Armor of Aletheia

Burke, Ralene. Armor of Aletheia. Plymouth, MA: Elk Lake Publishing, Inc., 2018.

BOOK SUMMARY:

The death of her king changes Karina’s life forever. Fleeing the royal house, she must leave her life behind to seek out the Armor of the Creator—to save the very people who now hunt her.

Faramos, the evil warlock waiting to unleash hell, knows the Creator has already chosen his warrior, so he sends his bounty hunter to retrieve her. After Tristan abducts her, he witnesses Karina’s gentle nature and strong independence, and he finds he can’t complete his assignment.

Together, they set out to retrieve the armor and defeat the hordes of creatures sent to destroy them. But is Tristan’s heart secure as he faces certain death for defending the queen? And will Karina have the courage to become all the Creator intends her to be? Failure will condemn the world to eternal darkness.

My Review

This Young Adult Christian Fantasy novel is fantastic. I could not put it down. Think epic fantasy along the lines of The Lord of the Rings but a little “softer.” It also reminds me a lot of The Chronicle of Narnia. Ralene Burke sprinkles paraphrased Scripture throughout the text without being preachy. The emotions and growth of the main character Karina are very real and make her a character readers will care about. 

As far as the elements of fantasy, Burke did a good job of including them. Magic is there both in evil and good characters. There is so much Adventure in the book, you won’t be able to put it down and a quest is at the root of the plot. The Struggle for Mastery is most evident in the life of Karina but also in Tristan’s life; Karina as she grows to accept her new role and Tristan as he puts his past behind him. Fantasy of Place/Setting – Aletheia and the other kingdoms are countries created by the author – and there is a consistency within each kingdom. The story also includes mythical creatures: goblins, elves, griffins, shapeshifters, and more. If you enjoy epic fantasy, I highly recommend this title. 

Armor of Aletheia is book one in the Sacred Armor Trilogy and covers the first of the three quests Karina must go on for the Creator. I can’t wait to read the others in this series.

I would not hesitate to add Armor of Aletheia to my K-12 Christian School library, and most likely will. 

I want to thank Prism Book Tours for the e-copy of Armor of Aletheia. This is my honest review of the book.

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Meet Ralene – from her website

On the day I was born, the doctor’s told my parents I probably wouldn’t live. I had a large tumor in my neck, and it was growing by the hour. When they finally removed this man-fist-sized tumor, the experts said I would be mentally and physically handicapped for the rest of my life, unable to care for myself.

Boy, did we prove them wrong!

Today, I not only take care of myself, I balance a husband, 3 kids, a career, and homeschooling. Granted, there’s often plenty of dirty dishes in the sink and toys on the floor, but who cares? I’m wrangling Spiderman, teaching princesses to sing, and pursuing my passions—what’s better than that?

I became a Christian when I was young. The miracle surrounding my survival pretty much sealed the deal. And, except for a few rebellious years, I’ve spent my life pursuing His calling—to change lives with the written word.

This calling started out in fiction novels, where I spin fast-paced tales of angels and demons, fantasy worlds, and the broader calling of every human being.

But the passion didn’t stop there!

The deeper I delved into the publishing world, the more I realized that I loved critiquing and editing—and I was pretty good at it. So, I took some classes, joined a couple of organizations, and committed part of my career to making other writers’ work SHINE!

Finally, there was only one natural outlet for my addiction to social media—get paid for it! So, I’ve been studying up on the various platforms and the mental marketing tactics in an effort to help other writers and publishing-related organizations grow their social media platforms. It’s a lot of fun.

So, join me on this crazy journey we call life, business, and the pursuit of happiness! Don’t be afraid to ask questions, weigh in with your opinions, or share your knowledge. I love hearing from people! (There’s a lot of love, as you can see.)