perhaps the clue to what Jenna wanted to tell her all along.

 

My Thoughts

Amelia Unabridged is one of those books for which I really struggled while writing this review. This is the type of book over which many readers will fall in love and gush over it, but I just couldn't do it for many reasons.  I am the type of eclectic reader that doesn't like to really put genres on a book as I think that anyone of any age can read any book, and I tend to pick them up because I find the content interesting, including children's fiction.  This one did not touch me the way it did others, and I did have a huge problem with the way mental issues were resolved so easily.  

 

The concept of this book was hugely fascinating though and I love stories where something mysterious happens and you have to search out the reason why. And I have to say that he book cover is gorgeous!  I don't usually pay a lot of attention to them, but I really, really liked this one.  After Jenna's death, Amelia receives a limited edition of her favourite book and is convinced that it had to do with Jenna so she goes in search of the truth. The focus on books is always thrilling and I loved how the author incorporated many of the reasons book lovers read into this story.  I also loved how she didn't just focus on books as a way to tell a story, but allowed for other opportunities and mediums to do so, such as Amelia's photography.  However, as someone with a Master's Degree in Children's Literature, I did feel kind of offended at the 'unintended?' slight over universities and professors, especially of English literature, and how we are more interested in how valuable a book is over the content, especially when it comes to discussing / arguing over it.  Sorry, what did I spend two years doing then? I definitely wasn't searching for rare editions of books.

I am also going to admit right here that I was not a fan of Amelia in this story.  The story did focus on grief, both Amelia's and Nolan's, but that was to be expected and I would have felt cheated otherwise, but Amelia's behaviour just turned me right off.  When Amelia first meets Nolan, she DEMANDS information from him regarding Jenna and the book and her entitlement just drove me up the wall,  I found myself frowning while I was reading, which was not a good sign, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why Nolan would tell her all about himself after that type of behaviour when he didn't share anything with anyone.  It just..didn't..make..sense!!! The whole thing turned me right off and I almost DNF the book right then and there.  

 

And now we come to the part where grief and mental illness come into play and this is the part that bothered me the most.  Nolan had a huge tragedy in his past that he didn't reveal to anyone, and because of this he had this huge fear of water, so paralyzing he couldn't save his dog during a storm.  Now, along comes Amelia, and due to her 'love', she is able to convince him to do things he wouldn't have been able to do otherwise, like a couple of days later sit on a boat or stand in the surf.  Are you kidding me?  THIS IS NOT HOW MENTAL ILLNESS WORKS!!   You can't just fall in love, and suddenly it all becomes happily ever after.  I'm sorry, but I really feel this does a disservice to all of those who are struggling with mental illness.  And I'm not even going to start on the 'insta-love' thing. Stupid trope! 

So, what kept me going?  The dog!!  Oh, my goodness, how I loved that crazy, crazy dog.  And he drinks coffee! I chuckled out loud quite a few times during the scenes in which that dog played a huge role.  He reminded me of a friend's dog, Stu, who was this crazy, big dog who crashed into everything and jumped on you all the time, but was the most lovable dog ever.

 

Verdict

Amelia Unabridged is one of those books I wished I could have loved a bit more.  I thought the concept was quite interesting and I love anything to do with books and bookstores.  The book deals with grief, growing up, and making decisions, some of which I did like.  However, I felt like the romance was too rushed and didn't feel right, at least to me.  And I definitely had issues with the way anxiety was dealt with in this book.  A lot of people liked this book a lot however, so I encourage you to check it out for yourself.