From Sky to Sky by Amanda G Stevens

This is the second book in a speculative fiction series. You will have had to read the first one to make any sense of this one. There was not enough back story to make this novel very readable without having read No Less Days. (You can read my review of that book here.) I had read the first book but it was so long ago I was a bit lost at the beginning.

The framework of the series is that a doctor developed a serum in the mid-nineteenth century that, when administered to someone, allowed them to heal from any mortal wound. So the main characters in this book are around 150 years old. Most are Christians but at least one is not.

I really had difficulty liking Zac, the main character. For having lived a century and a half, he seemed terribly immature and too emotionally reactive. He makes stupid assumptions, wanting to act on them before he has even half the important details.

Stevens' writing style was difficult for me to follow. She consistently provides incomplete sentences and choppy dialogue. I reread some sentences and never did understand was they were supposed to represent. That writing style reminds me of Ronie Kendig. And the plot in this novel is long and moves slowly. Much of the text consists of Zac's ruminations. I skipped some paragraphs, skimming until I sensed the plot moving again.

The most interesting aspect of the novel is immortality. If you knew you would not die, what chances would you take? Would you mourn not growing old with a spouse? What good could you do if you knew you had a century or more to work?

This is a book for readers who like speculative fiction with a clear Christian message.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

Amanda G. Stevens writes speculative fiction. She is the author of the Haven Seeker series, and her debut Seek and Hide was a 2015 INSPY Award finalist. She lives in Michigan. You can find out more at http://amandagstevensbooks.weebly.com/.

Barbour Publishing, 320 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.