A member of my launch team, Laura Pol, created this lovely image based on a Dauntless quote, and I have been happily sharing it around cyberspace.
The Book Club Network is still featuring Dauntless. And the reviews have really been pouring in. I'm sure I'm missing some great ones, but here is a quick sampling of a few review quotes that tickled me.
Action? Check. Romance? Check. Kick-butt heroine? CHECK. My rating: 5 out of 5 bows and arrows. ~ Brittany the Book Nerd
With excellent writing, well
developed characters, heart-warming romance, and a faith thread to weave
it all together, DAUNTLESS is a must-read for both teens and adults
alike! ~ Roseanna White "Historical Romance Author"
The author states on her site that Merry is historical counterpart to Katniss Everdeen and Tris Prior. At first I was like what? I'm not so sure about that. However after reading Dauntless ( hee hee Dauntless: Katniss was very dauntless and Tris joined dauntless) I agree and I have to say I think she was stronger than Tris and was right up there with Katniss. ~ Gidget Girl Reading
All I can say is WOW! I loved this book! I love this time period, I love these kinds of stories and I want more! (And I don't want to wait till the Author's next installment. I want her to speed write!) ~ Kitty "Kitty", Amazon
Dina Sleiman has done it again! Her stories always pull on my heartstrings, and "Dauntless" is no exception. Sleiman spins a web of love, danger, and intrigue around hearty characters facing odds so dauntless, only a Savior’s love could make the arrow shoot straight and thwart the enemy’s plans. Open the pages of Dauntless and fall deep, knowing you will be carried to the end of a wondrous story where the promise of more to come rests on the final words. ~ Benita Mccaulley, Amazon
This sparkling new novel is aimed at juveniles or young adults, but to all my fabulous readers I just want to say that I know that adults will love Merry’s story as well. Merry Ellison is a fearless, courageous, and highly intelligent heroine and role model. Her journey is sure to please readers of all ages and keep them anxiously awaiting other great characters just like her. ~ Charming Chelsey
This book was amazing! I could not put it down. If you love Robin Hood legends, history, and strong female characters, you will adore this book! I am already eagerly anticipating book two, Chivalrous. Come on, Dina Sleiman, write it fast! If that book is anything like this one, I will be hooked for life! Love. This. Book!!! ~ mharper, Amazon
I've been sort of considering this today- in the context of how many stories set in various periods often feature a protaganist who has lost thier faith in God because bad things happen.
ReplyDeleteI know authors strive to make thier work relevant for readers, but I do rather think that it is not a concept that is entirely consistent with Medieval religious thought. I'm no theologian, but I believe their whole concept of suffering and evil in the world was different- in the sense that they didn't tend to blame God for it, or for not stopping it.
They even believed physical suffering could be in a sense, redeptive (though that was tied up with the idea of purgatory).
One could maybe pose the question- was the faith of Medieval folk in this sense stronger than that of modern people, that they seem to have been less ready to doubt his existence because of ill-fortune? Maybe I'm being too philisophical for this board.
I'm reading the book now, about halfway though- and I'm rather liking it. One thing I notice was that the concept of divine Right of the King was mentioned. I've heard this was actually invented a lot later, by the Stuarts. However, I suppse a lot of people must have sturggled to choose between loyalty to an unjust ruler and resistance.
I have heard (from a Bishop on one occasion of all things) that there was developing at this time the idea that it could be religiously justified to depose a tyrannical ruler who was seen as going against justice and the law of God. It was a concept that some in England, including the Archbishop of Canterbury were aware of apparently.........
Interesting point, although I tend to think there are some elements of human nature that are fairly universal. Would someone have spoken them out loud or even written about them at that time, probably not, because they would be viewed a heretic. But looking at our own time, we have some denominations that view suffering as good and some that view it as bad, yet people of either background could have this sort of reaction to a hard time. Just my view. Of course I also have the sense that many people at that time were Christian by culture but not necessarily by personal commitment the way people are today when we have full freedom to choose our religion.
DeleteTrue, Though again, I do wonder if the fundamental concept was different. Of course, people must have gone through the same feelings of rage, ager, or bitterness and grief, but I do wonder if the concept of original sin caused Medieval people to be more aware of the fact that much pain and suffering was due to human action and free will, rather than just blaming on divine complacency or malevolence.
DeletePerhaps the modern notion of 'God is all good, thereefore he could never allow bad to exist, and if he does he is either bad or does not exist' might have seemed overly simplistic or shallow to them? Especially with the hardships of life (bad harvests, wars etc) ? I don't know, just my two cents.....