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Legends of Lanaria #2
The Healer of the Brigade
A mysterious healer and an injured soldier, both caught in the crossfire of war.
Aurelie was exiled to Absricht at a young age, cast away by a father who swore she was cursed. Now, with no one to trust but herself, her life is thrown into upheaval when war approaches. But Aurelie knew the war would come.
Word of Princess Evangeline’s return has swept the globe, and a mysterious enemy soon emerges, bent on conquering Lanaria and its surrounding nations. Horace is the first to board the warship sent to aid Absricht, determined to find out why the little country landed in the crosshairs so soon.
When Horace arrives injured at Aurelie’s doorstep, she has a decision to make. Does she hold the key that will end the war? How many secrets will she need to sacrifice in the process? Meanwhile, Horace is quickly flung into deeper waters as he realizes there is more than meets the eye behind the war: as both prophecies and traitors emerge surrounding Lanarian soil, will he unravel the enigma in time?
Aurelie was exiled to Absricht at a young age, cast away by a father who swore she was cursed. Now, with no one to trust but herself, her life is thrown into upheaval when war approaches. But Aurelie knew the war would come.
Word of Princess Evangeline’s return has swept the globe, and a mysterious enemy soon emerges, bent on conquering Lanaria and its surrounding nations. Horace is the first to board the warship sent to aid Absricht, determined to find out why the little country landed in the crosshairs so soon.
When Horace arrives injured at Aurelie’s doorstep, she has a decision to make. Does she hold the key that will end the war? How many secrets will she need to sacrifice in the process? Meanwhile, Horace is quickly flung into deeper waters as he realizes there is more than meets the eye behind the war: as both prophecies and traitors emerge surrounding Lanarian soil, will he unravel the enigma in time?
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 23, 2023
About the author
Michaela Bush
57 books127 followersMichaela Bush is an independent writer of Christian fiction. She graduated from Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 2019 with a degree in English and minor in Psychology. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and when she isn't writing, freelancing, or building her own editing business, she's out with her horses or playing violin. Writing has been her calling from a young age and she hopes to touch lives and inspire readers with clean, thoughtful, and impactful novels. Follow her blog at www.tangledupinwriting.com.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 25, 2023
4 stars, personally ⭐️
About this book:
“A mysterious healer and an injured soldier, both caught in the crossfire of war.
Aurelie was exiled to Absricht at a young age, cast away by a father who swore she was cursed. Now, with no one to trust but herself, her life is thrown into upheaval when war approaches. But Aurelie knew the war would come.
Word of Princess Evangeline’s return has swept the globe, and a mysterious enemy soon emerges, bent on conquering Lanaria and its surrounding nations. Horace is the first to board the warship sent to aid Absricht, determined to find out why the little country landed in the crosshairs so soon.
When Horace arrives injured at Aurelie’s doorstep, she has a decision to make. Does she hold the key that will end the war? How many secrets will she need to sacrifice in the process? Meanwhile, Horace is quickly flung into deeper waters as he realizes there is more than meets the eye behind the war: as both prophecies and traitors emerge surrounding Lanarian soil, will he unravel the enigma in time?”
Series: Book #2 in the “Legends of Lanaria”. Review of Book #1, Here!
Spiritual Content- Psalm 18:2 & Acts 5:12 & 14 at the beginning; Scriptures are mentioned, quoted, discussed, & thought over; Many Prayers; Witnessing & Being witnessed to; Many talks about God, gifts, blessings, those and events in the Bible, & being saved by Christ; Most 'H's are capital when referring to God; God talks to Aurelie remembering her about her gift that she’s scared to use because of being branded as a witch (her doubt about it being given to someone like her who was “born from evil” and her thinking that she’s able to “heal within God’s will. But since it was clear her own healing was not is His will…how could she trust God with what she did for others?” A couple others talk to her about her gift and she has to think about it; *Spoiler* ); Aurelie explains to someone that “everyone in the world was blessed by God; all were given spiritual gifts that had to be uncovered with time and deeper communion with the Holy Father; it was simply that so many smothered their gifts for fear, confusion, or concerns of rejection…as she had.”; Horace is positive that his God does not curse innocent people and tells Aurelie that “You can’t be cursed with evil and saved by Christ at the same time”; Horace wonders when he speaks Scriptures out loud if the witches will start shrieking and he’ll be able to arrest them; All about many mentions of God, His will, having peace, doubt, a prophecy, & Spiritual Gifts (foresight and healing, called blessings); Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & praising God; Mentions of churches & priests; Mentions of blessings; Mentions of miracles & witnessing miracles; Mention of Bibles, Bible reading, and those & events in the Bible; Mentions of sins; A few mentions of Heaven; A mention of missionaries;
*Note: Witches and their magick are completely viewed as wrong by our main characters; Because of her infirmity, Aurelie has been subject a lot of prejudice and hatred from people believing she is cursed or the product of her parents’ sins; Aurelie is afraid to use her gift because of possibly being viewed as a witch and Horace says that he doesn’t “see a girl who’s been cursed. I see someone who has been hurt by a large heaping share of prejudice and lies. If you are a child of God, you are not able to be cursed. His blood protects you.” (this is discussed and thought over again); All about many mentions of curses, cursing, witches, magicks/witchcraft, people who are driven by darkness/Satan, & evil; Many mentions of villagers calling Aurelie and her mother cursed because of Aurelie’s injury (it’s said that “the villagers decided a child born with such infirmity was claimed by darkness, cursed by their parents’ sins, a creature to be avoided at all costs”); Mentions of evil and darkness having no power unless someone gives themself to it; Mentions of gods & other religions; Mentions of pagans & pagan symbols; Mentions of evil & bitterness reigning in evil-doers hearts, not God; Mentions of superstitions; Mentions of those who worship more than one god; A couple mentions of items for item & false idols; A couple mentions of druids and faes; A couple mentions of a family worshiping anything and calling it “hedging their eternities”; A mention of fighting the grim reaper.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘bloody’, a form of ‘idiot’, two ‘drat’s, seven ‘stupid’s, nine forms of ‘shut it/hush it/’shut up’ and “get your tail out of here” is said once; Some eye rolling & sarcasm; Being attacked/beaten, pain, passing out, injuries, being close to death, & blood/bleeding (semi-detailed); PTSD & Nightmares of past events (Aurelie, of seeing her mother captured and executed, being harassed, and facing ugliness from others, up to semi-detailed); Because of the prejudice towards Aurelie’s condition and others believing she or her mother was cursed, her mother was executed & then Aurelie’s father abandoned her (up to semi-detailed); All about many mentions of wars, fighting, fights/battles, deaths, bodies, weapons, injuries, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of deaths & poison; Mentions of executions & hangings; Mentions of beatings & past injuries (including Aurelie being beaten and slapped by others because of her leg, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of threats & a possible assassination; Mentions of a huntsman & him slapping a witch he caught; Mentions of nightmares; Many mentions of lies & lying (Aurelie has been lied to over the years about her leg and it being a curse); Mentions of rumors, gossip, & eavesdropping; A few mentions of a kidnapping (Book #1); A few mentions of someone scheming to murder someone who did them wrong; A few mentions of witches lacing their blades with poison or human remains; A few mentions of cannibals & them eating the hearts of their enemies (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of vomiting; A couple mentions of liquor (for medicinal purposes); A couple mentions of manure; A mention of a bully; A mention of someone who disposes dead or unwanted animals;
*Note: Aurelie has faced a lot of prejudice and meanness from villagers because of her leg, because of this, she comes across as bitter and feels like a burden (she says a few hurtful things to others because of her own hurt); A mention of Aurelie’s mother being pregnant when she was murdered.
