It’s been a hot minute since I did a book review on here. Sorry? 😂 But I thought it was fitting that my next review be the latest five-star book I read, and that book would be This Life of Mine by Victoria Lynn.
This Life of Mine by Victoria Lynn
Chronicles of Elira #2
Medieval Non-Magical Fantasy
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Marcus is tired of losing those he loves. The last shred of his childhood has been uprooted and he feels alone… again. When the ruler's new policies take effect, the anger of the Rusalkan mountain king is unleashed upon the borderlands.
With refugees streaming into Elira by the hundreds, the stories from the wall are horrific. Marcus joins a convoy to lend his medical skills to those in need at the Eliran border. What he finds there is about to change his life forever.
Dilara’s life as a slave in Rusalka was anything but idealistic. Consumed by a system that was designed to use, abuse, and discard the likes of her, she has been taken through the very depths. Carrying a traumatic secret and wounded in her frenzied escape, she finds herself with an unlikely protector and an even more confusing relationship. Can she traverse the waters of this new life and make it her own?
And can Marcus overcome his own deformities to find the one missing piece? Or will his life forever be marked by suffering and sacrifice?
WHAT I LIKED
The feel
This book had a very different feel from the first in the series, Once I Knew. This Life of Mine has a very snow-laden, low-hanging clouds, icy winds, tall pines, cozy winter feel to it. The scenery fits in perfectly with the plot of the book, being ever raw and harsh at times while never, ever being dark.
The topics
Victoria has crafted a masterpiece here. There are so many places this book could’ve gone over the edge, went way too explicit, and notched up the gore. But she didn’t. This book tackles hard topics such as slavery, abuse, abortion, and haunted pasts with grace and discretion. The encounters with evil are real, but not overdone. Victoria knocked this out of the park.
The characters
Me several months ago: “Aww, Victoria's releasing another book!”
Also me: “IT’S ABOUT MARCUS!!!”
Yeah. 🤭 I wuv my baby Marcus.
I love books that showcase my favorite side characters from earlier on in the series. Side characters are oftentimes my favorite people. You can only imagine my glee when I got to read an entire book dedicated to one of my absolute favoritest boi from the Chronicles of Elira.
We got a hint of Marcus’ past in Once I Knew, but we really see him struggling with those demons in this book. But the part that really stole my heart was his relationship with the Lord. This boy has an inner strength that far belies his crippled state, and I love the fact that he’ll argue with himself while quoting scripture in his head. He’s always giving, always caring, always putting others far before his own needs. I’m so glad Victoria gave him his own book.
Dilara, on the other hand . . . Oof, she was deep. Her past had scared her and convinced her she couldn't trust anyone. Yet she was strong. Oh, so strong. Stronger than the lies that told her otherwise and the people that told her she was anything but. She was broken time and time again, but she fought. She truly was inspiring.
And, of course, the return of some characters from Once I Knew were a joy to see, especially a particular interaction that I won’t spoil, but left my heart oh-so warm after. 🥰
The themes
As I stated above, Victoria dives into some pretty hard topics in this book. I myself was a tad hesitant at how they would be handled, but knowing her passion for the themes she was putting into this book, I gave it a try.
When I tell you this book is deep, I mean in a heart-wrenching, blood-boiling, righteous-anger kind of deep. You can tell when an author puts their heart and soul into a book and that is exactly what Victoria did with This Life of Mine. The strong faith these characters hold is an inspiration for us followers of Jesus and the themes and message carried throughout are powerful and uplifting. We need more strong faith content like this in books, people!
The Wolf
Yes, the wolf. 🤭 I loved how Victoria wove the wolves throughout this story, and Nuri definitely deserves a nod. *Goes to incorporate wolves into my work in progresses*
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Umm . . . does the fact that it ends count? 😂 I loved this book! And it’s a rare day that I don’t find something wrong with a book, whether I just didn’t like a certain aspect of it or completely disagree with a scene or topic.
Not gonna lie. This book has a permanent home on my bookshelf.
Content Warnings
Deals with heavy topics not suitable for younger/more sensitive audiences. One of the characters is a former slave who was sold as a child. It deals with abortion *SPOILER* (She is forced to have an abortion and there is a scene where she holds her stillborn baby.) *END OF SPOILER* as well as slavery and abuse *SPOILER* (The man who bought her returns to take her back by force.) *END OF SPOILER* and contains non-gory action and injuries. There is also a birth scene, but it is not detailed. All these are dealt with gracefully and in a way that is concise but not explicit. (To view spoilers, highlight the blackened areas.)
To recap, I adore this book. So much so that I hope to get it in hardcover. 😍 Isn’t that cover gorgeous?!
As always, if you have any questions or want to know more about this book—or any books that I review—please don’t hesitate to reach out! I’m more than happy to provide additional information. 😊
Victoria Lynn has an insatiable desire for truth, light and beauty.
Traveling to destinations of beauty created by our Heavenly Father, reveling in creative pursuits that fill her with joy, or pouring her heart into words of life are some of her favorite things to do.
She seeks to bring the life giving words of the Savior to a dark and broken world that desperately needs to know of His sacrifice.
A writing and publishing coach, author, journalist, seamstress and creator, she loves spending time with any of her 8 siblings, exploring her native state of Michigan, and sewing gowns fit for a princess.
Have you read This Life of Mine? Who was your favorite character? (Can you guess mine? 😉) Who’s excited for the next book in the Chronicles of Elira??
Catch ya on the flip side!
_Mac 🤎