Monday Minute Challenge

Here's my entry for the Monday Minutes Challenge. I'm using the items prompt: rose, necklace, and piano. I submitted that one. Yay! 300 words.

Layers have dust have gathered on that old piano now. I remember when I got it, how the light reflected off the snow white keys. Even now, I can replay the fresh sound of the piano in my mind. It used to fill the room with every kind of feeling—joyfulness, sorrow, adoration, pain.

Nothing comes of it now, not one note. Sometimes I’m tempted to play one, just to hear the sound again. The temptation disappears as soon as it comes. For I know it would be ear shattering since it hasn’t been tuned in years.

Max, my brother, visited once. His eyes widen at the sight of the instrument that was often used. “Play it, Aria,” he demanded.

I grabbed his arm before he could touch the delicate keys. “I haven’t touched it in forever. It’s useless now.”

He yanks his hand away from mine. “No, it’s not,” he insisted. In seconds, he slides on the bench. Music came out of the thing. It was soft and scratchy, but music just the same.

When he finished, he stood up. “Just because it’s been silent for awhile doesn’t mean it’s broken.”

He didn’t ask about the wilted rose lying on the wood. We both know why that’s there. What  he noticed was the necklace next to it. “Did he give that to you?”

My eyes drop down to the cold metal, the broken chain. “No.”

He tried to grab my hand, but I pull it out of his reach. “Why do you keep it then?”

I look back at it. “It was cheap, but I got it because I thought it was pretty. It reminds me never to invest in something not worth my time.”

Now when I get that temptation to play, I give into it. Music again.

If you would, please pray for the creator of Monday Minutes Challenge and an amazing author, Tessa Emily Hall. She wrote on her blog today that she has Type 1 diabetes. She wrote Purple Moon, one of the best YA Christian books I've ever read. Thanks! She also does a lot her blog followers and fans. An example is the Monday Minute Challenge.

 

 

What Music Means to Me

If you've been on my blog for a little while, you might have noticed that other than books and writing, I have another obsession: music. I thought I'd take some time to write about why music is such a big part of my life and will continue to stay that way forever.

The days before music was a part of my life were dull. I think the first song that opened my mind up to the beauty of music was "What Do I Know of Holy" by Addison Road. No, the song wasn't catchy, but it was beautiful. I think I was just learning piano at the time and loved the piano part in it. The second song was "Free to Be Me" by Francesca Battistelli,  a little more on the pop side. From there, my love for music grew.

Music speaks to me in so many ways. It's amazing how the lyrics are. Sure, you can tell who's singing by their voice, of course. You can also tell by the lyrics. I could tell a Taylor Swift song over a P!nk song any day. The feeling of the song is different.

Many times, music has in fact saved my life. Whenever I'm feeling depressed, God puts music in my head from the stranger places. He gave music as a gift to me, one of the best gifts he could ever give me. I feel alive when I listen to it. When things get chaotic in our house, music is my escape, my relief.

It reminds me of the truth. I remember things I've forgotten. To me, music always has to mean something or the song is empty. What some people don't realize is that good messages are not limited to Christian music. Sure, Christian music will always be more full than secular could ever be, but there are many amazing secular music too.

 Some people forget the importance of words in music. But music is more than just words, instruments, and a voice. Music is life and beauty. Whether it's classical or modern, music has always been beautiful. Of course, like most things, not all music is beautiful, just like words. It can change a mood, make laughter or tears. It touches the world.  One of the most amazing things in life is how three minutes can make you feel. I will continue to thank God for the gift of music.

So that's music is so important to me. What is it to you?

Songs that have touched me:

 

(Francesca Battistelli's new single. Isn't this awesome?)

 

In Christ,

Sarah

5 Books I Read that were Disappointing

I'm sorry I haven't posted the pictures yet. I wrote a post on my Blogger app, but for some reason, it's not posting. So I'll have to figure out a way to get the pictures off my iPod onto the computer, which might take some time now that school's starting.

But to hold you off until then, I'm writing this post. I really should call it: 5 books where I set the bar way too high and was miserably disappointed. But hey, that's too long.

Because I liked these stories. I'm not discouraging from reading them. (Well, except a few maybe) But when I read these books, I was super excited. As a result, I put up high standards for these books and they weren't met completely. Some of these I didn't finish, though I wish I could have. I will explain below how this worked.


