Realm of Thorns by R. J. Larson ~ Book Review

Synopsis

A fading empire's strife heralds an approaching Dark Age.

Khelqua, the crown of the Syvlande Empire, has been destroyed. The royal house of Khelqua lies drowned beneath a prophesied destruction of its vast river valley, leaving an ocean of dead waters. Khelqua's ancient royal lineage now rests with two siblings, who have lost their family, their fortunes, and the realm that defines their existence. 

Their chosen destinies stir hope and danger for countless generations to come...as the Syvlande Empire becomes mere legend. 

Review

I really enjoyed this book! As always, R. J. Larson's book amazed me! :)

The characters were so different and interesting. My personal favorite was the fiery Torena. She was a teacher for the royal family of Khelqua, who taught the children and teens the Eternal's Word. "Eternal" is the name they use for God. I loved Torena's personality! She firmly took a stand for what is right and what is wrong. I also liked Eliya and Valo.

As always, R. J. Larson does an incredible job of weaving Biblical messages into her writings. The allegories woven throughout are amazing. The way Yeshua was described was beautiful! 

You can see hints of the Books of the Infinite and Realms of the Infinite series in this book, which was awesome! I highly recommend this book for ages 14+!

Avad: Work and Worship

Today I'm focusing on the Hebrew word, "avad." The Hebrew word "avad" means "to serve." However, not only does it mean "to serve", it also can mean "to work" and "to worship." So what exactly does this mean for us?

Colossians 3:23-24 says, "Whatever you do, work at it from the soul, as for the Lord and not for people. For you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as a reward. It is to the Lord Messiah you are giving service."

Our work and worship of our Creator should go hand in hand. We shouldn't separate worship on Sunday morning from our day to day lives. Our entire lives should be focused on worshiping Yeshua, everything we do should be an act of worship to our Creator.

Information from Listening to the Language of the Bible by Lois Tverberg with Bruce Okkema.

Favorite Books of 2019

Today, I'm doing a post on my favorite books of 2019. (These are not in order from favorite to least favorite. It's just a collection of my favorites.) So here we go! ;)

The Prophetess by Jill Eileen Smith: This one was awesome! It's the first novelization of Deborah that I've read that I actually really enjoyed! Click here to see my full review. 

Warriors of the King by K. Dennis Chambers: Incredible!! One of the best allegorical fiction books I've read! Click here to see my full review!

Realm of Thorns by R. J. Larson: I've really enjoyed R. J. Larson's writings, and this one was no exception! I liked how Larson continued with the background of the Books of the Infinite and Realms of the Infinite series.

Judah's Wife: A Novel of the Maccabees by Angela Hunt: This was a fascinating read! Click here to read my full review!

Breaking Cover Michelle Rigby Assad: Definitely ranks as one of my top favorite books! This book was so interesting, and it was really cool to see how both men and women's strengths are needed in the CIA and other areas.

Listening to the Language of the Bible by Lois Tverberg: An informative book that does a wonderful job of taking you back to the Hebrew context!!!

~~~

There are my favorites of 2019! What were some of your favorite reads of 2019?