A Bookish Sarah

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Sarah
Welcome, friend! Relax & rest awhile, if you please. I'm an ordinary girl, a follower of Christ, mama to Gabriel, Heidi, & Aidan; and wife to Evan. Here in this little space of the online world, I share all manner of bookish things, including full content reviews, writerly snippets, encouragement for everyday life, and a whole collection of names & their meanings.

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Encouragement

Book Review | Chasing Shadows

Chasing Shadows
Rising Shadows #2
Ashley Townsend

Publisher:  Ink Smith Publishing
Genre:  Christian Fiction, Fantasy, Medieval, Time-Travel, 
Released:  September 2014

{Goodreads}
Would you choose to entwine your fate with a hero of the past, even if it meant altering the future?
The murder of an ancient king spurs Sarah Matthews to travel back in time, putting her life in jeopardy as she races against the clock to solve a thousand-year-old mystery and pick up the pieces of her star-crossed romance. Her return to Serimone reveals that the kingdom is in upheaval and that the elusive Cadius has sinister plans for the throne. Unable to right the empire alone, Sarah reunites with Will, the love she left behind and the man beneath the Shadow’s hood. As they work together amidst lavish balls and explore the secret depths of the castle, they discover that the conspiracy runs deeper than they ever imagined. And when a counterfeit Shadow claims the life of someone close to her after a personal threat from Cadius himself, Sarah discovers that the price of questioning the new regime is a life.
Guilt-ridden and alone, she discovers comfort in her newfound friendship with Damien, a charming Spaniard who joins Sarah in her personal crusade for justice. But as she draws closer to his dark past and to the faceless killer in their midst, she realizes that the severed threads of time and the mystery surrounding Serimone Castle are unraveling rapidly, weaving new tapestries of devastation.
In this thrilling and deceptive sequel to "Rising Shadows," Sarah is forced into harm’s way countless times as she races to solve the puzzle before it is too late and Serimone becomes nothing more than a faded memory of the past. . . And before Sarah becomes a permanent fixture in history.
 


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I received a free e-book copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
WARNING: Possible Spoilers

{The Basics}
This is the sequel to Rising Shadows, the review of which you can read here.  :]  While Rising Shadows served to introduce you to the world and adventure that Sarah Matthews was thrown into--literally--Chasing Shadows delves deeper into the plot and story-world in this time-travel fantasy.  This tale was even more gripping than the first, in my opinion, and had me second-guessing myself quite often.  Plot twists, people.  They're AMAZING.  (Well, most of them. . . The ones in this story were good!)

As mentioned above, the story had more depth and mystery to it in this sequel and the characters were well fleshed out.  You learned more of their backstory and came to care for, love, hate, and/or pity them.

{Positives}
At the end of Rising Shadows, Sarah returns to her home and modern time-period, feeling like her adventures in Serimone was a one-time thing and her life could resume as normal. . . even though she feels like something is missing, maybe unresolved.  So, in the two weeks since her return, she devotes her time to preparing for her departure to college, trying to pretend that it was all a kind of dream.  While I kinda wanted to slap some sense into her that her work wasn't finished and how could she forget her time in Serimone and the friendships she forged? and all that good stuff, I admired how she tried to accept what lay immediately before her and to embrace her reality instead of chasing fantasies. . .er, shadows.

{Negatives}
After returning home, Sarah convinces her little sister that everything was simply one fantastic dream.  (This backfires when Sarah's friend, Karen, shows up at her door.)

{Spiritual Content}
Sarah is a Christian and many times she calls upon her God for strength and protection.

{Violence}
A man is stabbed in the arm.  A woman is fatally shot in the abdomen with an arrow.  A dead doe is displayed as a threat of some sort.  A man's body is found stuffed in a chest. . . And two bodies are washed up in a river, both having gone over a waterfall.
There is a sword fight, including knives, and both opponent's are beaten and bruised--with one man receiving a nasty gash to the chest that requires stitches.

{Language, Alcohol & Drugs}
One "like h---." 

Drugs and medicine for medicinal purposes.  Possible mention of wine or other alcoholic beverages used by the nobles and such.

{Love-y-ness}
Some kisses. . . And a love triangle.  But I won't go into that, it's for you to discover.  :]

{Conclusion}
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this sequel of Ashley Townsend's debut novel.  The story was filled with adventure, a wee bit o' romance, and deception.  The plot was gripping and the characters' well-fleshed out.  And it involves TIME TRAVEL.  Aaaaaannnnd medieval-ness.  
This story.  I like it.  ANOTHER!!  xD

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Recommended ages:  15+
My rating:

Thanks for reading, dearies!


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