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Worlds Unseen Review by Marisa Corless

By Rachel Starr Thomson
Little Dozen Press
http://www.worldsunseen.com/

Worlds Unseen is a Christian fantasy novel. It is the first book in a trilogy. The synopsis on the back of the book is much more eloquent than I am, so I will quote just a small portion of it: "Maggie Sheffield's life has been haunted by seemingly disconnected tragedies, pieces that form a puzzle she doesn't understand. Her confusion about the past mirrors that of her whole world: they've been taught that the empire saved them from destruction, but then why does the empire seem bent on enslaving its own people? They've been taught that stories of an ancient war, a terrifying enemy, and a majestic king are all myths -- but then why are those who try to learn more about them sabotaged or killed?"

I enjoyed reading as the pieces of a complex puzzle of who people were and how they related to one another began to fall into place. I also enjoyed the characters and the magical and spiritual dimensions that were expertly woven into them. These traits were akin to spiritual gifts. I would caution that if you are opposed to any type of spells or magic, then this is probably not the best fit for reading material, as there are creatures that materialize out of mist, spells, and magic in this book. It is probably most appropriate for young adult and older readers.

As a novel, it was interesting and had beautiful descriptions, interesting stories within the story, and beautiful language. In terms of the Christian allegory, I seemed to miss the point. There were bits and pieces that I could completely fit into my understanding, but there were other parts that I couldn't quite fit into my understanding of God and his son Jesus Christ and the true history and future of our world and God's creations. As I read, I kept trying to place the story into my understanding and felt very frustrated when I couldn't. If I had read this book purely for fun, not knowing that it was intended to be a Christian allegory, I would have wholeheartedly loved it. Nevertheless, I will still recommend the book because the story telling is beautiful.



Product review by Marisa Corless, MH, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January 2011

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