Sexual Content- Three hand kisses, two cheek kisses, a forehead kiss, and barely-above-not-detailed kiss; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Aurelie was conceived out of wedlock when her mother was assaulted (her mother was forced to marry the abusive man and Aurelie does not like soldiers because of him ruining her mother’s life); Mentions of an abusive husband and father (Aurelie’s biological father); A few mentions of reputations; A few mentions of scandalous skin showing & modesty; A couple mentions of crushes & puppy eyes; A mention of the kindest thing soldiers would do to Aurelie would be to ravage her cottage; A mention of there being horrid reports of what soldiers do to women found alone; A mention of the enemy pillaging a village for food, supplies, and women; A mention of a young teen boy having experience with girls; Love, falling in love, & the emotions.
-Aurelie, age 18
-Horace
P.O.V. switches between them
Medieval/Non-Magical Fantasy
300 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Two Stars
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
While I was super excited to read this sequel to a book I really enjoyed, I did struggle a lot getting into this one. It’s been two years since the end of the prior book and a war is now happening, so I did feel a pretty confused, trying to figure out what was going on. Because of that and Aurelie’s character, it took me a while to get into this book.
This was interesting to read, because it’s from the point of view of a girl who isn’t from the same country as Eva is from in the first book, their countries are neighbors and fighting against a common enemy in a war currently—but Aurelie has her own reasons to hate what is going on in her life. She had a completely different outlook on life compared to Eva despite having some things in common, which I liked seeing that difference. I do wish we could have seen Eva & Gabe more in this one, though!
Aurelie is bitter and understandably so. It took about halfway for me to get into this story though because of it. But once we got to the healing of her heart and the heart of the story, I really enjoyed it. It can be a touchy topic on Spiritual Gifts, but I think the author showed it well and shows her passion for the topic after experiencing a miraculous healing herself.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
About this book:
“A mysterious healer and an injured soldier, both caught in the crossfire of war.
Aurelie was exiled to Absricht at a young age, cast away by a father who swore she was cursed. Now, with no one to trust but herself, her life is thrown into upheaval when war approaches. But Aurelie knew the war would come.
Word of Princess Evangeline’s return has swept the globe, and a mysterious enemy soon emerges, bent on conquering Lanaria and its surrounding nations. Horace is the first to board the warship sent to aid Absricht, determined to find out why the little country landed in the crosshairs so soon.
When Horace arrives injured at Aurelie’s doorstep, she has a decision to make. Does she hold the key that will end the war? How many secrets will she need to sacrifice in the process? Meanwhile, Horace is quickly flung into deeper waters as he realizes there is more than meets the eye behind the war: as both prophecies and traitors emerge surrounding Lanarian soil, will he unravel the enigma in time?”
Series: Book #2 in the “Legends of Lanaria”. Review of Book #1, Here!
Spiritual Content- Psalm 18:2 & Acts 5:12 & 14 at the beginning; Scriptures are mentioned, quoted, discussed, & thought over; Many Prayers; Witnessing & Being witnessed to; Many talks about God, gifts, blessings, those and events in the Bible, & being saved by Christ; Most 'H's are capital when referring to God; God talks to Aurelie remembering her about her gift that she’s scared to use because of being branded as a witch (her doubt about it being given to someone like her who was “born from evil” and her thinking that she’s able to “heal within God’s will. But since it was clear her own healing was not is His will…how could she trust God with what she did for others?” A couple others talk to her about her gift and she has to think about it; *Spoiler* ); Aurelie explains to someone that “everyone in the world was blessed by God; all were given spiritual gifts that had to be uncovered with time and deeper communion with the Holy Father; it was simply that so many smothered their gifts for fear, confusion, or concerns of rejection…as she had.”; Horace is positive that his God does not curse innocent people and tells Aurelie that “You can’t be cursed with evil and saved by Christ at the same time”; Horace wonders when he speaks Scriptures out loud if the witches will start shrieking and he’ll be able to arrest them; All about many mentions of God, His will, having peace, doubt, a prophecy, & Spiritual Gifts (foresight and healing, called blessings); Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & praising God; Mentions of churches & priests; Mentions of blessings; Mentions of miracles & witnessing miracles; Mention of Bibles, Bible reading, and those & events in the Bible; Mentions of sins; A few mentions of Heaven; A mention of missionaries;
*Note: Witches and their magick are completely viewed as wrong by our main characters; Because of her infirmity, Aurelie has been subject a lot of prejudice and hatred from people believing she is cursed or the product of her parents’ sins; Aurelie is afraid to use her gift because of possibly being viewed as a witch and Horace says that he doesn’t “see a girl who’s been cursed. I see someone who has been hurt by a large heaping share of prejudice and lies. If you are a child of God, you are not able to be cursed. His blood protects you.” (this is discussed and thought over again); All about many mentions of curses, cursing, witches, magicks/witchcraft, people who are driven by darkness/Satan, & evil; Many mentions of villagers calling Aurelie and her mother cursed because of Aurelie’s injury (it’s said that “the villagers decided a child born with such infirmity was claimed by darkness, cursed by their parents’ sins, a creature to be avoided at all costs”); Mentions of evil and darkness having no power unless someone gives themself to it; Mentions of gods & other religions; Mentions of pagans & pagan symbols; Mentions of evil & bitterness reigning in evil-doers hearts, not God; Mentions of superstitions; Mentions of those who worship more than one god; A couple mentions of items for item & false idols; A couple mentions of druids and faes; A couple mentions of a family worshiping anything and calling it “hedging their eternities”; A mention of fighting the grim reaper.