Review of The Journey by J. Adams

J. Adams, the author of Mercedes Mountain, has done it again. She has delivered a fantastic story that should be on the shelves of every home in the world.

Let's learn a little bit about Jewel before we delve into the story of The Journey.

J. (Jewel) Adams was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. Her hard childhood spurred her imagination and later on those imaginings fueled her love for writing.

She moved to Utah in 1989 and started writing seriously a few years later.

She is a wife and the mother of eight children. When she is not home schooling her children or writing, she loves to curl up with a box of chocolates and read, her favorite books being romance and fantasy novels.

She frequently speak to youth and adult audiences. She has a great love for the youth and because of her own painful childhood, she is always anxiously engaged in helping them to understand how marvelous and special they are.

Now back to the The Journey. From the back cover we learn the following:

The Journey
Book One of the Enchanted Legends

The War between good and evil is as old as time itself--
so is the absolute truth that each is accompanied by a consequence.
Ciran is about to be faced with both.
Two roads lie ahead. Only one leads home.
Which will she choose?

Ciran is the daughter of a great king who must take her journey from her beautiful homeland into The World With No Name where the dark lord, Ubal, rules. The downside? Her memories and knowledge will be taken from her and she will only regain them if she makes the right choices.

It is a dark and uncertain world, but each Krisandorian must complete this journey before they can come home for good. The World With No Name is a testing place and Ciran is a great prize for the dark lord, for she is the daughter of his greatest enemy.

Thus is the story of a young woman who falls a little, a very little, but steps back, regains her strength and remembers her noble heritage. But Ubal does not give up. It is his burning, raging desire to destroy Ciran's father that drives him and she is the ultimate tool in that war. When she refuses to cooperate he takes matters into his own hands.

This is a great story, as old as time, that will keep you entranced until you turn the last page. At times, Adams' prose is a little on the effusive side, but the story is strong and compelling. I picked it up last night and didn't put it down until I was done. She has a unique way of telling a story that pulls you in, creating a clear and distinct picture in your mind as the story moves forward.

This is a must read and a book I will recommend to everyone. You can purchase it by going to Jewel's website or blog.

The Journey is eligible for a Whitney Award. Once you've read it, go and nominate the book at the Whitney Award website. It is a very simple process. Simply follow the step by step directions.