Book: Light of MineAuthor: Alen Brokken
Genre: Christian Fantasy Middlegrade
Release Date: November 3, 2019
Light of Mine, introduces Lauren (12), Aiden (9), and Ethan (5) who bear the responsibility of keeping their Father’s newly constructed Tower of Light shining in his absence.
Darkness is spreading through Zoura. Beyond the borders of the heathlands, innocent animals are being turned into monsters, and good men into pawns of the Dark One. Father has vanished after joining the Mighty Mercenaries and mother has gone missing in search of him.
Alone on the farm, twelve-year-old Lauren and her brave little brothers, Aiden and Ethan, must guard the Tower of Light that will guide both parents home. But when a hooded stranger is caught trespassing the farm, and a new bishop claims the church, confusion pervades their close-knit community. Will the children be able to recognize who is a threat to the Tower and who is there to help them protect it?
With little else but the aid of a trio of blessed pets, three mysterious weapons, and their growing faith, Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan find it is up to them to stop the agents of The Dark One from putting out the Light and dooming the heathlands to Darkness.
Fans of Little House on the Prairie will feel at home in the series’ classic farmstead setting, and the sincerity of the children’s love for one another— nurtured by the example of their parents—will bring a smile to readers and listeners of all ages.
Read Light of Mine aloud to your family or confidently give it to your middle grade reader, knowing he or she will be ensconced in a wholesome and riveting experience, beginning to end.
Click here to get your copy.
About the Author
Allen Brokken is a teacher at heart, a husband and father most of all. He’s a joyful writer by the abundant grace of God. Follow his endeavors @towersoflight, @twodadsandajoke, and http://www.brokken.net. Your children can grow their own faith and love of God by following the adventures of Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan (plus their pets!) at instagram.com/towersoflight.
Stay tuned for book two, launching in June 2020, and book three in December 2020.
The faith journey continues! Onward and upward.
More from Allen
When my kids were young there was really nothing better than getting out of my car at the end of a long day at work and having my three little kiddos run up to me and give hugs because Daddy’s Home! As a Father of three young children I was very concerned about the direction society was taking. I wasn’t sure that with how things were going that I had the knowledge or the skill to train them up in the way they should go, as the Bible directs.
Then in 2008 I took a new job that had me traveling four days a week. It was one of the hardest times of my life, the stress of a high pressure job, the loneliness of being on the road, and uncertainty of being a young parent really brought me to the end of myself. However, all of the travel gave me a lot of time to study the scriptures and learn from the writing of great bible teachers.
It was during this time that I began to write stories for my children. At first I brought my children’s stuffed animals to life for silly adventures. But then one day while we were putting together a play fort in our back yard I saw a sunrise pattern in the wood in the top of the tower. I thought:
“What if there was a Tower of Light shining God’s goodness over the children and their animals?”
“What if the children experienced the indwelling of the holy spirit in a real way like Sampson or David?”
“What if the full armor of God was physical armor they could use to defeat the darkness?”
As I shared my story with my children, they loved it.
I believe you and your children will love it too.
My Thoughts
Often my son will read books that interest him and review them for me. This particular book was one of those. He wasn't as impressed as I had hoped, so I may have to read this book myself and see what I think. I am sure our opinions will differ some, as I am a bit more old-fashioned than this younger generation.
This is what he had to say:
"At 15, I enjoy reading fantasy books. At first glance, this book looked like it would fit that category. However, it wasn't quite what I was hoping. I didn’t
enjoy this book for quite a few reasons. First, I found the characters to
be a bit uninteresting. Second, the structure of the world that Mr. Brokken created also
frustrated me. It seems to try to blend things from earth with things of a
fantastical nature, but the way it goes about doing that leaves it lacking in
originality, or lore that I found appealing. I feel
my disappointment with this book was due to the fact that I didn't relate to the mindset
of any of the main characters, as I am quite a few years older than them. However, younger children and preteens may very well find it a great read, so I would recommend they give it a try. But I am not sure older teens would enjoy it as much."
I received this book free courtesy of the author and celebrate lit. All opinons are my own and I was not asked to give a positive review.
Blog Stops
To see other Blog stops click on the link below:
http://www.celebratelit.com/light-of-mine-celebration-tour/
http://www.celebratelit.com/light-of-mine-celebration-tour/
Giveaway
To celebrate his tour, Allen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
Sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rita for stopping by!
DeleteAmy I really appreciate your son's honest review. He's absolutely right that this book is Juvenile fiction meant for a middle grade audience. When I've had the chance to talk to students I get the best feedback from kids in grades 3-6, so he's definitely beyond that age range. Based on his feedback, I think this bit of lore that didn't make it into the book may be more his style. https://www.lightofmine.net/post/towers-of-light-lore-the-horn-of-power The Horn of Power continues to play a role in Book 2 and 3 of the series.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for adding this and understanding. By no means are we giving a negative review. We will certainly check out the link. Thank you for sharing your book.
DeleteIt's great that you were able to get your son to write a review! I know how hard that can be to accomplish.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for both the book description and giveaway as well. I enjoy hearing about another good book.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a wonderful book.
ReplyDelete