Review of Silence the Siren

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Huntress Ro LeFevre is hired to hunt the sirens who have been sinking the king of Angleterre's ships, and in turn, vast amounts of his wealth. All who have gone before her have failed.

Fleeing heartbreak, Ro gladly accepts, but there's just one problem. The king will credit the Marquis de la Valere, and no other women are allowed on the voyage.

Ro will just see about that.

Hiring an all-female pirate crew without the king's knowledge, Ro hopes they will follow her to the Caribbean, not take the gold and flee.

But when Ro is plunged deep into the ocean by the siren she's being paid to kill, presented the siren's side of the story at knife point, and pressed to join them or die. Ro must decide whether to complete her mission, join the sirens, or something in between.

Before the sirens sink the ship full of men above.

A Little Mermaid reimagining.

 

My Thoughts:

Silence the Siren by Michele Israel Harper is a delightful adventure filled with pirates, sirens, a huntress, and hints of a popular tale readers thought they knew. Harper does a fabulous job at inviting her readers on a journey across the ocean and below the surface of the water. The description of the boat and the underwater Siren's world are detailed and captivating. My imagination bloomed as much as the huntress bloomed in her drive to complete her quest. The plot moved quick fast for a story that took place on a ship and a certain point in the ocean for the majority of the novel. I have read Beast Hunter and Kill the Beast, so I am pretty familiar with the Huntress' past story. Not that it is important to understand this story, but it does deepen the character journey of Ro, the Huntress. Of course, what story that is categorized as a fairy tale does not have a hint of romance. Romance starts to sparkle between Ro and a deckhand. Harper has left this open-ended, so readers will have to return to the next installment. Overall, Silence the Siren is a thick, hardy novel that really captured my attention. I had a hard time putting it down and can't wait for the next installment. There is some questions that I need to have answered about Ro, the huntress. Anyone who enjoys pirates, fairy tales, or a story full of adventure should pick up this book.

I received a complimentary copy of Silence the Siren by Michele Israel Harper by Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Silence the Siren

About the Author:

Michele Israel Harper spends her days as a work-at-home mom and her nights typing away furiously on her laptop. Sleep? Sometimes . . . 

Harper has her Bachelor of Arts in history, is slightly obsessed with all things French—including Jeanne d’Arc and La Belle et la Bête—and loves curling up with a good book more than just about anything else. Author of Wisdom & Folly: Sisters, Zombie Takeover, Beast Hunter, and Kill the Beast, Michele prays her involvement in writing, editing, and publishing will touch many lives in the years to come.

Visit www.MicheleIsraelHarper.com to learn more about her.

Social Media Links: 

Amazon Author: www.amazon.com/Michele-Israel-Harper/e/B016YW4Q6Q 

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/14554353.Michele_Israel_Harper 

BookBub: www.bookbub.com/profile/michele-israel-harper 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/michele_israel_harper 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/micheleiharper 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MicheleIsraelHarper 

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/micheleisraelharper

GIVEAWAY

Author Michele Israel Harper is hosting a giveaway through Kingsumo. https://kingsumo.com/g/2owetc/silence-the-siren-newsletter-giveaway

Facebook Party:

These are a lot of fun and very organized!!!!! I hope to see you there!

Online Silence the Siren Release Party, Thursday, August 19th, 8–10 PM EST.

Online Release Party Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/l2l2bookreleaseparties

Michele Israel Harper: Kill the Beast

By Kelly Bridgewater

Kill the Beast: Book One of the Beast Hunters

Ro remembers the castle before. Before the gates closed. Before silence overtook the kingdom. 
Before the castle disappeared. Now it shimmers to life one night a year, seen by her alone.

Once a lady, now a huntress, Ro does what it takes to survive—just like the rest of the kingdom plunged into despair never before known.
But a beast has overtaken the castle. A beast that killed the prince and holds the castle and kingdom captive in his cruel power. A beast Ro has been hired to kill.

Thankful the mystery of the prince’s disappearance has been solved, furious the magical creature has killed her hero, Ro eagerly accepts the job to end him.

But things are not as they seem.

Trapped in the castle, a prisoner alongside the beast, Ro wonders what she should fear most: the beast, the magic that holds them both captive, or the one who hired her to kill the beast.

A Beauty and the Beast retelling.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney cartoon. Maybe because of the ability for Belle to see past the beast and see into his heart. Maybe because of the catchy music. Maybe because of the love story. But probably because of the massive library the beast gives to Belle. What bookworm doesn't dream and envy Belle for having access to that massive library? In Michele Israel's Harper's first novel in her Beast Hunters' series, Kill the Beast, she took me for a ride back to the familiar story, but with a twist. A twist I really enjoyed.

The writing is clear and concise. I really enjoy how the story is told from Ro's perspective for majority of the story. I learned her inner struggle and felt her external and internal pain. She brought Ro to life with her ability to dive into her mind. Also, the setting of this hidden and enchanted castle sprung to life on the pages. It was definitely a weird castle with many twists and turns. Ro barely ever visited the same place in the castle twice.

