Friday, October 30, 2009

"eye of the god" by Ariel Allison


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

eye of the god

Abingdon Press (October 1, 2009)

by

Ariel Allison


MY REVIEW:
This is the last of the new Abingdon Press books that I have gotten to read and review and I am thrilled to say that "eye of the god" is by far my favorite! It is right up my alley in its style and genre... mystery, suspense, romance, twists and turns, history and great characters. I love the way that Ariel blends the present where the Hope Diamond is resting in the Smithsonian Institute and Abigail Mitchell is the person who is the expert on it and is planning a huge event surrounding the diamond along with the past legends surrounding the Hope Diamond. We jump back in time, as Abigail tells stories about the diamond, to India in 1653, France in 1668, Versailles in 1789, Kentucky in 1919 and Maryland in 1933 just to name some of them - we get to track the Hope Diamond through some of the different owners it had over the years. I found all of that fascinating and wish Ariel could have included more of the stories about the diamonds past.

In the midst of all the stories we are pulled back to the present as we see Abigail plan the soiree while others are planning to steal the diamond at the event. The twists at the end we wonderful and I was captivated by the entire book - absolutely fantastic!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Allison is a published author who lives in a small Texas town with her husband and three young sons. She is the co-author of Daddy Do You Love Me: a Daughter’s Journey of Faith and Restoration (New Leaf Press, 2006). Justin Case, the first of three children’s books will be published by Harvest House in June 2009. Ariel is a weekly contributor to www.ChristianDevotions.us and has written for Today’s Christian Woman. She ponders on life as a mother of all boys at www.themoabclub.blogspot.com and on her thoughts as a redeemed dreamer at www.arielallison.blogspot.com.


From Ariel:
I am the daughter of an acclaimed and eccentric artist, and given my “unconventional” childhood, had ample time to explore the intricacies of story telling. I was raised at the top of the Rocky Mountains with no running water or electricity (think Laura Ingles meets the Hippie Movement), and lived out the books I read while running barefoot through the sagebrush. My mother read to me by the light of a kerosene lantern for well over a decade, long after I could devour an entire novel in the course of a day. Authors such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, George MacDonald, and L.M. Montgomery were the first to capture my heart and I have grown to love many others since.

ABOUT THE BOOK

eye of the god takes the fascinating history surrounding the Hope Diamond and weaves it together with a present-day plot to steal the jewel from the Smithsonian Institute.

We follow Alex and Isaac Weld, the most lucrative jewel thieves in the world, in their quest to steal the gem, which according to legend was once the eye of a Hindu idol named Rama Sita. When it was stolen in the 17th century, it is said that the idol cursed all those who would possess it. That won’t stop the brilliant and ruthless Weld brothers.

However, they are not prepared for Dr. Abigail Mitchell, the beautiful Smithsonian Director, who has her own connection to the Hope Diamond and a deadly secret to keep. Abby committed long ago that she would not serve a god made with human hands, and the “eye of the god” is no exception. Her desire is not for wealth, but for wisdom. She seeks not power, but restoration.

When the dust settles over the last great adventure of the Hope Diamond, readers will understand the “curse” that has haunted its legacy is nothing more than the greed of evil men who bring destruction upon themselves. No god chiseled from stone can direct the fates of humankind, nor can it change the course of God’s story.

If you would like to read the prologue and first chapter of eye of the god, go HERE

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