The Restorer by Sharon Hinck

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Let me start off by saying I'm not usually a reader of fantasy novels. And yet, I loved The Restorer. This is a testament that Sharon Hinck has succeeded in bridging the gap between die-hard fantasy readers and those with more contemporary inclinations.

Take a look at that cover, first of all. It intrigued me right off the bat. Ever since Narnia I've loved the idea of someone from our world traveling into another.

I think what I loved most about main character Susan Mitchell was her strength. She wasn't relegated to the side-kick role female heroines often are limited to in contemporary Christian fiction (though this is changing, thankfully). She was the one taking charge, despite her fears. She was the one learning how to fight with a sword. She was the promised Restorer sent to deliver an oppressed people. Great stuff. Not to say the male characters sit around and drink tea. Susan's husband Mark plays a huge role, as do several important characters from the alternate world who I very much enjoyed getting to know as well. To read an interesting post by Heather Hunt over at her blog about the male/female roles in this book, click here.

This could truly be a ground-breaking novel in Christian speculative fiction. I look forward with much interest to how it impacts the marketplace.

Let me point you to two wonderful reviews of the book. First, Heather Hunt reviewed The Restorer for us over at TitleTrakk.com here. Second, Rel Mollet reviews the novel over at her blog here.

For more information about Sharon, visit her website. She's about to embark on a book tour with three other fantasy authors: Bryan Davis, Wayne Thomas Batson & Christopher Hopper. For more info about the tour click here.