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘bloody’, a form of ‘idiot’, two ‘drat’s, seven ‘stupid’s, nine forms of ‘shut it/hush it/’shut up’ and “get your tail out of here” is said once; Some eye rolling & sarcasm; Being attacked/beaten, pain, passing out, injuries, being close to death, & blood/bleeding (semi-detailed); PTSD & Nightmares of past events (Aurelie, of seeing her mother captured and executed, being harassed, and facing ugliness from others, up to semi-detailed); Because of the prejudice towards Aurelie’s condition and others believing she or her mother was cursed, her mother was executed & then Aurelie’s father abandoned her (up to semi-detailed); All about many mentions of wars, fighting, fights/battles, deaths, bodies, weapons, injuries, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of deaths & poison; Mentions of executions & hangings; Mentions of beatings & past injuries (including Aurelie being beaten and slapped by others because of her leg, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of threats & a possible assassination; Mentions of a huntsman & him slapping a witch he caught; Mentions of nightmares; Many mentions of lies & lying (Aurelie has been lied to over the years about her leg and it being a curse); Mentions of rumors, gossip, & eavesdropping; A few mentions of a kidnapping (Book #1); A few mentions of someone scheming to murder someone who did them wrong; A few mentions of witches lacing their blades with poison or human remains; A few mentions of cannibals & them eating the hearts of their enemies (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of vomiting; A couple mentions of liquor (for medicinal purposes); A couple mentions of manure; A mention of a bully; A mention of someone who disposes dead or unwanted animals;
*Note: Aurelie has faced a lot of prejudice and meanness from villagers because of her leg, because of this, she comes across as bitter and feels like a burden (she says a few hurtful things to others because of her own hurt); A mention of Aurelie’s mother being pregnant when she was murdered.
Sexual Content- Three hand kisses, two cheek kisses, a forehead kiss, and barely-above-not-detailed kiss; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Aurelie was conceived out of wedlock when her mother was assaulted (her mother was forced to marry the abusive man and Aurelie does not like soldiers because of him ruining her mother’s life); Mentions of an abusive husband and father (Aurelie’s biological father); A few mentions of reputations; A few mentions of scandalous skin showing & modesty; A couple mentions of crushes & puppy eyes; A mention of the kindest thing soldiers would do to Aurelie would be to ravage her cottage; A mention of there being horrid reports of what soldiers do to women found alone; A mention of the enemy pillaging a village for food, supplies, and women; A mention of a young teen boy having experience with girls; Love, falling in love, & the emotions.
-Aurelie, age 18
-Horace
P.O.V. switches between them
Medieval/Non-Magical Fantasy
300 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Two Stars
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
While I was super excited to read this sequel to a book I really enjoyed, I did struggle a lot getting into this one. It’s been two years since the end of the prior book and a war is now happening, so I did feel a pretty confused, trying to figure out what was going on. Because of that and Aurelie’s character, it took me a while to get into this book.
This was interesting to read, because it’s from the point of view of a girl who isn’t from the same country as Eva is from in the first book, their countries are neighbors and fighting against a common enemy in a war currently—but Aurelie has her own reasons to hate what is going on in her life. She had a completely different outlook on life compared to Eva despite having some things in common, which I liked seeing that difference. I do wish we could have seen Eva & Gabe more in this one, though!
Aurelie is bitter and understandably so. It took about halfway for me to get into this story though because of it. But once we got to the healing of her heart and the heart of the story, I really enjoyed it. It can be a touchy topic on Spiritual Gifts, but I think the author showed it well and shows her passion for the topic after experiencing a miraculous healing herself.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
September 30, 2025
3 stars. I really wanted to love this one but I didn't like this very much. The contents of the story felt really promising, but it fell short in a number of ways for me.
I really loved Horace but I could not understand why he liked our FMC so much and the whole romance felt very forced. If Aurelie wasn’t the main character, I don’t understand why Horace would be in love with her. I didn’t get their connection personally. I just want Horace to be his own person and for most of the story his whole character is being there for Aurelie to help her have her breakthrough moment.
I had a really hard time with Aurelie’s character. For such a big chunk of the book, she’s so bitter and struggling to accept herself and God’s gift and then she has one conversation with Robby and just does a complete 180 which felt very jarring. Aurelie had this heaviness of anger around her for like half the book and it just like evaporates as the story goes on which didn't feel realistic.
I also had a hard time with how her healing ability was handled. As someone who deals with chronic illness, I don’t feel like this was treated with the same nuance and care that I would’ve appreciated. It was a hard read for someone who has wished for a miraculous healing but who has not been granted one. This could very easily be a personal thing, but I have seen the trope of injured but can heal others done expertly, and in a way that I could relate to, and this just fell short in a lot of ways for me. Aurelie for most of the story went between the two emotions of "I'm cursed and imperfect" and Horace disagreed. I really would have appreciated if there had been time for Aurelie to have more nuance emotions about her healing ability and her own chronic illness. It felt like the author was trying to make Aurelie more honorable/likeable by like not having her get upset at their life circumstances and not have them like be honest with God about how she's feeling and have her get over her life struggles in a moment and that just rubbed me the wrong way.
The Faith content also felt very preachy to me. It felt forced in a lot of ways and it was a bit jarring to have the Bible and different things like that mentioned in a fantasy book.
Overall, I really wanted to like this, but it fell flat for me. I struggle writing reviews that aren’t super positive, but I wanted to share how I felt about the book.
I really loved Horace but I could not understand why he liked our FMC so much and the whole romance felt very forced. If Aurelie wasn’t the main character, I don’t understand why Horace would be in love with her. I didn’t get their connection personally. I just want Horace to be his own person and for most of the story his whole character is being there for Aurelie to help her have her breakthrough moment.
I had a really hard time with Aurelie’s character. For such a big chunk of the book, she’s so bitter and struggling to accept herself and God’s gift and then she has one conversation with Robby and just does a complete 180 which felt very jarring. Aurelie had this heaviness of anger around her for like half the book and it just like evaporates as the story goes on which didn't feel realistic.
