Walled City by Maressa Mortimer

 

Good morning bookaholics. I know many of you are allowed out again and will be catching up with the things you couldn’t do for some time. However, this means you can once more grab a coffee in your favourite cafe and sit down and relax with a good book. There’s always a reason to read. The book I bring you today is well worth reading. 

A young man, Gax, enters unseen in the dead of night to Elabi, a city where all is not as well as its inhabitants want you to think. With every aspect of their lives controlled, no one in Elabi is allowed to think for themselves and each one believes this is for their own good. With a hierarchical system everyone aspires to climb, no one wants to step out of line. However, Gax is a man with a mission, that mission being to change the hearts and minds of those who live in the city.

This is not the usual sort of book I read but I can tell you I was spellbound and could not wait to find out what happened next. A beautifully written book, it is set in an alternate reality, but one which the author sets to perfection. Maressa Mortimer had me almost believing I was there. The characters pop off the page and each and every one of them is individual and lifelike. I found myself loving and hating them in turn. I could feel the tension inherent in living such a tightly controlled life and was rooting for the characters, Gax especially, every step of the way. 

This is the first in a new series and I cannot wait for the next one. Whether this is your usual reading matter or not, I would  encourage you to read it.  You may very well find yourself hooked as I was.

That’s it for another day my bookaholic friends. See you back here soon but until then, keep reading and keep writing. 

Count Our Blessings Book Review

Good morning Bookaholics. This may be April Fools' Day but I can assure you this book review is one hundred percent genuine. I bring you this book because I loved it on so many levels. 

I've been trying to step out of my comfort zone in terms of reading and as it is also Easter, I took the opportunity to read the latest book by Fiona Linday. The subtitle of the book is, Short stories of identity and hope and, given the current pandemic, I feel that we can all do with a healthy dollop of hope. I wasn't sure what I was expecting from the book to be honest but what I found was a book which intrigued and enticed, which made me think and ponder, which made me reach down inside myself and find a strength I didn't know I had. 

As is indicated from the subtitle, the book is a mixture of short stories and poems around different themes. Each is written from the heart and touches your mind, your heart and your soul. They are both simple and profound, both accessible and complex and each reading brings something new to the literary table. Linday, a gifted writer uses every word to good effect weaving a tapestry of hope for these troubled times. It is a Christian book which has God at the very heart of it. It draws you closer to him and allows the reader to see the hope which can only come from God. 

It reaches through the generations and I feel readers of all ages would be attracted to its message. Linday uses tales from her own life and I particularly liked the poem which she wrote as I child at school and which was subsequently published. It's simplicity drew me in and allowed me to see things with fresh eyes - something repeated throughout the book.

This is not a book to rush through but a book to read, ingest and think about. It is a book which can be read again and again, allowing the reader to relax in its words and to feel the warmth of its literary embrace and as the title says Count Our Blessings. It is perfect, not only for Easter but, for any time of the year and would make a thoughtful present. 

      

You can buy the book from your local Christian bookshop when open, or via the links above. 

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for review purposes. At no point was I asked to provide a positive review, it is based on my reading and enjoyment of the book. The links above are affiliate links and I will receive a few pence if you buy the book.