Marc Royce: A Strong Man of Action with a Tender Side
By Nona King, Word Obsession
I love strong men of action who are not ashamed of the tender sides of their nature. In Marc Royce, the hero of Rare Earth, I found the best of both worlds. In fact, he reminded me of my husband of six years (fellow writer, 82nd airborne infantry, navy cryptographer, regional safety manager).
Marc Royce is a tantalizing balance of action, courage, tenderness, faith, and honor. While the story of Rare Earth had me by the scruff and dragged me along in its wake, I relished the character development of Marc and being welcomed to watch his growth and healing.
The book was set in Africa, Israel, and Nairobi and never once did I feel confusion about where we were in the story or where we were going. The descriptions were wonderfully crafted, simple, and so delightfully easy to imagine, even though I had never been there (laughs as she hears her husband “la la la-ing” upstairs while grabbing his coffee). That is one thing I love about Davis Bunn’s writing style, his adept handling of descriptions.
His character development is another favorite, as it is my favorite aspect of the writing journey.
My only frown with the story came at the end, but it left me hoping and praying for another episode of the Marc Royce adventure. In fact, it has made me put Lion of Babylon on my Nookcolor wishlist, always a precious instance when you can find a favorite author!
Overall rating: 4.5 stars out of 5, if not for that disappointing ending, I would have given it a 5!
Would I read it again: Yes!
Would I recommend it to others: Definitely!
This review was originally published on Nona’s blog, Word Obsession. Reprinted with permission from the author.
