The Voyaging Storyteller

I return after my mysterious month-long absence, not to explain (because that would ruin the mystery), not to apologize (because I’ve never made any promises of consistency), but to tell you all about a delightful new book!

You can’t go wrong with books. 😉

So beautiful 😍

BLURB

How much will she risk to save her sister?

Mae Ashton has every reason to stay in Georgia and marry the man she loves, save one–the disappearance of her sister. Although all evidence points to Hazel’s death, Mae’s discovery of a single picture changes everything. If Hazel is alive, Mae will find her. And she’s left everything to do so.

Davis Everleigh isn’t about to let Mae, his fiancée, go just because of a note that hardly explains her departure to New York City. Instead, he follows her to the city and gains employment with the man Mae believes is somehow connected to Hazel.

As Davis and Mae become further entrenched in their effort to locate Hazel, they find themselves facing a corrupt businessman and his ruthless henchman, Alberto Moretti. In a world of lies, will the truth prevail–both about Hazel and in their own lives?

buy the book here!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MY REVIEW

Note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Kristina for reaching out to me!

Characters – Can I just say that I absolutely love Davis? He cares for Mae so much that he constantly sacrifices his own wants for hers in the most noble, protective, manly way. It’s refreshing and incredibly sweet and I loved every bit of his POV chapters.

However, a lot of times I struggled to understand Mae herself. I get why she’d want to look for her sister because they’re family, but the other reasons were confusing because Hazel didn’t appear to be in as much danger as Mae thought she was. Mae also didn’t seem to have any personal hobbies/goals in life outside of Davis and Hazel, which made her character harder to empathize with.

Now Moretti, on the other hand, was one of the most intriguing henchmen I’ve read. His motivations were deliciously complex. On the one hand, he ruthlessly threatens, beats people up, and murders. But he also is a man of his word. He keeps his promises. Always. That really fascinated me and made me respect him, despite the fact that he’s such a cruel man. I couldn’t gobble up his POV chapters fast enough.

Prose – This was so lovely. I’ve never read a book in the 1920’s time period before, but I was still able to clearly imagine the settings in this story and immerse myself in the surroundings. It was all very subtly and skillfully described and I thoroughly enjoyed the ease with which I could imagine everything happening, like a movie. I wasn’t particularly thrilled with some of the mechanical aspects of the writing, like short sentences in sequence that were abrupt for dramatic effect, but that’s personal preference.

Plot/Pacing – A few of Mae’s chapters were hard to get into, but overall it was such a gripping story and flowed smoothly. The action and chase scenes were particularly well-written and I found myself holding my breath as it all unfolded.

Themes – You know what I really love in stories? When the title fits so perfectly to the story, when the themes in the story are woven so artfully around the title. Like this one. Most notably, we have God’s promises which are never broken. This is what sustains Davis and Mae throughout all their struggles and pain. And then we have Davis and Mae’s promises and commitments to each other, which they cling to no matter how tough it gets. Truly inspiring. Finally, as I’ve mentioned, there are Moretti’s promises, which he also never breaks and yet they give him (and the plot) layers of added conflict.

Some of the faith-based execution fell too heavily on the preaching side, mostly from Davis. I think it could have been more powerful if this was either shortened or delivered from Scranton, who is actually a preacher.

But the message and verses themselves were incredibly encouraging. Trusting God in the darkest of circumstances, because we know that He always keeps His promises. They’re like an anchor we can cling to during storms, solid, dependable, unshakeable. Unlike our own human weaknesses.

IN CONCLUSION

If you like historical suspense with captivating antagonists, delicious subtext, and absorbing action – get this book! Here is another handy-dandy link.

I’m not planning on disappearing for another month, but if I do, it’ll be because I’m finishing up some exciting news that I hope to share with you soon. The specifics will, for now, remain a secret to preserve its Mystery and cultivate Suspense – things I evidently cherish way too much. 😂

Bon Voyage!

~ Elisha