The Force - Review

I recently had the opportunity to review The Force, sequel to The Fourth Kingdom. Both books were written by Joyce and Alexandra Swann. Old Time homeschoolers might remember Joyce Swann as one of the first advocates for accelerated education (all of her 10 children graduated with Master's Degrees by age 16), and Alexandra Swann who, at age 16, wrote No Regrets, a memoir of her life as a homeschooler. These days the Swann's are busy blogging and writing children's books and novels, with over eight books to their credit so far. You can find out more about the Swann's and their books at their web-site: Frontier 2000. But be forewarned, you'll probably add a couple of titles to your to- be-read pile. The Planner is now on mine! Want to know more? Wendy has a terrific authors' interview on her site, check it out!

The Force takes an intriguing idea: namely the ability to clone, ramps it up a notch; the ability to clone humans controlled by an evil master-mind, and puts it on the international stage. Add in one clever detective, billionaire twins, and the re-emergence of yesteryear's film stars come-alive-again and you have a compelling story.

I read The Fourth Kingdom first and it clearly sets the stage for The Force. The Fourth Kingdom is a bit predictable, but a very enjoyable, fast and easy read. It's very much worth reading because it admirably sets the stage for The Force. Though both books are stand-alones, they are richer together.

So, what's to love about this book? The author's tackle cutting edge science. There are compelling bad guys. The good guys are willing to take risks, but struggle with facing the creepy bad guys alone in a dark alley (i.e. they are believable). The story involves international intrigue. And in a world that has gone global that's a whole lot of fun.

Why keep an eye out on this mother daughter writing team? Because their writing is getting better and better. The technically astute,  yet stiff voice from No Regrets is gone, the predictability from The Fourth Kingdom has evolved into reading that will keep you thinking long after you've put the book down and gone to bed. The authors are willing to tackle difficult subjects creatively without resorting to mere fantasy. And they are willing to allow their characters to struggle with issues of faith.  Which, as a person of faith who sometimes struggles, I appreciate.

Books abound these days, but good books, books that are well written, moral and intriguing, are as challenging to find as ever. The Swann's are definitely in the Good Book Zone! Do yourself a favor and buy The Force (along with The Fourth Kingdom) today.

 

You can purchase The Force directly from Frontier Media, and it is also available for $12.95 at Amazon, and for the Kindle for $4.99.

To celebrate the launch of The Force, you have the opportunity to sign up for a couple of amazing give-ways! Keeping reading....

We are excited to help Frontier 2000 Media celebrate the release of The Force by Alexandra and Joyce Swann with a super cool giveaway for book lovers! Two prizes will be awarded, one containing 11 awesome books and the other with five books. Total value of this giveaway is $185! Woohoo!

We would like to thank the following authors for their generous donations to these giveaways! Be sure to stop by their websites to say thank you!

William Struse
Tricia Goyer
Sarah Sundin 
Eisley Jacobs
Gwen Toliver
Carey Jane Clark

To enter the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. Two winners will be selected and announced by noon ET on November 25, 2013. U.S. residents age 18 and older only please. Other Terms and Conditions can be found in the Rafflecopter.

Book Lover's Giveaway #1 ($120 value)

The Force by Alexandra and Joyce Swann

The Fourth Kingdom by Alexandra and Joyce Swann

The 13th Enumeration by William Struse

The 13th Prime by William Struse

Love Finds You in Glacier Bay Alaska by Tricia Goyer

On Distant Shores by Sarah Sundin

Dragons of the Deep by Eisley Jacobs

Blink of a Dragon by Eisley Jacobs

Born to be a Dragon by Eisley Jacobs

Seed Sowers by Gwen Toliver

After the Snow Falls by Carey Jane Clark 

Book Lover's Giveaway #2 ($65 value)

The Force by Alexandra and Joyce Swann

The Fourth Kingdom by Alexandra and Joyce Swann

The 13th Enumeration by William Struse

The 13th Prime by William Struse

Love Finds You in Glacier Bay Alaska by Tricia Goyer

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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