1. The Serpent's Shadow, by Rich Riordan, book three in the Kane Chronicles Series.

I never expected this series to be as great as the Percy Jackson. Of course, the two books before this one were great. Not as awesome as Percy Jackson, but still a good read. But this book exploded a bit. Like The Last Olympian, I expected to have a thrilling climax and final battle. What I got was something much less. T hey spent so much time preparing for the final battle that when it actually happened, it fizzed out. And the love triangle conclusion.... one of the most weirdest things I've ever read.

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Okay, I know, many of you amazing reads love this book. And I want to say, I love it too. I loved almost everything about it. So why am I putting this on my list? Because when I got hyped up to read it, I read from her blog that Ms. Roth is a professing Christian. I'm not saying she isn't a Christian, but I figured that the book would at least be a little more clean than it was. Translation: Tris and Tobias. It wasn't so much the fact that they did what they did. What bugged me was that the"scenes" went out for too long. No, they didn't go all the way and I can give them that. But they hinted that they would. Apparently, it gets worse too. My cousin complained about the second and he's not a Christian. I know not all Christians believe that kissing before marriage is wrong, but they did more than just kiss.

3. Prodigy by Marie Lu
This book was a sequel to Legend. Legend was hands-down amazing. It wasn't squeaky clean, but it was decent. The characters, the plot, the excitement... just awesome. As you imagine, I was more than excited to get into the series and couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I got 100+ pages into it before putting it down. There were two gay characters. The first one I could live with since it was a little reverent to the plot. But the second guy.... Not. Needed. At. All.  Sadly, I stopped then.

4. The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan.
Once again, I'm not discouraging you from reading these books. All I'm saying is that I was disappointed. These books were good. But I heard they were better than the Percy Jackson series. They weren't. I understand. It's hard to live up to such awesomeness. The main reason is because they were too many couples. Not all couples can be as sweet as Percy and Annabeth, but it felt all the romance was rushed between the others. I've only read the first three books of this series.

5. The Death Cure by James Dashner, the conclusion to The Maze Runner trilogy.
I'm putting this last because I believe this is the worst. Here's my summary opinion of this series: The first one was great. The second one was okay. And the third one was... horrible. It wasn't writing style. The last thing it had was a dull plot. The violence was horrifyiing. My favorite character, who if he had to die, deserved a heroic death, passed away in the worst way possible. I'm not exaggerating. At least The Hunger Games characters died protecting someone. I didn't even understand the ending.

I didn't hate of any of these books, excluding the last one. For one reason or another, I was disappointed with these novels. Because of the plot, not the writing. This will all lead up to the point of this post, which I will write later.

In other news, I survived my first day of high school? How about you? What books did you read this year that were disappointing one way or another? I'd love to hear them. If anyone would like to write a post like this, I highly encourage it.

We're back!

Bernie and I are back from vacation. Well, it's good to be back and great to be on this blog. I want to thank Julia for guest posting. Yes, I have read two of those books and adore them so please check them out. Read what Julia said below about good Christian fiction.

I'm going to post some pictures later, but here's a short outline of our trip. We drove for awhile to TN, went past Nashville. The next day we saw the mountains and met a friend in NC.... then went back again to Columbia, SC. (I've never been to those states. They were awesome)

From there, we traveled to Savannah, GA. It was amazing. There were these huge oak trees that shaded everything. It was a lot hotter than what we're use to, but that was one of the only cons. And the best part was...

THE OCEAN! We'd never seen the ocean so this was a big deal for us. It was beautiful. We even watched the sun go down. It didn't set over the ocean, but it reflected off the water, making it breath-taking. We went there three times. Okay, let's just say it wasn't the best visit because of the jellyfish. Apparently they're very bad over there. We all got stung, along with many other visitors. Using our "Video Star" app, Bernie and I made a video at the ocean of "All of Me", a amazing song by John Legend, perfect for the pretty beach.

We did many things in Savannah, including going on a Dolphin Tour. The dolphins were awesome. On the way home, we stopped at Atlanta and Nashville. I didn't get to see Taylor Swift, but it was still a great city. I walked in the Bridgestone Arena, where many of my favorite artists have played. I got a TS mini calendar... heehee.

Yes, perhaps some of you have heard Taylor Swift's new song. Personally, I don't think it's one of her bests, but I love the message. I'll probably post more thoughts on the song. She's pop now.

