Book Review: J.E. Lowder’s Tears of Min Brock
If you’re a casual blog reader without a website you might not know that website owners/blog creators receive steady e-mail from others. Although a lot of my e-mail is what I consider spam from companies wanting me to buy their product to take my website to the next level, I also receive messages from authors.
Like J.E. Lowder. His bio alone grabs your attention. Like music? He played bass for Shania Twain. Love true adventure stories? He was charged by a black rhino during a safari. Enjoy hearing about encounters with greatness? He’s been in the Oval Office and in high school interviewed Bob Seger, Rush, and Kansas. You have to admit, that’s an intriguing introduction.
But wait, it gets better. J.E. is an author and has a YA (young adult) fantasy book out as part of the War of Whispers series called Tears of Min Brock. When I read Amazon reviews to learn more I liked the comparison to C.S. Lewis and Ted Dekker. I admit I’m not a big fantasy reader, although one my favorite writers, Sara Harricharan, is an amazing fantasy writer. Whatever side of the brain it takes to understand fantasy, for the most part, I don’t have it.
Yet, I get and agree that Lowder is an author you can throw into conversation with names like Dekker and Lewis. Reading Tears of Min Brock felt like a mature version of a Narnia type adventure. Like Dekker’s work, it is darker but not in a way that traumatizes a faint reader. I found Tears of Min Brock a well-told read, one where with older children the story could be a family nightly reading adventure. With a bio as interesting as J.E. Lowder’s it’s a pleasure to say his story-telling ability is just as fascinating. Although I struggle with a lot of fantasy writing I understood Tears of Min Brock and I was captivated by the story. I could see a span of ages enjoying the book. It’s an interesting premise I personally haven’t encountered before.
Here is more on Tears of Min Brock:
When Elabea, a girl of fourteen summers, hears a whisper calling her name, she asks, “Is this proof that the land of Claire wasn’t destroyed in the Dark War?” But her question ignites fear in her village. “The Oracles of the Cauldron forbid you to speak…the name! Death will come! We will be cursed!”
Furthermore, when her best friend, Galadin, rallies beside her, the villagers divulge a dark secret: their fathers were the only survivors of the massacre at Min Brock. Forged as outcasts of their own homes and village, they fear the worst when the Cauldron sends warriors to destroy them.
Desperate, they flee to Claire where Elabea is promised to become an all-powerful storyteller and Galadin a great warrior. But does Claire exist? And if it does, will it be an ally or a greater foe?
Battling whispers, warriors and mysterious creatures, Elabea and Galadin must also contend with the darker questions about their fathers’ past and the… Tears of Min Brock.
If fantasy is new to you I think this is a great book to start with. For those with teens, I think reading this together makes for a great experience with more visuals for the imagination than any video game can give.
Want to learn more? Click here.
Want to purchase? Click here.
I received Tears of Min Brock from the author with my promise for an honest review.
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