A renowned traveling storyteller must save his long-lost sister from the machinations of an evil lord. Hope Ann’s Dust to Flame is the third novella set in the world of the rift shadows and, in my opinion, the best of her works to date. Protagonist Rafe is fairly simple but in a compelling way: he’s torn between the way of life he’s always known and the desire to protect an innocent little girl. It’s not hard to guess which way he’ll eventually choose, but that doesn’t make his inner journeying any less interesting, nor does it diminish the elation felt when he finally triumphs over evil. There’s not much more I can say without spoilers, but know that Hope Ann has spun a brief but riveting yarn. The only complaint I had was that one thing was referred to in vague terms when it would have made more sense for it to have a specific name. Vagueness can be annoying, as you know after reading the preceding sentence. Also, having read Shadowkeeper and Healer’s Bane, I feel like the rift shadows all have exactly the same personality, but that might be intentional. After reading Dust to Flame, I’m engaged enough in this world (which doesn’t have a name. Hope Ann, if you are reading this, can you please reveal what the name of this world is?) to start developing some fan theories. Hopefully, Hope’s next novella will answer some of the questions I have… and raise new ones. :) Content: Hope Ann’s writing is almost completely clean. Dust to Flame includes in-universe swearing (i.e ‘rifts!’), fighting, and a mention of a character having mistresses, but nothing that should be concerning to anyone older than five. Themes: Dust to Flame doesn’t have any deep or controversial themes. Murdering innocents to increase your own power is bad. Love and self-sacrifice are good. Simple messages, yes, but true ones that I can never be reminded of too much. It probably won’t fall among the ranks of Christian classics as time marches on, but none of this prevents Dust to Flame from being a thoroughly enjoyable, satisfying read. View Dust to Flame on Amazon or Goodreads. Disclaimer: Although I've never met Hope Ann personally, I have a stronger-than-average desire to see her succeed, as we both belong to the same 'young Christian writers' subculture.
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Progress on Doombear, Rough draft:10%
Progress on The Lore of Yore, third draft:
100%
"In truth, by leaving, I was seeking only one thing. A journey."
-Oathbringer, pg 981 Types of blog posts:
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