Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

"The Chest of Visions: Secrets of Caperston" by Tim Ferguson is the story of Caperston as told by Mattpaul. Caperston is a planet much smaller than our own and its sun is much smaller than ours. Time is measured by generations that pass rather than years. Their ability to communicate with us is due to Strings technology. Ferguson has chosen the perfect format for this tale. The text reads much like email messages. Each one is dated. On May 2, Mattpaul shares information about Chihaysu. The man told the people about God who oversees the world, treats everyone equally and hears when people pray to him. Chihaysu also told the people stories like the one about a man who needed help, but many people would not stop. Rumors were circulating that Chihaysu prayed for a little girl and she was healed. I found it heartwarming that as Mattpaul shared information about Chihaysu, the Earthlings reading Tim’s blog began to ask questions. Those familiar with scripture and with the life of Jesus Christ will quickly see the parallel between Jesus and Chihaysu.

I find the plot of this book very realistic, for God is bigger than my imagination and who am I to say he did not place life on other planets? Ferguson deftly demonstrates how one person can share the word of God with another and it spreads like dandelions. One seed creates a plant with a thousand seeds and each seed creates another plant with another thousand seeds. This story was written for young adults; however, I enjoyed it very much. Tim Ferguson is very creative and has found a wonderful way to reach youth. Appendix I explains String Theory. Appendix II shares the options for using this book with a youth group and Appendix III shares 8 lessons that correspond with the chapters. I can easily see this book as Sunday School literature or Youth Group literature. Mattpaul has written it in a simple easy to read and understand easily. Ferguson’s light shines in this book. I look forward to more books by Tim Ferguson.

Reviewed by Robin Clark for Readers' Favorite

"Seeking Adam" is a book about a family that has moved from the fast paced city with their son to get away from their equally fast paced jobs. He is a police officer sending criminals to jail and she is a nurse practitioner patching up the victims of shootings and other forms of violence. The criminals he sent to jail are committing. They move to rural Pennsylvania and live there three years in peace, he, the chief of police and she, the town's “doctor”. One night, while they were sitting in their living room, their dog breaks out into a fit of wild barking, absolutely going crazy. Bob gets a shotgun and goes outside, turning on the floodlight, and comes face to face with a four-foot tall furry ferret-looking creature with moveable ears and two noses, obviously nothing of this world. He is shocked into silence and then shocked into sitting down when the “alien” speaks to him in English. She says her name is Twilla. She tells him that she is from D’linwaa, and that she is here to tell them of her God. She was on a mission with several others from her world to find the sons of Adam and Eve when her “craft” was spotted by a Norgratz patrol ship and in the ensuing panic she was accidentally left behind. The story tells how a few humans come together to help her get home and eventually help her fulfill her mission to indeed find the sons of Adam and Eve, while at the same time, bringing along the understanding that their God is also our God.

WOW! I am a Christian, and hard-pressed to believe in aliens; however, this book, I believe, is really just about how anyone can come to Christ. It grabbed me from the very first page and didn’t let go until the end. I was actually very sad for the story to end. I believe that this book is a “today’s” guide to understand that we all are the same, all forgivable, and all able to be saved. Kudos to the author, Pete Koziar. I was delighted with his book and will look for him on the shelf in the future! Cheers!

Reviewed by Anna del C. Dye for Readers' Favorite

This book relates a Science Fiction tale that takes place in a world efficiently created by the author. As the best Sci-Fi stories go, this one also has intergalactic flight, space living, interplanetary discoveries, and extra terrestrials, or so they think. It is subtitled the second book of "The Darktrench Saga", but I see no evidence in this book of the previous tale.

In this earth-based civilization, some children are taken from their parents and raised by a priest of A. At a certain age, all of them get a chip implanted in their head. It is set surgically there to make them comply with everything or receive a painful shock if they choose not to. Because of that, both men and women are bald-headed.

Girls in their view have no rights. They are a piece of property to the human race and their life is forfeited if they show their faces in public. To make this point more potent, there are hundreds of girls who die in a fire because the robots that are supposed to save them don’t let them come out without their face scarves. It would be a crime in the sight of A. Their world revolves around what the robots say, because they are A’s (their God’s) messengers.

