Concerning Black As Night

Once upon a time... A young woman escapes from a pair of muggers and runs to an old church for refuge. When she wakes up in the vestibule, she is surprised to see a group of monks standing over her. Check that. She is surprised to see a group of friars standing over her. The seven friars, which range from gruff Father Francis to jolly novice Brother Leon, take the young woman under their wings. Afraid to return to her family, the young lady remains with the friars, desperately trying to puzzle out who would want her out of the way.

Pros: I absolutely love this book! The heroine and hero are my favorite couple ever! The friars are great, the story is good, the bad person is sufficiently creepy... and I love how Regina Doman works Through the Looking Glass into the story! The slapstick humor can be pretty funny, too, particularly the dogs.

Cons: There is nothing that I don't like about this book.

My Rating: T (fairly intense, drugs)

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In Relation To Alex O'Donnell and the 40 Cyberthieves

In Alex O'Donnell and the 40 Cyberthieves, the latest installment in Regina Doman's Fairy Tale Novel series, Alex O'Donnell's relationship with Kateri Kovach is at a stand-still. Kateri is determined to break up, but for some reason she never gets around to talking about it. Meanwhile, Alex's father is a hacker. He doesn't use his talent for stealing identities or other illegal and immoral purposes; he just follows people around the internet. But when he hacks into a mysterious website - and gets a check in the mail for over a million dollars just a few days later - he begins to think he may be in over his head.

Pros: I absolutely love Alex! Also, I didn't know how Regina Doman was going to translate Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves into a halfway-realistic modern American story, but somehow she pulled it off. The "barbarians" were awfully funny, too.

Cons: I'll come right out and say it: I don't like Kateri. I love her name. I liked her in Waking Rose. But, as a heroine, she doesn't cut it for me. She's way too uptight. But, thankfully, everything else in the book more than makes up for her character!

My Rating: T (mild sexual references)

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Pertaining To The Shadow of the Bear

Once upon a time in New York City... Written by Regina Doman and based on the fairy tale Snow White and Rose Red, The Shadow of the Bear (Book One of the Fairy Tale Novels) is about Blanche and Rose Brier, two sisters who are as different as they can be. Eighteen-year-old Blanche is quiet and fearful, while sixteen-year-old Rose is flamboyant and brave. One night, they meet a mysterious young man who calls himself Bear. Blanche is sure that he's a drug dealer, but Rose and Mrs. Brier invite him to visit them as often as he pleases. As he spends more time with the family, Bear slowly earns Blanche's trust. However, the mysteries that surround him eventually begin to take shape - and threaten to engulf both him and the Briers.

Pros: I could go on and on and on and on. Instead, I'll just say that Bear is pretty much my favorite hero of all time, Rose is an awesome character, Blanche is even better, the whole fairy tale retold aspect of the book is right up my alley, and the chastity, faith, trust, and other Catholic elements in the story are great.

Cons: There are none.

My Rating: T (sexual and drug references)

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Alex O'Donnell Now Available!

Once upon a time... there lived a man named Ali Baba, who was hardworking and poor until one night, when a mysterious turn of good fortune overtook him. ~ The Arabian Nights.

Regina Doman, authoress of pro-chastity, pro-life, and other pro-Christian-values series The Fairy Tale Novels, has published another book called Alex O'Donnell and the 40 Cyberthieves. It's based on the fairy tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (though without the magic, I'm sure) and follows Alex O'Donnell and Kateri Kovach, characters who have appeared in previous Fairy Tale Novel books. All of Regina's books are highly recommended by me to girls over the age of thirteen. Some of the subject matter in the series isn't quite appropriate for younger girls - some of the bad characters are on drugs, etc.

Picture from fairytalenovels.com