Mardan's Mark

A moment passed and then she gasped. “It looks like Mardan’s mark.”

“Like our tattoos, right?”

“I don’t understand. How can he have Mardan’s mark?” Rene frowned. “It’s exactly like ours.”

“Except that our tattoos are on the left and his is on the right.”

Rene sat back on her heels, looking stunned. “Can this mean…?”

Srilani nodded. “It can’t mean anything else.”

They stared at one another, and Rene bit her lip. “What are you going to do?”

Book: Mardan’s Mark by Kathrese McKee, Word Maker Books, 2014

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy

Target Audience: Boys and Girls 15+

Subjects: Friendship, Relationships, Truth

Summary: Captured by pirates, the royal children are taken away, but when a storm comes, the pirates abandon their precious cargo for the sake of their own lives. Thankfully for the children, they also abandon their slaves: Aldan, Linus and Sam. The seven young people begin the difficult trek home, fighting more pirates, illness, priests of the false religion and even the royal guard! Along the way, much is discovered. Princess Srilani, the oldest of the royals is used to taking the lead, but finds Aldan can be trusted to lead just as much as she can. The three slaves learn of El, the true God, the one worth worshipping. Then much to everyone’s shock, Mardan’s Mark – the tattoo proclaiming royal birth is discovered on Aldan, showing him to be the long lost, believed dead, heir to the throne of the neighboring kingdom! As if one prince wasn’t enough, now there are two princes away from their kingdoms that need to make it home alive!

Notes: Mardan’s Mark is the first in the Mardan’s Mark Epic Fantasy Adventures Series. Epic seems the right word for it. Constant battles from one thing or another, a long, difficult journey, truth to be discovered in multiple ways, relationships to be forged, enemies to be turned into friends, trust to be earned and love to be developed – it is definitely an epic journey for the characters! The spiritual element comes in the existence of El – the one true God. The royal children know of His existence and worship Him, but Aldan, Sam and Linus have to be taught of him. Then an angel appears to Aldan, confirming that El is real and that He has a purpose for Aldan. There isn’t a ton of focus on it, the characters don’t rely on El constantly or seek Him for direction or quote from a book of ultimate authority, it’s just acknowledgement that the God that is real is the one they worship.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 3/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I enjoyed it!