The tale is well-written and creative. The end of each chapter is left with a well-placed cliffhanger to keep us reading just to see what will happen next. I like the pace of the story and the depth of character developed for the principal female. Reading this book was time well spent. It will be a must read for any young adult or adult library.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

"Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble" by D. Robert Pease is a delightful read. Preteens and young teens will love the plot. So will adults. With a play on words and clever imagery, Pease has created a tale loosely based on Noah’s Ark. This is the author’s first novel; a sequel is due out later this year. The title is Cataclysm. I hope to be the first to write a review of the book.

In this futuristic tale our main character is Noah. Noah is a twelve year old boy with disabilities. He and his family live on a space ship that collects animals from Earth’s past for the purpose of restocking the Earth. Noah is an excellent pilot due in part to his being a paraplegic. He spends most of his time in a special wheelchair called a Magchair. There is an implant that allows him to mental control the chair and the ship. On a mission to Earth during the Ice Age his mother is kidnapped by Hoan and his father is left stranded on the icy planet. It is up to Noah, Sam and Hamilton to save the day. In the midst of rescuing their father a Wooly Mammoth causes more than a little trouble. When Noah discovers a secret he reacts the way most boys his age would.

This tale has several mighty messages in it: 1) Man is destroying Earth; 2) We should never allow our disabilities to define who we are or what we can accomplish. 3) We write our own script; it doesn't matter where we came from but where we are going.

The Zarc’s are charming characters, likeable and believable. When Hamilton explained time and space jumping or time travel I was reminded of "A Wrinkle In Time" by Madelyn L’Engle. She used a similar explanation for time travel, called a Tesseract Concept. I have been hooked on good sci fi since I read "A Wrinkle In Time" in the sixth grade. Noah Zarc is very good sci fi. It is refreshing to read a book of this quality. The author writes with the quality of a seasoned writer. I look forward to reading more of this author’s works.

Reviewed by Linda W. for Readers' Favorite

This is a fantasy tale of good versus evil through the eyes of a young teenage girl, Mellie. Running from her sisters’ taunts, she finds herself caught up in the world of the F.A.I.R.I.E.S, where she will learn the world of spiritual warfare against the I.M.P.S. as she attends the F.A.I.R.I.E.S. academy and learns of the One–the light who always overcomes the darkness.

The unbelievable characters become a part of your life, as you learn of their ways. The military academy is tough, yet most of the classes are enjoyable and instructive. Plenty of humor is there, though some is lost in interpretation! I enjoyed the characters of Mellie, Spike, Lizzy, GroBe, and many others. They are rich, descriptive and eccentric. They are truly fantastical beings! What a super delightful book with deep spiritual meaning. The spiritual aspect is what makes the book so great, as it pertains to each of the characters and to us as well. I loved it. Your kids will, too!

This would make one extra-special birthday, Christmas, or any special occasion gift for some young girl or boy! Your child(ren) will learn truths that are pertinent to their lives. Pick one up today! Superb, intricate writing. Christian fantasy at its best! I am rating this a 5 out of 5!

I’m so excited as I never used to like books like this, let alone loving this one! This should become a classic for years to come!

Reviewed by Fiona Ingram for Readers' Favorite

Lewis Snyder, an American soldier on duty in Iraq, stumbles across an ancient Sumerian relic inside an old mosque but forgets about it in the turmoil and bloodshed surrounding him. A few years later, he is out the war zone and ‘retired’ from active duty. His experiences have left him scarred and disillusioned. The last thing he wants is any involvement with the military. However, Snyder is the best man for the job NASA has in mind for him because he is the best at his job. In the intervening years, NASA has picked up a radio signal from a distant planet, code name Oblivion. This information holds dire implications for humankind, and to date no one besides a small group of top military personnel knows anything about it. At a meeting with a team of experts, Snyder learns that the relic originates from this planet and the strange symbols carved into it are meaningful. One member of the team is a knowledgeable preacher who knows his Bible backwards and is not afraid to speak up.

Their mission is to travel to this mysterious planet via an advanced technology, using wormholes, and investigate the place. Satellite pictures reveal a ruined ancient city with temples and pyramids that appear to predate the earliest known buildings on Earth. Once there, the team find themselves being picked off, one by one, by some kind of monstrous entities. Are they gods, demons, or fallen angels? Snyder comes full circle and faces his past when he realizes that he confronted this ancient enemy long ago in his youth. Can Snyder prevent these once glorious creatures from recolonizing Earth? Who will win the ultimate battle between good and evil?