I read Captives by Jill Williamson. Wow, that's an awesome book. It might be just as good as the Blood of Kings trilogy, (another thing Julia talked about in her guest post) I MUST read the next book. I also got two new books at Lifeway. Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton. You've probably heard of her... and a book by one of my favorite Christian authors, Melody Carlson.

Thank you for taking time to read this rambling post. I promise it will be more interesting when I get around to posting pictures. Thank you, God, for all the beauty in Your creation.

In Christ,
Sarah

Julia's Guest Post!

Hey everyone! While Sarah and Bernie are away in Savannah, I (Julia Nashif, blogger of Running Through the Stars) am guest posting!

I love reading Christian novels. They remind me how badly I need Christ in my life. Sometimes, however, the books get too preachy. What elements make a Christian book a good one?

In To Darkness Fled, Achan has conversations with Arman, the representative of God, himself. Some people thought the spiritual aspects of this book were too much, but I thought it was a success. Achan clearly needed help, and he got help. I could feel his peace when Arman spoke to him.


In Sixteen, Nikki is a pregnant, depressed teen. Her friend Christy is the one who tells her about Jesus. She says, “In the end, after all of the evidence from Christians and all the doubts from others, you just have to decide if you believe in God or not”, which I think is a good point. There are always going to be people with a stronger faith than you and there are always going to be people with a weaker faith than you. All you can do is keep going regardless.

Nikki then converts without another thought. Is that how it usually goes though? When you’re despairing over your past, wouldn’t you be more cautious about leaping into a future? (That’s just my two cents though. I really enjoyed reading Sixteen.)

 

Purple Moon is about another troubled teen. Selena, on the verge of addiction, spends the summer at her cousin’s house and goes to a three day camp with the next door neighbor (a total hearthrob, by the way). After her conversion, however, the doubts come back. Could Jesus really love someone as unlovable as her?

 

Because of her reluctances, her ultimate conversion in the end feels more real. Life isn’t perfect even for Christians. There is, however, an eternal silver lining to life's cloud: the reassurance of God’s love.

What makes a Christian book believable? In my opinion, realistic difficulties and powerful convincing does the trick for me. That’s just my bookish opinion though. Comment and tell me what’s yours!

Monday Minute Challenge

Here's my entry for the Monday Minute Challenge using the picture prompt. 295 words.

Even now, the mark on my palm haunted me, though it was only a symbol of my past. I despise the five letters imprinted on it.  When Luke rescued me from slavery, we ran to a safe place and never looked back. But the mark was still there. It constantly reminded me of who I was, who I feared to become again.

In our village, no one knows that I was a slave. It’s best that they don’t. For my first birthday with him, Luke gave him a pair of fingerless gloves. They cover the mark; yet my fingers are free to move about. I wear them all the time now. No one asks questions.

Expect our children.

They were born some time before we came to the village. Luke and I swore to tell them nothing the night our first daughter was born. It was too risky. My secret could be revealed. Slaves aren’t allowed to be kept in our village, but it doesn’t stop me from worrying.

Luke tells me not to fret. My masters are long gone. They will never bother me again. But I’ve heard rumors. Tales of masters invading free lands, catching their old slaves and taking their whole family with them. Every time I watch my children play, I think of this. They’re free. But freedom is fleeting.

So when they ask about my gloves, I smile and say I like the way it feels on my hands, smooth and warm. They giggle and ask for a pair. I will not tell them. Not now, at least. Because if I did explain anything and the wrong ears happened to hear it, everything they know will be ripped from them. Their peaceful lives, the laughter, the painless days… all gone.

Hope you like it!

 

Update on My Life

Hello! How are you? Some of you might have started school already or are dreading it. I'm still trying to face the fact that summer is slipping from my grasp.  I'm already doing my math. (Did I mention I'm a high school freshman this year?) But it's not all that bad because I like algebra. I might hate it at the end of spring, but right now I like it.

I just finished The Giver. Wow, that's a great story. I figured I would read the book and then watch the trailer so I could tell the differences. Well, let me just say.... I could hardly tell it was based on book. Expect for simple facts, there was almost nothing. It was disappointing since, honestly, one of the only reasons I read the book because I knew Taylor Swift is going to be in the movie. The weird thing was I can understand it. The book was a little dull. It might have needed a little spicing up in order to be a movie. Still...

