The Seventh Door

Hey! It's here--the third book in the Children of the Bard series by Bryan Davis!

You may buy an autographed copy directly from Mr. Davis here - http://www.daviscrossing.com/SeventhDoor.htm

You may purchase autographed copies of the three Children of the Bard books in a three-pack for $30 - http://www.daviscrossing.com/BardCombo.htm

The Seventh Door is available from Amazon here - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0899578829







I'm not really sure how to describe this book, especially if you haven't read the ones before. It's good, of course--his books always are. Here's a review I wrote just after finishing it:

 
Once again Bryan Davis has led his readers on a wild ride. There are amazing ups and downs, crazy turns, and breathtaking chapter endings with heartstopping cliffhangers. You feel like you are really there with the characters, and shout encouragement from the sidelines. You hold your breath when they make their decisions and try to tell them to make the right one. And then, as always happens in one of Mr. Davis’ books, the characters slowly slide ahead, making decisions you would find difficult, making sacrifices and bleeding for those they love, and you find that they have pulled ahead of you and are now calling encouragement from the pages that comprise their lives. They lead by example, as Mr Davis’ characters always have.

Growing up with these books, I always look forward to them, wondering how he’ll make this one great. They always have such themes of godly character and such wonderful stories. This one was the same, but it had built on the foundations of the previous books. This one felt older and more mature, even while Matt and Darcy are still stretching their legs and gaining faith. It felt so right, along with all the previous books. It was a continuation, and its own story, and such a good stepping stone.

So many times during the book, I had to gasp and keep myself from turning ahead to see how it would turn out. This book tugged at my heart and it still hasn’t let go, which is a good thing. The Seventh Door has started working on me, and Mr. Davis has already taught me so many things about my walk with God. I can’t wait to read the next book and continue this journey with all these characters who I know and love so well.

Basically, READ THIS BOOK!!!!

I Foray Into Book Reviews

The Italian Secretary wasn't written by Arthur Conan Doyle, but it is very similar to all the ones that he did write. The language, the characters, are all much the same as the other stories.

This book's title refers to the 16th century murder of David Rizzio, the titular Italian secretary to Her Majesty Mary, Queen of Scots. It's as much a historical novel as it can be, set in Scotland in Holyrood House, amidst the proud reign of Queen Victoria. The story of Rizzio's murder is retold by Holmes himself, and his vivid language captures the imagination, turning the reader from a passive observer to a horrified witness who detests the acts of Rizzio's murderers.

Holmes is, differently than in the BBC series, a black and white advocate of good. He renounces murder, seeks justice, and doesn't just go about solving life-and-death puzzles for the fun of it. (not to bash the new series, but I think in even Doyle's stories Holmes always was concerned for justice, and though he did lapse into an appreciation of the villain's methods, he had no patience for miscreants who snuffed out lives, often far before they should have been. In this he is much like Agatha Christie's Poiroit. But I digress.) His and Watson's firm morals are always a welcome read.

Contrasted with the "good guys", of course, is the "bad guys". They are truly bad, greedy, selfish, murderous, crafty, cunning, and all the other things a proper Holmes villain should be. One of them (off-screen) has seduced one of the maids of the house, though nothing graphic is said, the only word used is "despoiled", and the young woman very much regrets her choices.

Mycroft also features in this story, with the murder of two of the men renovating the house being, apparently, a major cause for concern among the man who occupies a "minor position in the British government" (quote from the BBC series there). Their murders bear a remarkable similarity to Rizzio's murder, though I don't want to give away too much. The book takes a ghostly turn, with Holyrood House seeming to be haunted by the ghost of "the Italian gentleman", as the Scottish locals call him. Even Holmes gives credence to the power of ghosts, a fact Watson finds very unsettling. (It is a Holmes story, though--spoiler*)

There are, of course, murders, a few battle or fight scenes, one man is missing an eye and has a glass replacement that falls out--Watson is grossed out, if I may use the term--, the body of the most recent victim is described by Watson the surgeon, but it is, like everything else, not too graphic and very much in keeping with Doyle's manner. The psychology of the thing, the villain's plot, was always more important.

With all these elements, combined with a well-paced plot, (and a rather large and Victorian vocabulary), The Italian Secretary is a book I'd give perhaps a PG-13 rating, but heartily recommend to anyone else. It is a very fine addition to the already marvelous collection of Holmes stories, and a book I've already re-read.




*spoiler--though not quite a big one:


The ghost isn't real, though there's the conspirator who was never found who bore a remarkable similarity to the description of Rizzio. At the end, Watson follows a girl (also remarkably similar to someone who was murdered years ago) into an also presumably haunted house, only to find her gone, seemingly vanished. He weakly says that she must have ran into the other house, but the reader is left to think that she hadn't. Holmes then explains his statement, that he gave credence to the power of ghosts. He had meant that if people believe something, even if it isn't true, it gives it power, because this belief forces a person to act in a certain way. Even if you deny it's veracity, the very act of denying it proves its existence, because you must have something to deny. It's a rather true statement, actually.

Crazy Love

So.

Crazy Love.

I've read it.

This is a review.



This is a really, really great book. Very well-founded in Scriputre. The author does use other speakers, but they are speakers who obviously got their words from the Bible. Some may accuse him of taking the Bible "too literally", but--come on, that is the lamest excuse ever. He proves every point he makes, and he proves it with God's own words.

In fact, one of the biggest "supports" I can give for this book is Matthew 7:17-20 (Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.). Look at the fruits of this book, this teaching. Look at the lives that have been changed, and what results from people not only reading the book but applying what they learned from it to their lives. Even without 'firsthand knowledge', if you don't know anyone affected by this book, just think about it. What can come from this but good fruit?

Also, a caveat: this book is NOT meant to be read and checked off of a list of "good books to read" and then forgotten. If you have an intention anywhere even remotely close to such a thing, check yourself. Be prepared to change a lot of things in your life. History's main character, God, doesn't share face time nor should He, and He certainly won't say, "oh, I'm glad you have such a laid-back approach to Me. Take your time wasting the time I gave you and the things I gave you--no rush." Don't read this book if you don't want your life to change.

If, however, you do want your life to change, if you realize something is missing in your life and your everyday thoughts and actions, if you are willing to sacrifice things, then read this book.

If I may say so, God has got to be the biggest romantic out there. Prince Charming isn't even worthy to be compared to a faint outline left by His shadow. He woos us with His world, He proves His love with His action, and what can we do but return His love? His literally otherworldly, fanatical, crazy love?