Book Description
Can the deepest loss bring the greatest gain?
Rome’s conquering army took Ariana’s family and freedom, but nothing can take her faith in Jesus. When she rescues a tribune’s wife from certain death, her reward is freedom and a chance to free her brother and sister. But first she must catch up with the slave caravan before they vanish forever, and tracking them from Dacia to the coast seems impossible for one woman alone.
Discharged from the legion with a hand crippled by a Dacian knife, Donatus faces a future without hope. When the tribune asks him to escort Ariana on her quest, it’s the only work he can find. It means four weeks with a Dacian woman and a gladiator bodyguard, but it takes money to eat. A man without options must take what he can get.
But a lot can happen in four weeks. Even battle-hardened men can be touched by love and forgiveness, and it’s easier to face an enemy with a sword than to face the truth. When his moment of truth comes, what will Donatus choose, and what will that mean for all of them?
Dangerous times, difficult friendships, lives transformed by forgiveness and love
My Review
☺☺☺☺ ½ Smiles
I’ll begin with a confession. I was more than a little skeptical when I opened to the Author’s Note and started reading Hope Unchained. Though I’m a devoted Christ follower, I seldom enjoy books so overtly Christian because I’ve too often found it forced and/or interrupting a story’s natural flow.
My skepticism fell to pieces, however, when I realized the whole premise of the Light of the Empire series—of which Hope Unchained is book #?—is to detail the ever-growing flame of the Christian Church amid Rome’s dark oppression. So the natural flow of these stories IS the miracles and evangelism of first-century Christians, and Ashby’s skilled writing makes the slow but steady turning of hardened hearts to Jesus not only believable but also inspiring!
I counted no less than three clearly explained Gospel presentations in Hope Unchained, but they were woven into a story that absolutely grabbed my attention from the very first scene. Ashby’s history and cultural research are impeccable, but they’re beautifully lived out by characters I cared about deeply. I partly listened to the book (iOS/Accessibility/Speak Screen) and partly read it—all in one day—and was completely enthralled.
So why not 5 smiles if I loved it so much? As an indie published book, the author bears the full cost of edits, so you’ll see a few repetitive phrases and descriptors that grow a bit tiresome. I caught one or two typos, but those can be remedied easily by contacting the author directly (with the email she supplies at the end of the book). A couple of the relationships move a little too quickly (one friendship and a love interest), but I could logically attribute those heightened emotions to the adversity faced together. This is an incredibly good book, and—honestly—I can count on one hand the number of books I’ve given 5 smiles/stars.
Now, I’m faced with a serious dilemma: How do I find time to read the previous books in this series before the next one releases?!