The good news is before school starts, on Friday, we will be going to Savannah Georgia for summer vacation. Finally, I will get to see the ocean. I'm quite excited about the whole thing:) We're going to be there for more than a week so after Friday, I'll taking a little break. If I'm correct, Bernie will have a guest post or two on her blog. I might post... if I get the Blogger app.

There's something else I'm very excited about. This morning, I reached 59,000 words on my story. Which means, I'm almost done with the first draft! I made it a goal to finish a story this summer and yay! For once, I will have completed by goal. This might be 7th or 8th book I've started and finished. Too many lay in completed, but when ideas rain on you like a thunderstorm, it's harder to stick with an idea. Bad habit of mine. Yes, the story needs help, but I love it anyway.

Something I've learned once again from editing my novel is... If you really want to get published, you have to have unconditional love for your story. Even if they drive you crazy and keep you up late.

Speaking of my Taylor Swift obsession, she is going to perform her new single on August 18th. At least that's what I think. If you follow me on Pinterest, you know I love Taylor Swift, mostly because... well... a lot of reasons! My dream is to go to a Taylor Swift concert. We're driving through Nashville so I hope to see her there.

Well, there's a little update on my life for you. Like I did a few weeks ago, I'm going to post some songs I'm obsessed with!

This has to be one of my all time favorite worships songs. It's SO amazing!

Royal Tailor's new single! They said hi to us during their Youtube chat. Ever since the album came out, I've always loved this song. So please listen to it. These guys are my favorite Christian (and band) of all time.

 

In Christ,

Sarah

This

Flashbacks: Another Poem

Here's another poem I just wrote. The idea has been on my head for a long time now and it's just starting to flow.

All the hurtful things I've ever heard
Come back to me with a simple word
I wish I forgot all those times
When people talk without thinking twice
Once they're in the air, they always stay.
Insults in my head that never go away.
I accept apologies, but they don't undo the pain
After I hear them, I'm never the same.
Whispers in my ears, echoes in my mind.
They burn, even though I know they're lies.
I try my best to keep them back.
But there must be something I lack.
Jesus, help me close the door.
'Cuz I don't want to live in the flashbacks.
Anymore.

This is about the one incident with someone that brings back all the terrible things you've heard. I started with that last line. I never was able to get it on paper until now. Now that I did, it's a relief.

I heard this song on the radio. It wasn't the first time, but... wow. This is a beautiful song. You know when a certain thing suddenly comes alive to you? That's what happened.

And I will have mercy on No Mercy. And I will say to Not My People, "You are my people." They shall say to me, "You are my people." Hosea.

In Christ,
Sarah

Beautiful Blog Award

Hello, my name is Sarah and I like warm hugs. Before I do anything, I want to thank everyone for the sweet complements on my poem. You guys are great encouragements to me!

Two awesome girls tagged me for the Beautiful Blog Award. Rachel and Emily were gracious enough to tag me with this award. Be sure to check out their amazing blogs:)

Rules:
 -Answer the questions given to you
-Nominate others and pose questions for them to answer
-Tell the nominees that you've nominated them.

Here's Emily's questions:
1. Which fictional character are you most like? (be honest!)
Hmm... okay, I'll have to say two. One, is Ellie from the amazing Ellie Sweet Series just because I'm shy, awkward and I'm a writer. And two, (and I think I'm most like this character), is Anna from Frozen. Seriously, I am extremely clumsy, terribly awkward, and very delirious when it comes to love. In fact, it's hard for my brain to believe that someone would be mean enough to lie to me.

2. What made you want to start blogging?

Well, I am a writer and I love to write. It's my means of survival, along with reading and music.

 

3. Where does your blog name come from?

I had a few seconds to think of a name before we left to go to my brother's baseball game. Suddenly, Carrie Underwood's song, "Forever Changed" popped into my mind. I thought, since I had rededicated my life to Jesus the day before, that those were the perfect words to describe me.

 

4. What is your least favorite subject at school?

Hmm... probably my English last year. Normally, I love English, but the book was basically saying what I already knew.

 

5. Favorite name for a girl? For a boy?

Elsa! Something about that name is just awesome. For a boy, I have to say Peeta. I'm naming my first boy, Peeta. Yes, I'm a nerd.

 

6.Where would you like to live when you grow up?

My dream city is Nashville.

 

7. If you could live in any fictional universe, which one would it be?

Probably Percy Jackson's mythology world. That was very cool.

Loved these questions, Emily! Thank you!