I also had a hard time with how her healing ability was handled. As someone who deals with chronic illness, I don’t feel like this was treated with the same nuance and care that I would’ve appreciated. It was a hard read for someone who has wished for a miraculous healing but who has not been granted one. This could very easily be a personal thing, but I have seen the trope of injured but can heal others done expertly, and in a way that I could relate to, and this just fell short in a lot of ways for me. Aurelie for most of the story went between the two emotions of "I'm cursed and imperfect" and Horace disagreed. I really would have appreciated if there had been time for Aurelie to have more nuance emotions about her healing ability and her own chronic illness. It felt like the author was trying to make Aurelie more honorable/likeable by like not having her get upset at their life circumstances and not have them like be honest with God about how she's feeling and have her get over her life struggles in a moment and that just rubbed me the wrong way.
The Faith content also felt very preachy to me. It felt forced in a lot of ways and it was a bit jarring to have the Bible and different things like that mentioned in a fantasy book.
Overall, I really wanted to like this, but it fell flat for me. I struggle writing reviews that aren’t super positive, but I wanted to share how I felt about the book.
April 21, 2023
4.5 stars!
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher/author. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
A quick, intriguing fantasy read!
I jumped into The Healer of the Brigade knowing it was the second in the Legends of Lanaria series (and not having read the first book). Despite this, there were plenty of details and backstory interspersed throughout to keep me from getting lost.
Aurelie and Horace were great main characters. Both had struggles and strengths that deepened the plot, and I enjoyed "seeing" them get to know each other. The romance that devoloped between them was sweet and clean.
Plenty of twists, turns, and moments of action moved the plot right along. Some of the plot elements definitely were on the Charismatic side of things. I knew that would be the case going into this book, so it didn't bother me even though I'm not Charismatic.
There were mentions of witches and their magic, but none of that was ever presented in detail or portrayed as anything but the evil that it is.
I enjoyed Michaela Bush's descriptive yet clear writing style and look forward to reading the next book in the series! Overall, The Healer of the Brigade was an entertaining read that I'd recommend to those who love Christian fiction and fantasy novels.
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher/author. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
A quick, intriguing fantasy read!
I jumped into The Healer of the Brigade knowing it was the second in the Legends of Lanaria series (and not having read the first book). Despite this, there were plenty of details and backstory interspersed throughout to keep me from getting lost.
Aurelie and Horace were great main characters. Both had struggles and strengths that deepened the plot, and I enjoyed "seeing" them get to know each other. The romance that devoloped between them was sweet and clean.
Plenty of twists, turns, and moments of action moved the plot right along. Some of the plot elements definitely were on the Charismatic side of things. I knew that would be the case going into this book, so it didn't bother me even though I'm not Charismatic.
There were mentions of witches and their magic, but none of that was ever presented in detail or portrayed as anything but the evil that it is.
I enjoyed Michaela Bush's descriptive yet clear writing style and look forward to reading the next book in the series! Overall, The Healer of the Brigade was an entertaining read that I'd recommend to those who love Christian fiction and fantasy novels.
May 11, 2023
Such a beautiful and powerful story that is the perfect sequel to The Lady of Lanaria, one of my all time favorite books!
Aurelie is a rough character and it took me a bit to warm up to her, but once I did I loved her and how she rose up from her own “grave” so to speak to be the woman and healer God had called her to be. I’m also so glad Horace got the spotlight as our hero as I liked him TLOL and was very happy to get to know him better in this book. Robby was so fun (and I hope we see more of him in another book!) and Stumps is the best horse ever and I’m so happy the author added in an “animal sidekick” to the story. And seeing Eva and Gabe again was such a treat. 🥰
The twist of the typical fantasy prophesy trope in it being ripped up and scattered everywhere is so cool! (Wish I had thought of that…) And while I missed some parts about the war and such (my eARC copy was giving me some…issues which made it hard to focus sometimes) and other more deeper thoughts I would have loved the linger over, I loved the overall message and plot and will be sure to pick up on them clearer when I reread my paperback copy. ☺️
In addition to all the above I also loved the focus on healing and accepting God’s will and the gifts He’s given us and how powerful spiritual gifts are and just what we’re capable of doing and seeing in His name. The spiritual gifts was one of my favorite parts as they fit in fantasy so well yet also bring to light the true strength and light we have through God to do the same things in real life. It took guts for the author to write about this and I applaud her for it!
If you like non magical fantasy with a powerful faith message, are curious about a bold delivery of God’s true spiritual power He uses through us, and love amazing characters I would HIGHLY recommend this beautiful book!
‼️Content‼️
Language: bloody; wench
Violence: fighting with weapons (not detailed); a character’s mother was tied up in a boat that was set on fire, killing her (not detailed); war and war violence (detailed enough to show the horror of war but not enough to be gruesome); a character is beaten; injuries and blood (not detailed); mention of hearts being cut out of soldiers’ chests and eaten by humans (not shown); characters are attacked more than once
Sexual: a character’s mother was assaulted and forced to marry the man who did it (only mentioned never shown); kissing (not detailed)
Other: witches and dark arts (not in a good light); a crippled character is called a curse; a character was abandoned; some characters are gifted with the power to heal and have foresight by God; people in a certain country worship lots of false gods and idols
****Note: I received a free copy of the book from the author/publisher. All thoughts and opinions are most assuredly my own, and I wasn’t required to write a positive review. If I was, I wouldn’t have read it. 😜****
Aurelie is a rough character and it took me a bit to warm up to her, but once I did I loved her and how she rose up from her own “grave” so to speak to be the woman and healer God had called her to be. I’m also so glad Horace got the spotlight as our hero as I liked him TLOL and was very happy to get to know him better in this book. Robby was so fun (and I hope we see more of him in another book!) and Stumps is the best horse ever and I’m so happy the author added in an “animal sidekick” to the story. And seeing Eva and Gabe again was such a treat. 🥰
The twist of the typical fantasy prophesy trope in it being ripped up and scattered everywhere is so cool! (Wish I had thought of that…) And while I missed some parts about the war and such (my eARC copy was giving me some…issues which made it hard to focus sometimes) and other more deeper thoughts I would have loved the linger over, I loved the overall message and plot and will be sure to pick up on them clearer when I reread my paperback copy. ☺️
In addition to all the above I also loved the focus on healing and accepting God’s will and the gifts He’s given us and how powerful spiritual gifts are and just what we’re capable of doing and seeing in His name. The spiritual gifts was one of my favorite parts as they fit in fantasy so well yet also bring to light the true strength and light we have through God to do the same things in real life. It took guts for the author to write about this and I applaud her for it!
