The Haven Seekers Series:
By Amanda G. Stevens
Series rundown:
Six years ago, the government took control of the church. Only re-translated Bibles are legal, and a specialized agency called the Constabulary enforces this and other regulation. In Seek and Hide, Marcus Brenner, a new Christian, will do anything to protect his church family from imprisonment–including risk his own freedom to gain the trust of a government agent. In Found and Lost: When Violet DuBay’s friend Khloe confides that her dad is a Christian, it’s the one secret Violet can’t keep. Turning in Khloe’s dad to the Constabulary is her duty. Her decision becomes an opportunity to infiltrate the Christian resistance; but as she gets to know Marcus, Lee, and the others, she’s compelled to question the things her society has taught her about God and His followers.
My thoughts
I’m combining two books into one book review
Book 1: Seek and Hide: A great introduction to this fascinating series. Stevens is an extremely talented writer and presents a very realistic world so like our own that it kind of creeped me out. This author isn’t afraid of portraying real characters with extreme flaws. I enjoyed this first read immensely, and the nail-biting story. Some of the best stories are those that leave you contemplating things long after you’ve finished. This story was absolutely one of those for me.
Book 2: Found and Lost. Now that the world Stevens has built for the reader is already set, and we know the situation that Christians face, we are introduced to two new characters, as well as reintroduced to former characters Marcus and Lee. However, by the end of this story, I was not digging either of the new characters. The mark of a good book is how well it cultivates your emotions. For sure, I was angry at Violet for most of the book, until the end, and then I kind of liked her. However, the male MC, Clay, drove me crazy as well. Throughout most of the book I found him a likable family man, if full of flaws. However, by the end of the book I actually hated him a little because of his stupid decisions. The reversal of my feelings through me for a loop.
I highly recommend this series. The writing is flawless, word-building very intriguing and freaky-real as it relates to our current world’s climate (in more ways than one). And rarely have I read such well developed characters. If you’re down for a very contemplative speculative fiction read, go and pick up Seek and Hide today.