MORTAL FIRE – Is not your run-of-the-mill romance book . . .
and how wonderful that it is not!!
I have a love-hate relationship with The Secret of the
Journal series penned by C.F. Dunn. Hate-because
I read it out of order. Love- because it
totally captivated me so I had to go back and read what I missed. I actually started the series by reading book
two. It was sent to me as part of a blog
tour. Initially, I groaned, because I
could tell the book delved into what I would call the mystical/not really possible
realm. This is not a genre I am
comfortable with. I would not have
picked this book up on my own, but since it was sent to me, I had to follow
through with my commitment to read and review.
I am so glad I did. I was so
utterly captivated with DEATH BE NOT PROUD (book two), I went ahead and purchased
ROPE OF SAND (book three), but that did not quench my desire to know everything
I could about Dr. Matthew Lynes and Dr. Emma D’Eresby. So, I went ahead and
purchased MORTAL FIRE so I could start at the beginning. Even though I knew what was going to happen
in book one because of the heavy references in book two, it did not minimize my
enjoyment. To write a review without
giving away keys to the mystery is difficult.
But I will try in a nutshell.
Dr. Emma D’Eresby, a professor of history at Cambridge, is
on a quest to find a journal her grandfather began to translate decades
ago. It is her connection to her
deceased grandfather and their shared love of history, but Emma quickly finds
out it might also be connected to her future.
Traveling to the U.S. to study the journal, Emma soon finds herself the
target of someone’s depravity. Though
already intrigued by the enigmatic Dr. Lynes, her attraction for him grows when
he comes to her rescue. But with that
attraction comes even more questions about who the elusive doctor really is. The heart wants what the heart wants, and
even though Emma knows Matthew is being secretive-even deceptive-she can’t seem
to rein her heart back into obedience. When
Matthew not only acknowledges Emma’s affection but returns it as well, she
thinks he will finely drop the façade he has so meticulously erected and let
her in. When Matthew doesn’t, Emma
questions it they have a future at all.
MORTAL FIRE, along with DEATH BE NOT PROUD and ROPE OF SAND are
by far the most intriguing novels I have ever read, even though they went
against some of the ‘don’t likes’ I usually point out in books, such as: They
delve into the mystical-a genre I choose not to read, and the author’s writing
is sometimes overrun with evocative, fanciful descriptions – but somehow she
makes it work brilliantly. I love the stubborn,
tenaciousness of Emma, and I have never met a more haunting and elusive hero as
Matthew.
Any reader who wants to be swept up into the unknown and
allow an author to take you to the edge of your imagination, The Secret of the
Journal series is for you. But just to
warn you, the story doesn’t stop just yet.
REALM OF DARKNESS will be the fourth installment in the series, and I
have yet to find out the release date of this next novel. So, with great anticipation,
I wait, and so will you.
Note: These books were introduced to me as part of a
Christian blog tour. Many say they don’t
see the Christian influence great enough for the books to be marketed in that
genre. I might tend to agree. The faith the characters cling to is very
personal and private, but definitely there.
So, even though there aren’t large quantities of pages or paragraphs
dedicated to their faith, the characters definitely look to God for their
strength and turn to Him in the hope that He will one day help them understand
the anomaly that is Matthew’s life.
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