If you like non magical fantasy with a powerful faith message, are curious about a bold delivery of God’s true spiritual power He uses through us, and love amazing characters I would HIGHLY recommend this beautiful book!
‼️Content‼️
Language: bloody; wench
Violence: fighting with weapons (not detailed); a character’s mother was tied up in a boat that was set on fire, killing her (not detailed); war and war violence (detailed enough to show the horror of war but not enough to be gruesome); a character is beaten; injuries and blood (not detailed); mention of hearts being cut out of soldiers’ chests and eaten by humans (not shown); characters are attacked more than once
Sexual: a character’s mother was assaulted and forced to marry the man who did it (only mentioned never shown); kissing (not detailed)
Other: witches and dark arts (not in a good light); a crippled character is called a curse; a character was abandoned; some characters are gifted with the power to heal and have foresight by God; people in a certain country worship lots of false gods and idols
****Note: I received a free copy of the book from the author/publisher. All thoughts and opinions are most assuredly my own, and I wasn’t required to write a positive review. If I was, I wouldn’t have read it. 😜****
May 17, 2024
Wow! What an interesting book. First off, I loved it a lot. Second, I LOVE this cover. So beautiful!
Aurelie is such a strong character. She had so much to go through, yet she had faith. She trusted God even when she didn’t know what to do. Horace was just sarcastic. Hilarious and caring, yes. But also funny and kind. Robby and Stumps made great side characters.
Now, personally, there were some theological differences I disagree with, but I will take that over worldly books. I agree with parts of the author’s message, and I am glad it isn’t forceful. Still a sweet read with God shining though!
Content: very minor romance content, light violence, mentions of witches and dark powers (looked on as wrong and recognized as something from devil, but goes as far as God allows), literal spiritual gifts
Aurelie is such a strong character. She had so much to go through, yet she had faith. She trusted God even when she didn’t know what to do. Horace was just sarcastic. Hilarious and caring, yes. But also funny and kind. Robby and Stumps made great side characters.
Now, personally, there were some theological differences I disagree with, but I will take that over worldly books. I agree with parts of the author’s message, and I am glad it isn’t forceful. Still a sweet read with God shining though!
Content: very minor romance content, light violence, mentions of witches and dark powers (looked on as wrong and recognized as something from devil, but goes as far as God allows), literal spiritual gifts
September 30, 2025
3.5 RTC
June 30, 2023
If God has given you a gift, you should use it. But what if his gift is perceived as a curse? What if his gift causes you to be ostracized from society?
Michaela explores the answers to these questions with the character Auraelie. She has a great gift, but the abuse of her people causes her to become a hermit and live in fear. It's not until Horace and his boyish sidekick, Rudy, come into her life, that everything changes.
I absolutely loved this novel. Auraelie and Howard were well developed, flawed, and their character growth was realistic. I love how Michaela has a Holy Spirit influence in this story and how her characters have to wrestle with listening to God's voice. I also really liked Rudy, whose boyish influence made the story more fun and brought levity as needed. The plot is also complex, and even though some of it is resolved in this book, there's definitely threads that are going to be explored in the sequel. As for the world building, I understood the basics of two nations separated in beliefs. However, I think I would have liked more to distinguish them beyond beliefs, such as a difference in clothing or custom. That being said, it is such a minor thing that it didn't make the story any less enjoyable. I eagerly anticipate the next book!
P.S. You should definitely read the author's note. It's a beautiful witness to the Lord.
Michaela explores the answers to these questions with the character Auraelie. She has a great gift, but the abuse of her people causes her to become a hermit and live in fear. It's not until Horace and his boyish sidekick, Rudy, come into her life, that everything changes.
I absolutely loved this novel. Auraelie and Howard were well developed, flawed, and their character growth was realistic. I love how Michaela has a Holy Spirit influence in this story and how her characters have to wrestle with listening to God's voice. I also really liked Rudy, whose boyish influence made the story more fun and brought levity as needed. The plot is also complex, and even though some of it is resolved in this book, there's definitely threads that are going to be explored in the sequel. As for the world building, I understood the basics of two nations separated in beliefs. However, I think I would have liked more to distinguish them beyond beliefs, such as a difference in clothing or custom. That being said, it is such a minor thing that it didn't make the story any less enjoyable. I eagerly anticipate the next book!
P.S. You should definitely read the author's note. It's a beautiful witness to the Lord.
July 11, 2025
While I didn’t enjoy this book quite so much as The Lady of Lanaria, The Healer of the Brigade is another sweet, Christ-centered romance that follows Horace in Absricht with a whole new cast of characters.
I liked Horace, and Robby was a fun addition, although his mission felt rather ill-described, and it just… it didn’t seem like a very militant military operation, if that makes any sense. They spent a lot of time just wandering, which obviously was what was necessary to the plot, but it seemed they should have had a better sense of direction.
Aurelie was very similar to Eva, but SO bitter and struggling to accept herself and God’s gifts to her. I definitely had a difficult time with her character at the beginning, which made it tricky to really get into the book… it took me a while to get through this one. Also, I haven’t read the first book in a minute, so I didn’t have any great attachment to Horace coming off of his role there, so that could have contributed.
The faith content was beautiful and written with such care and tenderness, and I loved watching Aurelie and Horace’s relationship blossom, but goodness, it took so long to get to that part, and then finally we did, and then it was over!
That said, I’m looking forward to the rest of the series and seeing where Aurelie’s mother’s prophecy leads!
I read this book of my own free will, courtesy of my local library, and all the above thoughts are entirely my own. 😊
I liked Horace, and Robby was a fun addition, although his mission felt rather ill-described, and it just… it didn’t seem like a very militant military operation, if that makes any sense. They spent a lot of time just wandering, which obviously was what was necessary to the plot, but it seemed they should have had a better sense of direction.
Aurelie was very similar to Eva, but SO bitter and struggling to accept herself and God’s gifts to her. I definitely had a difficult time with her character at the beginning, which made it tricky to really get into the book… it took me a while to get through this one. Also, I haven’t read the first book in a minute, so I didn’t have any great attachment to Horace coming off of his role there, so that could have contributed.
The faith content was beautiful and written with such care and tenderness, and I loved watching Aurelie and Horace’s relationship blossom, but goodness, it took so long to get to that part, and then finally we did, and then it was over!
That said, I’m looking forward to the rest of the series and seeing where Aurelie’s mother’s prophecy leads!
