Teen Book Review: Be: Rightfully Ours by Carolyn Astfalk
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The King’s Prey: St. Dymphna of Ireland by Susan Peek
Awards
Finalist in the upcoming CALA - Catholic Arts and Letters Award
2018 Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval
Amazon Description
An insane king. His fleeing daughter. Estranged brothers, with a scarred past, risking everything to save her from a fate worse than death. Toss in a holy priest and a lovable wolfhound, and get ready for a wild race across Ireland! Will Dymphna escape her deranged father and his sinful desires?
Review
Susan Peek is one of my favorite Catholic authors. She has a series of books about saints titled God’s Forgotten Friends – Stories of Little Known Saints. One of the taglines she uses is – the saints weren’t boring why should their stories be? And that sums up her novels perfectly. She uses the historical facts and incorporates them into exciting adventures about some saints you might not have heard of.
I have loved all of Susan Peek’s novels but I think The King’s Prey is her best book yet! She has taken this story about a little-known saint and created a heart-pounding adventure. For those who don’t know, Saint Dymphna was an Irish Princess in 628 who had to escape from her deranged father. There are not a lot of facts about St. Dymphna but it is known that she fled across Ireland from her father with the help of several people from her father’s court and a local priest.
While this book is about a Princess, don’t let that fool you – it’s a great book for boys as well. Since not much information is available about those who helped Dymphna, the author has used her incredible story-telling skills to create an unforgettable tale about two estranged brothers with a heart-breaking past to add even more excitement to this fascinating story. The combination of perfectly timed humor, riveting chase scenes, and swashbuckling fights make for a must-read book.
One note – St. Dymphna is the patron saint of those afflicted with mental and emotional disorders. Her story makes for great discussions but also might not be appropriate for younger children.
A Note from the Reviewer:
As a writer and a mother, I’m always searching for wonderful Catholic books for teens of all ages. I truly believe one way we can encourage teens in their faith is through fiction with positive messages, embedded in great stories. There are many fantastic Catholic teen novels out today, but they can be hard to find. I’m excited to share some of these books with you. www.LesleaWahl.com
Leslea Wahl is an award-winning author of Catholic Young Adult novels. She lives in the beautiful state of Colorado and strives to encourage teens in their faith through fiction. For more information about her fun, adventurous, faith-filled mysteries, please check out her website – www.LesleaWahl.com
