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Title: Dark Storm Rising
Author: Jesseca Wheaton
Published By: Lulu.com (2015)
Synopsis: Helena and Max are just two normal cousins living in north-east Austria. But when Hitler takes over Germany and the unrest grows against the Jews, their families become two of many, helping Germany’s Jews across the border. Then, on the night the Anschluss is signed and on their way to deliver a secret message, Helena and Max are captured by a high-ranking officer in the Wehrmacht. Confined within the enemy’s walls, Helena and Max have many unanswered questions. If Germany is not at war with Austria, then why have they been captured? Who can they trust? And will they ever see their families again? Encountering many surprises along the way, Helena and Max learn that God’s plans are always best, and the power of forgiveness. (Taken from Goodreads)
Review:
A quick, fun, sweet read, with deeper elements that were yet delivered in a lighthearted style, Dark Storm Rising was all-around a good read. What it lacked in length, it made up for in plot—it was full of excitement and action, the characters were well-developed, and there were lots of twists and turns.
The plotline was very well structured, with each scene and each character contributing greatly to the plot. The characters were well done. The twists were smart and clever. The setting was detailed, and the historical aspect was very well done.
However, my main setback was that I felt it lacked in delivery a bit; the writing style seemed a bit more amatuer. Despite this, though, it really was well structured and well done in every other area.
I really liked the way the author did Major Ramond’s character, with the way he changed throughout the course of the story! I wasn’t sure what I thought of him at first, but by the end, I could plainly see what the author was trying to accomplish with his character and really appreciated that. As well, I loved the way the Christian aspects were worked in, not being to subtle but also not being too in-your-face. I liked the way it all tied together in the end with the Christian themes coming through.
The characters were, like I’ve said, done very well. The one thing that confused me was the character’s actions at times. I felt it was a little bit unrealistic, such as when Helena and Max are joking around and laughing while in captivity, or when they’re barely reacting to a sudden death.
Overall:
Despite the few setbacks I had, all around this was a good read! I can tell we’ll have even greater stories coming from this author soon!
Negative Content:
None.
Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
Recommended to: Fans of historical fiction!