The Restorer, by Sharon Hinck, is the first in the Christian fantasy series The Sword of Lyric.
When Mark fixes up the attic for his wife Susan as a place for her to relax and get away from the kids and stress, Susan is relieved to have some quiet time for herself. But while exploring the attic, Susan stumbles into a portal that leads to another world called Lyric. This strange world is in many ways different from our own, but the oddest revelation is when Susan is told that she is the Restorer. The Restorer is usually a guardian and protector of the people, but Susan is untrained and completely unprepared for the role. Can Susan surrender to the will of the One and have enough faith to stand with the people of Lyric to protect them from a powerful invading army?
This was easily the best piece of Christian speculative fiction that I’ve read in years. The Restorer is powerful and inspirational, without being preachy. Filled with adventure, mystery, and suspense, Sharon Hinck paints a masterful work of fantasy with a realistic main character. The character of Susan is an average mom with all of the stress and worries that come with the job. She wants to do something great with her life and is given the chance to become more than she could imagine. Though she struggles with her faith at times, Susan is a compassionate, brave, and loyal woman of God. Vivid and imaginative, there is no question that I’ll be following Hinck’s Sword of Lyric series with the sequel, The Restorer’s Son.
Yeah, I WANT TO SEE IT.
I read this one a long time ago. I think it strikes a chord more with women than men. i just couldn’t get into it, and I felt that the ending was too deus ex machina.
Still, a lot of others seem to have enjoyed it, and I’m glad you did.
John – I can definitely see that. My sister and brother-in-law usually read the fantasy books after I read them; but I only suggested this one to my sister.
Wow, fabulous cover. I love that texture/pattern overlay that it has.
SciFiChick, I really enjoyed this book too. Like you, I thought it one of the best Christian fantasies I’d read in a long time. We did a blog tour for the book and there were a number of guys who liked it, but all the women seemed to. That surprised me–I didn’t realize guys would find it difficult to root for a woman protag.
I disagree with John about the ending. There was perfect set up to make God’s intervention in the end believable. It was not an unexpected rescue but one consistent with the religious beliefs of the community.
Becky
Hmmm.. I’ll have to give it a try. Sounds intriguing. My wife might like it too.
Why wouldn’t guys like a woman protagonist?
Annja Creed? Sara Pezzini? Lara Croft? Wonder Woman? Sarah Conner in Terminator 1 and 2?
Nice.
Hey guys I’m an 11 year-old boy and I loved this book! If you say this book is only for girls, you got problems. 🙂