Book Review: "The Restorer" by Sharon Hinck

Mom-Lit Fantasy

Susan Mitchell was just enjoying time away from her family by relaxing in her new attic hideaway created by her husband. But then suddenly she is transported to a different world where she finds that not only does she heal very fast but she's been sent as The Restorer to help out those in trouble. Susan has to learn the ways of the new world as she tries to understand the new culture and learn as to why she'd been sent. The adventures she will face bring many dangers but Susan learns that her faith will help her win the fight in the upcoming battles.

Fantasy is a genre I don't normally read. It's not that I don't like it, I just have trouble getting into a story where it doesn't relate to what I live in. I'm not saying I don't have an imagination, I just prefer stories that seem more realistic. But when I saw Sharon Hinck had a fantasy/mom lit book coming out, I wanted to pick it up because I really enjoy her writing. I ended up enjoying the book very much. I love how Susan is respected by being the Restorer and that no one doubts her because of her gender. The other world is described thoroughly so I could fully picture the places and people that Susan met with. Since there was so many new things to discover, it does get slightly confusing at times to keep track of everything, but overall it makes the reader able to adapt to the new place. I'm a sucker for sword fights, so I liked reading about her training to use her weapon. I'm glad that she also got to fight in the battle, unlike other Christian books I've read where women had to stay out of the fighting. The other characters are very interesting and it's cool to learn about their culture and how it compares with Susan's.

There is a scene near the middle of the book that totally caught me off guard and had made me flip to the beginning for clues. I did enjoy the twist though as it was highly unexpected. The only part that really confused me about this book is that the People of the Verses live in a world where it seems Jesus doesn't exist but Susan does. Obviously I know that there is spiritual allegory with the way they life, but it's just hard for me to grasp this concept. It's a completely different universe where Jesus didn't live in, yet just on the other side he does. But other than this, I did enjoy this book very much. It has changed the way I view fantasy and am highly looking forward to reading the sequel.

The Restorer by Sharon Hinck is published by NavPress (2007)