I’ve been on a bit of a pirate kick it seems, and The Secrets of Avigdor comes with a special twist!! This novel is full of themes of adventure, family, friendship, and hope, with clear Christian perspective. If you’re looking for YA fantasy, The Secrets of Avigdor could be right up your alley!!
Annika dreams of a quiet life, helping others and working with her brother on his mission work. Being attacked by pirates and finding herself stranded on an uncharted island was never part of the plan. Neither was the handsome pirate captain.
Ethan, adrift in grief and struggling to keep afloat, fights to make a difference in an unjust world. But why does this girl, with her fiery eyes and gentle spirit, cause his guarded heart to feel again?
Half-drowned and marooned, the merchants and pirates find themselves unlikely allies on an island set on destroying them. Ancient man eating creatures roam freely and evil intentions abound. Can Annika and Ethan dodge danger long enough to uncover the secrets of this mysterious island as well as the new bond that is beginning to forge between them?
Blurb for The Secrets of Avigdor by Chaney Hobson
Ratings for The Secrets of Avigdor
Story: 5/5
Worldview: 5/5
The plot of The Secrets of Avigdor immediately threw me back to Narnia. Annika is a great protagonist, and with her best friend Carter, they were suddenly put in a position to explore the world! It definitely gave me the sense of child-like wonder that C.S. Lewis evokes–only with more of a YA twist of danger. Ethan—Captain Wolf—is a formidable yet honorable pirate, and I loved his heart for taking care of his men. It was really cool to uncover the dangers of the island and its secrets! I loved the Ancients and I’m very excited to see more of them in the future books!
The worldview was amazing from the start. Annika is a staunch believer in God, or Elohim, and she prays not only for help but also guidance. I love that! She finds courage in knowing the strength of her relationship with Christ, no matter what circumstances she may face. Ethan is a backslider. He’s mad at God for allowing his past to have happened and he doesn’t trust God anymore. I’m excited to see how Ethan grows to come back to God in the next book! He wasn’t quite there yet at the end of this one, but I’m hoping he might be by the end of book 2!
Overall Thoughts
All in all, another great read this year!! I sat down to read it and devoured it in one sitting! The tone of the book is more lower YA, but some mentions of blood/violence could put it firmly in general YA. I received a free copy of this book and all opinions expressed are my own. 🙂
If you’re interested in checking out other Christian YA fantasy novels, I highly recommend To Bind Fire and Where Darkness Dwells!
