The Sword of Lyric, Part II

Title: The Restorer's Son

Series: The Sword of Lyric #2
Author: Sharon Hinck

Genre: Adult Fantasy/Alternate Reality

Excerpt from Chapter 1 of Restorer’s Son:

“Hills of Hazor take you,” I swore for at least the tenth time since first light. My sword hacked at thick underbrush, but when I shouldered my way forward, a twig snapped back to hit my face. I cursed the day I’d met the last Restorer. It was because of her that I was battling through this forsaken forest below Cauldron Falls. My blade deserved a more substantial enemy.

A squint-eyed badger rambled out from a thornbush and paused to sniff the air. It bristled and ducked back under cover. Wise plan. I was hungry. Stinging beetles landed on me from the low-hanging branches overhead. I swatted them away and stalked onward.

Why hadn’t I convinced Tristan to leave her in Shamgar when she first turned up? A witness to his crime, and he had brought her to our refuge in the deserted city. Typical. He was a naïve idiot sometimes.

She hadn’t looked very threatening that day—rain-soaked, bloody, and unconscious. If only I’d known then how much trouble she was capable of causing. What was that old say? Don’t judge a rizzid’s menace until you see its teeth.

An outcast is chosen for a role he doesn’t want, to serve the One he can’t stand or escape.

The Writing: Clean, straightforward, and engaging, even better than Restorer—what else is there for me to say about the writing of Restorer’s Son? Okay, maybe the title is a bit misleading. Maybe the plot and characters aren’t spectacular like in some stories. But in many ways, that is part of the charm of the story.

Its unassuming air simply draws you in, and you let it, thinking you’ll put down after one chapter and get back to the work you’re supposed to be doing. But one chapter becomes two, then ten, and suddenly you realize an hour or two has passed, but you can’t put it down now because the characters are in the middle of a swordfight and what’s going to happen to this character—who is an absolute rogue, but you wouldn’t wish what’s happened to him on your worst enemy and in a strange way you understand exactly what he’s going through and it hurts and things are only getting worse and…

Well, you get the idea.

The Story: I was impressed with the spiritual depth and emotion in Restorer. Restorer doesn’t hold a light cube to what Ms. Hinck has done in Restorer’s Son. She deals so openly and in such a real way with the struggles of the Christian life. No perfect images here. Just real characters who deal with the raw emotions we all combat, saying and doing the things we’ve all wanted to do at one point or another—even if we were too “Christian” to admit it—and the God who sees us through it all.

Summary: I highly recommend this story, even more than the first. Great emotion, great adventure, great spiritual depth, and good, solid writing—what more can you ask for? Easy enough the uninitiated, detailed enough for the fantasy aficionado, Restorer’s Son is an excellent read for teen and adult alike.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

(For the review of Book 1, click here or check out Book 2 here.)