#tracy groot

[thisbibliophiile]

This is my all time favorite book! It's a little beat up, because it wasn't in perfect shape when I got it, and I've read it at least ten times since. (It says Tracy Groot a the bottom where the plastic is curling and isn't easily read)

It has all of my favorite things; history, theology (to an extent), intrigue, compelling characters, and gruesome ritualistic cult murders!

(here's the first page to hopefully interest you enough to go and read it right now because it's awesome)

[thisbibliophiile]

This is my all time favorite book! It's a little beat up, because it wasn't in perfect shape when I got it, and I've read it at least ten times since. (It says Tracy Groot a the bottom where the plastic is curling and isn't easily read)

It has all of my favorite things; history, theology (to an extent), intrigue, compelling characters, and gruesome ritualistic cult murders!

(here's the first page to hopefully interest you enough to go and read it right now because it's awesome)

[booksandrandomness]

Thoughts on Madman

Pages: 314

Jacket Summary: Tallis, a philosopher's servant, is sent to a Greek academy in Palestine only to discover that it has silently disappeared. No one wil ltell him why, but he gradually learns what happened to four of its scholars. One was murdered. One committed suicide. One now worships in the temple Dionysus. And one...one is a madman. As darkness gathers, all of Galilee holds its breath, waiting for the light.

-

I heard Tracy Groot speak at the Faith and Writing Conference back in April, and she is extremely inspiring. Madman won The Christy Award, so I decided to give this one a try. I have never read a Christian historical fiction novel before. I didn't really know what to expect!

Well... it was alright. Groot's writing style is basic and does really well to create characters. I enjoyed the topic, as I have never heard of the rituals and ways of life during this time period. I'm not sure how I felt about the characters, though. I liked them, but at times I felt disconnected or I should be feeling something I wasn't. *bit of a spoiler here*  This mainly occurs when Kardus comes and Tallis acts mad. I just didn't buy that someone would have that effect on someone else. Perhaps I need to do more research on demons. *end spoiler*

The main problem I had was how anti-climatic it is. I mean, yes, there is a climax, but it doesn't go anywhere. It builds and then flops. Twice. I, liked where Groot took the novel, just not how it was handled.

Overall, I did like the novel, only because I like learning new things. So, I would recommend this to someone who would like to learn more about the Greek time period after Alexander the Great's death. The Christian element doesn't really come into play until the very end; therefore, I would say someone who doesn't like Christian reads could read this and learn about the story Groot got her inspiration from.

Rate: 3.5 out of 5

[bookstand]

Years of Nazi occupation have stolen much from Brigitte Durand. Family. Freedom. Hope for a future, especially for a woman with a past like hers. But that changes the day American fighter pilot Tom Jaeger is shot down over occupied France. Picked up by the Resistance, Tom becomes the linchpin in their plan to infiltrate a Germans-only brothel and get critical intel out through Brigitte, a prostitute rumored to be sympathetic to the Allied cause.D-day looms and everyone knows that invasion is imminent. But so is treachery, and the life of one American pilot unexpectedly jeopardizes everything. He becomes more important than the mission to a man who cannot bear to lose another agent and to a woman who is more than just a prostitute, who finally realizes that her actions could change the course of history.

Note: This book was free when posted. Check it still is if you only want it for free.