Rachel's questions:

1. Are you a Loki or Captain America fangirl?
A little bit of both. I love everything about Cap, his character, power, etc. But I only love Loki because...well... he's Loki. That explains itself.

2. If you could have any animation for the rest of your life, who or what would you choose? (Like Minions, Buzz, Dory, etc.)
If you have followed my blog for a few months, you can likely guess my answer. OLAF! and the Minions. I love them.

3. Your thoughts on Prince George? I think he's ridiculously adorable! His cheeks are another story. o.o
Like all babies, absolutely adorable.

4. Favorite time era for Hollywood? (Because I can't resist, mine's the 1960's!)
I don't know anything about time eras. Music wise, it would have to be now. I'm not into old songs.

5. Have you ever tried any DIYs? If so, what was it?
Bernie could talk to you about that. I'm not much of DIY person.
6. What inspires you most?
Stories and music. But mostly music. I recently got an idea after watching Once Upon a Time and listening to a intense song.

7. Favorite song at the moment?
I have a few actually. "Somebody to You" by The Vamps and "Waiting for Superman" by Daughtry. Plus, "Forever and Always" by Taylor Swift.

8. What's one instrument you really want to learn how to play?
I have a quite a few. Guitar and violin.

9. Are you excited for school to start up? If so, why?
I am. I'm going to take a British Literature class, which I am very excited for. Plus, I'm homeschooled and I'm taking an actual science class. I'm a little nervous, but it will be fun.

10. Favorite sport to watch/play?
Baseball. I stink at it, but I love to watch it. Our whole family is a little obsessed with the game. They've worn off on me over the years.

11. One place you want to visit?
London, England!
12. Favorite perfume?
"Wonderstruck" by Taylor Swift!
13. Do you like stars or clouds better?
I adore them both, but I would have to say stars.

My Questions:
1. Who is your favorite Avenger? OR do you prefer Loki?
2. Who is your least favorite singer/band?
3. What is your favorite book you've read this year?
4. What fictional character do you want to smack upside the face the most?
5. Your main writing inspiration?
6.  Who was your role model as a child? (Fictional characters count)
7. If you could ask your favorite character one question, what would you ask?
8. What annoys you the most? A series with a bad ending or movies based on books that don't follow the movie at all?
9. What musical artist would you like to see in concert?
10. What thing are you looking forward to most this year?

Jessica at (Almost) Perfectly Pink
Rcubed at Random Rants by Rcubed
Lauren at Loving Our Creator
Bethan at Think. Write. Read. Dream.
Julia at Running through the Stars

And if, by any chance, you don't want to do the tag because I've nominated for too many things, by all means, do not feel obligated. I understand. I also want to nominate all my followers. Only, I cannot put all your links because my computer is slow. Plus, anyone else who wants to do it.

An Original Poem

It's been awhile since I've written anything that describes me. So after listening to "Waiting for Superman" by Daughtry, I got inspired to write something honest about me in the third person. Here's what I came up with.

She's got her head in the clouds, but that's okay.
Some days you might see her singing in the rain.
She often wonders what it would be like to fly.
Her mouth might be shut, but her mind is alive.

She looks typical, but she's seen the world.
People walk and talk, living in her mind.
And if they ever left, it would be hard to survive.

In her hands is a worn out book.
Kids don't know her and they don't care to look.
Never judge someone at first glance.
Because they will prove you wrong, by chance.

Sometimes she wishes she could be different.
Longs to fit in, to have many friends.
But she would hate to live a lie.
Then the people in her head would die.

So yes, she lives in the clouds.
With her head in the sky.
She looks like she's alone.
No matter how hard she tries.
One day, you'll find her dancing in the rain.
She'll never be alone, even on her worst days.
She's living her in her own head.
 But that's okay.

It's not Shakespeare, but it will have to do. Thanks for reading!

Reading: The Giver
Want to Read: The Elite
Favorite Song: "Somebody to You" by The Vamps, featuring Demi Lovato.

Afire Love: An amazing Song

Can enjoy deny that this is a heartbreaking, beautiful song? Ed Sheeran has a knack for songs that make you want to cry. And I thought "All of the Stars" was sad! I've heard a few songs from singers dedicated to their grandfathers and this is by far the most wonderful.

THANK YOU:)

Everyone, this blog has 30 followers! *doing snoppy happy dance*! I can't believe it. My blog is a little more than a year old. Making it was a last minute kind of a thing so it's hard to believe that this blog has come so far since then.

