Will stir your emotions: "Set the Stars Alight" by Amanda Dykes

about the book....

In an aged brick cottage in London, the magic of the past comes alive each night for the family of a humble watchmaker. In her father's fireside stories, Lucy Claremont's fascination with the high seas begins, leading her to devote her life's work to discovering the whereabouts of a legendary lost ship. But when tragedy strikes, it's childhood friend Dashel and his knowledge of the stars that may help her solve the puzzle.

Two hundred years earlier, three young lives are altered forever when a shepherd rescues the privileged son of a powerful admiral. As the children grow, war leads to unthinkable heartbreak, deep love, and a story of betrayal, sacrifice, and redemption that fades into obscurity as centuries pass.

As Lucy and Dash explore mysterious ruins on the East Sussex coast, their search leads them to a community of souls and a long-hidden tale that may hold the answers--and the healing--they so desperately seek.

my review....

Every so often you step into the pages of a novel and pause in wonder as you get a glimpse of something almost magical. Such is the case with Amanda Dykes' latest novel, as I was swept into a beautifully written story that dances back and forth between present and past, introducing us to a cast of characters who will quickly endear themselves to readers. Sometimes when I read stories split between two periods of time, I find it almost jarring to step back and forth between the plot lines, but such is not the case with "Set the Stars Alight". Each section weaves seamlessly until the next, building and intertwining the stories in unexpected ways. I will caution readers who don't usually pick up more lyrical novels that this novel does have a sense of poetry that encourages readers to savour the words. But as someone who doesn't normally to choose to pick up such novels, I can attest that this story moves at a well-thought out pace and kept me engaged throughout. The characters are just so intriguing that I couldn't step away from them for a moment, especially as the tale taking place two hundred years earlier showcased the most heart-breaking example of laying down our lives for our friends. I found myself battling my emotions as I beheld a powerful tale of sacrifice that pointed to what Jesus has done for us all.

"Set the Stars Alight" has something for everyone, a wonderful blend of historical and contemporary, romance in its most grace-filled form, and a tale that will leave you with an amazing sense of hope that God is truly able to do what seems impossible. When the very real events happening around us beg for an infusion of such Hope, this tale provided just what I was needing to lighten my soul. 

If you have never tried a book from Amanda Dykes yet, then goodness, what you are waiting for? I award "Set the Stars Alight" a high rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

about the author....

Amanda Dykes (www.amandadykes.com) is a drinker of tea, dweller of redemption, and spinner of hope-filled tales who spends most days chasing wonder and words with her family. She's a former English teacher and the author of Whose Waves These Are, a Booklist 2019 Top Ten Romance debut, as well as three novellas.

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https://amzn.to/3i3tQ3F