Season Of Fire

And perhaps that’s what I was.
Nothing more than a shell of what I once was.
A betrayer of all I held dear.
A fighter, vanquished.
Misery blanketed me, enfolded me in his arms.
And in his firm embrace, I slept.

Book: Remnants: Season of Fire (A Remnants Novel) by Lisa T. Bergren, Blink, 2015

Genre: Post-Apoctalyptic, Allegory

Target Audience: Girls 15+

Subjects: Love, Family Relationships, Good vs. Evil, Hope, Truth

Summary: The link between Ailith is so close; it binds them together even if one of the brothers has turned away from the truth. When Kellach captures Adriana as she tries to rescue Kapriel, their prince, imprisoned by his own brother, she is put to her greatest test yet. In a world of luxury and ease, with a captivating prince attempting to sway her as she attempts to sway him, she finds it hard to stand strong. The truth seems so far away. And the pain and misery of being surrounded by Sheolite and the powerful Sethos seems so near. In the meantime, Ronan wrestles with putting their mission, their calling, their obedience to the Maker above his love for Adriana.

Notes: Season of Fire is the second in the Remnants series. This series shows a world after a great war, a world where much knowledge and products have been destroyed. A prophecy came forth that some day the Ailith would come and free the people from the evil ones who enslave the world. On the day they were born, it was felt all over and these called were hidden away and trained for seventeen years. Then on the same day, all around a call came that it was time to venture into the world and unite with the others. They come in sets of two: a “Remnant” – one who has a special talent or skill and a “Knight” who lives to protect the Remnant. All knowledge is given on a need-to-know basis, to the characters and to the reader. The spiritual element is that all the good guys in the story believe in an all-powerful Maker. He gives strength and gifts to His followers. There is no discussion of who He is – the salvation He brings, but He is worshipped and believed to be capable of providing power. There is also words that represent the Bible. Actual physical books are lost due to the war but the words of Scripture are passed down and learned by those who follow the Maker.

In book two, the characters wrestle a lot with trust in the Maker. He has called them to do certain tasks that seem not just impossible, but extremely distasteful. Adriana wrestles with doubt as she tries to figure out whether or not a lost brother can be brought back to the truth after years of being influenced by Sethos. She learns to stop relying on her strength and call out to the Maker for help instead. She and Ronan both are challenged when their romantic love is discovered. They ask how they can stop loving once they have begun and are told “you must reach farther, toward the Maker. For his mission, his call, above all others.”  Ronan has to trust the Maker to care for Adriana when she is captured and he wants to abandon the missions he is called to in order to attempt to rescue her. The entire group is challenged when told they are to go back to the horrific places they just escaped from in order to spread word of the Maker. This book also contains a section that gives a little more of a hint of the character of the Maker. When fighting the enemy, towards the end of the book, the characters begin to fight with words and the following phrases are tossed out: “We fight for the One who was, and is, and is to come.” “I fear the One who can destroy both body and soul and send his enemies to the pit.”

Overall, this book did a good job portraying the idea of someone called by God to save the world and attempting to follow His leading and rely on Him for strength to do the task.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 4.5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

John 17:14-18 – I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

Thank you to BookLook for providing me with a free review copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.