What happened to Belle while she hung out in the castle? That is exactly, in my honest opinion, what Harper does with Kill the Beast. She explains and shows what kept Ro there. What happened to Ro while she was there? She dug deep into the background of the curse and gave valid reasons for why the town didn't remember this castle being there. She showed the past of how the curse happened in a unique and different way. The story also ended in a twist I didn't see coming. I really enjoyed this story. Harper's writing style and the story itself kept me spellbound. I had a hard time putting it down. I took it shopping with me and while my husband went into the store, I read in the car.

The characters of Ro, Cosette, and the beast were unique and strong. Ro is a strong, yet determined heroine planning to support her sister by killing the beast. Her entire reasoning for hunting is to provide a better life for her little sister. I admire her ability to think of others over herself. Cosette is a pawn in a web of lies. I feel bad for her. The Beast was a selfish man who needed to think of others instead of himself. Through most of the novel, he is caught in the curse, so he has a hard time remembering anything. Hopefully, he catches for the better for the rest of his life, not just to end the curse.

Overall, Kill the Beast is a fascinating tale with enduring characters. Harper wrapped me in an enchantment as I spent two days lost in the castle roaming the world and learning about the curse with Ro. I believe this is one of my favorite books of the year. I anxiously await book two in the series. Fans of Melanie Dickerson's fairy tales should go out and purchase this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Kill the Beast by Michele Israel  from Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

About the Author:

From Amazon

Michele Israel Harper is an addict. To books, to writing--if it includes ink and paper, she's all over it. When she found out she could write books instead of simply read them...well, let's just say she's rarely been seen outside of her office since.

She adores her writer's group, the Heartland Christian Writers, and has no idea what she would do without the American Christian Fiction Writers. Being voted treasurer for her local Indiana Chapter of ACFW just about sent her into a happy coma. Which, you know, she's very much familiar with since that happens at the end of every good book she reads.

Visit her website at www.MicheleIsraelHarper.com if you want to know more about her! (Taken from Amazon.)

Wisdom and Folly: Michele Israel Harper

By Kelly Bridgewater

Today, I have an extra special treat for you. My friend and fellow Indiana ACFW member, Michelle Israel Harper, (Hi Michelle!!!) just released her first book Wisdom and Folly, and I wanted to share this story with you. It is a great book! So here is my thoughts on Part 1. I will do a similar review on Part II after I read it, so come back later. Okay.

Synopsis (From Amazon):

Wisdom. She may have crafted the worlds by the Maker’s design, she may have been by His side since the beginning, but her heart aches. Her sister is gone. Defected, to a group of rebels who loathe their Creator with every fiber in their beings, who plot His downfall. Her new assignment? Fight them. Defeat them. But how can she fight her sister, when all she wants to do is bring her home?

Folly. Fury seethes within her. Jealous of the attention the Maker lavished on her sister, she turned to a new master and became his favorite. Or so she thought. Determined to prove herself, to become invaluable, she realizes destroying her sister just may be the key to Lucifer’s heart. Her plan? Engage Wisdom. Distract her, defeat her. If only there wasn’t the minor detail she wasn’t counting on. Missing her sister.

My Thoughts:

From Amazon

I have read John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost while in graduate school. It was a nice change from all the other stories I had to read in school. The poem is about the angels: Satan, the fallen angels, and the good angels, and their perspective on the new human race that God had created on planet Earth. It shows the fall of Satan and how he persuaded Adam and Eve to take a bite from the forbidden tree.

Michele Israel Harper in her debut novel, Wisdom and Folly: Sisters Part I, created a similar story but with a twist. The twist is having the story centers around two girl angels who happen to be sisters named Wisdom and Folly. While Folly wants to follow Satan, Wisdom doesn’t understand her sister’s desire to ignore the Lord. The story tells important Bible stories like David, Solomon, and Noah. Harper allows us to see the stories from a fresh and new perspective.  There are even hints of future Biblical events that I know are going to happen. Harper does a great job at inviting me into the description of hell and Heaven. I really feel like she did her research and made both places come to life for me. There were even some moments of me cringing as she described some of the fallen people in Hell.  Harper really allowed me to understand by allowing me to climb into Wisdom and Folly’s skin. I felt their struggle as they hurt and were happy.

Fans of Biblical fiction, angel stories, or a well-written story will want to pick this up. I anxiously await Part II because I want to see what happens to Folly and Wisdom and how far through the Bible does Harper take her story. Wisdom and Folly is definitely a great book written by a debut author, but she held my attention the whole time while I anxiously turned the pages.

I received a complimentary copy of Wisdom and Folly from Michele and the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Wisdom and Folly

A little bit about Michele:

From Michele's Amazon Author Page

Michele Israel Harper is an addict. To books, to writing--if it includes ink and paper, she's all over it. When she found out she could write books instead of simply read them...well, let's just say she's rarely been seen outside of her office since.

She adores her writer's group, the Heartland Christian Writers, and has no idea what she would do without the American Christian Fiction Writers. Being voted treasurer for her local Indiana Chapter of ACFW just about sent her into a happy coma. Which, you know, she's very much familiar with since that happens at the end of every good book she reads.

Visit her website at www.MicheleIsraelHarper.com if you want to know more about her!