This brilliant first volume in a projected sequence begins when Julian Escobar, an idealistic 16-year-old seminarian in early 16th-century Spain, is part bullied, part lured by the promise of savage souls and a future Bishopric, to accompany imperious young Don Luis to the nobleman's New World island. Almost there, the party stops at another island, where Julian becomes sympathetic with the natives he hopes to convert. There too, his wavering moral character seems to grow firmer in resistance to Don Luis' abusive treatment and planned enslavement of the Indians. Then, after a shipwreck, Julian and Don Luis' horse make it to a seemingly deserted island. In time a young girl appears, attracted by the horse, and teaches Julian her peoples' language, customs, and abhorrent (to him) religion—as he postpones plans to teach her of Christ. He never meets the island's other inhabitants; but at last he is visited by a Spanish dwarf, survivor of a previous shipwreck, who forces Julian to choose between death at the hands of barbaric natives and glory as their god Kukulcan (a Mayan version of the Aztec Quetzalcoatl), who had promised to return as a tall, blond youth. We leave Julian, arrayed as the god, surveying his newly acquired domain—sickened by the human sacrifices being made in his honor, but stirred moments later by visions of empire. And O'Dell leaves readers impatient for further developments. It is a measure of his seriousness and his skill that the suspense focuses not on events, which have so far been swift and stunning, inevitable and unexpected, or on the artfully foreshadowed intrigue, confrontations, and dangers that are sure to follow, but on Julian's moral choices and on what he will make of his false, exalted position.
Pub Date: Oct. 24, 1980
ISBN: 0395278112
Page Count: -
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1980
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A period Christian romance that is lean on historical atmosphere.
A plot to expose a greedy nobleman in 1386 England leads two justice seekers to fall in love.
When Violet, named for her unusually colored eyes, learns that her grandmother has become a victim of Baron Dunham’s unlawful so-called protection tax, she is determined to alert King Richard to the injustice but is intercepted by the baron’s men. After she is taken before the baron, Violet, who was adopted as a young child, learns a tragic and shocking secret about her own history. The baron, meanwhile, is scheming to increase his own power and has plans that threaten Violet. But Violet keeps crossing paths with Sir Merek of Dericott, a knight who has recently joined the baron’s household at the king’s request. Sir Merek proves trustworthy, and he and Violet join forces to try to find the secret account book that will prove to the king what the baron has been doing to exploit his subjects. Over time, Violet and Sir Merek fall in love. Though Violet is high-spirited, and she and Sir Merek are well developed, most of the cast is one-dimensional, and the medieval setting feels spare and underdeveloped. There are some references to previous novels in the series, but this entry, in which Christianity is woven throughout, succeeds as a stand-alone. All characters are cued White.
A period Christian romance that is lean on historical atmosphere. (Historical romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2023
ISBN: 9780840708199
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
A charming period romance.
Audrey thinks Edwin, the young squire her father’s chosen for her future husband, is attractive—but she has to contend with her evil older sister, Maris.
Maris, who is filled with jealousy and rage, deliberately trips Audrey, pitching her into the fire and leaving her with disfiguring facial scars, thus ending the possibility of a high-status marriage. Maris is sent away to a convent, but four years later, the convent makes her leave, and she returns home angry and filled with resentment. Her father betroths Audrey to a much older man, and, still dreaming of a love match and unable to cope with the double threats of dangerously vindictive Maris and a marriage prospect she despises, she flees. Luckily—and most conveniently—she falls desperately ill just outside Edwin’s castle. Sadly, he’s lost an arm in a battle, so he’s no longer the highly desirable bachelor he once was—except to Audrey. After he discovers her true identity, each gradually reveals their admirable and gentle characters and their shared faith in God. Although sometimes overinclined to tell rather than show, Dickerson does a nice job of evoking late-14th-century England and has succeeded in crafting a pair of engaging—if sugary-sweet—characters that romance readers will enjoy following. The Christian flavor of the story feels natural and appropriate to the time period. The cast defaults to White.
A charming period romance. (Historical romance. 12-18)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7852-3404-3
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
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