On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

To start off with, what a genius title for a book. I love it. The redundancy...and silliness...of the title sets you up for an entire book that is whimsical, fun, and a pleasure to read.

I sometimes find myself being a bit critical of Christian artists. I find "Christian" music to sometimes be sycophantic, and at the very least, not theologically sound. i realize this can be a character flaw on my part, because who am I to judge the heart of an artist, whether the medium be paint, pencil, or voice? However, there are several artists that I love listening to, Andrew Peterson being one of these. Many of his songs have, at points in my life, reached deep into my soul and have soothed it like a balm. Others have made me look myself in the eyes, where I found I didn't like what I saw there. His music speaks to the broken, to those wandering, and to those who simply find joy in knowing Jesus.

When I found a blog saying he had written a book, and that bloggers could get a copy and review it, I was ecstatic. Not only could I live out my secret dream of working for a publishing company doing book reviews and editing, I would get a free book by a musician that I totally dig! When the books came in the mail, I immediatly dove in, worrying about making the deadline to finish the book and post this blog. From the "Brief Introduction to the World of Aerwier", I was hooked. Although a grown adult, I giggled through this entire book. A quote from the very first page, "Unsatisifed, the Nameless Evil (named Gnag), built a fleet that bore his monstrous army westward across the Dark Sea of Darkness to the continent of Skree." The Nameless Evil (named Gnag)? I love it!

The characters in the book are easily lovable, and as I read I saw each of them grow in bravery and maturity throughout their journey. Janner, as he was torn between his heart's longing to be free and the neccessity of protecting his family. Tink, the little brother, wanting so much to be like his older brother. And sweet little Leeli, fighting with every part of her to not be treated any differently than her older brothers or those around her. Each character in this book weave a picture of what family means, and small towns, and those brought together through hard times.

Andrew Peterson had done a fantastic job of creating a children's book that is most enjoyable to adults as well, due to the deeper meanings hidden within the pages. It's hard to write this review without giving too much away, but to anyone who is a lover of fairytales, and of things that are a bit fantastical, this book is a must read. Being a teacher, I can't WAIT to read this book aloud to my students, and wait with baited breath until the next book in this saga appears on shelves.

Here's the link to the book on Amazon...http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400073847