Okay, it’s been a while since we’ve checked in on Susan and her family. Now, as with all sequels, there will be spoilers in here for the first books in the series. So, if you don’t want spoiled, stop here, go read the book(s) before, and then read the review. Unless you don’t mind being spoiled or have already read the books, please continue. :-)
Susan, Mark, and Jake are safely back home, but with a little more on their plate than expected. Jake has Restorer abilities, and Cameron and Medea (a Rhusican) have made it into our world, trashing Susan’s home. Several months pass in relative, tense quiet before the two conspirators return once again, ready to return to Lyric. Unfortunately, when they pass through the portal, they take a hostage with them: Susan. Back in Mark’s homeworld, Medea takes Susan with her to the country of Rhus. There Susan becomes no more than a plaything to the mind-invading Rhusicans.
Meanwhile, Jake goes through the portal, landing just outside Lyric, only to discover that time has already flown for the People of the Verses and things have started to fall apart. Cameron has set himself up as king, claiming he has found new Records (their version of the Bible) that does away with the Council and says that there will be no more Restorers. The guardians are no more, long-range weapons are being made, and the Rendor clan has been surrendered to the Kahlareans. Not much more can make this worse. How will the People react when Jake shares that he’s the Restorer? When will he tell them? Is a group of rogue guardians enough to defy Cameron? Will Susan survive the mind-numbing tortures of Rhus? Can both Susan and Jake follow the One’s leading, even if they don’t like the path He chose for them?
All righty. Here is what used to be the final “Restorer” book, up until the surprise fourth book was discovered. :-) When I first posted this review, I had literally just finished reading this story that past week/weekend. Why hadn’t I read this before when my family would get it from the library? I have no idea. Although, either I overheard some of my family talking about it, or they were actually telling me about it so that I had a vague idea of what would be happening.
Thankfully that didn’t lessen my experience. Things are a bit more intense in some ways. Yet in other ways . . . not. Maybe it’s simply because I kinda already knew the ending. There are certainly battles and times when the One shows His mighty power. The two storytellers are Susan and Jake, though Jake has more chapters. You may understand why when you read it. :-)
The book was written by Sharon Hinck, and she relates the journeys of former Restorer Susan and present Restorer Jake in 288 pages divided into 34 chapters. There is a map in the front. A Reader’s Guide, Glossary, and two original songs in the back. Once again, I am basing this information on a special edition copy. If you were to get a regular copy, I believe that the glossary and guide would still be in the back, but you’d only get one song (which could vary in importance from person to person).
Now, I’ll just say that if you can’t find the fourth book or don’t care to look, that is fine because my family considered this a fitting end to the Sword of Lyric trilogy. Our curiosity was peaked when we discovered the fourth book, but my family (and most likely me if I had read the series before) was content with how things ended. (I will confess that since we own all four, the moment I finished this one I picked the fourth book up and started reading. Hey, I didn’t want to wait. Besides, I personally want to know what further happens. Anyway.) Although there are some deaths, I’m going to give The Restorer’s Journey five singing dragons out of five.
Until next time. Bye.
Other titles in the series:
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