This is a blockbuster read for sci-fi and fantasy fiction fans. The author has created a fascinating blend of fantasy, technology, history, and archaeology to take this novel out of the ordinary and give readers something thought provoking. The character of Lewis Snyder, an excellent main protagonist, holds everything together as he works out the enemy’s next step. The plot has enthralling twists and turns, and taps into age-old beliefs that still have the power to move us. My one disappointment was the characters of the two female team members. They were shallow and more like glamor girls than real scientists. That said, the author paints a brilliant picture of a 'sulfurous' ‘otherworld’ to which the fallen angels retreated after the Great Flood. Their gradual disintegration into decay is compelling. With mounting tension, non-stop action, and a powerful sideswipe of an ending (I never saw it coming!) this book will keep readers riveted. The novel was deservedly nominated for the 17th EVVY Awards.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

A Star Curiously Singing is a fascinating look at what could be the future. Kerry Nietz pictures a world dependent of technology. Humans that excellent in technology are given implants and forced into slave labor. The implants allow the Masters to communicate and punish the slave. The main character in this book is Sandfly. He no longer considers himself human or machine. When he was given and implant he felt his humanity was taken from him. He is a high level debugger or repair person. The story is told from Sandfly's perspective.

The basis of the story: Sandfly is sent on a mission to find out what went wrong and or repair a robot that had been sent on an interstellar flight to an unknown planet. The robot tore itself to pieces.

I enjoyed this book once I got into it. When I first began reading this tale I felt as if I had been dropped into the midst of the plot. I would recommend the author ease the reader into a story so that they understand what is going on. The author does a great job of combining science fiction with a spiritual story. The Science Fiction is action packed but the spiritual theme is quietly woven in and never preachy. This is the first book in the new series. I look forward to the next installment.

Reviewed by Joy Hannabass for Readers' Favorite

Wendell is an orphan who wanders around the city stealing what he can, especially food to survive. Sometimes he would pick up a job, including keeping crows out of the fields for one of the residents. This only lasted a few days, but Wendell did get pretty good at throwing stones at the crows, and he made enough money for a few days food.

Wendell came upon many interesting things as he strolled the streets of the city, including a get together at the center of the square with people cheering and having a good time. Having no family of his own, Wendell enjoyed being around the families, the food and the songs they were singing. This was one of the good times he had. As the days went on and he continued to stroll through the city streets, he came upon an old house that a friend of his father lived in. In this house he found paintings; one was a girl with red hair and a nice blue dress. The old man told Wendell she was Karen of the Royal family. Later he found out that Karen had been taken from the Royal Gardens. This sent Wendell on a hunt to find Karen. Join Wendell as he continues his interesting and sometimes dangerous journey to find the Royal daughter.

Although this is not the genre of books I usually read, I found this story interesting. Wendell's character was unique and likeable, one you felt sorry for yet admired. His many adventures to survive keeps you interested because you want to find out what is going to happen next in his life. His determination to find Karen was heartwarming as well. This is a great book that any preteen would enjoy, and would be great for any library.

Reviewed by Author Anna del C. Dye for Readers' Favorite

This is a fantasy novel in which the author has creates a new world where people don't graduate from school until they turn 90 years old. It flows well, although the plot could work better if more action were added.

The story follows a young man, Aedon, who will find out on his graduation day if he is the son of the king. For many years he has been the object of ridicule because of this belief. He is sure that if he has a perfect score on his graduation his father will be proud of him and maybe even love him.

Aedon may be a prince in Atlantis but no one recognizes him, nor his mother's claim. Long ago, the Highest Prince Lord of the continent doubted his mother's claim that Prince Gilgamoeh had forced himself on her and that Gilgamoeh was Aedon's father. Since Gilgamoeh is the Lord's own son, he hopes the situation will be forgotten with time, if he sends the boy far away, thousands of stadia across the Sahada Ocean to a private educatory.

Now that he is ready to graduate Aedon's promise to himself, that when he finishes his studies he will return to Atlantis will come to pass. He will find his father and prove that he was a worthy son and prince and receive his right place with the royalty.

When at the last exam Aedon rejoins an older friend, Faeraud, who is actually a prince himself, all his dreams may be at an end. The problem with this friendship is that Faeraud is a prince who cares nothing for the rules. He is obsessed with taking the kingdom into his hands and will use anyone who might help get him there.

For most of the book he makes Aedon an accomplice to all his brainless ideas...or are they? Aedon, for his part, is confused and divided between being perfect to get his father's love or the excitement that his friend's secrets offer him. This however, may cost him dearly.

"Atlantis" is a good book for Young Adults, especially if they like futuristic tales.