I read this book of my own free will, courtesy of my local library, and all the above thoughts are entirely my own. 😊
January 17, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
This was so sweet!! I really am not sure which book I enjoyed more, the first book or the second book!
Aurelie was such a cool character! I really loved that when she used her healing gift, she always gave the credit to God. I think it’s very difficult to write a healing gift that remains Biblical even when it’s not in a Biblical setting.
Horace also was great. The way he cared for Aurelie and slowly came to love her melted my heart 🥹
And this reminded me of the first book in that Horace took great care to be gentle with Aurelie because of all she had been through, which was very similar to Gabe and Evangeline’s relationship in the first book!
And Robby!! Wow he might be my favorite character. He was so funny and he showed such wisdom for his age. I think he brought something unique to the story because he used his perspective as a boy to remind Aurelie of the things that she needed to be reminded of: that God loved her and His grace was sufficient for her. Plus he was just so sneaky and mischevious; the book definitely turned more light-hearted anytime he was in a scene.
Overall I would say that this book took some characters with difficult pasts and spun a charming tale out of them. It was filled with faith content and it remained sweet without being too sappy or boring. It was also very clean!! I would probably recommend this to any girl maybe 12+
I look forward to reading the next book in the series! ☺️
This was so sweet!! I really am not sure which book I enjoyed more, the first book or the second book!
Aurelie was such a cool character! I really loved that when she used her healing gift, she always gave the credit to God. I think it’s very difficult to write a healing gift that remains Biblical even when it’s not in a Biblical setting.
Horace also was great. The way he cared for Aurelie and slowly came to love her melted my heart 🥹
And this reminded me of the first book in that Horace took great care to be gentle with Aurelie because of all she had been through, which was very similar to Gabe and Evangeline’s relationship in the first book!
And Robby!! Wow he might be my favorite character. He was so funny and he showed such wisdom for his age. I think he brought something unique to the story because he used his perspective as a boy to remind Aurelie of the things that she needed to be reminded of: that God loved her and His grace was sufficient for her. Plus he was just so sneaky and mischevious; the book definitely turned more light-hearted anytime he was in a scene.
Overall I would say that this book took some characters with difficult pasts and spun a charming tale out of them. It was filled with faith content and it remained sweet without being too sappy or boring. It was also very clean!! I would probably recommend this to any girl maybe 12+
I look forward to reading the next book in the series! ☺️
February 29, 2024
4.5 stars.
I really enjoyed this sequel, though not as much as book one. Auralie was great, and so was Horace. Robby was also very funny. Can't wait to get Isla's story in the next book!
I think I have some theological disagreements with the author, so Auralie's gift made me a bit hesitant. I do, obviously, believe God can and does heal today, but I think the miraculous gifts have (at least mostly) ceased. However, as this is a fantasy world, I accepted it. Still really enjoyed the book; I just felt like I should mention that aspect of it.
I really enjoyed this sequel, though not as much as book one. Auralie was great, and so was Horace. Robby was also very funny. Can't wait to get Isla's story in the next book!
I think I have some theological disagreements with the author, so Auralie's gift made me a bit hesitant. I do, obviously, believe God can and does heal today, but I think the miraculous gifts have (at least mostly) ceased. However, as this is a fantasy world, I accepted it. Still really enjoyed the book; I just felt like I should mention that aspect of it.
July 13, 2025
I really enjoyed this story just as I did book 1.
I loved the relationship between Horace and Aurelie. He was so kind to her, never judged her and always encouraged her to see her worth in God. Aurelie had a lot of internal battles to deal with which came about because of her upbringing and everything she had been through, but God used Horace and even Robby to help her realise that in spite of her disability, she was still precious in God's eyes and God was still capable of using her for His glory. The romance between Horace and Aurelie is slow-burn but I enjoyed every bit of them getting to know each other first and then transitioning from being friends to being betrothed. Horace was an absolute gentleman and he treated Aurelie with so much respect it was impossible not to like him.
Read my full review here: https://www.joanembola.co.uk/post/boo...
I loved the relationship between Horace and Aurelie. He was so kind to her, never judged her and always encouraged her to see her worth in God. Aurelie had a lot of internal battles to deal with which came about because of her upbringing and everything she had been through, but God used Horace and even Robby to help her realise that in spite of her disability, she was still precious in God's eyes and God was still capable of using her for His glory. The romance between Horace and Aurelie is slow-burn but I enjoyed every bit of them getting to know each other first and then transitioning from being friends to being betrothed. Horace was an absolute gentleman and he treated Aurelie with so much respect it was impossible not to like him.
Read my full review here: https://www.joanembola.co.uk/post/boo...
January 7, 2024
Loving this series! Sweet casts, easy to follow plot, and Robby is my son.
May 24, 2023
Thanks to Michaela Bush for letting me read this ARC!
Having not read the first book, I wasn't sure what to expect going into this. But for those who haven't read The Lady of Lanaria, don't worry because this story drops plenty of backstory details to keep you up-to-date. (Although I would highly recommend reading Book 1 because it's really good!)
The characters are amazing. They both have strengths and flaws that make them complex characters. Their romance was cute and clean.
The plot was great - I thought the twists and turns were captivating. There were some parts I thought leaned charismatic, which was different for me (not being charismatic). But that didn't bother me - it was just different.
There are mentions of witches and them practicing magic, but it's not glorified or graphically detailed.
I've been loving Michaela Bush's writing lately, and I think this was a great book! I'd definitely recommend this for Christians looking for a clean fantasy read.
I received this book as an ARC. The author did not ask me to write a positive review. If I didn't like it, I probably wouldn't have reviewed it. All thoughts are my own.
March 25, 2024
Clean, well-written story! The plot and character relationships didn't seem to have been developed to their full potential, but the heart behind the story was clear.
*Thank you to the author for a free eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own. A positive review was not required.*
*Thank you to the author for a free eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own. A positive review was not required.*
June 8, 2023
Every now and then, I enjoy taking a peek at what the other "Indie Christian Authors" are coming up with, especially the younger generation. Thus, I was pleased when Michaela Bush sent me a copy of her latest book, The Healer of the Brigade to read and review. So here we are.
It's simpler to slap a two-star on a book that's uniformly mediocre (or, as I more often do, just quit reading.) It's far more satisfying to award a four-star that came through strongly on all levels, with barely a bobble. However, The Healer of the Brigade isn't either...
Initially, I thought the story might be fantasy, but I think it's actually more of a speculative fiction/alternative history type story—even the magical elements seem "of this world", if that makes sense—no Harry Potter style wizards and witches here. Aurelie's own abilities are clearly presented as an unusual, but completely legitimate, gift from God.
