Forsaken Island By Sharon Hinck

Forsaken Island
by Sharon Hinck
Publisher: Enclave
ISBN: 978-1621841357

Having loved everything Sharon Hinck, I absolutely HAD to be on the launch team for book 2 in The Dancing Realms series. Thankfully I was able to be part of it and I was given the ebook for my review.

Summary:

On an uncharted world, happiness is effortless and constant … but can true joy exist without sacrifice?

The people of Meriel have long believed their island world floats alone in the vast ocean universe, so they are astonished when another island drifts into view. With resources becoming scarce, Carya and Brantley quickly volunteer to search the new land for supplies.

After navigating a barrier of menacing trees, the pair encounter a culture of perpetually happy people who readily share their talents and their possessions. But all is not what it seems. At the core of the island is a horror that threatens everyone, including Brantley and Carya.

Freeing the villagers of the bondage they’ve chosen may cost Carya and Brantley more than they could have imagined. Even if the two succeed, they’ll have to find a way to return to Meriel quickly … or be cut off from their home forever.

My Review:

This was such a different story than the first one. Much more adventurous. It was wonderful to catch up with Brantley and Carya in Forsaken Island.

The story starts off almost immediately with them coming into contact with the island on the back of Navar. They make their way through the brush and then have very differing opinions on how to proceed. Whereas Brantley wants to plan and prepare, Carya wants to believe everyone is good and they must want to help the people of Meriel.

Once they begin interacting with the inhabitants of the island, it's almost like an episode of The Twilight Zone. Everyone is welcome, they can take what they need, there are no leaders as everyone is equal. Ah, sounds like, bliss, right? Carya and Brantley grabbed tons of food and prepared to head back to Meriel except for the fact the island wouldn't let them leave!

As they begin to understand life in this camp, they begin to realize that things are completely off kilter, but can't put a finger on it. They follow everyone to the convening and that's when they meet The Gardener, except he doesn't tend to things as a gardener would. Oh man, this is when things take a turn, and while not for good, good does happen. Hard to believe on an island that is being controlled by an evil presence.

Needless to say, there is so much that happens in this story and the depth of understanding how evil can slip into our lives, being able to see the world isn't what God created it to be because of sin, and that when the scales fall from our eyes/hearts we're able to see the truth.

Once again Sharon Hinck weaves a fantastic story of fantasy with spiritual truth in a way that draws the reader in and keeps them turning the page to the very end.

About the Author:

Award-winning author of The Sword of Lyric series, Sharon Hinck writes "stories for the hero in all of us" about women on extraordinary adventures of faith. Her novels are praised for their authentic characters, strong spiritual themes, and emotional resonance. For this series, she drew on her experience as a ballet teacher, dancer, and choreographer.