I want to thank everyone who has followed my blog, whether I know you or not. You guys are amazing and you have made my summer. Thank you for commenting on the posts and taking time to read what I write. You will never know how much that means to me. I love you!

Most of all, thank you, Jesus for giving me words and a love for them. I have not used them to glorify You perfectly, but You have mercy on me anyway. Thank you for giving me this blog as a way to express myself and to glorify You. Just as the title says, I am "Forever Changed" and it's all because of You. You're the reason this blog is here and I could never thank You enough for it.

Before I go, I would like to say a few things to beginner bloggers. There were a few times when I wanted to give up on this blog. What's the point of posting when nobody comments or follows? But I urge you: Stick to it. If you love it, keep at it. Don't give up. Just because people don't comment doesn't mean they don't read. There are many posts that I love, (I am ashamed to say,) that I didn't comment on. Keep writing!

So, once again, thank you so much. You have made my day. And week. And month. Perhaps even my whole summer. Thank to everyone who has read my blog, without even following. Thanks for taking that time.

In Christ,

Sarah

My Week Jams

There are so many songs I like right now so I decided to share them with you.

I haven't heard much of this girl, but I watch her audition for the Voice and she has a voice. This song shows it.

 

Love this song! A perfect Christian anthem.

 

I love this song! It's very unique and catchy.

 

 

Books and More Books (plus a review)

Hello, bloggers! This is going to be a little bit of a long post. So... just warning you.

This month, school starts. Truthfully, it is bittersweet. Bitter because school is a drag. Sweet because I am a high school freshman and get to take a British Literature class! Yes, I might sound like a nerd, but I love to read. Anything, really. I hope you know that I love Jane Austen and I am going to reread Pride and Prejudice, one of my favorite classics.

But, one of the main cons of going back to school is... less book freedom. Since I'm doing school, I'm going to mostly be reading classics. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but there's so many books I want to read. So I'm going to cram. Right now, I am reading The Selection by Kiera Cass. So far, I really like it. The great part about it is, the dystopian world is actually NOT that hard to understand! Wow!

Okay, this is a little overdue, but I wanted to review By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson, the first book in the Blood of Kings Trilogy... and her debut novel.  I admit, I'm not that into fantasy. There's a lot of made up words and for a little brain like mine, that's hard. But I especially wanted to read a Jill Williamson book because of her amazing blog, Go Teen Writers. So onto the review!

Genre: YA Christian Fantasy

Back Cover: Amazon Version. (Short version, the actual one was too long to put on this post)
Given the chance to train as a squire, kitchen servant Achan Cham hopes to pull himself out of his pitiful life and become a Kingsguard Knight. When Achan's owner learns of his training, he forces Achan to spar with the Crown Prince--more of a death sentence than an honor. Meanwhile, strange voices in Achan's head cause him to fear he's going mad. While escorting the prince to a council presentation, their convoy is attacked. Achan is wounded and arrested, but escapes from prison--only to discover a secret about himself he never believed possible

What I liked: Jill Williamson didn't disappoint. I loved her writing style and her characters. She put in the perspective of a girl and a boy, making it appealing to both genders. The story world was very interesting. It wasn't that hard to understand. At first, the whole "bloodvoicing" thing seemed a little weird to me, but in the end, I loved it. It was original and intriguing.

Achan had his rough spots, but I ended up liking him. Vrell was great too. They especially made good chemistry together. I'm not going give anything away but... wow. The climax was amazing! Unpredictable and incredibly awesome. It made the story. I also liked the Christian aspect too. It wasn't "in your face" kind of thing. At the same time, God wasn't treated like a last option. The author wasn't afraid to talk about Him, unlike other Christian books I've read.

What I didn't like: Like I said before, this story was in two perspectives. There's nothing wrong with that, of course. Most of the time, one character would be in this exciting scene and then the chapter would end. As a result, the perspective changed. I wanted to know what happened so I wasn't that interested in the other character. It was a little frustrating.

Also, Achan found himself having feelings for two girls. It was a little understood, but I didn't like it. It didn't make sense.

Conclusion: I've never liked fantasy that much, but I loved this book. It was humorous, exciting, and meaningful. I persistently recommend it to anyone, especially people who enjoy fantasy. You will not be disappointed. Jill Williamson is an outstanding author. I'll definitely read more of her books.
 I'm now reading the sequel. It's really long, but so far so great. So... read this book.