Aurelie was a strong character, that perfect balance of difficult and sympathetic that makes readers feel for her, while also understanding why other characters find her challenging. Her slow journey from fear to the acceptance of the remarkable gift bestowed upon her was skillfully done, and made her feel very real.
I enjoyed Horace and Robbie, too, but despite the difference in age and relative social positions, when speaking they sounded very much the same, (though Robbie did occasionally come through with a witty one-liner that Horace probably couldn't have managed.) They were both key to Aurelie's journey...and yet, it was at those times they were giving her counsel they seemed most interchangeable, simply voices existing to teach and and encourage, rather than characters in their own right.
It would be hard to pinpoint a location/time period for the story (somewhere in Europe?) and overall, I found descriptions of settings, people, etc to be lacking. Now, I'm not one of those who enjoys full page descriptions of minutiae, but this story went a bit too far in the other direction, with, for example, ships appearing apparently out of nowhere, without a whiff of fish or sound of water to indicate we were nearing the harbor. To enjoy this story more, I wouldn't have needed all the whys and wherefores concerning the wars between these various kingdoms spelled out...(by the way, this is the second book in a series and I haven't read the first one, so I'm choosing to ignore plot elements that confused me) but I would have liked a stronger sense of "place."
However, my main problem lies with the writing itself. On the one hand, the book was well-edited, with hardly a typo or misplaced period, but on the other, I found the prose uneven, occasionally unclear, occasionally just odd. Too many "I don't think this word/phrase means what you think it means," moments for a fully-immersive reading experience. (That being said, I'm an English nerd, so things that might not bother many readers can interfere with a perfectly good story for me.)
So to sum up, I'd give The Healer of the Brigade four stars for character development and themes, three stars for the story, and two for the way it was written...overall, three stars.
It's simpler to slap a two-star on a book that's uniformly mediocre (or, as I more often do, just quit reading.) It's far more satisfying to award a four-star that came through strongly on all levels, with barely a bobble. However, The Healer of the Brigade isn't either...
Initially, I thought the story might be fantasy, but I think it's actually more of a speculative fiction/alternative history type story—even the magical elements seem "of this world", if that makes sense—no Harry Potter style wizards and witches here. Aurelie's own abilities are clearly presented as an unusual, but completely legitimate, gift from God.
Aurelie was a strong character, that perfect balance of difficult and sympathetic that makes readers feel for her, while also understanding why other characters find her challenging. Her slow journey from fear to the acceptance of the remarkable gift bestowed upon her was skillfully done, and made her feel very real.
I enjoyed Horace and Robbie, too, but despite the difference in age and relative social positions, when speaking they sounded very much the same, (though Robbie did occasionally come through with a witty one-liner that Horace probably couldn't have managed.) They were both key to Aurelie's journey...and yet, it was at those times they were giving her counsel they seemed most interchangeable, simply voices existing to teach and and encourage, rather than characters in their own right.
It would be hard to pinpoint a location/time period for the story (somewhere in Europe?) and overall, I found descriptions of settings, people, etc to be lacking. Now, I'm not one of those who enjoys full page descriptions of minutiae, but this story went a bit too far in the other direction, with, for example, ships appearing apparently out of nowhere, without a whiff of fish or sound of water to indicate we were nearing the harbor. To enjoy this story more, I wouldn't have needed all the whys and wherefores concerning the wars between these various kingdoms spelled out...(by the way, this is the second book in a series and I haven't read the first one, so I'm choosing to ignore plot elements that confused me) but I would have liked a stronger sense of "place."
However, my main problem lies with the writing itself. On the one hand, the book was well-edited, with hardly a typo or misplaced period, but on the other, I found the prose uneven, occasionally unclear, occasionally just odd. Too many "I don't think this word/phrase means what you think it means," moments for a fully-immersive reading experience. (That being said, I'm an English nerd, so things that might not bother many readers can interfere with a perfectly good story for me.)
So to sum up, I'd give The Healer of the Brigade four stars for character development and themes, three stars for the story, and two for the way it was written...overall, three stars.
June 24, 2025
🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿
After absolutely loving the first book, I couldn’t wait to read this one! I loved the cover! It is gorgeous and green book are rare! This was interesting! I didn’t love it as much as the first one mainly because of some odd things. There was a lot of talk about witches in a bad light obviously, but it wasn’t something I really enjoyed reading about. Another thing was the “gifts” from God particularly the gift Aurelie and her mother had. They just struck me as odd and a bit uncomfortable. Other than that, the faith content was really good and I really liked it! There are also some violence and things that happened with her mother and father that broke my heart. Some may not like that and it’s good to keep that in mind. Aurelie was a lovely character and I really enjoyed her! She went through a lot in her life and I wanted to wrap her up in a big hug. Horace was a great character as well and I really liked him. Robby was funny too! I enjoyed watching Aurelie and Horace fall in love and grow in their faith together. I really loved seeing Evangeline and Gabe again…oh, how I missed them! Overall, I did enjoy reading it and I would recommend this book.
Quotes that I liked:
🌿 Your worth comes from God's grace and mercy, nothing more and nothing less.
🌿 As if it were a sign from God himself — to listen. To be still. To lay down her ideas on the way life should go and let God pick it up and carry it for her. To carry her.
🌿 “Yes. Wholeness always comes when we arrive face-to-face with God in heaven. Those men who believed are there now. No longer in pain. Healed."
🌿 "It is not always in God's plan to be healed wholly, and that is something we are unable to understand and explain for our. selves. God knows His reasoning best. But even those who live with chronic, incurable infirmity, God will turn their brokenness for the furtherment of His kingdom.
🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿
After absolutely loving the first book, I couldn’t wait to read this one! I loved the cover! It is gorgeous and green book are rare! This was interesting! I didn’t love it as much as the first one mainly because of some odd things. There was a lot of talk about witches in a bad light obviously, but it wasn’t something I really enjoyed reading about. Another thing was the “gifts” from God particularly the gift Aurelie and her mother had. They just struck me as odd and a bit uncomfortable. Other than that, the faith content was really good and I really liked it! There are also some violence and things that happened with her mother and father that broke my heart. Some may not like that and it’s good to keep that in mind. Aurelie was a lovely character and I really enjoyed her! She went through a lot in her life and I wanted to wrap her up in a big hug. Horace was a great character as well and I really liked him. Robby was funny too! I enjoyed watching Aurelie and Horace fall in love and grow in their faith together. I really loved seeing Evangeline and Gabe again…oh, how I missed them! Overall, I did enjoy reading it and I would recommend this book.
