The Restorer by Sharon Hinck

“Could I ever learn to walk a road that was not of my choosing, without even an explanation from God?”

Have you ever felt that you could just immediately relate to a character? That’s how I felt when I started reading Sharon Hinck’s book, The Restorer. I may not be a soccer mom with a house full of kids, but I totally related to her feelings at the beginning of the book. How many of us haven’t felt overwhelmed and exhausted while at the same time just knowing that we were meant for more? And for Susan Mitchell, her answer to prayer is nothing like she thought it would be.

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a huge fan of portal fantasy; and this book was a stellar example. The world building was incredible, and I felt like each of the characters really shone in his or her own way. Also, I loved that it wasn’t a romance book. Although I adore romance, there are times where I’m looking for more action in my fantasy reads. Plus, I love characters that have to work through a lot of internal conflicts (which is something I incorporate into my own writing), and Susan does so with such grace and relatability that I can’t help but want to keep reading more and more about her story. In fact, I binge read the rest of the series (and LOVED it) immediately after finishing this book.

I also have to say that this book did an excellent job of threading the Christian themes throughout the plot and characters without feeling like you were drowning in it. It reminded me of Ted Dekker’s Circle series in that aspect, where there are very clear parallels and connections to the Bible directly developed into the world building.

So, if you’re looking for an encouraging read that pulls you into a completely new world, you should definitely check out The Sword of Lyric series! Five out of five for one of my new favorite reads.

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