Quotes that I liked:
🌿 Your worth comes from God's grace and mercy, nothing more and nothing less.
🌿 As if it were a sign from God himself — to listen. To be still. To lay down her ideas on the way life should go and let God pick it up and carry it for her. To carry her.
🌿 “Yes. Wholeness always comes when we arrive face-to-face with God in heaven. Those men who believed are there now. No longer in pain. Healed."
🌿 "It is not always in God's plan to be healed wholly, and that is something we are unable to understand and explain for our. selves. God knows His reasoning best. But even those who live with chronic, incurable infirmity, God will turn their brokenness for the furtherment of His kingdom.
🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿
May 19, 2023
Favorite exchange from this story: "If I cannot help myself, how can I help others?" "It's not what you do at all. It's what God does through you."
This is a thoughtful and heartful story. It was an interesting follow-up to Lady of Lanaria. If you have read that, you will probably enjoy seeing some characters again, and meeting some new faces, too.
It was fun to see Horace again and to get to know him better. The plot-line itself was quite poetic, about a young man mentored as a boy who is now mentoring another, and about a healer who could not heal herself. The healer is able to but usually uses herbs to heal people, and that seems like a pretty good lesson for all of us who try to live by our own works rather than trusting God. Also,
The characters were likeable and the story was engaging. It was sweet to see Horace look out for Robby (and vice versa), and Ben and Aurelia looking out for each other as well.
The Christian themes are pretty heavy-handed, but I think it's better to clearly preach the Gospel than just hope it gets across, so I didn't mind that much. There was a clean, sweet romance, but it wasn't the focus of the story; God & character development were.
It was cool to see happen in the story, and I'd love to see more in real life.
This was an encouraging book that many Christians will enjoy; I certainly did.
Note: I received a free electronic ARC of this book; I was not required to provide a positive review.
This is a thoughtful and heartful story. It was an interesting follow-up to Lady of Lanaria. If you have read that, you will probably enjoy seeing some characters again, and meeting some new faces, too.
It was fun to see Horace again and to get to know him better. The plot-line itself was quite poetic, about a young man mentored as a boy who is now mentoring another, and about a healer who could not heal herself. The healer is able to but usually uses herbs to heal people, and that seems like a pretty good lesson for all of us who try to live by our own works rather than trusting God. Also,
The characters were likeable and the story was engaging. It was sweet to see Horace look out for Robby (and vice versa), and Ben and Aurelia looking out for each other as well.
The Christian themes are pretty heavy-handed, but I think it's better to clearly preach the Gospel than just hope it gets across, so I didn't mind that much. There was a clean, sweet romance, but it wasn't the focus of the story; God & character development were.
It was cool to see happen in the story, and I'd love to see more in real life.
This was an encouraging book that many Christians will enjoy; I certainly did.
Note: I received a free electronic ARC of this book; I was not required to provide a positive review.
April 24, 2024
I liked this novel in the series, even better than the first.
It had more scriptures, and application of them.
However, I did have one issue of a theological disagreement with the author.
I believe God can and does heal today,
but I think the miracle gifts have (have mostly) ceased.
More than that. I think, sometimes people can be very hurt,
if they do not get healed...
they may be accused of not having enough faith.
So it is their fault if they are not healed.
But God can ,and does,
sometimes say: Wait
or
even: No
If He says no to a prayer for healing,
it can be that He will use the affliction, or sickness,
for some other good, and for His glory.
Still, since this is Christian fiction,
I can live with the 'gift'.
But I am hopeful a new believer,
does not despair or fall into a great depression,
thinking the fault of not being healed,
is all their fault,
because they did not trust God enough,
or did not have enough faith in God.
God is NOT 'required' to always answer our prayers,
like a genie in a bottle.
Of course, He can heal...
but like the author mentioned in the novel,
the healing may not come until the person is in Heaven.
But other than that one issue
( and I don't really think, that the author's intent
was to cause anyone pain...)
She is so compassionate and caring...
and it comes out in her writing.
I loved this novel!
And am looking forward to the next in the series.
It had more scriptures, and application of them.
However, I did have one issue of a theological disagreement with the author.
I believe God can and does heal today,
but I think the miracle gifts have (have mostly) ceased.
More than that. I think, sometimes people can be very hurt,
if they do not get healed...
they may be accused of not having enough faith.
So it is their fault if they are not healed.
But God can ,and does,
sometimes say: Wait
or
even: No
If He says no to a prayer for healing,
it can be that He will use the affliction, or sickness,
for some other good, and for His glory.
Still, since this is Christian fiction,
I can live with the 'gift'.
But I am hopeful a new believer,
does not despair or fall into a great depression,
thinking the fault of not being healed,
is all their fault,
because they did not trust God enough,
or did not have enough faith in God.
God is NOT 'required' to always answer our prayers,
like a genie in a bottle.
Of course, He can heal...
but like the author mentioned in the novel,
the healing may not come until the person is in Heaven.
But other than that one issue
( and I don't really think, that the author's intent
was to cause anyone pain...)
She is so compassionate and caring...
and it comes out in her writing.
I loved this novel!
And am looking forward to the next in the series.
November 12, 2024
Overall rating 3.5 stars.
Enjoyed seeing past characters again as the end opens up the world for book three.
Enjoyed seeing past characters again as the end opens up the world for book three.
May 24, 2023
I was so excited when I learned Author Michaela Bush was going to be expanding the world of the Legends of Lanaria. Her first book in the series, "The Lady of Lanaria" was great and book two "The Healer of the Brigade" was excellent, as well!
Aurelie was an well-written and relatable main character. Though you could read this as a stand-alone, I would recommend reading book one first as the worldbuilding is great and it was fun seeing the depth of Lanaria grow for the reader as more characters were brought in.
The plot was engaging and the book definitely was a page-turner keeping you wanting to know happens next.
Additionally, I think the cover is so pretty -
I cannot wait for this series to continue to grow and I recommend it!
Aurelie was an well-written and relatable main character. Though you could read this as a stand-alone, I would recommend reading book one first as the worldbuilding is great and it was fun seeing the depth of Lanaria grow for the reader as more characters were brought in.
The plot was engaging and the book definitely was a page-turner keeping you wanting to know happens next.
Additionally, I think the cover is so pretty -
I cannot wait for this series to continue to grow and I recommend it!
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